1978 Week 3 Roundup: For Whom the Bell Tolls

Please tell the Philadelphia Bell they have our attention.

Gerald Gallagher, DT, Philadelphia

Philadelphia's defense stood tall with 2 minutes to play as the Bell held off the Florida Blazers, 29-27,  to improve to 3-0. It is the first 3-0 start in franchise history and the first three-game win streak in franchise history.

DT Gerald Gallagher had the defensive play of the day, a sack with 2 minutes remaining that forced Florida to settle for a field goal. Philadelphia recovered the ensuing onside kick and ran out the clock. SS Herbert Lynn provided the eventual margin of victory when he sacked Walter Jackson for a safety late in the first quarter.

The fast start under new coach Jaybo911 is great, but a reality check is on the way. Take a look at the Bell's next seven games--at Shreveport, Arizona, at Oakland, Portland, New Orleans, at New Jersey, Birmingham. That's a touch stretch for anybody, but perhaps Philadelphia will prove it is up to the task.

In other Week 3 games:

• The Cleveland Thunderbolts were still celebrating last week's big win over Detroit when Arizona crashed the party, the Wranglers winning, 31-13. Cleveland scored the game's first TD, then never crossed the goal line again. LDE Charlie Lee had two sacks and a fumble recovery.
• The New Jersey Generals kept pace with Philadelphia in the East Division with a 30-13 win over the New York Stars. New Jersey is 11-1 in its last 12 regular-season games. Four players (Jim LeClair, James Lockette, Jim Byrne, Bobby Leopold) had two sacks each for the Generals.
• The Birmingham Stallions are also 3-0 after edging the New Orleans VooDoo, 22-19. The Birmingham defense made several key plays, including a fumble recovery with 10 minutes to play.
• The San Antonio Gunslingers trailed Jacksonville, 22-10, entering the fourth quarter but scored 18 unanswered points to win, 28-22. An 80-yard drive culminated in Jeffrey Graham's game-winning 8-yard TD run with 1:44 to play. The Bulls drove to the San Antonio 8 in the final seconds, but couldn't get lined up for another play before time expired.
• Oklahoma RB Patrick Hiebert ran for 211 yards on 16 carries (13.2 per carry) and a 25-yard TD during a 34-7 Outlaws win over the Honolulu Hawaiians. That ranks No. 16 all-time in single-game rushing yardage. Philadelphia's Jose Medina had games of 305 and 303 yards during the 1974 season.
• Charlotte CB Robert Mason had nine tackles and intercepted three passes during a 38-19 loss to the Los Angeles Express.
• Michigan QB Michael London passed for 532 yards and five TDs during a 45-30 victory over the Houston Gamblers. James Connelly of the Gamblers returned kickoffs for 97- and 100-yard TDs. Gregory Shea of the Memphis Showboats returned three kickoffs for TDs last season vs. Detroit.
• The Baltimore Stars knocked off four-time Atlantic Division winner Pittsburgh, 31-24, on John Peters' 31-yard TD pass to Hector Morris with 7:06 remaining.

Week 4 Preview

A pair of surprise division leaders square off when the San Jose SaberCats (3-0) travel to Memphis to face the Showboats (3-0). A playoff rematch from last year takes place when the Detroit Wheels (2-1) host the Oklahoma Outlaws (2-1). Detroit won, 35-6, in the second round of the 1977 postseason. The Birmingham Stallions (3-0) will try to maintain their South Division lead when they host the Baltimore Stars (2-1), who are coming off a big win over the Pittsburgh Maulers.

Coach's Profile

Jaybo911, Philadelphia Bell

Jaybo 911, Philadelphia Bell
Playing MFN Since: August 3, 2017
Hometown (town, state): Roanoke, AL
Current residence (town, state): Pinewood, SC
Day job: Manufacturing (work in a plant making cardboard boxes )
Favorite teams (all sports): College football: Alabama (ROLL TIDE); NFL: Philadelphia Eagles; Baseball: Atlanta Braves
A real-life sports experience: None
A fantasy sports experience: Have played some fantasy baseball
Coach's Corner: (tip for a new MFN coach): Your playbook comes with your head coach. If you change head coaches, you may lose some of your plays, so keep an eye on that.