Showboats 22 Gamblers 20
Houston fell back to their slow starting ways, punting on their first 5 possessions followed by a turnover as they fell behind 12-3 at the half. Memphis would extend that lead to 19-3 before Houston cut the gap to 6 points with 5:37 remaining. The Showboats would add an important insurance FG at the 2 minute warning to make it 22-13. Important because Tony Dean led Houston on a TD drive to cut the lead to 22-20 but Memphis WR Willie Howland recovered the onside kick, preserving victory for the 6-1 Showboats.
Memphis didn't throw the ball great but who needs to throw when you run for over 300 as a team. Donut Mogul Tim Horton had 158 yards while former Gambler Mark Lambert had 133. Houston WR Gabriel Ahrens caught 4 for 151 and a TD in the loss.
Invaders 25 Thunderbolts 17
Oakland jumped out to an early 13-0 lead in this game of playoff contenders before Cleveland scored the next 17 for a 17-13 lead after 3 quarters. Oakland completed the scoring sandwich with 12 unanswered 4th qtr points for the victory that keeps them tied atop the West. Oakland intercepted Cleveland QB Allen Rose 3 times and kept the ball 37:42 despite running for just over 1 yard a carry.
Hawaiians 19 Force 13 (OT)
Atlanta's Fulton County Stadium was 3 quarters full but those fans had an extra quarter of free football as these two teams nearly played to a 13 all tie. Before we look at the improbable game winning TD, let's see how we got to OT. Honolulu turned it over on downs 3 times, including 2 inside the Force 10 yard line. Had they elected to try a FG in either situation, the OT may have been avoided. Then again, Hawaiians K Howard Bury missed his lone FG attempt and an XP attempt, so nothing is certain, except Honolulu had no trouble generating yards.
Georgia ran for 232 yards in the loss and led for most of the game despite losing the turnover battle 3-0. In the extra session both teams had 3 possessions. Georgia's third OT punt pinned Honolulu at their own 10 with only 0:24 left and everyone's sister began putting on lipstick, anticipating the seemingly inevitable tie. Following a pass for -1 yard, this happened. Mark Moody broke free from coverage and Bruno Wilson hit him in stride as Moody outran everyone to the end zone as the Hawaiians snatch victory from the knots of the tie. The tough luck continues for Georgia, who are better than their 1-6 record indicates.
Bandits 30 Blazers 22
This game was a tale of 2 halves and the power of 3. Both teams committed 3 turnovers and kicked 3 FG's, but only Tampa Bay scored 3 TD's, earning them the victory. Tampa Bay's 3 turnovers came in the first half, helping Florida build a 22-7 halftime lead, but Florida returned the favor with 3 second half turnovers as the Bandits scored the game's last 23 points. Tampa is in the playoff hunt as they seek to end their recent playoff drought. The Bandits made the playoffs every year between 1976-1980, but only once since.
Hornets 22 Steamer 20
You can't tell by looking at the team stats, but there were several big plays in this game. The teams combined for 517 yards of offense, 116 on the ground and 8 for 32 on 3rd down. They combined for 3 turnovers and 2 red zone trips, both by Shreveport. The Steamer had a 13-10 lead at halftime that quickly evaporated in a matter of seconds. Steamer RB David Oldham was tackled in the end zone for a safety, then Robert Bonfiglio returned the free kick 91 yards for a TD to give Charlotte a 19-13 lead. Early in the 4th, Steamer WLB Christopher Landreneau intercepted a Stanley Snyder pass and took it to the house. The ensuing XP gave the Steamer a 20-19 lead which they could not hold. Charlotte K Samuel Hoye split the uprights with a 55 yard kick with 1:27 left for the final points of the game.
Storm 27 Gold 6
Portland shut down the Denver offense, holding the Gold to 225 total yards (13 rushes 12 yards) and intercepting 4 passes. The Storm enjoyed a 35-25 time of possession advantage and scored on all 3 red zone trips (2 TD's), holding Denver to FG's on their 2 trips inside the 20. That being said, it was just a 10-6 game after 3 quarters before Portland stormed to 17 4th qtr points to keep pace with 6-1 Oakland atop the West. Denver is 5-2 on the season despite giving up more points than they've scored (147 PF 148 PA).
VooDoo 43 SaberCats 3
New Orleans declawed the SaberCats today, holding them to 147 total yards, 1 for 12 on 3rd down and forcing 3 turnovers. The VooDoo was almost in complete balance today, allowing 73 rushing yards, 74 passing while offensively they ran for 237 while throwing for 230. New Orleans was 11 for 19 on 3rd down plus 2 for 2 on 4th while holding the ball nearly 38 minutes. New Orleans WR Ricky Hash had 3 total TD's.
Outlaws 30 Bell 0
After a rough start to 1987, Oklahoma is playing better football lately. If the Outlaws simply win the games they "should" they would be 8-8, while an additional upset or 2 could put them in the wildcard hunt. The Outlaws defense sacked Philadelphia QB's 4 times , forced 4 turnovers and held the Bell to 207 total yards in the shutout.
Blitz 12 Wheels 3
One of these days we're likely to hear a report about a large brawl in the Detroit locker room as the Wheels defense surely must be completely frustrated with the offense. Detroit gives up just under 15 points a game but the offense scores only 7 a game. Chicago forced 3 INT and RB Max Howard had exactly 100 yards rushing as the Blitz make up a game on both Michigan and Cleveland.
Federals 37 Renegades 3
Washington forced 4 Orlando turnovers while doubling their yardage as they cruised to victory. Justin Bieber's dad Scott tossed 4 TD passes and 322 yards. The only positive for Orlando was 7 for 17 on 3rd down.The Federals extend the league's current best win streak to 5, helping them remain tied with 6-1 Baltimore atop the Atlantic.
Express 31 Gunslingers 14
This game had a lot of points considering the limited offensive output. San Antonio had 255 yards and 4 turnovers to Los Angeles's 219 and 3. Red zone efficiency was golden however, as both teams were 2 for 2 scoring TD's inside the 20. San Antonio took an early 7-0 lead and we had an unbreakable record on the ensuing kickoff. Dane Britt took that kickoff 110 yards to the house, tying a record that's been done 21 times previously. This is the 3rd win in a row for the Express as they continue to put pressure on the Hawaiians.
Stallions 24 Sun 3
Birmingham wasn't spectacular but they did what they needed to do to keep pace with the VooDoo. Both teams struggled on the ground but the Stallions had a better air day than the Sun, 270 yards to 101. Birmingham was 7 for 17 on 3rd down and scored on all 3 red zone trips (2 TD's) to go with their 35-25 time of possession advantage.
Generals 29 (NY) Stars 7
The East has belonged to New Jersey since 1978 but a win for the (NY) Stars would tie them with the Generals at 5-2. New Jersey doesn't look like they're going to loosen their grip on the East anytime soon however, as they flexed their muscles. New Jersey had 443 yards of offense to just 174 for New York. The Generals also sacked Willie Bust 4 times while keeping the Stars out of the red zone. Free agent acquisition WR Corey True has energized the New Jersey offense in 1987, catching 2 TD's among his 3 for 90. New Jersey currently sits atop the commish rankings, but 5 of their 7 games have been in the division so it's fair to wonder if they're about to tumble down a few spots the next several games.
Bulls 31 Breakers 6
Fans in Boston are already thinking about 1988 as 1987 has been absolutely horrible. The beat rolls on as Jacksonville had almost 5 times as many yards as Boston (555-113). Boston did win the turnover battle 3-0 but that's of little consolation. The Bulls got a lot of players involved in the offense so the only stat star was QB Joseph Serio (29/38, 388 yards, 4 TD/1 INT). The win pushes Jacksonville to 6-1, maintaining their 2 game lead on Tampa Bay.
Stars 41 Maulers 9
Pittsburgh scored the first 3 points of the game and the last 6, but the 41 Baltimore points in between were a bit of a problem. Stars QB Jon Snow threw for 318 yards and 4 TD (0 INT) while WR Brian Darden made the most of his 2 receptions, both of them touchdowns covering 85 and 71 yards. The Baltimore win allows them to keep pace with Washington atop the Atlantic at 6-1 while Pittsburgh lost their 5th straight after a 2-0 start.
Wranglers 36 Panthers 13
Arizona might be in last place in the West but they're 4-3, right in the thick of the playoff race. Michigan remains a game ahead of Cleveland in the Midwest despite the loss. Arizona racked up 542 total yards, 418 through the air as perhaps Michigan suffered a post big win hangover? Emotion doesn't seem to factor into MFN but if this were real football, it would only be natural for Michigan to come out flat after such an emotional, come from behind win last week. Arizona WR Eric Duncan caught 5 passes for 146 yards and a TD.
