Week 14: Magic 8-Ball Says "Reply Hazy, Try Again"

Following Week 14 action, I consulted my Magic 8-Ball for the playoff scenarios, and it told me "Reply Hazy. Try Again Later". Click the link or just check the league forum for the scenarios as they are now. Half of our division titles are still up for grabs and only four teams have their playoff ticket punched, while we have 13 teams still in play for the last 8 spots. 1987 could go down as the most exciting season in league history and we're still 2 weeks away from the playoffs.

One crazy standings tidbit...while this isn't the first season with all four teams in a division at .500 or better, it is the first time all four will be above .500. The West division was the first to have all four teams at least 8-8, doing it in 1979 and 1980. The Midwest did it in 1982 and the Atlantic in 1983. All of those times, the last place team was 8-8, so the fact this year's last place team will have at least 10 wins is absolutely nuts.

Express 18 Sun 15 (OT)

It wasn't pretty but Los Angeles won the game and gets to hang a pretty banner up in their stadium, saying 1987 Pacific Division Champions. They played the full 70 minutes in this game, yet the box score gives a combined 75 minutes of possession. It's most likely a display bug, and it's been submitted for review. Los Angeles racked up 456 yards of offense to 275 for Southern California but turnovers and red zone failures helped the Sun stay in the game. Southern California's second TD of the day early in the 4th gave the Sun a 15-12 lead. The Express tied it with a FG inside the 2 minute warning, then won it with a FG at the final gun.

Showboats 26 Gunslingers 3

Memphis doubled the yardage of San Antonio (404-197), and the Showboats defense intercepted a pass, had 2 sacks, and held the Gunslingers to 3 for 12 on 3rd down. Memphis was 8 for 16 on 3rd down with 5 red zone trips (3 TD/2 FG) and the win means the road to World Bowl XIV goes through Memphis, Tennessee.

Stallions 29 Bell 10

Birmingham QB David Schmitt completed 90% of his passes (27/30) while the Stallions defense intercepted 3 passes and held Philadelphia to 200 yards on the day. Birmingham led 13-7 at the half and the Bell cut it to 13-10 early in the 3rd, but that was it for Philadelphia. The Stallions scored the game's last 16 points for the victory that sends Birmingham to the playoffs for the sixth straight season.

Wranglers 42 Maulers 16

Pittsburgh won the turnover battle 1-0 and equaled the number of first downs and red zone trips of Arizona, but the Wranglers offense mauled the Pittsburgh defense. Arizona QB Joseph Jones threw for 440 yards and 5 TD's as part of a 542 yard day for the Wranglers offense. Arizona was 9-12 converting 3rd downs in the Wranglers 5th straight victory.

Federals 19 Invaders 16

Washington has the 3rd highest scoring offense and they faced Oakland and their second stingiest scoring defense. The Federals boast the 4th stingiest defense so it's no surprise both offenses struggled. In the first half, it was Oakland's time to shine on defense, shutting out the Federals and allowing only 66 yards, building a 13-0 lead. Oakland was still leading 16-7 early in the 4th before the self inflicted wounds began. Fred Hall sacked Dustin Nichols in the end zone for a safety, then Washington scored 3 more after the free kick, making it 16-12 Oakland. Nichols then threw an INT, leading to the go ahead Federals TD, then threw another one to salt the game away for Washington.

Gold 43 Panthers 19

One thing I've noticed looking over so many box scores, is the propensity of the game engine to split games into 2 halves. Time and time again, I've seen one team dominate the first half only to have everything completely flipped in the second half. I realize it happens, but it seems to me it's happening too often.

Michigan had a 13-3 halftime lead, going 4-7 on 3rd down with a yard advantage of 235-138. Denver won the second half 40-6, holding Michigan to 0-6 on 3rd downs in forcing 5 three and outs along with 2 INT's. Gold QB Walton Vasquez threw for 465 yards and 3 TD's and the scoring was capped by a record tying 110 yard kickoff return TD for Jake Peralta of Denver. The Gold converted 2 point tries on all 3 of their 4th qtr TD's while adding a FG in the quarter, as Denver took a 16-13 lead after 3 and made it a blowout.

Storm 31 Hornets 12

Portland had 403 yards of offense while holding Charlotte to 9 yards rushing and dominated both red zones as the Storm pull away from the Hornets in the second half for the win that keeps them alone at the top of the West. Charlotte was 6-17 on 3rd down and entered the red zone 3 times but couldn't cross the goal line while Portland scored 4 TD's and a FG on their 6 trips.

Bandits 30 Steamer 16

Shreveport had won 5 in a row as they make a late playoff push but they ran into a Tampa Bay team that's been solid all season and fighting for a playoff spot of their own. The stats were close but turnovers and red zone made the difference. The Bandits defense intercepted 2 passes, returning one for a TD and kept the Steamer out of the end zone in their lone red zone trip. Tampa Bay played turnover free football as QB Melvin Driggers threw for 3 TD's and the offense was 2 for 2 in the red zone. Shreveport got within 20-16 early in the 4th but the Bandits scored the last 10 points to seal victory.

Stars 40 Bulls 21

Yet another regular season playoff game as neither team could afford to lose this game if they want to play into January. Baltimore came out like shooting stars, scoring 17 first quarter points en route to a 30-21 halftime lead. The Stars scored on 6 of their first 7 possessions of the opening half as Jacksonville's defense had no answer for Brian Darden. Darden caught 3 first half TD's, one for 97 yards as part of a 4 catch, 210 yard day. Baltimore QB Jon Snow had 400 yards and 4 TD's and the Stars defense pitched a second half shutout, helping Baltimore keep their playoff hopes alive.

VooDoo 28 Force 0

After Week 12, Georgia had played 11 one score games, losing all but 2 as they were eliminated from the playoffs. Since Week 12, the Force has not been with Georgia, as they suffer their second consecutive shutout loss. Is it a case of nothing to play for, or is it their competition playing well? Hard to tell since the losses have been to Birmingham and New Orleans, but they close out with Boston and San Jose, so a strong finish is possible.

New Orleans needed this win after last week's loss and the VooDoo were on point. They outgained Georgia 357-154, won the turnover battle 3-0, went 8-18 on 3rd downs and 5 red zone trips (2 TD/3 FG) while dominating time of possession (38:31-21:29). New Orleans scored TD's with 2 point conversions on their first 2 drives, adding a FG on their 3rd and never looked back in the shutout victory.

Gamblers 24 Outlaws 17

Oklahoma continues to ground and pound and they hung in their against the Houston Gamblers as the 1-15 season of 1985 is a distant memory now. Despite the improvement, Oklahoma will miss the playoffs again but the foundation is there for future success. Both teams scored on 3 of their first 4 possessions but Houston scored all TD's while Oklahoma had a FG to go with 2 TD's as Houston had a 21-17 lead at the break. The second half saw just a lone Houston FG and the Gamblers defense intercepted 2 passes in the 4th qtr to stifle the Outlaws comeback bid.

(NY) Stars 57 Breakers 7

New York broke Boston today as the Stars rolled up 725 yards, 184 rushing and 541 passing, had 7 red zone trips (3 TD/4 FG) and almost a 2-1 time of possession advantage. New York RB Ernest Lynch had 108 rushing yards and RB Cam Dalton had 227 combined yards and 4 TD's (14-63-1 rushing, 7-164-3 receiving). TE Carmen Nelson caught 11 for 177 as part of Willie Bust's 32/44, 541 yard, 4 TD day.

Whatever happens these last 2 games, the Stars have put New Jersey on notice that the East won't be so easy to win in the future.

Generals 38 Blazers 7

New Jersey ran for 208 yards and Ric Flair tossed 4 first half TD passes as the Generals doused the Blazers. New Jersey won the yardage battle 462-241, the turnover battle 2-0 (Generals fumbled 3 times though, losing none) and converted 9 of 16 3rd downs. There were no 100 yard rush/rec games nor a 300 yard passer.

Hawaiians 13 SaberCats 10

Honolulu mixed in 30 rush attempts with their usual 55 passes for 397 offensive yards. The Hawaiians converted 3 of 4 4th down attempts, yet they found themselves trailing 10-6 after 3 quarters. Bruno Wilson threw his only TD pass to Allen Grant with 1:28 left for the game winning score. Honolulu RB Ronald Boatman rushed 21 times for 112 yards and caught 7 passes for 61 yards. Hawaiians K Howard Bury is digging his own grave with his lack of accuracy this season. Bury missed 2 of his 4 FG tries and is just 12/22 overall while also missing 3 XP.

Renegades 20 Wheels 13

Detroit has been putting up more yards in recent weeks including 357 today, but the Wheels still have trouble scoring points. They had a 13-10 lead on Orlando before the Renegades tied it with a FG just outside the 2 minute warning. Three plays later, Wheels QB Gregory Skidmore threw an INT, setting Orlando up in plus territory. WR/RB Charles Ayers ran it in from 27 yards for the game winning score with 1:21 left.

Blitz 20 Thunderbolts 3

This game had no 100 yard runners or receivers, and neither QB broke 150 yards in this titanic struggle. The box score was close, except for red zone and time of possession. Cleveland lost the game's only turnover and scored just 3 points in 2 red zone trips, converting 3-15 3rd downs. Chicago was 7-17 on 3rd downs while scoring on all 3 red zone trips (2 TD/1 FG). The Blitz had the time of possession advantage 34:55 to 25:02.

Week 13: Wild, Wild West

Following the Week 13 games, all four teams in the West are separated by just 1 game as they all have 9 or 10 wins. It's also not a given the West gets both wildcards as the Houston Gamblers are 10-3, and would currently qualify for the post season. The last 3 weeks will be an old fashioned shootout and the teams who emerge from the quagmire will be battle tested come playoff time.

We have two playoff spots clinched, Michigan wins the Midwest Division while the 12-1 Memphis Showboats will at least be a wildcard if they lose the division. The Los Angeles Express and Washington Federals can wrap up their respective divisions with wins in Week 14.

Wranglers 33 Storm 30

It has truly been the Wild, Wild West in 1987 as the Arizona Wranglers have been in last place most of the season, still are technically, yet they find themselves 1 game behind the division lead after knocking off Portland. This game had a playoff feel to it and we had 4 lead changes in the 4th quarter alone.

The box score was similar on both sides, except turnovers. Portland committed 3 to just 1 for the Wranglers. Portland had a halftime lead of 17-13 and 2 Wranglers FG's in the 3rd made the score 19-17 Arizona entering the 4th. Portland scored a TD but the 2 point try failed, giving the Storm a 23-19 lead. Arizona answered with a TD for a 26-23 lead before Portland answered that score with a TD to retake the lead 30-26. On the first play following the 2 minute warning, Arizona QB Joseph Jones threw his 3rd TD of the day, this one to William Johnston to give the Wranglers a 33-30 lead. Portland had time for one last drive to at least send it to OT if not win, but Oscar Willis threw his 2nd INT of the game to seal the Arizona win.

Portland WR Fred Wink had 7 catches for 153 yards and 2 TD's in the loss. Arizona WR Eric Duncan caught 10 for 168 and 2.

West Standings

Oakland 10-3
Portland 10-3
Denver 9-4
Arizona 9-4

Maulers 24 Gold 20

Pittsburgh was eliminated a couple weeks ago, but the Maulers are still fighting as they put a damper on Denver's own playoff chances with the upset win. The Gold had a 20-10 lead entering the 4th but QB Andrew Brewer threw 2 INT's in that quarter, allowing Pittsburgh to score 14 unanswered points for the victory.

At 9-4, Denver is currently on the outside looking in.

Invaders 51 Hornets 3

Oakland bounced back nicely after last week's loss to Detroit, jumping out to a 38-0 halftime lead en route to the blowout win. The Invaders didn't amass a ton of yards because they had multiple short fields to work with, thanks to 5 INT's. The road to the West Division crown goes through Oakland as the Invaders still have games left against Portland and Denver the last 3 weeks.

Panthers 34 Blitz 9

The Michigan Panthers are the first team to clinch their division with their win over Chicago and they are still in play for a BYE week. The Panthers out gained the Blitz 447-177, forced 3 INT's and held Chicago to 2-13 on 3rd down. Panthers WR/RB Nicholas Dorey had 191 combined yards and a TD.

Showboats 40 (NY) Stars 13

Memphis out gained New York 556-246 and QB David Allen bounced back from last week's horrible game with 412 yards, 3 TD and 0 INT's. The Showboats built a first half lead of 27-6 and coasted to victory, clinching a playoff spot in the process. Despite being 12-1, they haven't clinched their division yet, but a victory next week will do the trick. If Memphis and Michigan end up with the same record, Michigan will be the higher seed thanks to them giving Memphis their lone loss. New York remains 1 game behind New Jersey in the East.

The Showboats had 2 WR with huge stat lines, David Austin (5-149-1) and Willie Howland (3-139-2).

Gamblers 37 Thunderbolts 21

Houston is a very tough team to beat when they don't start slow, and Cleveland found that out today. The Gamblers amassed a 30-3 halftime lead in improving to 10-3 and keeping their playoff hopes alive. Houston has an outside shot at winning the division, but I doubt Memphis will lose their last 3.

It was snowy in Cleveland, but that didn't affect MVP Tony Dean. The Gamblers QB was an efficient 32/41 for 310 yards, 4 TD and 0 INT. Houston was 13-20 on 3rd down and scored 3 TD's and a FG in 4 red zone trips, while holding Cleveland to just 2 FG's in their 4 trips inside the Houston red zone.

Express 18 Hawaiians 9

Honolulu keeps chucking up passes with diminishing returns. The Hawaiians only threw 43 passes, well below their average and had just 166 yards to show for it. Los Angeles recorded 4 sacks and used a ball control offense to control the clock. The Express ran for 284 yards and converted 6 of 16 3rd downs while holding Honolulu to 0-13. Daniel Franks ran for 140 yards and Chuck Mayfield ran for 120.

These two teams have a Week 16 rematch, but it will only be meaningful if the Express lose their next 2 while Honolulu wins their next 2.

Bulls 55 Blazers 26

This seems like a hair on fire game, as all kinds of crazy stuff happened. The first quarter and a half was back and forth before Jacksonville pulled away. The game was 14-13 Bulls at that time, and Florida's TD was an INT return. Jacksonville would increase the lead to 24-13 before we saw a play we haven't seen all year. Raymond Hampton fielded a punt from his own 21, broke 3 tackles, and took it to the house for a 79 yard punt return TD, the only one in the league in 1987.

That gave Jacksonville a 31-13 halftime lead, which Florida cut to 31-19 before 24 unanswered Bulls points sealed the game. Jacksonville had 508 yards of offense, led by WR/RB Timothy Richardson who combined for 272 yards (206 receiving) and 2 TD's. Jacksonville improves to 9-4, still tied with Tampa Bay for the Southeast lead.

Bandits 27 Wheels 14

Detroit had 317 offensive yards, one of, if not the best offensive performances of the Wheels season. It wasn't enough however, as Tampa Bay put up 453 yards on the usually stout Detroit defense. Detroit got off to a fast start, leading 14-3 before the Wheels fell off. Tampa Bay scored the last 24 points of the game led by WR Thomas Whitley (4-144-1) and RB Jimmy Clark (12 rushes 119 yards and a TD). Bandits QB Melvin Driggers threw for 341 yards, 2 TD and 0 INT in the victory.

Tampa Bay improves to 9-4 to keep pace atop the Southeast with Jacksonville.

Stallions 20 Force 0

No one score loss for Georgia this week, as Birmingham scored once each quarter for the shutout win. The Stallions had a modest 345 yards of offense but their defense allowed just 221 and intercepted 3 passes, 2 by Howard Hutchinson. Birmingham RB Richard Sutton took the opening kickoff 100 yards for a score and ran for 96 yards on the day.


Birmingham improves to 10-3, good for first place in the South.

Steamer 34 VooDoo 27

There are just 2 teams hotter than Shreveport right now, Memphis and Houston. The Steamer win their 5th straight game as they try and climb back into the playoff picture after a 3-5 start. This game was all about turnovers, as Shreveport won that battle 5-1. Despite the lopsided turnover ratio, New Orleans almost won anyway.


This 4th quarter wasn't quite as crazy as Arizona/Portland, but it was close. Shreveport had a 19-0 lead at one point and it was 19-7 after 3. The VooDoo took the lead 20-19 midway through the 4th, before Shreveport retook the lead with a TD and 2 point conversion with 3:31 left. It didn't take long for New Orleans to tie the game at 27 on a 75 yard TD pass from QB James Perry. Following a Steamer punt, Perry threw his 4th INT of the game, setting Shreveport up inside the VooDoo red zone. Two plays later, Zachary Goudy punched it in from 5 yards out for the game winning TD.

Despite the loss, New Orleans (9-4) would qualify as a wildcard today, while Shreveport (8-5) needs to continue their hot streak to qualify.

Federals 41 Generals 10

A matchup of division leaders turned out to be a dud as New Jersey just couldn't hang with the Federals firepower on offense. The Generals defense had no answer for Luther Ellis who lit New Jersey up for 210 yards and 3 TD's on 7 receptions. RB Cory Martin also ran for 124 as part of a 482 yard day for Washington. Federals QB Scott Bieber threw 5 TD passes but also threw 3 INT's. New Jersey couldn't take advantage though, as Ric Flair threw 3 INT's of his own and the Generals also lost a fumble and were just 1-13 on 3rd down.


Washington improves to 10-3, fighting for the #1 seed while trying to hold off Baltimore in the Atlantic. New Jersey falls to 8-5, yet maintain their 1 game lead in the East over the (NY) Stars.

Stars 31 Renegades 3

Baltimore didn't dominate the stat lines but they did dominate the scoreboard, blowing out Orlando 31-3. Orlando turned the ball over 3 times and failed to reach the red zone, while the Stars turned it over just once while scoring 3 TD's and a FG in 4 red zone trips. Baltimore won the yardage 383-296 and both teams were decent on 3rd down, Orlando 7 for 18, Baltimore 7-16. Knob Creek ran for 102 yards in the win.


Baltimore improves to 8-5, one game out of the wildcard spots.

Sun 20 SaberCats 17 (OT)

San Jose jumped out to a 17-3 lead after 3 quarters but it was all Sun after that. Southern California got a FG, TD and 2 point conversion to pull within 3, then kicked the tying FG at the end of regulation, sending the game into overtime. The extra session began with punts by the Sun and the SaberCats before the Sun went on a 9 play 69 yard drive for the game winning FG. Southern California had a nice offensive day in a true team effort. 43 rushing attempts by 5 different ball carriers netted 159 yards, nobody had more than 66. In the passing game, 27 completions were distributed among 10 different players with nobody gaining more than 77 yards.


Southern California improves to 4-9, 2 games behind Week 14 opponent Los Angeles. If the Sun win, they're still alive, lose and they're eliminated.

Outlaws 28 Gunslingers 9

Oklahoma is still using a ground and pound offense, rushing 49 times for 177 yards while throwing just 14 passes. San Antonio had 335 yards but 4 turnovers (3 INT's) and just 3 points in two red zone trips. The Outlaws had 5 red zone trips but they got their 28 the hard way. Oklahoma had 4 FG's and a TD in those 5 trips and K Roger Ruzich made 3 additional FG's, giving him 7 on the day. Ruzich now has 35 FG's on the season in just 36 attempts as he pushes for an All Pro nomination.


The victory improves Oklahoma to 8-5, yet still on the outside looking in.

Bell 34 Breakers 10

A pair of one win teams squared off and Philadelphia shut down the Boston ground game while committing zero turnovers in the win. Bell RB Richard Brown ran for 107 yards on 22 carries while chipping in 5 receptions for 75 yards and a TD. Philadelphia intercepted a pass for the game's lone turnover, sacked Roy Rhyne 3 times and held the Breakers out of the red zone. 


 

Week 12: Commish Jinx?

Last week I pointed out that Tampa Bay had the longest win streak and they lose, prompting Mcarovil to say thanks for the jinx. Prior to that, I had mentioned Portland had the longest win streak and Memphis lost their long streak right after I pointed out how close they were to the Wheels record. Is there something to the commish jinx? We'll find out about the jinx soon enough as Memphis again has the league's longest current win streak at 6.

Storm 41 Panthers 38 (OT)

These two division leaders met in Portland and it was a wild tale of two halves, plus overtime. Michigan scored touchdowns on their first 5 possessions as the Panthers built a 35-7 halftime lead. Portland had 2 turnovers, both in the first half but the Storm forced 3 Panthers turnovers in the second half as they came all the way back to take the lead 38-35 with Oscar Willis's 3rd TD pass of the game with 1:18 left in regulation. With Portland shutting down Michigan in the second half (4 punts, 3 INT's) it seemed the home fans would go home happy once the clock hit 0:00 but the Panthers would move the ball into FG range. John Bibler nailed a 52 yarder at the gun to send the game into a 5th quarter. Portland got the ball first and punted, then forced a Michigan three and out before they kicked the game winning FG on their second OT drive.

Both teams were a perfect 4 for 4 scoring red zone TD's and Michigan was 10 for 17 on 3rd down, but losing the turnover battle was costly. Panthers WR/RB Nicholas Dorey had a combined 310 yards (86 rushing, 224 receiving) and 3 TD's in the loss, while the Storm had two 100 yard receivers.

Portland improves to 10-2 and is the current #2 seed in the American Conference. Michigan falls to 9-3 with this loss perhaps costing them the BYE week but they still have a 3 game lead over Cleveland in the Midwest.

Wheels 13 Invaders 10

Oakland missed a great chance to remain tied with Portland atop the West, despite holding Detroit under 200 yards. The Wheels had a 10-0 lead until 3:04 left in the 3rd, when the Invaders finally got on the scoreboard with a TD. Detroit had amassed just 130 yards of offense before their final drive of the game, which came with 1:14 left after Oakland tied the game at 10 with a FG. The Wheels saved their best drive for last, needing 7 plays for 61 yards to move into FG range. Robert Moulton booted the ball through the uprights at the gun to give Detroit the upset win.

Oakland falls to 9-3, one game behind Portland in the West and part of a 3 way tie for the 2 wildcard spots with Houston and Denver. In a 3 way tie, head to head only counts if one team swept the others, or one team was swept.

Gold 11 Blitz 6

Chicago intercepted Denver QB Andrew Brewer 4 times and sacked him 3 times while holding the Gold to 2-11 on 3rd down. Denver's defense had Brewer's back though, limiting the Blitz to 216 yards and keeping them out of the end zone. The only TD of the game came with 4:17 left as Brewer tossed an 8 yard pass to Richard Funkhouser, and the two point try was successful.

Denver is 9-3, tied with Oakland and Houston for the two wildcard spots.

Wranglers 27 Thunderbolts 10

Arizona got the ball first and drove for a TD and Cleveland did the same on their first drive, then the teams traded punts. The Wranglers third drive is when the game started to turn in Arizona's favor, as they drove 89 yards in 13 plays to take a 14-7 lead. Cleveland punted and Arizona got another TD for a 21-7 lead. Arizona would add 2 FG's after 2 more Cleveland punts and it was 27-7 Wranglers, allowing Arizona to coast to victory over the final quarter and a half.

Cleveland is 3 games out of a playoff spot with 4 to go, so their playoff hopes are becoming a faded dream. Arizona is still in last place but at 8-4, they are 1 game behind the 3 teams tied for the wildcard spots and just 2 out of the division lead. Portland comes to visit Arizona in Week 13 in a de facto playoff game for the Wranglers, as a loss pretty much takes them out of division contention and would likely make them 2 games behind the wildcard.

VooDoo 29 Express 10

The Express have had a roller coaster season on and off the field, but still find themselves at the top of the Pacific despite a 5-7 record. The VooDoo entered the game tied with Birmingham for the South lead, and had the added challenge of facing a new owner with a 1 game track record. I don't know how others feel but I don't like facing brand new owners because of the lack of track record.

New Orleans struggled to put up offensive yards, finishing with 261, but when you have two TD drives covering 18 and 26 yards, the stat lines don't fill. That second short TD drive came with 4:08 left in the 3rd to give the VooDoo a 15-10 lead. For the game, New Orleans allowed 298 yards and 7-19 on 3rd down, but held them out of the red zone all game thanks to the 5 turnovers they forced. Four of those turnovers were INT's and midway through the 4th, VooDoo CB Robert Shuler took one to the house to give New Orleans a 22-10 lead. At the 2 minute warning, Billy Brink took his only handoff and raced 63 yards to the end zone for the game clinching TD.

Los Angeles falls to 5-7 but maintain their 1 game lead on Honolulu while New Orleans maintain their tie atop the South with Birmingham.

Stallions 19 Blazers 6

Birmingham won the turnover battle 2-1 and held Florida out of the red zone all game. Neither team ran the ball great but the Stallions were efficient through the air, completing 26/38 for 287 yards. Birmingham had 3 red zone trips of their own, but only managed 2 FG's. That was enough for the victory though as Birmingham remains tied with New Orleans at the top of the South.

Stars 33 Bandits 10

Coming into this game, Baltimore had lost 4 in a row while Tampa Bay had won 6 in a row, so of course Baltimore won. Both teams had 1 turnover each but Baltimore doubled the Bandits in yardage, thanks in large part to the Stars ground game. Tampa Bay ran 14 times for just 23 yards while the Stars ran twice as much (29 times) for more than 6 times the yards (146). The Bandits never had a red zone possession while Baltimore had 3 TD's and 1 FG in 5 red zone trips. Baltimore RB Mark Numbers had 220 combined yards, 75 rushing and 145 receiving.

Tampa Bay remains tied for the Southeast lead at 8-4 with Jacksonville while Baltimore is now 7-5 on the outside looking in.

Renegades 27 Bulls 23

Stat lines were pretty close: total yards 412-411 Bulls, rushing yards Renegades 118-114, passing yards 298-293 Bulls, third down conversions (4-13 Renegades, 4-14 Bulls), 3 red zone trips each (3 TD for Renegades, 2/1 Bulls) and time of possession 31-29 Bulls. Jacksonville threw 3 INT while Orlando lost 2 fumbles.

Jacksonville built a 17-0 lead and still led 23-13 early in the 4th after a FG. Orlando QB Elwood Savage threw 2 of his 4 TD passes in the 4th qtr as the Renegades score the last 14 points of the game for the come from behind, upset win.

Jacksonville maintain their tie atop the Southeast despite the loss.

(NY) Stars 12 Outlaws 10

This was almost a playoff game as the loser will have a much tougher road to the post season. Oklahoma scored the game's only TD with their ground and pound attack, rushing 44 times versus 11 passes. New York was opposite, running 14 times while throwing 47 passes. All that passing didn't help the Stars find the end zone but it was enough for K Daniel Hall to boot 4 FG's, giving New York the 12-10 victory.

New York improves to 7-5, 1 game behind New Jersey in the East and 1 game behind in the wildcard race. Oklahoma falls to 7-5, 9th place in the American Conference.

Generals 33 Bell 16

New Jersey started fast in this game, jumping out 17-0 and 20-3 before settling in and running out the clock. The Generals ran for 3.89 ypc against the Bell's tough run defense and Ric Flair only threw 1 INT as New Jersey out gained Philadelphia 390-258. The Bell had success running the ball but the Generals sacked Philadelphia QBs 3 times and CB Bruce Dickinson intercepted Steven Moore twice.

New Jersey improves to 8-4, maintaining their 1 game lead on New York in the East.

Federals 57 Hornets 0

Washington only had a 31-0 lead after 3, piling on with 26 4th qtr points for the blowout victory. The Federals had 414 offensive yards yet nobody had 100 yards rushing or receiving, nor 300 yards passing. Washington played sloppy at times, but the Federals defense was doing such a great job shutting down the Charlotte offense, it didn't matter. Charlotte gained all of 46 yards on the day, 88 if you don't count sacks and the Hornets turned the ball over 7 times (6 INT).

Washington (9-3) maintain their 2 game lead over Baltimore in the Atlantic.

Showboats 26 Gunslingers 14

Memphis jumped out to a 16-0 lead before San Antonio cut it to 16-14 early in the 4th. The Showboats closed out the scoring with the final 10 points as they win sloppily. Memphis got to the red zone 5 times but only scored 2 TD's and 1 FG, they lost a fumble, gave up 3 sacks and David Allen threw 4 INT's. San Antonio's offense just couldn't take enough advantage though, as their longest play from scrimmage was 24 yards.

Memphis is 11-1 and the current #1 seed in the American Conference.

Gamblers 31 SaberCats 6

Houston got off to a fast start, building a 24-0 halftime lead and Chase Miles had 2 TD's and 215 yards rushing/receiving. San Jose had extreme difficulty through the air, averaging less than 1 yard per attempt. The SaberCats did have success on the ground (21-113) and they forced four turnovers. Three of those were lost fumbles as the Gamblers had ball security issues but the one dimensional San Jose offense couldn't take advantage.

Houston is 9-3, tied with Oakland and Denver for the 2 wildcard spots. I have not looked at the 3 way tiebreaker to see who has it right now, still too much football left to be played.

Sun 32 Hawaiians 15

Honolulu was once 4-3, at the top of the Pacific, but they've lost 5 in a row since. The Hawaiians still throw a ton, 57 times today, but it was the running game that made the difference. Honolulu ran 20 times for 30 yards while Southern California ran 32 times for a whopping 337 yards. Nicholas Wittrock accounted for almost half, with 163 yards on 13 carries.

Southern California improves to 3-9, but that's only 2 games behind Los Angeles for the Pacific playoff spot. Honolulu is in 2nd place in the Pacific at 4-8, 1 game behind the Express.

Steamer 23 Breakers 6

Shreveport dominated 3rd down conversions, red zone opportunities and time of possession for their 4th straight victory. The Steamer were 7-16 on 3rd down (Boston 1-14), had 3 red zone opportunities (2 TD/1 FG) to just 1 for the Breakers (1 FG), and a 36-24 time advantage.

Shreveport stay 2 games behind Birmingham and New Orleans in the South and are now 1 game out of the #6 seed.

Maulers 6 Force 3

Georgia loses yet another one score game as their kicker missed 2 FG's on the day. Both teams combined for 391 offensive yards as Pittsburgh snaps their 9 game losing streak.

Week 11: Tampa Bay Wins 6th In A Row

Portland lost to division rival Denver so Tampa Bay now has the league's longest current win streak. The Boston Breakers won their first game of the year, which means every team has won and lost at least once. The Los Angeles Express are on their 3rd owner of the season after previous owner Zennarius was booted for lack of participation (not logging on for 10 days). Dash is the new owner, and he has previous USFL/WFL experience (Georgia 1974). This week's blog will be short, I've had a long weekend of work/car problems.

VooDoo 27 Stallions 20

Birmingham could have taken a major step toward a division title with a win over New Orleans. The Stallions had the first 3 scores but they were all FG's while the VooDoo had a TD in the first half, but missed the 2 point conversion for a 9-6 Birmingham lead at the half. New Orleans scored 2 3rd qtr TD's to take a 20-9 lead, but Birmingham would score the next 11 points with a FG, TD, and 2 point conversion. New Orleans would break the tie with the second of James Perry to Clayton Worthey TD passes with 1:38 left. Both teams had trouble holding onto the football (New Orleans threw 3 INT's while Birmingham threw 2 and lost 2 fumbles) but the VooDoo owned the red zone and had the better rushing attack.

The New Orleans win pulls them into a tie with Birmingham atop the South with identical 8-3 records.

Gold 33 Storm 21

It seems the only time West teams lose is divisional games (24-2) and the Storm fell to the Gold this week. Denver jumped out to a 24-0 second quarter lead before Portland stormed back with 2 TD's in the 4th to pull within 27-14. Denver scored 2 late FG's to pad the final score as Portland turned the ball over 4 times.

Portland is now tied atop the West with the Oakland Invaders while Denver would be the current #6 seed at 8-3.

Bulls 28 Federals 24

This was a game between likely playoff teams and it certainly had a January feel to it. The box score is close up and down the stats and this was, by definition, a back and forth game. Jacksonville went up 7-0, Washington then went up 10-7, before the teams alternated TD's. Washington's Scott Bieber hit Cory Martin for a TD pass with 1:14 left for a 24-21 Federals lead but 33 seconds later, Jacksonville QB fired a 44 yard TD pass to Peter Henderson for the win.

The win keeps Jacksonville tied with red hot Tampa Bay atop the Southeast at 8-3 while Washington (8-3) still has a 2 game lead over slumping Baltimore despite this loss.

Wranglers 22 Stars 19 (OT)

The Arizona Wranglers continue to be the best last place team in the league as the West division continued their dominance over the rest of the league. The Wranglers are 7-4 and may be the best last place team in history, although that's a dubious distinction nobody wants. On the bright side, they are just 2 games out of the division lead and 1 game behind Denver and Houston for the final wildcard.

Baltimore kicked a FG just inside the 2 minute warning for a brief 19-16 lead but Arizona would tie the game with a FG of their own on the final play of regulation. Both teams had 2 overtime possessions with Arizona kicking a FG with 1:25 left for the victory. Baltimore loses their 4th straight and find themselves 2 games out of a playoff spot.

Bandits 20 Renegades 19

Orlando may be having a rough season but the Renegades were up for this division game against in state rival Tampa Bay. Orlando QB Elwood Savage found Dexter Elmer for a 63 yard TD early in the 3rd for a 19-10 Renegades lead. That was it for Orlando though, as the Bandits scored 10 unanswered points to escape with the 1 point win.

As noted above, Tampa Bay has the longest current win streak at 6, and they remain tied with Jacksonville atop the Southeast.

Outlaws 38 Generals 16

I said a few weeks ago that in addition to Oklahoma needing to win the games they "should", they also needed an upset or two to get into the playoffs. The Outlaws pulled off the "upset" today, but is it really an upset when you win by 22? Despite the win, the Outlaws are still currently on the outside looking in though they are banging on the door. The once proud New Jersey defense was drug through the mud in this game as Oklahoma ran the ball 53 times for 198 yards and converted 11 of 16 3rd downs. Generals QB Ric Flair has been erratic lately, tossing 3 picks to claim 3rd place in that department. Flair has 18 INT on the season, 7 in the last 3 games.

Oklahoma is 7-4, knocking on the playoff door while New Jersey still leads the East at 7-4, although they are holding the door wide open for the (NY) Stars to walk through.

Gunslingers 20 (NY) Stars 14

New York jumped out to a 14-3 halftime lead but it was all San Antonio in the second half as the Stars fail to take advantage of the Generals loss. Perhaps they had one eye on the scoreboard instead of both eyes on the field in the 3rd quarter. That's when Oklahoma began to pull away from New Jersey but San Antonio was also mounting a 3rd qtr comeback. Mainly it was Gary Wiggins to Calvin Harper for 2 long TD passes (84 and 70 yds).

San Antonio has won 3 of 4 to improve to 4-7 while the (NY) Stars (6-5) are 1 game behind New Jersey in the East and 2 games behind in the wildcard race.

Express 31 SaberCats 6

The Los Angeles players show no ill effects from all the ownership changes as they are now 2-0 this season following an in season owner switch. Tough draw for San Jose, as I know firsthand how difficult it is to accurately game plan for a new owner in their first game. Dash had his new Express team ready to roll as they overcame 2 turnovers by nearly doubling San Jose in total yards.

The win gives Los Angeles sole possession of 1st place in the Pacific.

Breakers 20 Bell 17

Both teams seem headed for a top 3 draft pick, but Boston came into the game 0-10 and the motivation was high to get off the schneid. Most weeks I talk about Philadelphia's stout run defense, but a quick look at the box score makes it seem like Boston ran all over them. They sort of did, albeit all in one play as Boston extended their lead to 20-10 when RB Robert Cagle broke loose for an 80 yard TD run. If you take that out, Boston ran 22 times for 50 yards (2.5 ypc), but you can't take it out.

Showboats 39 Hawaiians 14

Honolulu took a 14-11 lead with 9:51 left in the 3rd but Memphis outscored the Hawaiians 28-0 the rest of the game for the blowout victory. Memphis QB David Allen tossed a TD pass to 3 different receivers and the defense recovered a fumble in the end zone on a strip sack in the second half Showboats surge. RB Mark Lambert ran for 197 yards and a TD in the victory.

Memphis improves to 10-1, only team in the league with double digit wins and they hold their own destiny concerning home field advantage. Honolulu's 4th straight loss leaves them 1 game behind Los Angeles in the Pacific.

Invaders 20 Maulers 13

Oakland had 22 first downs to 7 for Pittsburgh. The Invaders tripled the yardage of the Maulers while dominating 3rd down (6-15 to 1-9) and getting 4 red zone opportunities to none for Pittsburgh. It was also a turnover free game but Oakland had trouble getting TD's in the red zone, finding themselves trailing 13-12 entering the final qtr. A 4th qtr TD run by Stephen Demmer (110 yards on the day) and a 2 point conversion provided the final points of the game. Pittsburgh had 2 John Hensley FG's (55 and 58 yards) and Alfred Gale had a 102 yard kickoff return for a TD.

Oakland is now 9-2, tied for first in the West with Portland.

Gamblers 34 Sun 16

Houston built a 24-10 halftime lead, extending it to 31-10 midway through the 3rd as they coast over the Sun. Southern California did have 300 total yards, 228 on the ground but the defense couldn't stop Tony Dean. Mr. MVP tossed 4 TD's, 1 to Chase Miles (8-204) and 3 to Gabriel Ahrens (4 for 169). The victory enables Houston to remain tied for the #6 seed, though they still lose the tiebreaker to Denver.

Steamer 17 Force 13

Fresh off their 2nd win of the season, the Georgia Force go back to their old ways of losing one score games. Except for a 21-3 loss vs the VooDoo, every Georgia game has been decided by one score or less. I guess you can say the force is not with Georgia.

Thunderbolts 28 Wheels 6

Cleveland's 28 points are the most given up by Detroit on the season, although some of that is the result of a safety and a pick 6. The Thunderbolts had 397 yards of offense while Detroit QB Gregory Skidmore  is being called Skidmark by fans as he threw 3 INT's on the day. Cleveland is 3 games behind Michigan in the Midwest and 2 games behind a few teams for the wildcard.

Panthers 17 Blitz 3

Nobody had running success in this game as Michigan (27 for 18 yards) and Chicago (15 for 12 yards) combine for less than one yard per carry. Red zone success was elusive as well. Michigan had a TD on 2 trips while Chicago had nothing in 3 trips. Michigan got out to a 14-3 lead after 15 minutes and held on the rest of the way. The win improves Michigan to 9-2, good for a 3 game division lead and in the conversation for a BYE week.

Blazers 23 Hornets 3

Florida dominated Charlotte, out gaining them 403-91, converting 7-17 on 3rd down while holding the Hornets to 1-15 with 6 sacks. Florida was a little sloppy, only getting a TD and FG from 4 red zone trips and committing 3 turnovers but the Blazers defense helped them overcome by keeping the Hornets out of the red zone and forcing 3 turnovers of their own.

KEY WEEK 12 GAMES:

Los Angeles @ New Orleans
Oklahoma @ (NY) Stars
Michigan @ Portland
Arizona @ Cleveland 

Week 10: Five Division Leaders Lose

The playoff race got a little tighter following week 10 as 5 teams that were either leading or tied for the lead in their division lost. In the Pacific, Los Angeles and Honolulu remain tied after both lost this week. Oakland lost to break their tie with Portland and they fall to second place in the West. Jacksonville lost their battle of division leaders and are now tied with Tampa Bay for the Southeast lead. New Jersey lost, slicing their East lead to 1 game.

In the American Conference we have 10 teams .500 or better fighting for 5 playoff spots, while Honolulu and Los Angeles fight it out for the Pacific division playoff spot. In the National Conference we have 9 teams .500 or better fighting for 6 spots. The Michigan Panthers lead the Midwest by 3 games, the only division with more than a 2 game separation.

Force 20 Generals 17

New Jersey looked to be driving for a score on the game opening drive when Generals RB Fred Dunagan fumbled the ball on a reception. Georgia CB Caleb Raley scooped up the loose ball and outran everyone to the end zone 84 yards later for an early Force lead. Georgia would add a FG for a 10-0 lead before New Jersey would tie the game in the 3rd qtr. The Generals doubled Georgia in yardage (444-203) and were decent on 3rd downs. New Jersey took the lead at the 2 minute warning on a Ric Flair to Freddie Mercury TD pass, and it seemed the game was over.

Certainly a team that's been to 5 of the last 6 World Bowls can preserve a 7 point lead for 2 minutes right? Not today, as Georgia marched 75 yards down the field in 10 plays, culminating in a 2 yard TD pass from Norris Thomas to Calvin Sipe. The XP tied the game at 17, and rather than play for OT, the Generals opted to try to push the ball downfield. Ric Flair threw his second INT of the game on the first play, and Georgia booted the game winning FG one play later.

Storm 24 Stars 17

These teams are heading opposite directions, as the win is Portland's 7th in a row and this was Baltimore's 3rd straight loss. The Stars put up 355 yards but the Storm intercepted 2 passes and had 2 sacks. Portland's offense had 409 yards of their own and were perfect on 4 red zone trips. The West logjam has loosened a bit as Portland is finally alone at the top with their 9-1 record. Baltimore slips 2 games behind Washington in the Atlantic and their 6-4 record would not qualify for the playoffs if they started now.

Panthers 41 Bulls 10

In a battle of division leaders, Michigan put it to Jacksonville. The Panthers built a 31-7 halftime lead on their way to a 589 yard day. The only thing Michigan did wrong on offense was settle for FG's both red zone trips. The Michigan defense gave up 303 yards but forced 2 INT's and sacked Bulls QB Joseph Serio 4 times. Michigan's James Hills and Peter Lewis made the most of their 4 catches apiece. Hills had 159 yards, Lewis 140 and both caught a pair of TD's.

Bandits 27 Hornets 11

Taking advantage of the Jacksonville loss, Tampa Bay struggled with Charlotte through much of the game before pulling away in the 4th qtr. Bandits QB Melvin Driggers tossed 3 60+ yard TD passes, 2 to Thomas Whitley. They needed those big plays as 30 Tampa Bay rushing attempts netted just 44 yards. The Bandits defense limited Charlotte to 145 yards with an INT and 4 sacks. Tampa Bay improves to 7-3, tied atop the Southeast division.

Wranglers 22 Invaders 10

Arizona continues to be the best last place team in the league and their 6-4 record still has them in wildcard contention. The Wranglers forced 2 fumbles while shutting down Oakland's ground game and not allowing big passing plays. Arizona wasn't spectacular offensively, but effective enough on this day. They played turnover free football in knocking Oakland out of their tie with Portland for the West lead.

Gold 33 Hawaiians 7

No last second FG needed for Denver this week as they doubled the yards of Honolulu. The Gold built a 24-0 halftime lead and coasted to victory in the second half, sending the Hawaiians to their 3rd straight loss. Gold WR Richard Huff had 276 total yards and a TD while teammate WR Jose Buford had a combined 182 yards and 2 TD's. If the season were over now, Denver would be the #6 seed by virtue of their win over Houston earlier this season. Honolulu remains tied with LA for the Pacific lead.

Gamblers 41 Express 9

Houston started off slow but for only 1 quarter as the Gamblers defense shut down the Express offense. Houston limited Los Angeles to 115 yards with 2 sacks and 2 turnovers. Houston QB Tony Dean threw 3 INT's but also 5 TD's, 3 to Gabriel Ahrens (4-138-3). The other 2 went to Chase Miles who had 164 yards rushing and receiving. Houston is currently tied with Denver for the #6 seed, though they lose the tiebreaker while Los Angeles remains tied atop the Pacific with Honolulu at 4-6.

Showboats 47 Sun 17

Memphis has kind of flown under the radar since their long winning streak ended, but this week they reminded the league, and specifically the Sun that they are still the Champions. Showboats QB David Allen threw for 443 yards and 5 TD without an INT and Willie Howland had a big day with 271 yards and 2 TD's on 5 receptions. Memphis built a 41-3 halftime lead and cruised in the second half to improve to 9-1 on the year.

VooDoo 25 Breakers 10

The good news for Boston is their 10 points tied their season best from Week 1 against the Champion Showboats. The bad news is their defense gave up 25 points as the Breakers fall to 0-10 on the season. The game stats were closer than expected, though New Orleans played turnover free football. The VooDoo amassed a 19-0 first half lead before cruising in the second half. This win keeps New Orleans as one of the wildcard teams if the season ended today, too many tiebreakers and too much football left to figure out tiebreakers.

Federals 20 Maulers 3

Washington out gained Pittsburgh 393-172 as the Federals built a 20-3 halftime lead before the second half punting contest. Washington WR Luther Ellis caught 6 passes for 172 yards in the win. The Federals improve to 8-2 and have a 2 game lead on Baltimore in the Atlantic.

Stallions 23 SaberCats 6

Birmingham didn't play their best game, turning the ball over on 3 INT's and scoring just 2 TD's in 5 red zone trips (2 FG's too). The Stallions defense forced 2 San Jose turnovers in holding them to 269 yards and no red zone trips. Birmingham maintains their 1 game lead in the South over New Orleans.

(NY) Stars 30 Renegades 16

This was a mundane, 13-6 game after 3 quarters before both teams decided to light up the scoreboard in the final quarter. There were 2 TD's and a FG in the last 2 minutes alone, though New York was in control throughout. The Stars of New York had 412 offensive yards and 6 red zone trips (3 TD/3 FG), holding the ball for 36:30. Orlando had 330 yards in the loss. The (NY) Stars are now just 1 game behind New Jersey in the East.

Steamer 13 Bell 3

This game played out like most Philadelphia Bell games do, they stop the opposing rushing attack but struggle against the pass and have difficulty on offense. This is the second win in a row for Shreveport as they even their record at 5-5. That's currently 2 games out of the wildcard but with 6 weeks to go, they still have a chance.

Blazers 23 Thunderbolts 6

Cleveland is going the wrong direction lately as their second straight loss has them 5-5 in the crowded American Conference. Florida held a 10-3 lead through 3 quarters and Cleveland cut it to 10-6 early in the 4th. Florida scored the last 13 points of the game for the lopsided final margin. The Blazers defense forced 2 turnovers and kept Cleveland out of the end zone all game, allowing FG's on both Thunderbolt red zone trips.

Outlaws 13 Gunslingers 10

This was a defensive struggle as the teams combined for just 498 yards. San Antonio tied it early in the 4th on a Gary Wiggins to Juan Morgan TD pass, but Wiggins threw an INT on the next drive to set up Oklahoma with a short field. The Outlaws only got 17 yards in 6 plays but it was enough to get in FG range for Roger Ruzich. The 53 yard FG was good, his second from 50+ on the day, and Oklahoma escapes with a win, making them 6-4 and still with a playoff chance.

Blitz 13 Wheels 6

Detroit played bend but don't break defense, allowing 362 yards but just 6 points in 3 red zone trips. The Detroit offense again showed an allergy to the end zone, generating just 200 yards for the game. The win improves Chicago to 5-5, keeping their slim playoff hopes alive.

Week 9: Storm Win 6th In A Row

Portland was edged out by New Jersey for the top spot in the commish rankings following Week 9 play, but those don't factor in strength of schedule. Portland defeated Chicago for their 6th straight win, now the longest streak in the league. Oakland defeated Baltimore to keep pace, which makes the West division an incredible 20-2 outside of division play. Every division leader has 7 or 8 wins except for the Pacific division. Los Angeles lost for the first time under Zennarius, but thanks to a Honolulu loss, both teams remained tied for the Pacific lead at 4-5.

We had nine one score games in Week 9, so we'll look at those first.

Hornets 16 Federals 13

Charlotte made a change at QB, benching Stanley Snyder in favor of 2nd year pro Jeremy McDonald. McDonald didn't set the world on fire but the Hornets defense stung Washington time and time again. Charlotte only had 197 offensive yards but they held Washington to 190. The Federals won the turnover battle 4-2, but the Washington OL allowed Shane Bieber to be sacked 6 times. McDonald finished 16/27, 175 yards, 2 INT's and a TD, the game winning 25 yard pass to Harry Henry with 4:41 left.

Invaders 31 Stars 27

Oakland and Baltimore seem likely to reach the playoffs and this game had a playoff feel to it. Baltimore jumped out to a 7-0 lead before Oakland scored the next 17. Baltimore closed out the first half scoring with a TD to cut the Invaders lead to 17-14. The Stars would also score the first 10 points of the second half, taking a 24-17 lead. Oakland would tie the game early in the 4th before Baltimore kicked a FG with 2:43 left for a brief 27-24 Baltimore lead. Oakland would then rip down the field in 4 plays, with Stephen Demmer's 3rd TD being the game winner. Both teams put up at least 400 yards but Oakland was better in the red zone, scoring a TD all 3 trips while holding Baltimore to a Chuck Woolery on their 4 trips (2 and 2). 

Gold 18 Wranglers 17

Both teams came into this game 5-3 and the loser would be in the West basement with a difficult road to the playoffs. Arizona had 333 offensive yards but was just 1-9 on 3rd down. Denver had 410 yards of offense and converted 8 of 17 3rd downs. The Wranglers built a 17-6 halftime lead but the Gold defense kept them scoreless in the second half. Denver had a 3 yard Andrew Brewer to Matthew Kluesner TD pass with 6:39 left to cut the lead to 17-15. The Gold went for 2 but were denied. Following an Arizona punt, Denver got the ball down 2 with 4:23 left, but were pinned at their own 5. This is nothing new to Denver, as they drove down the field, using every bit of the clock, and Anthony Schaefer nailed his 3rd game winning FG this year at the final gun.

Bandits 12 Thunderbolts 9

Another game between playoff hopefuls as defense ruled the day in Cleveland. The Thunderbolt defense held the Bandits to 309 yards and just 1 TD in 3 red zone trips (2 FG's) and forced the game's only turnover. Tampa Bay's defense was better though, limiting Cleveland to 240 yards and keeping them out of the end zone all game. Bandits K Edward Walter missed the XP but made both of his FG attempts as Tampa Bay keeps pace with Jacksonville, staying 1 game behind.

Bulls 17 Blazers 13

Speaking of Jacksonville, they traveled to Orlando for a date with division rival Florida. The overall stats were pretty even save for 3rd downs and turnovers. The Blazers were 6 for 16 on 3rd down but lost the turnover battle 2-1. Jacksonville was just 1-12 on 3rd down but both Blazers turnovers happened in their territory, so the Bulls benefited from the short fields. Jacksonville never trailed as the Bulls maintain their 1 game lead over Tampa Bay in the Southeast division.

Stallions 16 Force 13

This turnover free game was all about running the ball, defense, and red zone failure. Georgia has only given up 129 points this season, 6th best in the league but their 90 points scored makes them 1 of 5 teams who haven't cracked 100. Birmingham has the 8th best scoring offense and the stingiest defense. Georgia limited Birmingham to 293 yards, 4 for 14 on 3rd down, and 13 points in 3 red zone visits (1 TD, 2 FG). The Force offense could only muster 184 yards, 3-12 on 3rd down, and no points on their lone red zone trip. Georgia held a 13-10 halftime lead but Birmingham got 2 4th qtr FG's, the last with 1:40 left for the narrow victory.


Steamer 20 Hawaiians 14

Shreveport ran for exactly 200 yards and the Steamer defense withstood the Hawaiian air attack, intercepting Bruno Wilson 4 times. Honolulu actually scored first, taking a 7-0 lead, and they also scored last, with 0:17 left in the game but Shreveport scored 20 in between for the victory. David Oldham ran for 140 yards on 23 carries for the Steamer.


Renegades 27 Maulers 21

Orlando ran for almost 6 ypc while holding Pittsburgh to less than 1. The Maulers were a perfect 3 for 3 in the red zone as they jumped out to a 7-0 lead on Orlando. Pittsburgh's other 2 TD's came in the 4th qtr, but it was too little, too late. The Renegades ripped off 27 unanswered points after the Maulers took the early lead, and Pittsburgh's final TD occurred with just 1:50 left in the game. The ensuing onside kick failed, and Orlando ran out the clock.


SaberCats 23 Wheels 17

Detroit was hoping to ride the momentum of last week's improbable comeback win, but San Jose had other ideas. The SaberCats came into the game 0 for 1987, and saw this as an opportunity for their first win. San Jose won the turnover battle 2-1, scored TD's on both red zone trips and were 7 for 17 on 3rd down. Detroit had 300 yards of offense and 17 points, which is usually enough for them to win, but the Wheels defense wasn't up to par. It wasn't all roses for the Wheels offense, as they were 2-12 on 3rd down and 0-2 on 4th.


Storm 30 Blitz 17

It seems the 8-1 Portland Storm can do no wrong lately, despite playing a somewhat sloppy game against Chicago. The Blitz had 311 yards of offense, TD's on both red zone trips and 5 for 13 on 3rd down. Portland lost the turnover battle 3-1 but 524 yards of offense was enough to overcome that, as the Storm jumped out to a 24-0 lead before the bout of sloppiness set in.


Outlaws 34 Breakers 0

Oklahoma shot up the commish rankings following this game, moving from 14 to 8. The Outlaws defense held Boston to 2 first downs, 6 yards rushing on 17 carries, and 56 yards passing on 12 completions. Oklahoma didn't have to do much through the air, though they had success when they did throw (11/16, 159 yards). The Outlaws bludgeoned the Breakers defense with a whopping 58 rushing attempts as they held the ball for virtually 43 minutes.


Showboats 20 Express 10

Memphis didn't play their best offensive game, but they hit several big plays, including an 80 yard TD from Willie Howland, whom I haven't mentioned much recently. The Showboats converted for 2 points and held an 11-10 halftime lead. Los Angeles entered the game on a 4 game winning streak but the World Champs proved too much, shutting out the Express in the second half for their 8th victory in 9 tries.


Generals 29 VooDoo 14

New Jersey came into the game feeling some division heat for the first time in a long time, so they needed to be on point against a playoff caliber opponent like New Orleans. The VooDoo had 371 yards of offense, won the turnover battle 2-1, and were better on 3rd down (8-18 to 4-16). New Orleans also owned the red zone, allowing the Generals only 2 FG's in 3 trips while scoring a TD on their lone trip. So, how did New Jersey win then? Big plays. Rudi Johnson scored first on a 38 yard run, then the Generals added a FG for an early 10-0 lead. Ric Flair followed that up with the first of 2 long TD passes to WR Corey True. True ended the day with 4 catches, 185 yards and 2 TD's, vaulting him into the league lead in YDS and TD receptions.


Gamblers 23 (NY) Stars 9

The (NY) Stars are the team giving New Jersey heat in the East but they had to travel to Houston to face the Gamblers. It's only been a year and a half since Houston was back to back World Champions and Tony Dean is still an All Pro level QB as he showed last week. Houston was off to a slow start again, as late in the 3rd it was a 10-6 Gamblers lead. With 1:13 left in the 3rd, Chase Miles punched it in, giving Houston a 17-6 lead entering the 4th qtr, which they won 6-3. The big difference was Houston had rushing success (33-118) and good 3rd down play. The Gamblers offense converted 8 of 15 3rd downs while their defense held New York to 2-12, plus 0-2 on 4th down.


Houston keeps themselves in the thick of the wildcard hunt while the loss puts New York on the outside looking in, though they aren't out of it by any means.

Gunslingers 39 Bell 6

San Antonio wins their second in a row as they cracked the Philadelphia Bell by 33 points. The Gunslingers limited the Bell to 119 yards of offense, forcing 4 turnovers, getting 2 sacks and holding them to 1-12 on 3rd down. Both of the Bell INT's were taken to the house in the 4th qtr, making the score even more lopsided. Offensively they ran for 107 yards against the vaunted Philadelphia run defense, though it took 32 carries to get that. QB Gary Wiggins and WR Calvin Harper hooked up for 2 TD passes.

Panthers 24 Sun 10

Michigan had 396 yards of offense while limiting the Sun to 230. Southern California committed no turnovers but only converted 1 of 14 3rd downs. Michigan jumped out to a 17-0 lead before the Sun cut it to 17-10 late in the 3rd. Michigan scored a TD for the only 4th qtr points, salting away a victory
that gives Michigan a 2 game lead in the Midwest.

 

Week 8: World Bowl Rematch Deja Vu All Over Again

We are half way through the 1987 regular season and the division races are all very tight. Three divisions have two teams tied at the top, four divisions have a one game separation and one division leader has a 2 game lead. The American Conference has 12 of 16 teams .500 or better so it's going to be a wild wildcard race there. The National Conference has a bit more separation, as it seems we'll have 8 teams fighting for 6 spots unless one of the 3rd or 4th place teams goes on a winning streak.

The Portland Storm have taken the #1 spot in the Commish Rankings from New Jersey and the West division as a whole has put the league on notice with a combined 24-8 record, 18-2 when you take out their division games. Portland is 7-1, tied atop the West with the Oakland Invaders while the Denver Gold and Arizona Wranglers are tied at 5-3. It's a shame at least one of these teams will not qualify for the playoffs.

Speaking of playoffs, the ultimate goal of all teams is a spot in the World Bowl and we had another World Bowl rematch in Week 8. The New Jersey Generals traveled to Memphis for a game against the Showboats, who defeated New Jersey in World Bowl VI and XIII. New season, same old result as Memphis won 29-20.

Showboats 29 Generals 20

New Jersey is throwing the ball more often than years past as they try to establish a big play threat to compliment their ability to run the ball. It's worked well for the Generals as they lead the USFL/WFL averaging 459.6 yards a game and they were 3rd in yards per pass attempt entering the game. New Jersey QB Ric Flair threw 59 times, completing 42 without an INT, but the Memphis defense eliminated the big play. The Showboats ran for 1 yard per carry more than New Jersey, but more than doubled the air output, besting them in yards per pass play (9.93-4.02) and yards per completion (17.06-6.36).

Memphis needed to do that because they lost the turnover battle 2-0 and the time of possession (34:22-25.35). New Jersey was even better on 3rd downs, converting 5 of 17 to just 2 of 11 for the World Champs. There were no monster statistical performances in this game as both teams did a good job of getting everyone involved in the offense. Twelve players had at least 20 receiving yards in the game, 5 for Memphis and 7 for New Jersey. Generals RB Rudi Johnson caught 16 passes, but for only 68 yards. The 16 receptions is the most in the league in 1987.

The only stat that matters is the scoreboard, and despite spotting the Generals an early 10-0 lead, the Showboats took care of business and reminded New Jersey just who the League Champions are.

Storm 55 Maulers 9

We have a new sheriff in town and his name is Setherick. Portland has been near the top of the commish rankings all season and they took over the top spot this week after their mauling of Pittsburgh. The Maulers started off 2-0 but have hit the skids hard ever since. The Storm dominated every facet of the game and Timothy Roquemore had 272 offensive yards and 3 TDs. Portland QB Oscar Willis now has 18 TD passes on the year after tossing 6 today.

Invaders 30 Gold 12

Denver had no trouble putting up yards on the Invaders defense but they did have trouble keeping the ball. Gold QB Andrew Brewer was 26/50, 338 yards and 2 TD passes but he threw 3 INTs as Denver was held without a single point the first 56 minutes of the game. Both teams ran for over 4 ypc but Oakland was able to run twice as many times and they didn't turn it over as they amassed a 27-0 lead during those first 56 minutes. The victory allows Oakland to remain tied with Portland atop the West, while Denver falls to 5-3, still in the thick of the wildcard hunt.

Federals 44 Stars 26

My hometown of Dayton, Ohio is known for it's yearly Air Show, but these Atlantic division rivals put on an air display just as impressive. The teams combined for 808 passing yards and 1,019 total yards. No sacks either despite a combined 98 dropbacks. Baltimore's Timothy Harmon caught 8 for 119 and a TD and Knob Creek chipped in 9-116-1. Washington also had 2 receivers over 100 yards, Jason Laughlin (8-184-2) and Cory Martin (9-109-1). The big difference in this game was red zone and turnovers. Washington lost a fumble but intercepted Jon Snow 3 times while the federals offense had 3 TDs and 3 FGs in their 6 red zone trips. Washington held Baltimore to just FGs on their 3 red zone trips.

The victory gives Washington (7-1) the upper hand in the Atlantic over Baltimore (6-2), with the rematch coming up Week 16.

Thunderbolts 21 Hawaiians 16

We had contrasting offensive styles in this game, as Honolulu chucked up 68 passes with just 16 rushes while Cleveland only attempted 19 passes, completing 9 while rushing 36 times. The Hawaiians average 54 pass attempts a game so the bombs away approach was no surprise as they completed 42 of those 68 today, though for just 310 yards. The total yards were almost even and Cleveland committed the game's 3 turnovers, though Honolulu turned it over on downs twice and missed a FG. Honolulu RB Ronald Boatman caught 14 passes. The loss drops the Hawaiians to 4-4, tied with the red hot LA Express for the Pacific lead while Cleveland (5-3) remains a game behind Michigan in the Midwest.

Wheels 17 Bulls 16

The first 54 minutes of this game was exactly like the first 7 games, Detroit playing tough defense while the offense is allergic to points. The Wheels forced 3 turnovers and held Jacksonville to 1 for 13 on 3rd down conversions. Detroit was just 2-13 themselves and ran for 8 yards on 20 carries, or 0.4 ypc. Through those first 54 minutes, Detroit had 119 yards of offense. I don't know if the Detroit offense had had enough of the mean mugging from the defense, if the light bulb suddenly went off, or if the Bulls just quit on defense, but Detroit's last 2 drives covered 173 yards. First, Gregory Skidmore found Thomas Mazzeo for a 75 yard TD pass, then with 1:40 left in the game, Skidmore connected with Raymond White for an 85 yard score, shocking the Bulls faithful who thought their team had it's 7th win all wrapped up.

Wranglers 17 Hornets 10

There isn't much to highlight from this game, as they combined for 12 players with at least 20 yards receiving, but nobody cracked 100 yards. There were no turnovers and not much yardage on the ground, as the teams combined for 44 carries, 94 yards. Hornets QB Stanley Snyder was 36/45 for 317 yards and a TD. Snyder is 5th in the league in completion % among QB's with at least 160 attempts (67.4%). Despite their limited offensive production, Arizona was able to score more points for the victory, helping them keep up with the Jonses in the West.

Panthers 22 Blazers 17

This was a pretty even statistical game except for turnovers. Florida QB Sidney Maggard threw 3 INTs, giving him 18 on the season as the Blazers blew a 17-6 3rd quarter lead. Michigan scored two 3rd qtr TDs and two 2 point conversions to take a 22-17 lead into the 4th. Florida still had a chance to win late, taking the ball with 4:06 left after a punt pinned them at their 2 yard line. The Blazers held the ball the rest of the game, going on a 15 play 96 yard drive that stalled at the Michigan 2 yard line. Had the Panthers simply kicked the XP on their 3rd qtr TDs, the Blazers could have tried a game tying FG, rather than having to go for the end zone.

VooDoo 23 Renegades 19

Was New Orleans looking ahead to their game against New Jersey? Was the sim engine sabotaging the VooDoo? Does it matter? Not really as a win is a win, no matter how ugly they come. Orlando came into the game 1-6, so it was expected that New Orleans would have little trouble beating the Renegades. Orlando scored the first 10 points of the game and out gained the VooDoo 359-227. Orlando won the turnover battle 4-3 and were better on 3rd down (5-19 to 2-13).

New Orleans scored 2 TDs and converted both 2 point tries to take a 16-10 2nd qtr lead before Orlando closed the first half with a FG. Orlando had to be feeling good about their chances, only down 16-13 at halftime, but the first play of the second half quelled that momentum. Robert Shuler intercepted his 6th pass of the season (tied for league lead) and took it to the house, giving New Orleans a 23-13 lead. Orlando closed the scoring with 2 FGs as New Orleans (6-2) remain tied with Birmingham for the South lead.

(NY) Stars 14 Bell 13

Philadelphia continues to be very tough to run the ball against as they held New York to 26 yards on 19 carries. The Stars of NY had air success though, with Willie Bust completing 41/50 for 380 yards and a TD (2 INT). Stars RB Cam Dalton caught 13 passes, as RB's were catching a lot of passes this week. The win makes New York 5-3, one game behind New Jersey in the East.

Stallions 13 Steamer 12

In a game it seemed neither team wanted to win, Birmingham pulled through to keep pace with New Orleans. The Stallions turned the ball over 4 times to just once for Shreveport, but that one was on their last drive of the game, dooming them to defeat. Two earlier missed FG's and 3 points on 3 red zone trips contributed mightily as well. Birmingham had the ball less than 23 minutes but they scored the game's only TD, a 53 yard run by Larry Ceasar.

Express 15 Force 9 (OT)

The punters were busy in this game, with each team punting 11 times. Georgia and Los Angeles played to a 9-9 tie after regulation, Georgia kicking 3 FG's, while LA had a TD and a FG. Mario Price missed the XP try on the TD. Georgia didn't turn the ball over but they also only had 240 total yards and 0-15 on 3rd down. Los Angeles was able to force a 3 and out on Georgia's OT possession and took over on their own 15 following the punt. One play later, LA RB Daniel Franks took a handoff and raced 85 yards to the end zone for the game winning score. It hasn't been pretty but Los Angeles is 4-0 since current owner Zennarius took over.

Bandits 20 Blitz 13

Tampa Bay had trouble running the ball but 4th year QB Melvin Driggers is having his best season so far for the 5-3 Bandits. Driggers threw 38 INT's as a rookie, 31 last year, and has an 82/92 career TD/INT ratio. That's including this year's 17 TD to 8 INT, so he is a big reason for the Bandits success. The Tampa Bay defense held Chicago to 215 yards and intercepted 2 passes in the win that brings them within one game of division leading Jacksonville.

Outlaws 19 Sun 11

Some football game is about to start, so these last 3 will be short and sweet. I think it's called the Super Bowl? Anyway, last week I mentioned Oklahoma needs to win the games they "should". This game is one of those and the Outlaws did what they should. WR/RB Clint Young ran for 157 and a TD as Oklahoma used a ball control offense to control the flow of the game.

Gamblers 45 Breakers 6

Tony Dean did Tony Dean things, tossing 6 TD passes as Houston had no trouble beating struggling Boston. Houston is likely out of the division hunt but they are right in the thick of the wildcard race at 5-3.

Gunslingers 33 SaberCats 9

Lemon Jefferson is a cool name and he ran for 98 yards for San Antonio. WR Chris Cornell broke his rusty cage and ran, catching 8 for 136 and a TD. The Gunslingers doubled the yardage of the SaberCats, taking out some of the season's frustrations out on the winless San Jose team.