The Generals salute the Gamblers in a walk-off score.

Week Seven Power Rankings have some movement but not much. Stallions are still king of the hill. The Maulers were a disappointment. Panthers are looking at another guy behind center for the stretch of the season. Has the Stars win locked down a playoff spot? We have another edition of the USFL Power Rankings enjoy.

#1.

BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS (6-0) (SAME) The Stallions start the second half of the the return of the USFL in grand fashion with a blow-out win over the Panthers to remain perfect for the season. The Stallions showcase another weapon they have at their disposal. BO KNOWS ???

Not the great Bo Jackson Raiders running back blasting off his six shooters every time he hit pay dirt. The Stallions have another Bo. A local yokel Bo, former University of Alabama running back.

Bo Scarborough… the name just sounds like a bruising running back. Scarborough was picked up a few weeks back by the Stallions. Last weekend, Scarborough rushed for 105 yards on the ground that included a 28 yard touchdown to put the game on ice for the Stallions.

#2.

NEW JERSEY GENERALS (5-1) (SAME) The Generals have now won 5 games in a row and are still the second hottest team in the league. Most of the season the Generals have been using duel pianos at the quarterback position. Generals head coach Mike Riley made a decision to go with D’Andre Johnson as the main guy behind center. Johnson would not last the game versus the Gamblers. This is why Riley is genius-like, because no worries the Generals have Luis Perez who has experience and plenty of reps this season.

Luis Perez eventually would lead the Generals back into the game. Then Perez would engineer a winning drive at the end of regulation to keep the Generals winning streak alive and well coming into week 7. Perez and Johnson are probably the best 1 & 2 combo behind center in the entire USFL. Remember the Generals drafted a guy named Ben Holmes who never even sniffed the field and eventually was released.

#3.

NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS (4-2) (SAME) The Breakers recipe for winning games depends on if Kyle Sloter does not turn over the ball and when the Breakers score a touchdown on the defense. Both things happened with the win over the Maulers last week.

Corner-back Ike Brown had the longest pick six of the year, a 97 yard return touchdown of the Maulers. The Breakers have assembled a top notch defense. I like former Iowa State defensive lineman Kamillo Tongamoa. Tongamoa is a monster that clogs the middle of the line for the Breakers.

Tongamoa put pressure on opposing teams’ offensive lines as caves in the middle of the quarterback enforcers. Tongamoa has two sacks with nine tackles so far for the Breakers.

#4.

PHILADELPHIA STARS (3-3) (UP 1 SPOT) The Stars won the middle of the road bowl by winning the shootout versus the Tampa Bay Bandits last weekend. Running back Matt Colburn II had the hat trick in rushing touchdowns for the Stars.

Colburn II now had 4 total rushing touchdowns this season in a Stars uniform. Case Cookus is now 2-1 as the starting quarterback filling in for the injured Bryan Scott. Both quarterbacks Scott and Cookus have thrown 5 passing touchdowns behind center for the Stars. Stars have a high powered offense and could be a scary team in round one of the playoffs. Stars are second in the North chasing the Generals who they will not catch. Behind the Stars, in the North Standings in the USFL, is a pair of 1-5 teams. Great chances to lock up the second seed in the North.

#5.

TAMPA BAY BANDITS (3-3) (DOWN 1 SPOT) The Bandits lost to the Stars last week in a shootout. In a game that has these two teams now at 500. Bandits feast off teams with losing records and the Stars had a 2-3 record coming in. Now the Bandits are in the bottom 4 of the league instead of the top 4. Bandits playoff hopes may be shredded as they have a match up with the Generals this weekend.

Quarterback Jordan Ta’amu led a rally late versus the Stars, but the Bandits fell short in a close one. Bandits can’t overcome all the turnovers so they keep shooting themselves in the foot each weekend.

#6.

HOUSTON GAMBLERS (1-5) (UP 1 SPOT) This is even though the Gamblers lost last week to another walk off home run style heart breaking loss this time to the Generals in the last seconds of the game.

Even though they lost to the Maulers a week prior, I still moved them up a spot because the record should be way better. The Gamblers have played way better than the Maulers the entire year. You wonder if head coach of the Gamblers, Kevin Sumlin, is jinxed. If someone actually has the hex on him or the Gamblers in general. The best way to describe the Houston Gambler season is the movie Hamburger Hill. It’s about a United States platoon trying to take a hill from the enemy.

Above and before they try to take the hill, things are loose. Team is focused. Then the platoon find their way to the top of the hill like the Gamblers about to win the game late in the 4th quarter only to be shell-shocked.

I’m sure the Gamblers will find a way to beat someone before the season ends. Just don’t gamble any money on it.

#7.

PITTSBURGH MAULERS (1-5) (DOWN 1 SPOT) I had the Maulers out of the basement and up two spots in the power rankings with their first win over the Gamblers two weeks ago.

Last weekend the Maulers did the swing their hammer like the mighty Thor. The Maulers were back to their old ways. Dormant offense most of the game with a spurt late. Same defense that shows up like the offense in spurts of the game. I was raving about the new Mauler quarterback Vad Lee who did well when thrown into the action after just signing him off the streets.

Lee would throw a pick six and with the live feed you can hear the quarterback complaining about his wide receiver to head coach Kirby Wilson. The receiver has been there all year and Lee just has arrived on the scene the last two weeks. As quarterback, you’re the leader so take the blame on the poorly thrown ball. It’s your job to take responsibility as a leader of the team. Later Lee would throw a touchdown pass to that same Receiver he was sore about, but by accident as the ball was intended for another target and Baily Gaither would make a nice catch on ball sailing away. Gaither is the same guy who caught the winning touchdown versus the Gamblers.

#8.

MICHIGAN PANTHERS (1-5) (SAME) Shea Patterson, this season, has completed 59.6% of his passes behind center for the Panthers while passing for 973 yards with a QB rating of 112.4. Patterson has rushed for a pair of touchdowns with 171 yards using his legs. Patterson has thrown 4 touchdown passes. Decent numbers some will say as a quarterback in a Spring league. Patterson was the number one pick overall in the USFL draft which has led to one victory. The turnovers are the problem for Patterson who has 5 interceptions and three fumble recoveries.

The former Michigan Wolverine was cut by the Panthers this week. Many things have doomed the Panthers & the quarterback play overall has to be tops of the list. Another man’s junk is another man’s treasure as the Panthers will most likely turn to Josh Love who the Maulers tossed aside like an old shoe. Panthers show Josh some love by plucking him off the curb on garbage night.

When I first read that the New York Islanders fired their head coach, Barry Trotz, the lamp was lit in my head with thoughts about how the Chicago Blackhawks should ponce on a guy that suddenly became available. Derek King still has the label of interim coach on his title so you know the Blackhawks are kicking the tires on a new leader. In a year that dark clouds smothered the United Center, and are still lingering today, where the organization was exposed for the cover up Kyle Beach saga. Resulting in a slew of heads chopped off at the neck that were legends from the years that the Blackhawks hoisted three Cups. A stain that will need years of gasoline using a wire brush to scrape off the humiliation when the cat came out of the bag. Then to see the product on the ice perform poorly during the entire season; an organization at the crossroads with two of their best superstars that help win those three cups. The Indian sweater is at rock bottom once again right before the dynasty was created. When the Blackhawks were lower than pond scum sharing the worst franchise title with the LA Clippers out of the 4 main sports leagues. The Blackhawks need a guy that can bring toughness back to a team that needs direction and leadership, both of which Trotz can provide.

Barry Trotz is 59 years old and has been head coach in the NHL for 15 seasons. Trotz has been with three organizations starting with Nashville, then he went on to Washington, and then finally moving on to take the job with the Islanders. In 15 seasons behind the bench, Trotz has the 3rd most wins in NHL history as a head coach. Trotz has a regular season record of 914-670-60 which is a .567 winning percentage. Trotz won a Stanley Cup in Washington in 2018. It was the first and only cup the Capitals have ever won. In 4 seasons in New York, Trotz had a record of 152-102-34 as he fixed the Islanders who were one of the worst defensive teams in the league when he came in and turned them into one of the best in the league. In 2021, Trotz had the Islanders only one game away from making the finals. This year the Islanders went 37-35-10 under Trotz leadership and missed the playoffs for the first time out of his 4 year tenure. Not sure you can fault Trotz for missing the playoffs when the team started off poorly due to a five week road trip to start the season off while the team waited for their new arena to finish being built. The Islanders would then have a slew of injuries with some Covid issues, so you can chalk it up missing the playoffs as one of those bad luck seasons. Some organizations don’t care for any kind of excuses even when things are out of your hands and he was let go as the Islanders want a new voice for their team next season.

The Blackhawks have major problems on the ice and off the ice. The new General Manager was a busy guy at the trade deadline trying to trade away some mistakes that Stan Bowman made last off-season getting rid of them to other teams. The Blackhawks off the ice are still dealing with the after shocks of the Kyle Beach saga as they let a sexual predator walk out of their building with a recommendation for a new job even though they knew this guy was a sick twisted person. Then there’s the hoof and mouth disease the Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz had at a town hall meeting. It was held because the team had to try and get themselves out in front of this Kyle Beach cluster bomb. The meeting resulted in even darker clouds. Now the Blackhawks have restructured their front office and named Kyle Davidson the new General Manager taking the interim tag off his work. Davidson’s first move when he was named interim GM was getting rid of yesterday’s garbage in head coach Jeremy Colliton. Derek King then took over because he was on Colliton’s staff and the best available. Now Davidson could really get the regime off to a great start and hire Barry Trotz.

I don’t know if Barry Trotz would even take the Blackhawks’ phone call, especially if he does not want to take on a project. Bringing in Trotz could give Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews one last shot to build something around these two guys. Stan Bowman has tried to assemble guys around Kane and Toews for years since the dynasty ran out of gas, and has failed miserable. Bringing in Trotz would force the Blackhawks to build a solid defense around Kane and Toews. When the Blackhawks were winning Cups, some of those teams’ defense were not that good as the goalie bailed the team out again and again with the team’s high powered offense. Trotz would bring discipline right from the start. Especially, a team handcuffed by the salary cap would need to depend on younger talent. Trotz teams play an aggressive style of hockey as his players go out and hit people and crash the boards with authority. Toews is a much better player when he plays an aggressive style of hockey. Opposing teams would think before they hit a guy like Kane because they know somebody may be closer than they think in their rear view mirror. Trotz would bring a winning environment back to the United Center. Trotz has won in every place he has been. If the Blackhawks gave him the time and the players, I think Trotz can build a team that would make the post-season every year. Winning on the ice would help some of the dark clouds still lingering over the United Center turn into rainbows and unicorns. Eventually all those skeletons that came out of the closet could then be forgotten and placed back under the house in hopes no one lets them out again. Winning seems to always cure all.

The Maulers bringing out the sledgehammer versus the Gamblers.

Guess which team is out of the basement of the USFL Power Rankings? Pittsburgh wins its first game. The USFL is still going and we are at the half way point of the season. “Game on,” we used to say waiting for the car to pass in the middle of our whiffle ball game. This was on the streets with no name back when we were kids. Week six power rankings are coming right at you.

#1.

BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS (5-0) SAME Birmingham still has not lost in Birmingham and have stayed unbeaten in the rebirth of the USFL. I have to tell Stallions Head Coach Skip Holtz that he is doing everything right except throwing in Mr. Magoo at quarterback from time to time.

Alex McGough, last name pronounced Magoo, originally was slated to be the Stallions’ number 1 guy behind center. McGough filled in for J’Mar Smith in week 4 because he missed the game due to illness. Stallions won scoring their lowest point total the entire season. Skip Holtz put McGough in as the starter last week, once again, which produced some points right off the bat, but Stallions found themselves trailing by ten points to the Stars. Smith was then inserted into the game, the Stallions bounce back quickly while prevailing with the victory, and team racked up 30 points. McGough should be done with for the rest of this season unless only if needed, as Smith should be the man. Stallions defense is still playing lights out even with their star defender, Scooby Wright, out with an injury last week.

Scooby Wright is building up quite the fan base wearing a Stallion jersey.

#2.

NEW JERSEY GENERALS (4-1) UP 1 SPOT The Generals are the second hottest team in the league as they have won 4 in a row. The only loss coming form the hottest team in the league, the Stallions on opening night of the USFL. Generals beat up on a pretty good New Orleans team last weekend. Head Coach Mike Riley might be the new king of Spring Football rising above the great Steve Spurrier, former USFL Head Coach of the original league back in the 1980’s.

Riley is scrapping the dueling quarterbacks he had going most of the season. Luis Perez, former pro bowler, will back up De’Andre Johnson who is a duel threat quarterback. He can beat with his arms and legs.

Johnson has shown leadership and the skills to be number one guy.

#3.

NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS (3-2) DOWN 1 SPOT The Breakers’ biggest question at the half way point is… Can Kyle Sloter finish the season? Sloter is the definition of walking wounded. Sloter last week versus one of the elite teams in the league, the Generals, only completed 41% of his passes. Sloter did throw two touchdown passes versus the Generals. The mistakes are mounting up for Sloter as he had two interceptions versus the Generals. Sloter leads the league in interceptions with seven as those are Jay Cutler’s type of numbers.

Smoking Jay has been in news recently for having an affair with another football player’s wife. Let’s get back on track. How long can the Breakers defense hold up trying to erase the Sloter mistakes?

#4.

TAMPA BAY BANDITS (3-2) UP 1 SPOT The Bandits can beat the bad teams in the USFL. Which may be good enough to get Tampa Bay into the playoffs. Only problem for the Bandits is they share their division with the Breakers and Stallions. This week the Bandits square off versus the Stars which could bring them to 4-2. The Stars have a losing record of 2-3.

Remember the football movie, Invincible? It’s the story of Vince Papale trying out for the Eagles of the NFL and making it when they did a gimmick of open try outs for what was a bad team at the time. Vinny Papale, son of Vince, is showing his talents in the USFL. Something I’m rooting for is to see junior score a touchdown or even become a big weapon for the Bandits’ passing game.

#5.

PHILADELPHIA STARS (2-3) DOWN 1 SPOT The Stars seem like a middle of the road team to me. They will end up hovering around the 500 mark. Last week, Quarterback Case Cookus, getting his second start for the Stars when filling in for the injured Bryan Scott, he had the Stars on top of the undefeated Stallions late in the first half. The Stars offensive line completely caved in not giving Cookus the time he needed to be effective behind center. The Stars defense allows points and yardage as a unit. I do like the Stars linebacker, Josh Banderas, the heart and soul of the Philadelphia’s defense.

Banderas has two sacks and 24 tackles in 5 games this season for the Stars. The Stars could use a few more Banderases in the line up.

#6.

PITTSBURGH MAULERS (1-4) UP 2 SPOTS The recipe for winning football games is simple. Who’s the man behind center? The Maulers have been using two quarterbacks this entire season and both have been ineffective. Maulers cut Josh Love. Then Maulers gave Kyle Lauletta the start last week versus Houston. It was the guy the Maulers signed off the streets, who cured their situation behind center.

Former Georgia Tech star Vad Lee was inserted into the Maulers offense and the spark was lit. Lee had two touchdown passes for 170 yards in his debut including the clincher throw to wide receiver Bailey Gaither, a 9 yard reception that beat the Gamblers on the final play of the game. Now we can move on from that story about the Maulers coach cutting the running back because he wanted pizza instead of chicken salad.

#7.

HOUSTON GAMBLERS (1-4) DOWN 1 SPOT Houston you have a problem. Last week Houston lost to the winless Maulers on the last play of the game. A Maulers team with the worst offense in the USFL. The Gamblers have lost all their games in the second half giving up the lead late. Gamblers defense have many play-makers on that unit that can create a game ending play at any time. Guys like Will Likely, Chris Odom, Donald Payne, and Reggie Northrup can make noise can create havoc, but somehow fizzle at the end of the game.

The Gamblers need some kind of closer like at the end of a baseball game. Somebody to end the opposing team’s drives. Add more fuel to the fire in Houston’s world because their starting quarterback Clayton Thorson looked banged up by the end of that contest versus the Maulers.

#8.

MICHIGAN PANTHERS (1-4) DOWN 1 SPOT I would never have thought a Jeff Fisher coached team would be at the bottom of the barrel. Especially in a start up Spring football league, I would think Fisher would be rolling in the middle of the pack or on the top tier of the league because of his experience. I had the Michigan Panthers at number 1 coming into the first week of the season. That was my prediction. Panthers have one of the best defenses in the league. The Panthers chose the first quarterback off the board in Shea Patterson. Patterson has struggled but is starting to play better recently. Panthers have only been averaging 17.4 points per contest.

The Panthers problem is they have not played well at the same time. Both sides of the football, along with the special teams and coaching, have not put together a complete football game yet.

In round one of the Stanley Cup playoffs, we had a winning record predicting 5 out of the 8 match-ups correct. With the winning record, we know we should just call it a day and go home with a smile on our faces and pat our backs. Job well done. We are going to get wild and crazy and drive on the highway with no lights on during the daylight hours. Instead of doing that, we decided predicting NHL round two outcomes of each series is a better idea. We will take a stab at it and hope luck is on our side as we give you round two of the Stanley Cup playoff predictions.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

COLORADO AVALANCHE VERSUS ST. LOUIS BLUES

Can the Blues Goalie, Jordan Binnington, do it again? Binnington looked a lot like the 2019 goalie we saw get hot in the Stanley Cup playoffs who carried the Blues all the way to the championship. Binnington in front of the net versus the Minnesota Wild in first round just had 1.67 goals-against average. That’s a Berlin Wall in front of the net. Hold your horses as the Avalanche’s have 5.25 Goals per game versus the Predators which they swept away like a Tom and Jerry housekeeper getting rid of the cat.

I just can’t see Jordan Binnington keeping the Avalanche from lighting up the lamp or even able to keep them in check in a full series. Defenseman Cale Makar of the Avalanche had a big series versus Nashville with ten points in 4 games during which he had 3 goals and dished out seven assists.

Too many worries & too many talented pieces to overcome means it looks like St, Louis will be singing the Blues in this one.

PREDICTION: AVALANCHE IN 5 GAMES

CALGARY FLAMES VERSUS EDMONTON OILERS

Edmonton’s star Connor McDavid finally gets the Oilers out of the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Round one exits have been a common theme for the Oilers. Then in Calgary the talk about the Flames superstar, Johnny Gaudreau, finally showing up in the playoffs and making himself be heard with his play on the ice. This will be a tough series as it should go the distance in the best out of seven. Connor McDavid played like the Superstar label that has been inserted on his jersey the last few years by producing 14 points in seven games. Evander Kane, who everyone hates, even produced in a high pressure series for Edmonton. When a series looks even, what my closing argument comes down to who is in the net. I like Flames goalie Jacob Markstrom with that stingy 1.53 goal-against average versus the Dallas Stars in round 1.

The Flames seemed like the team all year long destined to go deep into the playoffs. The Oilers machine is running on dirty crud and are due to bottom out as round two of the playoffs will be unfamiliar after they found a way to knock off the Kings in round one. It took everything from them in the process. Another long series will have different results for Edmonton.

PREDICTION: FLAMES IN SEVEN

EASTERN CONFERENCE

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING VERSUS FLORIDA PANTHERS

How often does the state of Florida have a match-up like this with two power house hockey teams playing for their own survival in the second round of the playoffs? The state of Florida is usually known for their power house College Football match ups over the years. Can the Panthers end the Lightning run of two Stanley Cup championships in a row? The Lightning may be without center Brayden Point for a few games of this epic battle in Florida since Girls Gone Wild invaded the beaches there.

The Panthers were the highest scoring team coming into the playoffs. Panthers stars Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov were MIA in the first series versus the Capitals.

I think the Panthers will give the Lightning a run for their money just like the first series versus the Leafs Tampa Bay faced. Lightning once again with their season on the brink and they’re defending their second Championship in a row means they will prevail. Andrei Vasilevskiy will once again be the X-factor for the Lightning ending a great Panther season. Have to go Lightning until actually someone beats them.

OUR PREDICTION: LIGHTNING IN SEVEN

CAROLINA HURRICANES VERSUS NEW YORK RANGERS

The Rangers and the Hurricanes had to go the distance of seven games in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs in two well fought out series. The Hurricanes overcame some bad history they had facing a Boston Bruins team that had their number. Even without their starting goalie, Frederick Anderson’s Hurricanes did well with Antti Raanta.

Igor Shesterkin struggled in the net for the Rangers versus the Penguins in round one. New York escaped round one against a Penguin offense that is one of the the tops in the league. Both the Rangers and the Hurricanes match-up well against each other. I think the Hurricanes have a bit more fire power than the Rangers. I liked the Hurricanes last year how they played & eventually got knocked out. I believe when you slay your dragon in Boston, then why not escape New York in round two.

OUR PREDICTION: CANES IN SIX GAMES

Rock you like a Hurricane.

We are approaching the halfway point of the USFL return. The picture is getting a tad clearer of which teams have risen to the top and a few teams that will stay at the bottom of the barrel. Some of the teams will hover around until they rise or fall in the next few weeks. In week 5 we have some movement in the regular edition of the USFL power rankings, but most of it’s the same as week 4. However we some new stories to be told about all of these teams. We kick around some numbers that tell some of the story of the success or why some teams are riding the struggle bus. The Stallions are still the top dog.

The Maulers seem to be repeating history. We dissected the worm in grammar school and survived. We can do the same with our lovely edition of this week’s power rankings.

#1.

BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS (4-0) SAME

What is the recipe for being undefeated in the USFL? First to have home field advantage against all your opponents. Second, slice and dice your opponent and score the most points in the league. Third, pick out the top notch defense at the market.

Stallions lead the USFL in sacks with 12 in 4 games so they know how to kill the quarterback. The Stallions defense has held their opponents to only 17.3 points per game. Last week, the Bandits only tallied up 36 yards in the second half. Last week the Stallions failed to score 20 points or better, as they were held to 16. If you want, you can say that’s their first kink in the armor.

#2.

NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS (3-1) SAME

The Breakers turnover the ball 4 times to the Houston Gamblers and still won the game. Chalk this up to great teams find a way to win the ball game. Kyle Sloter had a bad day at the office but redeemed himself at the end of the game by leading the Breakers to the winning score to put away the Gamblers for good.

They say the cockroach survived the extinction of the dinosaurs. Sloter has been stepped on, hit multiple times, has all kinds of injuries, but he’s like that bug keeps getting up to live and fight another 4 downs. Sloter shot his team in the foot 4 times and still keeps coming back at you. Like a horror movie you think the killer’s dead, but he always somehow returns. The Breakers defense last week put a grinding halt to the top running back in the league, Mark Thompson of the Houston Gamblers, as they swarmed him every time he touched the ball.

#3.

NEW JERSEY GENERALS (3-1) UP 1 SPOT

The Generals are moving up in this star-studded power rankings.

The Generals have won three in a row since losing in week one to the undefeated Birmingham Stallions.

Chris Dishman, the defensive coordinator of the Generals, has his unit only giving up 15.8 points per game which is the third fewest in the USFL. The former defensive back, Dishman, from those powder blue Oiler teams has done a remarkable job. On offense, the Generals ground game is second in the league with 178.3 yards per game. Running back Darius Victor leads the USFL with 4 rushing touchdowns.

#4.

PHILADELPHIA STARS (2-2) The back up quarterback is always the most popular guy from where at least I come, watching Chicago Bears football every Sunday. The Stars season looked grim last week after Philadelphia lost their starting quarterback Bryan Scott, who has been a rock star in this league behind center. A new star was born on the gridiron last week as Case Cookus took the reigns behind center and emerged as a gunslinger that completed 73% of his passes and lead the team to a big win getting back to the 500 mark.

Cookus threw 2 touchdown passes and had 190 yards in his debut to keep the Stars season alive closing in on the halfway point of the season.

#5.

TAMPA BAY BANDITS (2-2) DOWN 2 SPOTS Some experts thought the Tampa Bay Bandits were going to be the best team in the USFL. I thought that Jordan Ta’amu would be the best quarterback in the entire league. Don’t get me wrong, Ta’amu is one of the best quarterbacks in the league, but to me he was much better in 2020 playing for the St. Louis Battlehawks.

Todd Haley is a bum. I think he coached on teams like Pittsburgh Steelers that had guys already in place, and he went along for the ride. The Bandits are averaging only 156 yards per game in passing which is the middle of the pack. Offensive genius that Haley thinks he is, the Bandits should have way more points on the score board. Bandits defense has kept this team in most of their games. Even though I think the Bandits have too many big guys that can get tired in the second half. A good running game can wear therm out.

#6.

HOUSTON GAMBLERS (1-3) SAME

The Gamblers defense are a machine at getting turnovers.

The Gamblers lead the league in that department as they forced 4 turnovers against the Breakers last weekend, with all of them coming from New Orleans quarterback Kyle Sloter. The problem with the Gamblers is they can’t capitalize on them. Plus the offense goes dormant in the second half and can’t put points on the board. Second half leads for Houston evaporate and lead to heartbreaking losses with another one coming from the Breakers last Sunday.

Gamblers have to figure out how to put away a team. They may need to start learning how to Mortal Kombat their opponent.

#7.

MICHIGAN PANTHERS (1-3) SAME Panthers have one of the best defenses in the USFL. The Panthers head coach, Jeff Fisher, has the most stars and stripes on his polo shirt in the USFL from all those years in the NFL. The kicking game for the Panthers have been killing them all year. Panthers had two timeouts left at their disposal at the 3 yard line with 28 seconds left in the game down by one point.

Jeff Fisher pulls a Homer Simpson, runs down the clock to a few seconds, and takes a time out to trot out his kicker. Not even taking one chance to try to get the six points with a touchdown. The kicker misses and game over. The Panthers lost to the Stars second string quarterback to pour gasoline on the fire.

#8.

PITTSBURGH MAULERS (0-4) SAME It looks like history is repeating itself in the city of Pittsburgh when it comes to the Maulers of the USFL. In 1984, the lone season the Maulers played, they finished with a 3-15 record which was at the bottom of the barrel of the league at that time. The big name the Maulers had was Heisman trophy winner running back, Mike Rozier.

Rozier could not carry the team by himself as the Maulers relied on a 3rd string quarterback from the Dallas Cowboys, Glenn Carano, who threw more interceptions than touchdown passes. The modern day Maulers really don’t have anyone who stands out from the pack. Maulers’ dueling pianists at quarterbacks have only mustered up 9.7 points per game. The defense surrenders 23 points per game which is the second highest in the league there. The Maulers may be jinxed by the man cut for going with the pizza over the chicken salad.

Hershel Walker of the old USFL did other things besides run the ball in his General days of the USFL. Generals are on the rise in the power rankings coming into week 4. The Stallions are the only undefeated team left in the rebirth of the USFL. How is Pittsburgh’s football team at the bottom of the barrel? Breakers fall from king of the mountain. Lots of moving around in this edition of the USFL power rankings. Lets see what we did well or what we messed up as we roll out week 4 and go over the top of the pile for this week.

#1. BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS (3-0) Birmingham Stallions taking advantage of the home field advantage as they created a fan following with all games played in Alabama. The Stallions games are the only games each week that have some kind of crowd assembled that can be loud and motivating for the home team. Birmingham in the battle of the unbeatens last week took down the Breakers. Stallions are perfect after three weeks in the rebirth of the USFL. The Stallions won this game with their defense. J’Mar Smith behind center for Birmingham is not the best quarterback in the league but was able to throw two touchdown passes despite having a horrific quarterback rating of 39.5%. That was his worst performance last weekend versus the Breakers. Obviously it was the defense of the Stallions that held the top ranked offensive team, the Breakers, coming in to only 13 points. Linebacker Scooby Wright has some guys in the Stallion Mystery van that can defend as they forced three turnovers and registered two points with a safety.

DeMarquis Gates played out of his helmet versus the Breakers as he had ten tackles, an interception, and a fumble recovery.

#2.NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS (2-1) I feel the Breakers are still one of the top teams of this USFL. Sometimes you have an off night. Sometimes a loss is just what the doctor ordered. Breakers have the best quarterback in the entire league behind center. Kyle Sloter has 4 touchdown passes in three games with a quarterback rating of 117.2. Sloter has also been dealing with numerous injuries to his body but still takes the field. Offensive player of the week from Ohio State, Johnnie Dixon, is the top receiver in the league and Sloter’s top target as he has 16 grabs for 165 yards and three touchdown catches.

Breakers will be in the thick of things with their top notch offense and a very solid defense will win them plenty of games.

#3.TAMPA BAY BANDITS (2-1) The Bandits had to come back from ten points down late in the game to steal one versus the Gamblers. Tampa Bay has not played a full game yet in three games. In week one the Bandits scored all their points in the first half when they played what is right now the worst team in the league, the Maulers. In week two, the Bandits got smoked by the Breakers. In week three, the Bandits played a solid second half and come away with the win. Bandits have only averaged 15.6 points per game offensively. On defense they are giving up 21 points per game. You can pass on the Bandits as they allow the second most passing yards in the league. Is Bandits quarterback Jordan Ta’amu going to use this game as a stepping stone how he guided the comeback? Some could say it was luck in a league of bad kickers that Tyler Rausa hit that 33 yard game-winning field goal to win the game for the Bandits versus the Gamblers.

We know what happens to kickers when things don’t work out their way. Lets hope Tyler Rausa is playing with a full deck. Great kick in the clutch.

#4.NEW JERSEY GENERALS (2-1) Did not take a Mike Riley team that long to rise up in the USFL power rankings. Generals have a two quarterback system which has a nice rushing attack as one of their quarterbacks can use his legs to keep the chains moving. De’Andre Johnson’s 4 yard rushing touchdown sealed the deal for the Generals.

Behind the dueling quarterbacks that Mike Riley has, is a two-headed monster in the back field. Trey Williams and Darius Victor have been a force. Every Spring league, Riley has had a nice back field to go along with a pretty good guy behind center. Plus the Generals still have the King Pin pro-bowler in Luis Perez to use in passing situations.

The Generals defense does just enough to hold on or come up with a play or two to put the game on ice.

#5.PHILADELPHIA STARS (1-2) The Stars could be in big trouble. Last weekend the Stars lost their star quarterback, Bryan Scott, to a knee injury in the second quarter versus the Generals.

If Scott is out weeks, this could doom the Stars season. It’s like the Packers losing Aaron Rodgers and trying to replace him with a square peg that fits in a round hole. Stars lost the lead to the Generals in the 4th quarter to receive their second loss of the year after coming away with a win in week two, and the team looked like it would be headed in the right direction. Nothing else is working well for the Stars as the running game only mustered up 31 yards versus the Generals defense. The Stars defensive already surrenders the most yards allowed in the entire league.

#6.HOUSTON GAMBLERS (1-2) The Gamblers’ Reggie Northrup explained his smoking habit on the field as a picture of him went viral that had a cigarette dangling out of his mouth during a Houston practice.

He did not use Slick Willy’s excuse “I did not inhale,” made by the former US President Clinton. Northrup said it was just a prop. Which is up there with, “I’m holding it for a friend.” The Gamblers wear black uniforms and make a lot of noise. Love trash talking as they remind me of those old Atlanta Falcon teams coached by Jerry Glanville.

The Gamblers all talk and can’t walk the talk as they blew a double digit lead to the Bandits last week. The defense makes big plays but gives up big plays. The Gamblers have to rely on the running game as Mark Thompson has carried the heavy load, the ball and the team, on that side of the ball. Thompson leads the USFL in rushing with 310 yards after three games averaging 5.8 yards a clip.

#7.MICHIGAN PANTHERS (1-2) I did not think it would take to week three for former NFL coach Jeff Fisher to win his first game in the USFL. Panthers with a shutout win over Pittsburgh last weekend. Is beating a bad Mauler team earning you stripes in this new league? A win is a win, but the Panthers still have questions behind center. Paxton Lynch looked awesome on the first two drives of the Panther offense which resulted in two scores. Lynch even engineered two 2-point conversions after each touchdown. Then Lynch left with an ankle injury and did not finish the first quarter. Shea Patterson, who has been the starter most of the year for the Panthers, has only completed just over 50% of his passes. Let’s say the quarterback situation is the weakest link.

You can throw the Panthers kicker under the bus as well. The team last week went all in on two-point conversions instead of kicking the extra point after each score.

#8.PITTSBURGH MAULERS (0-3) The Maulers representing the city of Pittsburgh are playing more like all those bad Pirate teams, than all those great Steeler teams. When your team gets shut out by the other winless team last weekend, the Maulers have hit rock bottom in the USFL. Can you trade the entire team to the XFL? In three games, the Maulers scored a lone field goal in week one and then came back nicely in week two to score 23 points only then to be shutout. Maulers have been outscored 71-26 this season. The problem the Maulers have is the rotation of quarterbacks. They have to pick one and let either Kyle Lauletta or Josh Love be the guy. Neither Love or Lauletta can find that rhythm. If they do find it, they are replaced next time the team gets the ball back and have to sit and watch. The Maulers defense is respectable. I like the two headed monster at running back with Garrett Groshek and Madre London.

I have no teams at stake in this 2022 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs. The first round has some powerful match ups to get the Stanley Cup playoffs in gear. Playoffs in every sport are always the best as teams try to rise up to the challenge. You see unsung heroes come up with the clutch play and possibly profit off that performance down the road in a big way. May be worth it or may not for your team’s salary cap in the future. The Stanley Cup playoffs is always one of the best post-seasons played out in the sports landscape. I make some predictions. I have some teams that sparked my interest who I’m rooting for. Sometimes you have to adopt a team here and there for only a few weeks, as I’m not a bandwagon jumper. My hockey predictions pretty much stink at all costs each season. With no teams I like involved, maybe I have a clearer mind and will come away looking like a genius. Just don’t count on that logic I’m feeding you.

ROUND ONE PREDICTIONS (DING !!!!!)

EASTERN CONFERENCE

FLORIDA PANTHERS VERSUS WASHINGTON CAPITALS

Could this Panther team have been Joel Quenneville’s masterpiece team as a head coach? Will the natives get restless over Superstar Alex Ovechkin being buddies with the new Hitler lurking in Russia? The Florida Panthers come into post-season with the best record in regular season play. The Capitals probably have the best player in the NHL, but Ovechkin will play banged up dealing with injuries. Panthers have dominated the Caps throughout regular season as well. Panthers roll out 4 solid lines. Then add the solid goal tending the Panthers have especially with their Russian Sergei Bobrovsky in the net. The Capitals will need a few healthy Ovechkin’s to win this series.

PREDICTION: PANTHERS ARE A LOCK IN 4 GAMES

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS VERSUS TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING

Can the Lightning win three Stanley Cups in a row? Can the Maple Leafs make it out of the first round of the playoffs? How long do we have to wait, you hosers?

Toronto has a Superstar on the rise. Can Auston Matthews be the rise of the Bat Man and take his play to the next level and knock out the champs in the first round?

Matthews has had a great month closing out the regular season and tallied up 60 regular season goals for the Leafs. Can Jack Campbell hold up in net for the Leafs if the series, you know, should go 7 games? The Lightning have an all-star team that has did this, done that. Andrei Vasilevskiy in my opinion is one of the best goalies in the game. Vasilevskiy’s playoff experience alone gives the Lightning a shot at escaping the first round. Look for my sleeper of the series, Brandon Hagel, to make some noise in this series for the Lighting. He’s a guy they got from the Blackhawks at the trade deadline.

History will repeat itself.

PREDICTION: LIGHTNING IN SIX GAMES

CAROLINA HURRICANES VERSUS BOSTON BRUINS

If you’re a Hurricanes fan, the Boston Bruins would be the last team you want to play in the first round action. Boston and Carolina have squared off in two recent post-seasons and the Bruins made the Hurricanes feel like a light drizzle on a sunny day. Bruins won both series tallying 8 victories to one defeat. The Hurricanes like to shoot the puck at the net. More shots the better. The Bruins have the personnel to keep the good shots from hitting and giving the Hurricanes tougher shots most of the series with a stellar defense. Watch Bruins Captain Defenseman, Patrice Bergeron, on the ice if you don’t believe me.

Hurricanes are another team with an injury to their starting goalie. When will Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen return to action? I have to go with the history in this series.

PREDICTION: BRUINS IN SIX GAMES

NEW YORK RANGERS VERSUS PITTSBURGH PENGUINS

The Penguins and the Rangers may be the best series of the entire first round. The Penguins have one of the all-time greats in Sid the Kid Crosby. The Rangers have a goalie.

The rise of Igor Shesterkin has the Rangers playing solid hockey especially coming into the tournament. New York has been one of the hottest teams. Penguins have played solidly all year and have a group of guys besides Sid that can get the biscuit in the basket. Rangers defense as a whole only gives up 2.49 goals per game. Penguins will not have their starting net minder as Tristan Jarry is dealing with a lower body injury. Penguins back-up Casey DeSmith gave up 5 goals in a game versus the Rangers earlier in the year. I like to see the Penguins knock off the Rangers. Penguins post-season play of late has been one and done. I’m a firm believer that a great defense beats a great offense.

PREDICTION: RANGERS IN SIX GAMES

WESTERN CONFERENCE

COLORADO AVALANCHE VERSUS NASHVILLE PREDATORS

I wonder if Nashville Predators ownership has banned fans from wearing Avalanche jerseys for this series in home games? Avalanche come in as one of the best teams in the NHL and one of the teams that is favored to win the entire thing. The Predators showed they are a scrappy bunch. Avalanche are loaded with fire power.

The Predators will be playing without their top goalie, Juuse Saros, who is injured and will miss the entire series. This is a David versus Goliath series.

No hope for David in this one.

PREDICTION:AN AVALANCHE SWEEP

MINNESOTA WILD VERSUS ST. LOUIS BLUES

The Blues and the Wild should be a battle to the death. This is a series that should be decided in game 7 in double overtime because both teams are evenly matched. The Wild have not been very successful in the post-season. The Blues historically always came out on the losing end of post-season but they finally won the cup in 2019 as some would say they overachieved. The Blues had hot goal-tending. Blues come in with a group of well-balanced players that can rush, attack the net, and defend. No big names in the Blues roster, but just a group that works well together. The Wild have good goal-tending and play sound defense around the net.

The X-Factor in a series that can go either way, I give the edge to the Wild. Marc-Andre Fleury has that post-season experience a team like the Wild needs. Fleury, who was acquired at the trade deadline from the Blackhawks by the Wild, has won cups with the Penguins. Fleury came close to helping the Golden Knights of Vegas achieve a Stanley Cup early in their existence. Fleury is playing with a chip on his shoulder. Vegas did not want him anymore and was dealt to the Blackhawks. The Golden Knights did not make it into the playoffs. Perfect time for Marc-Andre to Fleury his stuff.

PREDICTION: WILD IN SEVEN GAMES

CALGARY FLAMES VERSUS DALLAS STARS

The Flames you can always count on not making a huge splash when trying to add a piece to their puzzle. The Stars still rely on old-fashioned defense to win games on the ice. Both these things have been going on for years for the Flames and the Stars.

HERE’S JOHNNY!!! The Flames’ Johnny Gaudreau had the second most points in the Western conference. The Stars have one solid line with Jason Robertson, Joe Pavelski, and Roope Jintz. Can the Flames contain it? This series could turn into a goalies duel for both teams. Flames have the stronger roster. Let’s not forget about left winger Matthew Tkachuk who lit the lamplight 42 times this season. I think the Flames coach will get Belichick-like and come up with a plan to take out that top line for the Stars.

PREDICTION: FLAMES IN 5 GAMES

EDMONTON OILERS VERSUS LA KINGS

The LA Kings should pass on the secret of making it into the post-season to Lebron James and the Lakers. Will Evander Kane’s X-wife put a bounty on the gambler’s head?

The Oilers have star power as they have one of the biggest superstars in the NHL, Connor McDavid. The Oilers ownership has added lots of pressure to this team in terms of winning now. Oilers went out and signed a shady character in Evander Kane, former Shark. The Kings played some of the best 5 on 5 hockey in the entire NHL. Phillip Danault plays the center position very well for the Kings, both offensively and defensively. That can change the game in an instant to their favor. Oilers over the past few seasons are another team in Canada that fail miserably in the first round of the playoffs. It’s good to be King.

At least they eat well.

PREDICTION: KINGS IN 6 GAMES

The Chicago Bears have released the last dark cloud polluting the skies of Halas Hall from the last regime. It was like the Jack and the Beanstalk tale in March of 2020 when the Bears traded the cow which would be draft capital to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a washed up Nick Foles. The Bears could not trade the highest paid third string quarterback this off-season, so instead of taking him to back of the shed to put a bullet in between his eyes, they released Foles into the wild. The same Nick Foles who is a legend like the Rocky statue in the Philadelphia sports landscape. Rocky is make-believe, and Nick Foles was like Luke Skywalker taking down the death star with his arm versus Tom Brady and the Evil Empire Patriots in Superbowl LII. Eagles won their first ever Superbowl. Eagles eventually had to let Foles go because they already were paying Carson Wentz who they thought was going to be their franchise quarterback for years to come. Jacksonville then came along & paid the huge money to Nick Foles as they thought they had their guy. After the first game in a Jacksonville uniform, Foles would not last the game due to an injury. When Nick Foles came back from his injury, he did not have the magic he did in Philadelphia. Thank God the Bears came along because Foles was going to be the answer for Matt Nagy’s offense. General Manager Ryan Pace then would have finally admitted his number 1 pick for Mitch Trubisky was a bust. if Foles succeeds in the Bears offense…

The NFL had no pre-season games due to the pandemic, so Mitch Trubisky started the 2020 season and had the Bears with a winning record. At the first sign of struggle, Head Coach Matt Nagy knew he had his chance to take Trubisky out of the game and replaced him with his guy, Nick Foles. Foles would rally the team and the Bears would prevail over a poor Falcons defense. Foles would then slay Tom Brady this time when he was behind center for the Buccaneers. Foles would finish 2-5 as the starter for the Bears in the 2020 season before he went down with an injury. Foles’ play behind center started off hot, but he went cold and the Bears’ makeshift offensive line probably did not help. Matt Nagy’s play calling with that makeshift offensive line did not help as most of the coaches’ plays take too much time to develop and Foles did not have it. Last season the Bears would sign veteran quarterback Andy Dalton as Nick Foles became the third string guy after the Bears drafted Justin Fields. Foles would make one start late in the season for the Bears and guide the team to victory over the Seattle Seahawks. Foles would make ten appearances behind center for the Bears of which 8 of them were starts. Foles completed 65% of his passes in a Bears uniform as he threw 11 touchdown passes but had 8 interceptions. Bears signed Trevor Siemian this off-season to back up Justin Fields as Andy Dalton left in free agency. Nick the Dick Foles is now free from his Siberia habitat exodus in Chicago where quarterbacks go to die.

Nick Foles has played ten seasons in the NFL for 5 different teams. Foles is 29-27 as a starter in the NFL. Foles has thrown for over 14,000 yards with 82 touchdown passes in 68 games in his career. Foles is a back up quarterback who can get hot and carry your team to the promised land like he did in his Eagles days. Foles is very injury prone as to get to the season with the most games he has played behind center, you have to go back to 2013 where he appeared in 13 games. Then in 2015 he appeared in 11 games. Foles has not played in double digit games since. Foles will land another job in the NFL with somebody. Foles could get you through 4 to 5 games if your starter goes down. At the end of regular season it seems like Nick Foles rises his play level to the occasion. Nick Foles turns into the closer of football. In baseball Nick Foles would pitch the 9th inning with the lead. I don’t like Nick Foles playing in the first ten games of the season. Game 11 and beyond is the only time Nick Foles became a legend.

The Bears finally can lay to rest the Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace regime. The ghost of Nick Foles will live on during the Bears 2022 season as the team will take a 7.66 million dollar dead cap hit by releasing him now. By failing to trade Foles, the Bears had to pay him a 4 million dollar bonus in March of this year to him, and Nick was set to make another 4 million in base salary. To get Foles, the Bears gave up draft capital and restructured his contract to pay him 3 years worth of a total 24 million to make 8 starts, one as a third string quarterback. Then the Bears go out and sign another veteran quarterback in Andy Dalton. Bears obviously did not know they would get Justin Fields in the draft and lost faith in Nick Foles that quick. Let’s not forget Nick Foles beat the Bears playing in an Eagles uniform in the first round playoff game that ended in a double doink kick off the foot of Cody Parky to try to win that game for the Bears in 2019 at the end of regulation. It was Mitch Trubisky as the starter in that one. Mitch Trubisky, the first quarterback picked in the 2017 draft by Ryan Pace, left town as the scapegoat of this regime’s failure. Then Nick Foles and Andy Dalton did nothing with Matt Nagy’s miserable play calling or war and peace style playbook. Justin Fields was drafted by Ryan Pace and played for Matt Nagy. Let’s just hope that one season did not ruin Fields for good. Getting rid of Nick Foles should help fans recover from the tom foolery of who’s on first skit as in who’s the quarterback that is tainted in everyone’s mind like the buffoons running the operation from 2017-18 until the end of last season. Foles may have one more legendary run behind center because he is very streaky. Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace will be fetching the coffee in someone’s organization for years to come. Mitch Trubisky hopes he will drag Matt Nagy’s reputation deeper in the mud as we wait to see what he will do being a regular starter in the NFL. Justin Fields playing well should heal all of the wounds that Bears fans have suffered from the last regime. The terrible regimes before pills and alcohol still work.