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.