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.