Month: June 2023

If you’re looking for a football adage that possesses both rhyme and reason, here’s one of my faves: “It’s not about the Xs and the Os, but the Jimmys and the Joes.”

It’s often used in the context of college recruiting, but the message goes far beyond that. Ultimately, you can draw up the best plays in the world but if the talent to execute them isn’t there, it won’t make much difference.

Every coach realizes this, and that’s why those in the United States Football League work hand-in-hand with their general managers to sign the best players available.

Take a look at how tight the standings are and you can see that they’ve all done a creditable job. Today’s game between the Birmingham Stallions and Philadelphia Stars (which started with handshakes and hugs before the coin toss and segued to a brief shoving match on the opening kickoff) was a perfect example. It featured a battle of division leaders, yet when Week Seven began last Saturday, Birmingham (6-2) was third in the South.

And before reeling off three consecutive victories, Philly (4-4) was in last place in the North.

“Overall, the talent in the league has really improved, and I say that because when we drafted our rosters last year, everybody drafted 50 players, so that’s 400 players in one year that got put into this league,” Stallions coach Skip Holtz said following practice earlier in the week. “But I think the free agents and players that were available this year are better than the talent in the second half of the draft last year. So, you’ve seen a lot of turnover in some of these teams with the lower part of their rosters, and I think it’s because there’s a lot more talent in this league. I think everybody’s capable of winning each and every week, and every game is gonna be a battle.

“Somebody told me that unlike college, there are no 1-AA (Football Championship Subdivision) opponents in the USFL. Anybody can beat anybody on a given day.”

True enough.

Beyond that, though, a common thread among every single player who suits up for one of the eight teams is their love of the game.

Sure, it’s a business, but you can tell there’s a real joy in what they do.

Holtz certainly sees it.

“You know, you watch them after practice and everybody’s dapping each other up and saying, ‘Nice work today,’ and we’re looking at them all hanging around,” Holtz said. “Practice is over and they’re all just sitting around talking … they enjoy being around each other. They’re a great group of guys with great chemistry and that’s a real testament to the quality and character of the players that we have on this roster that love the game and love to play.

“They want to win – they’re  competitive players – but that’s part of what’s made it so much fun to be part of.”

What’s true with the Stallions is true across all eight teams and all four hubs.

“When you look at the number of players in the USFL that got their opportunities in the NFL last year, there were over 50 players,” Holtz said. “And that’s why so many of these guys are here. They want their opportunities, they want to move up, but they want to play some more over here for the love of the game.

“Some are here because they want more film, but the players that are here, they’re appreciative, they’re grateful. They want an opportunity to get on the field.”

It’s a new and different opportunity for coaches, as well. Holtz said when he decided to work in the USFL, it was because he and his wife wanted an “adventure.”

“I had a long conversation with Rick Neuheisel before I accepted this job, and I know he had been in a spring league earlier (head coach of the Arizona Hotshots of the Alliance of American Football in 2019),” Holtz said. “I called him and asked him about it. He said the biggest thing is to enjoy the relationship with the players, because that’s really what it’s all about.”

As a football fan, I appreciate the entertainment value of the USFL. But I also find myself cheering for various players, regardless of whether they play for the hometown Stallions or not.

“One thing about the USFL is we’re able to give (players) a platform to be viewed in a different light,” league president Daryl Johnston said. “And we try to come at it from a holistic approach … making good young men out of the players in our league, not just good football players.”

While Alex McGough spends a lot of post-practice time trying to make Holtz laugh (and succeeding), there’s nothing funny about his play. The dude is a boss whether loading up and throwing or tucking and running.

Today he threw for 333 yards and three touchdowns, and celebrated by giving Holtz a bear hug after his team’s thrilling 27-24 victory. He engineered a late drive that put the Stallions ahead to stay with 28 seconds remaining.

“I always say pressure is a privilege,” McGough said. “Like, most people don’t get the chance to go in in the fourth quarter and try to win the game. In professional football, this is a privilege. And I think you can either fall under it, or rise to it.”

Stars quarterback Case Cookus was fantastic, also throwing for three touchdowns and amassing 265 yards.

He’s been on five NFL practice squads and one in the Canadian Football League, and continues to show why he deserves more chances.

“This league giving so many guys opportunities has been a blessing,” Cookus said. “I’m so thankful … you can go through the league and like every other guy has that unique, cool story about how they got here and how they love to play football.

“There’s some great people across the field. (Birmingham) is a very good team and they’re a bunch of great guys who are really competitive. I’m having a blast playing but, you know, winning would’ve made it more fun.”

If you don’t like New Jersey Generals running back Darius Victor – the first player in the modern USFL to amass more than 1,000 rushing yards – you don’t like people.

New Orleans Breakers quarterback Mcleod Bethel-Thompson is about as urbane as you can get while still wearing shoulder pads.

And as much fun as it is to watch Pittsburgh Maulers D-lineman Boogie Roberts make a big-man play, seeing him interview teammates on the sidelines is highly entertaining as well.

I could go on and on listing examples from across the league, because you’ll find plenty of guys worthy of rooting for – even if they were completely unfamiliar to you before you saw them play in the USFL.

The vast majority, of course, want an NFL roster spot. Right now, though, they want to grow where they’re planted.

Once you follow a season and learn the players’ personalities (as well as their stories), you find yourself torn. Selfishly, you want to see them back in a familiar uniform when a new season starts.

But if you’re really, truly a fan of theirs, you want them to play at the highest level.

It’s not about the Xs and the Os, but the Jimmys and the Joes – and how far they can go.

The Birmingham Stallions (5-2) began last weekend sitting third in the USFL South Division. By the close of the football business day on Sunday, they had taken over first place.

That’s how things work in a league that – in 2023, at least – has very little separation among its eight teams.

This Saturday Birmingham plays its final regular season home game of 2023 when the Philadelphia Stars (4-3) come to Protective Stadium for a 2 p.m. kickoff. NBC/Peacock will provide TV coverage.

Philly is riding a three-game winning streak, good enough for first place in the North Division. It’ll be the first time the teams have played since meeting in the 2022 USFL championship game – a 33-30 Birmingham victory.

“What I’ve learned after a year and a half in this league is they’re all challenges,” Stallions coach Skip Holtz said. “I mean, every game … there is no top and there is no bottom. Everybody’s just fighting to compete, to win the game. A lot of these games are going to come down to one play, so we understand it’s gonna be a challenge. They’re a really good football team and I think (Philadelphia head coach) Bart Andrus does a really good job.”

After stumbling early, the Stars have found their footing on both sides of the ball.

“We’re opportunistic, so when a situation presents itself, we take advantage of it, and that’s important,” Andrus said following his team’s 37-31 victory over Pittsburgh last Saturday. “The other thing is, we’re playing better as a group. There’s a lot of trust that’s involved in that. And we’ve made improvements on our offensive line in personnel moves. This was the best group we were able to put on the field (Saturday) and we’re optimistic we can keep more guys healthy.

“When you start out the season you have issues and you have injuries and you fight through them, and the most important thing is these guys have never not thought they could do it. Right now, they’re showing they can.”

Quarterback Case Cookus has thrown for 1,520 yards and seven touchdowns, while Corey Coleman is his favorite target. Coleman has two TD receptions and 409 receiving yards.

And Luis Aguilar has done a phenomenal job kicking.

He’s 18 of 21 from field goal range, including three-of-four from beyond 50 yards. He had a USFL-record eight field goals to account for all his team’s points in a 24-21 victory over New Jersey that snapped a three-game losing skid and started the current string of victories.

“Case Cookus is very experienced,” Holtz said. “They’re scoring a lot of points, they’re very explosive, and have a lot of speed at all points. But I think the biggest trouble you’ll have with this football team is they’re playing really good defense right now. They’re holding opponents to 20 or less points and they’re scoring a lot. So, it’s an explosive team that’s the No. 1 team in the North (Division), and we know it’s gonna be a great challenge.”

Quarterback Alex McGough continues to shine for Birmingham, topping the circuit with 13 passing touchdowns and 102 points.

He’s thrown for 1,281 yards and rushed for four TDs.

His preparation this week is the same as it’s been every week.

“Well, every team has their own personality, and I just try to look at them as a fresh face,” McGough said. “They’ve just got a lot of good players, and we’ve got to find a way to win our one-on-ones and make plays.”

C.J. Marable has come on strong of late and leads the Stallions rushing corps with 380 yards, while Davion Davis has the most pass-catching yardage (317). Jace Sternberger has a team-high four touchdowns among receivers.

Safety Christian McFarland has played in all seven games and leads the bruise crew with 42 tackles (25 solo); safety Nate Holley is credited with 37 tackles (24 unassisted); and safety Tyree Robinson has contributed 32 tackles (23 solo).

“I told the players with this game we’re playing this week, there’s good news and bad news,” Holtz said. “The good news is right now we’re in first place and have earned the opportunity to be the top team in the South. The bad news is, we have three games left and if we lose all three, we finish last.

“So, every game matters.”

The coach is also hoping a big crowd will give his charges a significant homefield advantage.

“I’m glad it’s a home game and I encourage everybody to come out,” he said. “We need the support. The fans have been absolutely awesome, and I know this is Fan Appreciation Day this week. It comes at a great time, because we need everybody out here to help us.”

PLAYER STATUS (via Stallions Twitter)

Transferred Player to Active Roster: WR Michael Dereus, DE Joe Ozougwu, OT Darius Harper.

Transferred Player to Inactive Roster: WR Josh Johnson, OT Derwin Gray, DE Darrion Daniels.

Game status: CB Donnie Lewis: Out (R Hand, R Leg), S Christian McFarland: Probable (R Hamstring, R Shoulder, L Thumb), LB Rashad Smith: Probable (L Ankle), DE Jordan Thompson: Questionable (L Hamstring), WR Deon Cain: Probable (L Hamstring), DE Joe Jackson: Probable (R Ankle), LB Elijah Sullivan: Probable (R Foot), OL Matt Kaskey: Full Go (R Thumb), OL Jahmir Johnson: Full Go (L Groin).

PLAYER STATUS (via Stars Twitter)

Transferred Player to Active Roster: QB Kevin Thomson, S Joshua Moon, DE Ali Fayad.

Transferred Player to Inactive Roster: QB Vad Lee, S Devin Taylor, DE Carson Taylor.

Game status: WR Terry Wright: Full Go (L Flank), TE Pro Wells: Full Go (L Ankle), RB Dexter Williams: Full Go (R Shoulder), CB Channing Stribling: Full Go (L Hamstring), OL Tristen Taylor: Full Go (L Knee), DB Josh Moon: Full Go (L Ankle), DB Amani Dennis: Full Go (R Hip), LB Joey Alfieri: Full Go (R Knee), LB BJ Bello: Full Go (R Hamstring), DB Ladarius Wiley: Full Go (L Thumb), S Cody Brown: Full Go (L Foot), WR Diondre Overton: Full Go (R Shoulder), WR Corey Coleman: Full Go (L Hand), WR Devin Gray: Full Go (Neck), DL Chris Nelson: Full Go (R Calf), DL Ralph Holley: Full Go (L Elbow).

The second United States Football League championship game is a month away, and USFL president Daryl Johnston and head of officiating Mike Pereira marked the occasion by giving something of a “state of the league” address on Thursday afternoon.

With three weekends remaining in the regular season and the playoff race wide open in both divisions, Johnston is well-pleased with the parity of the circuit’s eight teams in year two.

“I love the fact that we’re all jumbled up in both of our divisions, especially down in the (South Division),” said Johnston, who saw the Birmingham Stallions (5-2) jump from third place to first in one weekend. “I love the way that we stacked our schedule where we have meaningful games in weeks nine and weeks 10. I know it stresses our marketing and  ticket sales people, but for the football ops people, it’s fantastic.

“Last year our playoff teams were kind of set early and we probably knew week six what the playoff picture was. This year in the South, we’re not going to know until we have that final play in week 10.”

From an operational standpoint the most significant change from year one involves hub expansion. In 2022 all the teams were housed in Birmingham.

This year, Birmingham is home to the Stallions and New Orleans Breakers; the Memphis Showboats (replacing the Tampa Bay Bandits) and Houston Gamblers play in Memphis; the Michigan Panthers and Philadelphia Stars both call Detroit home this spring; and the New Jersey Generals and Pittsburgh Maulers host their home games in Canton.

Canton will showcase the North Division playoff on June 24 as well as the championship game on July 1, while the South Division playoff will be in either Birmingham or Memphis on June 25.

The second year of the USFL has also seen half the teams get new coaches: Mike Nolan (Michigan), Ray Horton (Pittsburgh), John DeFilippo (New Orleans), and Curtis Johnson (Houston).

“I think one of the big things that happened with us coming into year two – and I mean this with no disrespect to the four coaches who were with us in year one, they will always have a special place in my heart – was bringing on four new head coaches. To have available the guys that we were able to bring on board this year … we’ve got over 120 years of added experience in our coaching staffs this year, with five Super Bowl championships between the four of them. It was really, really a testament to what we’re trying to do.

“When you have somebody like Mike Nolan call you and say ‘Hey, I hear there’s a potential for an opening with the Michigan Panthers, and I’d be very interested in that,’ that speaks volumes when you have people of that caliber wanting to join your journey in year two.”

But TV viewers – and fans in the stands – aren’t watching coaches, they’re watching players. And Johnston is confident the league features plenty of next-level talent.

“We had a number of guys get into workouts, a ton of guys get into training camps … actually got down to a point where we had, when it was all said and done, I think 24 players on either the active or practice squads during the course of last year in the NFL,” he said. “Obviously, KaVontae Turpin (who played with the Generals in 2022) is our greatest ambassador with everything that he accomplished with the Dallas Cowboys and all the accolades that he received. And I think that shows the necessity for a league like the USFL when we can have a player not only become discovered but change the narrative.”

Last season USFL kick returners caught the NFL’s eye. This year, Johnston thinks it might be linebackers.

“For me one of the interesting spots – and it’s kind of an overlooked and undervalued position in the NFL right now – is the stack linebacker, and I think some of our players have had a really, really good season,” he explained. “You look at a guy like Gabriel Sewell up in Philadelphia, Frank Ginda in Michigan, Quentin Poling here in Birmingham and Kyahva Tezino (Pittsburgh)  … I don’t know why he didn’t get an opportunity last year.”

Like any league there have been some snoozers to go with high-scoring clashes, and Johnston says he’d like to see more consistency across the board. Overall, however, the quality of play has been solid.

From a rules standpoint, Pereira thinks the tweak to kickoffs has had the greatest impact.

“Last year we wanted 90 percent of our kickoffs returned, and we ended up with 81 percent, which is much better than the 38 percent in the NFL,” he said. “But I wanted to push it to 90, so what did we do? We just backed up the kickoff line from the 25 to the 20.”

There was also an alteration to improve safety.

“We moved the receiving team in a box 10 yards from where the kickers kick off from, and they had to hold in that box until the ball was kicked at a minimum of eight or maximum of nine,” Pereira said. “That meant everybody was running downfield together, and you didn’t have as many as the high impact collisions, and that’s worked well.”

Pereira also has weekly calls with each of the eight coaches. As one might expect, conversations can be spirited.

“The one thing that has been proved to me is how passionate they are about this league, and how competitive they are, and how much they want to win, and how much they sometimes dislike each other, and the rivalries that are brewed, whether it’s Intra-hub or whatever,” he said. “It’s just been the coolest experience. Not the easiest because of their passion, because I’ve had to deal with some frustrations and that type of thing. But it’s been a breath of fresh air.”

With year two winding down, Johnston says the goal for the USFL is to make marked progress each year.

“When you come back for year two we don’t want you to be in the same spot as you were when year one ended,” he said. “And the same for year three. We want you to be much further down the road, and whether that’s Zoom installs, quarterbacks getting together with skill position players at some point during the offseason, whatever.

“We just need you to be further down the road.”