Post by MGB01 on Jul 24, 2005 23:58:50 GMT -5
ORLANDO (7-2) AT JACKSONVILLE (6-3)
Sat 4:00 ET Spike TV
Line: Predators by 2
All-time series: Predators lead 5-1
Last meeting: Rage won 27-20 in Orlando, June 27, 2005
Injuries: ORL OG Mike Gandy (ques) FS Quentin Harris (out) JAX
DE Erik Flowers (out) DE Gabe Nyenhuis (out)
Preview: Having finally solved the Predators five weeks ago in Orlando, the Rage can clinch the division (head-to-head sweep) with a win Saturday. But the Rage play their last three on the road, whereas the Predators--who are 4-0 at Alltel Stadium--play two of their last three at home, seemingly giving the Predators the upper hand. Orlando QB Matt Mauck has thrown five interceptions in each of Orlando's two losses, and he did not fare well last year in a 21-18 loss here, then his second career start. With the exception of a 12-of-16, 176-yard, two-touchdown performance in a 25-17 win in Orlando in 2002, Predator QB George Godsey hasn't done that well either, amassing just a 63.1 passer rating. As has been the case throughout their four-year existence, the Predators come in beat up on the defensive line, with both Flowers and Nyenhuis out and Jamaal Green having played in only four games.
DETROIT (5-4) AT WASHINGTON (4-5)
Sun 1:00 ET NBC-R
Line: Glory by 4
All-time series: Mustangs lead 1-0
Last meeting: Mustangs won 30-13 in Detroit, July 25, 2004
Injuries: DET SS Johnny Anderson (ques) QB Rob Johnson (out) WAS
RB Jarrett Payton (ques)
Preview: With two of three on the road remaining--Sunday at Washington and week 12 at Chicago, equaling last year's 8-4 mark might be a tad difficult, but if any team can do it, it's an Al Lugenbill team. Now with both Ryan Clement and Darnell McDonald back, there's no limit to the Mustangs' offensive power. The problem is defensively, where the Mustangs are yielding well over 400 yards per game. Veteran LB Steve Tovar will be moved into the starting lineup this week to try and stabilize their linebacking corps for the stretch run. However, as bad as the Mustangs are defensively, the Glory are offensively, averaging just over 262 yards per game. Joe Hamilton, though, has played well over the last five games in which the Glory are 3-2. The Glory rushed for just 24 yards against the league-leading rush defense in the league--Los Angeles--in a 17-10 loss last week.
LOS ANGELES (6-3) AT MEMPHIS (3-6)
Sun 1:00 ET NBC-N
Line: Xtreme by 1
All-time series: Xtreme lead 3-2
Last meeting: Xtreme won 27-20 in Memphis, August 10, 2003
Injuries: MEM CB Shaun Byrdsong (out) FB Matthew Tant (out)
Preview: As absurd as it sounds, the Maniax have a shot at the XFL South title if they win out, with one game remaining against division-leading Birmingham in week 11. But the Maniax need to worry about the high-flying Xtreme first, who have won five of six. The Xtreme, who are allowing just 61.2 yards rushing per game--a league-best, have not allowed more than 98 yards rushing all year. Not only are the Xtreme the top rushing defense in the league, but both the Xtreme and Maniax are the top two rushing teams in the league. The Maniax could be bolstered by the return of Travis Stephens, who missed five games with an ankle injury.
SEATTLE (4-5) AT KANSAS CITY (2-7)
Sun 1:00 ET NBC-R
Line: even
All-time series: First meeting
Last meeting: N/A
Injuries: KC TE Kevin Everett (out) OLB Uyi Osunde (out) OLB Peter Boulware (ques) TE Tim Euhus (ques)
Preview: With the Outlaws and the Xtreme both distancing themselves from the Reign and the Demons out west, any playoff hopes the Reign have pretty much died with a 13-7 home loss to the Outlaws last week, a loss which was their fourth straight home loss. The Reign have though, played very well on the road, having won three of four including wins over Los Angeles and Orlando. The Monarchs, hoping to snap a four-game slide, may get Tim Euhus, who had been out since offseason knee surgery at the end of the 2004 season, in the lineup for the first time this year. But that's still in question. The Reign will get OLB Anthony Simmons back, he hasn't played since week two in Los Angeles with back spasms.
BIRMINGHAM (4-5) AT CHICAGO (6-3)
Sun 4:00 ET NBC-N
Line: Enforcers by 2
All-time series: Enforcers lead 3-1
Last meeting: Enforcers won 45-31 in Birmingham, August 28, 2004 (X-Bowl IV)
Injuries: none
Preview: Neither team looks like the team they were last time they met in X-Bowl IV last August 28. The Enforcers have been pushed to overtime three times, and have trailed six times in the fourth quarter, losing two. The Enforcers have lost two of their last three (losing both by 17 and 21) while the red-hot Hitmen have caught them in the XFL North. Meanwhile the Bolts lead the XFL South, but if they were anywhere near as potent as last year's group, would not only have a much better record, but would have already clinched the division. Neither Ricky Ray nor Ken Dorsey are performing anywhere near their levels last year, when they finished 1-2 in effiency among XFL quarterbacks, Dorsey getting the worst of it, including a five-interception game in a 28-16 loss to Washington in week five.
DALLAS (3-6) AT PITTSBURGH (4-5)
Sun 4:00 ET NBC-R
Line: Ironmen by 3
All-time series: Vipers lead 2-0
Last meeting: Vipers won 51-17 in Dallas, July 18, 2004
Injuries: DAL WR Shannon Culver (out) PIT QB Marcus Crandell (out) ILB Andre Arnold (out)
Preview: The Vipers will hold the upper hand despite their three-game losing streak because they have squashed the Ironmen by a combined 120-31 in their two meetings: one a 69-14 rout in Pittsburgh in 2003 which was memorable for a postgame Jeff Brohm/Jim Mora confrontation where Mora accused Brohm and the Vipers of running it up, in which Tom Coughlin eventually got involved. There may be different results this time around. While Viper QB Kurt Warner has thrown for a league-high 2819 yards, the Ironmen have a much better defense this time around and are in the top ten in all four major defensive categories: rushing (93.2, fifth), passing (215.7, seventh), total yards (308.9, fourth), and points per game (21.3, fifth). The Ironmen's woes in their passing game--which is also tied to Kelly Campbell's struggles, only 36 grabs on the season--could get a jolt this week as the steady Dave Dickenson takes over with Marcus Crandell out the rest of the season. This could also give Dave Wannstedt the opportunity to deliver on his promise to give third-round pick Jared Allen, who was red-hot in the preseason, some snaps. Curtis Alexander has rushed for 130 yards on 34 carries since joining the Vipers two weeks ago.
CAROLINA (1-8) AT SAN FRANCISCO (4-5)
Sun 4:00 ET NBC-R
Line: Demons by 6
All-time series: Demons lead 1-0
Last meeting: Demons won 22-10 in Raleigh, July 3, 2004
Injuries: CAR QB Kyle Orton (ques) OT Matt Anderle (out) SF WR Jimmy Cunningham (ques) RB Adimchinobe Echemandu (out)
Preview: The million-dollar question here is, who's the starting QB? and which team? Orton was a definite X for last week in Jacksonville, will he return this week? After throwing two touchdowns in a rally that fell short at Detroit last week, will Andrew Walter make his first start of the season with the Demons all but out of playoff contention? Jim Skipper might not want to hear it, but the reality is that the Demons would need to win out and then need a lot of help to make the playoffs. With games against the Xtreme and Reign after this, the Demons have a chance to at least salvage something out of this season. Speaking of salvaging something, the Colonels would avoid a winless road record with a win here. Partly interesting fact du jour: Colonels head man Norm Chow was briefly mentioned as a candidate for the San Francisco 49ers' head coaching vacancy in January, although how much of that was actual fact and generated by the local media is up for debate.
LAS VEGAS (7-2) AT NEW YORK (6-3)
Sun 8:00 ET UPN
Line: even
All-time series: Outlaws lead 4-0
Last meeting: Outlaws won 27-10 in Las Vegas July 18, 2004
Injuries: LV RB Hodges Mitchell (out) DE Kelvin Kinney (out) FS Sam Brandon (out) RB Ken Simonton (out) CB Brandon Browner (out) CB Brian Williams (ques) NY OG Omar Smith (out) FB Will Matthews (out)
Preview: Will the Outlaws' injury riddling of late end up costing them a second straight XFL West title? or will it be more two trips to the east coast in the final three weeks of the season? Either way, those are both obstacles the Outlaws face. Larry Croom will start at halfback, but Jim Criner warned during the week that he won't hesitate to use the rough-and-tumble Chrys Chukwuma, who started in place of the legendary Rod "He Hate Me" Smart in 2001, at halfback and put in fourth-rounder Manuel White at fullback if he has to. Getting Jason Gesser back on track would be a good start, he was just 19 of 32 for 252 yards but two interceptions in a 13-7 win last week in Seattle. The Hitmen are on fire, but Michael Bishop--who holds the distinction of having once lost a roster spot to Tom Brady--is on fire since his return to the lineup in a 26-23 overtime win in Seattle in week five, throwing for 932 yards, nine touchdowns, and two interceptions in that span, posting a passer rating of 111.2, not bad for a guy whose passer rating matched his completion percentage after being picked thrice in a 46-0 blowout loss to Pittsburgh in week two.
Sat 4:00 ET Spike TV
Line: Predators by 2
All-time series: Predators lead 5-1
Last meeting: Rage won 27-20 in Orlando, June 27, 2005
Injuries: ORL OG Mike Gandy (ques) FS Quentin Harris (out) JAX
DE Erik Flowers (out) DE Gabe Nyenhuis (out)
Preview: Having finally solved the Predators five weeks ago in Orlando, the Rage can clinch the division (head-to-head sweep) with a win Saturday. But the Rage play their last three on the road, whereas the Predators--who are 4-0 at Alltel Stadium--play two of their last three at home, seemingly giving the Predators the upper hand. Orlando QB Matt Mauck has thrown five interceptions in each of Orlando's two losses, and he did not fare well last year in a 21-18 loss here, then his second career start. With the exception of a 12-of-16, 176-yard, two-touchdown performance in a 25-17 win in Orlando in 2002, Predator QB George Godsey hasn't done that well either, amassing just a 63.1 passer rating. As has been the case throughout their four-year existence, the Predators come in beat up on the defensive line, with both Flowers and Nyenhuis out and Jamaal Green having played in only four games.
DETROIT (5-4) AT WASHINGTON (4-5)
Sun 1:00 ET NBC-R
Line: Glory by 4
All-time series: Mustangs lead 1-0
Last meeting: Mustangs won 30-13 in Detroit, July 25, 2004
Injuries: DET SS Johnny Anderson (ques) QB Rob Johnson (out) WAS
RB Jarrett Payton (ques)
Preview: With two of three on the road remaining--Sunday at Washington and week 12 at Chicago, equaling last year's 8-4 mark might be a tad difficult, but if any team can do it, it's an Al Lugenbill team. Now with both Ryan Clement and Darnell McDonald back, there's no limit to the Mustangs' offensive power. The problem is defensively, where the Mustangs are yielding well over 400 yards per game. Veteran LB Steve Tovar will be moved into the starting lineup this week to try and stabilize their linebacking corps for the stretch run. However, as bad as the Mustangs are defensively, the Glory are offensively, averaging just over 262 yards per game. Joe Hamilton, though, has played well over the last five games in which the Glory are 3-2. The Glory rushed for just 24 yards against the league-leading rush defense in the league--Los Angeles--in a 17-10 loss last week.
LOS ANGELES (6-3) AT MEMPHIS (3-6)
Sun 1:00 ET NBC-N
Line: Xtreme by 1
All-time series: Xtreme lead 3-2
Last meeting: Xtreme won 27-20 in Memphis, August 10, 2003
Injuries: MEM CB Shaun Byrdsong (out) FB Matthew Tant (out)
Preview: As absurd as it sounds, the Maniax have a shot at the XFL South title if they win out, with one game remaining against division-leading Birmingham in week 11. But the Maniax need to worry about the high-flying Xtreme first, who have won five of six. The Xtreme, who are allowing just 61.2 yards rushing per game--a league-best, have not allowed more than 98 yards rushing all year. Not only are the Xtreme the top rushing defense in the league, but both the Xtreme and Maniax are the top two rushing teams in the league. The Maniax could be bolstered by the return of Travis Stephens, who missed five games with an ankle injury.
SEATTLE (4-5) AT KANSAS CITY (2-7)
Sun 1:00 ET NBC-R
Line: even
All-time series: First meeting
Last meeting: N/A
Injuries: KC TE Kevin Everett (out) OLB Uyi Osunde (out) OLB Peter Boulware (ques) TE Tim Euhus (ques)
Preview: With the Outlaws and the Xtreme both distancing themselves from the Reign and the Demons out west, any playoff hopes the Reign have pretty much died with a 13-7 home loss to the Outlaws last week, a loss which was their fourth straight home loss. The Reign have though, played very well on the road, having won three of four including wins over Los Angeles and Orlando. The Monarchs, hoping to snap a four-game slide, may get Tim Euhus, who had been out since offseason knee surgery at the end of the 2004 season, in the lineup for the first time this year. But that's still in question. The Reign will get OLB Anthony Simmons back, he hasn't played since week two in Los Angeles with back spasms.
BIRMINGHAM (4-5) AT CHICAGO (6-3)
Sun 4:00 ET NBC-N
Line: Enforcers by 2
All-time series: Enforcers lead 3-1
Last meeting: Enforcers won 45-31 in Birmingham, August 28, 2004 (X-Bowl IV)
Injuries: none
Preview: Neither team looks like the team they were last time they met in X-Bowl IV last August 28. The Enforcers have been pushed to overtime three times, and have trailed six times in the fourth quarter, losing two. The Enforcers have lost two of their last three (losing both by 17 and 21) while the red-hot Hitmen have caught them in the XFL North. Meanwhile the Bolts lead the XFL South, but if they were anywhere near as potent as last year's group, would not only have a much better record, but would have already clinched the division. Neither Ricky Ray nor Ken Dorsey are performing anywhere near their levels last year, when they finished 1-2 in effiency among XFL quarterbacks, Dorsey getting the worst of it, including a five-interception game in a 28-16 loss to Washington in week five.
DALLAS (3-6) AT PITTSBURGH (4-5)
Sun 4:00 ET NBC-R
Line: Ironmen by 3
All-time series: Vipers lead 2-0
Last meeting: Vipers won 51-17 in Dallas, July 18, 2004
Injuries: DAL WR Shannon Culver (out) PIT QB Marcus Crandell (out) ILB Andre Arnold (out)
Preview: The Vipers will hold the upper hand despite their three-game losing streak because they have squashed the Ironmen by a combined 120-31 in their two meetings: one a 69-14 rout in Pittsburgh in 2003 which was memorable for a postgame Jeff Brohm/Jim Mora confrontation where Mora accused Brohm and the Vipers of running it up, in which Tom Coughlin eventually got involved. There may be different results this time around. While Viper QB Kurt Warner has thrown for a league-high 2819 yards, the Ironmen have a much better defense this time around and are in the top ten in all four major defensive categories: rushing (93.2, fifth), passing (215.7, seventh), total yards (308.9, fourth), and points per game (21.3, fifth). The Ironmen's woes in their passing game--which is also tied to Kelly Campbell's struggles, only 36 grabs on the season--could get a jolt this week as the steady Dave Dickenson takes over with Marcus Crandell out the rest of the season. This could also give Dave Wannstedt the opportunity to deliver on his promise to give third-round pick Jared Allen, who was red-hot in the preseason, some snaps. Curtis Alexander has rushed for 130 yards on 34 carries since joining the Vipers two weeks ago.
CAROLINA (1-8) AT SAN FRANCISCO (4-5)
Sun 4:00 ET NBC-R
Line: Demons by 6
All-time series: Demons lead 1-0
Last meeting: Demons won 22-10 in Raleigh, July 3, 2004
Injuries: CAR QB Kyle Orton (ques) OT Matt Anderle (out) SF WR Jimmy Cunningham (ques) RB Adimchinobe Echemandu (out)
Preview: The million-dollar question here is, who's the starting QB? and which team? Orton was a definite X for last week in Jacksonville, will he return this week? After throwing two touchdowns in a rally that fell short at Detroit last week, will Andrew Walter make his first start of the season with the Demons all but out of playoff contention? Jim Skipper might not want to hear it, but the reality is that the Demons would need to win out and then need a lot of help to make the playoffs. With games against the Xtreme and Reign after this, the Demons have a chance to at least salvage something out of this season. Speaking of salvaging something, the Colonels would avoid a winless road record with a win here. Partly interesting fact du jour: Colonels head man Norm Chow was briefly mentioned as a candidate for the San Francisco 49ers' head coaching vacancy in January, although how much of that was actual fact and generated by the local media is up for debate.
LAS VEGAS (7-2) AT NEW YORK (6-3)
Sun 8:00 ET UPN
Line: even
All-time series: Outlaws lead 4-0
Last meeting: Outlaws won 27-10 in Las Vegas July 18, 2004
Injuries: LV RB Hodges Mitchell (out) DE Kelvin Kinney (out) FS Sam Brandon (out) RB Ken Simonton (out) CB Brandon Browner (out) CB Brian Williams (ques) NY OG Omar Smith (out) FB Will Matthews (out)
Preview: Will the Outlaws' injury riddling of late end up costing them a second straight XFL West title? or will it be more two trips to the east coast in the final three weeks of the season? Either way, those are both obstacles the Outlaws face. Larry Croom will start at halfback, but Jim Criner warned during the week that he won't hesitate to use the rough-and-tumble Chrys Chukwuma, who started in place of the legendary Rod "He Hate Me" Smart in 2001, at halfback and put in fourth-rounder Manuel White at fullback if he has to. Getting Jason Gesser back on track would be a good start, he was just 19 of 32 for 252 yards but two interceptions in a 13-7 win last week in Seattle. The Hitmen are on fire, but Michael Bishop--who holds the distinction of having once lost a roster spot to Tom Brady--is on fire since his return to the lineup in a 26-23 overtime win in Seattle in week five, throwing for 932 yards, nine touchdowns, and two interceptions in that span, posting a passer rating of 111.2, not bad for a guy whose passer rating matched his completion percentage after being picked thrice in a 46-0 blowout loss to Pittsburgh in week two.
