USFL Week 2 Online Betting
Week one was an unqualified success for the USFL. The quality of play was noticeably better than last year. All teams showed improvement, and the football was of top quality. Thus, momentum is built for an outstanding lineup of week two action.
The Houston Gamblers are coming off a tough 29-13 loss to the Michigan Panthers. Now comes a matchup that could be even more difficult. The New Orleans Breakers are fresh off a 22-15 win over the Pittsburgh Maulers. New Orleans was a USFL playoff team last year and is primed for another postseason run. Houston was competitive most of its game against Michigan and may be better than advertised.
The Memphis Showboats were impressive in a 27-23 home loss to the Philadelphia Stars last week. Memphis drew a good home crowd and came close against the 2022 USFL runner-up. The Showboats will face the defending champion Birmingham Stallions on Saturday night. Birmingham looked serious about defending its 2022 USFL title in a 27-10 win over the New Jersey Generals.
The Generals are a highly regarded team that will be motivated for a rebound against the Pittsburgh Maulers on Sunday. The Maulers looked improved in their loss to the Breakers. But the Pittsburgh offense has a lot of work yet to do.
On Sunday night, the resurgent Michigan Panthers will see how good they really are against the Philadelphia Stars. Michigan took advantage of a poor Houston team. Their matchup against the Stars is stepping way up in class.
The first iteration of the USFL began 40 years ago. But its impact is still being felt today. The USFL has a history that no other spring league can match.
Of course, The New Jersey Generals were one of the most historic and impactful brands in the first edition of the USFL. New Jersey made headlines before the first USFL game was ever played when in 1983, they signed Georgia’s Heisman Trophy-winning running back Herschel Walker to a massive contract. At that point, nobody doubted that the Generals and the USFL would not be of minor league status.
Walker went on to have a legendary career with the Generals, who were sold to then-New York real estate mogul Donald Trump after their first season. Trump bankrolled a first-class operation that made the playoffs in his two years as owner. However, Trump also pushed for the USFL to move to the fall as a direct challenge to the NFL. More than anything else that led the USFL to its doomed ending.
In 2022, The New Jersey Generals finished with a final regular season record of nine wins and one loss. That was good for 1st place in the USFL North Division and a playoff spot.
New Jersey finished 1st in the USFL for passing efficiency offense and 1st for rushing offense. Defensively, the Generals ranked 3rd for points allowed, 2nd for overall defense, 8th for pass defense, 1st for rush defense, 8th for sacks, 3rd for interceptions, and 8th for forced fumbles.
New Jersey quarterback Luis Perez finished with a 145.9 QB rating. He completed 72% of his passes with 1200 yards, 6.9 yards per attempt, nine touchdowns, one interception, and 11 sacks. Trey Williams led the Generals in rushing and ranked 2nd in the USFL. Williams had 118 rushes, 579 yards, 4.9 yards per rush, and two TDs. Darius Victor added 127 rushes, 577 yards, 4.5 yards per attempt, and nine TDs.
KaVontae Turpin was the Generals leading receiver with 44 catches, 540 yards, and 12.3 yards per catch with four TDs. Alonzo Moore caught 23 passes for 365 yards, 15.9 yards per catch, and three TDs.
Meanwhile, the Birmingham Stallions never had a losing record in its three seasons in the original USFL and made the playoffs in the final two years. Running back Joe Cribbs, receiver Jim Smith, quarterback Cliff Stoudt, and kicker Scott Norwood lit up the Birmingham marquee. Birmingham added to its lore in the second edition of the USFL by winning the championship game.
From their thrilling week one 28-24 win over the New Jersey Generals in the final seconds, the Birmingham Stallions were the class of the USFL. Birmingham was never seriously challenged for the South Division title and was the top seed in the USFL Playoffs. Head coach Skip Holtz ran a tough and fundamentally sound club with no weaknesses. The Stallions won a thrilling 33-30 USFL Championship game over the Philadelphia Stars to end their season and the league’s on a high note.
Of course, the Houston Gamblers were one of the most transformative franchises in pro football history. Offensive coordinator Mouse Davis ran a run-and-shoot offense with principles still used in today’s pro game. Quarterback Jim Kelly triggered that attack before moving on to a Hall of Fame career with the Buffalo Bills. Last year the Gamblers were a disaster and bore no resemblance to their USFL forefathers.
2023 USFL Schedule
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