Chicago and New York seek a win

by XFL Press Release
Published on February 21, 2001 under XFL (XFL)

SOMETHING'S GOT TO GIVE WHEN XFL DEBUTS IN SOLDIER FIELD ON SATURDAY

XFL Press Release

ENFORCERS, HITMEN LOOKING FOR FIRST WIN

STAMFORD, CONN. - XFL football debuts at legendary Soldier Field this Saturday night when the hometown Chicago Enforcers host the New York/New Jersey Hitmen (8:00 p.m. ET on NBC). The game is a crucial one as both teams are looking for their first wins of the season.

The first-ever meeting of these Eastern Division rivals should produce enough heat to make up for the expected Windy City chill coming off Lake Michigan. Those braving the natural elements, including XFL Director of Football Competition Dick Butkus, should be treated to a bare-knuckle brawl by squads who went at it fiercely during a pair of pre-season scrimmages.

"You have two teams hungry for their first win who clearly don't like one another coming to Soldier Field to battle the elements and each other, that's what football is all about," said Butkus.

Chicago enters the game after three tough losses. Last Sunday at Birmingham, the Enforcers saw a potential game-winning drive go up in smoke in the dying minutes on an unlikely 98-yard interception return TD by XFL Defensive Player of the Week Duane Butler. The previous week saw a double overtime defeat in Los Angeles. In week 1, the Enforcers dropped a four-point decision in Orlando.

The Hitmen also are coming off a tough defeat, last Sunday letting a 12-3 lead slip away in the fourth quarter and losing 18-12 to the undefeated Orlando Rage. In the process, though, the Hitmen may have found some answers at the QB position (see below).

In summary, with teams who don't care for each other playing with their backs against the wall, look for sparks, and bodies, to fly in Chi-town this Saturday.

XFL LEADING RUSHER JOHN AVERY: In a city that has witnessed so many great performances by running backs, John Avery, perhaps the XFL's finest at the position, leads the Enforcers into their home opener. The explosive tailback leads the XFL in rushing yards (313, 104.3 average) and touchdowns (four) and is sixth in the league in receiving yards (184).

THE HITMEN QB SITUATION: Wally Richardson looks to get the starting nod for the first time this season, replacing Charles Puleri. Puleri, who started the Hitmen's first three games, was replaced at halftime of last Sunday's game by Richardson. The Penn State product came off the bench and hit on 10 of 19 passes for 126 yards as the Hitmen built up their 12-3 fourth-quarter lead.

DAY        TIME (ET)   NETWORK  MATCH-UP
Saturday   8:00 p.m.   NBC      NY/NJ at Chicago Enforcers* 
Sunday     4:00 p.m.   TNN      Las Vegas Outlaws at San Francisco Demons 
Sunday     7:00 p.m.   UPN      Memphis Maniax at Los Angeles Xtreme 
* NBC will also feature cut-ins of the Birmingham Thunderbolts at Orlando Rage

XFL'S ONLY UNBEATEN TEAM? IT'S ALL THE RAGE:

Three weeks into the XFL season and only one team remains unbeaten: the Orlando Rage. Heading into a home tilt Saturday night against the Birmingham Thunderbolts, Orlando has already knocked off Chicago, San Francisco and NY/NJ, outscoring opponents by a total of 77-55.

Besides having the XFL's best record, the Rage also boasts the best balance in the XFL, with a solid offense led by QB Jeff Brohm and RB Derrick Clark complimenting a defense led by two players who have been named XFL Defensive Players of the Week (Shawn Banks and Omar Brown).

Birmingham comes into the game winners of two straight, and Brohm said he knows being the XFL's top team puts a bulls-eye on the Rage's backs.

"We certainly expect that Birmingham will come after us," he said.

FASHIONABLY LATE IN LA - ALL THREE XTREME GAMES DECIDED ON LAST PLAY:

They are from Los Angeles and living up to it, as the LA Xtreme have provided plenty of Hollywood drama this season, with all three of their games having been decided on the final play.

In week one, the Xtreme fell to the San Francisco Demons on a last-second field goal. In week two, the Xtreme won a wild, come-from-behind thriller over Chicago in double overtime. This past Saturday night, Los Angeles knocked off the previously unbeaten Las Vegas Outlaws on a 48-yard Jose Cortez field goal as time expired. It was Cortez' fourth field goal of the game.

BEATEN BUT NOT BROKEN: VEGAS DEFENSE STILL YET TO GIVE UP A TOUCHDOWN:

Despite losing their first game of the season last Saturday on Cortez' last-second field goal, the Las Vegas Outlaws defense still has yet to give up a touchdown this season. Indeed, the Outlaws have given up a total of just 15 points on five field goals, while the defense has actually scored two touchdowns itself.

Despite the numbers, DE Kelvin Kinney, who leads the XFL in sacks with four, was not satisfied at all after the loss, as is evidenced in his words to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

"We gave up three (points) last week, 12 this week. What the hell's going on? Are we going to give up 18 next week? We can't have that. We CAN'T have that. We're a better team than that. (The fans) are hollerin' `No. 1 defense!' out there, and we got to answer the bell. You got to block a kick. You got to come up with big plays. That's a good defense. That's when you know you're great."

INJURY REPORT

BIRMINGHAM THUNDERBOLTS: PROBABLE: WR Kevin Drake (Quad).

CHICAGO ENFORCERS: OUT: LB Casey Dailey (Knee). DOUBTFUL: DB Quincy Coleman (Back). QUESTIONABLE: RB John Avery (Quad), DE Jason Chorak (Ankle), S Kerry Cooks (Back), G Paul Janus (Quad), G Rob Murphy (Knee), L Chris Perez (Ankle and Knee). PROBABLE: G Bryan LaBelle (Shoulder), WR Roell Preston (Bicep),

WR Ryan Yarborough (Hamstring).

LAS VEGAS OUTLAWS: DOUBTFUL: QB Ryan Clement (Shoulder). PROBABLE: WR Brett Bech (Back), DT Adriano Belli (Arm), OL Jon Blackman (Back), C David Diaz-Infante (Knee), DE Antonio Edwards (Calf), WR Nakia Jenkins (Heel), G Pat Kesi (Foot), DE Michael Mason (Knee), LB Joseph Tuipala (Thigh).

LOS ANGELES XTREME: QUESTIONABLE: CB Clifton Abraham (Groin), CB Terry Billups (Quad), S Ricky Parker (Concussion), WR Larry Ryans (Quad), RB Rashaan Shehee (Concussion). PROBABLE: T Jerry Crafts (Knee), DE Jamal Duff (Bicep), WR Darnell McDonald (Rib), CB Dell McGee (Groin), S Jeff Russell (Knee), DE Brett Williams (Knee).

MEMPHIS MANIAX: QUESTIONABLE: WR Keith Crawford (Hamstring), WR Alvin Harper (Groin), DB Anthony Marshall (Hand). PROBABLE: DE Shante Carver (Hand), QB Marcus Crandell (Foot), LB Cornell Menafee (Back), DB Kevin Peoples (Ankle), DT Leonta Rheams (Thigh).

NY/NJ HITMEN: QUESTIONABLE: LB Bernard Russ (Leg), TE Eric Stocz (Elbow). PROBABLE: WR Zola Davis (Concussion), TE Bob Rosenstiel (Concussion).

ORLANDO RAGE: DOUBTFUL: LB Joe Cummings (Shoulder). QUESTIONABLE: DB Ricky Bell (Toe), QB Jeff Brohm (Elbow), S Hassan Shamsid-Deen (Shoulder), DE Sterling Palmer (Back and Ankle).

SAN FRANCISCO DEMONS: OUT: DE Jomo Cousins (Rib), S Pete Destaefano (Concussion). QUESTIONABLE: LB Jon Haskins (Shoulder), C Curtice MacFarlane (Knee). PROBABLE: RB Terry Battle (Rib), CB Wendall Davis (Hamstring).

WEEK FOUR -- WEST TIGHTLY PACKED, EAST SPREADING OUT:

The Western Division is a wide-open affair as divisional contests again highlight the schedule in week four. Over in the East, Birmingham will try to keep Orlando from running away with the division. A look at the XFL standings and match-ups:

EASTERN DIVISION W L PF PA HOME ROAD DIV STREAK Orlando 3 0 77 55 2-0 1-0 2-0 WON 3 Birmingham 2 1 53 37 1-1 1-0 2-0 WON 2 NY/NJ 0 3 24 56 0-2 0-1 0-2 LOST 3 Chicago 0 3 64 86 0-0 0-3 0-2 LOST 3

WESTERN DIVISION W L PF PA HOME ROAD DIV STREAK San Francisco 2 1 42 45 1-0 1-1 2-0 WON 1 Los Angeles 2 1 64 56 1-0 1-1 1-1 WON 2 Las Vegas 2 1 53 15 1-1 1-0 1-1 LOST 1 Memphis 1 2 31 58 0-2 1-0 0-2 LOST 2

WEEK 3 RESULTS:

Saturday, February 17th ------------------------- Los Angeles 12, Las Vegas 9 San Francisco 13, Memphis 6

Sunday, February 18th ------------------------- Birmingham 14, Chicago 3 Orlando 18, NY/NJ 12

UPCOMING SCHEDULE:

Saturday, February 24th ------------------------- NY/NJ at Chicago 8:00 PM (NBC primary) Birmingham at Orlando 8:00 PM (NBC secondary)

Sunday, February 25th ------------------------- Las Vegas at San Francisco 4:00 PM (TNN) Memphis at Los Angeles 7:00 PM (UPN)

(All times are Eastern Standard)

NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY HITMEN NOTES:

After suffering another heart-breaking loss to the Orlando Rage, 18-12, the Hitmen travel to Soldier Field seeking its first win of the season. NY/NJ let a 12-3 lead slip away late in the game.
This week, the Hitmen will turn to QB Wally Richardson to jump-start an offense that has been averaging only eight points a game, as Charles Puleri goes to the bench. Last week in the second half, Richardson guided NY/NJ on a 12-play, 74-yard fourth-quarter touchdown drive to build a 12-3 edge against Orlando. Look for Richardson to drop back and pass more this week. In two quarters of play, Richardson completed 10-of-19 passes for 126 yards and rushed for a team-high 30 yards.
Fullback Michael Blair returns to the second city to play in front of his family and friends. Born and raised in Chicago, Blair attended Thornwood High School in South Holland, Ill., where he rushed for 1,200 yards and racked up 1,800 all-purpose yards as a senior. Safety Donnie Caldwell (Western Illinois) and tight end Bob Rosensteil (Eastern Illinois) also boast ties to the Land of Lincoln.
Cornerback Damen Wheeler is quickly establishing himself as one of the premier ball hawks in the XFL following his second interception in as many weeks vs. Orlando. Wheeler also sports what is arguably the largest afro hairstyle in the league.
Hitmen Linebacker Ron Merkerson (a.k.a "Big Merk") exhibited toughness and a nose for the football that reminds fans of the middle linebackers of the 60s and 70s. Merkerson is one of the steadiest performers for a Hitmen defensive squad that ranks second in the XFL against the pass. An equally devastating run stopper, Merkerson posted double digit tackles (10) for the second time in three games. Among his seven solo stops were a pair of tackles for loss and a quarterback sack. Merkerson's 25 tackles rank him second among XFL defensive players.

CHICAGO ENFORCERS NOTES:

After being on the road for the first three weeks of the XFL season, the Enforcers look for their first win in front of the home crowd at Soldier Field.
In three road losses, the Enforcers are averaging 21 points per game, while allowing 28 points a game on defense. XFL leading rusher John Avery has proved in three weeks to be one of the XFL's premier players. In only three games, Avery has 497 total all-purpose yards for an average of 165.7 yards per game. On the season, he has 313 yards rushing (first in the XFL) and 184 yards receiving (6th in the XFL). He also leads the Enforcers with four touchdowns (2 rushing, 2 receiving).
Although QB Tim Lester has played in only three professional games, he has completed 35-63 (55.6%) of his passes this season. In the XFL, Lester ranks fourth in passing yards (527), fourth in passing accuracy and fourth in TDs (4).
Wide Receiver Aaron Bailey leads the XFL in yards per reception with a 26.4 yards average on seven catches. In addition, he has rushed the ball once for 40 yards. Against Birmingham, Bailey had five catches for 89 yards. Against the LA Xtreme, he had a 50-yard reception on the first play of the game to set up Chicago's first touchdown and also had a 46-yard TD reception in the second quarter.
After a breakout performance against LA (six tackles, four for a loss, two sacks), DE Aaron Humphrey followed that with a team best 11 tackles against the Bolts. He is fourth in the XFL in tackles with 22 and is tied for third in the league in sacks with two.
Running Back John Avery will be featured on four billboards throughout Chicago this week promoting the Enforcers first-ever home game.

BIRMINGHAM THUNDERBOLTS NOTES:

The Thunderbolts bring their big play defense into the Florida Citrus Bowl to face the high-powered Orlando Rage offense. The Bolts enter this week's contest allowing an average of 12 points a game, and have not allowed a touchdown in seven straight quarters. The Rage is averaging 25 points a game on offense.
Bolts safety and reigning XFL Defensive Player of the Week Duane Butler is establishing a reputation for making the big play. Last week against Chicago he picked off an errant Enforcer pass and returned it 98 yards for a touchdown with 1:40 left to play, sealing the win for Birmingham. At Giants Stadium, Butler was credited with causing a pair of fumbles. One that stopped a Hitmen score and another that resulted in a 12-yard fumble return for a score by Keith Franklin.
Butler, on his touchdown: "I got to the ball and took off running and then everything just got so loud and everybody just kind of looked the same," Butler said. "I was running down the sideline and I turned around and saw (teammate) Eric Sloan and thought he was from the other team, so I kind of sped up again. But then I realized it was him and so I slowed down and just started bumpin' to the music."
Middle linebacker James Willis continues to be the heart and soul of the Birmingham defense, rolling up 12 total tackles last week against Chicago. Willis has registered double-digit tackles in each of Birmingham's three games and leads the team with 38 total tackles.
Wideouts Stepfret Williams and Quincy Jackson have combined to make 60-percent of the receptions from quarterback Casey Weldon this season. Of 56 total receptions, Williams has 21 and Jackson 12.
Bolts Tight end Nicky Savoie married Winston motorcycle drag racing champion Angelle Seeling. They were married last week. Savoie took the weekend off for honeymooning.
Outside linebacker Dion Foxx and his brother own their own recording label, already having signed up several artists.

ORLANDO RAGE NOTES:

The undefeated Orlando Rage return to the Florida Citrus Bowl on the heels of an 18-12, come-from-behind win over the Hitmen at Giants Stadium last Sunday.
The Rage's high-flying offense will face another stiff challenge this week in the Thunderbolts defense, which has not allowed a touchdown in seven quarters. Last week against the Hitmen, the Rage only scored 18 points after averaging close to 30 points in its first two contests.
Maybe they should call it the "Rage Zone," as through three games, Orlando has scored 6 touchdowns and one field goal in seven "Red Zone" opportunities.
For a third consecutive game, the Orlando Rage topped the 100-yard mark in team rushing. Orlando leads the XFL in team rushing with 414 yards.
QB Jeff Brohm led Orlando in rushing with 66 yards on six carries, including the game-winning TD, eliciting comparisons in the media to Steve Young, who he used to back up in San Francisco. Brohm's totals included a 20-yard run late in the 4th quarter that helped set up Derrick Clark's game-tying touchdown and a 33-yard touchdown run to win the game in the final two minutes.
With five receptions for 88 yards, Rage wide receiver Dialleo Burks has now led Orlando in receptions for three consecutive weeks.
Three Orlando Rage players will attempt to help themselves to a $5,000 birthday present this week. Running back Brian Shay (Thursday) and defensive linemen Ben Huff (Wednesday) and Bill Duff (Saturday), all celebrate birthdays this week and would like to celebrate with back-to-back win bonuses. When asked about what he wanted for his birthday before the New York game, Shay said "A couple of wins and the ensuing win bonuses would be a great gift for all three of us."

SAN FRANCISCO DEMONS TEAM NOTES:

The Demons return to Pacific Bell Park after a two-game road trip to Orlando and Memphis. The Demons dropped the first road game in Orlando, 26-14, but bounced back last week with a 13-6 win at Memphis.
A great story came out of San Francisco in the form of RB Terry Battle, the reigning XFL Offensive Player of the Week. Battle, who was on the Demons' practice squad for the first two games, was activated for the first time in week three and responded with a two-touchdown performance to lead San Francisco to a 13-6 win in Memphis on Saturday night. The tailback racked up 145 all-purpose yards on six carries for 35 yards, five catches for 54 yards and two kickoff returns for 56 yards. Battle was activated before the game to fill the roster spot vacated when TE Brian Roche was placed on injured reserve with a season-ending achilles tendon injury.
After last week's game against Memphis, QB Mike Pawlawski maintained his standing as the XFL's leading passer. He has now thrown for all six of San Francisco's offensive touchdowns and is approaching 1,000 yards through the air after just three games (803).
With the Outlaws being stingy on defense, especially against the run, look for Mike Pawlawski to try to stretch the defense with wideouts Jimmy "The Jet" Cunningham and James Hundon, who have caught a combined 31 balls this season.
When Coach Jim Skipper wanted to find some kicking prospects to audition after Frank Biancamano had fallen on hard times late in training camp, Kicker Mike Panasuk was called out of his drama class at Lebanon (Ind.) High School and he flew to the Bay Area to discuss giving football one more try. When the phone rang in his classroom, he thought the voice on the other end would be a questioner from the television show, "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire." Instead, it was the Demons and his final answer was, "Yes."

LAS VEGAS OUTLAWS NOTES:

The Las Vegas Outlaws, fresh off their first loss of the season, open a three-game road swing at Pac Bell Park against the San Francisco Demons.
The Vegas defense still has yet to give up a single touchdown on the season, and has given up just five field goals on the season.
The Outlaw offense is now in the hands of its fourth QB in the last 7 weeks, as Mark Grieb, an Arena League and NFL Europe veteran who threw for 62 TDs and only 3 INT with the San Jose SaberCats in 2000, is expected to start against San Francisco. Grieb was signed early in the week. Outlaws Head Coach Jim Criner believes that Grieb, who played for him in Europe with the Scottish Claymores, can operate the teams modified West Coast attack.
From starter to finished: QB Mike Cawley, who started last week's loss against Los Angeles, was waived on Monday.
Against the Outlaws, the Hitmen, Maniax and Xtreme have combined to convert just 8 of 38 third down attempts (21.1%), the lowest in the league. Las Vegas also leads the league in takeaways, with eight (four INT's, four fumble recoveries).
The Outlaws secondary will be more than ready for the Demons passing attack. The Outlaw secondary combines hard-hitting pursuit in the middle with excruciatingly tight coverage on the outside, evident by the corp's two sacks and three INTs in two games. CBs Kory Blackwell and Kevin Scott lock down opposing receivers with their NFL experience but don't lock up their jaws, as both like to talk all game long, while safeties Brandon Sanders and Jason Kaiser bring the wood every play, run or pass.

MEMPHIS MANIAX NOTES:

After back-to-back home losses to division foes Las Vegas and San Francisco, the Memphis Maniax seek to even their record at 2-2 and keep their road record unblemished when they visit the Los Angeles Coliseum for a Sunday date with the Los Angeles Xtreme.
QB Jim Druckenmiller will make his first start at Los Angeles. He completed six of 10 throws for 85 yards with two interceptions in relief of Marcus Crandell last Saturday. Either Crandell or Craig Whelihan will back up Druckenmiller.
Look for Running Back Rashaan Salaam to continue to carry the load for the Maniax. He carried the ball 17 times for 82 yards against the Outlaws and 16 times for 42 yards vs. San Francisco.
The focus this week in Memphis is turnovers: In the last two contests, the Maniax have turned the ball over seven times. The Maniax scored 19 points on three touchdowns in the first 22:34 of the game at Birmingham in the season opener... Since that time, Memphis has been limited to just four field goals and the Maniax have gone nearly 10 Â½ quarters without a touchdown.

LOS ANGELES XTREME NOTES:

The Los Angeles Xtreme return to the LA Coliseum to host the Memphis Maniax after surviving another last-second win over the Las Vegas Outlaws, 12-9. Look for the Xtreme to return to the four- and five-wide sets that catapulted the team to its double-overtime victory over the Enforcers in Week Two.
The Xtreme's defense looks to duplicate its dominant performance from last week. In Las Vegas, the Xtreme defense shut down the Outlaws star running back, Rod Smart, a.k.a "He Hate Me." The Xtreme defense stifled Mr. Me to minus-nine yards on five carries at halftime. Smart finished the game with just 24 yards on 15 carries for an average of 1.6 yards per carry.
Based on K Jose Cortez performance last week, the Xtreme is confident it can win games without scoring touchdowns. One week after QB Tommy Maddox questioned whether they should even try field goals on national TV, the El Salvador native saved the day and possibly his job with four consecutive field goals including the game winner from 48 yards as time expired against the Outlaws.
Xtreme WR Darnell McDonald, who caught two TDs in week two, sat out last Saturday with injured ribs. His status will be decided later in the week.
The seasons of the Xtreme and the Maniax appear to be going in opposite directions. After losing in its season opener 15-13 to the Demons, the Xtreme return this week to the Coliseum with a two-game win streak. The Maniax, who won its season opener on the road 24-22 over the Bolts in Birmingham, have dropped its last two games-both at home.
Last Saturday night on national television, Shawn Stuckey and fellow linebacker Juan Long had a little surprise for He Hate Me. When Stuckey and Long came out on the field for the first time at 8:46 of the first quarter, Stuckey had "I HATE HE" and Long had "I HATE HE TOO" written on the back of their jerseys in place of their own names. On the first play from scrimmage in the Outlaws second drive, "I HATE HE TOO" (Long) greeted "HE HATE ME" at the line a scrimmage for no gain. Long had four tackles on the night. Stuckey added one. "I had a lot of fun with it," said Stuckey. "I think it was good for the game and I think it was good for the league."

Check out the XFL Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email

XFL Stories from February 21, 2001

Chicago and New York seek a win - OSC Original by XFL Press Release

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer(s), and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.