XFL mid-season grades are in

by Fran Stuchbury
Published on March 9, 2001 under XFL (XFL)

by Fran Stuchbury

The inaugural XFL season has reached its midpoint with a few outstanding performances and some really bad ones. Since report cards are given out for everything these days, it's time for the OurSports Central mid-season report.

EAST DIVISION

ORLANDO RAGE (5-0) - Grade A

The Rage have been the most dominate team in the XFL thus far, jumping out to a 5-0 start. Not a real surprise, considering their coach Galen Hall won two championships in NFL Europe. The Rage showed a lot of heart last week after quarterback Jeff Brohm was lost because of an injury in the first quarter. Backup Brian Kuklick entered the game and kept the team off the loss column with a 21-19 win over the Memphis Maniax.

Also, the Rage have the best one-two running back combination in Derrick Clark and Michael Black. With the lead in their favor, the Rage turn to ball control and give the ball to Clark and Black. If the need arises to throw the ball, Brohm/Kuklick have wide receiver Dailleo Burks as the main target. Burks has caught 19 passes for 334 yards and three touchdowns.

The defense has been solid, evident by its lack of big plays allowed. Look for the Rage to win the Eastern Division easily, but don't expect them to go undefeated. The perfect season gets put to the test when the Xtreme host the Rage in Los Angeles in two weeks.

BIRMINGHAM BOLTS (2-3) - Grade C-

Birmingham's two wins against New York/New Jersey and Chicago do not impress all that much. During the past two weeks, the Bolts have been outscored, 69-16. Quarterback Casey Weldon has struggled, throwing four touchdown passes and five interceptions. What has hurt Weldon is the Bolts' woeful offensive line. Weldon has not been given enough time to throw the ball and has taken a lot of hits and sacks. Former NFL WR Stepfret Williams is having a big year with 30 receptions for 445 yards and one touchdown.

Getting behind early and often has prevented the Bolts from establishing a successful ground game. James Bostic is a quality talent with 292 yards rushing and two touchdowns.

The defense needs to improve and must put more pressure on opposing quarterbacks. The past two weeks, quarterbacks Jeff Brohm and Pat Barnes have had a field day picking apart the Bolts' defense.

Birmingham had better win one of their next two games, versus Los Angeles or at Las Vegas. If Weldon struggles this week, don't be surprised to see backup Jay Barker under center the rest of the season.

CHICAGO ENFORCERS (1-4) - Grade C

Some might say that I am being too generous, but the Enforcers have played good competitive football. Three of their losses came down to the final minutes, including a thrilling 39-32 double overtime loss to the Xtreme. It looks like the Enforcers made a good decision in making Kevin McDougal their new starting quarterback. McDougal replaced the ineffective Tim Lester, who went 0-4 as a starter. McDougal stepped in and posted a 15-13 victory over the Las Vegas Outlaws and earned XFL player of the week honors. His mobility is an asset to the team.

Running back John Avery, once a first-round draft pick with the NFL's Miami Dolphins, is a stud at running back. Anytime he touches the ball, he's capable of scoring. On the season, Avery has 366 yards rushing and 219 yards receiving in four games.

The defense has to improve, as they give up an average of 22 points per game.

Chicago will have to have a good second half even to think about the post- season.

NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY HITMEN (1-4) - Grade D

The Hitmen have struggled both on offense and defense. Quarterback Charles Puleri played poorly for two and a half games before he was pulled in favor of Wally Richardson. The former Penn Stater has played better, but has made some key mistakes. The lone bright spot on offense is running back Joe Aska, who in only two games leads the Hitmen in rushing with 152 yards.

The defense has been very inconsistent. In week two, a 19-12 loss to the Birmingham Bolts, the Hitmen gave up a 95-yard punt return to Stepfret Williams. In week three's 18-12 loss against the Rage, they surrendered a 33-yard game-winning touchdown run by QB Jeff Brohm.

I have a problem with the Hitmen and don't see their season turning around. Their second-half schedule is tough with road games at San Francisco and Orlando. In addition, they are winless at home in the Meadowlands. It looks like the only reason to watch the Hitmen is to see what happens in the Jesse Ventura/Hitmen coach Rusty Tillman saga.

WESTERN DIVISION

LOS ANGELES XTREME (3-2) - Grade B+

Barring a collapse, the LA Xtreme's offense will continue to run on all cylinders. Quarterback Tommy Maddox leads the XFL with 1,149 yards and eight touchdowns. Darnell McDonald and Jermaine Copeland are the best one-two wide receiver combination in the league, combining for 55 receptions for 654 yards and six touchdowns.

The running attack, led by Rashaan Shehee, needs to improve a little bit. He has only 150 yards and poses no real threat to opposing defenses.

Terry Billups is the guiding force for the Xtreme on defense. He is tied for second in the league with three interceptions.

The second-half schedule favors the Xtreme because they play three of their last four games in sunny California. This will most definitely decide the division title.

With that in mind, look for the Xtreme to win the Western Division.

SAN FRANCISCO DEMONS (3-2) - Grade B+

The Demons learned last week how important it was to have two good quarterbacks. Pat Barnes did a fine job filling in for the injured Mike Pawlawski, throwing for two touchdowns in a win over Birmingham.

The running game is starting to show some life after Juan Johnson rushed for 99 yards against Birmingham. Former NFL RB Vaughn Dunbar was the odd-man out with Johnson's effectiveness and was released. The defensive secondary is strong, led by Kevin Kaesviharn, who is tied for third in the league with three interceptions.

The last two games of the year for the Demons are what is going to make or break their season. They play at Las Vegas, then at Los Angeles. That pair of matchups will decide if they can win the division, make the playoffs or be sent home after the season finale. It looks like the winner of the Outlaws-Demons game will make the playoffs.

LAS VEGAS OUTLAWS (3-2) - Grade B+

The Outlaws must be more productive on offense. Either Mark Grieb or Ryan Clement, who is coming back from a separated shoulder, will start at quarterback this week against the Rage. Wide receiver Yo Murphy was a fine pickup and made an immediate impact, catching two touchdowns in their loss to the Enforcers this past week.

Running back Rod Smart has received more attention because of his nickname, "He Hate Me," than for his on-field performance. Smart is quietly third in the XFL with 302 yards rushing.

The defense has been the big story for the Outlaws, yielding only eight points a game. Kelvin Kinney is tied for the league lead in sacks with five and Brandon Sanders leads the XFL with four interceptions.

If the Outlaws can win at least one of two very tough road games (at Orlando and at Los Angeles) they have a chance to make the playoffs.

MEMPHIS MANIAX (2-3) - Grade B-

This team has been up and down going 2-0 on the road, but an amazing 0-3 on home turf.

It would be smart for the Maniax to stick with quarterback Jim Druckenmiller the rest of the season. He has played well the past two weeks, throwing for a couple of touchdowns and 404 yards.

Rashaan Salaam leads the XFL in rushing with 493 yards, but has had four fumbles in five games. This was one of his downfalls while playing in the NFL. Why is this team 2-3? Turnovers have killed the Maniax, with six fumbles and six interceptions. An example was during a recent Rage game while driving for a score, it was Salaam's fumble that turned the ball over.

Injuries have also hurt the Maniax. They lost leading wide receiver Kevin Prentiss who tore his ACL in a loss to the Rage.

Defensively, they must improve and put more pressure on opposing quarterbacks. They have given up an average of 18 points per game.

It's hard to turn around a season in a very tough division. They have two tough road games at San Francisco and at Las Vegas. Losing their best wide receiver hurts a lot.

That's the team-by-team breakdown, on to the individual awards:

OFFENSIVE MVP

Jermaine Copeland - WR Los Angeles Xtreme

Taking a look back at the 2001 season preview, Copeland was the one player that everyone was told to look out for. You read it here first and now he's made a very big impact with the Xtreme. Copeland has 35 receptions for 373 yards and two touchdowns (Hello, NFL?). Don't forget his 17-reception, 190-yard performance against Chicago in double overtime. Copeland has taken a leadership role on team, being very vocal with teammates on the sidelines and during the game. He has also helped elevate Maddox's game by giving him a go to guy.

DEFENSIVE MVP

Brandon Sanders - DB Las Vegas Outlaws

The Outlaws are the stingiest defense in the league. They have given up about eight points per game and posted one shutout. The team leader is Sanders, whose nickname is "B.Mack." He leads the XFL with four interceptions, despite his 5'9" frame. Sanders expects a lot from his teammates and is not afraid to mix it up with opponents. He also expects big players to make big plays during the game. Sanders recently spent some time in the NFL with the New York Giants, who used him mostly on nickel situations and special teams.

NOT EVERYTHING IS BAD WITH THE XFL

It's getting pretty old news to read articles day after day bashing the XFL. The only bad thing that has happened for the league is the ratings, which have steadily declined on NBC week after week. However, the cable ratings have remained steady, even beating out some cable ratings for the NBA. Ask TNN and UPN, the XFL's other television outlets, and they will tell you they are happy with their numbers.

If the XFL had ample time to prepare for the season and some sort of pre- season, the quality of play would be better. But this is just the first year, give 'em a break! The play has been getting better.

The attendance has been good, not great. In San Francisco, the average attendance is better than 30,000. Also, the XFL is supplying jobs for those who love football. It's football, and what else is there to watch on TV? Oh yeah, there is plenty of figure skating to wet your appetite.

It's time my fellow journalists grow up and stop criticizing the league unnecessarily. They have to find other outlets to vent their frustrations. The XFL is not all about Vince McMahon. It is basically football with a twist. Watched a WNBA game lately? Not a chance. The ratings for WNBA games were just brutal last year and no journalists were bashing them in fear of the "sexist" tag. But the XFL, that's open game. Time to grow up!

Next week's column will feature questions submitted by fans across the country.

What's on your mind about the XFL? Frustrated by the coverage it's getting? Or ticked off by the egotistical way the athletes portray themselves when the camera is on them? Whatever ails you, pass along your thoughts to arenazone@hotmail.com and look for a response next Thursday.

Fran Stuchbury covers the XFL for OurSports Central and the Dick Butkus Football Network.

XFL Stories from March 9, 2001

• This Weekend in the XFL - OSC Original by Joe Torosian
• XFL mid-season grades are in - OSC Original by Fran Stuchbury

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.