By: Jack Elliot
USFL Insider since 1983

Introduction.

Boston capped off a dream season in 1986 with an undefeated record and a USFL Championship. Matt Dunigan, signed from the CFL, came into the league and dominated from the start. Another story saw Las Vegas rise into the playoffs in only their second year behind their own dominant quarterback, Randall Cunningham. Birmingham again saw their hopes dashed in spite of having one of the strongest defenses in the league. And, with the rumors that Jim Kelly looks to be considering a move to the NFL, the Gamblers are on borrowed time. If you want more, see the regular season wrap up from last season. In this article, we look forward to what awaits in 1987.

Rules Changes – “The Dunigan Directive”

In an official memo leaked in late January, the league addressed what they see as a competitive imbalance. Called “The Dunigan Directive”, as it seems to have been developed to single handedly focus on the Boston Breakers and their new quarterback. The Breakers ran roughshod over the league to an undefeated record and saw only one game that was competitive. The league assures everyone that this is not the case. They make the argument that many quarterbacks showed an improvement in stats from 1985 to 1986. They go on to say that the offensive explosion, while good in the short term may cause a problem over the long term and lead to a loss of interest in the league. They reminded us during our follow up that they got into this league for the long term success and reminded us of the tightening of scheduling rules after 1985 to show a precedent. This time, they focused on defensive backs, the in grasp ruling, and holding by the offensive line. Look for articles at midseason and the end of the regular season to see how successful the changes are.

— This memo was originally distributed to all USFL front offices on January 15, 1987. It was obtained by USFL Distant Replay from a league source who wished to remain anonymous.

The Cunningham Problem

With all of that being said, so far, the rules changes may have created another issue. They held their main target, Dunigan to only 10 touchdowns in the preseason. However, Randall Cunningham, the wunderkind in Vegas threw for over 1400 yards and 16 touchdowns in those same four games. Furthermore, Cunningham ran for 7.1 yards per carry. Has the league traded one boogeyman for another? Week 1 will start to tell the story.

The Usual Suspects

In addition, the cream continued to rest at the top. Teams like Birmingham and Denver, both undefeated, picked up where they left off last year. Birmingham’s defense looks even scarier than last year, allowing a conference low 65 points in the preseason as their offense scored 141. Are they the new team to beat in the East? Unfortunately, they won’t have a chance to prove that before the playoffs. There’s no Boston on the schedule for the Stallions. Meanwhile, Denver made a decision in the offseason that might help their special teams and get them to their first USFL Championship. More on that later. One surprise from the preseason. Oklahoma, who snuck into the playoffs in a weak Central last year with a 7-11 record, led the division by winning three games and allowing only 57 points on defense. Between them and San Antonio, there might be a new order in the division.

The Glanville Effect

After another disastrous season, San Antonio needed to make changes. First, they asked quarterback Rick Neuheisel to step down and join the coaching staff. That coaching staff is now led by Jerry Glanville, who came in after leading the Houston Oilers as interim head coach last year. Glanville, known as the man in black for his sideline outfits, came in to a huge amount of hype and fanfare. To his credit, he only fueled that with his wild interviews and boasts. When asked after the preseason, where his Gunslingers won as many games as they did all of last year, he laughed. “We’re just getting started. Next stop is the playoffs. I guarantee it.” He then followed, “Get two tickets in the Alamodome put aside for Elvis.”

The Expansion Watch

The league expanded in 1984 and 1985. They allowed the teams to settle in for a couple of years before announcing the first of another two rounds of expansion leading into the next decade. By 1993, the 10th year of the league, they hope to have 32 teams and have talked about completely restructuring to “pay homage to the start of the league while continuing to innovate into the future.” This first round of expansion brought four teams; Toronto Titans (yes, there’s a Canadian team in the USFL now), Carolina T-Birds, Minnesota Norsemen, and Cascadia Evergreen. The teams went a combined 0-4 in the preseason and were outscored by over 300 points. Expansion can be full of growing pains.

Moose Crossing

A bit of light hearted fare to end the article. Remember the decision that Denver made discussed above? They drafted Daryl Johnston, a full back from Syracuse University, for their backfield. However, one of the special teams coaches got wind of Johnston’s punting career in high school and made an offer. Relieve K-P Jim Asmus of his punting duties to allow him to focus on kicking. The experiment worked out. Johnston is averaging 48.7 yards per punt and still gets the occasional carry near the end zone. As an aside, the title comes from Johnston’s teammates who noticed his size when compared to other running backs and especially kickers.

Bring On The Season

But, before we get started, be on the lookout for individual previews for all 24 teams coming from our beat writers over the next few days. They will be here to provide the good, the bad, and the ugly for all of the teams headed into 1987.