by: Jack Elliot, USFL insider since 1983

The Big Picture

The 1987 season started during the offseason. Concern about the offensive explosion in the previous year, the league put together a committee to explore competitive balance. They released a memo in early January of 1987. Some in the league derisively called it the “Dunigan Directive” and claimed that the league was overreacting to Boston’s signing of the former CFL quarterback. If so, the directive failed in that regard.

Players like Dunigan and Cunningham, who have the talent to excel in the more established leagues continued to put up big numbers. Instead, the directive widened the gap between the top tier talent and the rest of the league. The elite offenses adjusted to the rules and continued to have success. However, the elite defenses also worked within the rules and clamped down harder than ever before. Don’t take my word for it. Look at the full season stat report and write your own story.

Division Races

Atlantic: New Jersey rode Herschel Walker and their defense to a stellar 16-1-1 record and unseated Boston for the crown.

South: Birmingham roared to a 5 game win streak to finish the season and edge both Tampa Bay and Jacksonville.

Central: Behind the usual Houston win, 3 teams tied at 10-8 for two playoff spots. San Antonio, 8 games better than last year, lost out on a tiebreaker.

Pacific: Randall Cunningham completed the Vegas Cinderella story by leading the Ace to a division title and number one seed in only their 3rd year.

The Playoff Picture

Unlike last year, where Boston came in as the heavy favorites, any number of teams have a chance to win this year. Along with Boston, the four division leaders all have strong resumes and a legitimate shot at winning. If I needed to rank them, I’d say New Jersey, Vegas, Birmingham, and Houston in that order. Of course, Boston has a chance to repeat. Denver is a dangerous team, but might suffer from the crackdown on offense. Same with Tampa Bay. As far as dark horses, it goes LA, Philadelphia, Michigan and Oklahoma. Come back soon for coverage of the Wild Card round.

The Farewell

Several players have expressed their desire to play in the CFL or NFL. Matt Dunigan asked the Boston Sports Collective to be let out of his contract so that he can go back north. Randall Cunningham signed a tentative deal with the Philadelphia Eagles. More recently, rumors have swirled of a massive trade possibility for Herschel Walker to the Dallas Cowboys. Details are secret, but I’ve heard that it has the possibility to reshape both leagues for years to come. Last, but not least, Jim Kelly has shown interest in the NFL, too, though he hopes to enjoy the Houston weather for one more year before moving on to the potential tundra of Buffalo. As these players say their good-byes, we will be here to give them a proper send off.