1988 Regular Season Wrap Up

1988 Regular Season Wrap Up

1. The MVP Race is Close

  • Steve Young (LA): 4,287 yards, 41 TD, 18 INT, 112.6 rating. He led the Express to a ridiculous 17–1 record and the #1 offense in the league (33.8 PPG).
  • Brent Fullwood (Mem): 2,285 rushing yards. 5.9 YPC. 12 TDs.
    Look at those numbers. Fullwood had an all-time great season for a team that went 9–9. Young had an all-time efficient season for a juggernaut. You can’t go wrong either way, but Young probably gets it because of the 17 wins.
  • Or, is there a third candidate hiding in the wings that caught everyone’s eye? Come back in a few weeks for the reveal.

2. The Craig Sundberg Anomaly

Okay, we have to talk about Craig Sundberg (Oakland). He threw for 5,874 yards and 50 touchdowns with a 91.9 rating on 681 attempts. He threw 100 more passes than the next guy and it resulted in an 8-10 record. That’s enough for a playoff spot in the Pacific Division. Can they catch Michigan in the wild card round and keep their season alive?

3. The “Ghost” of Ickey Woods

Let’s look at the final stat line: 142 att, 961 yds, 6.8 avg, 9 TD. This is one of the He got just under 1,000 yards despite missing half the season. If he plays 18 games at that pace, he leads the league. The hype for 1989 is going to be massive.

4. The Legends of the Box Score

  • Will Cokely (Tor): 202 tackles. On a defense that let up 470 points, Cokely founded the 200 tackle club, topping the previous season high by 4 tackles.
  • Gary Hein (LA): 15 Interceptions. Teams kept throwing at him and he kept making them pay.
  • Duane Bickett (Phi): 18 sacks. A monster season for the Stars that lands him in the top five for season sacks.
  • Stephen Baker (Oak): 168 points. The touchdown maker lived up to his name and completely took over the Oakland offense (25 TDs!).
  • Wendall Davis (Oak): 131 catches, 1,882 yards. He was Sundberg’s best friend.

5. Questionable Coaches

  • Sterling Sharpe – has anyone fumbled a number one pick worse than the Norsemen? I wouldn’t be surprised if Sharpe makes noise in the offseason to be let out of his contract in order to sign with the NFL. What is Kiffin’s staff doing over there in Minnesota?
  • San Antonio – Jerry Glanville’s been nothing but talk since joining the league last year. His team imploded to a 6-12 record and last place in the Central. It’s put up or shut up time for Glanville next year.
  • Tampa Bay – The wheels also fell off in Tampa Bay. Spurrier’s team limped to the same 6-12 record this year.Vinny Testaverde proved that he’s ready for the league, but the Bandits struggled to find a run game

The Verdict

The season is done. The playoffs are set. Two juggernauts lead the league and look to be fated for a matchup in the USFL Championship game at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas. Will they actually both get there. Or, is there another team that might be able to trip one of them up? Both perennial powerhouse Houston and defending champions Birmigham have the pedigree and the talent. Jacksonville, Vegas, Denver, and Michigan are all potentially dangerous in any given game. Stay tuned over the next month as we head to the annual showdown on Independence Day weekend.