Games

Saturday

1986 USFL Wild Card Game, New Jersey Generals at Jacksonville Bulls

1986 USFL Wild Card Game, Oklahoma Outlaws at Michigan Panthers

Sunday

1986 USFL Wild Card Game, Philadelphia Stars at Tampa Bay Bandits

1986 USFL Wild Card Game, Las Vegas Ace at Los Angeles Express

The first round of the 1986 USFL playoffs was, indeed, wild! No major surprises, but there were a couple of road victories in Jacksonville and Tampa Bay. Herschel Walker carried the team on his back with over 200 yards rushing and 3 touchdowns. Meanwhile, Chuck Fusina saw a youthful resurgence and the Philly defense intercepted the Bandits 5 times to secure that win.

Michigan took unti overtime to defeat the surprising Oklahoma Outlaws in their playoff matchup. Meanwhile, even though Randall Cunningham showed all of the brilliance that he showed during the regular season, it just wasn’t enough to overcome their defensive shortcomings. Los Angeles won in a shootout out west.

Come back in a couple of days for the second round preview.

Players of the Week

Offense: Herschel Walker, RB, New Jersey Generals. No surprises here. Walker ran for 222 yards and 3 touchdowns. Rumors are swirling that an NFL team is gearing up for a big trade for Walker. Enjoy him in the USFL while you can.

Defense: Jay Norvell, S, Philadelphia Stars. Norvell intercepted two of the five passes in the game, returning one 19 yards for a pick six that put the Stars up by 16 points late in the second half.

Special Teams: Marcus Bonner, KR, Las Vegas Ace. In addition to Cunningham’s brilliant performance, Bonner put on a show. He returned 9 kick offs for 265 yards with a 97 yard touchdown.