Announcers: Curt Menefee (Play-by-Play), Joel Klatt (Analyst), Devin Gardner (Sideline)
Injury Report/Depth Chart
Overview
Both the Defenders and Roughnecks enter week two of the 2024 UFL season winless after losing in their respective week one contests.
D.C. fell to the Brahmas, 27-12, to open the season. The loss was uncharacteristic from last season, where the Defenders lost just twice over the span of 12 games. The Brahmas were a team few expected to win. However, in defeating D.C., Chase Garbers and San Antonio put the rest of the UFL on notice as a team to watch out for.
Meanwhile, Houston struggled out of the gate against the Showboats last Sunday. Memphis led 15-0 at one point during the second quarter, but the second half saw a much more collected version of the Roughnecks on the field. The final score was 18-12, Showboats.
One of these teams will pick up its first win of the season on Sunday. As of publication, the Defenders are favored by 5.0 points.
Roughnecks
The Roughnecks enter their second contest without tailback Mark Thompson, the 2023 USFL Offensive Player of the Year. Without him last week, Houston’s rushing attack struggled, with T.J. Pledger recording 2.5 yards per carry on six attempts.
The Roughnecks committed two fumbles in their loss to the Showboats. One fumble resulted in a touchdown return, while the other was essentially nullified after Memphis committed a fumble of its own just one play after recovering Houston’s. The first drive of the second half also ended in a Roughnecks’ blocked punt, which set up the Showboats with possession at midfield.
Overall, the Roughnecks have a star-studded defense that can carry them, but the offense will need to help out by protecting the football and manufacturing scoring drives.
Jarrett Guarantano had a sound statistical game against the Showboats, completing 16 of his 21 passes (76.1% completion rate) with no interceptions and recording a 96.7 quarterback rating. However, he only had 157 passing yards, which is on the lower side. Getting more passing yardage will be a matter of getting the ball to his playmaking receivers—guys who can reliably turn short catches into big gains.
2023 All-USFL wide receiver Justin Hall was limited to just one reception for 17 yards last week, but he has potential to be Guarantano’s top pass-catcher this season. We saw his electric playmaking ability with the Houston Gamblers last USFL season.
On defense, linebacker Reuben Foster is the X-factor on that front seven. Foster tied for leading the Roughnecks in tackles (six) while notching an interception and fumble recovery in last week’s loss. The defensive line is also full of noteworthy players, including Adam Rodriguez, Keonte Schad, Toby Johnson, and Olive Sagapolu. They will undoubtedly pose a challenge for the Defenders in getting their run-game going.
Meanwhile, the Brahmas were able to limit the Defenders’ passing game to 4.6 yards per attempt on 45 total passes. If the Roughnecks can hold D.C. to a similar figure in the passing department, they will be in a good spot from a pass-defense standpoint. Last week, Houston’s secondary held the Showboats to 4.8 yards per attempt on 40 total passes.
Defenders
The Defenders are the only UFL team yet to score a touchdown this season. Last week, D.C. had two of its touchdowns nullified by penalties. Jordan Ta’amu also threw an interception at the Brahmas’ six-yard line while his team was down 20-12 in the fourth quarter. San Antonio went on to score a touchdown three plays later to extend its lead.
The Defenders committed eight offensive penalties versus the Brahmas. Offensive tackle Jean Delance committed five of those penalties, including the two touchdown-costing ones, which makes a night-and-day difference in a game that came down to two possessions. He was ejected before the game ended for spitting on an opposing San Antonio player and was subsequently released by the team.
Overall, the Defenders’ offensive line let up the most quarterback pressures by any UFL team (21) last week. That includes 14 quarterback hurries, three hits, and four sacks. To have success, those figures will have to decrease considerably against the Roughnecks. That will certainly be no easy task against Houston’s stacked defensive line.
D.C.’s offensive line also struggled to create holes for its rushing attack, as tailback Cam’Ron Harris averaged just 2.6 yards per carry on eight attempts last week. Last season, the Defenders’ ground game was crucial to the team’s success. The sooner it gets going for D.C. this season, the better.
The Defenders have an almost entirely brand-new receiving corps from last year. Last week, Ty Scott emerged as Ta’amu’s top target with four receptions for 87 yards. But Scott is still listed as a backup, so it will be interesting to see how his usage progresses. Newcomers Keke Coutee and Kelvin Harmon are other names to watch.
Last week, Brahmas Offensive Coordinator A.J. Smith did a great job scheming his receivers open against the Defenders. However, the Roughnecks’ passing attack just doesn’t seem to have the same explosiveness as San Antonio’s. We will see how it matches up against the Defenders’ secondary led by Michael Joseph and Isaiah Johnson.
Meanwhile, we will see how much Gregg Williams ramps up the pressure against the Roughnecks’ offensive line, which struggled to hold its own against the Showboats last week.
Final Thoughts
The reigning XFL runner-up Defenders have an excellent opportunity to get back on track against the Roughnecks here. It will come down down to who grew the most from last week and who can limit the unforced errors.
