UFL CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW: Stallions vs. Brahmas: Who has the edge?

The crowning of the first UFL champion is rapidly approaching. Before the festivities begin, here’s a look at each position group and which team may have the advantage in that area on Sunday.

Quarterback

Adrian Martinez was named the league MVP on Monday, just two days after he was yanked for performance reasons in the USFL Championship game against the Michigan Panthers. Martinez has had his struggles over the last three games, though his big-play ability is still a real threat. Backup Matt Corral led the team to victory over Michigan and based on comments made by head coach Skip Holtz this week, Martinez may have a short leash.

Chase Garbers returned from injury just in time for San Antonio’s playoff push. He’s not going to “wow” you like Martinez, but he has shown tremendous command of coordinator AJ Smith’s offense. The injury to his non-throwing wrist is still a concern, especially with the more erratic Quinten Dormady behind him.

Edge: Stallions

Running Back

Bruising Ricky Person, Jr. has taken over the lead role from CJ Marable, who began the season as the starter. Person has been able to churn out hard yards and is a load to bring down. Marable is a bit more spry and can spring the longer runs. All of that said, neither man averaged as much as four yards per carry on the season, and the Brahmas were able to contain them in week nine. Larry Rountree III is firmly entrenched as the third back, unlikely to be active on Sunday.

San Antonio’s backs have been banged-up all season. The top two, John Lovett and Anthony McFarland, Jr., have rarely been healthy at the same time. They will be for the Championship, however, and showed the kind of damage they can do in the XFL Conference Championship against St. Louis when they combined to run for nearly 200 yards. McFarland has made more hay as a mismatch in the passing game than as a runner. Third back Morgan Ellison has stepped in ably when either Love or McFarland had been unavailable. He actually averaged more yards per carry this year than the other two.

Edge: Brahmas

Receivers/Tight Ends

The Stallions have a deep receiver corps and Martinez spreads the love. Six receivers/tight ends have double-digit receptions on the year. By contrast, only four Brahmas meet that threshold. All-UFL TE Jace Sternberger has been a big-play machine while Deon Cain has been the most consistent of the Stallions wideouts. Big bodies Kevin Austin, Jr. and Binjimen Victor can box out for jump balls if necessary.

Jontre Kirklin tied for the league lead in receptions and will be fed plenty. The loss of Cody Latimer to injury puts a dent in the production from the slot. That may mean more opportunities for Marquez Stevenson, who had one of his better games against St. Louis last weekend. San Antonio doesn’t utilize TE Alize Mack much in the pass game, as he’s often brought on to be an extra blocker. The Brahmas have found more success through the air by going vertical of late after a few games where WR screens were failures more often than not.

Edge: Push

Offensive Line

Birmingham’s offensive line got schooled by San Antonio’s defense line in the first meeting, without having to deal with much blitzing. If the Brahmas change up their philosophy and bring pressure in this game, that could pose a problem. The line play has tailed off somewhat recently, though credit goes to their last three opponents in San Antonio and Michigan, who have ferocious defensive lines. We’ll see if this group comes out with the attitude that they have something to prove on Sunday.

While Birmingham’s line faces some challenges, San Antonio’s is rounding into a strength. The team ran for over 200 yards against St. Louis last week. Getting C Alex Mollette healthy after he spent much of the season on injured reserve was a turning point. The interior, with Rashaad Coward and Kohl Levao starting at the guard spots, is the line’s biggest asset.

Edge: Push

Defensive Line

The Stallions operate from a four-man front. Their top four leaders in tackles for loss are all linemen, so they’re active in the backfield. Interior pressure comes from DT Carlos Davis, whose twin brother, Khalil, is a former Stallion and current Houston Texan in the NFL. Ends Jonathan Garvin and Taco Charlton have NFL pedigrees, with Charlton being a former first-round draft pick. Their four highest-graded defensive players according to Pro Football Focus are along the defensive line, with DE Dondrea Tillman leading the way.

You know Wade Phillips’s defensive line is always going to be top-notch. He and defensive coordinator Will Reed have done a great job fitting players into their scheme, which features three down-linemen in its base. Last week, the line accounted for three of the four sacks of AJ McCarron, with DT Prince Emili having a breakout game with two. Traditionally, the line won’t make that many splash plays; rather, they’ll tangle up blockers to allow the linebackers room to roam. DT Jaylen Twyman, claimed off waivers from Birmingham mid-season, has been a key depth addition.

Edge: Push

Linebackers

Two starters are listed here on the team’s depth chart, indicating nickel (five defensive backs) as their base defense. They’ve missed the defensive leadership of Scooby Wright, who played in four games before suffering an injury that landed him on IR. The top three tacklers on the team are linebackers, and Kyahva Tezino is fourth in the league in that category. While they are active tacklers, only six of their combined 150-plus tackles have come for loss, and only 2.5 of those constitute sacks.

The strength of the San Antonio defense is their linebackers. Jordan Williams and Tavante Beckett are two of the best in the league inside, relentlessly pursuing the ball on every play. Both finished in the top 10 in tackles in the UFL. Delontae Scott and Wyatt Ray offer pass-rush juice off the edge. Though there are untested backups in the middle, outside depth is plentiful with Tim Ward (five sacks with the Roughnecks last year) and Garrett Nelson (2.5 sacks and a forced fumble this year).

Edge: Brahmas

Defensive Backs

This was an active unit against Michigan, picking off three Danny Etling passes while breaking up two more in coverage. CB Mark Gilbert has seemingly lost his starting job to Daniel Isom, who returned an interception for a touchdown against Michigan last weekend. Nevelle Clarke and Madre Harper are the other starters at corner, while the safeties spots are manned by Kenny Robinson and AJ Thomas. Don’t be surprised if the Brahmas try to lure Robinson into another emotional penalty after his costly unsportsmanlike conduct in week nine. Thomas led the Stallions in picks during the regular season.

Curiously, San Antonio intercepted just four passes all season. When I asked head coach Wade Phillips on a conference call about the lack of turnovers, he seemed unconcerned. In the playoffs, though, takeaways take on even more importance. Darius Phillips recently returned from injury, which gives the CBs a boost; starting S AJ Hendy missed the Battlehawks game with a left hamstring. If they can get him back for this game, that would provide a spark as well.

Edge: Push

Special Teams

Both specialists for the Stallions suffered injuries during the season, but both came back to replace their replacements. Chris Blewitt has been 8-of-9 on field goals, but his long is just 46 yards. Colby Wadman is averaging an unspectacular 41 yards per punt. He has placed almost half his punts inside the 20, which is a key punting stat. Amari Rodgers is one of the best punt returners in the league.

The big story in San Antonio leading into the game against the Battlehawks was K Ryan Santoso, who had missed five field goal attempts in a row, including a potential game-winner in week 10. Santoso righted himself, going 2-for-2 on Sunday, but the specter of those misses looms large. P Brad Wing is a veteran with a big leg (and a big arm, we learned). Pooka Williams, Jr. took over kick returns duties mid-season and has done well in that department.

Edge: Stallions

Coaching

Skip Holtz brings a history of spring league success into this game, with two USFL Championships under his belt and a 9-1 regular season record in the UFL this year. He pressed the right buttons against Michigan, and that included pulling the presumptive league MVP Adrian Martinez. It will be interesting to see what adjustments he makes for an offense that scored just nine points against San Antonio three weeks ago. Some believe the defense has faltered a bit since the departure of coordinator John Chavis.

Wade Phillips has been in coaching for over 50 years and this is an opportunity for him to hoist his first championship trophy. Despite his age, he continues to connect well with his players. Phillips has entrusted the offense to AJ Smith for the second year in a row. Smith has guided the run-and-shoot through some rough patches this season, though they look much better with Garbers at the helm. Will Reed is the defensive coordinator, but make no mistake, that side of the ball is built by Phillips’s philosophy.

Edge: Push