In week 4, I have my two UFL preseason championship picks number 1 & 2 in the power rankings for the first time this season. The Brahmas suffer a big injury behind center. The Showboats are sinking in the power rankings. The Panthers are on the move. Houston are still the players under the stairs in the basement. I will sort it all out as I launch my UFL power rankings for week 4.

#1.BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS (3-0) SAME SPOT AS LAST WEEK

The Stallions home opener was a big time success. Stallions head coach Skip Holtz found his starting quarterback for the season after using dueling QB’s in the first two weeks of the season. The Stallions beat up on the Showboats in a lopsided affair, 33-14.

Adrian Martinez can run and pass like last year’s MVP Alex McGough who was on hand for the pregame ceremonies honoring the Stallions second championship in the USFL from last year.

Martinez had his coming out party last weekend as he threw two touchdown passes for 334 yards. Deon Cain, one of the top play makers in the UFL, racked up 144 receiving yards as he had another big week. The Stallions defense looked SICK!!! They racked up 8 sacks & held the Showboats to a measly 14 points. I really don’t think this league has a team that can go toe to toe with the Stallions the way they’ve been playing.

#2. ST.LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS (2-1) MOVED UP ONE SPOT FROM LAST WEEK

The BattleHawks now have won two straight games after losing on the opening weekend of the UFL. St. Louis earns their first road victory of the season knocking off undefeated San Antonio Brahmas 31-24. AJ McCarron is the best quarterback in the UFL & had his first rushing touchdown of the season. New offensive weapons emerge for the BattleHawks in week 3. Another running back showed his shifty moves on the field with a 19 yard rushing touchdown. Jacob Sayors racked up 62 yards on the ground on 7 carries.

Someone woke up the big fellow Hakeem Butler who led the XFL last season with 8 receiving touchdowns. Butler, a big tall target for McCarron, had his first receiving touchdown of the year while racking up 87 receiving yards on 6 catches. Callahan O’Reilly is not talked about enough on the BattleHawks defense.

O’Reilly had 12 tackles for the BattleHawks last week which six of them were solo. His play wrecking havoc on the Brahmas offense helped St. Louis avoid a last minute comeback by San Antonio.

#3.MICHIGAN PANTHERS (2-1) MOVED UP TWO SPOTS FROM LAST WEEK

The Panthers have one of the best defenses in the league. The Panthers head coach Mike Nolan has the usual suspects but has others on that defense that are making waves. Guys like Kai Nacua who had 8 tackles and defended two passes last weekend versus the Roughnecks. Bryce Torneden chipped in with 8 tackles while Noah Dawkins had a respectable 7 tackles. Panthers defense is right behind the Stallions’ number 1 defense in the entire UFL. Then the quarterback position is blossoming for the Panthers. Since EJ Perry took over late last year for this Panthers team they know how to win games. Perry took this Panther team to the USFL playoffs last year. He looked awesome versus the Roughnecks last weekend going 16-19 for 268 yards with 3 touchdown strikes.

Perry hit Marcus Simms for one of the touchdown passes last week. Simms collected 84 receiving yards for the day. Perry can use his legs as he’s a very mobile quarterback. He’s not making mistakes. He has some nice running backs behind him. The Panthers only lost so far the Stallions which are above the rest it seems in this league. Perry keeps improving with that solid Panthers defense means this team should be in the thick of things.

#4.SAN ANTONIO BRAHMAS (2-1) DROPPED TWO SPOTS FROM LAST WEEK

Last week the Brahmas suffered their first loss of the season. As well as losing their quarterback for the season. Chase Garbers is out with a wrist injury he suffered in last weekend’s game versus the Battle Hawks. Garbers did not leave the game last week as this news came out during the week. This is a big blow to this Brahmas offense as Garbers was one of the best quarterbacks in the league these first three weeks of the season. He could be lost for the season.

Wade Phillips and company will have to rely on back up quarterback Quinten Dormady, from the former Orlando Guardians of the XFL. The good thing is Dormady has experience in the spring football leagues. The Guardians were a terrible team last year. Dormady had some good moments as the offense was rolling. Dormady can make costly mistakes with the football. The bright spot is this Brahmas roster is much better than Orlando’s mess of a roster they had last season.

#5.DC DEFENDERS (2-1) MOVED UP ONE SPOT FROM LAST WEEK

The Defenders get revenge on the Renegades after losing to Arlington in the XFL Championship last year which looked like it was going to be a slam dunk for DC. This Defenders team was better than last years squad. The Defenders scored 11 points in the final two minutes of the game to wipe out the Renegades on a walk off field goal by Matthew McCrane and escape with a one point victory. The Defenders offense has been up and down all season. The Defenders looked like they were going to lose last week & then the offense came alive at the end. The Defenders converted on the onside play of 12 yards and held on to the football to eventually set up the game winning field goal.

The Defenders defense is a shell of their former selves from last year. The Defenders defensive coordinator Greg Williams may have to bring back bounty gates from his days in New Orleans. The Defenders defense allowed 419 total yards versus Luis Perez and that Renegades squad.

#6.MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS (1-2) DROPPED TWO SPOTS FROM LAST WEEK

The Showboats should be 2-1 right now as they are beaten up last week by the Stallions. Is the season sinking for the Showboats? In week two, they were dominating that game versus the Brahmas. Then the team lost control and San Antonio scored over 10 points in the last minute of the game to beat them. Since that last minute, the Showboats defense has been out for lunch. The offensive line has caved in as Case Cookus was sacked 8 times last week by the Stallions defense. The Showboats offense has become one dimensional as the running game has averaged 55.3 yards per game so far in the first three weeks of the season. This season could get away from Memphis very quickly if they don’t turn things around.

#7.ARLINGTON RENEGADES (0-3) SAME SPOT FROM LAST WEEK

The Renegades were a victim of the onside 12 yard play that replaces the onside kick. If I was betting on the UFL, I would be pissed off losing that way. The Showboats lost to the Brahmas that way in week two. The rule was used in the XFL. The XFL you had to convert a 15 yard play which makes it a tad harder than the 12 yard play in the UFL. The Defenders then drove down the field and ice the game with a game winning field goal. As the Renegades have dug themselves into a gigantic sink hole starting the season off 0-3.

The Renegades looked sharp on offense. They even had QB 2 executing the wild cat offense. Lindsey Scott Jr. had a rushing touchdown for the Renegades. Luis Perez had another big day in the air. The Renegade defense caved in at the very end and gave the Defenders life to pull the wool over the eyes of Bob Stoops and company.

#8.HOUSTON ROUGHNECKS (0-3) SAME SPOT FROM LAST WEEK

Houston is in such bad shape this season they had a guy retire on them after three weeks into the season.

Carlo Kemp racked up 8 tackles so far this season. One of those tackles was for a loss of yards. The Roughnecks defense was the staple of the team coming in. Last week, Houston surrendered the most points in one game to the Panthers who tallied 34 points on the score board. On offense, the Roughnecks running game is not happening. At the quarterback position, Reid Sinnett had some moments but he’s not a guy that you have a ton of confidence in winning 3 games in a row. Sinnett had 197 passing yards, a touchdown pass, and an interception last week versus the Panthers. The good news is the Roughnecks play the other winnless team this weekend. The bad news is Houston may be the last team without a W in the win column by next week.