There she blows. The Roughnecks have a major spill in week 7 as the Stallions run wild. The BattleHawks are still perched at the top of these power rankings. Lots of comebacks to be talked about. We have 4 teams that have 5-2 records. Two teams with now 3-4 records holding on by a thread for their playoff lives as regular season is coming to an end in few weeks. Some teams’ playoff hopes have come to an end. We moved around a few chairs at the table for this edition of the power rankings. Take a seat and enjoy.

#8. SAN ANTONIO BRAHMAS (1-7)

XFL CONFERENCE: Better performance on the field but not enough to move them out of the basement. Same spot as last week.

The San Antonio Brahmas have played their best two games versus the DC defenders this season. Their only win came against the Defenders in DC. Last Friday night, the Brahmas gave the Defenders another scare. You could say the Brahmas gift wrapped a victory for the Defenders in the end. It looked like it was going to be Hogan Heroes on offense prevailing over Colonel Klink’s blitzkrieg defense that the Defenders use.

The Brahmas won the time of possession in this match up 34:41 to the Defenders 25:39. Kevin Hogan had some solid numbers completing 20-31 which is 64.5 % of his passes for 230 passing yards. He threw two touchdown passes. He gained 32 yards on the ground and even told the referee in one drive he does not slide to give himself up.

The Brahmas running back, Jashaun Corbin, averaged 12.1 yards per carry as he had a 57 yard rushing touchdown. Corbin carried the ball 9 times. How did the Brahmas lose this one when they tallied up 24 points to their normal 3 points they have gotten in the last two games? The Brahmas were driving at the end of the first half leading the Defenders 12-6 and ready to add more points to the scoreboard right before half time. Kevin Hogan gets hit by his own guy and fumbles the ball as the Defender defense scooped up the pigskin and tied the game at the half, 12-12. The announcer called it a butt fumble by Hogan. The Brahmas hung with the Defenders most of this game and had opportunities they squandered. They ended up not being able to sweep the season series with DC and still have not won a game at home this season.

#7.MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS (1-6)

USFL CONFERENCE: They gave the BattleHawks a battle last week. I still have them in the same spot as last week.

The Memphis Showboats were officially eliminated from the playoffs. It is a shame because this team has really found themselves in the last few weeks. They beat the Stallions in OT. They lost to the Roughnecks by 1 point. They lost a close one to a really good BattleHawks team. The Showboats defense has played stellar only giving up 19 points to St.Louis.

The Showboats are starting to rack up the turnovers on the defensive side as Kyree Woods had an interception that led into some points for the Showboats in the second half. The Showboats offense finally got on the board at the end of the first half with a touchdown pass from Dresser Winn to Jonathan Adams, one of the best wide receivers in the UFL.. That made it 10-6 BattleHawks at halftime. St.Louis has a solid defense and don’t give up many points. Winn had another good game completing 21-35 passes for 196 yards with the 1 touchdown pass. No interceptions, but he did fumble the ball which was his only blemish. The BattleHawks stopped the Showboats’ last drive which looked promising but eventually stalled out. The Showboats running back, Will Hills, who has contributed last few weeks in the running game did not return in the second half after 7 carries for 28 yards in the first half. The Showboats head coach Jim Turner has gotten the best out of his troops since taking over full time from Ken Whisenhunt who left the team twice this season for personal reasons. This team was not stable with leadership, and at the quarterback position, for most of the first half of the season. I bet they wish they had some more games on the schedule to overcome the slow start. I bet they still can notch another victory or two before the season ends.

#6. HOUSTON ROUGHNECKS (3-4)

USFL CONFERENCE: Houston had a problem last week that keeps them in the same spot from last week.

Houston professional football has been known for being in games when the other team makes a huge comeback on them.

One of the best post-season NFL games I ever watched was in 1992, the wild card game between the Bills and Oilers. It was the tale of two halves as the Oilers, led by Warren Moon, dominated the Bills building up a huge lead at the half. The Bills were playing this game without their star QB, Jim Kelly. Houston fans remember him from being their QB in the USFL in the 1980’s for the Gamblers. It was Frank Reich, the back up QB, who suddenly got hot and led the Bills to the biggest playoff comeback of all-time back then. The Roughnecks now have made that kind history in the UFL. The Roughnecks had won three straight games and built a very comfortable half time lead 25-6 against the Stallions, the cream of the crop of the USFL conference. The Roughnecks even knocked out the Stallions staring QB in this one. The Stallions had a veteran spring QB on the bench that sealed the deal for the Stallions as they erased a 19 point deficit to win the game 33-25. Houston is now part of that bad history, again being a footnote on the wrong side of the biggest comeback in a game in the two year league, the UFL.

Zaquandre White had one of his best games in a Roughnecks uniform as he had two rushing touchdowns which one of those runs was a 52 yarder. Jalen McClendon’s numbers behind center were solid. He did fumble the ball in the second half that gave the Stallions points. It was the tale of two halves for the Roughnecks, just like the Oilers in 1992. The Stallions defense in the 2nd half suddenly halted the Roughnecks’ activity to a grinding halt. If the Roughnecks would have won this game, their playoff chances would have dramatically increased. Now they have to pick up the pieces and pray the Stallions or Panthers falter in the last three games of the season.

#5. ARLINGTON RENEGADES (3-4)

XFL CONFERENCE: Renegades problems are closing out games. They remain in the same spot where we left them from last week.

Is it too late for the Arlington Renegades to sign Lorenzo Lamas? In his series he was always winning at the end of every episode unlike Arlington. The Arlington Renegades lost to the Panthers in the last second of the game. The Renegades, like the Roughnecks, had a nice comfortable lead in this game. The Renegades defense has played well all season but gave up 16 points in the 4th quarter. The Panthers tied the game at 18-18 by converting a 3 point play. Luis Perez is no Lorenzo Lamas, but he did drive the Renegades down the field and hooked up with his tight end, Sal Cannella, for a touchdown.

Cannella’s hair is like Lorenzo Lamas. The Renegades tight end finished the game with 6 catches for 92 yards and thoughts of having the go ahead score. The Renegades scored right around the 2 minute warning of the game that gave the Panthers plenty of time. The Renegades missed the extra point conversion so it was 24-18. The Panthers running back, Toa Taua, scored a rushing touchdown to tie the game at 24-24 with 1 second remaining. Then the bulldozer running back plowed into the end zone for the 1 point conversion and the game winner. The Renegades need to pick up the pieces quickly or their playoff hopes will evaporate as the BattleHawks and Defenders keep winning in the XFL Conference.

#4. DC DEFENDERS (5-2)

XFL CONFERENCE: When the Brahmas linger with you most of the game even though the Defenders won, you’re dropping at least one spot in the power rankings.

The Defenders have had problems with the San Antonio Brahmas this season. The Brahmas are the worst team in the league and their only win came from the Defenders. The Brahmas were about to add more points on a drive at the end of the first half last week versus the Defenders. The Brahmas QB ran into his own player and fumbled the ball as Anthony Hines III was Johnny on the spot with the scoop and touchdown. He also finished with 9 tackles. The Defenders would win this game 32-24 . If you take away that mistake by the Brahmas. They had the lead 12-6 looking for more points in the last minute of the half. If San Antonio scores, it would not have been 12-12 at half. It could have been 15-6 or 18-6, maybe more, if the Brahmas would have converted the extra points after a touchdown. It took the Defenders until the 4th quarter to finally shake the Brahmas and get the win. It was a road win and it improves their record to 5-2. They beat St.Louis earlier this season so they have the first place tie-breaker with them right now. The Defenders play St.Louis in the last week of the season. They play the Renegades this weekend & the last time they met with Arlington, it was a close game in a shoot out. Jordan Ta’amu had a great game behind center completing 19-24 for 278 passing yards with three touchdown passes. If the Defenders want to win it all, he needs to have games like that where he’s completing over 60% of his passes. If I was a Defenders fan, you don’t want to see him throw 40 passes and complete like 20 of them. Their defense worries me and their running game. Their aerial attack lights up the skies.

#3.BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS(5-2)

USFL CONFERENCE: The Stallions are quietly creeping back up the power rankings as they move up one spot from last week.

Once again, the Birmingham Stallions find some new way of amazement. This time they make history pulling off the biggest comeback in UFL history as they erased a 19 point deficit against the Roughnecks who had a 25-6 halftime lead. Skip Holtz inserts quarterbacks into his system like light bulbs. Case Cookus has been the guy the last few weeks as his day he went 17-34 for 199 passing yards with a touchdown pass and a interception. He hit the Stallions number 1 tight end for a touchdown strike. Sternberger had 4 catches in the game for 74 yards with the touchdown catch. The Stallions’ two-headed monster at running back Ricky Person Jr. and C.J Marable each had a rushing touchdown.

When Cookus went down with an injury in the 4th quarter. Skip Holtz went with his old veteran who helped him with the first title for the Stallions in the USFL reboot, J’mar Smith.

J’mar hung up the spikes and retired from the spring fling. Skippy brings him out of retirement because he needed depth at the QB position due to all the injuries. Smith comes in not like the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz, needing oil due to rust. He completes 3-5 balls for 63 yards and completes the Stallion’s historic comeback. You have to give the Stallions defense some credit for shutting down a pretty good Roughnecks offense in the second half to allow their offense to catch up. You just can’t count the Stallions out. They may get the 4-peat.

#2.MICHIGAN PANTHERS (5-2)

USFL CONFERENCE: The Panthers needed a comeback to get by the Renegades which will keep them in the same spot from last week.

The Panthers overcame some fumbles and scored 16 points in the 4th quarter to get by the Arlington Renegades, 24-24. It was running back Toa Taua finding paydirt with a rushing touchdown with one second left in the ballgame that tied things up. Taua then plowed in the end zone for the extra point that set up the win for the Panthers.

Taua had 31 rushing yards for the game along with 2 catches for 36 yards. Malik Turner also hauled in a touchdown pass from Bryce Perkins.

Turner had 4 catches in the game for 49 yards with the touchdown pass. Another pretty good day at the office for Perkins who was able to guide this team back in the game and help them prevail. He had 231 passing yards with a touchdown pass, ran for 60 yards, and had a touchdown with his legs. It was a great win for the Panthers, but at the same time they lose their best defensive player, Frank Ginda, to an injury. That will be a big blow for Michigan as they have high hopes of winning the entire thing this year.

#1. ST.LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS (5-2)

XFL CONFERENCE: Finally have a team at the top of the UFL power rankings for longer than a week. The BattleHawks are in the same spot from last week looking down on the others.

Tom Brady with the Buccaneers was on the only team to have a home game in the Superbowl a few years back when the title game was played in Tampa Bay. The second UFL title game will be Arch-City. Can the BattleHawks be like that Tom Brady Buccaneers squad? The BattleHawks defense played solid versus the Showboats to add another win to their record last week. The BattleHawks defense held a Showboats offense that has gotten better, to only 9 points. Can Max Duggan lead this team all the way to the title game? I love how he can run the ball as he had 57 yards running the ball with a rushing touchdown. He did throw a touchdown pass but had another interception. I like to see him get better at throwing the ball. You have to love the defense and rushing attack on the BattleHawks offense.

What about the BattleHawks special teams? The kicker of the St.Louis BattleHawks is perfect 16-16 in field goals this season. Rodrigo Blankenship looks like Snoopy with those goggles ready to battle it out with the Red Baron. Blankenship may be the Jake Bates story last year in the UFL. Bates had the long distance field goal down to a science which earned him a better job with the Detroit Lions in the NFL. Blankenship is perfect 5-5 in field goal attempts with 50 yards or more this season. It may earn him a job in the NFL this upcoming season. Right now Blankenship gives the BattleHawks another strength team-wise they have over other squads.