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We always come at you with a new team on top of the UFL Power Rankings. It seems like that is starting to be the weekly tradition. What it really means is this season is up for grabs for about 5 teams in the league. The Brahmas are still the weakest link. The Showboats winning streak ends at 1.

Did someone say the Houston Roughnecks have suddenly won three straight games? Pinch me or slug me over the side of my melon because I must be dreaming. The Renegades get popped and take their roller coaster car down the slope this week. The Panthers knock the Defenders off the top of the heap of our weekly power rankings. The DC fans didn’t even buy me any beer for putting them on top of the power rankings twice this year. Let’s rearrange the furniture and roll out the musty red carpet as another installment of the UFL Power Rankings has arrived just in time for Mother’s Day weekend. Let’s do it!!!

#8. SAN ANTONIO BRAHMAS (1-6)

XFL CONFERENCE: San Antonio has just purchased a lease to stay at the bottom of UFL Power Rankings. The Brahmas look like they are not going anywhere this season as they are in the same spot from last week.

The Brahmas unleashed their newest quarterback, Kevin Hogan, who has played 9 games in the NFL including a start for the Browns. Hogan in the NFL was 0-1 as a starter. He completed 59.4% of his passes for 621 passing yards with 4 touchdown passes and 7 interceptions. He played three seasons in the NFL, two with Cleveland & one with Tennessee. At 32 years of age, could he inject some kind of spark to this offense? Could Hogan beat the USFL conference version of the Evil Empire on May the 4th Day?

This is spring football so the UFL will get the “Schwartz be with you,” in Space Balls instead of the “force be with you,” in Star Wars. Hogan and the Brahmas played like the Schwartz. Hogan’s was not “no hero” in his first start for San Antonio. He completed 17-26 for 179 yards which seems good. No touchdown passes because the Brahmas only mustered up one field goal. Yes, back-to-back weeks with one field goal for San Antonio. Hogan turned over the ball twice by fumbling the ball on one play. He threw a interception as well. He was sacked three times. The Brahmas had no running game. The Brahmas were 0-10 on third down which is the stat of the day. The Brahmas offense did worse than last week with 178 total yards on offense. Last week was pathetic and they had 189 yards total offense. The good news is whoever Justin Smith is for the Brahmas. He is a wide receiver and he had 5 catches for 108 receiving yards.

#7.MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS (1-5)

USFL CONFERENCE: The Showboats still floating at the same spot from last week.

The Showboats were very close to winning two games in a row as they fell short to the Roughnecks by one stinking point in 21-20 loss. If only the Showboats found the talent they had in Dresser Winn earlier in the season. Winn making his second start in the UFL was brilliant once again passing for 207 yards with two touchdown passes. Winn won his first start of the season in week 5 versus the Stallions. The Showboats added some juice to their running game.

Memphis inked a spring veteran running back, Wes the “Hills have eyes.” Wes Hills led the USFL in rushing yards back in 2023 when he played for the New Orleans Breakers as he galloped up for 680 yards that year.

Last year he played for the Michigan Panthers and split the load in the back field. For the Panthers, Hills gained 277 yards on the ground with 5 touchdowns. In week 8 of last year, he had a torn quad tendon that ended his season. In his first action of the year with his new team, he had 13 carries for 47 yards. He is a bruising style back with some speed that can find the end zone regularly. The Showboats out-gained the Roughnecks last week 287-209 in total offense. Take away the Roughnecks fumble recovery for a touchdown & we are talking about a two game win streak for the Showboats.

#6.HOUSTON ROUGHNECKS (3-3)

USFL CONFERENCE: The Roughnecks are sizzling right now. They have been beating the bottom feeders of the UFL is my reasoning for why they are still hovering in the same spot from last week.

The Houston Roughnecks are in the thick of things for the post-season as they have won three straight games. You can only beat the teams that are on your schedule as they started this 3 game winning streak versus the Showboats. Then they beat the Brahmas & once again they just got by the Showboats last week for their 3rd straight victory as the schedule will get tougher down the stretch for this Houston team. Even being out-gained last week by the Showboats, you have to give the Roughnecks defense the credit they deserve all year keeping this team in games.

The Roughnecks forced two turnovers in the second half. One of them was a forced fumble that was scooped up by defensive end TJ Franklin for a touchdown. Franklin also had a tackle for loss of yardage in the game. The Roughnecks also got a interception. Jalen McClendon has been the answer to Head Coach Curtis Johnson’s prayers. The Roughnecks struggled with the hot garbage they had in the beginning of the season behind center. McClendon is getting the job done. No turnovers. He completed 20-28 passes for 149 yards which included a touchdown pass to Justin Hall the Roughnecks best receiver. Like to see what this team can do against the Stallions this weekend and maybe we will find out if they are contenders or pretenders.

#5.ARLINGTON RENEGADES (3-3)

XFL CONFERENCE: The Batmobile lost its wheel and the Joker got away as the Renegades laid another egg. They dropped one spot from last week.

Do you remember the old football movie, Lucas? Nerdy kid makes the football team as we all know how that ends in Hollywood. Magical, probably a Walt Disney flick. The Renegades’ Lucas was the lead scorer for Arlington last weekend.

You never want your kicker being the lead score as the Renegades’ Lucas Havrisik was last weekend as he nailed two field goals in the 4th quarter. Why kicking field goals in the 4th quarter? Because Arlington was shut out in the first three quarters by the BattleHawks. The Renegades defense kept the team in the game only allowing 12 points. Arlington’s offense once again lays a clunker down as they have lost two straight games. The Renegades turned over the ball 4 times. The Renegades starting QB had 3 turnovers by himself. Luis Perez fumbled the ball twice and threw a game ending interception as the BattleHawks split the two game season series. The Renegades fumbled the ball three times as a team. It’s been a roller coaster season for this team that had a ton of talent on both sides of the ball. Can they figure it out before it’s too late?

#4. BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS (4-2)

USFL CONFERENCE: Stallions turn things around after the loss to Showboats in week 5. They sink their teeth into Brahmas meat and move up 1 spot from last week.

Brahmas meat has to be slim pickings these days in the UFL. The Stallions really needed a rebound after they suffered a loss to Memphis. The Stallions defense looked like the ’85 Chicago Bears just giving up a lone field goal. On offense, the Stallions put 26 points in a beat-down over the worst team in the league. Case Cookus looked like the guy from the second half in last week’s game as he avoids the dreaded rusty start he had versus Memphis last week. Cookus completed 16-23 for 166 yards with two touchdown passes. One of them went to the Stallions tight end, Jace Strernberger, who has been quiet most of the year. With Matt Corral expected to miss more time, it did not stop Skip Holtz going back to his dueling quarterbacks system.

The Stallions gave the former Jets QB a try in Andrew Peasley. Peasley played his college ball at Wyoming University and before that, Utah State University. He signed with the Jets as a undrafted free agent. He never played a snap in the NFL. Peasley is only 25 years old and has seen some action versus the Brahmas. He finished the day completing 5-8 passes for 79 yards. Skip Holtz working on his plan D as Cookus is his plan C and third QB this season to start a game for the Stallions. Cookus is now 1-1 as the starter so far for the Stallions this season. The Brahmas are like that rebound quickie girl you land after a long break up. They serve their purpose for the Stallions who are still on top of the USFL conference standings.

#3. DC DEFENDERS (4-2)

XFL CONFERENCE: Knock off the top of the power rankings for the second time this season. I have them dropping to number three after being blowing out by the Panthers last week which was two spots.

The Defenders you can say have the one of the best offenses in the game. Jordan Ta’amu’s numbers were 259 passing yards with two touchdown passes. No interceptions. With those numbers, how do you lose 38-14 to anybody? First he completed 19-36 passes which is a 52% completion rate for the game. The Defenders are not a well-balanced offense. They really do not run the ball well which this team basically has to pass the ball.

Chris Rowland is one of the best kick returners in the UFL. He also is one of Ta’amu’s main weapons in the aerial attack as he had 9 catches for 144 yards in the loss to Michigan. The Panthers are a good defensive team which can take away weapons for the Defenders. The Defenders defense likes to attack the QB and needs turnovers to be successful. If your team can defend the blitz, get the ball out quick, and play a clean game – you will score points against the Defenders. I feel Ta’amu is that perfect Fantasy Football QB to get you the points you need when the team is winning or losing, and last week I’m sure he had big plays in garbage time. They are winning, but to me they need everything to work to win games. They do not cash in on extra points as well. They can move the ball up and down the field and lead the league with the biggest plays. You prevent the big play, & any team can beat them.

#2. MICHIGAN PANTHERS (4-2)

USFL CONFERENCE: The Panthers may have the league’s MVP on their roster as they climb up one rung of the ladder of the power rankings from last we checked on them. Which was last week.

The Panthers throttled the Defenders at their place last weekend. They gave the Defenders a 38-14 beat down. Bryce Perkins is playing on a entire different level than any QB in the league right now. Perkins on the ground has 9 rushes for 76 yards with a touchdown. He completed 13-18 passes for 188 yards and two touchdown passes. He spread the ball out to 6 different receivers. His two-headed monster at running back each had a rushing touchdown.

Frank Ginda led the Panthers defense with 11 tackles. Seven of the tackles were solo jobs. One of his tackles was for a loss of yardage. They held the Defenders to 75 yards on the ground while the Panthers had 213 yards on the ground. The Panthers defense held one of the best offenses in the league to 14 points. They needed a rebound win after losing to the BattleHawks in week 5 as they blew a 4th quarter lead in that contest. Both sides of the ball played well including special teams as they are still on the Stallions hoofs who have the tie breaker in the conference head to head having the same records after 6 weeks.

#1.ST.LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS (4-2)

XFL CONFERENCE: The BattleHawks moved back to the number one spot of the power rankings for the second time this season. They moved up one spot to be perched on top once again.

The BattleHawks have figured out ways to win without their starting QB Manny Wilkens who they lost a few weeks ago for the season. Max Duggan, QB 2, played well in week 5 against a solid Michigan Panthers defense in his first start. When Duggan first filled in for the injured Wilkens, it looked like the BattleHawks season was on the brink. Last week versus the Renegades, Duggan completed only 36.8% of his passes. He went 7-19 in passing for 93 passing yards which is not a good day at the office. Duggan had no interceptions and one touchdown pass. He also ran for 49 yards using his legs. The BattleHawks have one of the best running backs in the game in Jacob Saylors, who leads the league in rushing yards with 312. The Renegades are another team that can defend well. When the offense is only scoring 12 points for you, your defense has to play lights out and that’s what they did versus Arlington who has one of the best QB’s in the league in Luis Perez. The BattleHawks defense mugged him like he was an old lady with a walker carrying a purse full of cash. The BattleHawks were able to get 4 turnovers and 3 off Perez. Two fumbles and an interception to put the game on ice. The BattleHawks defense forced three fumbles all together. They held the Renegades scoreless after the first 3 quarters. The BattleHawks defense gave up 2 field goals in the 4th quarter to win the game 12-6.

The BattleHawks linebacker, Pita Taumoepenu, is no cracker. He had 5 tackles, 2 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles versus the Renegades. His defensive unit came up huge in that game. A conference win is always big as St.Louis splits the season series with Arlington. At the same time, the win moves the Renegades down a peg in the standings.

In Steven King’s masterpiece, The Stand, the devil at the end of civilization set up camp in Sin City, Las Vegas. The Stand is about a pandemic that wipes out most of the population. All the survivors find their calling to be good or evil. The good set up in Colorado. The evil were led by a character named Randall Flagg, the devil. He had a full head of hair, trimmed up beard, had probably even seen the fountain of youth. You would think Satan or vampires that are hundreds of years old never age. The owner of the Raiders, Mark Davis, is trying to get back that razor’s edge that made the entire league regret playing the silver and black a long time ago, in a galaxy far away. Since the Raiders have moved from Oakland to Las Vegas, it has been musical chairs at the head coach position. The Vegas Raiders finally found their Randall Flagg to get back that edge and that is the ageless wonder 73 year old Pete Caroll who some may think is the spawn of the devil.

By the time next season starts up again in 2025, Pete Caroll will be 74 years of age. He for sure does not look like a guy in his 70’s. Caroll still has that upbeat energy and is a players’ coach. He can still build your franchise a winning culture and that’s why he got a three year deal with an option year for a 4th season with the Raiders. When Caroll took over Seattle, the only Superbowl the Seahawks ever made was in 2005 when they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers. In Carroll’s first season, the Seahawks won their division with a 7-9 record. They even won a playoff game that season. Carroll turned the Seahawks franchise around quickly as he started in 2010 and they won their first ever Superbowl with him in 2013. The Seahawks went to back to back Superbowls, but only won one of them. They should have won their second, but a bad play call in the last minute of the game down at the goal line ruined that as the Patriots intercepted a Russell Wilson pass that gave Tom Brady and New England another title. In 14 seasons in Seattle, Caroll had the Seahawks to the post-season 12 times. His record in Seattle was 137-89-1.

When the Raiders moved to Las Vegas in 2020, they were a team on the rise. The Raiders had a solid head coach in Jon Gruden that was bringing back that winning excellence, “Just win Baby,” in his second stint with the franchise. In 2020 the Raiders finished 8-8. In 2021 the Raiders were off to a pretty good start with a 3-2 record. Then the league uncovered Gruden’s old racist emails from the days he was just a coach in Washington. Those were dark times just after the pandemic as there were plenty of racial tensions throughout the United States. The league was investigating Dan Snyder, the owner of the Redskins, and his dysfunctional franchise at the time. Gruden would step down from his head coaching duties and the interim job went to Rich Bisacia. It was Bisacia who went 7-5 as the H.C. and the Raiders made the playoffs but were a quick exit in the wild card round. The owner of the Raiders decided against giving Bisacia the permanent gig as the head coach. Instead Mark Davis would hire Josh McDaniels and that was a complete disaster. The interim head coach duties went to Antonio Pearce after McDaniels was fired and he led the Raiders over the Chiefs in a Christmas Day victory in 2023. That victory sealed the deal for Pearce. This time Davis gave the Interim Head Coach the full time gig the next season. Pearce and the Raiders in 2024 were one of the bottom feeders in the NFL. The Raiders would clean house and start fresh with a new General Manager and new Head Coach.

The last time the Raiders have been to the Superbowl was 2003 when they lost to their former head coach Jon Gruden who was traded to the Buccaneers. If you remember, Gruden’s Raiders had Tom Brady and the Patriots on the ropes in a 2002 divisional playoff game as they forced a fumble on the legendary quarterback and recovered the ball. A turning point in the game which could have been a dagger in the Patriots coffin but was overruled as the referees would dig something so deep out of their assholes. Suddenly the tuck rule was formed as his arm was going forward. The Patriots would win that game. The Raiders would trade away Gruden the next season which might have been the worst mistake this franchise ever made because of Tom Brady. If Raiders win the tuck rule game, do they get to the Superbowl in 2002? If the Raiders won that tuck rule game they may have kept Gruden for 2003 and may have beat the Buccaneers. Gruden with the Buccaneers knew everything about his former team the Raiders in that Superbowl to give Tampa Bay an advantage. The Patriots QB played well enough to beat the Seattle Seahawks in 2015, but Tom Brady was not on the field to seal the deal. The Patriots defense, which was led by Bill Belichick, and Pete Caroll letting his offensive coordinator call a pass play. This instead of giving the ball to running back Marshawn Lynch to run the ball in at the goal line cost Seattle and their head coach another Superbowl title. The Raiders have made Brady 10% of their ownership after he retired. Brady most likely is calling most of the shots. At one time, Brady, Raiders and Pete Caroll versus the Patriots were enemies of the state. They now have joined forces to resurrect Raider nation who last won a Superbowl in 1984 versus the Washington Redskins.

The AFC West is loaded with each team having one of the brightest minds in the game as their head coach. First the Kansas City Chiefs and Andy Reid are looking for a three-peat. Then Jim Harbaugh had the Chargers in the post-season in his first season in LA being hired by one of the worst franchises in football. Harbaugh has a great track record leading the 49ers to the Superbowl years ago and then recently he led his old school, the University of Michigan to a national championship win. Sean Peyton won a Superbowl title with the Saints and found a QB in the draft, Bo Nix, and he had the Broncos in the post-season this season. The Raiders were the only team in the division not to make the post-season.

The Raiders would be bringing in a very decorated head coach in Pete Caroll who has only sat out one season after leaving Seattle. Before Seattle he won the National Championship with USC in a 9 year stretch where he went 7-2 in bowl games. His college record in regular season was 97-19 overall. What if Seattle won back-to-back titles? You would be saying Seattle had their own dynasty, although not as big as the Patriots or present day Chiefs. Before Pete Caroll took the job at USC, he had gigs that did not go well with the Jets and Patriots in the NFL. That was many moons ago and Caroll has evolved and learned from those experiences. As an NFL coach, Caroll has a record of 170-120-1 as he is 30 games away from 200 wins in the NFL.

Every team in the AFC West has a better roster and quarterback than the Raiders. If you are Pete Caroll, do you think Aidan O’Connell can be the guy behind center in the future? He has made small strides. Do you think the Raiders set up a Caroll reunion with Russell Wilson? Wilson versus the Broncos intensifies that rivalry with all the wasted money Denver spent on the former Seattle QB and how he irked some of his teammates who are still playing there. Can Caroll set up that Legion of Boom defense like he had in Seattle? Maxx Crosby is a nice starting piece building that kind of defense. Caroll has his work cut out for him as this will be a project for him. His presence in Seattle meant he was an instant winner. For a guy like Mark Davis, who can’t even get his hair cut right with that bowl style do. He has not done well as an owner like his father Al Davis. You have to make a deal with the devils of the past to be the devils of the future like the red team in the division. Tom Brady was the first Lucifer who he let buy in. Now Brady thinks Carroll will give this Raiders team stability in the future starting with present times. The Raiders got their Randall Flagg. Now the AFC West teams not named the Chiefs have followed each other’s path of getting the MAN to help their own franchise get better and knock off Andy Reid and Kansas City. The sin city team may be behind the 8 ball, but these new hires could be in the Chiefs rear view mirror soon as objects are closer than you think.

The Wild shamrock

SEASON 2 UFL: UNITED FOOTBALL LEAGUE POWER RANKINGS WEEK 7

PETE CARROLL IN SIN CITY LEADING THE RAIDERS MAKES SENSE ON ALL LEVELS