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Houston Roughnecks vs. San Antonio Brahmas

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The San Antonio Brahmas (4-2) travel to Rice Stadium on Sunday to face the Houston Roughnecks (1-5). The Brahmas are coming off an 18-12 loss to the DC Defenders and will look to bounce back against the struggling Roughnecks. Houston is coming off its second straight double-digit loss and is looking to turn things around at home this week. Despite their loss, San Antonio is still in the thick of the XFL Conference playoff race, currently holding the top two seeds. The Roughnecks are last, alone with Memphis, and three behind Michigan with four games remaining for the second seed in the USFL conference. This remains a closely contested match, even with the record gap between these two teams.

Brahmas’ offense against the Roughnecks’ defense

The San Antonio Brahmas offense has been generally good this season. They have scored 20+ points in four of their six games and are fourth in the league, averaging 21.2 points per game. Quinten Dormady stepped in at quarterback and had his ups and downs after week one starter Chase Garbers was placed on injured reserve with a wrist injury. In his three starts since replacing Garbers, the Brahmas are 2-1, but he has already thrown five interceptions. San Antonio’s offense meshes well with Houston’s defense, but turnovers at quarterback could give the Roughnecks some life and make them stand out. Receiver Jontre Kirklin hasn’t had the best connection with his new quarterback since replacing Garbers, but that needs to change. Kirklin leads the league in receptions (37) and is fifth in receiving yards (333). Dormady needs to be efficient and rely on Kirklin, as well as Marquez Stevenson and tight end Cody Latimer, but balance is key. Despite not starting the season well with the ball, offensive coordinator AJ Smith’s offense now ranks third in the UFL in rushing. Running back Josh Lovett leads the league with 348 rushing yards through six weeks, including 153 yards last week, and he will face a good Houston run defense.

The Houston Roughnecks defense has been the better of their two units this season, but it has by no means been perfect. They rank in the top half of the league in most major categories and are fifth in defense. The strength of this defense lies in its ability to stop the run. They have held opponents to 40 yards or less on the ground in three of their six games this year. They will need the same formula to win at home on Sunday. The Roughnecks secondary was opportunistic in taking the ball away, but they struggled in the worst moments, including penalties on third down. The addition of cornerback Kiondre Thomas helped, but we saw far too much inconsistency. Thomas has a PFF rating of 67.3 to lead all defensive backs and had an interception in Week 4, which was also his debut. Fellow cornerbacks Corn Elder (62.3), Jimmy Moreland (59.6) and Colby Richardson (55.1) struggled a bit and that can’t happen against San Antonio’s playmakers. Houston’s pass rush looked better last week against a beat-up St. Louis offensive line and they will need to build on that in week seven.

The Roughnecks’ offense against the Brahmas defense

I feel like I keep repeating myself, but not much has changed with Houston’s offense, even with the return of running back Mark Thompson. They still rank last in points per game and they are second to last in rushing and total yards. They’ve only eclipsed the 50 rushing yard mark twice this year, which has set quarterback Reid Sinnett back a ton each week. He’s attempted at least 28 passes in every start this year and that’s not what Houston wants to do. Sinnett does well as a game manager, but he doesn’t produce enough big plays with volume.

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Part of that is due to his lack of protection from the offensive line, but he also hasn’t proven to be a game-changer under center. Receiver Justin Hall (33-283-1) has been excellent but has struggled with drops over the past two weeks. He will need to help in the fast play and should score at least ten targets in this game. Wide receiver Keke Chism (20-207-1) was also a solid piece on the outside. Those two helped Sinnett stay in the top five in passing yards (945), completion percentage (64.2) and QBR (83.5). All three are due for a big day, along with a breakout match from Mark Thompson.

The Brahmas defense has been one of the best in the league this season. They are third in defensive scoring, giving up just 16.5 points per game, and occupy the top half of the league in virtually every major defensive category. They were terrific against the pass with their coverage and pass rush in perfect harmony. They are second in sacks and passing yards allowed this season. The best part of their defense is the front seven. Four players on this unit have an overall defensive PFF grade of 80+ on the year: OLB Delontae Scott (88.4), LB Tavante Beckett (83.7), OLB Garrett Nelson (82.2) and OLB Wyatt Ray ( 81.7). They all did very well against the run and pass and should be able to play with a lead and pursue Sinnett. Their priority will be stopping Thompson and forcing Sinnett to win with his arm, something he hasn’t shown this season. With Houston’s offensive line struggling throughout the season, I think San Antonio’s pass rush will have a big day, especially if Sinnett drops back more than 30 times.

Final Thoughts

It is more than likely that the Houston Roughnecks will not make the playoffs this season. The San Antonio Brahmas certainly should, barring a second-half collapse. However, don’t expect it to be a blast. I believe it is the Brahmas’ game to lose and if they meet their standards, they will win. The best path to victory I see for the Roughnecks is forcing a few turnovers from Dormady and an intensification of the ground game on offense. Spring football fans know what Mark Thompson is capable of, but his offensive line will need to play its best game of the season to help him. My prediction is a defensive battle, with San Antonio finishing on top. Regardless, this should be another great UFL game.

What do you think of this upcoming matchup between the Houston Roughnecks and San Antonio Brahmas? Will we see a shake-up? Let us know in the comments below or join the conversation on Discord!

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