The UFL Championship is here! After ten regular-season weeks and a semi-final playoff round, two teams remain. The Michigan Panthers will face off against the DC Defenders on Saturday, June 14th at 8:00 PM Eastern. Let’s take a look at the UFL Championship preview and top picks!
UFL Championship Preview & Picks
After 11 weeks of UFL football, the Championship is finally here. Last week, the Michigan Panthers defeated the Birmingham Stallions in the semi-final for the USFL division. The Stallions had been to a spring football championship three years in a row, and the Panthers had never defeated them.
On the XFL side, the DC Defenders went on the road to St. Louis to beat the St. Louis Battlehawks. The Battlehawks had the best record in the regular season this year, but couldn’t slow DC. Now, DC and Michigan face off to see who will be crowned champion. Let’s take a deeper look at the UFL Championship preview and give out some picks.
Why Michigan Could Win
The Michigan Panthers’ defense has left a lot to be desired. Ever since losing linebacker Frank Ginda, they’ve taken a step back. Their secondary is banged up as well. Still, they’ve managed to get by. They’re allowing 19.5 points per game, 211.1 passing yards per game, and 80.9 rushing yards.
They may have injuries, but they still have guys stepping up, including Kai Nacua. Nacua seems to make the right plays at the exact right time, as evidenced by his pick-six last week against the Stallions. Also, if you’re asking yourself the same question everybody does, yes, he is related to Puka; it’s his brother.
On the offensive side of the ball, however, Michigan is doing everything right. Their offense starts with the run game, where they average 127.8 rushing yards per game. They average 192.9 passing yards per game and 24.5 points per game.
When doing a preview of this team, the main reason they could win the UFL Championship is their quarterback. Bryce Perkins is electric.
Why DC Could Win
Now, to continue the UFL Championship preview with the team on the other side of the ball. The DC Defenders’ defense has also left a lot to be desired. They’re allowing 21.6 points per game, two more than Michigan. They’re also allowing 177.9 passing yards per game and 117.8 rushing yards per game. Their inability to slow the run will be a huge challenge against this Michigan team.
However, on the offensive side of the ball, their quarterback Jordan Ta’amu is a spring veteran who can really sling it. Not only can he sling it, but he has a plethora of weapons that can stretch the field, including game-changer Chris Rowland. At times, Rowland has seemed un-coverable.
Their offense averages 22.5 points per game, 246.3 passing yards a game, and 98.9 rushing yards per game. They’ll look to control the ball in the air against the banged-up Michigan secondary, and I don’t think they’ll have a problem moving it in the air.
The defense will also try and slow this rushing attack and slow Bryce Perkins. They’ll need a big game from Derick Roberson, who finished with six sacks on the year.
UFL Championship Pick
Without further ado, in my UFL Championship preview and picks, I’m taking the Michigan Panthers to win the UFL Championship. Both of these teams have their struggles on defense, which plays to the opposing team’s strengths. The DC Defenders’ defense struggles against the run, and nobody runs the ball better than the Panthers.
Last week in the semi-final, the Panthers gave Toa Taua the ball 21 times. He ran for 85 yards against a stout Birmingham Stallions defense. He added three rushing touchdowns on top of that.
He’s not the only Panther who can run the ball. They have former Philadelphia Stars’ standout Matt Colburn as well as Nate McCrary. All three can move the ball on the ground. However, none may move the ball on the ground as flashy as their quarterback, Bryce Perkins.
Bryce Perkins is the reason I’m picking the Panthers to win the Championship. He’s a human highlight reel who has made plays in the passing game and running game. It took head coach Mike Nolan a while to commit to him on the year, but once he did, Michigan’s offense jumped to another level.
Perkins, the former LA Ram, was named the UFL Offensive Player Of The Year and deservedly so. They should be able to move the ball on the ground easily, which will open up the passing game.
The DC Defenders will be able to keep up with the Panthers. They are the best passing team in the league, and the Panthers are banged up in the secondary. Defenders’ quarterback Jordan Ta’amu may be the only person who can claim MVP over Perkins.
While both teams will be able to move the ball on the other, I think the aggression of the Panthers’ run game will run the Defenders’ defense down. This will allow the Panthers to outlast the Defenders. The over is a great play as well, sitting at 50.5. For what it’s worth, the Panthers beat the Defenders earlier this year, 38-14.
Bonus Prop Pick
We can’t have the UFL Championship preview and picks without a little bonus prop pick. Give me Toa Taua over 59.5 rushing yards (-118). I think the Panthers will look to control this game on the ground and given his 21 carries last week, they’ll look to keep Taua involved.
