Week 6 of the USFL remained pretty consistent in Quarterback play as it has for the past 3 weeks. While the Breakers saw a bit of regression from MBT, Stallions QB Alex McGough took the reigns of the league putting together a performance worthy of another Player of the Week award. While MBT and McGough continue to headline USFL quarterback play, Cole Kelley and Kenji Bahar continue to hold fast in the next level of signal callers for the USFL.
9. James Morgan Pittsburgh Maulers Previous Ranking Unranked
Morgan got another opportunity in week 6 and honestly didn’t do much with it. Morgan threw a quick set of interceptions in the final quarter of the game. Morgan who came into the season as the Maulers QB1 didn’t do much to change fans minds in his week 6 appearance, however the former FIU alum did earn a bit more experience for his resume against the Showboats.
While it wasn’t a terrible performance it may have been too little too late for Lauletta. While watching this game it appeared he was missing too many throws and having extreme difficulty hitting the far side of the field. While Lauletta’s play may be the hot topic of conversation, many should also be asking where DeAndre Johnson is.
Love was given his first chance take all of the Panthers snaps this week, after the season ending injury sustained by Carson Strong. Love had some mental blunders, most notably running a fake spike not his WRs were not aware of going into halftime. Love played slightly better against the Stallions however, it appeared some of his throws lacked anticipation leading to several incompletions. While the South Division is still up for grabs as 3 of the 4 teams own a 2-4 record, Michigan has 4 more games to figure it out or fall victim to missing the postseason.
Major regression took place for Williams in week 6, after shooting up to #3 in the previous week. Williams struggled making some easy throws, however, was a bit of a conundrum as he contested the sidelines several times to Bailey Gaither. While Williams and the Maulers are still in the running for a playoff bid, Williams has to get back to his roots and maximize his athletic ability.
While Cookus didn’t light up the stat sheet, his constant battle between poor offensive line play and penalties that killed drive after drive. Cookus had two Touchdowns called back and multiple drive killing penalties that negated first downs. Regardless, once more Cookus and Luis Aguilar willed the Stars to a victory and now sit at the top of the North Division.
4. McLeod Bethel Thompson New Orleans Breakers Previous Ranking #1
This was MBT’s first real bad game in the USFL, as the former CFL All Star looked flustered and uncomfortable all day against the resilient Stars defense. Regardless, of this one performance, MBT has the Breakers in the drivers seat and enroute to 2nd consecutive playoff berth.
Kelley’s stat line doesn’t tell the whole story of his effectiveness, over the course of the game. As we’ve seen done multiple times throughout these rankings Kelley has continued to provide a calming force for the Showboats who have now won 3 in a row. Kelley’s been able to find a solid connection with Vinny Papale and Derrick Dillion as the trio have eased the loss of Rashard Davis.
"You know we've got three in a row now, they've got something to be excited about, and we're going to keep trying to keep this game rolling." @USFLShowboats QB @ColeKelley10 shares what it means to have the Memphis fanbase showing up and supporting them 🙌 pic.twitter.com/d40SYk5OnJ
While Bahar didn’t light up the scoreboard in his return to the field, he managed to put together a successful performance for the Gamblers. Bahar fell victim to some untimely penalties however found a great connection with Justin Hall and Clint Sigg. With Bahar playing a clean turnover free game, in addition to the effectiveness of Mark Thompson on the ground the Gamblers should have no problem giving the Stallions and Breakers a run for their money.
McGough magic took place once more in week 6, as the FIU alum bobbed and weaved his way to 3 total touchdowns against Michigan. McGough week in and week out continues to utilize both his legs and arm to will the Stallions to victory even if he’s not on his A game.
Pat Rifino is a former Security Contractor turned writer. He began his writing career talking about geo-politics, and the defense industry. Now Pat writes about alt-league football, while hanging out with his dogs in his off time.
