Ahead of tomorrow’s much-anticipated 2022 USFL Championship, both teams have released the injury status of their rosters. One of the major storylines this season has been how the shortened 45-man rosters have affected depth charts, so there have been flurries of movement each week ahead of games. Let’s see how each team is shaping up this week.
Birmingham Stallions
The Stallions have done a great job working through injuries around their roster so far this year, but appear to be in good shape ahead of the championship.
The biggest takeaway from this is that Scooby Wright III is at full speed here. He’s been pushing through calf, pec, and knee injuries so far this year, putting up dominant performances all the while. It’s good to see he’s practicing with no limitations, and he’ll continue to be a cornerstone of this defense as the Mike.
Everyone else here is listed as Full Go except Victor Bolden Jr., Osirus Mitchell, and Willie Henry who are listed as Probable. The wide receiver group is something to keep an eye on, and while both of these guys should play, the offense will have to hope that the thigh issue doesn’t limit Mitchell’s ability to go up for contested catches and run routes, and that the illness doesn’t slow up Bolden at all. Not overly worried on either front, but worth noting.
Willie Henry’s listing with an illness is worth watching, but even if he’s a bit less than 100% they have a strong rotation up front.
Philadelphia Stars
The Stars have also had to navigate treacherous injury waters this year, and found an incredible stroke of success when backup QB Case Cookus came in for premiere QB Bryan Scott and took the team to a Championship berth. However, this week they appear to be in tough straits.
With 5 players out, they will be scrounging a bit to keep that depth chart full. The biggest concern here is that their leading rusher is out. Matt Colburn’s speed and burst has given this offense life and stability all year, and it’ll fall to Paul Terry and Darnell Holland to fill the gap. Both have been solid performers this year with 2TD’s and over 5.3 ypc each, but Case Cookus was the team’s second leading rusher and Colburn’s loss will be palpable. The run game will also be impacted by the loss of Nosworthy on the line.
The loss of Brennan Eagles thins out their WR corps, but he’s yet to notch a reception this year so the offense should be able to hold here.
Another area of concern is the secondary, with Evan Worthington and Marcus Lewis out. Both have been steady contributors in this secondary, and going into the championship short handed could give J’Mar Smith & Co. an edge. Luckily, Star corner Channing Stribling is ok, and they’ll just have to decide which Stallions WR to line him up across from.
The scrappy Stars and the high-trotting Stallions are both deeply talented football teams, but Birmingham absolutely has an edge in terms of health here.
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