In Week 6, The New Orleans Breakers (4-2) beat the Pittsburgh Maulers (1-5) with a final score of 26-16.

It was a defensive opening half for both teams, with the Breakers scoring 10 points and the Maulers being held without a score. Things would heat up in the 4th quarter, with Pittsburgh mounting a late comeback. However, by the time the Maulers got within reach of taking the lead, it was too late. New Orleans kicker Taylor Bertolet sealed the game with a 38-yard field goal, putting them ahead by 10 points with only 40 seconds left on the clock.

While there are still 4 games left in the season, with this win, the Breakers are looking like an early favorite to take the South Division’s second playoff spot. For the Maulers, their playoff hopes are fading fast, but aren’t completely gone just yet.

New Orleans Breakers

New Orleans came out the gates a bit slow against Pittsburgh’s defense, but they’d figure things out by the end of the first half and leaned on the run game more than they have all season. Quarterback Kyle Sloter did not turn the ball over, but he was held to his lowest passing totals on the season, completing 13/21 passes (61.9% comp) for only 92 yards and no touchdowns, also running for 14 yards on 3 carries.

Leading the ground attack was running back Anthony Jones, who took 22 carries for 102 yards and 1 touchdown, also hauling in 2 receptions for 20 yards. Jordan Ellis found the endzone as well, totaling 13 carries for 47 yards and 1 touchdown, also catching 2 passes for 6 yards on the day. Wide receiver Taywan Taylor led the Breakers’ air attack and totaled 5 receptions for 40 yards.

The Breakers had a nice game defensively, keeping the Maulers without a score in the entire first half. They struggled a bit in the second half, but the offense held a big enough lead to get the win. The team totaled 1 sack, 4 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions, and 4 pass deflections on the day. Top players on New Orleans’ defense include linebackers Jerod Fernandez and Vontae Diggs, defensive end Davin Bellamy, and cornerback Ike Brown.

Despite the lack of passing game and their defense nearly allowing a late comeback, the Breakers keep things rolling and take the lead in the race for the South Division’s second playoff spot.

Pittsburgh Maulers

The Maulers had a rough first half but nearly turned things around late in the game. Quarterback Vad Lee got his second start of the season, but it seemed like he and his receivers weren’t on the same page for a large portion of the game. Lee completed 17/34 passes (50% comp) for 198 yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions, also rushing 5 times for 9 yards and 1 touchdown.

Madre London led the Maulers’ rushing attack, taking 10 carries for 50 yards. However, Garrett Groshek led the team in carries, but couldn’t get much going, totaling 14 carries for only 7 yards, also catching 1 pass for 7 yards. Leading the air attack was Isiah Hennie, who racked up 4 receptions for 71 yards, but the team’s only score through the air came from Bailey Gaither, who totaled 2 receptions for 29 yards and a touchdown on the day.

The Maulers played a solid game defensively despite the loss, totaling 3 sacks, 5 tackles for loss, and 2 pass deflections. Highlight players on Pittsburgh’s defense include linebackers Dale Warren and Kyahva Tezino, and safety Bryce Torneden.

When Pittsburgh gets things rolling with Vad Lee at the helm, they’ve been a dangerous squad. The problem has been getting the team on the same page early in games. While the Maulers aren’t officially eliminated from playoffs just yet, they’ll need to go on a pretty serious run if they want to snag a spot in the post-season.

Box Score

New Orleans Breakers

Pittsburgh Maulers

Next Opponents

The New Orleans Breakers will face the Michigan Panthers on Saturday, May 28th, at 6:00 pm PT on FS1.

The Pittsburgh Maulers will take on the Birmingham Stallions on Sunday, May 29th at 11:00 am PT on Fox.