By RJ “The Bullish Brahma” Reid
Introduction
“Status report. Are the shields up?”
The enemy was all around them, bombarding them on all sides. Engines were damaged long ago, and escape seemed impossible. Inside, claxon alarms blared everywhere, signaling impending doom and the crew scrambled in all directions, aimless and in full panic. On the bridge, the ship’s top-ranking officers were doing all they can to salvage what little remains of their vessel. They have but one glimmer of hope of surviving…the shields. The captain swiveled his chair to face his second in command.
“The shields are down captain; we can’t take another hit.”
Now this may seem like a scene from an episode of Star Trek, but this is more real than that. This is what the DC Defenders are facing when they square off against the San Antonio Brahmas. “Shields Up” is the slogan for the Defenders, but the Brahmas will prove that their shield will most certainly be down. Here’s what you need to know going into this exciting season opener of the newly established United Football League (UFL).
When?
Sunday, March 31, 2024 @ 11:00am CST
Where?
Alamodome, San Antonio, TX
Gameday Weather
The game will be played indoor obviously, but for those who are interested in tailgating, it’s looking to be 83°, partly cloudy with a 24% chance of rain and 12 mile per hour winds.
Gambling Lines
For those you like to live on the edge, according to Draft Kings, the DC Defenders are 6 point favorites and the over/under is 44.5.
History
DC Defenders leads the series 1-0.
3 Keys to Victory
The Brahmas offensive line, or the Brahma Bulldozers as I like to call them, needs to protect the quarterback. Last year, the Brahmas gave up the third most sacks in the XFL and only had one offensive lineman that played the entire year last year. This year, the starting quarterback is Chase Garbers, who is a mobile quarterback, and that will help. Also, this is an entirely different line from last year, so I like our chances. Still, the battles are won in the trenches, we our Bulldozers need to establish their dominance early and often.
The defense needs to bring the heat. The Brahmas had the third most sacks in the XFL last year and was the backbone of the team. It was our defense that kept us in every game (except for the Vegas Vipers game) and gave us a chance to win. The Brahmas had the top leading tackler in Jordan Williams and just added the second leading tackler in Tavanete Beckett. Looking up and down the defensive roster, we have a lot of players that can bull-rush the quarterback and stampede through opposing offensive lineman.
AJ Smith needs to capitalize on Gregg Williams’ aggressive blitzing. Last year, Jack Coan threw for 301 yards against DC. San Antonio gained 358 total yards of offense. Keep in mind that the Brahmas had the worst offense last year with an average of 246.3 yards per game. If we can muster that kind of offensive with the worst offensive in the league, just image how potent we can be with AJ Smith and his creative playmaking abilities, a better offensive line, and better offensive weapons this year. Gregg Williams may live by the blitz, but he will die by the blitz.
Final Thoughts
As the 2024 UFL season kicks off, all eyes are on the Alamodome, as these two teams renew their rivalry. Last season, the Defenders secured a thrilling 29-28 victory as kicker John Parker Romo missed a game-winning field goal as time expired. This time, however, the Defenders will face an entirely different-looking Brahmas squad led by Wade Phillips. With both teams hungry for success, this matchup promises fireworks as they kick off the merged UFL season. Brahma fans, get ready for an exhilarating showdown!