By RJ “The Bullish Brahma” Reid
Game Summary
In the first game in the newly formed United Football League (UFL) for the San Antonio Brahmas, they came into the game with many doubters. Plenty of talking heads are predicting them to be 7th or even 8th in the league. Maybe some of those doubters will be converted to believers after San Antonio came away with a convincing 27-12 victory over the visiting DC Defenders, on Easter Sunday. Unlike last year when the Brahmas didn’t win their first (and only) home game until the second to last game, this year, they won the first home game, starting the season on a very positive note.
Chase Garbers, who was named the Week 1 starter over Quinten Dormady, showed the fans and the league why he was named the starter. He completed 76% of his passes while throwing for 158 yards with 2 touchdowns and running in for another. Also, just as important, he did not turnover the ball once. Garbers looked poised and comfortable in his first professional start of his career.
AJ Smith, the architect behind the Brahmas offense, showed fans that this year’s offense will be better than last year. They even threw in a trick play late in the first half as they initially lined up to attempt a field goal by new kicker Donald “Deestroying” De La Haye, but instead punter Brad Wing threw a bomb to offensive lineman Alex Mollette, of all people for a 40 yard touchdown, putting the Brahmas up 20 to 9 to close the first half.
Last year, the defense was the catalyst for the team, keeping the team in games as the offense struggled to generate anything. They were towards the top in every defensive statistical category last year. In this game, they started where they left off. The defense swarmed Jordan Ta’amu all game long, sacking him 4 times and keeping the powerful Defenders offense out of the endzone, holding them to just 12 points, all generated by 4 field goals by kicker Matthew McCrane. Also, the defense only gave up 44 yards of rushing.
Key Takeaways
Perhaps the most important improvement over last year was the offensive line. The Brahma Bulldozers only allowed 1 sack and left the game intact, unlike last year where they lost 4 starters in the first game and never really recovered. They did give up some pressures, but the mobility of Chase Garbers kept plays alive. The Bulldozers were so much improved, they even contributed in ways that were most unexpected. More on that later.
The offense looked much improved over last year. Last year, the offense struggled mightily in the end zone. Today, the Brahmas were 2 for 2 in the red zone, and did not need to kick a field goal. The red zone offense was a major achilles heel for the Brahmas last year, so converting all their chances to start the season is extremely important. Additionally, the Brahmas converted on all three of their 1-point attempts, which may not sound very impressive, but remember, in the UFL, there are no extra point kicks. All extra points are offensive plays, which can prove to be difficult to convert. The Brahmas, however, were near perfect, as they did fail to convert on their only 2-point attempt.
The defense picked up from last year, especially Jordan Williams. Williams was the leading tackler in the XFL last year and finished this game with a game high 10 tackles. The defense forced one turnover, an interception that they almost ran to the house late in the game. The offense would eventually capitalize on the turnover, which put the game out of reach for the Defenders. The Brahmas recorded 4 sacks as they were circling Ta’amu all game long. Their red zone defense was unstoppable as the Defenders went 0-3 in the red zone, settling for 3 field goals. Most teams will not win when they have to settle for nothing but field goals.
One major negative that did damper the game was the penalties, especially on the defensive side of the ball. The Brahmas committed 7 penalties and one of them wiped out a touchdown reception by Jontre Kirkland on the first drive of the game. The Brahmas would recover and score anyway. Two penalties were personal foul penalties, both on the same Defenders drive. The first one came when the Defenders were backed up in the shadow of their own end zone and facing 3rd and forever. A boneheaded personal foul gave DC a first down and new life. Later in the drive, another personal foul penalty came when the Defenders were backed up in another 3rd and long situation. Jordan Ta’amu was absolutely destroyed, but a stupid taunting call against the Brahmas gave DC a fresh set of downs. Thankfully for the Brahmas, Ta’amu would throw that interception that was almost run back for a touchdown. Luckily, none of these undisciplined penalties ended up costing the Brahmas the game, but they need to clean that up quickly. Wade Phillips is sure to address that immediately.
Brahma of the Game
There really is no doubt who the Brahma of the game is. It is obviously Chase Garbers. Garbers threw for 158 yards passing on 19 completions,76% completion, 2 TDs and ran in for another.
Sneak Peek at Next Week
The Brahmas (1-0) will go on the road for the first time when they visit the Memphis Showboats (1-0), April 6, 2024 at 11:00AM CT.