What to expect in New Orleans Breakers vs. Philadelphia Stars
The Philadelphia Stars are riding high on the momentum of a thrilling victory last week, while the New Orleans Breakers aim to bounce back after suffering their first loss of the season.
The Stars are part of a four-way tie in the USFL’s North division (all at 2-3) while the Breakers have opened things up in the South. But they can keep their lead in the division and atop FOX Sports’ power rankings with a bounce-back win in Detroit.
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Can the Stars convert some field goals into touchdowns?
Last week, the Stars put on a remarkable performance behind all field goals. The hero of the game was none other than kicker Luis Aguilar, whose 55-yard walk-off field goal sealed the Stars’ first victory since Week 2.
Aguilar's exceptional performance saw him convert eight field goals, a USFL record. The Stars' offense, while struggling to find the end zone, was the beneficiary of Aguilar's precision and clutch kicks, including three from beyond 50 yards. Heading into Week 6, Philadelphia hopes to build upon its recent success and find a way to capitalize on its red zone opportunities to complement its field goal prowess. It's a must. The Stars were outgained by 189 yards last game, but New Jersey turned the ball over four times to give the Stars extra possessions. They shouldn’t count on that happening with New Orleans.
Will the Breakers bounce back after their first loss?
The New Orleans Breakers had a setback last week, losing their first game of the season. The game seemed like a bit more of an anomaly than any sort of changing trend, though. The Breakers uncharacteristically turned the ball over multiple times and couldn’t recover, losing to the Memphis Showboats by a 17-10 margin, giving the Showboats their second win in a row.
The Breakers still have the best record in the South at 4-1 and have been able to count on quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson all season. He leads all players in the USFL with 1,322 passing yards, and he’s complemented by the best skill players in the league, as well. Wide receiver Sage Surratt has the most receiving yards this season with 38, while running back Wes Hills has the most rushing yards of any player with 427. It means New Orleans has the USFL’s most potent offense and the Stars’ defense is going to have all it can handle with a well-balanced attack that’ll be a little angry after dropping its first game.
Carmen Vitali covers the NFC North for FOX Sports. Carmen had previous stops with The Draft Network and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. She spent six seasons with the Bucs, including 2020, which added the title of Super Bowl Champion (and boat-parade participant) to her résumé. You can follow Carmen on Twitter at @CarmieV.
