The past month has been rough on the Dallas Renegades and the fan base.
Things were going so well the first three weeks of the 2026 UFL season as the Renegades were rolling strong at 3-0 and had the number one offense in the league. They also had the top UFL MVP candidate in quarterback Austin Reed leading the way, but things really went off the rails quickly.
Starting in Week 4, the Renegades have lost four straight, with three of those losses by double digits. Now they have to face one of the best teams in the UFL, the 5-2 Orlando Storm, for a Week 8 showdown at Fort Hood. What will it take for the Renegades to pull off an upset they desperately need?
Dallas Renegades Week 8 Checklist on What to Accomplish vs. Storm
Get the running game going (and be consistent)
The Renegades' running game has been rough, to say the least. Dallas has been super reliant on big plays of 20+ yards to make the rushing stats look decent, when in reality they really aren't.
This season, the Renegades are ranked fifth in the UFL in rushing, averaging 89 yards per game, and fourth in average yards per carry, at 3.8. They are the second-worst in the league in rushing touchdowns with just five in seven games.
It all comes down to making sure that they can get four to five yards per carry without all of it coming off of one run. While getting explosive plays is good, Dallas first needs to establish a consistent running game before doing anything else.
Push the ball down the field with Austin Reed
Play-calling on offense has straight-up gotten stale and boring in the passing game, as the Renegades just refuse to push the ball downfield. Reed has had his struggles over the last month, but his arm strength and the weapons around him are good enough to take more shots down the field.
Tyler Vaughns has been non-existent during this four-game losing streak, with bad drops and not getting open, but he hasn't really been looked at downfield either. Greg Ward has the speed to get some big plays. The only big plays have usually been coming from tight ends like Curtis Hodges.
Dallas is in desperation mode to the point that Renegades offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone has to get more aggressive with his passing game and just let Reed sling it. If interceptions happen, they happen, but at least they would be trying to make explosive plays.
Renegades' defense has to get back to creating turnovers
One thing that feels like it has been lacking during Dallas's losing streak is the defense creating turnovers and turning them into points. The Renegades had multiple pick-sixes at the beginning of the season, and they really helped the offense in doing that.
Even Dallas's pass rush has been average at best during this stretch. It will help to see guys like Willie Taylor III continue his success, but other edge rushers like Taco Charlton have to step up and get sacks and pressures on the board and get in the face of Storm quarterback Jack Plummer.
Renegades cornerback Shaun Wade leads the UFL in interceptions with three, but it has been a month since he's gotten one, so the secondary has to start creating some opportunities. Wade and Stevens Jones Jr. are their top guys, so they need to get physical with Orlando's receivers and make some plays happen.