The Houston Gamblers got absolutely torched by the DC Defenders 45-7 on Saturday, and head coach Kevin Sumlin didn't mince words about his team's sloppy performance. After committing just two penalties in last week's win, the Gamblers were flagged 13 times against their former league champions.
"As composed as we were last week to win a game with only 2 penalties, I don't know how many penalties you had today. 13, right? Tells a bunch of the story," Sumlin said in his postgame press conference. "We've been two different football teams."
Tale of Two Teams
Sumlin couldn't hide his frustration with the stark contrast between Week 2's disciplined performance and Saturday's penalty-filled disaster. The Gamblers moved to 1-2 with their worst showing of the young season.
"Last week we got two penalties. We control the clock. We move the ball. Today, we were back to what we were week 1 with guys trying to do too much, no composure, and a bunch of penalties, right? Which is uncharacteristic of us."
The coach described the performance as "two steps forward, one step back" — a theme he repeated throughout the presser. Houston's offense went just 2-7 on fourth down conversions and couldn't establish any rhythm against a DC defense that carved them up.
When asked what the team did well, Sumlin struggled to find positives. "I don't know. I mean, I'm not sure. It was frustrating trying to move the ball and then going backwards with penalties, giving up big plays."
Malik's Homecoming
Former DC Defenders championship player Malik Fisher returned to Audi Field for the first time since helping the Defenders win the 2025 UFL title. Despite the lopsided loss, Fisher managed a couple tackles for loss and kept his perspective.
"Coming back to D.C., you know, expecting the energy, expecting the crowd. Enjoying the moment but also trying to get that win was a big thing. The scoreboard individually I can't control. We as a team just have to figure out what we got to do."
Fisher emphasized the championship mentality he's trying to bring to Houston's locker room. "We won a championship last year. I don't think we was undefeated at a couple losses early in the season. It doesn't matter, get better. Next play mentality."
Short Week Reality
The Gamblers face a quick turnaround with another game Thursday, leaving little time to dwell on the beatdown. Sumlin stressed the need for his players to look in the mirror and fix their individual mistakes.
"We can't dwell on it. We got to get it fixed because we got a short week," Sumlin said. "That starts for me."
Fisher echoed that sentiment, focusing on the opportunity to get back to .500. "2-2 next week is the goal. 1-0 for the week and even the scoreboard for that."
The Gamblers need to rediscover the composure that helped them win in Week 2, or they'll find themselves in a deep hole in the ultra-competitive 2026 UFL season.