Anthony Becht isn't buying into the hype surrounding his undefeated Orlando Storm. Despite sitting at 3-0 heading into Sunday's showdown with Birmingham, the Storm head coach insists his team has yet to reach its ceiling.
"We just have not played our best game yet," Becht said during his weekly press conference. "We got a lot of stuff when we turn on the tape. We just feel like for us, we had more control of why it didn't work versus maybe the other team."
Mental Errors Holding Back Potential
The Storm's perfect record masks underlying issues that have Becht concerned. He's been hammering home the message about cleaning up preventable mistakes that could derail their championship aspirations.
"We need to cut down on mental errors. A lot of mental errors where we lose a little bit of our focus and discipline in a game and we cause ourselves to stick our nail in our foot to prevent us from being successful," Becht explained.
Those mental lapses showed up in last week's overtime thriller against Louisville, where Orlando needed two defensive penalties to secure the victory. The controversial finish sparked league-wide discussion about UFL overtime rules, but Becht defended the outcome while acknowledging his team's execution issues in the red zone.
Birmingham Presents Personal Challenge
Sunday's matchup carries extra weight as Becht faces off against former player AJ McCarron, now coaching the Stallions. The competitive fire between mentor and former pupil was evident in Becht's comments.
"Privately we're both probably telling our buddies and the people we know and trust that we want to kick this guy's ass. That's kind of what it is. I mean, why not?" Becht said with a grin.
The Storm coach recruited McCarron to St. Louis and helped revive his career over two successful seasons. Now they're on opposite sidelines, with McCarron leading Birmingham's first home game of the season.
Quarterback Confidence Remains High
While the team searches for perfection, Becht has nothing but praise for quarterback Jack Plummer, who leads the UFL in completion percentage. The coach made bold predictions about his signal-caller's future.
"He is an NFL guy. Third team, maybe some two somewhere, I don't know. But if he's not back in the league next year, along with DTR, shame on the NFL," Becht declared.
Plummer has thrown nine touchdowns against just one interception while guiding the Storm to their perfect start. His connection with receivers KJ Hamler and Chris Badger has been a key factor in Orlando's offensive success.
League Recognition and Looking Ahead
Becht believes his roster is loaded with NFL-caliber talent that will get opportunities next season. The confidence stems from having experienced coaches who've played at the highest levels, including coordinators with Pro Bowl credentials.
As the Storm prepare for Birmingham's talented receiving corps led by Deon Cain, Becht's message remains consistent: this team hasn't scratched the surface of what it can accomplish when it eliminates the self-inflicted wounds.
The coach's unwavering belief that better days lie ahead for an already undefeated squad speaks to the championship expectations surrounding this Orlando franchise in its inaugural season.