Each week during the season, Parks’s Pulse will present a smattering of thoughts on the previous weekend’s games.
Ranking the games
- Roughnecks 19, Panthers 12: Do I detect a real rivalry developing between these two teams? Say what you will about CJ Johnson, but he guided Houston to a four-win improvement this season.
- Battlehawks 13, Defenders 8: A fitting game to close out a disappointing performance on Friday nights for the league. The game being played in slop with backups means there’s not much from this to read into next week’s playoff game.
- Renegades 23, Brahmas 6: Mercifully, this season is over for San Antonio. Arlington continues to show what could’ve been if they had closed out some of their one-score losses.
- Stallions 46, Showboats 9: A total uninspired effort by Memphis. Is Birmingham this good heading into the playoffs or did Memphis perform this poorly?
En Espanol: In 20025, during the NFL’s first game played in Mexico, referee Ed Hochuli gave a penalty in Spanish, rousing the home crowd. Almost two decades later, Hochuli’s son, Shawn, also an NFL referee, gave a penalty in German during the Carolina Panthers vs. New York Giants game played in Munich. The UFL got into the act this weekend when, while in San Antonio, head official Francisco Villar got on the mic and announced to the crowd a penalty in Spanish. Brahmas fans have infused Spanish culture into their outfits and game day presentation.
All-access moment of the week, part one: Justin Hall led the UFL in receptions for much of the season and has become one of Jalan McClendon’s favorite targets in Houston. Against Michigan this weekend, he didn’t see as many targets at times as he usually does. So when he picked up a 3rd down conversion near the Roughnecks sideline later in the game, he directed his attention to head coach C.J. Johnson. “Hey C.J., give me the ball, just like that” he remarked on an open mic. It was one of only four receptions for Hall after making double-digit catches in the previous two games.
Heavyweight battle: Michigan Panthers defensive lineman Garrett Marino is a known pot-stirrer, and in week ten, he got under the skin of Houston Roughnecks offensive lineman Avery Gennesy. Gennesy was visibly irked multiple times and at one point was briefly removed from the game by Houston. At one point, when his quarterback checked on him, Gennesy told McClendon, “I’m good bruh, stop talking to me, please.” When Johnson approached Gennesy on the sidelines, the lineman told his coach, “I’m on a mission right now.” Johnson simply noted he wanted to win the game, indicating Gennesy’s behavior could cost the Roughnecks if he didn’t settle down. “I’m the most in control, out of control person you know,” he later told McClendon. This was one of several incidents that cropped up between these two teams on Saturday. In the end, Gennesy and Marino appeared to make up, giving each other helmet taps after the game.
Grenade: Memphis briefly made its final game of the season interesting against Birmingham by unveiling a new formation, called “grenade.” The short-yardage lineup featured six offensive linemen, two tight ends, including 240-pound Jay Jay Wilson taking the snap, and three defensive linemen in the backfield lined up next to each other to perform as lead blockers. The Showboats utilized this three times, the first two times successfully on short-yardage fourth down conversions. The third time, however, Birmingham caught up to it and stopped it. It was fun while it lasted.
All-access moment of the week, part two: The relationship between Stallions head coach Skip Holtz and quarterback J’Mar Smith has been well-documented, as their time extends to college when Holtz coached Smith at Louisiana Tech. That relationship allows Holtz to interact with Smith in ways he might not interact with other quarterbacks in which he does not share the same familiarity. On Sunday, Smith made a mistake and from the field, told Holtz “my bad.” Holtz sarcastically told Smith from the sidelines, “go ask them (the refs) for a do over. See if they’ll give you a do-over.” Smith is a good sport if nothing else to deal with Holtz’s needling.
