Each week during the season, Parks’s Pulse will present a smattering of thoughts on the previous weekend’s games.
Ranking the games
1) Showboats 24, Stallions 20: This had the drama of Memphis going for its first win of the season, the potential of a huge upset, and the league’s first overtime game.
2) Defenders 37, Renegades 33: Just two of the most prolific spring league QBs in history throwing bombs at each other all game. And it was fantastic.
3) Battlehawks 32, Panthers 27: An entertaining, see-saw game. Max Duggan did just enough with his arm to make his legs effective – and make fans forget about his performance last week.
4) Roughnecks 27, Brahmas 3: Break up the Roughnecks! They already have more wins than all of last season. As Roddy Jones mentioned on the broadcast, this was a “burn the tape” game for San Antonio.
Old friend alert
After playing three years for the Birmingham Stallions, earning three championship rings in the process, QB J’Mar Smith was not on the team this year. Head coach Skip Holtz indicated that Smith retired and didn’t report to camp because of that, though Smith himself has countered that narrative on social media.
Whatever happened, things seem to have patched up enough for Smith to get signed this week as the team’s emergency third QB with Matt Corral out injured. Smith’s time on the Birmingham roster is likely to be short, but he certainly knows the offense and it benefits the Stallions to be able to bring someone of his level in, even if just for a week or two.
All-access moment of the week, part one
Mike Nolan and his Michigan defense had a unique task in trying to keep Battlehawks QB Max Duggan in the pocket on Saturday. After some successful runs by Duggan early on, Nolan had a message for his front seven. “The sexiest pass rush in the world ain’t worth a flip,” he told them as a group on the sidelines. To translate: Nolan wanted the defense to contain Duggan and not create lanes for him to take off by trying to rush upfield to sack him.
Showboats Winn
Numerous records fell and streaks were broken in the Memphis victory over Birmingham. It was the first overtime game in the UFL. It was the first win by Memphis as a franchise over Birmingham. The loss was the Stallions’ first at home since May 2023. All of this in Showboats QB Dresser Winn’s first pro start, and his first TD pass in 889 days, since 2022. His touchdown pass to Dee Anderson ended up being the longest of the UFL season at 78 yards.
The Butler did it
Speaking of long touchdown catches, Battlehawks WR Hakeem Butler made his return to action in a big way. Butler was held catch-less in the season opener against Houston, then missed the next three games due to injury. St. Louis’s pass game was missing his size and ability to threaten teams vertically. We saw that on Saturday, when Butler used his physicality to separate from coverage on two long TD catches, one from Max Duggan and one from receiver Blake Jackson, a college QB at Mary Hardin-Baylor. Butler should help out a young QB like Duggan get comfortable in the offense.
The many penalties of Ricky Lee
As Arlington’s starting left tackle, Ricky Lee has played well overall this season. His Pro Football Focus grade is middle-of-the-road, slightly above average. One stat stands out for Lee, however, and it’s his penalties. He’s now been penalized eight times, including three in the first week, and at least one penalty through each of the five games. Yet, Arlington doesn’t seem all that bothered by this: Last week, they traded away his primary backup, Kellen Diesch, for another offensive linemen, J.D. DiRenzo.
All-access moment of the week, part two
One of the more accomplished players to enter the UFL this year, DT Daviyon Nixon of Arlington was a fifth-round draft pick of the Carolina Panthers in 2021, has played in 14 NFL games and in college at Iowa, was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 2020. Nixon hadn’t made a big impact with the Renegades in 2025 until this weekend. He recovered a fumble against D.C. as the Defenders had crept to within one score in the third quarter. The camera caught Nixon sitting on the bench, still cradling the football he recovered. He told the assistant equipment manager, “Put this in my locker. That’s mine. Real talk.” Even NFL vets can value their time and performance in the UFL.
1 Comment
by Ken Granito
I like the way you mention Hakeem Butler’s physicality. Does that mean how he pushed off? In the first one it was kind of hard to determine, but on the 2nd one it was a clear push off. What was funny is he didn’t necessarily need to do it. However, he was so sure he would not be penalized that he did it anyway, not unlike Michael Jordan pushing off Bryan Russell to win the 1998 NBA Championship. This after the week prior a Renegades first down was take off the board for a push off and a touchdown taken off the board for a holding penalty that was requested of the wrong number and wasn’t really holding otherwise the Battlehawks would be called for holding every play.
The penalty called on Ricky Lee against the Stallions was when the defensive end went off sides and pointed to Ricky Lee finally causing a flag on Lee. As the game continued he was holding numerous times, yet never called for them. So basically what I am saying is that Ricky Lee has many, many more penalties than 8. They just called 8. As a matter of fact, since they call so few, I would just continue to hold ALL the time, unless they are playing the Battlehawks, of course.
It is a shame that you do all this good work for nothing. Whatever is real about the UFL is tainted by the bad. If truth does not exist why even report on it.
I have made many calculations on costs associated with a new Spring Football league and feel it is feasible. If the UFL had any respect for football and its players I would not have felt I needed to do this, but unfortunately I feel this way. Team owners that will help keep the league accountable. I, unfortunately, am the only person I have seen to try to do this, but to NO avail. I am the only person who tries to help the league to do the right thing, but make no mistake. There are hundreds of millions of people that turn in to watch NFL games that do not turn in to watch UFL games. So they like football, but not the UFL. Hmm! Do the math. Again ESPN reports on the Little League World Series, but not UFL football. My wish is that the UFL shows some remorse and starts to produce football, instead of some football like propaganda show.
Greg, Mike and Mark…..you all know that I previously was a big supporter of the UFL product. Ask yourselves, “what changed?” then watch the games I asked you to watch, looking at officiating and not what the announcers tell you to look at. Presume the announcers know nothing, because in actuality they know very little. I know tons more, like when there was a punt that said out of bounds the other day in the Showboats game and the referee placed the ball at the 15 yard line and the announcers said the offense will take over from the 15, I knew that based on UFL rules it would be moved up to the 25. The 15 promotes no offense, where as the 25 does. I knew that, because I know how this league thinks. It’s not about football it’s about what they want as an endgame. All the lines they cross and the lies they tell mean very little as long as they get there.