Brahmas Game #3
Visiting Team: San Antonio Brahmas (0-2)
Home Team: Michigan Panthers (1-1)
Game Date and Time: Sunday, April 13th at 12:00 pm EST
Location: Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
Channel: ABC
Draft Kings Betting Line: San Antonio Brahmas (+5.5), Michigan Panthers (-5.5), Over/Under 36.5 points
It is rare for a Week 3 matchup to be the most crucial game for two teams attempting to save their season. During this game between the San Antonio Brahmas (0-2) and the Michigan Panthers (1-1), we will see a battle between two teams desperately fighting to get their season back on track. The regular season in the UFL is only 10 weeks long. For the Brahmas in the XFL conference, a 0-3 start would be challenging to overcome as the rest of the teams in the conference are currently the top teams in the UFL, with both the Arlington Renegades and the Saint Louis Battlehawks defeating the Brahmas to start the season. For the Michigan Panthers, starting 1-0 became a memory as they were beaten soundly by a diminished Birmingham Stallions team. Now they have a running back on the injured reserve list and inexplicably traded wide receiver Marcus Sims to the Houston Roughnecks for a backup offensive tackle.
In addition to the slow start to the season, the Brahmas had to deal with the loss of their offensive coordinator, AJ Smith, resigning on Wednesday because he felt Brahmas leadership had handicapped his efforts to run the Brahmas offense. The key to a Brahmas revival in 2025 will be quarterback Kellen Mond elevating his level of play and bringing his teammates with him with what should be a simplified offensive game plan built by new offensive coordinator Payton Pardee. In addition to offensive improvements, the Brahmas defense needs to find themselves and raise their playback level to an elite level.
The Michigan Panthers have overreacted to a Week 2 loss to the Birmingham Stallions. It is unclear how trading wide receiver Marcus Sims makes sense for the success of the Panthers offense. In addition, they have a running back on the injured reserve list. Quarterback Bryce Perkins can be a dual-threat playmaker, but the Panthers have yet to commit to allowing Perkins to lead their offense. Defensively, an injury to defensive lineman Breeland Speaks spells disaster for the Panther’s defensive line.
Winning this week’s game is critically important for both the Brahmas and the Panthers. Even though it is early in the UFL season, this game should have a playoff-like energy.
Depth Charts and Rosters
Keys to Victory
Key to Victory #1: Kellen Mond needs to find Chemistry with his Weapons
Up to this point in the 2025 season, the Brahmas offense has lacked the creativity and chemistry that allowed the Brahmas to be the surprise team of the 2024 season. While it would be obvious to blame the offense’s failure on quarterback Kellen Mond, the truth is that Mond has not had a fair chance to get comfortable in the Brahmas offense. It is hard to develop chemistry when the opponent’s defensive line is in the quarterback’s face all game.
While no one can be sure what the Brahmas offense will look like under the control of Payton Pardee, it would be smart to employ a modern pro-style offensive game plan. Playing an 11-personnel would boost the running game with a tight end, creating more gaps and a wider edge. An improved running game will allow the Brahmas to implement bootleg passes and play-action shots that could help them jump-start their stale offense. Play-action passes would give Mond more time to make reads and his receivers more time to get open, leading to more explosive plays on offense.
Key to Victory #2: Brahmas Defensive Line needs to take control of the Line of Scrimmage
Defensively, the Brahmas defensive line got pushed around by the Arlington Renegades offensive line in the first game of the season. It was comforting to believe that the domination was the result of the Renegades’ significantly better offensive line, but looking at the Renegades’ other performances this season, that is not the case. When the Brahmas faced the Battlehawks in Week 2, the Brahmas defensive line played a little better against one of the most balanced offenses in the UFL while facing the Saint Louis Battlehawks.
For the Brahmas, facing a Michigan team suffering from injuries and lacking rhythm and chemistry on the offensive side of the ball is a prime time to get right on the defensive side. This week, the Brahmas added defensive tackle Matthew Gotel, who should make an immediate impact. If the Brahmas can shut down the Panthers’ running game and contain Michigan quarterback Bryce Perkins, they could give the Panthers’ offense a myriad of headaches.
Key to Victory #3: Win the Turnover Battle by +2
Defensively, the Brahmas’ biggest deficiencies are their inability to contain and pressure opposing quarterbacks and their inability to force turnovers. The lack of takeaways has made the job of the Brahmas offense significantly more complicated, as they need to drive the length of the field in an attempt to score. This week, the Brahmas defense needs to be ready to attack the Panthers’ offense and force turnovers.
That will be a challenge, with cornerback Darius Phillips being out for this week. Still, if Corey Mayfield can hold his own against the Panthers wide receivers, the Brahmas could find some opportunities to pick off Panthers quarterback Bryce Perkins while he checks down to his tight end and running back. In this situation, pressuring the quarterback is essential for the Brahmas and the San Antonio defensive secondary needs to step up and look to take the ball away from the Panthers’ offense.
Game Prediction: San Antonio Brahmas 16, Michigan Panthers 14
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