Week 3 of the UFL season saw the DC Defenders hand the St. Louis Battlehawks their first loss of the season in their own building with a final score of 27-15, resulting in the Battlehawks being knocked down from the top spot of the power rankings. We also have a change in the power rankings after the Houston Roughnecks snapped their 8-game losing streak with a win over Memphis.
The Crown Holder and the Court Jester
- Crown Holder – The DC Defenders retained the Crown by defeating the St. Louis Battlehawks 27-15.
- Court Jester – The Memphis Showboats become the new Court Jester after falling 18-17 to the Houston Roughnecks, who were the previous Court Jester. Houston is now liberated from the title.
If a team defeats the Crown Holder, they steal the Crown and become the new Crown Holder.
If a team loses to the Court Jester, they become the new Court Jester, thus freeing the previous team from being the Court Jester.
1. Birmingham Stallions (2-1, 495 JP)
Previous rank: #2
Week 3 Result: Defeated Arlington Renegades 10-9 on the road
Week 3 Synopsis: Birmingham clinched a tight 10-9 win over Arlington in a gritty defensive battle. Week 3’s win was similar to the win over Michigan in week 2, which saw the offense struggle while the defense ultimately secured the path to victory.
High Point: The defense’s second-half dominance, limiting Arlington to zero points after halftime.
Low Point: The offense left a lot to be desired. Matt Corral’s passing game has had a stark dropoff compared to last season over the first few weeks, but I would be surprised if he does not bounce back quickly.
Jon Points Heading into Week 3: 460; Week 3 Impact: +35; After Week 3: 495
Birmingham gained 25 JP for the win and stole 10 JP from Arlington.
2. St. Louis Battlehawks (2-1, 415 JP)
Previous rank: #1
Week 3 Result: Lost to DC Defenders 27-15 at home
Week 3 Synopsis: St. Louis was by far the best team over the first 2 weeks, but looked very vulnerable in week 3’s 15-27 loss to DC.
High Point: Manny Wilkins connecting with Frank Darby for a 35-yard touchdown in the 2nd quarter.
Low Point: After a great first 2 weeks from quarterback Manny Wilkins, he looked very rough in week 3 as he passed for 147 yards and a touchdown with 3 interceptions, including a pick-6.
Jon Points Heading into Week 3: 465; Week 3 Impact: -50; After Week 3: 415
St. Louis lost 25 JP for the defeat and had 25 JP stolen by DC.
3. Michigan Panthers (2-1, 375 JP)
Previous rank: #3
Week 3 Result: Defeated San Antonio Brahmas 26-23 at home
Week 3 Synopsis: Michigan survived a late rally from San Antonio to secure a 26-23 win. Bryce Perkins delivered 193 passing yards and a touchdown with 2 interceptions while adding 2 rushing touchdowns..
High Point: Jade Shirden’s 43-yard rushing touchdown in which he created separation from would-be tacklers with a well-timed spin move at the line of scrimmage.
Low Point: Nearly squandering a 10-point lead as San Antonio mounted a comeback.
Jon Points Heading into Week 3: 340; Week 3 Impact: +35; After Week 3: 375
Michigan gained 25 JP for the win and stole 10 JP from San Antonio.
4. DC Defenders (3-0, 370 JP)
Previous rank: #5
Week 3 Result: Defeated St. Louis Battlehawks 27-15 on the road
Week 3 Synopsis: DC remained unbeaten with a commanding 27-15 road win over St. Louis. Jordan Ta’amu passed for 243 yards and 3 touchdowns with 2 interceptions in the win.
High Point: DC generated 346 yards of offense while only allowing 173 from their opponent. There were only 45 total rushing yards from the Battlehawks allowed, and 27 of those were from the quarterback, primarily on scrambles.
Low Point: Despite the success on offense, there were still a lot of misses in the passing game, contributing to Ta’amu’s 45.9%
Jon Points Heading into Week 3: 320; Week 3 Impact: +50; After Week 3: 370
DC gained 25 JP for the win and stole 25 JP from St. Louis.
5. Arlington Renegades (2-1, 290 JP)
Previous rank: #4
Week 3 Result: Lost to Birmingham Stallions 10-9 at home
Week 3 Synopsis: Arlington came up just short in a 10-9 defensive slugfest against Birmingham.
High Point: Restricting Birmingham to a mere 10 points is an impressive feat.
Low Point: The rushing game struggled with Birmingham, frequently getting defensive stops on the ground.
Jon Points Heading into Week 3: 325; Week 3 Impact: -35; After Week 3: 290
Arlington lost 25 JP for the defeat and had 10 JP stolen by Birmingham.
6. San Antonio Brahmas (0-3, 190 JP)
Previous rank: #6
Week 3 Result: Lost to Michigan Panthers 26-23 on the road
Week 3 Synopsis: San Antonio stayed winless after a narrow 26-23 loss to Michigan. Despite the Brahmas being the only winless team in their conference, things feel more hopeful after the team played its best game so far this season. Kellen Mond threw for 153 yards and a touchdown.
High Point: Jordan Williams 4th fourth-quarter interception that he returned 85 yards for a touchdown greatly changed the landscape of the game in San Antonio’s favor.
Low Point: Frequent pressure on the edge from Michigan’s pass rush.
Jon Points Heading into Week 3: 225; Week 3 Impact: -35; After Week 3: 190
San Antonio lost 25 JP for the defeat and had 10 JP stolen by Michigan.
7. Houston Roughnecks (1-2, 35 JP)
Previous rank: #8
Week 3 Result: Defeated Memphis Showboats 18-17 on the road
Week 3 Synopsis: Houston broke their eight-game losing streak with a dramatic 18-17 win over Memphis. Anthony Brown passed for 175 yards and a touchdown, and a last-second field goal clinched the upset.
High Point: Nolan Henderson’s 2nd half heroics saw him complete 10 of his 11 passes for 80 yards and a touchdown.
Low Point: A slow start to the offense saw only 40 passing yards in the first half before making a change at quarterback.
Jon Points Heading into Week 3: 0; Week 3 Impact: +35; After Week 3: 35
Houston gained 25 JP for the win and stole 10 JP from Memphis.
8. Memphis Showboats (0-3, 0 JP)
Previous rank: #7
Week 3 Result: Lost to Houston Roughnecks 18-17 at home
Week 3 Synopsis: Memphis fell to 0-3 after a gut-wrenching 18-17 loss to Houston. E.J. Perry threw for 131 yards and a touchdown but had 2 costly interceptions before Troy Williams came into the game.
High Point: A 70-yard drive late in the game capped off by a touchdown that nearly forced overtime.
Low Point: Failing to convert the 2-point conversion for the win rather than trying to go for the 1-point conversion to force overtime.
Jon Points Heading into Week 3: 20; Week 3 Impact: -20; After Week 3: 0
Memphis lost all 20 JP they had for the defeat (listed as -25, but capped at their available 20 JP).
