The USFL is back, and if you’re wondering what the 2023 standings look like and how the playoffs work, you’ve come to the right place. Each team plays 10 regular-season games beginning April 15 (here’s the full schedule), with the top two from each division moving on to the playoffs. The North Division and South Division title games will be on June 24 and 25. The USFL championship game will be held at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, July 1 in Canton, Ohio.
We’ve got the standings below, and don’t miss all of CBS Sports’ USFL coverage here.
The USFL’s 10-week regular season is in the books and with the two playoff semifinals set, there couldn’t be a much bigger contrast. The South Division semifinal features the league’s two highest-scoring teams with the two best records. The North Division semifinal features the two lowest-scoring teams, with both below .500.
Here’s a quick rundown of what to know after the weekend’s final four regular-season games:
— The two USFL semifinals will be Pittsburgh Maulers vs. Michigan Panthers on Saturday, followed by Birmingham Stallions vs. New Orleans Breakers on Sunday. The winners will play in the championship game the following Saturday, July 1.
— The defending champion Stallions are favored to repeat. The Stallions, who beat the Memphis Showboats 27-20 over the weekend, have the league’s best record at 8-2. In two seasons of the rebooted USFL, the Stallions have gone 19-3.
— The Breakers are the No. 2 seed in the South Division and will face the Stallions for the third time this year in the semifinals, a rematch of last year’s South semifinal. The Breakers clinched a playoff spot by beating the Houston Gamblers on Sunday, 17-10.
— The Pittsburgh Maulers clinched a semifinal berth by beating the New Jersey Generals on Saturday, 26-6. Fittingly for a team from Pittsburgh, the Maulers have allowed the fewest points in the league. However, they finished with just a 4-6 record, and needed victories in the final two weeks to reach four wins — which was somehow good enough to win the division.
— The Michigan Panthers got the final playoff spot by coming back from a 20-6 halftime deficit against the Philadelphia Stars on Sunday night in a 23-20 victory. The Panthers, Stars and Maulers all finished 4-6 in the East, but the Maulers got the top seed with the best division record (4-2), including going 2-0 against Michigan. The Panthers swept the Stars.
Below we’ll break down everything to know about the 2023 USFL playoffs. Here’s how to watch the two semifinals:
North Division semifinal Teams: Pittsburgh Maulers (4-6) vs. Michigan Panthers (4-6) Location: Canton, Ohio Date, time: Saturday, June 24 at 8 p.m. ET TV: NBC
South Division semifinal Teams: Birmingham Stallions (8-2) vs. New Orleans Breakers (7-3) Location: Birmingham, Alabama Date, time: Sunday, June 25 at 7 p.m. ET TV: Fox
Stallions vs. Breakers: USFL’s top teams set for playoff rematch The bad news for the Breakers is that their reward for finishing with the league’s second-best record is that they’ll have to beat the team with the best record to reach the final. Birmingham beat New Orleans three times last year, including the semifinal, and once more this season. On top of that, the South Division semi will be held in Birmingham.
But the Breakers — who won one more game than they did last season — do have reason to believe they can pull off an upset. For one thing, they scorched the Stallions defense in Week 3 in a 45-32 victory. The teams’ other meeting, in Week 7, saw Birmingham win 24-20.
The Stallions have scored the most points in the league by far, led by quarterback Alex McGough (league-leading 20 TD passes, second-most passing yards at 2,104). Jace Sternberger leads the USFL in receiving TDs (7) despite playing tight end.
The Breakers, meanwhile, have allowed the second-fewest points in the USFL, while also scoring the second-most. New Orleans quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson is the only QB to have thrown for more yards (2,433) than McGough, while running back Wes Hills is the league’s rushing yards leader (679).
The Stallions beat the Breakers 31-17 in last year’s semifinal after grabbing the lead before halftime on a 90-yard kick return TD (the league’s first). The rematch is set up to be the best game of the season; expect the Breakers to keep it closer than last year, with a real shot at an upset.
Maulers, Panthers both playoff surprises Pittsburgh was 2-6 through eight weeks. Michigan entered Sunday night with a 3-6 record and trailed the Stars by two touchdowns at halftime. Yet somehow here we are, with one of those teams set to make the USFL championship game.
To the Maulers’ credit, they finished with a bang, holding their last two opponents to a combined 13 points to finish 4-6. Pittsburgh relies on the league’s best defense. Offensively, quarterback Troy Williams (1,414 yards, 6 TDs, 3 INTs) is also the team’s rushing leader (341 yards, 3 TDs).
The Maulers beat the Panthers twice this season (23-7 in Week 5, and 19-7 in Week 9), accounting for half Pittsburgh’s wins.
Michigan, which struggled through a 1-6 stretch after starting the season 2-0, switched up its starting quarterback for the regular-season finale. After going with Josh Love (1,556 yards, 13 TDs, 10 INTs) all season, the Panthers went with E.J. Perry, a more mobile QB, on Sunday night. Perry threw for 141 yards with without a passing TD or pick, but led the team in rushing with 10 attempts for 48 yards and a touchdown.
These teams have both allowed more points than they’ve scored, but as we saw in the XFL championship game, the regular season doesn’t matter once the playoffs begin.
For the second year in a row, the USFL has completed a successful season and made it to the playoffs. The North and South divisions could not have been more different in 2022. The two best teams in the North held 4-6 records, while the top two teams in the South were the only clubs in the entire league with winning records. Here’s our “final four.”
The Pittsburgh Maulers and Michigan Panthers are your two representatives from the North. It’s pretty surprising both teams made it in, as Pittsburgh once sat at 2-6, and Michigan trailed the Philadelphia Stars 20-6 on Sunday before scoring 17 unanswered points to clinch a spot in the postseason.
More on USFL USFL playoff semifinals: How to watch Johnston: Maulers ‘dangerous team’ entering playoffs As for the South, we get a playoff rematch this weekend. It will be the reigning champion Birmingham Stallions vs. the New Orleans Breakers. Both teams enter red-hot, with the Stallions having won five in a row, and Breakers having won three in a row.
Below we break down how to watch the USFL playoffs, and give our gambling picks.
Michigan Panthers (4-6) at Pittsburgh Maulers (4-6) When: Saturday, June 24, 8 p.m. ET (NBC) Game location: Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, Canton, OH
This is the playoff game being overlooked by everyone, but maybe these two first-year head coaches can put on a show. That show likely won’t include a ton of points, however. The Maulers allow just 257.4 yards of total offense per game, which ranks No. 1 in the league, and 17.2 points per game, which ranks second behind the Breakers. Offensively, everything goes through quarterback Troy Williams, who leads the team in passing yards (1,414), passing touchdowns (6), rushing yards (341) and rushing touchdowns (3).
For the Panthers, there’s a quarterback question as Josh Love was replaced by E.J. Perry last week. What you need to know for this matchup is that Pittsburgh swept Michigan in the regular season, defeating the Panthers twice by a combined score of 42-14.
The pick: Maulers -3 Projected score: Maulers 17-10
New Orleans Breakers (7-3) at Birmingham Stallions (8-2) When: Sunday, June 25, 7 p.m. ET (Fox) Game location: Protective Stadium, Birmingham, AL
Last year in the postseason, it was Kyle Sloter leading the Breakers into battle vs. the Stallions. Fast forward to now, and Sloter is on the Stallions roster, while McLeod Bethel-Thompson is under center for New Orleans. Bethel-Thompson led the league in passing with 2,433 yards, was third in passing touchdowns with 14 and had eight interceptions. He won a championship not even a year ago with the Toronto Argonauts in the Canadian Football League, and is looking for another. Running back Wes Hills led the league in rushing with 679 yards.
On the other side, no one has thrown more touchdowns than Birmingham’s Alex McGough, who has 20 TD tosses. His tight end, Jace Sternberger, leads the league in receiving touchdowns with seven, while wide receiver Davion Davis is second in the USFL with 575 receiving yards.
These two teams faced off twice in the regular season. In late April, the Breakers dropped 45 points on the Stallions in a 14-point win, and Hills exploded for 191 rushing yards and three touchdowns on a whopping 34 carries. A month later, the Stallions got their revenge with a 24-20 win despite the Breakers scoring 11 unanswered in the fourth quarter.
I find myself rooting for the veteran Bethel-Thompson, who is capable of overcoming what could be a raucous environment. Both offenses can put up points, but the Stallions defense allows a league-worst 309 yards per game! Isn’t there some saying about defenses and championships? Expect this fun matchup to be close, but I’m leaning toward the underdogs.
One of the USFL’s best defenses will face one of the league’s best offenses in an intriguing 2023 USFL Championship matchup on Saturday night. The Pittsburgh Maulers used their elite defense to punch a surprising ticket to the title game, but they will now be tasked with slowing down the Birmingham Stallions high-powered attack. Birmingham is the defending champion, while Pittsburgh is trying to go from worst to first this season.
Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET. Caesars Sportsbook lists Birmingham as the 7.5-point favorite, while the over/under is 46 in the latest Stallions vs. Maulers odds. Before making any Maulers vs. Stallions picks or USFL Championship predictions, see what SportsLine expert Emory Hunt has to say.
Hunt is the founder and CEO of Football Gameplan, which has been supplying analysis of all levels of football since 2007. He is a former running back for the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns and knows the game from a player’s perspective. Hunt’s dedication to analysis of all levels of college and professional football helped him start the USFL season 24-18 last year and he went 25-18 on his XFL spread picks this season.
Now, Hunt has set his sights on Stallions vs. Maulers. You can head to SportsLine to see his picks. Here are several USFL betting lines for Maulers vs. Stallions:
Stallions vs. Maulers spread: Stallions -7.5 Stallions vs. Maulers over/under: 46 points Stallions vs. Maulers money line: Stallions -300, Maulers +240 Stallions vs. Maulers picks: See picks at SportsLine Why the Stallions can cover Pittsburgh is relying on its defense and turnover rate to win the title, but that is not going to be a winning formula against an experienced championship team. Birmingham has been excellent at ball security throughout the season, and its offense can rack up points in a hurry. The Stallions made a statement when they cruised past New Orleans in the semifinals, racing out to a 40-7 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Quarterback Alex McGough completed 21 of 31 passes for 310 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for 84 yards and an additional score. The Stallions averaged 8.2 yards per carry and 9.9 yards per pass attempt, dominating the Breakers in every aspect of the game. They have the experience and championship mentality to win Saturday’s title showdown against a less experienced opponent. See who to back at SportsLine.
Why the Maulers can cover Birmingham was ultimately able to escape with a victory when these teams met in the regular season, but it was one of their most challenging games. The Maulers took a 20-17 lead midway through the fourth quarter after quarterback Troy Williams scored on a 34-yard rushing touchdown. They also held McGough to a 58.6% completion rate and forced a pair of interceptions.
Pittsburgh limited McGough to 48 rushing yards, while Williams completed 63.6% of his passes for 217 yards and rushed for another 63 yards. The Maulers ranked second in the regular season in points allowed per game (17.2) and led the league in turnover margin (+8). Their defense will make it difficult for Birmingham to win this game by at least a touchdown. See who to back at SportsLine.
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson has brought in a familiar face — and a very familiar face at that. The Jaguars have signed tight end Josh Pederson, the son of coach Pederson, the team announced Monday.
Pederson played his college ball at Louisiana-Monroe before going undrafted in 2021. In 35 games for the Warhawks, he caught 99 passes for 1,191 yards and 11 touchdowns. Pederson previously had short stints with the San Francisco 49ers, New Orleans Saints and Kansas city Chiefs, but never suited up for an NFL game. Most recently, Pederson played for the USFL’s Houston Gamblers.
Josh Pederson TE This past USFL season, Pederson was the Gamblers’ second-leading receiver with 24 receptions for 325 yards in 10 games played. Houston went 5-5 and missed the postseason.
Last week, the Gamblers announced they had terminated Pederson’s contract with the designation that he was going to sign with an NFL team. Now we know who that team is. Pederson is the second USFL player to sign an NFL contract this offseason after the Cowboys added former MLS player and standout Birmingham Stallions kicker Brandon Aubrey.
AMAZING: #Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson attended today’s USFL game to see his son, Houston Gamblers tight end Josh Pederson:
And Pederson credited spring football as an important opportunity for players to show the #NFL what they can do.
👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/atqg7fqcEe
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) April 16, 2023 Currently, the Jaguars have six tight ends on roster: Evan Engram, Luke Farrell, Gerrit Prince, Sammis Reyes, Brenton Strange and Leonard Taylor. Engram received the franchise tag this offseason after a career year in which he caught 73 passes for 766 yards and four touchdowns, and Strange was selected in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft with the No. 61 overall pick.
The Green Bay Packers are beginning a new era after trading away franchise legend Aaron Rodgers this offseason. Jordan Love has the chance to establish himself as the new quarterback in Green Bay, but the Packers are adding someone who could compete to be his backup. Per KPRC2, the Packers are expected to sign former Birmingham Stallions quarterback and 2023 USFL MVP Alex McGough after a successful workout.
The Stallions repeated as USFL champions this summer, and their quarterback was a big reason why. McGough completed 67.4 percent of his passes for 2,104 yards, 20 touchdowns and just five interceptions in the regular season. He led the league in passing touchdowns, and ranked third in passing yards.
It’s also worth noting that McGough was a dual-threat quarterback, as he finished sixth with 403 rushing yards and third with five rushing touchdowns. His USFL head coach, Skip Holtz, believes McGough is an NFL quarterback.
“I think he’s as good as I’ve ever been around, and I’ve been around a lot of NFL quarterbacks,” Holtz said, via theusfl.com.
Pick Six Newsletter Get the day’s big stories + fun stuff you love like mock drafts, picks and power rankings.
I agree to receive the “Pick Six Newsletter” and marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers), and other information from CBS Sports and the Paramount family of companies. By pressing sign up, I confirm that I have read and agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge Paramount’s Privacy Policy. Email Address McGough played his college football at Florida International University, and was a seventh-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks in 2018. However, he did not make the final roster, and was signed to the practice squad. McGough also had short stints with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans, but the 27 year old has yet to play in an NFL game.
If the McGough signing comes to fruition, the Packers will carry four quarterbacks into training camp: Love, Sean Clifford, Danny Etling and McGough.
Over 20 former USFL players are currently on NFL rosters. Daryl Johnston, the former Cowboys legend and current USFL president, is surprised that one USFL player is not currently employed by an NFL team.
When recently asked to name the USFL player he is most surprised is not currently signed by an NFL team, Johnston quickly pointed to Justin Hall, a receiver/returner who spent this past USFL season with the Houston Gamblers. An undrafted rookie last spring, Hall spent the 2022 preseason with Raiders and had a workout with the Dolphins last month.
“He’s tough as nails,” Johnston recently said of Hall during an interview with CBS Sports. “He was one of those guys that I just thought, with the direction the NFL is moving, he’s that space guy. Doesn’t have the quick twitch that KaVonte [Turpin] has, but he’s got a toughness and a contact balance that’s very impressive.”
The 5-foot-8 Hall played collegiately at Ball State, where he caught 318 passes and 18 touchdowns. He also averaged 26.1 yards per kickoff return that included a 99-yard return for a score against Army.
Hall signed with Houston after not making the Raiders’ 53-man roster. During his first season with the Gamblers, Hall was top five in the USFL in receiving yards, touchdown catches and punt return yards.
The Chiefs, given all the drops that transpired during their season-opening loss to the Lions, may decide to give the 24-year-old Hall a look sometime soon.
Kenji Bahar to Justin Hall for the Houston Gamblers #USFL
pic.twitter.com/nFO70NOazE
— USFL Gambling Podcast (@USFLGambling) April 22, 2023 While Hall waits for his next opportunity, several other former USFL players are preparing for Week 1 of the NFL’s regular season. Four former USFL players — Cowboys receiver/returner KaVonte Turpin, Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey, Broncos long snapper Mitchell Fraboni and Panthers defensive tackle LaBryan Ray — are currently on 53-man rosters. Quarterback Alex McGough, the USFL’s reigning league MVP, is one of 17 former USFL players currently on NFL practice squads.
These players are part of the 100 former USFL players who signed with NFL teams over the past two years. All but one of the NFL’s 32 teams have signed a USFL player over that span.
“I couldn’t be happier for these guys,” Johnston said. “It’s what we talk to them about and what we strive for as a league. I always remember Jeff Fisher saying it’s not about getting them to the NFL, because a lot of them have already done that. It’s about getting them the opportunity to stay in the NFL.”
Not surprisingly, a considerable number of USFL players who jumped to the NFL have come from the two-time defending champion Birmingham Stallions. Two members of the Stallions’ 2022 championship team — Bears linebacker DeMarquis Gates and Ravens cornerback Tae Hayes — are beginning their second consecutive seasons on NFL rosters. Six members of Birmingham’s most recent championship team are currently employed by NFL teams.
Despite that turnover, Johnston feels that Birmingham will continue to be a force to be reckoned with in 2024. He said that the trust that’s developed between Stallions coach Skip Holtz and GM Zach Potter is one of the reasons why.
“He’s got great connections. He’s always trying to turn the roster over to get better,” Johnston said of Potter. “I think Birmingham is always going to be tough. Depending on what happens with Alex. Alex was the difference-maker in our league last year. He was just outstanding.”
As far as the USFL is concerned, Johnston feels that the league will eventually be a better alternative for players than college football when it comes to preparing to play in the NFL.
“What we’re providing with the USFL is invaluable because it allows these guys to get into a professional atmosphere, work on the day-to-day grind, work on the details of the position, get better at their craft,” he said. “We really feel like, once we get the momentum behind us, we’re going to be the better alternative.”
Ray Horton won two Super Bowls as the Steelers secondary coach in the 2000s. Currently in his first season as the Pittsburgh Maulers head coach, Horton’s team is two wins away from bringing another championship to the City of Champions.
Prior to the start of the regular season, USFL president of football operations Daryl Johnston said he was eager to see how Pittsburgh would fare this season under Horton, a Super Bowl-winning safety with the Dallas Cowboys who served as an assistant coach for seven NFL teams prior to becoming the Maulers’ head coach. A one-win outfit last season, the Maulers won their final two games of the regular season to clinch a spot in Saturday’s North Division Championship against the Michigan Panthers in Canton, Ohio.
“The unique thing about Pittsburgh,” Johnston recently told CBS Sports, “is great defense, great special teams. The offense can just go out there and not make the critical mistake. I really think Pittsburgh is a dangerous team. … You may look at their record as 4-6, but they don’t believe that really indicates who they are. They feel they’re a better team than that.”
As Johnston eluded to, the Maulers’ success has been largely due to defense and special teams. Pittsburgh’s defense was second in the USFL during the regular season in points allowed, while the Maulers led the league in turnover ratio, punt return average and kickoff touchback percentage. Josh Simmons led the USFL in kickoff return yards, while teammate Isiah Hennie paced the league in punt return yards. Defensive back Mark Gilbert led the league with four interceptions during the regular season. All three players were tabbed as All-USFL performers along with teammates Kyahva Tezino and Arnold Tarpley III.
Gilbert, a former Steeler, had a key end zone interception during Pittsburgh’s 19-7 win over Michigan back in Week 9. It was one of four interceptions thrown that day by Josh Love, who was surprisingly benched in favor of E.J. Perry ahead of Michigan’s must-win Week 10 showdown with the Philadelphia Stars. While Perry wasn’t prolific against the Stars, he took care of the football and rushed for a score in Michigan’s 23-20 win.
“I thought it was very bold for [Panthers coach] Mike Nolan to go with E.J. Perry at that point with everyone on the line,” Johnston said. “They’re very similar [to Pittsburgh]. They’ve got good special teams. They’ve got a good defense. If the offense doesn’t make the critical mistakes, I think Michigan is a much better team.
“If either one of these teams in the North gets a consistent offense that does not turn the ball over, they are much better than a 4-6 team.”
Josh Love throws into double coverage and gets picked off by Mark Gilbert. Another turnover for the shutdown #Maulers defense!#PITvsMICH | #USFL2023 pic.twitter.com/18OGiJtWwI
— USFL Center (@USFLCenter) May 13, 2023 Pittsburgh and Michigan (who also finished the regular season with a 4-6 record) will play for the right to face either the New Orleans Breakers or Birmingham Stallions, who will play each other Sunday in Birmingham in the South Division Championship. The defending champion Stallions went 8-2 during the regular season despite being hit by several major injuries early in the season. Alex McGough, who replaced injured quarterback J’Mar Smith after Smith was injured in Week 1, led the USFL with 20 touchdown passes during the regular season. McGough has been complemented by a Birmingham defense that allowed the fewest points in the USFL during the regular season.
New Orleans will likely focus on McGough, but it shouldn’t sleep on running back C.J. Marable and what has been the USFL’s best offensive line.
“When they really have to hunker down and grind out a clock,” Johnston said, “it’s been fun to watch them lean on that running game.”
Breakers coach John DeFilippo is one of four USFL first-year head coaches and one of three who guided his team to the playoffs. After a 4-0 start, DeFilippo’s team dropped three straight games before righting the ship and ending the regular season on a three-game winning streak. After a midseason slump, the Breakers’ offense returned to early season form entering the playoffs. DeFilippo’s offense has been led by quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson, who is looking to win a second championship in less than a year after leading the Toronto Argonauts to a Gray Cup title last fall.
“I think they’re better when they have a little more balance,” Johnston said of the Breakers, who finished second behind Birmingham in total yards per game during the regular season. “If they get the run going, if that offensive line starts to take control and Wes Hills becomes a big part, I think that opens things up for Sage [Surratt], Johnnie Dixon and what Bethel-Thompson can do for them.”
The winner of Saturday’s Maulers-Panthers game will surely be an underdog for the USFL Championship Game. That wouldn’t be uncharted waters for Horton, who was part of the 2005 Steelers team that became the first sixth seed to win the Super Bowl. Johnston, who won three Super Bowls as a member of the 1990s Cowboys dynasty team, isn’t ruling anything out as far as what will unfold over the next two weekends.
“I think the matchups are very even,” he said. “I think the big one is going to be our championship game. Our southern hub has been solid across the board. I’m a big believer in iron sharpens iron. … Those four teams made each other better throughout the course of the year. … I think the north is dangerous, because good defense and good special teams can take you a long way, (but) can those offenses not make the critical mistakes that we’ve seen them make through the course of the season that have gotten them to 4-6?”
We’ll find that answer out on July 1, when the USFL’s 2023 champion is crowd inside Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.
The USFL is full of stories of players whose resilience has allowed them to keep their football dreams alive. That is the case for both starting quarterbacks who will play in Saturday night’s USFL Championship Game in the Birmingham Stallions’ Alex McGough and the Pittsburgh Maulers’ Troy Williams.
A former seventh-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks, McGough has spent time with three NFL teams but never played in a regular-season game. Williams, who went undrafted despite successful college stints at Utah and Santa Monica College, tried out for the Seahawks and Chargers before spending several years as a backup in the Canadian Football League.
Neither quarterback gave up on their dream, however, and both players made the most of their opportunities to start for their respective USFL teams this past season. McGough, who replaced J’Mar Smith when Smith suffered a season-ending injury in Week 1, is widely expected to be named league MVP after leading the Stallions back to the championship game. Williams has led the Maulers on a three-game winning streak that included last weekend’s thrilling win over the Michigan Panthers in the North Division Championship.
“It’s meant a lot to me,” Williams told CBS Sports ahead of Saturday night’s USFL title game when asked about this season. “Just being in the locker room with the guys. Making the active roster. Throughout the journey, you learn to appreciate the small things that come with being on a football team. It’s just a blessing to be here. The fact that I am able to take advantage of the opportunity that was given to me makes it even better. I’ve been preparing for this opportunity for a long time. … I’m excited to finish the season off the right way.”
Williams embodies the Maulers’ rise from a one-win outfit in 2022 to North Division champions in 2023. Pittsburgh was 2-6 through eight weeks and needed to win its final two games to have any shot at making the playoffs. The Maulers, on the strength of Williams’ steady play and a dominant defense, got things going by edging Michigan in Week 9 before routing the New Jersey Generals in Week 10 to clinch a postseason berth.
In the North Division Championship, the Maulers had an early lead but found themselves trailing Michigan with 2:04 remaining. Channeling his inner Tom Brady, Williams responded by hitting receiver Ishmael Hyman for the go-ahead score on fourth-and-6 with 44 seconds left. And after the Panthers forced overtime, Williams accounted for both of Pittsburgh’s overtime shootout scores while leading the Maulers to a 31-27 win.
REVENGE TOUCHDOWN ISHMAEL HYMAN!!!!!!
🎥: @nbc | @peacock pic.twitter.com/V66gBEdghu
— Pittsburgh Maulers (@USFLMaulers) June 25, 2023 “We’ve always had faith in ourselves,” said Williams, who has thrown just three interceptions this season. “We’ve been in every single game this year with the exception being down in Memphis. Just beating Michigan (in Week 9) to help keep our hopes alive gave us even more confidence that we could really run the table and get to the point that we’re at now.”
Williams’ performance last Saturday night was appreciated by McGough, who watched the game ahead of the Stallions’ South Division Championship showdown with the New Orleans Breakers.
“He played a heck of a football game,” McGough told CBS Sports this week when asked about Williams, who amassed 280 total yards in Pittsburgh’s 24-20 loss to Birmingham back in Week 4. “Came up clutch when he needed to. That’s what the position is about, shining when the lights are brightest. … I think he’s a great player. He’s got a lot of speed. He doesn’t put the ball in danger, and that’s the biggest thing for a quarterback, to protect the ball.”
Like Williams with the Maulers, McGough is a reflection on what type of year it’s been for the Stallions. Birmingham overcame a slew of injuries to make it back to the championship game. They’ve received herculean efforts from former backups that include McGough, who led the USFL in touchdown passes during the regular season while leading Birmingham to an 8-2 record.
Williams and McGough have similarities and differences regarding their play. Along with being a dangerous runner, Williams — who grew up a big Donovan McNabb fan — is able to negate pass rushes with quick passes that often find their mark. McGough is a blend of the two quarterbacks he grew up cheering for — Brady and Aaron Rodgers — while also implementing some of the things he learned from Russell Wilson, his former Seahawks teammate.
“He taught me how to set up the D-line,” McGough said of Wilson. “He manipulated them in ways I never did before. He knows how to look people off in ways where he’s still seeing what he needs to see. Really grateful for the time I was able to spend with him.”
McGough and the Stallions’ dominance was on display last weekend. In front of their home crowd, the Stallions sliced through the talented Breakers like a hot knife through butter. McGough was especially sharp, completing 21 of 31 passes for 310 yards and four touchdowns and no interceptions. He pumped up the crowd numerous times during Birmingham’s 47-22 win.
“That was really, really high on my list of greatest feelings in playing sports,” McGough said of the win. “Just from the crowd cheering from what happened in the game to the hype of the rivalry (the Breakers) were hyping up. Just for us to go out and handle our business the way we did with the crowd support behind us was a top-two moment of my sports career.”
REVENGE TOUCHDOWN ISHMAEL HYMAN!!!!!!
🎥: @nbc | @peacock pic.twitter.com/V66gBEdghu
— Pittsburgh Maulers (@USFLMaulers) June 25, 2023 With the win, the Stallions improved to 20-3 over the past two seasons. Along with having talented players and coaches, McGough identified one intangible quality that has contributed mightily to the Stallions’ success over the past two years.
“Playing for each other and playing as a team and not as individuals is a key thing in this game, and I think we do that,” McGough said. “Everybody plays for each other. … I truly think that’s why teams win and win over the course of years. … We have that on this team.”
While he didn’t start, McGough did play in last year’s USFL Championship Game. He replaced an injured Smith in the second half and threw a touchdown pass in Birmingham’s victory over the Philadelphia Stars. McGough kept it simple when asked what he and his teammates will have to do on Saturday night to repeat as champions.
“If Birmingham scores one more point than the Pittsburgh Maulers,” McGough said before sharing a quote to support that answer: “The one who has surrendered the outcome is the one who has the greatest chance of success.
“I’m just trying to a win. I try not to focus on the future or the past. I try to just focus on what I’ve got to do right now. Right now, it’s eat cashews and talk to you, and in 30 minutes, it’s going to change. It’s a constant battle of not thinking about things that I cannot control. That’s all I try to do. … There’s no such thing as pressure in the past or future. The pressure comes from your expectation of what’s going to happen. That’s something that I can’t control, so why worry about it?
“If every player on the Birmingham Stallions gives everything they have, then the outcome will be what it is.”
While McGough wouldn’t allow himself to discuss the possible feeling of winning another USFL title, Williams shared what it would mean to him to be the winning quarterback Saturday night at Tom Benson Stadium. Williams’ answer was on brand with what the USFL largely stands for: an opportunity for talented football players to make their dreams a reality.
“That would be awesome. That would be everything I could ask for, not just for me, but for people who have been or are in my situation,” Williams said. “Kids back home, players that are trying to find a way and haven’t had the opportunity. For me to go out there and go through everything that I’ve been through and to be able to win the championship would go to show that if you just stick with it, continue to have your faith and be ready when the time comes, you’ll be able to take advantage of the opportunity.”
The USFL is full of stories of players whose resilience has allowed them to keep their football dreams alive. That is the case for both starting quarterbacks who will play in Saturday night’s USFL Championship Game in the Birmingham Stallions’ Alex McGough and the Pittsburgh Maulers’ Troy Williams.
A former seventh-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks, McGough has spent time with three NFL teams but never played in a regular-season game. Williams, who went undrafted despite successful college stints at Utah and Santa Monica College, tried out for the Seahawks and Chargers before spending several years as a backup in the Canadian Football League.
Neither quarterback gave up on their dream, however, and both players made the most of their opportunities to start for their respective USFL teams this past season. McGough, who replaced J’Mar Smith when Smith suffered a season-ending injury in Week 1, is widely expected to be named league MVP after leading the Stallions back to the championship game. Williams has led the Maulers on a three-game winning streak that included last weekend’s thrilling win over the Michigan Panthers in the North Division Championship.
“It’s meant a lot to me,” Williams told CBS Sports ahead of Saturday night’s USFL title game when asked about this season. “Just being in the locker room with the guys. Making the active roster. Throughout the journey, you learn to appreciate the small things that come with being on a football team. It’s just a blessing to be here. The fact that I am able to take advantage of the opportunity that was given to me makes it even better. I’ve been preparing for this opportunity for a long time. … I’m excited to finish the season off the right way.”
Williams embodies the Maulers’ rise from a one-win outfit in 2022 to North Division champions in 2023. Pittsburgh was 2-6 through eight weeks and needed to win its final two games to have any shot at making the playoffs. The Maulers, on the strength of Williams’ steady play and a dominant defense, got things going by edging Michigan in Week 9 before routing the New Jersey Generals in Week 10 to clinch a postseason berth.
In the North Division Championship, the Maulers had an early lead but found themselves trailing Michigan with 2:04 remaining. Channeling his inner Tom Brady, Williams responded by hitting receiver Ishmael Hyman for the go-ahead score on fourth-and-6 with 44 seconds left. And after the Panthers forced overtime, Williams accounted for both of Pittsburgh’s overtime shootout scores while leading the Maulers to a 31-27 win.
REVENGE TOUCHDOWN ISHMAEL HYMAN!!!!!!
🎥: @nbc | @peacock pic.twitter.com/V66gBEdghu
— Pittsburgh Maulers (@USFLMaulers) June 25, 2023 “We’ve always had faith in ourselves,” said Williams, who has thrown just three interceptions this season. “We’ve been in every single game this year with the exception being down in Memphis. Just beating Michigan (in Week 9) to help keep our hopes alive gave us even more confidence that we could really run the table and get to the point that we’re at now.”
Williams’ performance last Saturday night was appreciated by McGough, who watched the game ahead of the Stallions’ South Division Championship showdown with the New Orleans Breakers.
“He played a heck of a football game,” McGough told CBS Sports this week when asked about Williams, who amassed 280 total yards in Pittsburgh’s 24-20 loss to Birmingham back in Week 4. “Came up clutch when he needed to. That’s what the position is about, shining when the lights are brightest. … I think he’s a great player. He’s got a lot of speed. He doesn’t put the ball in danger, and that’s the biggest thing for a quarterback, to protect the ball.”
Like Williams with the Maulers, McGough is a reflection on what type of year it’s been for the Stallions. Birmingham overcame a slew of injuries to make it back to the championship game. They’ve received herculean efforts from former backups that include McGough, who led the USFL in touchdown passes during the regular season while leading Birmingham to an 8-2 record.
Williams and McGough have similarities and differences regarding their play. Along with being a dangerous runner, Williams — who grew up a big Donovan McNabb fan — is able to negate pass rushes with quick passes that often find their mark. McGough is a blend of the two quarterbacks he grew up cheering for — Brady and Aaron Rodgers — while also implementing some of the things he learned from Russell Wilson, his former Seahawks teammate.
“He taught me how to set up the D-line,” McGough said of Wilson. “He manipulated them in ways I never did before. He knows how to look people off in ways where he’s still seeing what he needs to see. Really grateful for the time I was able to spend with him.”
McGough and the Stallions’ dominance was on display last weekend. In front of their home crowd, the Stallions sliced through the talented Breakers like a hot knife through butter. McGough was especially sharp, completing 21 of 31 passes for 310 yards and four touchdowns and no interceptions. He pumped up the crowd numerous times during Birmingham’s 47-22 win.
“That was really, really high on my list of greatest feelings in playing sports,” McGough said of the win. “Just from the crowd cheering from what happened in the game to the hype of the rivalry (the Breakers) were hyping up. Just for us to go out and handle our business the way we did with the crowd support behind us was a top-two moment of my sports career.”
REVENGE TOUCHDOWN ISHMAEL HYMAN!!!!!!
🎥: @nbc | @peacock pic.twitter.com/V66gBEdghu
— Pittsburgh Maulers (@USFLMaulers) June 25, 2023 With the win, the Stallions improved to 20-3 over the past two seasons. Along with having talented players and coaches, McGough identified one intangible quality that has contributed mightily to the Stallions’ success over the past two years.
“Playing for each other and playing as a team and not as individuals is a key thing in this game, and I think we do that,” McGough said. “Everybody plays for each other. … I truly think that’s why teams win and win over the course of years. … We have that on this team.”
While he didn’t start, McGough did play in last year’s USFL Championship Game. He replaced an injured Smith in the second half and threw a touchdown pass in Birmingham’s victory over the Philadelphia Stars. McGough kept it simple when asked what he and his teammates will have to do on Saturday night to repeat as champions.
“If Birmingham scores one more point than the Pittsburgh Maulers,” McGough said before sharing a quote to support that answer: “The one who has surrendered the outcome is the one who has the greatest chance of success.
“I’m just trying to a win. I try not to focus on the future or the past. I try to just focus on what I’ve got to do right now. Right now, it’s eat cashews and talk to you, and in 30 minutes, it’s going to change. It’s a constant battle of not thinking about things that I cannot control. That’s all I try to do. … There’s no such thing as pressure in the past or future. The pressure comes from your expectation of what’s going to happen. That’s something that I can’t control, so why worry about it?
“If every player on the Birmingham Stallions gives everything they have, then the outcome will be what it is.”
While McGough wouldn’t allow himself to discuss the possible feeling of winning another USFL title, Williams shared what it would mean to him to be the winning quarterback Saturday night at Tom Benson Stadium. Williams’ answer was on brand with what the USFL largely stands for: an opportunity for talented football players to make their dreams a reality.
“That would be awesome. That would be everything I could ask for, not just for me, but for people who have been or are in my situation,” Williams said. “Kids back home, players that are trying to find a way and haven’t had the opportunity. For me to go out there and go through everything that I’ve been through and to be able to win the championship would go to show that if you just stick with it, continue to have your faith and be ready when the time comes, you’ll be able to take advantage of the opportunity.”
We’ve got another exciting Central Division matchup on Thursday’s NBA schedule as the Indiana Pacers will host the Detroit Pistons. Indiana is 31-25 overall and 17-11 at home, while Detroit is 8-46 overall and 4-23 on the road. The Pacers have won the two previous matchups this season after the teams split four meetings last season. The Pistons are 27-27 versus the spread in the 2023-24 NBA season, while the Pacers are 29-25-3 versus the number.
Tip-off is at 7 p.m. ET at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Pacers are favored by 11.5 points in the latest Pistons vs. Pacers odds, per SportsLine consensus, and the over/under is 246.5 points. Before entering any Pacers vs. Pistons picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters Week 18 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a sizzling 60-36 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning nearly $2,300. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Detroit vs. Indiana. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Pistons vs. Pacers:
Pacers vs. Pistons spread: Pacers -11.5 Pacers vs. Pistons over/under: 246.5 points Pacers vs. Pistons money line: Pacers: -705, Pistons: +497 Pacers vs. Pistons picks: See picks at SportsLine What you need to know about the Pacers The oddsmakers set the bar high, but the Pacers and the Toronto Raptors didn’t disappoint and broke past the 245.5 point over/under last Wednesday. Indiana skirted past the Raptors 127-125. Indiana’s success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Tyrese Haliburton led the charge by shooting 5-for-9 from beyond the arc and dropping a double-double on 21 points and 12 assists. The team also got some help courtesy of Pascal Siakam, who scored 23 points to go along with seven assists and five rebounds.
Indiana’s offense has slowed a bit since a hot start to the season, but it still leads the NBA in points per game and field goal percentage while ranking second in offensive rating. Siakam is shooting a blistering 57.1% from the floor since being traded from Toronto, and he’s filling up the box score with averages of 21.4 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.8 assists with the Pacers. Indiana has seven players on its current roster averaging in double-figures, but one of those in Aaron Nesmith (12.6 ppg) is out on Thursday with an ankle injury. See which team to pick here.
What you need to know about the Pistons Meanwhile, the Pistons’ recent rough patch got a bit rougher last Wednesday after their third straight loss. They took a hard 116-100 fall against the Phoenix Suns. The Pistons have struggled against the Suns recently, as their match last Wednesday was their seventh consecutive lost matchup. New acquisition Simone Fontecchio led Detroit with 18 points in the defeat.
Detroit made lots of transactions before the trade deadline, but a couple of constants have been Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren. The former leads the team with 21.9 points and 7.5 assists, while Duren is fifth in the NBA with 12 rebounds per game, to go along with 14 points per night. Detroit owns a sparkling 12-4 ATS record over its last 16 games. See which team to pick here.
Key Betting Info Some of the betting trends to consider are:
The Pistons are 9-4 against the spread in their last 13 games when the spread was between +10 to +13. The Pacers are 27-17-3 against the spread in their last 47 games after a day off. The Pistons are 6-4 against the spread in their last 10 games vs teams that win 45-55 percent of games. How to make Pacers vs. Pistons picks The model has simulated Pistons vs. Pacers 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Under, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in well over 60% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
