The San Antonio Brahmas are finally making their home debut, hosting the Houston Roughnecks to wrap up the week five action in the UFL.
Heading into this affair, both teams are 1-3 – and looking to find something positive to turn their seasons around. For the Brahmas, they got their first win of the year on Sunday night – topping the previously undefeated 3-0 DC Defenders. Payton Pardee & Co. put together a coaching masterclass, as San Antonio looked as fluid as ever this UFL season.
Meanwhile, the Houston Roughnecks fell just short against the Birmingham Stallions at home. It was a hard fought loss, and one that showed quite a bit of promise with Jalan McClendon at quarterback.
Let’s take a look at what we can expect in this outing, as the AlamoDome will certainly be rocking in San Antonio to welcome the return of their Brahmas.
Quarterback Play
The San Antonio Brahmas have adjusted their system under Payton Pardee, and it’s paid off for the confidence levels of Kellen Mond. With their ability to run the football and establish a ground game early, it’s made his life easier, and we’ve seen that translate to success on the field. Mond has been using his legs more efficiently, as well, growing in every aspect of the game.
Kellen played his best football of the year this past Sunday, throwing for 120 yards and a touchdown, without turning the ball over. When Mond is in control of the offense, the Brahmas are a very good football team. Look for Kellen to continue to build off of the performance we saw from him a week ago.
On Houston’s side, Jalan McClendon will be getting the start as Nolan Henderson is still nursing his shoulder injury suffered in the first quarter against Birmingham. McClendon came into the game and looked as sharp as ever, nearly leading the Roughnecks to the come from behind win against the defending champs.
McClendon’s strengths are something that Houston hasn’t really had for most of the year. He can use his legs to extend plays – but he keeps his eyes down the field, and is always looking to make a throw if he can. Additionally, his strong arm allows him to make throws to certain spots on the field that Brown/Henderson haven’t throughout the young season. With a week under his belt of legitimate starting reps in Houston’s offense, the ceiling is very high for what Jalan is capable of.
Standout Playmakers
The Houston Roughnecks will see the return of RB Kirk Merritt this week, which will be a boost to their offense. ZaQuandre White has been playing well for Houston – making an impact coming out of the backfield in a multiple of ways. However, it’s hard to replicate what Kirk Merritt can do with his speed and agility – and Eric Price will no doubt be happy to have him back in the saddle.
At WR, the Roughnecks continue to see their guys shine. Marcus Simms has been a welcomed addition to the room, while Keke Chism, Justin Hall, and Lawrence Keys have all found their roles once again this season. Look for a guy like Chism to see quite a few targets, against a Brahmas defense that has shown some weaknesses in the secondary.
The Brahmas have three running backs who can all play at a high level. Even though they’re missing John Lovett, Aidan Robbins stepped in and scored two touchdowns in just four carries in the win over DC. Expect a heavy dose of Robbins, Anthony McFarland, and Jashaun Corbin as Pardee establishes the run game against a Houston defense that has struggled.
At wide receiver, Jacob Harris is “the guy” that Mond has looked for most often in clutch scenarios. However, they need to see Jontre Kirklin and Greg Ward get more involved – they’re both too talented to not receive consistent targets. Also, TE Alize Mack should be back in action this week, which gives Mond another red zone target.
Depth Chart
- The Roughnecks are without Markel Roby and Colby Richardson in the secondary. Rayshad Williams moves to strong safety this week, following his strong performance last week with an INT
- Marcus Simms is starting at WR for Houston, while Kirk Merritt finally returns at RB
- San Antonio sees TE Alize Mack back in action
- Donald De La Haye Jr. appears to be on IR for the Brahmas as he is no longer listed on the roster
Due to Nolan Henderson’s injury, he’ll be the emergency quarterback this week. C.J. Johnson mentioned that he hadn’t really been throwing much, so Anthony Brown steps in as QB2.
Brahmas’ Ground Attack vs. Houston’s Defense
One of the key factors to watch in this one: how will Houston plan to slow down the San Antonio Brahmas ground attack? The Brahmas have a three headed attack with the aforementioned McFarland, Robbins, and Corbin. All three have their strengths, and have fit into San Antonio’s new game plan quite well.
Payton Pardee has made it clear: he wants to run the football. This was evident on one of their scoring drives against DC on Sunday night, when they ran the ball three times in the red zone, eventually punching it in with Robbins finding paydirt. There was a healthy dose of the “tank formation” for Pardee’s offense, as they look to beat defenses off the ball and get downhill.
Houston, on the other hand, has a tough time slowing down the run throughout the majority of the season. It hasn’t been nearly as bad as their week one performance against St. Louis where they gave up 273 rushing yards to the Battlehawks – but their defensive line hasn’t consistently been able to clog the holes. Birmingham rushed for a season high 126 yards on Saturday night, which played a big factor in their win this week. If the Roughnecks want to have a chance in this one, they will have to find a way to more efficiently slow down San Antonio’s game plan – which is to run the football.
Can Houston Capitalize On Takeaways?
The Houston Roughnecks are a more talented team this year compared to last, but still feature the undisciplined issues that haunted them in 2024.
Week four was an example of exactly that. They were not able to get any points off of two turnovers, despite having favorable field position in both instances. Firstly, DB Rayshad Williams intercepted Matt Corral, which appeared to put the Roughnecks in a spot to score. However, they failed to convert on 4th and 1, and came away empty.
A similar instance would happen later in the second half, as a Deon Cain fumble once again gave Houston plenty of momentum. This time, Chris Blewitt shanked a 47 yard field goal – and the Roughnecks’ chance to take a late lead slipped away.
We’ve seen this time and time again from C.J. Johnson-led football teams: they cannot find a way to get out of their own way.
Looking At Last Season
This feels like a good time to take a quick rewind to a season ago, when Houston’s self-inflicted wounds ended up costing them their final shot at staying in the UFL playoff race.
Through three quarters against San Antonio, the Roughnecks dominated the game. Defensively, they smothered Quinten Dormady and the Brahmas passing game, forcing turnovers that shut down scoring drives. In the third quarter in particular, they had plenty of momentum, taking a 12-3 lead.
However, their inability to score touchdowns – settling for field goal after field goal – came back to haunt them. The Brahmas brought in Kevin Hogan at QB, who led the team down for a touchdown, and tied it up at 12 following a three point conversion. Reggie Roberson fumbled on the kickoff, and San Antonio walked it off on a Ryan Santoso field goal attempt, as Houston fell 15-12 at home.
To put it in perspective – Houston’s offense did not touch the football for the final twelve minutes of regulation.
Coaching Matchup
San Antonio Brahmas | Payton Pardee: Payton Pardee is already turning heads in the coaching scene. In his official debut as HC of the Brahmas, he outcoached Shannon Harris, Blake Williams, and the rest of that DC organization – coming away with a major upset on the road. That win may have saved their season, but they need to stay focused on one game at a time. Right now, it’s time to knock off Houston.
Houston Roughnecks | C.J. Johnson: C.J. Johnson’s Roughnecks are playing better football compared to a year ago, but they still have work to do. The little mistakes are an issue once again. That said, the attitude of the organization is more positive this season – and now we’ll see if C.J. can improve on his 2-12 record as Roughnecks HC on the road in a hostile San Antonio environment.
Final Thoughts
Right now, momentum is certainly heading in San Antonio’s favor. They’ve been slowly but surely figuring it out from week to week. Payton Pardee and his regime has shifted the culture for this Brahmas organization, which was much needed.
With the firepower of their home fans behind them, and the improved play of the offense (and defense) over the past two games, the Brahmas are no doubt the favorites ahead of this Sunday afternoon showdown.
Full Roster Breakdowns: San Antonio, Houston
What are your thoughts on this upcoming game between the Houston Roughnecks and San Antonio Brahmas? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!
