The UFL Championship was a game that was dominated by the DC Defenders for the majority of the night, as they took it to the Michigan Panthers, 58-34.
It was the culmination of a few things for DC. First off – they wanted to get their “getback”. Michigan had beaten DC in the two previous matchups, with a 38-14 shellacking back in week six.
Secondly, Jordan Ta’amu, who led the UFL in most passing categories, wasn’t given any awards by the UFL. He was snubbed for the All-UFL list, Offensive Player of the Year, and MVP – with Panthers QB Bryce Perkins winning the triple crown.
Finally, the team was peaking at the right time. No matter how many times that DC was the “underdog” this season; whether it was media picking against them, or the betting lines showing their opposition as the favorite, the Defenders always found a way to get it done.
This would be the case yet again on Saturday night, as the DC Defenders were crowned champions.
Let’s take a look back at some of the key factors in this game, and how DC ultimately took over in full force.
Michigan’s Mistakes
It wouldn’t be a Michigan Panthers loss, if there weren’t some self-inflicted wounds on their own end. Don’t get me wrong – DC outplayed Michigan on just about every level. But, the Panthers did not help themselves out during crucial moments, and instead committed some friendly fire.
Michigan’s secondary played terrible throughout most of the night, but they had their chances. On DC’s first drive, D.J. Miller broke on a ball intended for Cornell Powell, but couldn’t make the pick. Had he caught the ball, it very well could have been a pick six to give Michigan a 12-0 lead. The next play, Ta’amu dropped a dime to Jaydon Mickens for a touchdown, with more confusion in that secondary.
It was misalignments that did the Panthers no favors in this one. Every mistake that they could have made, they made. D.J. Miller, in particular, had a rough…