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Memphis Showboats vs. Houston Roughnecks

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Memphis Showboats vs. Houston Roughnecks

In the final game of the 2024 UFL regular season, the Houston Roughnecks will travel to Liberty Bank Stadium to take on the Memphis Showboats. This is a matchup between two teams that both sit at 1-8 and haven’t seen each other since Week 1, when Memphis won 18-12 at Rice Stadium. However, this one has a particularity. The winner will be awarded the first overall pick in the 2025 UFL Draft and all subsequent rounds. Typically, the team with the fewest wins will be awarded the pick, but the UFL took a page from the USFL playbook.

This had already been done in 2022, during a week ten game between the Pittsburgh Maulers and the Michigan Panthers. It’s an innovative idea that adds some intrigue to an otherwise bland affair. Now let’s take a look at the final game of the season for these two teams.

The Roughnecks’ offense versus the Showboats’ defense

Houston’s offense has played its two best games of the season over the past few weeks. Against Birmingham and Michigan, they made 28 and 22, respectively, and moved the ball much better than in the previous seven weeks of the season. A lot of that has to do with the emergence of quarterback Nolan Henderson. He threw the ball well enough, but where he differs from former starter Reid Sinnett is the use of his legs. He’s rushed for 100 yards and a touchdown in the last two games, which has helped running back Mark Thompson and receiver Justin Hall find more open space. Despite ranking last or second-to-last in every major offensive category, Houston’s offense is on the rise. They will have a much more advantageous matchup in week ten against the worst defense in the UFL. Over the past two weeks, Thompson has rushed for 92 yards and three scores while Hall has 10 catches for 182 yards and two touchdowns. Expect big matches from them and Henderson.

Carnell Lake’s defense had a fantastic stretch last season in the USFL during the Showboats’ five-game winning streak. During that stretch, they gave up just 11.2 points per game and also pitched a shutout in week six. This year the situation has been catastrophic. They are allowing 28 points per game and 359 yards per game this season, which are by far the worst marks in the league. They allowed more than 30 points five times and allowed 47 to the Renegades in week seven. Safety Lamont McPhatter was a bright spot with 42 total tackles, a sack and a forced fumble, but players like edge rusher Greg Reaves (3.5 sacks, 18 tackles) didn’t build on the team’s success. last season. Memphis leads the league in fumbles recovered and Thompson lost a fumble for Houston last week against Michigan. They will need to look to create takeaways to get off the field, rather than continually allowing the long drives they have been taking all season.

The Showboats’ offense versus the Roughnecks’ defense

As bad as it has been on defense for Memphis, it hasn’t been much better for the offense. They are second in scoring this season at 18.8 points per game, and are last in total yards, passing yards and rushing yards. They have allowed a league-worst 38 sacks, 14 more than Houston, which is second-worst in the UFL. They will start their third different quarterback on Sunday as Josh Love gets the nod in their final game. Last week against DC, he went 9/14 for 105 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He added nine more rushing yards and a touchdown in the deadline when the game was well out of his reach. Running back Darius Victor finally bounced back with a 100-yard, one-score day. He ran the ball ten times for three yards when these teams met in Week 1, so he’ll be looking to make up for that performance.

Houston’s run defense is solid and Memphis hasn’t run the ball well this season, so we should expect the Roughnecks to win the battle in the trenches. They allowed just 34 yards in their Week 1 game, including 15 on a run by Daewood Davis. On the other 18 carries, they held Memphis to 1.1 yards per carry. A lack of running game will cause the Showboats to fall back further and that could mean a big day for defensive end Chris Odom. He has 5.5 sacks, 28 tackles and two forced fumbles this season. Facing the worst offensive line in the league, he will have the opportunity to finish the season strong. Safety Markel Roby leads the team in tackles and interceptions with 48 and two, respectively. Despite so many injuries, Houston continues to play admirably. However, they have given up 30.5 points per game over their last two games, but this is a much less potent offense than the Stallions or the Perkins-led Panthers. We should expect an effort similar to their dominance against a good Arlington offense in Houston’s only win this year.

Final Thoughts

The Tank Bowl, the Toilet Bowl, or whatever you want to call it, these two teams will compete in the UFL regular season finale on Sunday night. Despite their season ending, all of these players will be looking to produce good records and prove that they should be back next season. Roughnecks head coach CJ Johnson and Showboats head coach John DeFilippo have both disappointed this year. They will also look to show that they should be back for a third season in 2025. In the last iteration of this game, the Panthers defeated the Maulers 33-21 to secure the top pick in the 2023 USFL draft. We’ll see who does it this time on Sunday evening.

Full Roster Breakdown: Houston, Memphis

What do you think of this upcoming UFL matchup between the Houston Roughnecks and Memphis Showboats? Let us know in the comments below or join the conversation on Discord!

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