NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — After starting a perfect 4-0, the New Orleans Breakers (4-3) are on a three-game slide in as many weeks. The latest was a 24-20 loss to USFL South Division rival, Birmingham (5-2), on Saturday.
Despite possessing the league’s most prolific offense, leading in both passing yards and total yards thanks to passing leader McLeod Bethel-Thompson (1,791 yards), rushing leader Wes Hills (577 yards) and receiving leader in tight end Sage Surratt (475 yards), the Breakers are struggling in the red zone scoring just one touchdown in four attempts against the Stallions.
In fact, during the three-game skid, New Orleans is just three of nine in the zone, and has given up eight sacks and eight turnovers.
The Breakers turned the ball over just three times total during their first four games.
With the win, the Stallions, who won the USFL Championship last season, move atop the division ladder on a two-game win streak. Meanwhile, the Memphis Showboats have won four straight with former Southeastern quarterback Cole Kelley under center and now top a three-way tie for second with the Breakers and Houston Gamblers at 4-3.
All four teams are 2-2 in division play.
With the Michigan Panthers up next, followed by back-to-back road games against the Showboats and Gamblers to close the regular season, Breakers head coach John DeFilippp told WGNO Sports on Monday that New Orleans is in playoff mode now, and that every game is a “must-win” for the Breakers, who reached the playoffs last season.
“I would say ‘Yeah, we are.’ And that doesn’t mean that we’re adding any extra pressure on ourselves, but at the same time recognizing the situation that we’re in,” said Coach DeFilippo. “And so, you know, we earned the right to be 4-0 and we’ve earned the right to lose our last three. That’s what we are.
“And so I think, it’s you have to recognize and look at yourself in the mirror and say, ‘Hey, this is what we are. This is where we are,'” he continued. “And the only thing we can do is play our way out of it. That’s all. That’s the only thing you can do in professional football. Keep doing your job and play your way out of it.”
The Breakers host the Panthers (3-4) in Birmingham, Ala., on Sunday.
Kickoff is set for 3 p.m.