The Birmingham Stallions have done it again. With a win against the Houston Gamblers, they have officially clinched the 2023 USFL playoffs. The Stallions won the game 38-15, clinching playoffs for the second straight year. As a reminder, the Stallions won last year’s USFL championship game against the Philadelphia Stars. With injuries at the beginning of the season, things did not look great, but the Stallions proved everyone wrong. The team now has a 7-2 record, while the Gamblers fall to 5-4. Here is a look at the Birmingham Stallions studs and duds in week nine.
Birmingham Stallions Studs
Former Green Bay Packers TE Jace Sternberger (87) – Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images
Jace Sternberger
Tight end Jace Sternberger had a clutch game for the Stallions. He was the team’s top receiver despite having just three receptions. Those receptions went for 58 yards and one touchdown, according to the USFL. He averaged 19.3 yards per reception, his longest being for 41 yards. The Stallions did well this week distributing passes to various players, and it says a lot that Sternberger was able to stand out through that.
Sternberger was actually targeted seven times in the game. There is always room for improvement, and that is something the tight end can work on ahead of playoffs. He did well getting open and helped his team achieve a crucial week nine win.
Quentin Poling
The Birmingham Stallions linebacker, Quentin Poling was another player to have a great week nine game. Poling led the team in tackles and also forced turnovers. This is a perfect time for Poling to gain this strong momentum. Against the Houston Gamblers, Poling had 11 combined tackles, eight of which were solo, and 0.5 sacks, according to the USFL. He also had two tackles for loss and one pass deflection.
One of the highlights of Poling’s game was that he forced an interception. This is one of the most important ways to get wins in the league, and Poling took advantage of that. The interception came early in the game, with just over six minutes left in the first quarter. Gamblers quarterback Kenji Bahar threw the pass too short, and Poling was able to snatch it. Unfortunately, on the next drive, the Birmingham Stallions ended up turning the ball over as well. While the team did not take advantage of the turnover, it was still a key part of the Stallions’ win.
Birmingham Stallions Duds
Former Arizona Cardinals Safety Nate Brooks (41) – Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports
Nate Brooks
Cornerback Nate Brooks was one of the Stallions who did not have a great game for the team. By the end of the matchup, Brooks had seven combined tackles, four of which were solo, according to the USFL. This is not bad and he was second in tackles, but he did not stand out. The most his name was called was because of a penalty for a face mask. At the end of the day, Brooks is fine because the team still won, but moving forward, this will be something to be careful of.
CJ Marable
The Birmingham Stallions did struggle with running the ball for most of the game. This does lead to running back CJ Marable not having the best game. Marable had 12 rushing attempts for just 32 yards, according to the USFL. He did have a touchdown which is great, and his longest rush was for 16 yards; he just struggled to get anything going throughout the game. Marable ended up averaging just 2.7 yards per attempt. He actually did fine receiving, with three receptions for 37 yards. His longest reception was for 26 yards.
Marable is also one of the two players who did kick returns against the Houston Gamblers. He had four returns for 120 yards, averaging 30 yards per return. This is solid; it is just a shame that he could not get anything going when rushing the ball.
The Birmingham Stallions are the first team in the entire USFL to clinch playoffs. Their final game of the regular season will be against the Memphis Showboats, which could potentially be a preview of a playoff matchup.
