The New Jersey Generals recently lost to the New Orleans Breakers, falling to a 2-2 record. The Breakers appear the be the top team in the USFL for the 2023 season. The North division is close, with the Generals and Panthers at a 2-2 record. Here is a look at how the New Jersey Generals can make a comeback in week five against the Philadelphia Stars.
New Jersey Generals vs. Stars
With the North division wide open, this week’s game will be an important one. The Stars currently have a 1-3 record, but in a league with just ten games, that does not mean anything. The Generals only lost by three points against the Breakers, making them close to a win. The Generals getting the week three win against the Panthers was crucial, and this one will be just as important.
NJ Generals QB De’Andre Johnson (1) – Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire
The first key to victory for the New Jersey Generals will be to win the possession battle. The Generals had the ball for 21:16 while the Breakers had possession for 38:44, according to the USFL. In the fourth quarter of the week four matchup, the only scoring play was a field goal by the BReakers. On that drive, New Orleans had the ball for 5:54, the longest possession of the quarter. Even the next time the Breakers had the ball, while they did not score, their possession time was 4:36. The Generals did not have the ball for more than 2 minutes each drive in the fourth.
If the New Jersey Generals can hold possession and take control, they should be able to beat the Philadelphia Star. While the Generals’ defense can push through, the offense will need to step it up. The team has lucked out so far this season by not throwing any interceptions, but the offense still needs to stay on the field much longer than they are. This will keep their defense from tiring out as well.
This season, the generals’ main quarterback has been De’Andre Johnson. Johnson has done well without throwing any interceptions but needs to score more and keep possession longer this week. According to Fox Sports, Johnson has passed for 422 yards with three passing touchdowns, as well as rushed the ball for 193 yards and one touchdown. He has completed just 30 passes out of 55 yards.
The Generals have done a strong job with rushing the ball and will most likely utilize this against the Stars. Darius Victor is the team’s leading rusher with 290 yards, averaging 72.5 per game. He only has two rushing touchdowns this season, but that could change this weekend. The Stars have had 109 points scored against them, the most in the North division. The Generals will need to take advantage of this.
New Jersey Generals QB De’Andre Johnson (1) – Tim Nwachukwu/USFL/Getty Images
The New Jersey Generals’ defense could have a big game against the Stars. The hardest part about the defense is that they do not get long resting times based on the offense. This means the Generals will need to get the advantage early. The Stars’ quarterback, Case Cookus, can be a strong quarterback but has a weakness when it comes to turnovers. Cookus has passed for 922 yards this season with five passing touchdowns but has also thrown five interceptions, according to Fox Sports. If New Jersey’s defense can stop the Stars’ offense early, the Generals should be able to get the best of Philadelphia.
While it is just week five of the USFL, the North division is close, and there are only ten weeks. This makes every game important. If the Generals lose this game, all of a sudden, the Stars and them can sit with the same record. The Pittsburgh Maulers will be facing the Michigan Panthers this weekend as well. The North’s standings can be completely changed this weekend, making a New Jersey Generals’ win even more important.
The Generals and the Stars will face off this Sunday at 12 pm Eastern at Ford Field.
