The Pittsburgh Maulers fell short once again in week eight against the Houston Gamblers. The Maulers now sit at 2-6 and have had a rough stretch of games. The Gamblers go up to a 5-3 record after winning the game 20-19. There were more hopes this game, as the Maulers’ passing game was much stronger, and the defense was holding off well. The issues came in the red zone, where Pittsburgh struggled to put points on the board. There are just two more weeks of the USFL regular season. Here is a look at the Pittsburgh Maulers’ studs and duds in week eight.
Pittsburgh Maulers Studs
Maulers QB Troy Williams (11) – Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Troy Williams
Quarterback Troy Williams stepped up his game against the Gamblers. Although Pittsburgh did not get the win, Williams’ demonstrated a smart playing style. In the game, Williams completed 20 passes out of 26 attempts for 214 yards, according to the USFL. He averaged 8.2 yards per attempt and no interceptions. The key to the way Williams played against Houston was his decision-making. Williams did not force passes and knew when to throw it away and when to run instead.
Williams ended up rushing the ball himself seven times for 36 yards. The most unfortunate part about the quarterback was that he never scored a passing touchdown, but he did rush for one. This was a crucial part of how close the game was, and the Pittsburgh Maulers did come close to a win. Williams had a strong game, and it is a shame he could not get the win.
Bailey Gaither
Wide receiver Bailey Gaither also had a strong game in week eight, in part due to how well Williams played. Throughout the game, Gaither had six receptions for 70 yards, according to the USFL. He averaged 11.7 yards per reception, his longest for 31 yards. He never got a touchdown, and it is a shame with how well the receiver played. Gaither also rushed the ball one time for 13 yards. The Maulers struggled with rushing the ball in their week eight matchup, but Gaither helped pick up the momentum there.
Although it does not look like things will be going up for Pittsburgh this season, hopefully, Gaither can keep it up. His connection with Williams has been strong and can potentially give the Maulers one more win in the rest of the season.
Pittsburgh Maulers Duds
Pittsburgh Maulers vs. NJ Generals – Peter Holland Jr./The Repository
Chris Blewitt
To no surprise, kicker Chris Blewitt is on the list of duds for the Pittsburgh Maulers. In the last two minutes of the game, the Maulers had the chance to kick a field goal to take the lead, but Blewitt ended up missing it. It was one bad kick, but it was a costly one. The Pittsburgh kicker was clutch the rest of the game, making the one extra point and four out of five field goals. His longest kick was for 54 yards, and he does deserve credit for the other kicks, but hopefully, he can make up for his mistake next week.
Madre London
The Maulers’ run game did not exist in week eight. During the second half, there were some glimmers of hope, but overall, they could not get it going. Running back Madre London rushed the ball eight times for 41 yards, according to the USFL. He averaged 5.1 yards per carry and did not score. His longest was for 26 yards, which is great, but the consistency was not there this week. If the run game could have been better, they could have potentially won the game. Hopefully, next week London can get it going.
The Pittsburgh Maulers have now lost three games in a row. Next week they will face the Michigan Panthers. There are just two weeks left in the regular season, and both of Pittsburgh’s games will be against the North division. Hopefully, they can find a way out of this hole, despite things not looking up for them.
