What to anticipate in Memphis Showboats vs. Michigan Panthers

The Michigan Panthers are coming off their veryfirst loss of the season while the Memphis Showboats are looking for their veryfirst win.

That will be the overarching story on Saturday when the 2 groups kick off a complete weekend slate of USFL videogames inbetween Detroit and Canton.

Michigan opened play in the USFL’s much-anticipated return to Detroit last week. On hand were Detroit sports legends Ben Wallace and Calvin Johnson, as the raucous crowd cheered on the hometown group. But the New Jersey Generals showed too much for the Panthers, makinguseof run lanes and accumulating 198 lawns on the ground versus Mike Nolan’s team. Jersey apparently supplied the plan for how to attack the formerly spotting Panthers, and the Showboats must take see.

Meanwhile, Memphis sits in the cellar of this week’s power rankings, and it’s in big part due to their absence of a ground videogame. Showboats running backs brought the ball simply 11 times for a overall of 4 lawns last Sunday. Fixing that needto be concern No. 1 as the Showboats come into Detroit.

Can Panthers’ offensive stars get back on track?

Josh Love came into Week 3 as the undoubted starter for the Panthers. Having made USFL Offensive Player of the Week to open the season, the space inbetween him and backup Carson Strong appeared substantial.

But Love hadahardtime versus the Generals, endingup 15 of 31 for 101 lawns and tossing an interception into double protection. Meanwhile, Strong, who was put in to surface out the veryfirst half, crafted a nine-play, 66-yard drive that was topped off with the Panthers’ just goal of the videogame. Love was put back in to start the 2nd half however inspiteof having the ball for 30 of the veryfirst 37 plays, came up with simply one field objective to program for it.

Not just was Love’s efficiency doingnothave, however Michigan’s other offending stimulate, running back Reggie Corbin, had an uncharacteristically down day. New Jersey held him to simply 38 hurrying lawns on 8 brings.

Provided both Love (or possibly even Strong) can get going under center versus a havingahardtime Memphis group with the aid of Corbin on the ground, the Panthers oughtto be able to right the ship not just this week however onceagain in Week 5 versus Pittsburgh, which sits at No. 7 in FOX Sports’ mostcurrent power rankings. 

Will Showboats get their veryfirst win of the season?

Yes, Memphis is sitting at the bottom of the South Division, however there is a twinkle of hope in previous Southeastern Louisiana quarterback Cole Kelley. Despite last week’s loss to the Houston Gamblers, Kelley finished 21 of 38 passes for a massive 307 lawns and 2 goals versus one interception.

The Showboats even connected the videogame versus the Gamblers last week on a fourth-down technique play that saw running back Alex Collins take the direct breeze and float a pass to tight end Jay Jay Wilson in the back of the end zone for the rating.

And while he got assistance under center, the issue was that Kelley didn’t get much assistance in the method of a stabilized offense total. If Memphis can figure out its hurrying issues and Kelley has another videogame like last week, it won’t be long priorto the Showboats program something in the win column.

Carmen Vitali covers the NFC North for FOX Sports. Carmen had previous stops with The Draft Network and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. She invested 6 seasons with the Bucs, consistingof 2020, which included the title of Super Bowl Champion (and boat-parade individual) to her résumé. You can follow Carmen on Twitter at @CarmieV.