2026 UFL Championship Game Takeaways
Let’s face it: there’s not a lot going on in the NFL right now. We’re currently in the slow period of free agency, and training camps don’t open for a few more weeks. Only one thing can fix this problem: more football of course! College football isn’t around either, but we have the UFL, which just awarded its third championship. This isn’t a league I cover often, but I always watch it, and why not for this week? The Louisville Kings won the title in their inaugural season as a franchise, besting the DC Defenders (at their home), who were down to QB4, 27-20. To see what else we can learn, here are my 2026 UFL championship game takeaways!
Passing Games Stuck in the Mud for Both Teams
Neither team could do anything whatsoever through the air. One of them had an excuse though. DC possessed the best passing offense in the UFL with MVP frontrunner Jordan Ta’amu at QB. Unfortunately, he tore his ACL during the season, and a 5-1 start turned into a 5-5 slog very quickly. Spencer Sanders was unsatisfactory as a replacement, so the Defenders started Jason Bean, an in-season trade pickup, in the semifinals. He guided them to a win but briefly left after injuring his shoulder. Bean (3/8, 19 yards; 7/35 rushing) was not particularly effective this week through the air. However, his team once again held a lead.
His shoulder betrayed him in the 3rd quarter, and he was ruled out with the aggravated injury. DC’s 4th QB of the season, EJ Perry (5/12, 50 yards, INT; 7/43 rushing), showed some moxie, especially on the ground. He came up a little bit short though, and there was only so much a guy who signed just two weeks ago could do. The Defenders scored just 4 points in the second half (more on that particular score later). It’s a credit to HC Shannon Harris that DC even made it this far to defend their title. Once Bean went down though, the life drained from the Defenders, and it became clear that Louisville would overtake them shortly thereafter.
The Kings’ passing attack lacked a true explanation for their struggles. Louisville hadn’t been a prolific passing offense, but they were functional and took care of the ball. That was not true in the United Bowl. QB Chandler Rogers (9/17, 81 yards, 2 INTs; 7/32 rushing) made some poor decisions, especially an INT where CB Kai Gray fooled him into throwing the ball at his chest. Gray had Rogers’ number, as he picked the QB off twice. DC’s defense deserves plenty of credit. An All-UFL pass rusher (DE Derick Roberson) and two NFL 1st-round CBs (Gareon Conley and DeAndre Baker) certainly helped, and they befuddled Rogers.
DC Starts Fast on the Ground, but Kings’ Run Game Dominates Late
While neither team threw the ball well, both rushing attacks shined. At least for one half of football each. DC’s backs dominated the first half. Xazavian Valladay (4/111/1) and Deon Jackson (11/56) each gashed the Louisville defense for chunk gains. The Defenders piled up over 200 first-half rushing yards. That was basically their entire offense, and along with an opportunistic defense, it helped DC score 16 points in the first two quarters. By playing the ball control game, they managed to stake a 9-point halftime lead and prevent Louisville from finding any sort of rhythm. Their run game faded in the second half though.
After halftime, the Kings made adjustments on offense and decided to feed their best offensive weapons: their two RBs. Ian Wheeler (10/81/1) and James Robinson (16/69/1) were main reasons why Louisville made it to the title game. They were also the players that helped the team win it. Each back broke a crucial TD run in the 4th quarter. Wheeler’s 44-yard dash gave the Kings their first lead since the second quarter, while Robinson’s 19-yard burst pretty much put the game away. Without a passing game to lean on, the stars took over. Let’s show some love to the offensive line as well: they blocked with serious ferocity.
Defenders Rue Turnovers as Kings’ Defense Clamps Down
I showed some love to DC’s defense, but Louisville’s stop unit ended up having the better day. The entire game likely hinged on the three turnovers forced by the Kings. In the first half, Valladay broke away for a huge run, but S Keaton Ellis (6 tackles, sack) forced a fumble that Louisville recovered for a touchback. Later, right after a Rogers INT, CB Corey Mayfield Jr forced a fumble on a bubble screen to WR Ty Scott, and CB Eric Garror scooped it up. He returned the fumble for a TD, Louisville’s first points of the day. Finally, CB Cameron Dantzler baited a Perry pass, picked it off, and returned it 47 yards to set up a late score.
This wasn’t an anomaly for these teams. In 3 games against DC this year, Louisville notched ELEVEN takeaways. It is famously hard to beat the same team three times in the same season, yet the Kings pulled off that feat here. You can directly relate that outcome to the turnovers. A team simply cannot expect to win games when losing the TO margin so badly. That’s obviously a feather in the cap of Louisville’s defense. DC Jamie Sharper had their number this year, but don’t let that make the results seem any less impressive. His guys were extremely prepared and executed their game plan in each matchup to great effect.
Midseason Overhaul Catalyzes Louisville’s Championship Run
If you checked the standings after week 6, you’d be forgiven for assuming that Louisville had no chance. They were 2-4 and near the bottom of the league, and the film didn’t look much better. The Kings were listless, particularly on offense. HC Chris Redman, in his first head coaching role mind you, went bold and completely reset the roster. As he describes it, he cleaned up the locker room by eliminating players who weren’t doing things the right way. Ironically, that included Bean, the QB who started for their United Bowl opponents. Anyone who remained needed to be united in their collective efforts, and the gambit worked.
Under Chandler Rogers’ leadership, the Kings’ offense became a problem for defenses. His command at the line greatly enhanced the running game, which became their new identity. Without being deflated by their offense every game, the defense also improved. OLB Cam Gill even set a single-season league sack record (10) and won the DPOY award. Louisville went on to win their final 4 regular-season games, along with their two postseason matchups. Sometimes wholesale changes can backfire and cause a coach to lose his team. Redman pressed exactly the right buttons, and he reaped his reward in the form of a championship.
Two New League Rules on Display Under the Bright Lights
New partial league owner Mike Repole came in with some big ideas. The UFL implemented two critical new rules, and they both impacted this championship game. I love one of them but am not so fond of the other. The rule drawing my ire states that a team may not punt after crossing the 50-yard line unless we are in the final two minutes of either half. The intent of the punting rule was to encourage more scoring, which it did. That came at the cost of some suboptimal situations that teams didn’t deserve, and we saw it in this game, with teams routinely receiving the ball near midfield after turnovers on downs.
Rule #2, and the one that makes me smile, awards 4 points to a team for converting a field goal of 60 yards or longer. The idea here was that the most difficult field goals should be worth more. That’s very reasonable! DC kicker Matt McCrane nailed a 4-point FG in the 4th quarter, representing the Defenders’ only points of the second half. He converted a league-high 4 FGs from 60+ this year, and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that he and Louisville’s Tanner Brown, the UFL’s two best kickers, made it to the title game. Along with added excitement, these long FGs provide a competitive advantage to those who can kick them.