The force is strong with this one. His name? Bryce Perkins.
Coming off a tough road loss in Week 5 against the St. Louis Battlehawks, the Michigan Panthers returned to Ford Field on Sunday afternoon for what promised to be an exciting showdown against the top team in the XFL conference, the DC Defenders.
At the midway point of the season, the Panthers have created as many questions as they’ve delivered answers. While orbiting near the top of their conference with a winning record (3-2) is nice, it can’t be overlooked that those three wins came against the San Antonio Brahmas & Memphis Showboats (x2), who currently hold a combined record of 2-10.
Sunday’s showdown with the Defenders promised to have major, league-wide implications for the rest of the season. Perhaps the most notable one being which quarterback would claim frontrunner status in the MVP conversation. The Defenders and Panthers boast the two top-scoring offenses in the UFL this season, with each of their starting quarterbacks, Jordan Ta’amu (DC) and Bryce Perkins (MICH), leading the league in points scored, respectively.
But a key storyline ahead of the matchup would come to a head on Sunday. After five weeks of being in a supposed committee with Danny Etling, whose availability has been significantly hampered by injury, Bryce Perkins was finally given the unwavering vote of confidence by Panthers HC Mike Nolan early in the week. The battle, rather lopsidedly, had been won. This is Bryce’s offense going forward.
Perkins, a Virginia Cavalier and former backup for the Los Angeles Rams, presents some very distinct strengths and weaknesses. While his accuracy and range as a traditional pocket passer often registers as ‘hit or miss, ‘ his athleticism at the position, especially for a guy playing spring football, is simply off the charts. Case in point: when he chooses to take off and run, you’re more likely to see Perkins leap over or juke a would-be tackler rather than sliding to avoid contact. He’s more effective as a passer in short, intermediate, and long-range situations when he’s escaped the pocket.
But most importantly, from the vantage of the Panthers wanting to get over the hump and compete for their first league title this season, Perkins is a playmaker with an unmatched competitive edge. A guy that opposing defenders will fear being charged with tackling well before they worry about the threat of what he can do with his arm if they fail. DC learned that part the hard way.
The tone for Michigan’s win over the 4-1 Defenders started with each team’s opening drive. Led by Ta’amu, DC produced a 12-play drive that carried them deep into the red zone, but the Defenders struggles on 4th & short scenarios appear to be more than just a phase, as they failed to convert on a 4th & 1 at the Panthers 5 yard line.
Faithful Panthers fans know that, to this point in the season, their team has struggled to find its rhythm on offense early in games, even in the friendly confines of Ford Field. In their first three home games, Michigan had produced just 7 points in the first quarter. And again, that’s while facing two last-place teams in their respective conferences. But Sunday’s faceoff against the Defenders saw the home team turning the page in a big way, as they fully realized their identity as a squad that can dominate in the trenches from start to finish. The duo of Perkins and running back Toa Taua led the way, delivering an 11-play, 95 yard scoring drive – capped by a 1-yard TD run from Taua. Bryce was a perfect 4-4 through the air on the drive, connecting with Malik Turner, Jaylon Moore, and Gunnar Oakes for 59 passing yards.
While Michigan’s defense didn’t steal the show from the big day for the offense, it was a meaningful improvement after last week’s fourth quarter collapse in St. Louis. The Panthers only allowed 15 first downs to the #1 offense in the league, nearly half the number their offense enjoyed on the day (27). And despite having only one sack in the game, it could not have come in a bigger spot. With a 1-point lead midway through the second quarter, Panthers DE Mika Tafua got to Ta’amu on a 3rd & 3 at the Defenders 26 yard line, resulting in a loss of 9 yards on the sack.
On the ensuing drive for the offense, Bryce Perkins went from having a ‘pretty good day,’ to fully donning the cape and putting the rest of the league on notice. Facing a 3rd & 11 at the DC 35, Perkins’ protection blows up almost instantly, leaving him to deal with rushers coming from both the interior and outside. But Bryce put his playmaking talent on full display, evading three would-be tacklers and rolling out to his right to make an off-platform throw to an open Cole Hikutini at the 15 yard line, where the big-bodied tight end would take it the rest of the way for a Panthers touchdown.
Coming out of halftime with a 17-6 lead, Perkins continued his herculean performance. On a 3rd & 20 at midfield, Bryce leaked out towards the left sideline, where he again escaped three defenders to tear off a 30-yard run into the Defenders red zone. Panthers rusher Nate McCrary handled things from there, rushing for 20 yards on two attempts for the score to give Michigan a 24-6 advantage.
In total, the Panthers scored on six out of their nine possessions, with five trips to the endzone and a perfect 4 for 4 on red zone conversions. Moreover, they held the most potent offense in the UFL this season to just over 9 minutes of possession in the second half. The 38-14 rout was also a back-to-back 400-yard showing for surging Michigan offense. And if you wanted style points to go with your dominant day, Bryce was more than happy to deliver throughout the day. Already enjoying a double-digit lead late in the third quarter, Perkins added yet another exclamation point to his performance, winning a footrace with two Defenders rushers going backwards, then breaking and spinning off would-be tacklers at the goal line to produce the most electrifying 5-yard TD you’ll see all season.
Perhaps the biggest takeaway from this win is that these feats of speed and physicality have become the least surprising and most consistent part of his game.
“Marcel (Panthers OC) is calling some really good plays and he’s got some good guys running them, but we all have to be honest with some of the things Bryce did today,” head coach Mike Nolan told the media after the game, acknowledging his QB’s proven ability to make plays off script, “they’re not on the call sheet.”
Nolan continued, “He pulled some out of the hat today. On some of those plays…that was sheer just him doing it, and that will motivate any teammate.”
As for how Perkins has made his name as the most athletic and physically durable quarterback in the UFL, he credits both nature and nurture as keys to that facet of his game.
“My family, my brother and my pops – both running backs, too. So I kind of had my father’s legs. But really, it’s important to just try to stay strong in the lower body, because when we’re in contact habits, you gotta keep your feet moving, and when you escape, try to keep eyes downfield.”
Final: Panthers 38, Defenders 14
