Houston Aims to Spoil Birmingham’s Last Hope in Week 10

by Ethan Berch

ARLINGTON, TX – May 27, 2026 – After being eliminated from playoff contention in Week Nine, the Houston Gamblers now have an opportunity to play spoiler against the Birmingham Stallions in the final week of the regular season.

For Birmingham, the situation is simple: survive first, then hope for help elsewhere. The Stallions need more than just a victory to squeeze into the four-team playoff field, but winning in Week 10 is the necessary first step.

Storylines to watch:
Houston Gamblers

The Gamblers’ playoff hopes officially ended following their tight Week Nine loss to St. Louis.

Now entering their final game of the 2026 season, Houston plays for pride, momentum, and the chance to completely wreck Birmingham’s postseason dreams.

Back in Week Two, the Gamblers already proved they can beat the Stallions. John Hoyland drilled a walk-off 50-yard field goal as time expired to stun Birmingham in heartbreaking fashion.

But this is a very different Stallions team now, especially with Dorian Thompson-Robinson taking over at quarterback.

Houston’s biggest issue all season has been instability under center. Injuries forced the Gamblers to constantly rotate quarterbacks, and recently it’s been Hunter Dekkers and John Rhys Plumlee splitting time.

Last week against St. Louis, neither could fully settle in. Plumlee finished 11-for-21 for 131 yards with an interception, while Dekkers completed just 4-of-8 passes for 51 yards.

Whoever gets the nod in Week 10, Houston desperately needs better quarterback play.

The encouraging sign offensively is the run game that came alive against the best rushing defense in the UFL. Marcus Yarns exploded for 98 rushing yards and Houston totaled 142 rushing yards as a team.

That becomes even more important this week against a Birmingham defense allowing the fifth-most rushing yards per game. If Houston establishes the ground game early, it opens opportunities for their explosive playmakers outside.

One of those weapons finally broke through in Week Nine. Jalen Moreno-Cropper recorded the first 100-yard receiving performance of his season and looked like the dynamic weapon Houston envisioned entering the year in the pass game.

Situational football also remains a major issue for the Gamblers. Against St. Louis, they converted just 4-of-11 third downs and failed on all three fourth-down attempts. Sustaining drives and finishing possessions will be critical against a desperate Birmingham team.

And then there’s the wildcard factor.

A team with nothing left to lose suddenly becomes dangerous. Expect Houston to empty the playbook a bit in their season finale: trick plays, aggressive fourth downs, defensive pressure packages, anything to create chaos and drag Birmingham into an uncomfortable game.

Birmingham Stallions

The Stallions are out of room for mistakes.

After a brutal 1-4 start, Birmingham appeared to completely revive its season with three straight victories. But in Week Nine, everything unraveled late against the Aviators.

The Stallions led 20-8 and later 23-14 in the second half before collapsing down the stretch. Their defense allowed a 91-yard game-tying drive, and then Thompson-Robinson threw what became the game-losing pick-six.

Now the path to the playoffs becomes incredibly narrow.

Birmingham must beat Houston and then hope both DC and Columbus help keep their season alive.

Despite the Week Nine collapse, DTR has still been the driving force behind Birmingham’s turnaround. His athleticism, playmaking ability, and confidence completely changed the trajectory of the Stallions season.

But last week was easily one of his roughest outings.

He finished just 16-for-35 passing for 157 yards and two interceptions while missing several throws he normally connects on. The Stallions offense never fully looked comfortable once momentum shifted.

This week presents an opportunity to bounce back against a Houston defense that has struggled defending the pass throughout the season. The Gamblers rank near the bottom of the UFL allowing over 200 passing yards per game, and Birmingham badly needs a clean, confident performance from DTR entering a potential playoff push.

The Stallions offense simply needs to rediscover the version that fueled their three-game winning streak.

Defensively, Birmingham’s biggest weakness has also been through the air. They rank last in the UFL in passing yards allowed and second-to-last in passing touchdowns allowed. Tightening up in coverage becomes essential with their season hanging by a thread.

Still, the heartbeat of this defense has been its linebackers.

Tae Crowder leads the entire UFL with 72 total tackles, while Kyahva Tezino ranks third with 70. With the single-season UFL tackle record sitting at 78, both linebackers enter Week 10 with history within reach.

As a unit, Birmingham also ranks second in the league with 14 takeaways this season. That ability to flip momentum could decide everything on Saturday.

If the Stallions defense can pressure Houston’s quarterbacks, force mistakes, and create short fields for their offense, the path to victory becomes much cleaner.

Nothing else matters for Birmingham anymore.

Every mistake, every collapse, and every disappointment earlier in the season can be erased with one final push into the playoffs. For head coach AJ McCarron and the Stallions, it’s all on the table now.

X-Factor: 

Which version of the Stallions shows up?

If Dorian Thompson-Robinson settles in early, protects the football, and plays decisively, Birmingham’s offense has the talent to control this game.

But if Houston brings the same defensive intensity and chaos it has shown in flashes throughout the season, forcing DTR into mistakes and dragging the game into a four-quarter fight, Birmingham’s playoff hopes could disappear quickly.