The 2022 New Orleans Breakers season was the first season for the New Orleans Breakers as a professional American football franchise. They play as charter members of the United States Football League, one of eight teams to compete in the league for the 2022 season. The Breakers technically play as a traveling team (since the entirety of the regular season will be played at Protective Stadium and Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama) and are led by head coach Larry Fedora.

Offseason Draft

The 2022 USFL draft was conducted entirely on social media. Draft selections by the Michigan Panthers were announced on their social media. The Breakers selected NFL journeyman Kyle Sloter in the first round. New Orleans Breakers Round Selection Player Position College Notes 1 8 Kyle Sloter QB Northern Colorado 2 1 Davin Bellamy DE Georgia 3 8 Anree Saint-Amour DE Georgia Tech 4 1 James Folston Jr. DE Pittsburgh 4 9 Nigel Chavis DE Norfolk State Compensatory pick. 5 4 Paul Adams OT Missouri 6 5 Donnell Greene OT Minnesota 7 4 Marquis Lucas OT West Virginia 8 5 Adonis Alexander CB Virginia Tech 9 4 Derrick Jones CB Ole Miss 10 5 Manny Patterson CB Maine 11 4 Ja'Len Embry CB Northern Illinois 11 9 Isiah Brown CB FIU Compensatory selection. 12 1 Zach Smith QB Tulsa 13 3 Shawn Poindexter WR Arizona 14 6 Johnnie Dixon WR Ohio State 15 3 Jonathan Adams WR Arkansas State 16 6 Taywan Taylor WR Western Kentucky 17 3 Chad Williams WR Grambling 18 6 Dartez Jacobs S Georgia State 20 7 Jared Thomas C Northwestern 21 2 Jerod Fernandez ILB North Carolina State 22 1 Steven Rowzee OG Troy 23 8 Liam Dobson OG Texas State 23 9 Jalen Allen OG Charlotte Compensatory selection. 24 8 Shakir Soto DT Pitt 25 1 Kamilo Tongamoa DT Iowa State 26 8 Connor Christian DT Jacksonville State 26 9 Chris Okoye DT Ferris State Compensatory selection. 27 5 Larry Rose III RB New Mexico State 28 4 Jordan Ellis RB Virginia 29 4 Diondre Wallace OLB Towson State 30 6 Vontae Diggs OLB UConn 32 6 Austin MacGinnis K Kentucky 34 2 Salvatore Cannella TE Auburn

Supplemental draft 2022 New Orleans Breakers Supplemental Draft Round Selection Player Position College Notes 1 1 Justin Johnson TE Mississippi State 2 8 Keith Washington II CB West Virginia 3 5 Tyrone Logan Jr. RB North Carolina 4 4 Shareef Miller DE Penn State 5 6 Aashari Croswell S Arizona State 6 3 EJ Bibbs TE Iowa State 7 2 Turner Bernard CB San Diego 8 7 Jarey Elder WR West Chester 9 5 Matt White P/K Monmouth 10 4 Toree Boyd OL Howard

Final roster

Staff

Schedule Regular season The Breakers' 2022 schedule was announced on March 7. They opened the season against the Philadelphia Stars.

Week Date Time (ET) Opponent Result Record TV Recap 1 April 17 5:00 p.m. Philadelphia Stars* W 23–17 1–0 USA Recap 2 April 24 3:00 p.m. Tampa Bay Bandits W 34–3 2–0 NBC/Peacock Recap 3 April 30 8:00 p.m. Birmingham Stallions* L 13–22 2–1 Fox Recap 4 May 8 3:00 p.m. Houston Gamblers* W 23–16 3–1 NBC/Peacock Recap 5 May 14 3:00 p.m. New Jersey Generals L 17–27 3–2 Fox Recap 6 May 22 12:00 p.m. Pittsburgh Maulers* W 26–16 4–2 FS1 Recap 7 May 28 9:00 p.m. Michigan Panthers W 31–27 5–2 FS1 Recap 8 June 4 3:00 p.m. Birmingham Stallions L 9–10 5–3 Fox Recap 9 June 12 4:00 p.m. Tampa Bay Bandits* W 17–6 6–3 Fox Recap 10 June 19 8:30 p.m. Houston Gamblers L 3–20 6–4 FS1 Recap Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. * mean that they host the game, since all eight teams play at the same stadium

Game summaries Week 1: vs. Philadelphia Stars

The Breakers started their season against the Philadelphia Stars. The Breakers put the first points on the board with a pick-6 by Vontae Diggs, putting the Breakers up 7-0. In the second quarter, the Breakers blocked a punt in the endzone for a safety, putting the Breakers up 9-0. In the waning minutes of the second quarter, the Stars drove 94 yards downfield, where the Breakers defense committed 20 penalty yards, and scored, putting the Breakers at a 9-7 lead.

In the third quarter, a Kyle Sloter pass was intercepted by the Stars, which set them up with a 38 yard field goal to put the Breakers down 9-10. Halfway into the third, the Breakers took the lead again with a 58 yard touchdown drive and a 2 point conversion, putting the Breakers up 17-10. The Stars responded in the fourth with a 2 play 50 yard drive which included a 42 yard rush, to tie it up 17-17. The Breakers responded on their next drive with a 9 play 63 yard drive, putting the Breakers up 23-17, which would be the final score as both teams traded possessions for the rest of the fourth.

Week 2: at Tampa Bay Bandits

The Breakers faced division rival Tampa Bay Bandits. The Breakers struck first on a 79 yard touchdown drive, but the extra point was missed, putting the Breakers at 6-0. After a Bandits punt, the Breakers marched 65 yards downfield to score another touchdown, converting a 2-point conversion to bring the Breakers to 14-0. The Bandits responded in the second quarter with a 69 yard field goal drive capped off by a 21-yard field goal by Tyler Rausa to bring the Breakers at 14-3. The Breakers responded with a 56 yard touchdown drive that included a 29-yard one-handed catch by wide receiver Johnathan Adams, deemed the catch of the season, to put the Breakers up 21-3.

In the second half, the Bandits turned it over on downs while the Breakers were unable to score. In the fourth quarter, the Breakers stretched their lead to 24-3 after a 22 yard field goal. They triumphed more, scoring a touchdown off a Ta'amu interception, putting them at a commanding 31-3 margin. They then made a 30-yard field goal to put them at 34-3 with a little over a minute, which would be the final score.

Week 3: vs. Birmingham Stallions

The 2-0 Breakers played against division rival, the 2–0 Birmingham Stallions. In what started off as a slow offensive performance for both sides, the Stallions got a 7-0 lead on a J'Mar Smith screen pass to Marlon Williams. Later into the 2nd quarter, the Breakers scored on a 10 yard pass from Kyle Sloter to Johnnie Dixon which made the Stallions lead trim down to 7-6. With 7 seconds left in the half, Brandon Aubrey made a 33-yard field goal to give Birmingham a 10-6 lead at the half.

Coming out of the half, the Breakers conducted an 8:50 17 play drive to regain the lead at 13-10 on an 11 yard pass from Sloter to Dixon. This would be the last time the Breakers would score all game. Birmingham would score 12 points in the final quarter of play. A touchdown from Smith to Victor Bolden Jr, a safety forced by Dondrea Tillman, and a Brandon Aubrey field goal. Birmingham would end up winning 22-13. The loss put the Breakers at 2nd in the South Division.

Standings

Postseason Round Date Time (ET) Opponent Result Record TV Recap Division Finals June 25 8:00 p.m. at Birmingham Stallions L 17–31 0–1 NBC/Peacock Recap

References