# 2023 New Orleans Breakers season

The 2023 New Orleans Breakers season was the New Orleans Breakers' second season in the United States Football League, their second at Protective Stadium, and their first under the head coach/general manager tandem of John DeFilippo and Ryan Jones. For the 2023 season, they improved upon their 6–4 record from the previous season by going 7–3, and lost to the Birmingham Stallions in the USFL South Division Championship Game for the second straight year. This time with the final score being 47–22 in favor of Birmingham.

## Offseason
### Stadium plans

Shortly before the completion of the 2022 season, the USFL announced plans to move into two or four hubs for teams to play in. In November, the USFL was reportedly exploring options of having a hub in Metro Detroit, with possible locations being the Eastern Michigan Eagles' Rynearson Stadium and the Detroit Lions' Ford Field.
It was announced that the Breakers would be playing their games in Birmingham for the 2nd straight season. They share a hub with their South Division rivals, the Birmingham Stallions.

### Draft

The Breakers clinched the fifth overall pick in the 2023 USFL draft and hold the fifth pick in each round.
The draft only included players that were 2023 draft eligible, contrasting with the 2022 draft, which was to build rosters. Also differing from the 2022 draft, players were not initially contracted with the USFL prior to the draft, meaning teams have to negotiate with players to retain their rights. As of February 26, 2023, no player drafted by the New Orleans Breakers has signed a contract with the team.
2023 New Orleans Breakers Draft :
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | College |
| 1 | 5 | Tyler Scott | Wide receiver | Cincinnati |
| 2 | 12 | Noah Taylor | Linebacker | Virginia |
| 3 | 20 | D. J. Ivey | Cornerback | Miami (FL) |
| 4 | 28 | Keaton Mitchell | Running back | East Carolina |
| 5 | 36 | Isaiah Moore | Linebacker | NC State |
| 6 | 44 | Dante Stills | Defensive lineman | West Virginia |
| 7 | 52 | Darius Hagans | Cornerback | Virginia State |
| 8 | 60 | Jake Bobo | Wide receiver | UCLA |
| 9 | 68 | Alex Palczewski | Offensive lineman | Illinois |
| 10 | 76 | Tyler Baker-Williams | Cornerback | NC State |

### Additions

| Position | Player | Date |
| DB | Darion Slade | August 31 |
| DL | Samuel Wright II | October 8 |
| WR | Eli Stove | October 18 |
| OL | Kenny Thomas | November 9 |
| OL | Paul Adams | December 3 |
| QB | Aqeel Glass | December 13 |
| DE | Justus Reed | December 21 |
| LB | Zakoby McClain | January 7 |
| QB | Davis Cheek | January 14 |
| WR | Reggie Davis | January 14 |
| CB | Josh Valentine-Turner | January 20 |
| S | Derrion Rakestraw | January 24 |
| DT | Chris Richardson | January 24 |
| LB | Jordan Brailford | January 28 |
| OT | Tyler Roemer | January 28 |
| OT | Salesi Uhatafe | January 31 |
| DE | Ahmad Gooden | February 3 |
| LB | Shaheed Salmon | February 3 |
| OG | Kirk Kelley | February 9 |
| OG | Clayton LeGault | February 9 |
| OT | Lo Falemaka | February 10 |
| RB | Peter Guerriero | February 10 |
| S | Saquan Hampton | February 11 |
| TE | Sage Surratt | February 15 |
| WR | Hergy Mayala | February 15 |
| WR | Richard Sindani | February 15 |
| RB | Wes Hills | February 17 |
| OT | Marcus Tatum | February 17 |
| CB | Bryce Watts | February 19 |
| QB | McLeod Bethel-Thompson | February 22 |
| K | Matt Coghlin | March 3 |
| OG | Khalique Washington | March 6 |
| WR | Dee Anderson | March 19 |
| WR | Breon Michel | March 19 |
| DL | Keonte Schad | March 23 |
| OT | Kai Absheer | March 28 |
| S | Sidney McCloud | March 28 |
| TE | Jared Scott | April 4 |

### Subtractions

| Position | Player | Date |
| LB | Christian Sam | July 8 |
| CB | Ike Brown | July 20 |
| TE | Sal Cannella | July 21 |
| QB | Kyle Sloter | July 24 |
| K | Taylor Bertolet | October 6 |
| DE | Davin Bellamy | January 1 |
| LB | Shareef Miller | January 1 |
| DT | Shakir Soto | January 1 |
| OT | Toree Boyd | February 9 |
| RB | Jordan Ellis | February 9 |
| DB | Dartez Jacobs | February 9 |
| DE | T.J. Johnson | February 9 |
| RB | Larry Rose III | February 9 |
| CB | Manny Patterson | February 23 |
| QB | Zach Smith | February 26 |
| OG | Clayton LeGault | March 6 |
| OL | Tim Coleman | March 28 |
| DL | Samuel Wright II | March 28 |
| OG | Donnell Greene | April 4 |
| RB | Peter Guerriero | April 4 |
| WR | Richard Sindani | April 4 |
| S | Darion Slade | April 4 |
| CB | Josh Valentine-Turner | April 4 |
| OT | Lo Falemaka | April 10 |
| DE | Ahmed Gooden | April 10 |
| WR | Hergy Mayala | April 10 |
| WR | Breon Michel | April 10 |

## Personnel
### Staff

On September 14, 2022, head coach Larry Fedora stepped down and announced that he would only return if all the USFL teams played in their home markets. The Breakers named John DeFilippo as head coach.

## Schedule
### Regular Season

| Week | Date | Time (ET) | Opponent | Result | Record | TV | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | April 16 | 6:30 p.m. | vs. Pittsburgh Maulers | W 22–15 | 1–0 | FS1 | Protective Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | April 22 | 12:30 p.m. | vs. Houston Gamblers | W 38–31 | 2–0 | USA | Protective Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | April 29 | 12:30 p.m. | at Birmingham Stallions | W 45–31 | 3–0 | USA | Protective Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | May 7 | 3:00 p.m. | at New Jersey Generals | W 20–17 | 4–0 | NBC | Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium | Recap |
| 5 | May 14 | 3:00 p.m. | vs. Memphis Showboats | L 10–17 | 4–1 | Fox | Protective Stadium | Recap |
| 6 | May 21 | 12:00 p.m. | at Philadelphia Stars | L 10–16 | 4–2 | FS1 | Ford Field | Recap |
| 7 | May 27 | 4:00 p.m. | vs. Birmingham Stallions | L 20–24 | 4–3 | Fox | Protective Stadium | Recap |
| 8 | June 4 | 4:00 p.m. | vs. Michigan Panthers | W 24–20 | 5–3 | Fox | Protective Stadium | Recap |
| 9 | June 10 | 3:00 p.m. | at Memphis Showboats | W 31–3 | 6–3 | NBC, CNBC | Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium | Recap |
| 10 | June 18 | 1:00 p.m. | at Houston Gamblers | W 17–10 | 7–3 | FS1 | Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium | Recap |
Bold indicates divisional opponent.

## Game summaries
### Week 1: vs. Pittsburgh Maulers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Maulers | 3 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 15 |
| Breakers | 6 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 22 |
at Protective Stadium
* Date: April 16
* Game time: 6:30 p.m. EDT
* Referee: Stuart Mullins
* TV announcers (FS1): Curt Menefee, Joel Klatt and Brock Huard
Game information :
First quarter
PIT – Nathan Hierlihy 37-yard field goal, 10:55. Maulers 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 22 yards, 4:09.
NO – Matt Coghlin 34-yard field goal, 5:51 Tied 3–3. Drive: 9 plays, 38 yards, 5:05.
NO – Matt Coghlin 51-yard field goal, Breakers 6–3. Drive: 5 plays, 12 yards, 2:26.
Second quarter
PIT – Kyahva Tezino 1-yard fumble return (Anthony Jones rush, forced by Reuben Foster) (Madre London rush failed), Maulers 9–6. Drive: 1 plays, 0 yards, 0:06.
NO – Matt Coghlin 21-yard field goal, 1:19 Tied 9–9. Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 2:16.
Third quarter
NO – Matt Coghlin 27-yard field goal, 9:21 Breakers 12–9. Drive: 10 plays, 66 yards, 5:43.
NO – Matt Coghlin 28-yard field goal, 0:17 Breakers 15–9. Drive: 10 plays, 70 yards, 4:56.
Fourth quarter
PIT – Isiah Hennie 82-yard punt return (Nathan Hierlihy kick failed), 4:49. Tied 15–15. Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:00.
NO – Anthony Jones 2-yard pass from McLeod Bethel-Thompson (Matt Coghlin kick good), 1:08 Breakers 22–15. Drive: 7 plays, 50 yards, 3:24.
Top passers
PIT – James Morgan
– 6/15, 58 yards
NO – McLeod Bethel-Thompson – 23/41, 302 yards, TD
Top rushers
PIT – Duane Gary – 3 rushes, 34 yards
NO – Anthony Jones – 19 rushes, 46 yards
Top receivers
PIT– Tre Walker – 3 receptions, 42 yards
NO – Sage Surratt – 5 receptions, 85 yards :
The Breakers started their season against the Pittsburgh Maulers. The Maulers started with the ball and pulled off a surprise lateral from Tre Walker to Bailey Gaither to set up Pittsburgh at the New Orleans 41-yard line. The Maulers got their offense started a little before stalling out and taking a 37-yard field goal from Nathan Hierlihy to get the first points of the season. The Breakers got the ball in Pittsburgh territory due to a big return from Johnnie Dixon. The Breakers had their pass game rolling on the first drive, including a 37-yard pass from McLeod Bethel-Thompson to Jonathan Adams. However, a Boogie Roberts sack on 3rd down forced New Orleans to a field goal. On the next drive, Pittsburgh's offense got nothing going and were forced to punt. The punt however, was tipped by a Breaker which set up New Orleans inside the Pittsburgh 35. New Orleans' offense stalled out and the Breakers were again forced to only 3 points. In the 2nd quarter, none of the offenses were able to generate many yards. Reuben Foster of the Maulers forced a fumble off of Anthony Jones to take a 9–6 lead. New Orleans drove down the field with efficiency, but a red zone stand by the Maulers defense forced them to a 3rd field goal of the game. In the 2nd quarter, Breakers punter Matt White would appear to twist his ankle and not be able to return to the game, leading Matt Coghlin to start having to punt.
In the 3rd quarter, New Orleans started with the ball but the Maulers defense tightened up in the red zone again to force another short Matt Coghlin field goal. Pittsburgh's offense stalled out, and the Breakers marched down the field, but got stopped by the Maulers in the red zone again to force a 5th field goal from Matt Coghlin (tying the USFL record). In the 4th quarter, Pittsburgh started with the ball and moved it down the field well, but New Orleans has a goal line stand and forces a turnover on downs. New Orleans drives down the field but is forced to punt at Pittsburgh's 39-yard line. On that Coghlin punt, Maulers returner Isiah Hennie takes the punt 82-yards to the end zone to tie the game at 15. After that, the Breakers drove down the field and scored the only offensive touchdown of the entire game, a 2-yard touchdown pass from McLeod Bethel-Thompson to running back Anthony Jones to make the score 22–15. The Maulers would turn the ball over on downs to end the game.
With the win, New Orleans improved to 1–0 and 2nd place in the South Division. With the loss, the Maulers dropped to 0–1 and 3rd place in the North Division.

### Week 2: vs. Houston Gamblers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Gamblers | 0 | 10 | 7 | 14 | 31 |
| Breakers | 0 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 38 |
at Protective Stadium
* Date: April 22
* Game time: 12:30 p.m. EDT
* Referee: Larry Smith
* TV announcers (USA): Paul Burmeister, Anthony Herron and Lewis Johnson
Game information :
Second quarter
NO – Wes Hills 19-yard run (Matt Coghlin kick good), 11:43 Breakers 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 85 yards, 5:02.
HOU – Nick Vogel 44-yard field goal, 8:15 Breakers 7–3. Drive: 6 plays, 20 yards, 3:22.
NO – Matt Coghlin 27-yard field goal, 1:14 Breakers 10–3. Drive: 14 plays, 58 yards, 7:02.
HOU – Justin Hall 25-yard pass from Kenji Bahar (Nick Vogel kick good), 0:37 Tied 10-10. Drive: 3 plays, 59 yards, 0:33.
Third quarter
HOU – Anthony Ratliff-Williams 38-yard pass from Kenji Bahar (Nick Vogel kick good), 12:01 Gamblers 17-10. Drive: 5 plays, 54 yards, 2:59.
NO – Sage Surratt 5-yard pass from McLeod Bethel-Thompson (Matt Coghlin kick good), 6:45 Tied 17-17. Drive: 9 plays, 68 yards, 5:16.
NO – Johnnie Dixon 4-yard pass from McLeod Bethel-Thompson (Matt Coghlin kick good), 2:07 Breakers 24-17. Drive: 5 plays, 27 yards, 2:24.
Fourth quarter
HOU – T.J. Pledger 1-yard run (Nick Vogel kick good), 6:42 Tied 24–24. Drive: 9 plays, 68 yards, 6:17.
NO – Wes Hills 3-yard run (Matt Coghlin kick good), 3:42 Breakers 31–24. Drive: 6 plays, 57 yards, 3:00.
HOU – Justin Hall 18-yard pass from Kenji Bahar (Nick Vogel kick good), 2:00 Tied 31-31. Drive: 3 plays, 50 yards, 1:42.
NO – Wes Hills 14-yard run (Matt Coghlin kick good), 0:42 Breakers 31–24. Drive: 2 plays, 48 yards, 0:16.
Top passers
HOU – Kenji Bahar – 18/30, 266 yards, 3 TD, 3 INT
NO – McLeod Bethel-Thompson – 23/34, 251 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
HOU – T. J. Pledger – 18 rushes, 94 yards, 1 TD
NO – Wes Hills – 18 rushes, 110 yards, 3 TD
Top receivers
HOU – Justin Hall – 8 receptions, 110 yards, 2 TD
NO – Sage Surratt – 11 receptions, 121 yards, 2 TD :
The Breakers hosted their division rivals, the Houston Gamblers. The game would start slowfor both of the offenses, but on the first drive of the second quarter, Wes Hills would run for a 19-yard touchdown to give the Breakers the first points of the game. Houston responded with a field goal on the next drive. New Orleans would add a field goal on the next drive, and Houston would score a touchdown to tie the game at 10 at halftime.
The Gamblers got the second half going with a touchdown to get them the lead. The Breakers would respond with a touchdown of their own, then took advantage of an Adonis Alexander interception with a 4-yard touchdown pass from quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson to receiver Johnnie Dixon to take the lead back. In the 4th quarter, Houston scored a touchdown on a 1-yard T.J. Pledger run to tie the game at 24. New Orleans scores a touchdown on the very next drive to make it 31–24 in favor of the Breakers. Then, Kenji Bahar led a methodical passing drive to tie the game at 31. Wes Hills scored a late touchdown to give the Breakers a 38–31 lead which would end up as the final after Vontae Diggs got the game sealing interception. The Breakers moved to 2–0 with the win.

### Week 3: at Birmingham Stallions

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Breakers | 14 | 10 | 14 | 7 | 45 |
| Stallions | 10 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 31 |
at Protective Stadium
* Date: April 29
* Game time: 12:30 p.m. EDT
* Referee: Derek Anderson
* TV announcers (USA): Paul Burmeister, Kyle Rudolph and Caroline Pineda
Game information :
First quarter
BHAM – Deon Cain 82-yard kick return (Brandon Aubrey kick good), 14:49 Stallions 7–0. Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:11.
NO – Lee Morris 40-yard pass from McLeod Bethel-Thompson (Matt Coghlin kick good), 12:17 Tied 7-7. Drive: 5 plays, 53 yards, 2:32.
BHAM – Brandon Aubrey 25-yard field goal, 8:50 Stallions 10–7. Drive: 6 plays, 54 yards, 3:29.
NO – Wes Hills 1-yard run (Matt Coghlin kick good), 11:43 Breakers 14–10. Drive: 7 plays, 63 yards, 4:55.
Second quarter
NO – Matt Coghlin 37-yard field goal, 7:56 Breakers 17-10. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 1:56.
BHAM – C. J. Marable 1-yard run (Brandon Aubrey kick good), 3:39 Tied 17–17. Drive: 4 plays, 25 yards, 1:20.
NO – Dee Anderson 19-yard pass from McLeod Bethel-Thompson (Matt Coghlin kick good), 1:29 Breakers 24-17. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 2:10.
BHAM – Jace Sternberger 19-yard pass from Alex McGough (Brandon Aubrey kick good), 0:42 Tied 24-24. Drive: 7 plays, 66 yards, 0:47.
Third quarter
NO – Jonathan Adams 34-yard pass from McLeod Bethel-Thompson (Matt Coghlin kick good), 10:57 Breakers 31-24. Drive: 7 plays, 54 yards, 4:03.
NO – Wes Hills 1-yard run (Matt Coghlin kick good), 0:40 Breakers 38–24. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:54.
Fourth quarter
BHAM – Davion Davis 5-yard pass from Alex McGough (Brandon Aubrey kick good), 12:32 Breakers 38-31. Drive: 6 plays, 70 yards, 3:08.
NO – Wes Hills 2-yard run (Matt Coghlin kick good), 4:56 Breakers 45–31. Drive: 11 plays, 69 yards, 7:36.
Top passers
NO – McLeod Bethel-Thompson – 20/28, 283 yards, 3 TD, INT
BHAM – Alex McGough – 17/36, 238 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
NO – Wes Hills – 34 rushes, 196 yards, 3 TD
BHAM – C. J. Marable – 6 rushes, 24 yards, TD
Top receivers
NO – Jonathan Adams – 6 receptions, 75 yards, 2 TD
BHAM – Davion Davis – 5 receptions, 123 yards, TD :
The Breakers took on their division rivals, the Birmingham Stallions to determine who would sit in 1st place in the South Division. The Stallions received the opening kickoff, and Deon Cain took it 82 yards to open up the scoring early. New Orleans would respond with a 40-yard strike from McLeod Bethel-Thompson to Lee Morris to tie the game at 7. The teams traded scores throughout the rest of the 1st quarter. Birmingham got a field goal and New Orleans scored a touchdown. The 2nd quarter started off with more defense than the first quarter, with Birmingham forcing a punt and Adonis Alexander of the Breakers getting an interception. New Orleans got a field goal off of the interception. However, on the Breakers next offensive drive, McLeod Bethel-Thompson threw a pick to Donnie Lewis which led to a 1-yard touchdown run from C.J. Marable tied the game at 17. Both teams would get 7 more to make the score 24–24 at the half.
In the 3rd quarter, it would be all New Orleans. New Orleans scored a touchdown on the opening drive of the 2nd half. The defense forced a punt, then New Orleans scored another touchdown to make the score 38–24. In the 4th quarter, Birmingham attempted to make a comeback and brought the game to within 7, but a Wes Hills 2-yard touchdown run on a long 4th quarter drive iced the game for New Orleans. The Breakers would win 45–31 to give the Breakers sole possession of 1st in the South Division. It would also mark the first time the Breakers have beaten the Stallions since the 2022 USFL was founded.

### Week 4: at New Jersey Generals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Breakers | 7 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 20 |
| Generals | 0 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium
* Date: May 7
* Game time: 3:00 p.m. EDT
* Referee: Adam Savoie
* TV announcers (NBC): Paul Burmeister, Michael Robinson and Corey Robinson
The Breakers will take on the New Jersey Generals in week 4.

## Standings

South Division :
| # | viewtalkedit | W | L | PCT | GB | DIV | PF | PA | STK |
| 1 | (y) Birmingham Stallions | 8 | 2 | .800 | - | 4–2 | 287 | 196 | W5 |
| 2 | (x) New Orleans Breakers | 7 | 3 | .700 | 1 | 4–2 | 237 | 184 | W3 |
| 3 | (e) Houston Gamblers | 5 | 5 | .500 | 3 | 2–4 | 223 | 236 | L2 |
| 4 | (e) Memphis Showboats | 5 | 5 | .500 | 3 | 2–4 | 190 | 213 | L2 |
| (x)–clinched playoff berth; (y)–clinched division; (e)–eliminated from playoff contention ||||||||||

### Postseason

| Round | Date | Time (ET) | Opponent | Result | Record | TV | Recap |
| Division Finals | June 25 | 7:00 p.m. | at Birmingham Stallions | L 22–47 | 0–1 | Fox | Recap |