# 2022 New Orleans Breakers season

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 |
| 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 |

## Personnel
### Final roster

The Breakers, like all other teams, have a 38-man active roster with a 7-man practice squad.

### 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 (OT) | 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

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Stars | 0 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 17 |
| Breakers | 7 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 23 |
at Protective Stadium, Birmingham, Alabama
* Date: April 17
* Game time: 5:00 p.m. (delayed)
* Referee: Larry Smith
* TV announcers (USA): Paul Burmeister, Michael Robinson, Lewis Johnson
Game information :
First quarter
NO – Vontae Diggs 37-yard interception return (Austin MacGinnis kick), 5:36. New Orleans 7–0.
Second quarter
NO – Chad Williams blocked punt out of endzone, safety, 8:54. New Orleans 9–0.
PHI – Bug Howard 10-yard pass from Bryan Scott (Matt Mengal kick), 0:52. New Orleans 9–7. Drive: 11 plays, 79 yards, 4:03.
Third quarter
PHI – Matt Mengal kick 38-yard field goal, 11:57. Philadelphia 10–9. Drive: 4 plays, -4 yards, 1:55.
NO – T. J. Logan 12-yard rush (Kyle Sloter pass), 5:11. New Orleans 17–10. Drive: 6 plays, 58 yards, 2:30.
PHI – Darnell Holland 42-yard rush (Matt Mengal kick), 4:27. Tied 17–17. Drive: 2 plays, 50 yards, 0:47.
Fourth quarter
NO – Jordan Ellis 2-yard rush (Austin MacGinnis kick no good), 15:00. New Orleans 23–17. Drive: 9 plays, 63 yards, 4:20.
Top passers
NO – Kyle Sloter – 17/27, 150 yards, INT
PHI – Bryan Scott – 25/36, 202 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
NO – Jordan Ellis – 18 rushes, 89 yards, TD
PHI – Darnell Holland – 9 rushes, 52 yards, TD
Top receivers
NO – Sal Cannella – 6 receptions, 58 yards
PHI – Chris Rowland – 7 receptions, 74 yards :
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

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Breakers | 14 | 7 | 0 | 13 | 34 |
| Bandits | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
at Protective Stadium, Birmingham, Alabama
* Date: April 24
* Game time: 3:00 p.m.
* Referee: Alex Moore
* TV announcers (NBC/Peacock): Jac Collinsworth, Jason Garrett, Lewis Johnson
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

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Stallions | 0 | 10 | 0 | 12 | 22 |
| Breakers | 0 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 13 |
at Protective Stadium, Birmingham, Alabama
* Date: April 30
* Game time: 8:00 p.m. EDT
* Referee: Larry Smith
* TV announcers (Fox): Curt Menefee, Joel Klatt, Brock Huard
Game information :
Second quarter
BIRM – Marlon Williams 47-yard catch from J'Mar Smith (Brandon Aubrey kick good), 8:23. Stallions 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 78 yards, 3:16.
NO – Johnnie Dixon 2-yard catch from Kyle Sloter (Austin MacGinnis kick no good), 1:12. Stallions 7–6. Drive: 13 plays, 85 yards, 5:07.
BIRM – Brandon Aubrey 33-yard field goal, 0:07. Stallions 10–7. Drive: 11 plays, 57 yards, 1:09.
Third quarter
NO – Johnnie Dixon 11-yard catch from Kyle Sloter (Austin MacGinnis kick good), 6:10. Stallions 10–6. Drive: 17 plays, 77 yards, 8:50.
Fourth quarter
BIRM – Victor Bolden Jr. 19-yard catch from J'Mar Smith (Brandon Aubrey kick good), 7:56. Stallions 17–13. Drive: 8 plays, 68 yards, 3:06.
BIRM – Kyle Sloter sacked in endzone, 7:43. Stallions 19–13.
BIRM – Brandon Aubrey 32-yard field goal, 1:19. Stallions 22–13. Drive: 4 plays, 0 yards, 1:23.
Top passers
BIRM – J'Mar Smith – 15/38, 197 yards, 2 TD, INT
NO – Kyle Sloter – 26/47, 240 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
BIRM – J'Mar Smith – 8 rushes, 59 yards
NO – Jordan Ellis – 25 rushes, 90 yards
Top receivers
BIRM – Victor Bolden Jr. – 6 receptions, 70 yards, TD
NO – Johnnie Dixon – 2 receptions, 53 yards, TD :
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

South Division :
| # | viewtalkedit | W | L | PCT | GB | DIV | PF | PA | STK |
| 1 | (y) Birmingham Stallions | 9 | 1 | .900 | - | 5–1 | 234 | 169 | W1 |
| 2 | (x) New Orleans Breakers | 6 | 4 | .600 | 3 | 3–3 | 196 | 164 | L1 |
| 3 | (e) Tampa Bay Bandits | 4 | 6 | .400 | 5 | 2–4 | 162 | 195 | L2 |
| 4 | (e) Houston Gamblers | 3 | 7 | .300 | 6 | 2–4 | 196 | 208 | W2 |
| (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 | 8:00 p.m. | at Birmingham Stallions | L 17–31 | 0–1 | NBC/Peacock | Recap |