In case you missed it over the weekend, there was a surprise battle between former New England Patriots quarterbacks in the UFL playoffs: Matt Corral of the Birmingham Stallions vs. Danny Etling of the Michigan Panthers.
To be fair, those aren’t exactly household names in New England.
Etling was a Patriots seventh-round draft pick back in 2018. In 2019, he moved to receiver before being cut. Meanwhile, Corral was picked up on waivers at the start of the 2023 season. He was cut weeks later after a bizarre saga that featured him failing to report to the team. Neither played a regular-season snap for the Patriots.
As for Saturday’s USFL Championship Game, Etling had the early edge, leading his Panthers to an 18-3 lead in the second quarter.
At that point, things looked dire for the Stallions as starting quarterback Adrian Martinez had just been knocked out of the game on a strip-sack. That was until Corral stepped in and immediately turned things around.
On his first play of the game, Corral launched a 50-yard touchdown to tight end Jordan Thomas right down the seam to spark an unlikely comeback for Birmingham. Fun fact: Thomas also had a brief stint with the Patriots, playing two games in New England back in 2020.
After entering the game in relief of Martinez, Corral went 9-of-11 passing for 120 yards throwing two touchdowns and an interception as the Stallions scored 28 unanswered points in the 31-18 victory.
Meanwhile, Etling finished 18-of-29 passing for 182 yards and three interceptions.
The Stallions now advance to the inaugural title game of the UFL, the new spring football league formed by the merger of the USFL and XFL.
The UFL Championship Game will pit the Stallions, the USFL Conference champs, against the San Antonio Brahmas, who won the XFL Conference Championship Game on Sunday.
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