Former Lions in key roles for Week 8 USFL game with playoff implications

 In Week 8 of the USFL regular season schedule, former Lions will have key roles in a game with playoff implications.

The USFL still has an undefeated team, as the 7-0 Birmingham Stallions have clinched a playoff spot. In last week’s win over the Pittsburgh Maulers, former Detroit Lions Victor Bolden Jr. (one catch, but for 53 yards) and Bo Scarbrough (27 carries for 100 yards). Both have played key roles for Birmingham.

Bolden Jr. leads the USFL in all-purpose yards by a good margin with 1,023. He has 33 catches (on a league-high 64 targets) for 323 yards and one touchdown as a receiver. As a return man, the 27-year old leads the league with 41 returns (21 kickoff, 20 punt) for a combined total of 700 return yards. Bolden Jr. was on the Lions practice squad in 2019, 2020 and 2021, but never landed a roster spot.

Scarbrough won USFL Offensive Player of the Week for Week 6, and he has now rushed for 100 yards in back-to-back games for the Stallions after arriving last month.

Former Detroit Lions on center stage for USFL Week 8

This Saturday, in Week 8 of the USFL schedule, the Stallions will face former Lions quarterback Kyle Sloter and the New Orleans Breakers. The 5-2 Breakers must win to clinch a spot in the playoffs, if they’re going to get it done this week. New Orleans will also need an assist from the 1-6 Houston Gamblers, against the 3-4 Tampa Bay Bandits in the final game of Week 8 on Sunday afternoon.

Sloter currently leads the USFL with 1,499 passing yards, and he is No. 2 in touchdown passes with nine (behind a tie for first, as another former Lions’ signal caller–Jordan Ta’amu and Clayton Thorson each have 10).

The Birmingham-New Orleans game is scheduled for a 3 p.m ET kickoff on Saturday, June 4, and the game will air on FOX.