The 2023 season was the Pittsburgh Maulers' 2nd season in the United States Football League and their 1st under the head coach/general manager tandem of Ray Horton and Lonnie Young. With their second win of the season in Week 5 against the Michigan Panthers, they improved upon their 1–9 record from the previous season, which was a league worst.
| 2023 Pittsburgh Maulers season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | National Spring Football League Enterprises Co, LLC, (Fox Sports) |
| General manager | Lonnie Young |
| Head coach | Ray Horton |
| Home field | Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 4–6 |
| League place | 1st in North Division |
| Playoff finish | Won Division Finals (vs. Michigan Panthers) 31–27 (OT) Lost USFL Championship (at Birmingham Stallions) 12–28 |
By defeating the New Jersey Generals in Week 10, they clinched their first-ever playoff berth. They also clinched their first division title the following day when the Panthers defeated the Philadelphia Stars.
Pittsburgh later defeated the Panthers in the USFL North Division Championship Game, advancing to their first USFL Championship, where they were defeated by the Birmingham Stallions.
Draft edit
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Lindsey Scott Jr. | Quarterback | Incarnate Word | |
| 2 | 9 | Malik Hamm | Defensive end | Lafayette | |
| 3 | 17 | Tre'Quan Dorsey | Offensive lineman | St. Francis University | |
| 4 | 25 | Ferlando Jordan | Defensive back | Southeastern Louisiana | |
| 5 | 33 | Isaiah Land | Defensive end | Florida A&M | |
| 6 | 41 | Nash Jensen | Offensive lineman | North Dakota State | |
| 7 | 49 | Taylor Grimes | Wide receiver | Incarnate Word | |
| 8 | 57 | C. J. Turner | Wide receiver | Southeastern Louisiana | |
| 9 | 65 | Jacob Slade | Defensive lineman | Michigan State | |
| 10 | 73 | Ethan Evans | Punter | Wingate |
Personnel edit
Roster edit
Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
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Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
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Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
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Reserve lists
Rookies in italics | ||||||
Staff edit
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Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
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Defensive coaches
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Schedule edit
Regular Season edit
| Week | Date | Time (ET) | Opponent | Result | Record | TV | Venue | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | April 16 | 6:30 p.m. | at New Orleans Breakers | L 15–22 | 0–1 | FS1 | Protective Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | April 23 | 1:00 p.m. | vs. New Jersey Generals | L 3–20 | 0–2 | NBC | Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | April 30 | 12:00 p.m. | at Philadelphia Stars | W 21–13 | 1–2 | NBC | Ford Field | Recap |
| 4 | May 7 | 6:30 p.m. | vs. Birmingham Stallions | L 20–24 | 1–3 | FS1 | Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium | Recap |
| 5 | May 13 | 12:30 p.m. | at Michigan Panthers | W 23–7 | 2–3 | USA | Ford Field | Recap |
| 6 | May 20 | 12:30 p.m. | at Memphis Showboats | L 0–22 | 2–4 | USA | Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium | Recap |
| 7 | May 27 | 9:00 p.m. | vs. Philadelphia Stars | L 31–37 | 2–5 | FS1 | Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium | Recap |
| 8 | June 3 | 12:00 p.m. | vs. Houston Gamblers | L 19–20 | 2–6 | USA | Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium | Recap |
| 9 | June 10 | 12:00 p.m. | vs. Michigan Panthers | W 19–7 | 3–6 | Fox | Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium | Recap |
| 10 | June 17 | 1:00 p.m. | at New Jersey Generals | W 26–6 | 4–6 | USA | Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium | Recap |
Bold indicates divisional opponent.
Standings edit
| North Division | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | W | L | PCT | GB | DIV | PF | PA | STK | |||
| 1 | (y) Pittsburgh Maulers | 4 | 6 | .400 | - | 4–2 | 177 | 178 | W2 | ||
| 2 | (x) Michigan Panthers | 4 | 6 | .400 | - | 3–3 | 171 | 215 | W1 | ||
| 3 | (e) Philadelphia Stars | 4 | 6 | .400 | - | 2–4 | 220 | 258 | L3 | ||
| 4 | (e) New Jersey Generals | 3 | 7 | .300 | 1 | 3–3 | 187 | 212 | L1 | ||
| (x)–clinched playoff berth; (y)–clinched division; (e)–eliminated from playoff contention | |||||||||||
Postseason edit
| Round | Date | Time (ET) | Opponent | Result | Record | TV | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division Finals | June 24 | 8:00 p.m. | vs. Michigan Panthers | W 31–27 (OT) | 1–0 | NBC | Recap |
| USFL Championship | July 1 | 8:00 p.m. | at Birmingham Stallions | L 12–28 | 1–1 | NBC | Recap |