Scott Adamson, Author at Adamsonmedia.com

Cain shows he’s able

Deon Cain has a national championship on his resume, a United States Football League title (as well as 2023 USFL Championship Game MVP honors), and is one of the main reasons the Birmingham Stallions are unbeaten in the inaugural season of the United Football League.

Yet for all the wide receiver has done, there’s still plenty left to do.

**Scott Adamson writes stuff. Follow him on Threads @sladamson1960 and Adamsonmedia on Facebook.**

Certainly, Cain hopes to make it back to the NFL, but midway through the 2024 UFL season his focus is strictly on the business at hand. And for 5-0 Birmingham, that business is winning.

“The mentality for us is what (Stallions coach Skip Holtz) has been preaching, which is to go 1-0 every week,” Cain said on Wednesday. “We’ve got goals we’ve got to chase throughout the season. It’s a great spot to be in – to be undefeated and keep stacking up wins – but it’s something we have to keep on doing.”

This season Cain has snagged 19 catches for 297 yards and a touchdown, and averages 20.4 yards per kick return.

He got 144 of those yards in Birmingham’s 33-14 victory over Memphis in Week 3. The rematch with the Showboats (1-4) takes place this Saturday at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium.

“They have NFL guys and experienced guys on their roster, and they’re deep,” Cain said. “The first time we played we had a great day execution-wise on offense, and the play calls were hitting.”

Cain says prepping for the second game against their rivals involves what he saw in the first contest as well as what has happened since.

“You have to study recent games and the game that you’ve played,” he said. “You’ve got to pick up on old tendencies as well as new tendencies, because they can show one thing but then do another.

“We have to study everything because they’ve played two more games since we played them the first time, so we have a lot more film to study, seeing some of the new stuff they’re trying.”

Cain helped the Clemson Tigers claim the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship, and finished that season – his junior year – with 724 yards and nine touchdowns on 38 receptions.

He decided to forgo his final year of eligibility and enter the 2018 NFL Draft, where he was a sixth-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts.

But his big-league dreams were dealt a blow when he suffered an ACL tear during training camp.

He did finally see action in 2019, but was ultimately waived by the Colts in November.

Since then, he has been in camp with the Baltimore Ravens and Philadelphia Eagles (twice), but the Stallions have been his best showcase to prove he can play on Sundays in the fall.

Cain has shown game-breaking ability during his entire tenure with Birmingham, with one of his best efforts coming in the 2023 USFL Championship Game.

In a 28-12 victory over the Pittsburgh Maulers, Cain had three touchdowns on four catches for 70 yards, and returned five kickoffs for a total of 101 yards.

He finished the season with 182 receiving yards and two touchdowns, and piled up 668 return yards.

“Really, I’m just a playmaker and a team guy,” Cain said. “If you want me to block, I’ll block. If you want me to run a vertical route, I’ll do that. When it comes to football, I just want to be part of a winning team.

“I’ll let the film speak for itself, but I put in a lot of work day in and day out to show I’m a great football player.”

The Moonbeam Monster

There was no quiet way to reach the cabin near Moonbeam Creek.

Dead leaves covered the makeshift path leading to it, so each step added a loud, crunching noise to the typical sounds of the woodlands. Of course, with windchimes hanging from the ceiling of the old, rickety porch, the resident of the cabin was surely used to plenty of noise.

Moonbean Creek – or at least the forest that it split – was thought to be the home of the “Moonbean Monster,” a tall, ape-like creature that had allegedly roamed these woods for decades.

Like the Yeti or Bigfoot, it was often seen only in shadows or quick glimpses; there was never any positive proof it existed, and no bones or bodies had ever been found. But tall tales? It had spawned its share.

What made the Moonbeam Monster different from the other creatures, though, is that amateur “monster hunters” Lexie Thornton and Dex Schneider had proof. They had long been fascinated by the folklore surrounding mythical beings, and a year or so earlier had taken a special interest in the Moonbean Monster.

The creek was a popular spot for anglers, and Lexie and Dex had spent hours upon hours talking with several of them – most all claiming they had had some kind of encounter with it.

Calling it a “monster,” however, didn’t square with what they heard from those who had experienced such close contact. Other than being startling in its hirsute form, the Moonbeam Monster seemed peaceful enough. It would often be spied grabbing elderberries or pawpaws, then quickly disappearing into the wild.

The pair of sleuths decided to place cameras on trees throughout the area, and even employed drones on occasion to cover more ground.

Over 12 months they had collected plenty of photos and videos, but the most compelling was a grainy, night vision clip that saw the Moonbean Monster walk up to the cabin, step on the porch, open the door, and then lean down and walk inside.

As they approached the domicile, they didn’t know who – or what – to expect after they knocked on the door.

“Hi, I’m Lexie Thornton and this is my partner, Dex Schneider,” Lexie said. “We were hoping you’d give us a few minutes of your time.”

The heavyset man who opened the door appeared to be in his late 60s or early 70s, his thinning white hair combed straight back and his flannel shirt bulging just above the beltline of baggy, faded blue jeans.

“I ain’t religious, I don’t need no magazines and I ain’t registered to vote,” he said. “Whatever y’all are sellin’, I ain’t interested.”

As he started to close the door, Dex piped up.

“Please, sir,” he said. “We’re not trying to sell you anything. We just want to talk to you about the Moonbean Monster.”

The man smiled, swung the door open and made a sweeping motion with his hand, gesturing the two to come in.

The inside of the cabin was spartan; a single bed, table with four chairs, and small kitchen area with a wood-burning stove.

There were no paintings and no “homey touches” of any kind.

“Pull up a chair,” said the man.

“May I ask your name?” Lexie said.

“Sure,” said the man. “But I ain’t telling ‘cause it don’t matter. You said you wanted to know about Moonie; nothin’ about me is interesting.”

He pulled a chair away from the table and situated it near the fireplace.

“I’m guessing y’all are the ones that put them cameras up everywhere and fly them little contraptions through here,” he said. “Why did you go and do something like that? Moonie ain’t botherin’ you – or nobody else. Never has.”

Dex produced a tablet, made a couple of quick swipes, and showed the man a photo of the monster entering his house.

“Sir, the Moonbean Monster – or Moonie as you call him – has been in your house,” he said. “Were you here when it happened?”

The man chuckled.

“Moonie has been comin’ and goin’ from here for as long as I’ve been here,” he said. “And I’ve been here since before you two was even born. Look here.”

The man walked over to a box near his sink and produced a handful of pawpaws.

“Moonie likes these a lot,” he said. “I always keep some on hand for when he visits.”

Lexie pulled a small recording device from her pocket.

“Do you mind?” she asked.

“I don’t care,” the man said. “But you ain’t gonna be here long and I ain’t got much to say other than Moonie lives in these parts just like I live in these parts … just like deer and turkeys and whatever else you can find in these woods live here.

“If you think I’m gonna do anything to put him in danger, well, that ain’t gonna happen. When people come sniffin’ around looking for somethin’ everybody thinks is different, it usually don’t end real well for the thing that’s different.”

Before Dex or Lexie could say anything, the man walked to the door and opened it.

“Moonie ain’t no monster,” he said. “He just wants to be left alone. Now y’all need to leave. Anybody else comes sniffin’ around, I’ll just tell ‘em y’all are pullin’ a hoax.”

Lexie and Dex got up, smiled politely, and walked out onto the porch. The man could hear them talking, and then listened as they crunched their way toward the creek.

It would be nightfall in a couple of hours … once again giving him the opportunity to venture out into the woods.

He could already tell a cool evening was in store, perfect for a fox – or maybe a hound dog or racoon.

Moonie was his natural form, but with all the unwanted attention it was time to give that shape a rest for a while – at least long enough for the monster hunters to lose interest, take down their cameras and move on to some other venture.

Once the sun sank and he saw the creekside clear of humans, he took off his clothes, opened the door, and darted out into the night.

Different points of view

**Michigan** **Panthers coach Mike Nolan usually opts for 1-point conversion after his team scores a touchdown.** (Photo by Nic Antaya/UFL/Getty Images)

When the United States Football League and XFL merged to form the United Football League, part of the deal was blending rules from each.

When it came to kickoffs, the UFL opted to borrow from the USFL and tee the ball up at the kicking team’s 20-yard line.

The XFL’s tiered conversion system – one that eliminates the PAT kick altogether – was adopted.

A team can score a single point by successfully reaching the end zone from the 2-yard line (via run or pass); two points for a scoring play from the 5-yard line; and three points for a successful try from the 10-yard line.

To say this rule has taken away the automatic aspect of “extra points” would be an understatement.

With half the season complete, only two teams are above the 50 percent mark in successful 1-point and 2-point attempts, while all three 3-point attempts have come up empty.

The Michigan Panthers have been largely successful on getting bonus points following TDs. After five games, they’re scoring 1-point conversions at a 57 percent clip and making 50 percent of their 2-point attempts.

“Let me tell you about analytics,” Michigan coach Mike Nolan said. “If I’m gonna do analytics, I want to know what my football team is capable of doing based on my people. I don’t like analytics when you take all eight teams in the UFL and put them together and say, ‘OK, the leaguewide stats said you go for it here’ and you don’t – that doesn’t do me any good. If I’m the eighth offense or the first offense, those are different analytics.”

Michigan is fifth in the league in total offense and fourth in scoring.

Interestingly, while the Panthers are 3-2, the team that is making 57 percent of their 2-pointers and half of their 1-point conversions is Arlington – the UFL’s only winless team at 0-5.

The Renegades are fourth in total offense and fifth in scoring.

“I’ll say this … from a simple standpoint, I’m always looking to keep a touchdown with an extra point above,” Nolan said. “In other words, if we score first, typically, I’m thinking of going for one. Why? Because that other team not only has to score a touchdown, but they have to score again.

“It’s not like the old kick (an extra point) and it’s automatic. There’s nothing automatic about going for it at the 2-yard line. There’s a little bit different thought process than in the NFL.”

While the 1-point conversion is the default mode for Michigan, the Birmingham Stallions are thinking two points when they score first.

Skip Holtz’s team has rolled to a 5-0 record but are oh-for-three on 1-point conversions and five-of-10 when scrimmaging from the five.

“We’re pretty much in the 2-point race right now,” Holtz said. “By rule, we’re gonna go for two unless we get into a game where one point means it’s an even game, or the one point is going to make the difference. You’d like to think that we were better on one than two, but that hasn’t been the case so far this year. We came into this year and said if we can be 50 percent on 2-point plays, it’s just like creating an extra point.”

The USFL also had tiered conversions, but the single point kick option was the most used during that league’s two years of competition.

In the UFL, the only way a kicker can score is by making a field goal.

“Going for two was a decision that we talked a lot about during camp,” Holtz said. “Even if you were 50 percent on one-point plays, you’re better off to go for two and then get 40 percent of them. And so that was a decision we made, but I’m still learning about this as well. Because I’m only five games into it, and the XFL teams had the opportunity to do this in the XFL a year ago.”

As for Nolan, any decision he makes following a Michigan touchdown will be dictated by circumstances – and how well his team deals with those circumstances.

“Obviously when you get into the fourth quarter, sometimes it becomes a little bit more serious than (a 1-point conversion),” he said. “You might have to go for three because you’re trying to catch up. But again, when it comes to analytics, I like to know what we’re capable of … I really don’t care about those other seven teams.”

Conversion stats

USFL Conference

Birmingham

1-point: 0-3 (0 %)

2-point: 5-10 (50 %)

3-point: 0-0 (0%)

Houston

1-point: 0-1 (0%)

2-point: 2-6 (33%)

3-point: 0-1 (0%)

Memphis

1-point: 1-6 (17%)

2-point: 1-3 (33%)

3-point: 0-0 (0%)

Michigan

1-point: 4-7 (57%)

2-point: 3-6 (50%)

3-point: 0-0 (0%)

XFL Conference

Arlington

1-point: 1-2 (50%)

2-point: 4-7 (57%)

3-point: 0-0 (0%)

1-point: 0-0 (0%)

2-point: 2-10 (20%)

3-point: 0-0 (0%)

San Antonio

1-point: 5-9 (56%)

2-point: 1-5 (20%)

3-point: 0-1 (0%)

St. Louis

1-point: 3-6 (50%)

2-point: 5-11 (45%)

3-point: 0-1 (0%)