St. Louis Battlehawks QB AJ Mccarron (10) - Brien Aho/UFL/Getty Images
Week five of the UFL featured a dominant performance by the St. Louis BattleHawks. The BattleHawks defeated the Defenders with a final score of 45-12. St. Louis now has a 4-1 record, at the top of the XFL Conference. D.C. now falls to a 2-3 record. Here is a look at the game, the MVP of the game, and what is next for these two teams.
How the BattleHawks Dominated
The game started quickly, as the St. Louis BattleHaws received the ball and had a big kick return, pushing momentum toward them. Despite this start, there was a big fumble recovery by D.C. This was a big help to start the game, but it seems as though the turnovers just kept coming. Soon after that, quarterback, Jordan Ta’amu threw an interception, giving the BattleHawks the ball right back.
Finally, St. Louis scored the first touchdown of the game with 8:07 left in the first quarter. This put St. Louis up 10-0 to start.
A major issue for the Defenders is Ta’amu’s decision-making. Between the interceptions and holding on to the ball for too long, there is a lot that needs to change. In one instance of holding onto the ball too long, Ta’amu was sacked, forcing the Defenders to punt from pretty far back on their side of the field. There was then a blocked punt by the Battlehawks and they recovered it within the ten-yard line.
Credit does deserve to go to the D.C. Defense. While St Louis gained possession within the ten-yard line, D.C. did enough to force them to settle for a field goal, which they made to extend the lead.
To continue with the turnovers, the second interception for the BattleHawks was from a tipped ball that came off the hands of the Defenders’ receiver. Not long after that, St. Louis had a 17-0 lead.
D.C. Starts to Come Back
Before the first half came to a close, the D.C. Defenders did get on the scoreboard with 2:11 to go scoring a rushing TD. The BattleHawks ended up turning the ball over on downs to the D.C. after not making the fourth down conversion. This gave D.C. the ball back with just over a minute to go and one timeout left. D.C. managed to score the touchdown with seven seconds to go, making the score at halftime 17-12, St. Louis in the lead.
The third quarter was much quieter. D.C. attempted a field goal but missed it. Both teams played stronger defense, as neither offense could get anything going. St. Louis ended up scoring a field goal to make the score 20-12 with 1:20 left in the third quarter, which remained the score heading into the fourth.
St. Louis Takes Control
The game picked back up in the fourth quarter, mainly for the Battlehawks. The first major boost for St. Louis was when they forced the fumble with a strip sack and recovered the ball. They scored the touchdown to extend their lead 26-12. On the next St. Louis possession, there was a huge reception by Hakeem Butler for 80 yards. This play extended the lead 32-12.
Just when the game could not go worse for the Defenders, Ta’amu throws another interception. The BattleHawks scored a rushing touchdown right after making the score 39-12. It simply was not Ta’amu’s night. Once the game reached the score of 39-12, both teams pulled their quarterbacks. The final score of the game was 45-12.
Moving forward, the Defenders have a lot to fix. The Defense continues to show glimmers of hope, but there is room for improvement. Ta’amu’s decision-making needs to be better. He must know when to throw the ball away, to not give up a big sack, and when not to force throws, causing an interception. Even the D.C. special teams failed. Luckily the previous Defenders games showed that this week’s missed field goal is not a common thing.
The BattleHawks played well against the Defenders. Their defense is forcing turnovers and the offense is taking advantage of it. There is still room for improvement, as the run game had its moments, but needs to be more consistent.
MVP of the Game
St. Louis BattleHawks wide receiver, Hakeem Butler is this game’s MVP. He had just six receptions, but for 147 yards and two touchdowns, according to Fox Sports. Of course, one of those receptions went for 80 yards, and he also received the ball in the endzone for the extra point. Having a receiver that the team can rely on is important. Butler is a player to trust during one-on-one matchups. He is going to continue to be a big reason the BattleHawks keep winning games.
What’s Next?
The St. Louis BattleHawks will face the Houston Roughnecks on Saturday, May 4th at 3 P.M. Eastern.
The D.C. Defenders will face the San Antonio Brahmas on Sunday, May 5th at 4 P.M. Eastern.
