From Press Row: DC Defenders vs. St. Louis Battlehawks

WASHINGTON, DC – FEBRUARY 8: DC Defenders fans in the stands cheering their team who played the Seattle Dragons on February 8, 2020 at Audi Field in Washington, DC. (Photo by Al Drago/XFL)

Today’s game is much more than week four match-up. When the Defenders take the field against the Battlehawks, they’ll be vying for the top spot in the XFL East. If they win, they’ll be tied for the top spot, but will own the tiebreaker. If they lose, they’ll be two games back of the Battlehawks and nearly out of their playoff spot. Coming off of two blowout losses, the Defenders are in a tough spot, but Cardale Jones will hope to recreate the magic of their previous home wins.

First Quarter: DC Defenders – 6 vs. St. Louis Battlehawks – 3

Well, then…

Thus far, the Defenders and Battlehawks have each punted on their first possession. With that being said, the Defenders appear to be playing like they did during the first two weeks of the season. Not to mention, their running game appears to show signs of life. Through a few minutes of action,  Tavaris Barnes has put a sack while Donnel Pumphrey and Jhurrel Pressley are averaging four yards per carry.

Number seven on the season

Maybe, optimism was bit much on our part. After a promising start to the game, the Defenders returned to the troubles they faced during their road trip. Dodging defenders, Cardale Jones appeared to be in the process of making a big play to start the team’s second drive. Instead, he threw his six interception in three weeks. Through his first season in the XFL, he’s averaging just over an interception per game through five games. Luckily, the interception was thrown in Battlehawks territory.

Ground game controls all

Much like the Defenders, the Battlehawks are having trouble throwing the ball deep. However, they are killing it on the ground. During the first quarter, they’ve been able to get the ball to four different rushers while averaging over six yards per carry. With that being said, they’ll need to pick up their passing game if they’re going to turn their field goals into touchdowns later on.

You don’t have to get ready if you stay ready.

Through the last three weeks, Cardale Jones has struggled throwing the ball. As mentioned early, he’s thrown six interceptions over the last three weeks. He’s also posted quarterback ratings of 20.7 and 30.9 during the last two games. While it would be early to panic about Jones, it’s fair to question if Tyree Jackson could be used in certain situations to take the pressure off of Jones. Towards the end of the first quarter, Jackson did just that. Throwing a nine yard pass to Khari Lee, Jackson has helped push the Defenders ahead of the Battlehawks.

Second Quarter: DC Defenders – 6 vs. St. Louis Battlehawks – 6

It’s better, but not quite there.

Through two quarters, the Battlehawks have combined through 50 yards in the air and 84 yards on the ground. While their running game can carry them in to scoring position, their passing attack is going to have to seal the deal. At this rate, it appears that it’s a race to 100. The first team with 100 yards passing will be the one to walk away with the top spot in the XFL East.

Third Quarter: DC Defenders – 12 vs. St. Louis Battlehawks – 6

The foot race continues

Coming in to today’s game, Jordan Ta’amu and  Cardale Jones led two of the league’s most active passing offenses in the league. Through just over two quarters of football, Jones is no longer on the field and Ta’amu has yet to break 100 yards through the air. As a result, there haven’t been too many points scored. Instead, the game has been controlled on ground. The Defenders and Battlehawks have combine for just under 250 rushing yards. What appeared to be a race to 200 yards through the air is now a race to 200 yards on the ground.

Holes here, holes there, holes everywhere!

This has been by far the Battlehawks best drive of the game. A balanced attack on the ground and through the air, the team out of St. Louis has looked like the team that put together a three-game winning streak. However, they still ran into the same issue that has plagued them all game, completing passes on third down. Making matters worse, their kicker, Taylor Russolino, missed a deep field goal to tie things up.

St. Louis has won the race to 100!

Who? How? What? The Battlehawks are back in D.C. territory thanks to an incredible catch by L’Damian Washington on the far sideline. That catch puts St. Louis over the 100 yard passing mark for the first time today. Let’s see if they can complete any more passes while they’re in striking distance.

Fourth Quarter: DC Defenders – 15 vs. St. Louis Battlehawks – 6

The Defenders will…defend?

The DC Defenders haven’t exactly looked impressive today offensively. In benching Cardale Jones, their run game has improved tremendously. Still, their passing game continues to be influx. With that said, Anthony Johnson, Tavaris Barnes and company have been able to put pressure on the Battlehawks all game long. Nowhere was this more present than Jon Celestin’s blocked punt late in the fourth quarter that set up a field goal. Thanks to the XFL rules, the Battlehawks are still in striking distance with a touchdown and three point attempt.

Final Score: DC Defenders – 15 vs. St. Louis Battlehawks – 6

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