Above Image Credit: XFL News Hub
When: Sunday, June 8th, 6:00 PM EST
Where: The Dome at America’s Center (St. Louis, MO)
Channel: FOX (check your local listings)
Two of the UFL’s best teams go head-to-head as the DC Defenders take on the St. Louis Battlehawks for the XFL conference championship title and a spot in the UFL championship.
Never Any Doubt
Normally, panic and doubt would develop among football fans when a head coach leaves their position before the season starts. That was the case with the Defenders at first when Reggie Barlow left to accept a head coach position at Tennessee State University. Since Shannon Harris took over as interim head coach, any negative belief just disappeared.
Now, Defenders QB and MVP candidate Jordan Ta’amu and the rest of the team have a chance advance to the UFL championship if they can get past the Battlehawks. The UFL MVP candidate has recorded 155 completions out of 285 for 2,153 yards, 17 touchdowns, and four interceptions. He’s one of the league’s Top 3 quarterbacks.
A total of seven DC players have made the All-UFL team. One of them is WR Chris Rowland. He’s second in the league with 522 receiving yards and has made three touchdowns in 42 receptions (3rd in the UFL). The Defenders also have another big receiver in Cornell Powell. He leads the UFL with seven receiving TDs and averages 14.4 yards per reception (3rd in the UFL).
The Defenders defense lives up to the team name. DEs Andre Mintze and Derick Roberson each have 5.5 sacks. DT Joe Wallace follows them with 5 sacks. The team is second in the league with 39 tackles for loss. Wallace (10) and Roberson (9) are second and third overall in that category.
Birds Fly, Battlehawks Run
The offense of the fan-favorite St. Louis Battlehawks have been a force to be reckoned with, especially in the rushing department. All-UFL RB Jacob Saylors is second in the league in rushing yards (499) and rushing TDs (5). QB Max Duggan has also proven to be a good runner as well as a passer. He’s fourth in the league with five rushing TDs.
Do not overlook the Battlehawks defense either. All-UFL DE Pito Taumoepenu leads the UFL with 7.5 sacks and three forced fumbles. That means he could stop a quarterback dead in his tracks or do something that causes an offensive player to lose the ball and turn the tide in St. Louis’s favor.
Overall, the Battlehawks have been one of the surprising teams of the year with an 8-2 record, the best in the season. They have won three of the past four meetings against DC, but they will see that this version of their opponents are different from the previous ones.
UFL Postseason: Final Prediction
DC won the first meeting 27-15 in Week 3. Then, St. Louis got revenge last week with a 13-8 win. However, things were different in those two games. Ta’amu wasn’t around last week, and Duggan didn’t start in Week 3.
Both will return to lead their high-powered offenses to victory, but when you think of their stats and performances, Ta’amu has the advantage. The Battlehawks defense will need to focus most of their energy on him, Rowland, and Powell if they hope to win.
DC has a stellar defense that could overwhelm Duggan even at his best. If they can put a lot of pressure on him and the offense, the Battlehawks will go nowhere. St. Louis has to plan their offensive maneuvers carefully to avoid that scenario or else their chances for a championship title are done.
