In week five against the Michigan Panthers, the St. Louis Battlehawks offense rose to the occasion and saved the day. In week six against the Arlington Renegades, the defense took the honors. Now if only the Battlehawks could perform well on both sides of the ball, in the same game.
On a day when Quarterback Max Duggan completed a dismal 36.8% of his passes for only 93 yards, the defense stole the show with three fumble recoveries and one interception. The lone bright spot for the offense was a perfectly-thrown 30-yard touchdown pass to star receiver Hakeem Butler. Kicker Rodrigo Blankenship had another perfect day. He made both of his field goal attempts, including a 53-yarder. The ironic consequence of Blankenship's steady, consistent perfection is that he has become a footnote. We should not lose sight of the remarkable season Blankenship is putting together.
During the Battlehawks Hub Weekly show on Thursday, I challenged St. Louis Defensive Coordinator Donnie Abraham to get creative and put pressure on the quarterback. Not only did the Battlehawks defense make Renegades Quarterback Luis Perez uncomfortable throughout the game, they also made several game-changing plays in the most critical moments. Mr. Abraham, job well done.
With their second big win in a row, the Battlehawks now sit in second place in the XFL division with a respectable 4-2 record. But they aren’t clicking on all cylinders, yet. This game was a scrappy, hard-fought victory against a tough, well-coached opponent. But the Battlehawks can do more. They can do better. Two roughing penalties on third and fourth downs that resulted in first downs were inexcusable. This offensive production simply will not cut it if we are fortunate enough to make it in the playoffs. And Coach Anthony Becht knows it.
If you think the Battlehawks are rolling now, just wait until they clean up the mental errors and hit their stride on offense, defense, and special teams, at the same time. Then they will really be soaring.
After a nine-day break, the Battlehawks play on the road against the Memphis Showboats on May 11 at 2pm CT.