This game marks the second time the Seattle Sea Dragons and the St. Louis Battlehawks have played this season, with the Battlehawks winning the first match 20-18 in Week 2. In that game St. Louis placekicker Donald Hageman kicked the game winning field goal as time expired.
This time the teams are meeting with higher stakes involved. If the Battlehawks are able to win this week, the Sea Dragons will be eliminated from playoff contention. If the Sea Dragons are able to win, they would be tied in the standings with the Battlehawks with the week 10 games to decide who gets to play the DC Defenders in the Northern Division Championship game. It is all on the line this week.
Of course, this epic battle will feature two of the top quarterbacks in the league, Seattle’s Ben DiNucci, the XFL leader in passing yards (2,072) and completions (195), and happily back from the injured list, St. Louis’s A.J. McCarron, the XFL leader in TD passes (17).
What should we look for?
Seattle’s powerhouse run-and-shoot offense, implemented by Offensive Coordinator June Jones ranks 1st in the league in pass attempts (304), completions (196), passing yards (2,078) and total first downs (96). Much of the offense’s success is due to QB Ben DiNucci who became the first player of the 2023 XFL season to pass the 1,000 passing yard mark during Seattle’s Week 4 victory over the San Antonio Brahmas, and 2,000 yards in the Week 8 loss to the D.C. Defenders. He currently leads the league in passing yards (2,072), completions (195), and ranks second in touchdowns (15) behind St. Louis’ A.J. McCarron (17). DiNucci also tallied one rushing touchdown.
Wide receiver, Jahcour Pearson, has proven to be DiNucci’s favorite target as he leads the league in total receptions (50) and is second in the league in receiving yards (513). Juwan Green is tied for the second in the league in receiving touchdowns (5), Josh Gordon is tied for third in receiving touchdowns (4), and Blake Jackson is fourth in the league in receptions (38). Tuzar Skipper is tied for first in the league in forced fumbles (3) and leads the team in sacks (4). Dominik Eberle ranks tied for first in field goals made (13) along with the highest completion percentage in the league (92.3%).
The Sea Dragons recently added running back Phillip Lindsay to their roster, and it still remains to be seen how much of an impact he could make on the Seattle offense. Last week against DC he had a paltry 8 carries for 23 yards. Seattle hopes that another week of practice under his belt will buoy Lindsay to more yardage this week.
DiNucci’s penchant to throw interceptions and commit fumbles are part of his “anything can happen” style of running an offense that is always a treat to watch. Meanwhile, the Battlehawks A.J. McCarron is a steady performer who can be counted on to protect the ball. Now that he is back from the injured list, the hopes are that he will be able to play at 100 percent.
The Battlehawks will play the second game of their three-game homestand, and must be enjoying playing in front of a boisterous home crowd. Battlehawks fans have set the top three attendance marks in XFL history with a record 38,310 fans in the Week 4 home opener against the Arlington Renegades at The Dome at America’s Center, followed by 35,868 in Week 5 vs. the D.C. Defenders, and 35,167 in Week 8 vs. Vegas. The Battlehawks also held the previous top mark of 29,554, which was set by St. Louis in the 2020 home opener.
Last week, the Battlehawks completed their third fourth-quarter comeback of the season with a 21-17 victory Saturday over the Vegas Vipers, winning the first overtime game in XFL history. St. Louis trailed 17-8 with 4:55 left in the fourth quarter when punter Sterling Hofrichter faked a punt and completed a 64-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Gary Jennings that pulled the Battlehawks to within three points, 17-14. Kicker Donny Hageman then tied the game at 17 points with 15 seconds left in regulation. The Battlehawks stopped each of the first two Vegas two-point conversion attempts in overtime, and the Battlehawks scored on both of their own to clinch the four-point victory with a 5-yard catch by WR Hakeem Butler from QB Nick Tiano on the first attempt, and a 5-yard rush by RB Brian Hill on the second.
One thing about the Battlehawks is they don’t give up, as there are many times this season they were behind and found a way to win. The Seattle Sea Dragons need to remember this, and if they find themselves ahead in the 4th quarter they should not rest on their laurels. The Battlehawks do not give up.
Conclusion
This will be the matchup of the week, and may well end up being the game of the season. There are high expectations for both teams and the home fans will surely be into it. Jim Haslett and Anthony Becht are two of the better coaches in the XFL and you can be sure that their respective teams will come to play.
Are you ready for a show? There should be plenty of scoring. Look for the St. Louis Battlehawks to triumph and both teams to blow through the over/under of 46 points.
