The Vegas Vipers now have a win under their belts and they are looking to take that momentum and start a winning streak. To do so they’ll have to go through the St. Louis Battlehawks who are visiting Cashman Field on Saturday night.
Last week, the Battlehawks lost to the DC Defenders, even though they attempted to mount a game-winning drive in the waning seconds, something they have been successful at twice this season. On the other hand the Vipers won last week, albeit against the hapless Orlando Guardians. But, a win is a win. Right?
In this game the Battlehawks hope a win will keep them on pace with the Seattle Sea Dragons for a playoff spot in the XFL North Division.
What should we look for?
With a win against Orlando last week, the Vipers have momentum on their side. Orlando came on near the end, but Vegas came up with critical stops that won them the game 35-32. In the win, the Vipers showcased a balanced offensive attack featuring 123 rushing yards, with Rod Smith getting 62 of those yards and a touchdown. Luis Perez passed for a respectable 269 yards and three touchdowns. The defense did their part with 4 sacks and 7 tackles for a loss, keeping Orlando at bay at critical moments in the game. Vegas will need the same performance or better this week against St. Louis.
Defensively Vegas needs to worry. They’re last in the league when it comes to yards per game against them with 366.2 , last in run defense with an average of 142.8 yards per game, second last against the pass with 223.4 yards per game, and second last with an average of 26.8 points allowed against them per game. When the Battlehawks see these stats they probably try to figure out ways to exploit these deficiencies.
As for St. Louis, they just need to ensure the right Battlehawks team shows up, especially since they’ve been hot and cold on both sides of the ball. Through the season so far they find themselves two games behind the DC Defenders in the standings, and they probably think they should be higher. St. Louis needs to stop the turnovers and be more consistent in all four quarters, something they surely intend to begin in this game against the Vipers.
This game may be seen as a battle between two quarterbacks, namely A.J. McCarron of the Battlehawks and Luis Perez of the Vipers. They are very close together in QB rankings, as they are third and fourth in throwing yards, respectively. McCarron and Perez are tied in touchdown passes at eight, and McCarron ranks seventh (65.5%) in completion percentage, while Perez is ranked eighth (65.3%). The only stat between these two that stands out is sacks taken, with McCarron having taken 17 while Perez has only taken 4. Perez does have less snaps, but the difference is clear. Perez avoids getting sacked.
Conclusion
Regardless of last week’s outcomes, St. Louis still has the superior team all around. St. Louis is 2-1 away from home, while Vegas is 1-2 at home. It should follow that the Battlehawks will persevere in this game and get the win. However, the Vipers are surging and Luis Perez has a never-give-up attitude. This might be the game to watch this week.
