Seattle Sea Dragons Dominate St. Louis Battlehawks To Keep XFL Playoff Hopes Alive
NewsScoresXFL

Seattle Sea Dragons Dominate St. Louis In Crucial XFL Win

·

Today marked the date of the biggest XFL game in recent history. The St. Louis Battlehawks hosted the Seattle Sea Dragons with everything on the line.

Heading into this matchup, both teams were playing excellent football. St. Louis held a 6-2 record, only losing two games to the DC Defenders. With a win against Seattle, they would clinch the final XFL playoff berth. They also saw the return of QB AJ McCarron, which was a welcomed sight to Anthony Becht’s offense.

On the other hand, the Sea Dragons could not afford to drop this one. A win puts them in a position to clinch in week ten, but a loss would eradicate any postseason aspirations at all. Jim Haslett would need to coach a near perfect game in order to overcome the Battlehawks at The Dome.

Let’s take a look at what happened, as it was quite the showdown this afternoon.

First Quarter

It was an excellent start to the game for the Seattle Sea Dragons. After receiving possession of the football, Ben DiNucci marched the team down the field smoothly. Then, TJ Hammonds ran it in for the score, and a successful two point conversion made it an 8-0 ball game.

St. Louis quickly found a rhythm with McCarron back at the helm. A couple of excellent catches by Marcell Ateman and Darrius Shepherd set them up in scoring position. The Battlehawks settled for a field goal, and trailed 8-3.

Seattle had the ball, and continued to march. Phillip Lindsay was making an impact, being a new addition to the team just a couple of weeks ago.

With one quarter in the books, the Sea Dragons led 8-3.

Second Quarter

Seattle appeared to have scored a touchdown, but it was called back due to a penalty. They punted, and St. Louis took advantage. First, McCarron found Marcell Ateman who made a fantastic grab to move the chains.

Then, AJ connected with his favorite target – Darrius Shepherd. Shepherd was wide open on the sidelines, and then evaded tackles as he dove towards the pylon. Just like that, St. Louis led 9-8.

The momentum certainly shifted in the Battlehawks direction. A sack from Elorm Lumor on DiNucci pushed Seattle backwards once again, and they had to punt it away.

St. Louis was unable to find their footing on the next drive. Seattle took over, and made something happen. On 4th and 1, DiNucci connected on a deep ball with Josh Gordon, who made a fantastic adjustment.

Then, he found Jordan Veasy in the end zone, and the Sea Dragons went in front 14-9.

Turnovers proved to be an issue down the stretch for St. Louis. McCarron unloaded a deep ball, but under threw his man, and Qwynnterio Cole made the interception.

Heading into halftime, the Seattle Sea Dragons led the St. Louis Battlehawks 14-9.

Third Quarter

Niko Lalos continues to be a playmaker for the Sea Dragons week in and week out. He tripped up AJ on third down, which ultimately resulted in a punt.

Seattle was playing for their playoff lives, and it showed. On 3rd and 15, Ben DiNucci fired a strike to Jahcour Pearson, who took off 68 yards for the score. Just like that. Seattle led 20-9.

On the ensuing possessions, neither team could find much of a rhythm. Both punted back and forth to each other, as the third quarter ticked down.

The Battlehawks had an opportunity to score, but Seattle’s defense held strong. Donny Hageman knocked through a 54 yard field goal, and they only trailed by eight.

With fifteen minutes left, Seattle was up 20-12 – and was marching down the field.

Fourth Quarter

Seattle shot themselves in the foot on the drive. They got into field goal range, and Dominik Eberle hit a 47 yard attempt. However, a penalty negated the kick – and Eberle missed on the next try, leaving Seattle empty handed.

The Sea Dragons defense stood strong. McCarron got the Battlehawks to mid-field, but could not convert on the fourth down attempt, as Tuzar Skipper made a huge tackle to stop the drive.

Ben DiNucci had avoided commiting a turnover all game long. That ended here. He threw a deep ball that was just overthrown, and Lucas Dennis made him pay. With several minutes left, St. Louis still had a chance.

Unfortunately, that chance would be short lived. McCarron threw a dart to Shepherd, who flung the ball into the air after getting hit, and Bryce Thompson came up with it for Seattle.

This time, DiNucci took advantage. He ran towards the goal line, and absolutely obliterated Silas Kelly as he plunged into the end zone.

With a successful PAT, Seattle took a 27-12 lead. St. Louis had one more crack at it, but had no gas left in the tank. The Seattle Sea Dragons took down the St. Louis Battlehawks with an eighteen point victory at The Dome, 30-12.

Final Thoughts

Without a doubt, this was a major XFL win for the Seattle Sea Dragons. They kept their XFL playoff hopes alive, absolutely dismantling the Battlehawks in their home stadium.

Ben DiNucci was phenomenal today. He put the team on his back, utilizing his arm and legs throughout the affair. That final touchdown run was something else, as it essentially put the game on ice. At 6-3, Jim Haslett’s team is now in a position to clinch in week ten.

Anthony Becht and the St. Louis Battlehawks will have to regroup. This wasn’t a pretty outing for his squad, as they were sloppy across the board. AJ McCarron never found a rhythm today, and the offensive line really struggled to block for him. Moving forward, adjustments have to be made on that end of the ball.

What are your thoughts on this game between the Seattle Sea Dragons and St. Louis Battlehawks? Which XFL players impressed you the most? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!