After a stunning (and ugly) shootout win against the Birmingham Stallions, the Battlehawks now turn their attention to their rivals the D.C. Defenders. The Battlehawks were able to gut out another ugly win in week one against D.C., led by an exceptional defensive effort of seven sacks.
The Defenders, who have won two straight games, have found their grove in the rushing attack with efforts of 230 (week two), and 164 (week three) both of which resulted in D.C. putting up over 40 points. The Defenders who currently own a record of 2-1 will look to keep the advantage against their rivals (5-4 D.C.), in the 10th matchup between the franchises.
St. Louis Battlehawks vs. D.C. Defenders Week 4 Game Preview
Gameday Info
Date: Sunday, April 19, 2026
Kickoff Time: 12:30 pm EST
Location: Audi Field, Washington D.C.
Network: ABC
Game Betting Odds (via DraftKings)
Spread: Battlehawks +3.5
O/U Total: 43.5
Moneyline: Defenders -218, Battlehawks +180
What to Watch for: St. Louis Battlehawks
Harrison Frost and the run game to me will be the key catalyst in this game. The Battlehawks have been sporadic and anemic offensively outside of several broken plays, along with "deep passes" to Hakeem Butler. Moving into week four, it's unclear what the scheme will look like it does appear that the team is turning to 4th year pro Harrison Frost in the immediate future.
Regardless of who is under center (or in shotgun) it does appear that the team is lacking consistency in the run game. When given the opportunity, the Battlehawks running backs have been serviceable however, subpar offensive line play has hurt the team in all facets of the offense.
Despite much to be left desired, the Battlehawks defense has led the charge in keeping the team competitive. Led by Jordan Mosley and Sean Fresch the Battlehawks secondary has been an extremely complimentary unit coupled by an outstanding pass rush led by Travis Feeney and Pita Taumoepenu. Moving into the middle of the UFL season, the Battlehawks will continue to rely on their defense, while their offense continues to adjust.
What to Watch for: D.C. Defenders
Historically, this is when Jordan Ta'amu begins to "heat up" over his five seasons in spring football. A usual slow starter, Ta'amu has put together passer ratings of 104.1 (25'), 108.3 (24'), 107.3 (23'), 86.4 (22'), and 116.9 (20'), and has yet to produce a rating of over 93 so far in 2026. This season, the Defenders own one of the best rushing attacks in the UFL, with the team mirroring the success of the 2023 squad.
The Defenders will also have Yasir Durant with them for their week four matchup after spending the fall of 2025 with the New England Patriots on injured reserve. Healthy, and availible, Durant could be the difference maker especially with a team that gave up seven sacks in week one.
What has been consistent is another year of a Williams-led defense in D.C. EDGE rushers Derrick Parish, and Derick Roberson combine for one of the more underrated pass rushing tandems in the UFL, with Casey Rogers and Joe Wallace providing high level defensive line play in the middle. Not to mention the Defenders defensive backfield featuring a healthy Sam Kidd, along with former NFL 1st round picks in Gareon Conley and Deandre Baker are just some of the members that make up D.C's legion of boom (I'm calling them the Justice League).
Battlehawks-Defenders Prediction
While I'm intrigued by what Harrison Frost can do, having him prepare against the "Justice League", for his first start might be a bit of a challenge coming out the gate. With limited success and dedication to their rushing attack, the Battlehawks offense has become extremely one dimensional except for several "splash plays" to Butler.
For D.C. a team that traditionally has shown success during the middle part of the season, the formula is pretty simple, run the ball, win on the RPO rates followed by extremely high-level defensive plays towards the backend.
With the stage set I believe that D.C. edges the Battlehawks in week four, on a two-interception performance, coupled with another week of Deon Jackson on the ground. Also, look out for Cornell Powell for an explosive play or two this weekend as well.
St. Louis Battlehawks 24, D.C. Defenders 31