Jordan Ta’amu passed for 275 yards and four touchdowns to lead the DC Defenders to a 45-28 thumping of the Birmingham Stallions at Birmingham’s Protective Stadium last night. Ta’amu hurt the Stallions with his feet as well, rushing for 33 yards.
Birmingham, losers of four consecutive games, had no answers for the Defenders. Ta’amu, along with the rest of the DC offense, applied steady and relentless pressure on the Birmingham defense, racking up 396 yards of total offense against a regressing Birmingham team.
STAT OF THE NIGHT: TURNOVERS
Birmingham continues to be their own worst enemy. Their three turnovers on the night were three more than DC had, as the Defenders took care of the football and escaped without coughing it up to the Stallions.
Although the final score was not indicative of just how thoroughly the Defenders handled Birmingham, the game actually felt much more lopsided in favor of DC. The Stallions trailed by only 21-13 at intermission, but by the end of the third quarter the Defenders were up 38-19 and clicking on all cylinders, especially on the offensive side of the football.
GAME STATISTICS WERE FARILY EVEN
Birmingham accounted for 373 total offensive yards on the night, just 23 less than DC. The two most telling statistics that played a huge role in the final outcome of the game were the turnovers and fourth down conversions. DC was 1-1 on the night but Birmingham converted only one of their four fourth down chances.
DORIAN THOMPSON-ROBINSON STALLIONS DEBUT PROVIDED HOPE FOR BIRMINGHAM GOING FORWARD
Following the game, A.J. McCarron said he was pleased with how his newly acquired quarterback performed, pointing out that, “he really only had two and a half days” to prepare.
Thompson-Robinson applied constant pressure on the DC defense throughout the game with the ability to make plays with his feet in the open field. On the evening, he passed for 313 yards, going 28-43 with two touchdowns. He was also intercepted twice. His 43 rushing yards on four attempts led all Birmingham runners.
SEASON ON THE BRINK
Birmingham is as close to being mathematically eliminated from postseason play as they can get. At 1-4 overall and looking like a team that is regressing rapidly, it would take a near miracle to rebound and run the table, which is essentially what they would have to do to avoid becoming the only Birmingham Stallions team to not qualify for the playoffs in the modern iteration of spring professional football. Of the 8,120 who were on hand to watch, many had seen enough midway through the third quarter and a mass exodus took place toward the parking lot.
NEXT UP: ON THE ROAD AGAINST UNBEATEN AND LEAGUE LEADING ORLANDO
The Stallions hope to find a way to turn their fortunes in a more favorable manner next Sunday, but it will not be an easy task as they must face Orlando on the road. Lose there, and there is a real possibility that not only will the Stallions seal their postseason fate by being excluded from the party, but face the harsh possibility of not winning again in 2026.