Kicking off the Kentucky Derby weekend, the Louisville Kings hosted the St. Louis Battlehawks for a Thursday night game that the UFL hopes will become an annual tradition. Unfortunately, the visiting Battlehawks didn’t behave like well-mannered guests in the Derby City. Instead, St.Louis’ fierce veteran defense relentlessly pounded Chandler Rogers and Louisville’s offense, holding the team to their lowest output of the season in a blistering 16-3 crusade.
St. Louis Battlehawks' Veteran Defense Proved Too Much For The Louisville Kings
Calling the Battlehawks “a great ball club,” coach Chris Redman acknowledged afterwards, “That’s the best team we’ve played all year. They played an outstanding football game.”
St. Louis Battlehawks’ Smothering Defense
Led by St. Louis veteran OLB Pita Taumoepenu, and former San Antonio Brahmas Jordan Mosley and Jordan Williams, the Battlehawks' defense brutally smothered Rogers with 6.0 sacks, nine TFLs, and an interception. Under pressure all night long from an unstoppable KAW defense, the Kings' offensive line couldn’t compete with their ferocious pass rush. As a team, the Battlehawks accounted for 45 tackles (27 solo), 6.0 sacks, 9 TFLs, 1 interception, and 4 pass breakups.
Taumoepenu contributed 2.0 sacks of the six, along with two solo tackles. Cornerback Nevelle Clarke snagged his second interception of the season off Rogers, while Williams combined with Michael Barrett on another sack and five tackles. Mosley continues to lead the team in tackles and contributed five more, raising his season total to 32.
Veteran OLB Travis Feeney recorded four tackles (two solo), two TFLs, 1.0 sack, and a PBU. Former Michigan Panthers DT Taylor Stallworth had a sack, a solo tackle, and a TFL. Carlos Davis had a sack, a solo tackle, and a TFL.
Louisville, A Night of Missed Opportunities and Costly Mistakes
However, as much as the Battlehawks defense contributed to the team’s victory, the Kings repeatedly shot themselves in the foot by committing costly, undisciplined penalties. The Kings had seven penalties for 53 yards. Addressing the issue in his post-game media session, Redman stated, “Anytime you shoot yourself in the foot against a good ball club, you’re gonna put yourself in a tough situation....and we did. Made a lot of mistakes.”
In addition to the costly penalties, one of the key issues throughout the game was the poor play of the Kings' offensive line. Acknowledging the miscues, Redman admitted, "There were a lot of guys going the wrong way." Explaining that, as a result of injuries during the game, several new players took the field for the first time last night. However, the offensive line's poor performance subjected Rogers to ongoing pressure throughout the night and an inability to move the football on the ground.
Lack of Preparation
A short week and a quick turnaround from last Sunday gave the team limited time to recover and only one day of practice. While the same could be said of St. Louis, who also had a short week of practice, the truth is that veteran UFL players can handle the schedule much better than UFL newcomers and first-time players coming in off the bench.
In addition to the lack of preparation time, the Kings' offense looked completely out of sync. Rogers finished the game, completing 15 of 32 passes for 199 yards and an interception. Most of the incomplete passes were due to perfectly thrown balls that his receivers dropped. Tight end Zach Davidson dropped several passes that could have led to big gains.
In a calamity of errors, Tyler Hudson had a 52-yard kickoff return that the offense couldn't capitalize on. Kings' running back James Robinson had two big back-to-back plays negated by penalties. Cornerback Corey Mayfield Jr. came up with his third interception in two games. But once again, the offense was unable to score. Kicker Tanner Brown had one of his rare misses on a 53-yard field goal. The first half ended with the Battlehawks ahead 9-3. However, Rogers had been sacked four times, while the Kings' ground game produced only four yards.
The Kings Defense
As lopsided as the game appeared, the Kings' defense nonetheless put forth an impressive effort, accounting for 62 tackles (36 solo), 1.0 sack, 5 TFLs, Mayfield's interception, 6 PBUs, and a fumble return. As a unit, they are one of the UFL's elite defenses. It's a tribute to the defense that the Battlehawks offense, which put up 34 points a week ago against the Orlando Storm, only scored 16 points.
The Kings Are Not Out Yet
In a 10-week regular season, every single game counts. Right now, the 2-4 Kings have their backs to the wall, and the dream of a playoff run looks bleak. However, things can change quickly in the UFL. The team is not out of it yet.
Furthermore, one positive that stood out on Thursday night was the calm, unhurried, and resolute play of Kings quarterback Chandler Rogers. Despite the constant pressure, the multiple dropped passes, and the ineffective offensive line protection, he never wavered. He didn't panic. He didn't berate his teammates. He didn't fold. He just stayed calm, demonstrated genuine leadership in rallying the team, and focused on the task at hand. Seeing that kind of maturity in a young quarterback, only making his second professional start, speaks volumes to the kind of professional football player he can become.
Admitting that the coaching staff didn’t have the right game plan for the Battlehawks, Redman said,” We’re gonna learn from this too...We're going to go back to the drawing board," he vowed. "We're gonna get better. There’s no quit in this team. There’s still a lot of football to play this year. We’re gonna go. We’re gonna battle."
The Kings will have a chance to get right back in the thick of the battle next Saturday, May 9th, at 1:30 pm EDT when they travel to Washington, D.C. to take on the Defenders. The game will be at Audi Field and televised on FOX.