In XFL Week Three, the New York Guardians will be on the road again, this time to St. Louis to take on the Battlehawks. The Guardians were skunked by the DC Defenders in Week Two and they hope not to repeat what was a lackluster performance in the Nation’s Capital.
What do the Guardians need to do to steal a win against the Battlehawks?
The Guardians’ Offense Needs to Come Out Swinging against the Battlehawks’ Defense
In Week One, the Guardians’ offense was aggressive early, taking chances and making the most of every opportunity. The result? Touchdowns in two of their first three drives. In Week Two, the Guardians fell flat on every opportunity, turning over the ball three times, including two INTs by QB Matt McGloin. The Defenders defense held the Guardians to 137 total yards. It was an embarrassing effort from New York, but there should be no excuses after five days to prepare for St. Louis compared to the three against DC.
The Guardians’ Defense Needs to Contain Battlehawks QB Jordan Ta’amu
The Guardians’ defense will have the task of trying to contain Battlehawks QB Jordan Ta’amu, one of the best quarterbacks in the XFL. Ta’amu leads the league in total offense with 602 yards. The Ole Miss product had a breakout game in Houston in Week Two, passing for 284 yards and three touchdowns. Although Ta’amu had a stellar game against the Roughnecks, he also threw two interceptions, both of which were brought back inside the St. Louis 10-yard line. He’s also been sacked five times this season, four times in their opener against Dallas. If there was ever a bounce-back game for the Guardians’ defense, this is the one.
The Guardians Need to Take Out the Battlehawks’ Crowd
The Battlehawks are finally making their home debut at the Dome at America’s Center. This will be the first game in St. Louis since the Rams skipped town back in 2015. The Battlehawks are the only XFL franchise in a city that does not have an NFL franchise and they are expected to sell out the bottom bowl of the dome against the Guardians. This means that the Guardians will have to contend with not only the task at hand on the field but also over 28,000 football-hungry fans. The Guardians’ offense was flatter than the Plains last week and to be competitive, they’ll need to silence the crowd RIGHT AWAY.
The Odds
St. Louis is favored by 9.5 with the Over/Under set at 42.
Prediction
The Guardians have had five days to prepare for the Battlehawks, which is more time than they had against DC. They’ll be facing not only one of the best QBs in the XFL but also a ravenous crowd. It’ll be a tough game and the Guardians will give the Battlehawks a test, but the home team will have too good of an offense for the Guardians to overcome. Battlehawks 30, Guardians 18.
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