Takeaways From Battlehawks Punishing Week 2 Home Win Over Brahmas

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Nothing new with the St. Louis Battlehawks and the over 32,000 fans in the dome as the team got a home win over the San Antonio Brahmas 26-9 on Sunday night.

Of the 144 yards rushing from the Battlehawks, quarterback Manny Wilkins had 58 of it, and Jacob Saylors had 46 of it with three rushing scores for Saylors. Battlehawks head coach Anthony Becht was successful on both of his Super Challenges for the first time by a UFL head coach this year. St. Louis’ secondary held the Brahmas to 129 yards passing, four sacks, and one interception in the win.

San Antonio drops to 0-2 for the first time under Wade Phillips as head coach. The Battlehawks improve to 2-0 on the season and are tied with the D.C. Defenders and the Arlington Renegades for first place in the XFL Conference.

Takeaways From Battlehawks Win Over Brahmas

Manny Wilkins Has the Makings of an UFL MVP

Looking at the stats, Wilkins is doing nothing better than the previous spring football MVPs, like Alex McGough or Adrian Martinez, but he has St. Louis rolling. Wilkins completed 75% of his passes for 162 yards passing and added 58 yards on the ground in the win.

He has done a great job avoiding turnovers and creating plays with his legs. That is something his former teammate and 2023 XFL MVP A.J. McCarron could not do. There are some things Wilkins could do better, but the Battlehawks took more shots down the field, which was not seen last week against Houston. Wilkins has the makings to be an MVP in this league as the season progresses.

What is Off with Brahmas Offense & Defense?

It was a better week of play for the Brahmas compared to how they played against the Renegades in Week 1, but this team doesn’t look that in sync. The offense is struggling with consistency with quarterback Kellen Mond, but at least has some running game with Anthony McFarland Jr. and Jashaun Corbin, as the team ran for 112 yards. Mond’s performance is more concerning as he faced pressure all game, but he and offensive coordinator A.J. Smith could not get it going.

While the offense had tendencies to struggle last year and this year, San Antonio’s defense failing to meet expectations is even more baffling. The front seven is having a rough time stopping the run, as they have allowed at least 150 yards rushing in two straight games. Something has to change as Phillips has to get more involved in getting the defense going.

Battlehawks Should be Easy Favorites to Win It All

The Battlehawks’ perfect balance of throwing and running the ball makes the offense unpredictable and challenging to defend. St. Louis’ defense has created turnovers and might have the second-best group of pass rushers in the league behind the Defenders. This team shows no signs of slowing down and has all the attributes to be the UFL champions in June.