XFL returns to the Lou

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AdmiralKird
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Re: XFL returns to the Lou

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CardsofSTL
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Re: XFL returns to the Lou

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It was only last month that football fans packed the dome for the St. Louis Battlehawks home opener. But time moves fast, and only three weeks remain in the regular season.

The Battlehawks just completed the road portion of their 2023 schedule, so they will be rewarded with three home matchups to end their first full XFL campaign.

Right now, the Battlehawks hold a 5-2 record that’s good for a share of second place in the XFL North Division. If the season ended today, the Battlehawks would hold a spot in the XFL playoffs. That said, there’s some work to be done to secure that playoff spot for good.

The XFL playoffs will follow a 10-week regular season. The top-two seeded teams in the North and South divisions will qualify for the playoffs. The No. 1 seed will host the No. 2 seed in each division round before the XFL Championship.

Essentially, the Battlehawks will need the best or second-best record in their division to qualify. A potential path to the playoffs might be hard to determine until the final week of the regular season, given a tight race in the division and the possibility of tiebreakers.

The Battlehawks are currently tied with the Seattle Sea Dragons for the North division’s second-best record of 5-2. Both are only one game behind the DC Defenders for first place.

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Re: XFL returns to the Lou

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Remaining 2023 XFL Schedule

Week 8: April 8-9

Saturday, April 8
Vegas Vipers at St. Louis Battlehawks: 1 p.m. ET on ESPN, ESPN+
Arlington Renegades at Orlando Guardians: 4 p.m. ET on ESPN, ESPN+

Sunday, April 9
Houston Roughnecks at San Antonio Brahmas: 3 p.m. ET on ABC, ESPN+
D.C. Defenders at Seattle Sea Dragons: 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2, ESPN+

Week 9: April 15-16

Saturday, April 15
Vegas Vipers at Houston Roughnecks: 12:30 p.m. ET on ABC, ESPN+
Orlando Guardians at San Antonio Brahmas: 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2, ESPN+

Sunday, April 16
Arlington Renegades at D.C. Defenders: 12 p.m. ET on ESPN, ESPN+
Seattle Sea Dragons at St. Louis Battlehawks: 3 p.m. ET on ESPN, ESPN+

Week 10: April 22-23

Saturday, April 22
Orlando Guardians at St. Louis Battlehawks: 12 p.m. ET on ESPN, ESPN+
D.C. Defenders at San Antonio Brahmas: 3 p.m. ET on ABC, ESPN+

Sunday, April 23
Houston Roughnecks at Arlington Renegades: 3 p.m. ET on ESPN, ESPN+
Vegas Vipers at Seattle Sea Dragons: 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2, ESPN+

Semifinals: April 29-30
The 2023 XFL playoffs will begin Saturday, April 29, and Sunday, April 30, on ESPN and ESPN2, respectively, and streamed on ESPN+.

XFL Championship: May 13
The XFL Championship game is set for Saturday, May 13, at 3 p.m. ET on ABC and streamed on ESPN+.

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CardsofSTL
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Re: XFL returns to the Lou

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if the Battlehawks beat the Sea Dragons next week they should have 2nd place pretty much sewn up.

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Re: XFL returns to the Lou

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the Battlehawks gave the XFL some excitement in the form of a win in the league’s first overtime game of the season.

Quarterback Nick Tiano, playing for A.J. McCarron (shoulder), led St. Louis to a drive that tied the game at the end of regulation, thanks to a 34-yard field goal by Donny Hageman.

The Battlehawks won despite trailing 17-8 in the fourth quarter.

Before the kick that forced OT, there was a little controversy. A throw to the end zone by Tiano to receiver Marcell Ateman was broken up by an apparent act of interference. St. Louis coach Anthony Becht shared his opinion on the issue, into a hot mic live on ESPN.

“He [expletive] pulled his jersey!” Becht yelled. “That’s [expletive] egregious!”

Becht had already used his one opportunity to challenge any call, or he surely would have had Dean Blandino and company take a second look at the play.

Next came the field goal, and the game went to overtime.

The XFL uses a shootout format, with the two teams alternating two-point conversions from the five yard line, three times. Vegas failed on each of its first two attempts and St. Louis converted on both, making the third frame unnecessary and delivering a 21-17 win the hard way for St. Louis.

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Re: XFL returns to the Lou

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CardsofSTL wrote:
April 8 23, 12:27 am
if the Battlehawks beat the Sea Dragons next week they should have 2nd place pretty much sewn up.
They lost to the [expletive] Sea Dragons.

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CardsofSTL
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Re: XFL returns to the Lou

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The Battlehawks (6-3) will face the Orlando Guardians (1-8) at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 22 in St. Louis for the regular season finale. The Sea Dragons play the Vegas Vipers (2-7) at 4 p.m. (PT) on Sunday, April 23.

Here are St. Louis’ playoff scenarios:

STL wins, SEA loses = STL in the playoffs
STL loses, SEA wins = SEA in the playoffs
STL loses, SEA loses = STL in the playoffs (STL’s fourth loss would be a non-divisional matchup, while SEA’s would have four divisional losses)
If both teams win, St. Louis needs to score 19 more points versus Orlando than Seattle scores against Vegas AND St. Louis must still rank first in total points against to clinch.

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Re: XFL returns to the Lou

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A.J. McCarron may not have been an NFL star, but he's been an absolute beast in the XFL. The Battlehawks quarterback threw SIX touchdown passes on Saturday, going 28 of 35 for 420 yards. McCarron appears to be the frontrunner for XFL MVP. In a game with a playoff berth potentially on the line, all St. Louis did was score 53 points.

Granted, it came against the Orlando Guardians, who've won one game all season -- inexplicably handing the D.C. Defenders their one and only loss.
The XFL's 40-game regular season -- four games per week for 10 weeks -- ends Sunday night, and it'll take all 40 to decide which team gets the fourth and final playoff berth.

Three teams have clinched: The D.C. Defenders are the North Division champs, while the Houston Roughnecks won the South Division and the Arlington Renegades finished second in the South. With the top two teams from each division getting in the playoffs, the only remaining question is who'll finish second in the North: The St. Louis Battlehawks or Seattle Sea Dragons?

Sea Dragons won clinching the final playoff spot.

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