The playoffs in the UFL will continue on Sunday evening, as the St. Louis Battlehawks (6-4) host the Louisville Kings (6-4) to determine who will make it to the Championship.
This will be the second time these two teams play each other. Heading into this affair, St. Louis is fresh off of a loss to the Dallas Renegades to close out their year. Meanwhile, the Battlehawks were the last team to beat the Louisville Kings – as they have won four in a row.
Let’s take a look at what we can expect in The Dome at America’s Center this weekend.
Quarterback Play
The Battlehawks will roll with Luis Perez this week yet again. If we’re being honest, he has not been as sharp as we’re accustomed to seeing him play. Granted, he joined the team mid-season and had to play catch-up, but it’s been rather evident that his lack of arm strength is catching up just a bit. Perez has not been in sync with his receivers consistently, also being prone to turning the ball over. In order for St. Louis to make a Championship run, Perez has to be back to 2024 UFL form – that’s when he was at his best.
Chandler Rogers has done nothing but impress since he took over as the starting quarterback for the Louisville Kings. This offense is humming, scoring over 30 points per game in every single matchup – except for their lone loss to the Battlehawks in the middle of that run. Rogers is efficient, he’s sharp, and his deep ball is better than what many gave him credit for in college. Chandler doesn’t love to run, but he does have the ability to escape pressure and extend plays/drives with his legs.
“It starts with the quarterback. Chandler is getting us in the right plays at the right time, and our offensive line has done a great job run blocking and pass protecting. This group is playing with a lot of confidence right now, but it’s going to take more than just confidence this weekend.” – Kings HC Chris Redman
Standout Playmakers
Time to copy and paste again. Hakeem Butler just had a historic season, averaging over 22 yards per reception for the Battlehawks. He earned All-UFL honors, not surprisingly, and will be a name to watch closely once again. Butler had three receptions for 47 yards against the Kings in week six.
Sal Cannella has been relatively quiet, but the former All-UFL tight end is due for a vintage performance. Now that he has been with the Battlehawks for a couple of weeks, his target % should be higher in a game where Luis is going to need him.
Louisville’s wide receiver core has been unbelievable this season. Even with some injuries, they have produced. Leading the way is the three-headed tandem of Tarik Black, Isaiah Winstead, and Lucky Jackson. Winstead is well on his way back to the NFL, dazzling week in and week out with acrobatic catches.
On the ground, Louisville will see James Robinson back in action. James and Ian Wheeler have elevated this offense to an entirely new level, and if the Kings decide to sprinkle in some Jaden Shirden action, they’re poised to have success out of the backfield, even against a stout defensive front in St. Louis.
The Injury Report
St. Louis has missed a few key pieces on the backend of their defense the last two weeks. A.J. Thomas, Daniel Isom, and Nevelle Clarke have been MIA, but are trending towards a potential return. Clarke and Thomas are limited in practice, but Isom is a full participant, signaling that he will be back. If Clarke isn’t a go, we could see Adonis Alexander suit up for the Battlehawks. He was just signed earlier this week.
The Kings could be without star CB Cameron Dantzler if he doesn’t recover from an illness. Cam has missed both practices so far this week.
Depth Chart Notes
Updated when the chart is live.
Looking At Week Six
These two teams faced off a few weeks ago, and it was the last time the Louisville Kings lost. It was a putrid offensive performance, scoring just three points as they fell 16-3 at home.
The story of this game was simple: Louisville shot themselves in the foot early, which put them in a funk that St. Louis took advantage of. Corey Chamblin’s defense was on an absolute mission, and they did an excellent job of preventing damage out of the early explosives that Louisville had. St. Louis sacked Rogers six times, putting pressure on him all night long.
“We’re a different team now. That first St. Louis game, we have four new offensive linemen. That was Chandler’s second start. We’ve come a long way since that point. Nothing to take away from St. Louis, though, they outplayed us by far in that game. We know what kind of talent they have.” – Kings HC Chris Redman
St. Louis will look different offensively. This was the last time that Harrison Frost took the field, and while he led them to a victory, Ricky Proehl decided to make the change to Luis Perez the following week.
Comparing The Statistics
Both of these teams have been at the top of the UFL’s leaderboards in various categories. Defensively, Louisville and St. Louis have been stout all year, although they do have their flaws. From an offensive standpoint, they both have shown improvements since making a change at quarterback.
Offensively, these two teams are comparable. Louisville is averaging 293.7 yards per game (4th), while the St. Louis Battlehawks are averaging 287.1 yards per game.
St. Louis is giving up just 18.1 points per game, leading the UFL in defensive efficiency. They also lead the UFL with 31 sacks, spreading the wealth as Corey Chamblin is not afraid to send his linebackers, or cornerbacks, in on a blitz.
“We just want to play our best football. We have to be efficient. Establish the run, and we want to enforce our will at the line of scrimmage. It starts up front. They have two really good pass rushers. When we run the football, we want to create running lanes for our running backs. For us, it’s about being smart, and getting Luis in a rhythm. We’ll take shots when they present themselves. I think it’s going to be a dogfight. Louisville is playing really good ball right now.” – Battlehawks HC Ricky Proehl
A couple of concerning trends for St. Louis: they are the second most penalized team in the UFL (64), and also convert just 33.3% of their third downs (7th in the UFL). Knowing how strong Louisville’s defense has been all year long, especially through the air, that could poise to be an issue for A.J. Smith and this offense.
Defensive Players To Watch
St. Louis Battlehawks
- DE Pita Taumoepenu: Pita has been on a tear this season, to no one’s surprise. He racked up seven sacks this season, dominating opposing O-Lines en route to the quarterback. The Battlehawks will need the best out of Pita this weekend.
- S Jordan Mosley: Quietly, Jordan Mosley has served St. Louis with tremendous play throughout they year at safety. He’s a veteran at this point, in his fourth season of spring football.
Louisville
- DE Cam Gill: Gill is up for the MVP conversation, and is fresh off of being named as an All-UFL player. Cam racked up a UFL record 11 sacks this year.
- CB Corey Mayfield Jr.: Mayfield has spent the last two seasons with the San Antonio Brahmas, but came into his own with the Kings. Corey has four interceptions on the year, leading all defenders in the UFL.
Coaching Matchup
Chris Redman, Louisville Kings: Talk about a way to leave an impression, Chris Redman has done an outstanding job as a first-year Head Coach in The ‘Ville. Louisville has won four in a row, and Redman’s tough changes he made midway through the season pushed them to a late postseason run.
St. Louis Battlehawks, Ricky Proehl: Similar to Redman, Ricky was one of the strongest coaches in the UFL this year, despite being a first-timer as a Head Coach. Proehl has led St. Louis back to the postseason for a third straight season, showcasing the strength of the staff that he was able to put together as well.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, this outing will showcase more scoring than it did a few weeks ago when these teams dueled for the first time. Louisville’s offense has been humming ever since, and considering Luis Perez’ resume and history in the playoffs, the odds are in the over’s favor.
The action will all kick off at 6pm ET, on FOX. You can secure your tickets for the game here.
Full Roster Breakdowns: Louisville, St. Louis
What are your thoughts on this upcoming matchup between the St. Louis Battlehawks and Louisville Kings? Who will advance to the Championship? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!
