After watching the St. Louis Battlehawks’ impressive 31-6 win against the Houston Roughnecks, here are six key takeaways:
- Our kicker, Rodrigo Blankenship, is NFL-caliber. When I evaluate the quality of kickers, I do not just look at the number of makes or misses. I look at two things: the force with which the ball leaves the foot and the precise location where the ball crosses through the uprights. While making both of his attempted field goals, including a 48-yard kick, the ball left his foot with authority and passed through the uprights nearly dead center.
- Our quarterback, Manny Wilkins, was very impressive. I am not going to lie; I was skeptical of the decision to start him over former TCU star Max Duggan. But coach Anthony Becht must have seen in practice what I saw last night. Wilkins passed the ball with poise, accuracy, “touch”, and anticipation. He is athletic enough to scramble when needed. What I loved the most was his keen awareness of when to slide versus when to lower his shoulder to try to get a few extra inches for the first down. Wilkins finished 17 for 22 passing with 2 rushing touchdowns.
- Our defense might be our greatest asset. Until late in the game, the St. Louis Battlehawks were pitching a shutout. They put pressure on the quarterback, tackled well (and hit HARD), and the defensive backs were ball hawks all night. The defense was athletic, aggressive, and played with swagger.
- Our team, at many positions, is deep. We have three solid quarterbacks, with two that would likely be starting on other teams. We have two formidable running backs in Jacob Saylors (98 yards and 1 touchdown) and Jarveon Howard (115 yards and 1 touchdown). Our defense rotated guys in and out, with no drop off in performance and fresh legs all night.
- We must clean up the penalties. Early in the game, the St. Louis Battlehawks had too many self-inflicted drive-killing penalties. In close games against tougher competition, these kinds of penalties are critical, and can change the outcome of the game.
- We didn’t face any adversity. I point this out because I always judge the character of a team, and especially the quarterback, by how they respond to adversity. Let’s hope Wilkins shows the same mettle and toughness when things don’t go his way. I am confident he will.
Up Next: The St. Louis Battlehawks square off against the San Antonio Brahmas on Sunday, April 6 at 5:30pm in their home opener.