By Zachary McMahon –
The DC Defenders played the San Antonio Brahmas in Audi Field in Washington DC on Sunday in Week 6 action. The Defenders were losers of two straight against the St. Louis Battlehawks and the Birmingham Stallions. Meanwhile, the San Antonio Brahmas were winners of two straight against the Arlington Renegades and the Michigan Panthers.
The Brahmas won in Week 1 at The Alamodome in a 27-12 affair despite a 227-yard passing performance from quarterback Jordan Ta’amu, as the Defenders looked to even the season series in the XFL division matchup.
In this game, the Defenders allowed 200 rushing yards from the Brahmas as running back John Lovett would rush for 153 yards on 23 carries with a receiving touchdown. The Defenders however only allowed Brahmas quarterback Quinten Dormady to throw for 79 yards, and picked him off once. Dormady became the starting quarterback in Week 4 after Chase Garbers was put on injured reserve.
The Brahmas scored first in the second quarter with a field goal from Ryan Santoso, and with 1:36 left, the Defenders took the lead when Cam’Ron Harris scored a rushing touchdown from the two-yard line, but the conversion failed.
After Defenders kicker Matthew McCrane extended the lead with a 54-yard field goal, the Brahmas tied it up with Dormady’s pass to Lovett for a two-yard touchdown, and a one-point conversion failed on an incomplete pass by Dormady.
After the teams traded field goals in the fourth quarter, Jordan Ta’amu threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Kelvin Harmon to take an 18-12 lead with 5:07 left in the game.
The Brahmas would have one more chance to march down the field, but they had a failed lateral in the final seconds that sealed the game for the Defenders as they went on with a 18-12 win.
Ta’amu went 14/22 with 179 yards and a touchdown and no interceptions, as he would throw to Harmon for 101 yards in the game. His longest pass, however, was a 27-yarder to Chris Rowlan. That was his only reception of the game. The only other receiver with multiple receptions was Alex Ellis, who had two receptions for 22 yards.
The Defenders will head down to Rice Stadium in Houston to face the Houston Roughnecks next Sunday at 1p.m. ET on ESPN.