The injury bug struck St. Louis yet again. This week, the Battlehawks lost both LB Lakiem Williams and WR Ja’Marcus Bradley to the injured reserve list.
Lakiem Williams was a key piece on defense for St. Louis, both in 2023 and 2024. This year, Williams started in three of eight games played, posting 30 tackles for the Battlehawks.
Per Coach Becht the @XFLBattlehawks LB Room is trending to be at full strength.
Speaks to the success of Callahan O’Reilly is due to guys like Lakiem Williams, Willie Harvey, and Mike Rose creating an extremely high standard in that room.
— Pat R (@ByPatRifino) April 8, 2024
Defensive Coordinator Donnie Abraham has spoken throughout this season about what Lakiem has brought to the table, and how important he is to their defensive schemes:
“Those three linebackers [Lakiem, Willie, Mike] work well together. They’ve been here for two years, so they’re definitely the leading group for the defense. Lakiem knows the ins and outs of the scheme, and when we need to make adjustments, he knows what those adjustments are. He’s learning a lot about this defense in the second year, and he’s more in tune with the situations we’re in.”
According to PFF, Lakiem had a Defensive Grade of 44.3, which is below average. Part of this was Lakiem’s struggle in coverage, where he allowed 13 receptions on 15 targets through eight weeks.
See also
The St. Louis Battlehawks have dealt with injuries defensively – and specifically in their LB core – all year long. Mike Rose has missed time, and Callahan O’Reilly was placed on IR midway through the season.
Additionally, the St. Louis Battlehawks have placed WR Ja’Marcus Bradley on IR. Bradley has seen snaps in five games this year, with a 46.4 Offensive Grade via PFF. One of his glaring sore spots this year came in week three, as he fumbled against San Antonio early in that second half, giving the Brahmas momentum.
In the UFL, Bradley finishes his season with five receptions for 35 yards. He was also utilized on special teams, mainly on kickoff coverages.
Final Thoughts
With home field advantage on the line coming up in this playoff game, the St. Louis Battlehawks will need reinforcements to step up with these latest injuries. A.J. McCarron isn’t at 100%, which could play a factor in the future of this team as well.
What are your thoughts on Lakiem Williams going to IR? Did Ja’Marcus Bradley disappoint this year? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!
