SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio Brahmas missed out on the XFL Playoffs as their season came to an end on Saturday afternoon, suffering a heartbreaking 29-28 loss to the DC Defenders at the Alamodome.
The Brahmas had a chance to take the lead in the final seconds but Parker Romo missed a 53-yard field goal with just 37 seconds remaining.
“This one hurt more than anything,” Brahmas Head Coach Hines Ward said. “I thought we were trending in the right direction but we fell short. No one is to blame but I’ll take this loss. We got outcoached and that starts with me.”
D.C. took a 19-3 lead in the second quarter but San Antonio responded just before halftime when quarterback Jack Coan led the team downfield and capped off the drive with a two-yard touchdown run from Jacques Patrick. The Brahmas would convert the two-point conversion to trail 19-11 going into the second half.
The two teams traded field goals to make it a 22-14 game in the third quarter. Coan led the Brahmas downfield to cut into the Defenders’ lead as Jonathan Hilliman found the endzone for a score but the two-point conversion failed as DC took a 22-20 lead into the final quarter.
After an interception, Coan led the Brahmas downfield once again as Patrick found the endzone for the second time on the afternoon, putting San Antonio up 28-22 in the fourth quarter after the two-point attempt was converted. The Defenders weren’t done yet and proved why they are the best team in the XFL. Jordan Ta’amu gave his team the lead with a touchdown run to make it 29-22.
“We had opportunities in this game and we didn’t take advantage of it,” Ward said.
With the loss, San Antonio finishes the season at 3-7 and was officially eliminated from playoff contention.
“I couldn’t be prouder of the guys,” Ward said of the season. “We’re not a bad team but we just gotta find ways to win those close ball games.”
