Vonora Lewis 
Saturday night football was a must-see this evening. The Vipers hosted the Defenders and this game was a rollercoaster. From the beginning, both defenses controlled this game. Both sides of the offense struggled to find a system that worked for them.
This game had dominance, drama, suspense, and a come-from-behind victory. The D.C. Defenders beat the Las Vegas Vipers 18-6.
The Defenders struggled in the first half of this game. Jordan Ta’amu had a difficult first half. Ta’amu was sacked two times this game. One of the sacks set the Vipers up for their first touchdown.
If this game was decided by the half, it would have definitely been a sad day for Defenders fans. Even though the Defenders were having a difficult game in the first half, the Vipers weren’t any better. The Vipers’ defense played very well in the first half. DeAndre Torrey capitalizes off of a huge defensive play by Pita Taumoepenu, which put the Vipers on the board. The sack-fumble in the first quarter put them on the two-yard line, which resulted in the only touchdown for the half.
The second half of this game was insane. The weather changed drastically and the rain would not stop. Kickers were slipping and offenses could not get their rhythms started until some changes were made. Fans refused to leave during the rain.
The Vipers could not handle the Defenders’ defense, which resulted in several three-and-outs. When the Defenders switched to using quarterback D’Eriq King, the offense came alive. King led the Defenders’ offense to the end zone twice.
Abram Smith and D’Eriq King were the two Defender players to score touchdowns. The Defenders kept this energy for the rest of the game, which led to another Defenders’ victory.
The Defenders will return home to Audi Field to take on the Battlehawks at 1 pm EST next Sunday. The Vipers will host the Sea Dragons as the Saturday night game. They will be looking for their first victory of the season, while the Defenders continue being undefeated.
