Orlando Rallies for 29-24 Win

In a matchup of the XFL’s best team against the worst Saturday, the Birmingham Thunderbolts squandered an eight-point lead in the fourth quarter and became the first team eliminated from playoff contention with a 29-24 loss to the Orlando Rage at Birmingham.

Birmingham outplayed Orlando for much of the game and had a 24-16 lead with 6:44 remaining after Eric Sloan returned his third interception of the game 59 yards for a touchdown. But behind backup quarterback Brian Kuklick, the Rage (8-1) rallied.

Kuklick found Shannon Culver with a 49-yard touchdown pass, capping a seven-play, 73-yard drive that pulled the Rage within 24-23 with 2:54 remaining.

After stopping the Thunderbolts, the Rage moved 56 yards in eight plays for the winning score.

A 27-yard interference penalty on defensive back Toya Jones moved the ball to the Birmingham seven-yard line. Two plays after the penalty, Derrick Clark scored on a one-yard run to give Orlando a 29-24 lead with 26 seconds left.

Birmingham (2-7), which needed to win its last two games to have any shot at earning the Eastern Division’s final playoff spot, suffered its sixth consecutive loss after a 2-1 start.

Chicago 23, New York-New Jersey 18--Kevin McDougal returned from a neck injury and threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Willy Tate with 1:41 to play to help the Enforcers (4-5) defeat the Hitmen (3-6) at East Rutherford, N.J.

McDougal also threw touchdown passes of nine and 16 yards to Luke Leverson and linebacker Jamie Beasley preserved the Enforcers’ fourth victory in five games by intercepting a pass at the goal line with two seconds remaining.