This is part one of what will be an eight-part look at each XFL’s team’s 2023 season. The plan is to post two parts per week over the next month.
What went right
Not much, quite frankly. The season highlight was Orlando’s lone victory, against the undefeated DC Defenders, in week seven. It was the biggest upset in XFL history and a point of pride for Head Coach Terrell Buckley and company. Even with the team’s record tailspinning, Buckley was able to keep the team together and engaged. Orlando was competitive in the majority of their games in the second half of the season.
What went wrong
Basically everything else. It’s not as if no one could see this coming: Orlando had a weak draft relative to the rest of the league, and in my preseason positional breakdown, I had Orlando coming in last by a wide margin. Things began to come unraveled early on, as they were blown out by Houston in week one, then had the dark cloud of the Quinten Dormady situation lord over the team soon after that. The Guardians were done in by penalties, which cost them at least a game or two. Many of them came down to a lack of discipline (of the pre-snap or alignment variety), which reflects poorly on the coaching staff.
The offense struggled under coordinator Robert Ford and quarterback Paxton Lynch; things seemed to turn around when Buckley relieved Ford of play-calling duties in favor of quarterbacks coach Shane Matthews and went with Dormady over Lynch. The offensive line, which was a sieve early on, also steadied with Dormady behind them. The defense, however, never found its groove and finished the season getting bludgeoned by the St. Louis Battlehawks, who hung 53 on them.
Offensive MVP
The one consistent offensive weapon throughout the season was TE Cody Latimer, who finished third in the league in receptions and receiving yardage. The converted wide receiver isn’t going to be asked to do much blocking but he showed the ability to create mismatches in the middle of the field. The fact that he finished near the top of the league in a number of receiving categories with the incosistency Orlando experienced at the QB spot this year is a testament to Latimer’s skills.
Defensive MVP
Orlando’s defense forced few turnovers and registered just 14 sacks. In other words, there wasn’t a stand-out defender in the group. Pro Football Focus’s highest-graded defensive player on the Guardians was LB Terrance Plummer, so let’s go with him. Plummer led the team in tackles with 56 and added two sacks and four tackles for loss. He also forced a fumble.
Special Teams MVP
The best player on special teams for the Guardians wasn’t even on the roster to begin the year. P Mac Brown was brought in after week two when Johnny Townsend got hurt. Brown averaged over six yards per punt more than Townsend did. Most importantly, Brown had two of the plays of the year not only for Orlando but in all of the XFL with his fake punt connections with KD Cannon and Jordan Thomas in back-to-back weeks.
Most Likely to Succeed (in getting NFL opportunities)
Latimer is on the wrong side of 30 and hasn’t been in an NFL training camp in three years, but he really did earn a look with his play this year. Whether a team will give him that opportunity is a different story. It wouldn’t be surprising if Dormady got a workout or two though I’m not sure a signing is in his future. WR Charleston Rambo is another name to watch. Kicker Jose Borregales was held in high enough esteem coming out of college that he may compete on the tryout circuit again even if he didn’t have a great season. Mac Brown’s arm got him attention, but his leg may earn him an NFL tryout.
QB concern level for 2024 (1-5)
With a full off-season program as the number one QB, I think Quinten Dormady can lead Orlando to success. It’s more the pieces around him that need to be upgraded. Not only that, but the Guardians could stand to improve their backup quarterback situation. Deondre Francois didn’t show much in limited opportunities and is replaceable. Quinton Flowers was seemingly brought in as a way to energize the local fanbase, having played his college ball down I-4 in Tampa. With a decent starter and the need for depth, and with a 5 representing the most concerning, I’ll give this one a 3.
Head coach hot seat rating (1-5)
Terrell Buckley experienced Murphy’s Law in his first year as a head coach. Some of it, like his handling of the Dormady situation and how he helped build the roster, was self-inflicted. His sideline demeanor, publicly throwing players under the bus when interviewed in-game on national television, was another misstep. I’m sure Buckley learned a lot in year one, and I’m sure he’ll get another chance to lead in 2024. The XFL has billed itself as the league of opportunity; as much as having a 1-9 team isn’t a good look for the league, it probably isn’t a good look to fire a coach after just one season, either. So while I can’t say that Buckley’s seat is the hottest level (a 5) after just one year, he’s as close as you can be: 4.5.
Off-season needs for 2024
While Orlando’s roster still has a lot of holes, some needs are more pressing than others. They still need to upgrade their offensive line, even as the group began to gel late in the season. The defense is bereft of playmakers; they need an infusion of talent at all three levels on that side of the ball. As stated above, if Dormady returns as starter at QB, they could stand to improve the backup situation. Outside of the roster itself, Buckley may need to think about making some changes on his coaching staff as well.
