Seattle quarterback Ben DiNucci had some advice for the DC home crowd as he left the field at the half. (ESPN)
Ranking the games
Defenders 28, Renegades 26 – More overtime? Sure, why not! The Renegades look like a completely different offense with Luis Perez at the helm.
Roughnecks 28, Vipers 21 – Houston’s pass game struggles lingered, even against a relatively weak defense. Their run game was stout, though. Vegas continues to find new ways to lose.
Brahmas 25, Guardians 23 – The Brahmas needed this to stave off elimination. The Guardians are still showing fight despite their basement-dweller status in the XFL South.
Sea Dragons 30, Battlehawks 12 – The marquee matchup of the week was anything but. AJ McCarron didn’t look like himself in returning from a shoulder injury that kept him out last week.
The Blandino
No, it’s not a sandwich at his favorite deli named after the XFL Director of Officiating, but rather the moniker given to Orlando’s fake punt that worked to perfection against San Antonio. Early in the second quarter, backed up to their own 27-yard line facing a 4th-and-5, Orlando lined up for a punt. The play called for KD Cannon to come across the line of scrimmage in motion. At the snap, Cannon raced ahead and punter Mac Brown tossed the ball down the right sideline. Cannon snatched it out of the air and gained a few extra yards, down to the San Antonio four. In total, the play went for 69 yards. Later in the drive, RB Devin Darrington punched it in from one yard out to give the Guardians six points. The announcers revealed that Orlando Head Coach Terrell Buckley had nicknamed the play “The Blandino” because he had to check in with the XFL rulemeister to make sure Cannon’s part in it was legal. It was a great play on both ends – Brown for the fantastic downfield bomb, and Cannon for the contested catch.
All-Access Moment of the Week, Part One
In 2001, the XFL was known to manufacture feuds among players to increase the drama of the broadcasts. They even did it with announcers and coaches: Who can forget Jesse Ventura’s “Gutless Rusty” comment about New York Hitmen Head Coach Rusty Tillman? Of course, Tillman’s refusal to play along rendered the whole exercise moot. In 2023, the XFL has shied away from most controversies between players. That is, until Saturday. Vegas QB Jalan McClendon was heard getting into it with Houston DT Glen Logan in between plays. “How much you wanna bet we score?” McClendon asked Logan, with Vegas near the goal line. The Vipers did end up scoring, increasing their lead to 12-0.
On the sidelines soon after, ESPN’s Cole Cubelic asked Logan to respond: “Aw hell no, ain’t no quarterback talking trash to me over there. I’m gonna bark back.” The two got back into it later in the game, in a friendly way. Cubelic reached Logan again for comment later in the game, and along with his fellow defensive linemen sitting on the bench, they belted out a rendition of Inner Circle’s “Bad Boys.”
Coan of domination
San Antonio is 3-6, still in the playoff hunt, thanks in part to their success against the Orlando Guardians. The Brahmas are 2-0 against Orlando, accounting for two-thirds of their victories on the season. QB Jack Coan, in particular, has been masterful in picking apart the Orlando defense. In those two games, Coan has gone 41-of-55 passing (74.5%) for 467 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. He has also rushed five times for 30 yards for 6.0 yards per carry. Against the rest of the league, Coan is 83-for-151 (55%), for 692 yards, two touchdowns and six interceptions. He has averaged just 3.9 yards per carry against non-Guardian teams. Sometimes, players inexplicably have another team’s number; that appears to be what happened here with Coan.
Keylon Kennedy’s odyssey
Every player has a different story about how they arrived in the XFL. Vegas CB Keylon Kennedy’s is especially fascinating. A three-star recruit out of high-school, Kennedy attended Fort Hays State then transferred to Garden City Community College. He starred there, flirting with moving on to West Florida and Jackson State (under Deion Sanders) though never making the move to either. He wasn’t on the NFL’s radar but last fall attended the NFL Alumni Academy, where he was the youngest player there. The NFLAA’s deal with the XFL allowed him to get noticed by team decision-makers, and Vegas pounced on him in the first round of the Defensive Backs Phase of the XFL Draft. Kennedy has backed up his draft status, starting all nine games and currently sitting tied for fourth on the team in tackles. He made his first two interceptions of the season against Houston in week nine, which now leads the Vipers. The last three games have featured his three highest Pro Football Focus grades of the season. It will be interesting to see if he’s done enough to open eyes at the NFL level after the season.
Two-way Thomas
When you’re 6’5″ and 277 pounds, teams are going to find ways to get you onto the field. That’s what has happened with TE Jordan Thomas in Orlando. Not only has he played a significant role at tight end since being signed mid-season, he’s also appeared along the defensive line for a few snaps the last two games. According to PFF, Thomas has played six snaps on defense. He rushed the passer on five of those six snaps, even registering a hurry. Orlando’s defensive line has been banged up and they’ve often been on the field for long drives as that side of the ball continues to struggle. Thomas has been able to give those players a breather at times. Two-way players are rare at the highest levels of professional football, and I’d imagine Orlando would prefer not to use someone who has proved to be an offensive weapon this way. But with Thomas’s measurables, he’s one of the few who can pull it off.
All-Access Moment of the Week, Part Two
Seattle’s Ben DiNucci has been perhaps the most animated mic’d-up quarterback in the league. His personality definitely shines through when ESPN catches his comments. With Seattle staked to a 14-9 halftime lead over the Battlehawks in St. Louis, DiNucci took the opportunity to twist the knife into the raucous crowd on his way to the locker room. “You spent all this money to watch your team f****** suck” DiNucci shouted to the crowd. Given it was only a one score game at the time, DiNucci could’ve had to eat his words. Instead, the Sea Dragons kept the pedal on the floor in staying alive in the XFL North, outscoring the Battlehawks in the second half and defeating St. Louis’s beloved football team. If DiNucci and Seattle oust St. Louis from the playoffs in week ten, you can bet the Battlehawks faithful will hope to see DiNucci again next year.
