On Sunday, the D.C. Defenders return home to face the Arlington Renegades in front of what’s expected to be a sellout crowd of 18,000+ fans.
Although the Defenders already have their playoff berth secured, the contest has high implications, with a win securing the top seed in the XFL North. Meanwhile, for the Renegades, a win secures playoffs and sets up a huge matchup against Houston next week, in which the winner would be the XFL South regular-season champion. However, a few other things would need to fall into place for the Renegades for this to happen, including the Roughnecks losing this week against the Vipers.
Renegades
The sample size of the Luis Perez-led Arlington offense is small but has shown promise through one game. Last week, the Renegades defeated Orlando 18-16 in a low-scoring battle. Perez threw for 190 yards on 16 passes completed out of 25. Tomorrow, he’ll get his second start against a D.C. defense that has struggled to defend the pass as of late, allowing an average of 311.3 passing yards in its last three games.
Perez was traded to the Renegades from Vegas during week seven. Although the Vipers were 1-5 when he was traded, he had some notable performances, including a 269-yard, three-touchdown performance against the Guardians in a thrilling 35-32 win during week five. In the previous week, in a 32-18 loss to D.C., he threw for a season-high 283 yards on 23 completions, proving his ability to be more than just a “game manager.”
Concerning Perez’s weapons, Sal Cannella, who had zero targets last week, is expected to step up, considering he leads Arlington in both receptions (32) and receiving yards (282). On the ground, power back De’Veon Smith has 322 yards for five touchdowns on 103 carries this season. But he’s up for a challenge against the Defenders, who have allowed just 72.8 rushing yards per game this season.
Led by Donald Payne defensively, the Renegades have allowed a league-least 17.6 points per game. Payne, the All-USFL linebacker, leads the Renegades in tackles with 61, including five for a loss. Payne is probable for tomorrow’s matchup with an ankle injury.
Willie Taylor and Will Clark have also been effective in the box, leading Arlington in sacks with four apiece. Taylor also leads the Renegades in tackles for a loss with eight, while Clark has six. Both are guys for D.C. to look out for.
Defenders
Led by Jordan Ta’amu, the red-hot Defenders offense has averaged 35.6 points and 389 yards over their last three games, far more than any team. This season, they’ve scored a league-leading 27 touchdowns compared to Arlington’s nine.
Ta’amu has 1,435 passing yards this season, fourth in the XFL, along with 239 rushing yards – the most by any XFL quarterback. He also hasn’t thrown an interception since week one, speaking to his strong decision-making as a signal-caller. His top target, Chris Blair, has 492 receiving yards, while Lucky Jackson has 469 on 31 catches.
Abram Smith leads the XFL by a mile in rushing yards with 720 on 138 carries. What’s more, he leads in rushes for 10+ yards (18) and 20+ yards (5) on 5.2 yards per carry – the most by any XFL running back.
As I said in my article breaking down D.C.’s road to the playoffs, their matchup against the Renegades serves more as a “testing ground” for what works and doesn’t ahead of playoffs. This especially rings true on the defensive end, where the Defenders have allowed 371.3 yards over their past three games, including 400 in their loss to the Guardians in their first and only win of the season.
D.C. will be missing linebacker Anthony Hines (quad), while key contributors to the secondary like Michael Joseph (adductor) and Anthoula Kelly (hamstring), are probable. Joseph has 36 tackles on the season, with four interceptions.
Final thoughts
The Renegades are 1-0 with Luis Perez under center, but as noted, the sample size is limited against the 1-7 Guardians. For Alington, a win or a San Antonio loss this week clinches playoffs. With more on the line for the Renegades, expect 7-1 D.C. to get a run for their money.
