Broadcasting Team: Tom Hart, Greg McElroy, Cole Cubelic, Katie George
Injury Report
Overview
The D.C. Defenders, already with home-field advantage clinched for the playoffs, return to the road for their week ten matchup against the San Antonio Brahmas, who’ll be fighting for their playoff lives. The 3-6 Brahmas could secure a playoff berth with a win and some help from Houston.
Current Standings:
North *D.C. Defenders (8-1) St. Louis Battlehawks (6-3) Seattle Sea Dragons (6-3) Vegas Vipers (2-7)
South *Houston Roughnecks (6-3) Arlington Renegades (4-5) San Antonio Brahmas (3-6) Orlando Guardians (1-8)
— XFL Communications Department (@XFL_PR) April 21, 2023
D.C. is coming off a thrilling 28-26 overtime win against Arlington, ironically the squad that the Brahmas are competing against for playoffs. The Defenders have won their last two straight after having their league-high six-game winning streak snapped against Orlando during week seven. On the other hand, San Antonio edged out the Guardians 18-16 in a low-scoring battle last week.
Defenders
D.C.’s offense has continued to function at a high level throughout the second half of the season, averaging 370.2 yards per game since week six against the Roughnecks. Jordan Ta’amu has continued to show exponential improvement with the season’s progression and has gone from fans wanting him benched to a top-three XFL quarterback in passing yards (1,623) throughout the season. Ta’amu has also thrown only two interceptions this season, including his first since week one last week against the Renegades.
Lucky Jackson, Josh Hammond, and Chris Blair have all been top targets for Ta’amu since week one, while midseason acquisition Brandon Smith’s role has grown steadily over the past few weeks. Additionally, Abram Smith and Ryquell Armstead have been staples in D.C.’s running attack, with Smith leading the XFL in rushing yards with 747 and Armstead with 217. Interestingly enough, the Defenders released Armstead on Thursday. Pooka Williams, who’s yet to get a carry, is the only other running back on D.C.’s roster.
Defensively, D.C. allowed a season-high 434 yards in last week’s matchup against the Renegades. In the contest, Arlington scored 17 points in the fourth quarter and forced overtime but ultimately came up short. Regardless of the win, D.C’.s defensive efforts have been concerning as they’ve allowed an average of 387 points in their past four games.
Defenders safety D.J. Swearinger had eight tackles and a key pick-six during the third quarter, quite an impact for just his second game of the season. Francis Bernard was the only one who had more tackles than Swearinger, with 10.
Brahmas
To make matters worse for the struggling D.C. defense, Brahmas quarterback Jack Coan is coming off his best game to date, where he threw for 302 yards on 25-for-31 completion. San Antonio has gone through an XFL-high five quarterbacks on the season, and although Coan’s struggled at times, it seems he’s finally established his role as a reliable starter.
To add, the Brahmas defense held the Orlando passing attack to a minimal 136 yards last week, 69 of which came off a fake punt. Regardless, the Guardians stuck with San Antonio throughout the contest, thanks to 133 yards from running back Devin Darrington.
Brahmas linebacker Jordan Williams leads the XFL in tackles by a mile with 82, including 12 for a loss. Behind him, Delontae Scott has made 11 tackles for a loss and 7.5 sacks off the edge for a stifling Brahmas defense that has allowed 18 points per game this season, which has been a factor in San Antonio’s playoff hopes remaining alive.
Conversely, the offense has struggled with a league-low 233.8 yards per game. But then again, Coan looked good last week, and the Brahmas have a chance to build off momentum to get into the playoffs.
Final thoughts
Both squads have partaken in some close ones as of late, whether the result be a win or loss. With that said, anything is possible here. It’s also worth noting that the Brahmas are 1-3 this season as the home team. With both offenses rolling coming into the meeting, over 41.5 points should be a lock.
