This will be a battle of winless teams in the XFL South division. At the end of this game, one of these two teams will be the sole owner of the South Division basement.
The Orlando Guardians are coming from a game where the Houston Roughnecks completely dominated them. The 33-12 rout was the only XFL Week 1 game decided by more than four points. After completing 14 of 20 pass attempts for 125 yards, a touchdown, and an interception, Orlando quarterback Paxton Lynch was benched and replaced by Quinten Dormady. Dormady wasn’t much better, going 12-for-18 for 142 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions. The Guardians also fumbled, leaving them with a minus-two turnover differential for the game. The Guardians know they must do better.
Last Sunday the Brahmas suffered a heartbreaking 18-15 loss to the St. Louis Battlehawks in the Alamodome, and clearly the result of San Antonio’s inability to put the game away. Jack Coan completed 25 of 36 passes for 207 yards, a touchdown, and an interception, while Kalen Ballage rushed for 84 yards on 24 attempts. The defense did a good job for three quarters, limiting the St. Louis offence to three points, but it wasn’t enough as the Brahmas ran out of gas and couldn’t stop A.J. McCarron and the Battlehawks from scoring on last-minute back-to-back drives, keeping possession after a successful fourth-and-15 conversion, which is one of the XFL’s unique rules.
What should we look for?
Orlando’s defense needs to step it up. Despite intercepting Roughnecks quarterback Brandon Silvers twice and sacking him three times, Orlando allowed 337 yards and four touchdowns. Two of the touchdowns were big plays, a 46-yard pass, and a 27-yard run. The Guardians need to strengthen their resolve and prioritize defensive assignments, ensuring whoever has the ball is brought down as soon as possible.
The Brahmas defense needs to show up for an entire 60 minutes. Despite the loss last week, the defensive unit’s overall performance should not be overshadowed by a frantic final three minutes. It was XFL’s unique rules, with the ability to keep possession by successfully converting a fourth-and-15 play, that contributed to the late collapse. After allowing seven sacks to Houston, the Brahmas sacked St. Louis quarterback A.J. McCarron five times and will no doubt look to put pressure on Lynch or Dormady on Sunday night. Turnovers will also be watched closely, as they have already proven to be game changers in the early stages of XFL action.
San Antonio was strong last week against the Battlehawks, outgaining their opponents by nearly 100 yards (324 to 235), doubling them up on first downs (24 to 11), and possessing the football for nearly two-thirds of the game (38:17). The Brahmas were also the most productive on the ground in Week 1, gaining 133 yards on 39 carries and converting more than half (58.5 percent) of their third-down opportunities. However, quarterback Jack Coan committed two costly turnovers: an interception to end the first possession, and a fumble in San Antonio territory in the second quarter which set up the Battlehawks’ first score of the game, a 32-yard field goal. In addition, just before halftime, San Antonio kicker John Parker Romo missed a 34-yard field goal. And, despite having moved the ball into the red zone, the Brahmas had to settle for a field goal on their first possession of the third quarter. San Antonio’s nine drives, with the exception of one, lasted seven or more plays, which explains why the team had such a commanding lead in time of possession. However, two turnovers, a punt, and a missed field goal resulted in zero points on half of those drives. Simply put, the Brahmas’ offensive efficiency must be improved.
Conclusion
With another week under their belts for their teams to gel, both teams should be able to take a step forward in their play. San Antonio wants to wash away the bitter taste of missing out on what appeared to be a win. Meanwhile, Orlando will play in front of their home crowd, which should give the Guardians an extra boost of energy. The game should be competitive for a while, with both teams experiencing momentum swings. However, the Brahmas have the edge at quarterback, as well as the ability to run the ball and a stronger offensive line, giving them a clear advantage.
