7 weeks are in the books, with 3 weeks left to go. The playoff picture is starting to take shape, as teams jockey for position and some teams are starting to separate themselves from the pack. There were some exciting games this weekend, and some upsets as well. Let’s see how each team stacked up after an interesting week 7.
1. D.C. Defenders (6-1)
Last week: No. 1
The D.C. Defenders suffered their first loss of the season this past Saturday night in the unlikeliest of games, against the Orlando Guardians. It was a 37-36 shootout that came down to the last second, as Matthew McCrane missed a 63 yd FG to end the game. But make no mistake, it’s not like the Defenders were sloppy in this game. They scored 36 points. Jordan Ta’amu was fantastic, as he threw for 21/29 for 285 yds, 3 TDs and 0 INTs. He has officially arrived, and he has solidified himself as the number 1 quarterback on this team. But D’Eriq King still plays a critical role as well. King also tossed a TD Saturday night, and Abram Smith continued his dominance with 127 yds on 18 carries and a TD. The defense was not great Saturday, but I don’t expect that to be a trend going forward. This loss did not shake my confidence in the Defenders at all. If anything, it grew it, because this offense just seems to get better with each passing week. The D.C. Defenders are still the best team in the league, and they are still my current pick to make it out of the North.
2. St. Louis Battlehawks (5-2)
Last week: No. 2
The St. Louis Battlehawks have only suffered two losses this season. Both coming at the hands of the D.C. Defenders. Everyone else that has been put in front of the Battlehawks have come up short against St. Louis. The offense was great per usual, with A.J. McCarron continuing his MVP campaign with a stat line of 26/34 for 222 yds, 3 TDs and 0 INTs. A.J. looked comfortable against Houston, and this offense continues to be a balanced attack with the rushing game and passing game. But this week, it was their defense who really impressed me. They only allowed 1 offensive TD to the Houston Roughnecks, and they were relentless against a struggling Houston offense, creating takeaways and pressuring Cole McDonald all game long. The St. Louis Battlehawks are good man, and if they can somehow find out a way to overcome that D.C. hurdle, they can the last team standing with that XFL trophy.
3. Seattle Sea Dragons (5-2)
Last week: No. 4
Seattle is a really good football team, who is currently on a 5 game winning streak, and show no signs of slowing down. Ben DiNucci has done a fantastic job of spreading the ball around to multiple receivers, instead of just zoning in on just a few receivers, and because of that, it keeps the offense unpredictable. And once Morgan Ellison can get back healthy, this offense is going to be hard to stop. Jordan Veasy, Blake Jackson, Jahcour Pearson, and Josh Gordon have all contributed, and their defense continues to be solid. The problem with Seattle, is the North is a stacked division, with D.C. and St. Louis standing in Seattle’s way. But at 5-2, tied with St. Louis, that head to head matchup is going to be absolutely crucial.
4. Houston Roughnecks (4-3)
Last week: No. 3
What has happened to the Houston Roughnecks? What was once the best team in the league, has looked like one of the worst these past 3 weeks. Cole McDonald is NOT the answer at quarterback. The offense has looked like a shell of its former self. And now the defense is no longer as dominant as it once was. I don’t have any answers. Hopefully Brandon Silvers can come back healthy and find his former self from the first 4 weeks, because if he can’t, this team will have no shot at winning the XFL Championship. Not against teams like D.C., St. Louis, and Seattle. With 3 games left on the season, the Roughnecks are running out of time to figure it out. I hope they do, but right now it doesn’t seem likely.
5. Arlington Renegades (3-4)
Last week: No. 5
The Arlington Renegades are a tricky team right now. Because we have not yet seen the Renegades with their new starter yet in Luis Perez. Perez is easily the best quarterback on that roster, and I would assume he gets his first start this week against Orlando, who looks like a different team now, more on that later. But we shall see what the Renegades offense looks like with Perez under center. Their defense has been solid all year long, but their offense has been pretty atrocious. Coach Bob Stoops knows this, which is why they traded for Perez. So until we see him in this offense, we can’t really judge how this team is going to be going forward.
6. Vegas Vipers (2-5)
Last week: No. 7
The Vegas Vipers have been all over the place this season. From Luis Perez to Brett Hundley to now Jalan McClendon. But somehow, this offense keeps finding its rhythm no matter who is under center. This week was no different, with their 26-12 win over the San Antonio Brahmas. This was Jalan McClendon’s debut, and he did not disappoint. He went 21/31 for 264 yds, 2 TDs and 0 INTs. McClendon looked great, and he should be the starter going forward. The Vipers aren’t going to make the playoffs, but with games against St. Louis, Houston, and Seattle on the horizon, they could definitely play spoiler. They will be a fun team to watch as the season goes on.
7. San Antonio Brahmas (2-5)
Last week: No. 6
The San Antonio Brahmas have been a merry-go-round at quarterback. Now, with Kurt Benkert out for the rest of the season, the team picked up former Orlando starter Paxton Lynch as they head for a playoff push. Lynch is the best quarterback on the roster, and it will be interesting to see what this struggling offense looks like with Paxton Lynch under center. The Brahmas have a good defense, and their special teams has been great all season. If their offense can get it together with Lynch, this can be a dark horse team as we head into the playoffs. Coach Hines Ward will have his team ready as we head into the final 3 weeks of the season.
8. Orlando Guardians (1-6)
Last week: No. 8
They did it! They finally did it! The Orlando Guardians won a game! Quinten Dormady is the guy in Orlando. And fun fact, the Orlando Guardians are not mathematically not out of the playoffs yet. Their offense has been good all season, in terms of yards, but now they are actually putting points on the board. Going with Dormady was the best decision this team has made. He has looked really good ever since being announced as the starter, and now they are gelling at the right time. Do I think the Guardians have a realistic chance at making the playoffs…YES! With this offense, and with every other offense in the South sputtering, they absolutely have a chance to make something happen. Long shot? Yes. But definitely not out of the realm of possibility.
The D.C. Defenders suffered their first loss of the season this past Saturday night in the unlikeliest of games, against the Orlando Guardians. It was a 37-36 shootout that came down to the last second, as Matthew McCrane missed a 63 yd FG to end the game. But make no mistake, it’s not like the Defenders were sloppy in this game. They scored 36 points. Jordan Ta’amu was fantastic, as he threw for 21/29 for 285 yds, 3 TDs and 0 INTs. He has officially arrived, and he has solidified himself as the number 1 quarterback on this team. But D’Eriq King still plays a critical role as well. King also tossed a TD Saturday night, and Abram Smith continued his dominance with 127 yds on 18 carries and a TD. The defense was not great Saturday, but I don’t expect that to be a trend going forward. This loss did not shake my confidence in the Defenders at all. If anything, it grew it, because this offense just seems to get better with each passing week. The D.C. Defenders are still the best team in the league, and they are still my current pick to make it out of the North.
The St. Louis Battlehawks have only suffered two losses this season. Both coming at the hands of the D.C. Defenders. Everyone else that has been put in front of the Battlehawks have come up short against St. Louis. The offense was great per usual, with A.J. McCarron continuing his MVP campaign with a stat line of 26/34 for 222 yds, 3 TDs and 0 INTs. A.J. looked comfortable against Houston, and this offense continues to be a balanced attack with the rushing game and passing game. But this week, it was their defense who really impressed me. They only allowed 1 offensive TD to the Houston Roughnecks, and they were relentless against a struggling Houston offense, creating takeaways and pressuring Cole McDonald all game long. The St. Louis Battlehawks are good man, and if they can somehow find out a way to overcome that D.C. hurdle, they can the last team standing with that XFL trophy.
Seattle is a really good football team, who is currently on a 5 game winning streak, and show no signs of slowing down. Ben DiNucci has done a fantastic job of spreading the ball around to multiple receivers, instead of just zoning in on just a few receivers, and because of that, it keeps the offense unpredictable. And once Morgan Ellison can get back healthy, this offense is going to be hard to stop. Jordan Veasy, Blake Jackson, Jahcour Pearson, and Josh Gordon have all contributed, and their defense continues to be solid. The problem with Seattle, is the North is a stacked division, with D.C. and St. Louis standing in Seattle’s way. But at 5-2, tied with St. Louis, that head to head matchup is going to be absolutely crucial.
What has happened to the Houston Roughnecks? What was once the best team in the league, has looked like one of the worst these past 3 weeks. Cole McDonald is NOT the answer at quarterback. The offense has looked like a shell of its former self. And now the defense is no longer as dominant as it once was. I don’t have any answers. Hopefully Brandon Silvers can come back healthy and find his former self from the first 4 weeks, because if he can’t, this team will have no shot at winning the XFL Championship. Not against teams like D.C., St. Louis, and Seattle. With 3 games left on the season, the Roughnecks are running out of time to figure it out. I hope they do, but right now it doesn’t seem likely.
The Arlington Renegades are a tricky team right now. Because we have not yet seen the Renegades with their new starter yet in Luis Perez. Perez is easily the best quarterback on that roster, and I would assume he gets his first start this week against Orlando, who looks like a different team now, more on that later. But we shall see what the Renegades offense looks like with Perez under center. Their defense has been solid all year long, but their offense has been pretty atrocious. Coach Bob Stoops knows this, which is why they traded for Perez. So until we see him in this offense, we can’t really judge how this team is going to be going forward.
The Vegas Vipers have been all over the place this season. From Luis Perez to Brett Hundley to now Jalan McClendon. But somehow, this offense keeps finding its rhythm no matter who is under center. This week was no different, with their 26-12 win over the San Antonio Brahmas. This was Jalan McClendon’s debut, and he did not disappoint. He went 21/31 for 264 yds, 2 TDs and 0 INTs. McClendon looked great, and he should be the starter going forward. The Vipers aren’t going to make the playoffs, but with games against St. Louis, Houston, and Seattle on the horizon, they could definitely play spoiler. They will be a fun team to watch as the season goes on.
The San Antonio Brahmas have been a merry-go-round at quarterback. Now, with Kurt Benkert out for the rest of the season, the team picked up former Orlando starter Paxton Lynch as they head for a playoff push. Lynch is the best quarterback on the roster, and it will be interesting to see what this struggling offense looks like with Paxton Lynch under center. The Brahmas have a good defense, and their special teams has been great all season. If their offense can get it together with Lynch, this can be a dark horse team as we head into the playoffs. Coach Hines Ward will have his team ready as we head into the final 3 weeks of the season.
They did it! They finally did it! The Orlando Guardians won a game! Quinten Dormady is the guy in Orlando. And fun fact, the Orlando Guardians are not mathematically not out of the playoffs yet. Their offense has been good all season, in terms of yards, but now they are actually putting points on the board. Going with Dormady was the best decision this team has made. He has looked really good ever since being announced as the starter, and now they are gelling at the right time. Do I think the Guardians have a realistic chance at making the playoffs…YES! With this offense, and with every other offense in the South sputtering, they absolutely have a chance to make something happen. Long shot? Yes. But definitely not out of the realm of possibility.
