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Inside the XFL

by Fran Stuchbury
February 23, 2023 - XFL (XFL)


The XFL returned to the field this past weekend after a three-year hiatus. The league shut down after five weeks in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and former owner Vince McMahon had the league file for bankruptcy. It was then purchased by Dany Garcia, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, and Gerry Cardinale of RedBird Capital. They've used the past couple of years to reorganize the league, shifting some teams and markets.

Some observations from week one:

DOMINANT DEFENSES

XFL defenses proved to be ahead of the offenses. The Arlington Renegades' only touchdowns came from their defense in a 22-20 victory over the Las Vegas Vipers/

Here is the game-winning pick six in the fourth quarter:

The Houston Roughnecks defense finished with seven sacks, four by defensive end Trent Harris, in their dominant 33-12 victory over the Orlando Guardians.

The D.C. Defenders' Michael Joseph contributed a pair of interceptions, one returned 15-yards for a touchdown, in their 22-18 victory over the Seattle Sea Dragons:

FANS IN THE STANDS

The Defenders fans are very passionate. At 7:50 remaining in the third period, they began throwing lemons on the field because after security took away their beer snake, a tradition which started in 2020. As fans drank beer, they combined the empty cups to form a snake spanning multiple rows. Former XFL Commissioner Oliver Luck even added a cup to it when in town for a D.C. game.

At the end of the third quarter fans put together another beer snake:

RULES, RULES, RULES

We learned this week no game is out of reach in the XFL. The St. Louis Battlehawks found themselves down 15-3 late in the fourth quarter against the San Antonio Brahmas. They rallied to win the game, 18-15, thanks in part to a rule in the XFL. In the fourth quarter after a score, teams can opt for a 4th-and-15 from their own 25-yard-line instead of an onside kick. St. Louis was able to convert the play and drove to the game-winning touchdown.

A look at the amazing comeback:

The Brahmas drew the largest attendance in week one with 24,250 fans.

The XFL Command Center with Dean Blandino provided welcomed transparency into official reviews.

Here's one interesting look from the Roughnecks-Guardians game where a contested ball was ruled a touchdown for Orlando because there was not enough evidence to make a definitive ruling of an interception:

XFL Teams have work to do on conversions after they score. Teams went just 1-of-7 on one-point conversion attempts from the two-yard line, 3-of-8 on two-point conversions from the five-yard line, and 2-of-4 on three-point conversions from the 10-yard line. The Seattle Dragons were the only XFL team to attempt three-point conversions both times they scored touchdowns.

RATINGS

Saturday afternoon's opener on ABC between the Vegas Vipers and Arlington Renegades averaged 1.57 million viewers, while that night's Orlando Guardians at Houston Roughnecks contest on ESPN drew 751,000 viewers. The game was also aired on FX.

Sunday's St. Louis BattleHawks - San Antonio Brahmas battle on ABC saw 1.53 million viewers, and the night game between the Seattle Sea Dragons and D.C. Defender on ESPN hit 918,000 viewers.

EXTRA POINTS

  • The XFL announced that the Alamodome, home of the San Antonio Brahmas, has been selected as the host site of the inaugural XFL Championship Game. The XFL's ownership group - Dany Garcia, Dwayne Johnson, and Gerry Cardinale of RedBird Capital - made the announcement before the San Antonio Brahmas home opener against the St. Louis Battlehawks. The XFL Championship Game will be played on May 13 at 8 p.m. ET and will be broadcasted on ABC.

  • St. Louis Battlehawks quarterback A.J. McCarron, Houston Roughnecks defensive end Trent Harris and St. Louis Battlehawks wide receiver Austin Proehl were named the OurSports Central XFL Offensive Player, Defensive Player and Unsung Hero of the Week, respectively, for week one of the XFL season.

  • Seattle Sea Dragons wide receiver Josh Gordon caught six passes for 74 yards and one touchdown in his XFL debut.

  • Home teams went 3-1 the first week.

  • San Antonio parted ways with General Manager & VP of Business/Event Operations Mike Sheehan.

  • The Brahmas signed wide receiver Dan Williams who played for the XFL's Tampa Bay Vipers in 2020 and finished second in the league with 338 receiving yards.

  • The broadcast crews of Sunday's XFL games both put forth solid performances. Matt Barrie and Joey Galloway, familiar faces from College Football Final on ESPN, manned the St. Louis Battlehawks - San Antonio Brahmas game. They mentioned sports betting often during the XFL game, and they do the same thing on College Football Final when they review Galloway's college football locks. They have good chemistry together.

    John Schriffen and Tom Luginbill broadcast the Seattle Sea Dragons - D.C Defenders contest. Luginbill has strong ties to the XFL, serving as quarterbacks coach for the Los Angeles Xtreme back in 2001 when he won the XFL Championship with his father Al Luginbill who was the head coach. You can hear the passion Luginbill brings to the game, giving good insights as color commentator. He works well with Schriffen in the booth.

  • My XFL best bet lock of the week is the Seattle Sea Dragons -3 over the St. Louis Battlehawks. Look for the Seattle offense to be even more productive with fewer miscues. If the game gets into a shootout it will be hard for the Battlehawks to keep up with the Sea Dragons score for score. Playing at home will also be an advantage for Seattle. It will be interesting to see how the 20-degree weather impacts the game.
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The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer(s), and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.


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