September 7, 2025 - 85 Games Today

Inside the XFL

by Fran Stuchbury
Published on April 20, 2023 under XFL (XFL)

Both division titles were wrapped up in week nine of the XFL season with the Houston Roughnecks winning the South Division and the D.C. Defenders taking the North Division. With two playoff spots still up for grabs going into the final week of the season, four teams have much to play for this weekend.

The Roughnecks scored a 28-21 victory over the Vegas Vipers thanks again primarily to their defense which contributed a pair of touchdowns.

Tavante Burnett got things started with a 30-yard fumble return in the second quarter.

Ajene Harris then added a 13-yard fumble return in the third period.

On the other side of the ball, Houston's offense continued to sputter. It hasn't been the same since the team lost wide receiver Jontre Kirkland to a season-ending injury in week five.

Ill-timed mistakes again plagued the Vipers who wasted 15 valuable seconds with formation issues late in the game. Vegas slipped to 2-7, but they could have four or five victories if they had played complete games. Three of their losses have been by four points or less and another by seven.

At San Antonio, the Brahmas kept their post season hopes alive with a 25-23 win over the Orlando Guardians.

Brahmas quarterback Jack Coan has defeated the Guardians both times the teams have met, throwing for a combined 467 yards and four touchdowns during those contests.

Nick Holley grabbed four receptions for 105 yards in his first game for the team. He proved to be a solid pickup for San Antonio after being released by the Houston Roughnecks on March 29th.

With the game on the line in the fourth quarter, Drew Beesley tipped a pass, intercepted it and returned it 20 yards for the game-winning touchdown for the Brahmas.

The Guardians continue to play competitive football despite their 1-8 record. Since week five, each of their games has come down to the wire, with four losses coming by one score or less along with a huge, home victory over the D.C. Defenders. Head Coach Terrell Buckley has kept his team motivated.

San Antonio can earn a playoff spot with a home victory over the D.C. Defenders coupled with an Arlington Renegades' loss to the Houston Roughnecks on Sunday. With the division secured, the Roughnecks may play close to the vest with the possibility of having to battle Arlington again the following week.

The Renegades will have some momentum headed into the finale despite ending week nine with a loss. They rallied for 17 unanswered points in the fourth period against the D.C. Defenders to send the game into overtime but finished on the losing end of a 28-26 score. Arlington Head Coach Bob Stoops wisely held onto his challenge, allowing him to request a review of an uncalled, defensive holding infraction during an unsuccessful fourth down try late in the fourth. The penalty gave the Renegades a new set of downs on a drive which resulted in the tying field goal.

Their comeback produced the third overtime game in the XFL in the past two weeks.

Luis Perez appears to be getting more comfortable with the Arlington offense after being acquired from the Vegas Vipers offense a few weeks ago. He's breathed life into the offense and on Sunday passed for 335 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

As for the league-leading Defenders, former NFL safety D.J Swearinger intercepted a pass in the third quarter and returned it 62 yards for a touchdown in just his second game for the team. He hadn't played football since 2020 but wanted to play in the XFL so his son could see him play in person. Swearinger was already familiar to playing in D.C. having played for the Washington Redskins in 2017 and 2018.

D.C. will face either the Seattle Sea Dragons or the St. Louis Battlehawks in the playoffs.

Seattle put itself in position to control its own destiny with a 30-12 victory on the road at St. Louis. Sea Dragons quarterback Ben DiNucci connected on 21 of 31 passes for 260 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, and added 38 yards rushing and another score.

Here are the scenarios for the final spot between the Battlehawks and Sea Dragons:

St. Louis wins/Seattle loses...St. Louis in the playoffs
St. Louis loses/Seattle wins...Seattle in the playoffs
St. Louis loses/Seattle loses...St. Louis in the playoffs as its fourth loss is a non-divisional matchup (ORL), while Seattle would have four divisional losses (D.C. twice, St. Louis, Vegas)
St. Louis wins/Seattle wins...St. Louis needs to score 19 more points vs ORL than Seattle scores against Vegas AND St. Louis must still rank first in total points against to win Tiebreaker 4, which is best combined ranking among division teams in points scored and points allowed in all games.

Inside the XFL

XFL Stories from April 20, 2023