Orlando Guardians Game Notes vs. DC - Game 7
Published on March 28, 2023 under XFL (XFL)
Orlando Guardians News Release
Series Notes:
- Third of three straight games against North Division teams for the Guardians.
- Both head coaches have played in the NFL, with Barlow making a name for himself as a wide receiver/returner and Buckley as a defensive back.
- This is the middle game of a three-game homestand for Orlando.
ORLANDO-DC PREVIEW
Saturday afternoon's contest at Camping World Stadium is the second of a three-game hoemstand for the Guardians and is the third of three straight against opponents from the XFL North Division.
Orlando will be looking for its first victory, while Houston will be looking to remain unbeaten after dispatching Houston Monday night in D.C. Houston ranks No. 2 in the XFL in scoring, averaging 26.8 points per game. The Defenders' defense is No. 5, allowing 18 points per game.
Meanwhile, Orlando is coming off its two best offensive outputs of the season but is still averaging just 16.7 points per game (No. 6 in the XFL). The Guardians' defense will need to step up as it ranks No. 8 in the league, allowing an average of 29.7 points per game.
D.C. can clinch a berth in the North Division Championship Game with a win and a loss by Seattle or St. Louis.
Saturday's game is slated for a 6 p.m. p.m. ET kickoff and willl be broadcast on ESPN2.
LAST TIME OUT
ORLANDO -- The Guardians held a halftime lead for the first time this season, out-gained their opponent 391-252 and yet, penalties and turnovers once again proved to be their undoing.
Seattle won its fourth straight, taking advantage of Orlando's miscues to take the 26- 19 victory at Camping World Stadium.
Orlando took a 10-6 lead late in the first half on a Devin Darrington 3-yard touchdown run. Seattle closed the gap to 10-9 on a 54-yard field goal in the closing seconds of the first half.
Seattle regained the lead, 17-10 midway through the third quarter on a 20-yard TD strike from Ben DiNucci to Blake Jackson. But Orlando answered. Darrington scored on a beautiful 53-yard run, but the 2-point conversion failed leaving Seattle on top 17-16.
The teams traded field goals to make it 20- 19 in the fourth quarter. But a blocked punt gave Seattle great field position, which they converted into a TD and the final margin in the contest.
YARDS APLENTY, POINTS NOT SO MUCH
The Orlando Guardians put up 391 yards of offense last week vs. Seattle. It was the fourth-best single-game total offense total in the XFL (through 3.26.23).
Orlando ranks No. 4 in total offense in the XFL, averaging 302.3 yards per game. The Guardians have gone over the 300-yard mark in each of their last three games, with their 391 yards vs. Seattle being the high-water mark. Despite their ranking in total offense, the Guardians rank No. 6 in scoring offense, averaging just 16.7 points per game. However, Orlando has had its two best scoring outputs the last two weeks. The Guardians scored a seasonhigh 32 at Vegas in Week 5. The 19 points scored last week vs. Seattle was the team's second-best scoring total.
Penalties continue to be the culprit. Orlando has committed 10+ penalties in four of its six games this season and continue to lead the league with 67 flags.
LONGEST PLAY OF THE SEASON NO LONGER
Paxton Lynch's 81-yard scoring strike to Charleston Rambo in Week 4 vs. Houston was the longest play in the XFL until Monday night, when Houston had an 85-yard TD strike. Rambo's TD is tied for the fourth-longest play from scrimmage in any iteration of the XFL.
The overall record is a 92-yard TD for the Birmingham Thunderbolts in 2001.
Longest plays from scrimmage (XFL history, including 2001, 2020 and 2023)
1. 92 yards - Jay Barker to Stepfret Williams (Birmingham Thunderbolts) vs. San Francisco Demons - March 3, 2001 - San Francisco, Calif.
2. 85 yards - Cole McDonald to Deontay Burnett - (Houston Roughnecks) vs. D.C. Defenders - March 27, 2023 - Washington, D.C.
3. 84 yards - P.J. Walker to Cam Phillips (Houston Roughnecks) vs. Tampa Bay Vipers - Feb. 22, 2020 - Tampa, Fla.
4. 81 yards - Paxton Lynch to Charleston Rambo (Orlando Guardians) vs. Houston Roughnecks - March 11, 2023 - Orlando, Fla.
4. 81 yards - Brian Kuklick to Dialleo Burks (Orlando Rage) vs. Memphis Maniax - March 4, 2001 - Memphis, Tenn.
SPREADING IT AROUND
Orlando quarterbacks spread the wealth when it comes to number of receivers to catch a pass. For the first four weeks of the season, Orlando led the league in different players to record a reception.
Orlando completed passes to 10 different receivers in Week One and followed that up with 8 different pass-catchers in Week Two. In Week Three, both Houston and Orlando had nine players haul in an aerial. In Week Four, four different teams (including Orlando) had nine receivers with a catch. Last week, eight different Guardians caught a pass.
Orlando has three receivers with at least one reception in each game -- Cody Latimer, Eli Rogers and Charleston Rambo.
FLAG ON THE PLAY
One of Orlando's biggest issues through the first six games is penalties.
The Guardians were only flagged three times in Week One. But the laundry load has picked up since then. Orlando has the highest total of flags thrown against it this season, with 67, averaging 10.2 flags per game. Four of six games have seen double-digit penalties against the Guardians.
QUARTERBACK NOTEBOOK
- Quinten Dormady returned to the team and came off the bench in Week 5 at Vegas to lead Orlando to its best offensive performance of the season. The Guardian scored 32 points (25 of which came with Dormady at the helm). Dormady was 22-of-25 for a red-hot 88 percent completion rate, throwing for 256 yards and 2 touchdowns.
- Dormady cooled off a bit last week vs. Seattle, but still passed for 243 yards, going 24-of-44 with no interceptions.
- Paxton Lynch has started contests red hot in four of his five games played. He led scoring drives in each game but Week 3 at Arlington. In the first possession of the game, Lynch was 17-of-20 for 143 yards and two TDs.
RUNNING BACK NOTEBOOK
- Devin Darrington's 43-yard TD run vs. Seattle is the 3rd-longest rush in the XFL this season.
- Darrington returned from the Reserve/Injured list for Week Four. He has made the most of his return, averaging a league-high 5.6 yards per carry for running backs. He has scored three touchdowns in the last two games.
- Jah-Maine Martin averages 3.9 yards per carry. He scored his first TD of the season in Week 5 at Vegas.
WIDE RECEIVER NOTEBOOK
- Charleston Rambo's 81-yard reception from Paxton Lynch in Week Four is the second-longest play from scrimmage this season in the XFL. Boosted by that long touchdown, Rambo is averaging 12.7 yards per catch.
- Nine different Guardians wide receivers have tallied receptions this season. Andrew Jamiel, Charleston Rambo, Eli Rogers, Dontez Byrd, Stephen Guidry, Deddrick Thomas, JaVonta Payton, Lance Lenoir and Dan Williams III have all reached the box score.
- Three of the eight receivers mentioned above are no longer with the team. The Guardians waived Guidry and Byrd and signed Lenoir prior to Week 3 action. Prior to Week 4 games, Orlando traded Payton as part of a three-team deal.
TIGHT END NOTEBOOK
- Cody Latimer is proving to be a matchup nightmare for defenses. The former NFL wide receiver is now playing tight end and is No. 3 among all XFL receivers with 33 receptions. His 124-yard outing vs. Vegas in Week 5 is No. 2 in the XFL.
- Jaylen Smith made an immediate impact for the Guardians. In his first game with the team, he caught a pass for a 28-yard gain that led to Orlando's lone TD vs. Arlington. In Week 4, he hauled in a 31-yard TD strike.
- Logan Carter has receptions in five of six games so far this season.
OFFENSIVE LINE NOTEBOOK
- The Guardians have had five different starting units on the offensive line in each of their games so far this season. It looked as though Week Five would be the first repeat of starters on the front, but T.J. Storment was a late scratch.
- The offensive line paved the way for the first 100-yard rushing output of the season for Orlando in Week Two. The Guardians are averaging 3.8 yards per rush, which ranks No. 4 in the XFL.
GOT A LEAK? CALL THE PLUMMER
Linebacker Terrance Plummer has emerged as a leader on the Guardians' defense, both verbally and through his play.
Plummer led the team in tackles in Week 4 vs. Houston with 7 and tallied 7 more last week. He has recorded 5 tackles or more in 4 of 6 games so far this season. He has at least one TFL or sack in 5 of the Guardians' 6 games.
DEFENSIVE LINE NOTEBOOK
- Caeveon Patton had a busy day in Vegas in Week 5. He recorded a game-high 11 tackles vs. the Vipers, a single-game best for the Guardians. In fact, only six other XFL defenders have reached double digits in the 20 games this year.
- Stansly Maponga and Jacoby Jones have been the most consistent Guardians D-Linemen at getting to the quarterback. Jones and Maponga have recorded 2.5 sacks each.
- Jones recorded the Guardians' first-ever sack in Week One and has 5 TFLs.
LINEBACKER NOTEBOOK
- Terrance Plummer ranks No. 2 on the team in total tackles with 28. He leads the linebacker group with 3 TFLs and has also added 2 sacks. He has either a sack or a TFL in 5 of 6 games this season.
- Terrance Smith is No. 1 on the team in total tackles with 29.
- Tegray Scales don't need no help. All 12 of his stops have been solo tackles.
- Erroll Thompson has tallied 10 tackles this season in a reserve LB role.
DEFENSIVE BACK NOTEBOOK
- Tye Smith led the team with 5 total tackles last week vs. Seattle. He has tallied 11 tackles in three games since joining the Guardians. It's his second straight week with 5 total stops.
- Najeem Hosein's interception vs. Seattle in Week 6 was Orlando's first since Week 1.
- Matt Elam scored the first interception in team history (Week 1 vs. Houston). Marcus Murphy Jr. had the other Guardians' interception in Week 1, returning a thirdquarter pick 22 yards against Houston. Najeem Hosein
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTEBOOK
- Placekicker Jose Borregales has made four straight field goal attempts. After missing his first two field-goal attempts this season, he has made his last four. He hit a 26-yarder in the first quarter last week vs. Seattle and a season-best 50- yard bomb early in the fourth quarter to make it a one-point game, 20-19.
- Punter Mac Brown is averaging 45.8 yards per punt with four games played, after joining the team when Johnny Townsend was injured. That average ranks No. 2 in the XFL.
- Brown has also averaged one punt per game downed inside the 20 through his four games with the Guardians
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