Orlando Guardians Week 4 Game Notes
Published on March 7, 2023 under XFL (XFL)
Orlando Guardians News Release
ORLANDO-HOUSTON PREVIEW
Saturday night at Camping World Stadium will mark the first time the Orlando Guardians have played an XFL South Division opponent for the second time this season.
The Houston Roughnecks roughed up the Guardians 33-12 in the season-opener in Houston. When the ball is kicked off at 7 p.m. ET Saturday night at Camping World Stadium, the Guardians will be looking to return the favor and defend their home turf.
The Roughnecks boast the league's top scoring offense and top scoring defense. The Roughnecks are scoring 26 points per game, while allowing just 13 per contest. Orlando is last in both categories, averaging just 11 points per game, while allowing 25.3.
Houston has the No. 2 team in the XFL in total offense, averaging 317.6 yards per game, while the Guardians are No. 2 in the league in total defense, allowing just 241.6 per contest.
Houston QB Brandon Silvers is No. 2 in the league, averaging 241 yards per game, while Orlando's Paxton Lynch is No. 5 (141.0 ypg).
LAST TIME OUT
ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Orlando Guardians dropped a heartbreaker Sunday, falling to the Arlington Renegades 10-9.
Orlando opened the contest with a 12-play, 48-yard march that resulted in a Jose Borregales 35-yard field goal, giving the Guardians a 3-0 lead. Arlington responded with a field goal of its own late in the first quarter to tie it up, 3-3.
Orlando took a six-point lead on the first play of the fourth quarter. Paxton Lynch took a quarterback draw three yards into the end zone for a TD. Orlando's 1-point conversion attempt failed, leaving the Guardians on top 9-3.
With 7:58 left in the fourth quarter, Arlington tied it and then took the one-point lead. Kyle Sloter connected with Tyler Vaughns for a 17-yard touchdown. A 1-point conversion run by De'Veon Smith put Arlington up 10-9.
The Guardians had two more possessions, but could not penetrate Arlington territory.
Lynch was 19-of-31 passing for 219 yards, while rushing for 43 yards and a touchdown.
EARLY OFFENSIVE SUCCES
The Guardians have scored on their first offensive possession in all three contests so far this season.
Game 1 at HOU: Paxton Lynch 27-yd pass to Cody Latimer; 10 plays, 77 yards
Game 2 vs. SA: Paxton Lynch 8-yd pass to Eli Rogers; 7 plays, 67 yards
Game 3 at ARL: Jose Borregales 35-yd field goal; 12 plays, 48 yards
Houston and Orlando are the only teams in the XFL this season to have accomplished this feat.
Vegas and San Antonio have scored on their opening possession twice.
Arlington, Seattle and DC have done so once. The only XFL team without an opening possession score is St. Louis.
SPREADING IT AROUND
Orlando quarterbacks spread the wealth when it comes to number of receivers to catch a pass. For the third consecutive week, 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.
Orlando has five receivers who have at least one reception in all three games -- Cody Latimer, Eli Rogers, Charleston Rambo, Logan Carter and Jah-Maine Martin.
TOUGH SLEDDING AGAINST THE GUARDIANS
The Orlando Guardians rank last in the XFL in scoring defense, but that statistic is a bit misleading as to the performance of the team's defense.
The Guardians rank No. 2 in the league in total defense, allowing just 241.7 yards per game.
In fact, this week's game matches the top two defenses in the XFL in this category, as Houston allows a paltry 196.7 yards to its opposition.
QUARTERBACK NOTEBOOK
- Paxton Lynch has started each of the three games so far this season for Orlando. While he rotated a bit with other QBs in the first two games, he went the distance last week in Arlington.
- Lynch started the contest red hot for the third week in a row, with great success on each opening possession. He was 5-of-6 for 49 yards in Week One with a touchdown. In Week Two, he was 3-of-3 for 41 yards and a score. In Week Three, he was 4-of-5 for 32 yards en route to a field goal on the opening possession.
- Deondre Francois passed for a TD in Week Two.
RUNNING BACK NOTEBOOK
- Jah-Maine Martin ranks No. 7 in the XFL in rushing yards per game, averaging 32.0 yards per game. Martin averages 3.8 yards per carry.
- Martin's 38-yard run vs. San Antonio is the second-longest for any XFL player this season.
- Kelvin Taylor rejoined the Guardians three days before the season-opener, after being waived on Feb. 6. Taylor has made the most of his return, averaging 4.2 yards per carry (20 rushes, 84 yards) in three games.
WIDE RECEIVER NOTEBOOK
- Eight different Guardians wide receivers have tallied receptions this season. Andrew Jamiel, Charleston Rambo, Eli Rogers, Dontez Byrd, Stephen Guidry, Deddrick Thomas, JaVonta Payton and Lance Lenoir 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 last week. This week, Orlando traded Payton as part of a three-team deal.
- Rambo's eight receptions for Orlando are tops among the team's wideouts.
- Andrew Jamiel's 51-yard reception for a touchdown at Houston in the season- opener is the fifth-longest reception in the XFL this season.
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 leads all XFL tight ends with 2 touchdown receptions. he ranks No. 3 in the league in receptions with 16 and is tied for the lead among tight ends (Sal Cannella/ARL).
- Ryan Becker lassoed 2 balls for 9 yards in the season-opener. He's a an actual cowboy ... get it, lassoed? No, for real, Becker paid his bills in between football gigs by competing in professional rodeo events as a calf roper.
- Logan Carter has receptions in all three games so far this season. Cody Latimer
OFFENSIVE LINE NOTEBOOK
- The Guardians have had three different starting units on the offensive line in each of their games so far this season. The rotation has all come at the tackle positions, as the center and guard positions have been consistent.
- 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 4.1 yards per rush, which ranks No. 2 in the XFL.
LEE FLYING SOLO
Defensive back Mike Lee tallied a game-high 8 tackles vs. San Antonio in Week Two, all of the solo variety. Of his 17 stops, 15 have been all by himself. Lee is tied for the league lead in solo stops. Lee and DC Defender Ejuan Neal both have 15 solo tackles through the first three weeks of the XFL season. He is tied for 6th in total tackles.
Gerald Willis
DEFENSIVE LINE NOTEBOOK
- Stansly Maponga and Jacoby Jones are tied for No. 5 in the XFL in sacks, with 2.0 apiece. Jones and Maponga also each have 3.0 TFLs to lead the team and rank tied for 6th in the XFL.
- Jones recorded the Guardians' first-ever sack in Week One, when he hauled down Houston's Brandon Silvers.
- Gerald Willis recorded his first sack of the season Sunday at Arlington.
- Trevon Sanders led the defensive line with 4 tackles vs. Arlington.
LINEBACKER NOTEBOOK
- Terrance Smith led the way for the Orlando defense with 9 total tackles, including 1 TFL, Sunday at Arlington. For the season, Smith has 15 total stops to rank No. 2 on the team.
- Terrance Plummer tallied his first sack of the season vs. Arlington and finished with 5 tackles. The veteran has 12 stops and 2 TFLs this season.
- Erroll Thompson and Tegray Scales also recorded stops in the Arlington game with 4 and 3, respectively
DEFENSIVE BACK NOTEBOOK
- Mike Lee Lee is tied for the league lead in solo stops with 15. He has 17 total tackles, 2 TFLs and 1 sack.
- Matt Elam had the first interception in team history in Week One vs. Houston.
- Marcus Murphy Jr. has the other Guardians' interception this season, returning a third-quarter pick 22 yards against Houston in Week One.
- Baylen Buchanan has reached double digits in total tackles, with 11. He tallied 5 total tackles last week at Arlington.
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTEBOOK
- Placekicker Jose Borregales mad his first field goal of the season Sunday vs. Arlington. His first field-goal attempt, a 40-yarder at Houston doinked off the left upright. His 56-yard attempt at the end of the first half vs. San Antonio was on line, but fell just a yard or two short.
- Punter Mac Brown saw his first action vs. Arlington. He performed admirably, averaging 40 yards on three punts, including one that was downed inside the 20-yard line.
- Punter Johnny Townsend spent Sunday, Feb. 12 in Arizona watching his brother Tommy win a Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs, then flew back to practice with the Guardians Feb. 13.
- Townsend was averaging 43.1 yards per punt this season, with a long of 49 yards, prior to his injury. The Guardians' punt team did surrender a blocked punt last week against San Antonio, which led to a Brahmas touchdown.
- Townsend is on the reserve/injured list after suffering an injury on a roughing the kicker penalty against San Antonio. He has been replaced on the active roster by Brown.
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