Seattle Sea Dragons Game Notes - North Division Championship at D.C. Defenders
April 26, 2023 - XFL (XFL)
Seattle Sea Dragons News Release
Series Notes: This game marks the third official match up this season between the Seattle Sea Dragons and the D.C. Defenders in the XFL North championship. The D.C. Defenders won the first match up in Week 1 in Washington D.C. , 22-18, after a late offensive fumble in the final possession of the Sea Dragons in the fourth quarter. In Week 8, the Defenders came to Lumen Field for a rematch where the Sea Dragons dropped another close game, 34-33. This game features two of the best quarterbacks in the XFL, Jordan Ta'amu and Ben DiNucci, the top running back in the XFL, Abram Smith, and the top wide receiver in the XFL, Jahcour Pearson.
SEA DRAGONS CLINCH FINAL PLAYOFF BERTH AND EARN TRIP TO D.C.
It took the Sea Dragons the final game of the season to clinch the last playoff spot of the North Division and a date with the D.C. Defenders for the third time this season. After dominating the Battlehawks in Week 9, the Sea Dragons had one final match up against the Vegas Vipers in the regular season finale to determine their playoff fate. Seattle started off the game slow, scoring zero points in the first quarter and six points in the first half. Many were left doubted if the Sea Dragons were going to reach the point threshold of 34 and overcome the brilliant 53-point performance of the St. Louis Battlehawks against the Orlando Guardians. The Sea Dragons defense played their hearts out not only for a spot in the XFL North Division Championship but for Chris Smith, who passed away last week. Although Seattle only scored 28 points against Vegas, it was the defense that saved the season. It came down to tiebreaker 5 where the Sea Dragons finished with the #1 ranking in the league for "Total Points Against" and a combined league ranking of #5, two more rankings better than the St. Louis Battlehawks.
The Sea Dragons began their season on a rocky foot after dropping the first two games by one possession to the D.C. Defenders and the St. Louis Battlehawks. On opening day of the XFL season against the D.C. Defenders, the Sea Dragons gave a hard fought battle throughout the whole game, but fell short after QB Ben DiNucci fumbled on the Defenders' 1-yard line with 19-seconds left in the fourth quarter. Hoping to avenge their first loss of the season, the Sea Dragons played their first home game at Lumen Field since 2020 the week after against the St. Louis Battlehawks. This game came down to the final 1:30 of the fourth quarter when DiNucci converted an 8-yard TD pass to WR Jordan Veasy to take a late 18-17 lead. However, the Battlehawks had other plans and spoiled the home opener for the Sea Dragons after K Donald Hageman knocked in the game-winning 44-yard field goal as time expired. Since then, Seattle went on a five-game winning streak and went undefeated against the South Division. The Sea Dragons met with the Defenders again for a rematch in Week 8 at Lumen Field where both teams combined for 677 total yards of offense. In the final minute of this highly anticipated division rivalry match up, WR Jahcour Pearson caught a 14-yard TD pass from DiNucci to bring the score within 1-point (34-33). Coach Haslett decided to go for the win with a 2-point conversion attempt, but it was broken up when DiNucci was tackled short of the end zone. With one last chance to get the ball back, Seattle elected for the 4th & 15 conversion try, but the Defenders defense came up with one last stop and earned the season sweep against the Sea Dragons.
From a short training camp, to two consecutive losses to open up the season, and overcoming a complex tiebreaker system, the Sea Dragons will be given the chance to bring home an XFL Championship back to the city of Seattle. They must go through the heavy favorite, D.C. Defenders, to reach that goal in a rowdy Audi Field in Washington D.C. Although it is very difficult to defeat an opponent three times in a row, look for the Sea Dragons to make adjustments to their game plan and utilize the saying, "third time is a charm" in their favor.
LEADING THE WAY
Seattle's powerhouse run-and-shoot offense, implemented by Offensive Coordinator June Jones, finished the regular season first in pass attempts (376), completions (243), and passing yards (2,677). Much of the offense's success is due to QB Ben DiNucci who became the first player of the 2023 XFL season to pass the 1,000 passing yard mark during Seattle's Week 4 victory over the San Antonio Brahmas and 2,000 yards in the Week 8 loss to the D.C. Defenders. He led the quarterbacks in passing yards (2,671) and completions (242) and ranked second in touchdowns (20) behind St. Louis' A.J. McCarron (24). DiNucci also tallied three rushing touchdowns and led his position in category in rushing yards (305).
Jahcour Pearson, has proven to be DiNucci's favorite target as he wrapped up the regular season ranked first in total receptions (60) and receiving yards (670). Juwan Green added 6 receiving touchdowns, ranking him tied for second in the league. Josh Gordon was tied for fourth in receiving touchdowns (4), and Blake Jackson was fifth in the league in receptions (45).
Tuzar Skipper ended the regular season on a defensive tear, finishing tied for second in forced fumbles (3) and fourth in the XFL in sacks (6). Qwynnterrio Cole was top-15 in the league in total tackles (48) and was tied for third in the league in interceptions (3). Dominik Eberle completed his regular season third in field goals made (14) along with the third highest completion percentage in the league (77.8%). Kelvin McKnight ranked first in the leaderboard in punt return yards (235) and second in kick return yards (748). With a combined 983 return yards, McKnight led that category amongst all special teams returners in the XFL.
SEA DRAGONS ARE GOING TO THE PLAYOFFS
After a crucial victory in Week 9 against the St. Louis Battlehawks, the Sea Dragons head home to Lumen Field to take on the Vegas Vipers in a must win season finale to clinch the final playoff berth of the XFL North. On the initial drive in the first quarter for the Sea Dragons, K Dominik Eberle missed an early 39-yard field goal. Overall for both teams, it was a very quiet first quarter where both teams were held scoreless.
Midway through the second quarter, LB Tuzar Skipper, recorded his sixth sack of the season, giving the ball back to the Sea Dragons and momentum for their next offensive series. Soon after, QB Ben Dinucci orchestrated his offense down the field and cleaned up the drive after scoring a 14-yard rushing touchdown (his third rushing touchdown of the season) to put the Sea Dragons up 6-0 following the missed 3-point conversion.
Going into the third quarter, the Sea Dragons regrouped at halftime and came out firing after DiNucci found Pearson streaking down field for a 33-yard touchdown pass to extend the score to 14-0 after the successful 2-point conversion to WR Josh Gordon. The Vipers responded on their next series with a 53-yard field goal by K Sam Sloman, cutting the lead to 14-3. Shortly after, the Sea Dragons came out on their next series aggressive when DiNucci spotted WR Juwan Green for a 37-yard touchdown pass, widening the gap to 20-3 after the failed 2-point conversion try.
In the final quarter of the XFL regular season, DiNucci connected with WR Jordan Veasy in the corner of the end zone for a 3-yard diving touchdown grab, increasing the score to 28-3 following the successful 2-point conversion attempt to WR Blake Jackson. The Sea Dragons defense carried the strong offensive momentum onto their side of the field when DB Qwynnterrio Cole intercepted QB Jalan McClendon, giving the ball right back to the Sea Dragons. The Sea Dragons looked to officially clinch a playoff berth on their next drive but was shortly interrupted after S Marwin Evans picked off DiNucci in the end zone. Seattle regained possession of the ball after forcing the Vipers to punt, but failed to score again after DiNucci threw his second interception of the game to CB Jamar Summers. On the ensuing series for the Vipers, McClendon linked up with WR Mathew Sexton for an 81-yard pass. On the same play, DB Mykael Wright forced Sexton to fumble at the 1-yard line before entering the end zone, but the Vipers regained the ball back after the ball went out of bounds in the back of the end zone. After the dispute on the possession, RB Shai McKenzie finished the series with a 1-yard rushing touchdown to trim the lead to 28-9. The Sea Dragons ran the clock off on their next series, securing themselves the final playoff spot in the XFL North.
The Seattle Sea Dragons will fly to Washington D.C. next Sunday to take on the D.C. Defenders in a semi-finals match up of the XFL playoffs. This will be the third clash this season that the Sea Dragons and Defenders will meet for a trip to the XFL Championship in San Antonio.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHTS
CAN'T CONTAIN JAHCOUR
It could be said that Jahcour Pearson has carried the title of "underrated" for most of his football career. Despite being a major contributor to Flanagan High School's (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) first ever state championship, Pearson was only ranked as a three-star prospect by 247Sports.com and a two-star by Scout.com and Rivals.com. After his state- winning senior season in 2015, Pearson committed to Western Kentucky. He appeared in 33
games as a Hilltopper and racked up 1072 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns over four seasons. During his Junior campaign, Pearson registered 76 receptions for 804 yards and 7 touchdowns, earning him the honor of being named second team All-CUSA. Prior to the 2021 season, Pearson transferred to Ole Miss to finish out his college career, playing in 10 games and recording 26 receptions for 392 yards.
The 5-foot-8 receiver finished the regular season leading the league in receptions (60) and in receiving yards (670). Pearson has continually used his 4.28 speed to accumulate over eight, 20 + yard catches, including a career long, 68-yard touchdown reception against the St. Louis Battlehawks in Week Nine. Pearson is also first in the league in first down catches with 32. With a chip on his shoulder and his eyes on the XFL Championship, Jahcour is ready to prove that he is one of the best receivers in the XFL this season and that he deserves a spot on an NFL roster. There is no question that he is a critical component in the Sea Dragons' successful season and that if he continues to shine, the sky is the limit.
FLASH 2.0
Josh Gordon 2.0 has made his way back to the gridiron. All it took to get the former second round- pick back to the turf was the launch of the XFL 3.0. The Baylor standout was drafted in 2012 by the
Cleveland Browns - during his five seasons in Cleveland (2012-2018), Gordon racked up 180 receptions for 3,106 yards and an impressive 16 touchdowns. He spent the next two seasons with the New England Patriots, tallying 60 receptions for 1,007 total yards and 4 touchdowns and earned a Super Bowl Championship in 2019 (Tom Brady's last with the Pats). Gordon faced off-the-field hardships and bounced around the NFL for the following years but found his way back to the football field in 2022 - he was drafted by the Seattle Sea Dragons in the sixth round of 2022 XFL draft. He joined the XFL because the league opened a door for him to showcase his skills.
The 31-year-old ended the regular season ranked sixth in the league in receiving yards (540) and fourth in receiving touchdowns (4), an honor he shares with six other XFL receivers. Heading into the North Division Championship, Josh Gordon has made some noise in this league and he hopes to gain the attention of NFL scouts once the season ends and continue to prove that he is a true offensive weapon.
SKIPPER THE NIGHTMARE
Before Skipper was drafted by the Sea Dragons, he spent some time bouncing around the NFL hoping to obtain a permanent roster spot. Skipper entered the NFL undrafted and initially made the Pittsburgh Steelers 53-man roster in 2019 before being waived in Week 1. From then on, he drifted to other teams including the New York Giants, Tennessee Titans, and Atlanta Falcons, but found no success.
Prior to his stints in the NFL, Skipper was a part of the All State Connecticut High School Coaches' Association team twice in high school, second-team all conference at Monroe College, and third-team All-MAC when he transferred to Toledo. Skipper's football journey hasn't been easy, but he's been trying to find opportunities for himself to prove that he belongs in the NFL as a starting linebacker. On November 17, 2022, an opportunity arose and a new door was open for Skipper after the Seattle Sea Dragons drafted him in the XFL Draft.
Going into the season, Skipper reiterated that his main goals were to make the team, show that he can still play football, be the best teammate that he can be, and to be a leader. In Week 2 against the St. Louis Battlehawks, Skipper recorded his first forced fumble against one of the top XFL quarterbacks in the league, A.J. McCarron. Since then, Skipper has been a nightmare for offenses, causing two more fumbles and ranking him tied for second with most forced fumbles in the XFL. Quarterbacks fear Skipper as he has racked up 6 sacks going into the North Division Championship-the most on his team and ranked fourth in the XFL. "I want more, I want more. I feel that 6 (sacks) is a little unproductive, but again I'll take it," Skipper reacted on his stats this season. Skipper is very competitive, but is really tough on himself because he knows he has the potential to be one of the best.
As the season transitions to the North Division Championship against the Defenders, Skipper wants to end his brilliant season on a high note and lead the Sea Dragons to their first XFL championship appearance. Although his priority is to bring an XFL championship back to Seattle, he wants to let NFL scouts know that he is ready and prepared for the fall season. "I still have some juice in the tank. My tank is not empty. I still have things to prove. I feel like I have the talent and I can still do it. If I didn't believe I can still do it, I would've gave up a long time ago," Skipper remarked after being asked his biggest assets and strengths he can bring to an NFL team in the fall. Look for Skipper to make some noise and turn some heads as the XFL moves into the playoffs and in the summer when NFL teams open up for training camp.
CAPTAIN DINUCCI
The last time we saw Ben DiNucci play professional football on prime time television was on November 1, 2020 during Sunday Night Football against the Philadelphia Eagles. DiNucci finished the game 21 of 40 for 180 yards in the loss after he filled in for the injured Dak Prescott and Andy Dalton.
Before DiNucci was drafted in the 7th round by the Dallas Cowboys, he was a James Madison standout that earned many accolades and led his team to a runner-up finish in the FCS Championship game. He finished his college career top-10 all-time in completions, passing yards, passing touchdowns, pass attempts, and total offense along with All CAA, CAA Offensive Player of the Year, and AFCA First Team All-American.
Entering the 2022 season, DiNucci was waived by the Dallas Cowboys. However, in 2023, the XFL relaunched and the Seattle Sea Dragons selected DiNucci in the XFL Draft. Coach Jim Haslett named him team captain of the team due to his prior NFL experience and leadership qualities. Since then, DiNucci has orchestrated his team to be the number one offense in the XFL, ranking him first in passing yards (2,671) and completions (242) and second in touchdown passes (20). He gives credit to June Jones, who has a brilliant history in working with quarterbacks and making them successful in his offense. DiNucci disclosed that he is appreciative of his receivers, therefore making his job much easier. "I can throw a three-yard route and have them go take it 20-25-yards," DiNucci shared of his teammates.
Since starting on SNF in 2020 to making his XFL debut on Week 1 against the D.C. Defenders, DiNucci expressed that with each game, his confidence continues to grow. In Week 3 against the Vegas Vipers, DiNucci threw for a season high 377 yards and 4 TDs including a game-winning 65-yard TD pass to Josh Gordon. DiNucci provides a unique perspective to the game along with a distinctive personality when he is Mic'd up. During the game, you can hear him express to the defenses "to not let me heat up" or to his teammates that "I might be faster than all you guys too." DiNucci wants the fans to know the human aspect of the game rather than hear the announcers the whole time. He enjoys looking back at the clips on all the comical remarks he makes throughout the game.
After leading his team to the North Division Championship, DiNucci not only wants to help lead his team to the XFL Championship but also to make sure to help his teammates achieve their goal of being on an NFL roster in the fall. From prior NFL experience, he reminds his teammates "to control what you can control, to put your best foot forward, take care of yourselves, and that good things will happen to good people."
SEA DRAGONS OF WASHINGTON
Three Seattle Sea Dragons active roster players hail from the State of Washington:
- Thomas Fletcher- Vancouver
- Colin Kelly- Longview
- Charlie Taumoepeau- Federal Way
One Seattle Sea Dragon player last college was in the State of Washington:
- Sama Paama- Washington
OFFENSIVE LINE NOTEBOOK
Morgan Ellison averaged 4.9 yards per carry and has totaled 254 rushing yards on the season. He broke 100-yards rushing in Week 3 against the Vegas Vipers. Phillip Lindsay played in his first XFL game of the season in Week 8 against the D.C. Defenders. He scored his first rushing TD of the season in the second quarter. He ended the regular season with 70 rushing yards and 1 TD.
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTEBOOK
Placekicker, Dominik Eberle, had his best game of the season so far in Week 6 against the Orlando Guardians. He knocked in three field goals in the first half including a season-long, 54-yard field goal, going into halftime. His 54-yard field goal attempt was the fourth longest converted field goal attempt in the XFL. He completed the regular season 14 of 18 in field goals made and attempted.
Punter, Cameron Nizialek, averaged 41.7 yards per game. He ranked fifth in that category for the season.
Kick Returner and Punt Returner, Kelvin McKnight, had his best game of the season so far against the Orlando Guardians in Week 6. He racked up a total of 204 return yards for the game (133 kick-return and 71 punt-return). Heading into the playoffs, McKnight ended the regular season ranked second in the league in total kick return yards (748) and first in total punt return yards (235).
QUARTERBACK NOTEBOOK
Heading into the playoffs, Ben DiNucci finished the regular season ranked first in completions (242) and passing yards (2,671) and second in TD passes (20) the XFL. DiNucci had his best performance of the season in Week 3 against the Vegas Vipers where he completed 29 of 37 for 377 yards and converted a season-high, 4 touchdown passes. He was the first quarterback in the XFL to surpass 2000 passing yards this season.
RUNNING BACK NOTEBOOK
Morgan Ellison averaged 4.9 yards per carry and has totaled 254 rushing yards on the season. He broke 100-yards rushing in Week 3 against the Vegas Vipers.
Phillip Lindsay played in his first XFL game of the season in Week 8 against the D.C. Defenders. He scored his first rushing TD of the season in the second quarter. He ended the regular season with 70 rushing yards and 1 TD.
LINEBACKER NOTEBOOK
Tuzar Skipper has been an absolute nightmare for offenses. He wrapped up the regular season tied for second in forced fumbles (3) and led the team with 6 sacks and finished fourth in the XFL. He also has 1 blocked punt under his name that he recorded in Week 5 against the Houston Roughnecks.
Tre Walker was second on the team in tackles (46). He had a season high, 8 tackles, in Week 8 against the D.C. Defenders.
DEFENSIVE BACK NOTEBOOK
Qwynnterrio Cole has been a force to reckon with for opposing teams. He racked up 48 total tackles, and 3 interceptions, the most on his team. He tallied a game and season high, 10 tackles, in a big win against the Houston Roughnecks in Week 5 and a crucial interception in the playoff berth against the Vegas Vipers in Week 10.
Antoine Brooks was tied for third in forced fumbles in the league with 2 on the season.. He played a crucial role in defeating the undefeated Houston Roughnecks in Week 5 when he strip-sacked QB Brandon Silvers.
Bryce Thompson recorded the first interception of the season for the Sea Dragons in Week 1 against the D.C. Defenders. He snagged his second interception of the season in a key divisional victory against the St. Louis Battlehawks in Week 9.
WIDE RECEIVER NOTEBOOK
Through the end of the regular season and heading into the playoffs, Jahcour Pearson held the crown for most receptions (60) and receiving yards (670). Pearson recorded a 68-yard touchdown reception in Week 9 against the St. Louis Battlehawks which has been his longest play from scrimmage this season.
Another stand out receiver, Josh Gordon, caught the game winning 65-yard touchdown pass against the Vegas Vipers in Week 3. He has brought in 4 TD passes this season, ranking him tied for fourth in the league. Blake Jackson added in 45 receptions for the receiving core, ranking him fifth in the XFL in receptions. Juwan Green had an explosive game in Week 8 against the D.C. Defenders. He racked up a season high in receptions (7) and receiving yards (142) and brought in two TD receptions from 49 and 56-yards, his longest reception of the season. He finished the regular season tied for second in the league in TD receptions (6).
Six different Sea Dragons wide receivers have registered in touchdowns this season. Jahcour Pearson, Blake Jackson, Josh Gordon, Jordan Veasy, Juwan Green, and Damion Willis have all reached the box score.
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