XFL Vegas Vipers

Vegas Vipers Game Notes for Week 9 vs. Houston Roughnecks

April 12, 2023 - XFL (XFL)
Vegas Vipers News Release


Series Notes:

- This will be only meeting this season between Houston and Vegas

- Head Coaches Rod Woodson played against Wade Phillips' coached teams when Phillips was on a staff as HC or DC a total of eight times from 1987-2003

- Vegas defensive back Deontay Anderson hails from Houston, Texas, played collegiately at the University of Houston and attended Manvell High School. Anderson's father, Michael Anderson, played for the USFL's Houston Gamblers

- Vegas defensive back Maurice Smith hails from Sugar Land, Texas, which is a suburb of Houston, Texas, and attended Dulles High School

LEAGUE OF OPPORTUNITY AND EXCITING GAMES

So far this season, the XFL has produced some very competitive football, as 23 of 32 XFL games through eight weeks have been one-possession games (decided by 9 points or less). The league saw not only its first overtime game in league history on April 8, where St. Louis defeated Vegas 21-17, but also its second overtime game, which saw Houston defeat San Antonio 17-16. Vegas has had three, one-possession losses and one, one-possession victory, falling at the Arlington Renegades (22-20) in Week 1, against the Seattle Sea Dragons (30-26) in Week 3 and against the St. Louis Battlehawks in Week 8 (21-17, OT). In Week 5, Vegas defeated Orlando (35-32).

DISSECTING THE LINES

So far this year, the Vegas Vipers are 3-4-1 against the spread. As a favorite, Vegas is 1-2 as they were 3.5 favorites over DC in Week 2, but lost 18-6 in the game and were also 7.0 favorites against Orlando and won 35-32 but didn't cover the spread. The Vipers lone win as a favorite came against San Antonio in Week 7, when they were favored by 2.5 points and won 26-12. As a league, favorites are 15-15-2 this season. There have been nine outright upsets against the betting line this season: SEA @ DC in Week 1 (+100 moneyline), STL @ SEA in Week 2 (+135 moneyline), DC @ VGS in Week 2 (+145 moneyline), HOU @ SEA in Week 5 (+130 moneyline), ARL @ SA in Week 5 (+105 moneyline), SA @ ARL (+130 moneyline) in Week 6, DC @ ORL in Week 7 (+360 moneyline), which was the largest upset in the XFL this season, STL @ HOU in Week 7 (+126 moneyline) and DC @ SEA (+100 moneyline) in Week 8. In the eight games Vegas has played this season, the over has hit five times. The three games in which the under was the winner: Week 2 against DC where weather played a factor in the game during the second half, Week 7 against San Antonio where only seven total points were scored in the second half and Week 8 at St. Louis, which was the first XFL game to go to overtime. In 32 games this season, the over is 15-15-2. This week at Houston, Vegas is a 6.5 point underdog and the over/under line is set at 43.0 (lines according to Caesar's Sportsbook on Monday, April 3)

STARTING THE RIGHT WAY

The Vegas Vipers have scored on their first or second offensive possession in six of their eight games this season. The only games where they didn't score on their either their first or second possession was against DC in Week 4 and against St. Louis in Week 6. Houston was the only team this season to score on each of it's first possessions through Week 4, but failed to do so against Seattle in Week 5 and against St. Louis in Week 7, giving the Roughnecks six opening possession scores this year. Orlando has also scored on it's opening possession six times this season. Arlington and San Antonio have each scored on their opening possessions four times. DC has scored on its opening possession three times. Seattle has scored on their opening possession twice, while St. Louis has done so once.

WEATHER OR NOT AT CASHMAN FIELD!

In the first two games at Cashman Field in Las Vegas this season, the Vegas Vipers have had multiple opponents to face during each game, their opponent on the field and Mother Nature. In the home opener against the D.C. Defenders, rain played a factor in the second half as the skies opened up while each team went into their respective locker rooms at halftime. The rain assisted the Defender defense as the Vipers were shut out in the second half. During Vegas' second home game against Seattle, wind played a factor as gusts reached 50 miles per hour in the Las Vegas Valley.

SCORING SPREE

After scoring 26 total points in the first two games to open the season, the Vegas Vipers matched that total in a 30-26 loss against the Seattle Sea Dragons. The 56 combined points put up between the Vipers and Sea Dragons was the first game this season to break the 50-point mark. Later in Week 3, the St. Louis-DC game surpassed that total, when they scored a combined 62 points. In Week 5, Vegas scored 35 points against Orlando. It was the second most points scored by one team to date this season, only behind Houston's 44 points scored in Week 4 at Orlando. The Vipers and Guardians also combined to score the most points in the XFL this season with 67 in Week 5.

ALL GAMES NATIONALLY TELEVISED

On May 17, 2022, the XFL announced a multi-year broadcast agreement with The Walt Disney Company and ESPN. This season, all 43 games (40 regular season games, two playoffs, one championship) will be featured on a combination of ABC, ESPN networks, and FX. All XFL games will be streamed on ESPN+ and simulcasted in 142 countries around the world. This week's Vegas game will air on ABC with the announcing team of Tom Hart (play-by-play), Greg McElroy (analyst), Cole Cubelic (sideline analyst) and Katie George (sideline reporter). The entire Week 9 schedule is listed below (betting lines as of Monday, April 10 via Caesar's Sportsbook):

Saturday, April 15 - Vegas Vipers @ Houston Roughnecks at 9:30 a.m. PT on ABC Line: HOU -6.5 | O/U: 43.0

Saturday, April 15 - Orlando Guardians @ San Antonio Brahmas at 4 p.m. PT on ESPN2 Line: SA -1.5 | O/U: 39.5

Sunday, April 16 - Arlington Renegades @ DC Defenders at 9 a.m. PT on ESPN Line: DC -8.5 | O/U: 41.5

Sunday, April 16 - Seattle Sea Dragons @ St. Louis Battlehawks at 12 p.m. PT on ESPN Line: STL -1.0 | O/U: 46.0

YOU BADET'CHA

Vegas Vipers wide receiver Jeff Badet has been one of the most reliable receivers, even with missing Week 8 at St. Louis due to injury, this season. He leads the team in three categories: 30 receptions, 406 yards and five touchdowns. His touchdowns are tied for the second most in the XFL this season, while his yardage ranks sixth in the league and receptions rank ninth. The former Oklahoma and Kentucky standout's 13.5 yards per reception also ranks second in the league amongst receivers who have caught at least 30 passes. In Week 1 against Arlington, Badet caught two touchdowns, which were his first two touchdowns as a professional football player. Against Seattle in Week 3, he had a 56-yard reception in the third quarter, which at the time was the longest reception in the XFL, but was later surpassed in the game when Josh Gordon caught a 65-yard touchdown reception and then the next day when DC's Chris Blair had a 58-yard reception. Against Orlando in Week 5, the Florida native caught five passes for 80 yards including two touchdowns. Against San Antonio in Week7, Badet caught two passes for 30 yards, but left the game early due to injury.

VIPERS WITH NFL, XFL EXPERIENCE

The Vegas Vipers have a combined 428 games of NFL experience on their roster. 17 of the Vipers' 51 players (33.3 percent) have played in at least one NFL game. Leading the charge for the Vipers is Vic Beasley, who has appeared in 88 NFL games (78 for the Atlanta Falcons, five for the Tennessee Titans and five for the Las Vegas Raiders) and in 2016 led the league with 15.5 sacks. He also has appeared in five playoff games. Nine Vipers have also seen action in XFL play in 2020, with a combined 40 games of XFL experience. Three Vegas players (Jeff Badet, Kahlil McKenzie and Isaiah Williams) have experience in both the NFL and the 2020 version of the XFL.

Vegas Vipers with NFL Experience

No. Name ..............................Games.....Notes

44 Vic Beasley...................... 88.............78 games with Falcons, 5 games with Titans, 5 games with Raiders; 5 playoff games

15 Rod Smith 55 48 games with Cowboys, 3 games with Raiders, 3 games with Titans, 1 game with Seahawks; 2 playoff games

19 Geronimo Allison ............. 49.............46 games with Packers, 3 games with Lions; 5 playoff games

4 Martavis Bryant ............... 44.............36 games with Steelers, 8 games with Raiders; 4 playoff games

45 Martrell Spaight 37 30 games with Washington, 4 games with Miami, 3 games with Jacksonville

99 Destiny Vaeao ................. 33.............33 games with Philadelphia; 1 playoff game

25 Marwin Evans.................. 32.............32 games with Green Bay; 3 playoff games

3 Brett Hundley .................. 18.............15 games with Green Bay, 3 games with Arizona

11 P.J. Dawson..................... 16.............13 games with Cincinnati, 3 games with Seattle; 1 playoff game

26 Maurice Smith ................. 15.............13 games with Miami, 2 games with Washington

69 Kahlil McKenzie............... 12.............7 games with Cincinnati, 5 games with Baltimore

0 Pita Taumoepenu ............ 9...............6 games with San Francisco, 4 games with Denver, 1 game with Atlanta

65 Jamil Demby.................... 6...............6 games with Los Angeles Rams

86 Brandon Dillon................. 5...............5 games with Minnesota

71 Isaiah Williams ................ 4...............4 games with New York Jets

13 Jeff Badet ........................ 3...............3 games with Washington

88 Robert Windsor ............... 2...............2 games with Indianapolis

Vegas Vipers with 2020 XFL Experience

No. Name .....................................Games (Team)

13 Jeff Badet ............................... 5 (Dallas Renegades)

77 Quinterrius Eatmon ................ 5 (Seattle Dragons)

20 Jawaun Johnson .................... 5 (New York Guardians)

2 Jalan McClendon ................... 5 (Los Angeles Wildcats)

64 Michael Miller ......................... 5 (St. Louis Battlehawks)

12 Luis Perez .............................. 5 (New York Guardians)

71 Isaiah Williams ....................... 4 (Tampa Bay Vipers)

80 Sean Price.............................. 4 (Dallas Renegades)

69 Kahlil McKenzie...................... 2 (Los Angeles Wildcats)

TALE OF TWO HALVES

Beyond scoring on either the first or second possession this season, Vegas had outscored its opposition 82-76 in the first half and didn't allow a first half touchdown until Week 3 against Seattle. The 82 first half points rank as the fourth most opening half points in the XFL this season. In the second half, it's been a different story for Vegas, as the Vipers have been outscored 116-72 in eight second halves this season. The 116 points allowed in the second stanzas are tied for the most points allowed by any XFL team in the later half this season with DC. Against San Antonio in Week 7, the Vegas defense stood tall, as the Vipers shut out the Brahmas, marking the first time this season in which they did not allow any second half points.

RETURN OF THE XFL

The XFL returns to the field in 2023 led by the new ownership group of Dany Garcia, Dwayne Johnson, and Gerry Cardinale's RedBird Capital Partners. Featuring both new and returning team names, each market has a dynamic logo and distinct team identity that aligns with its community's culture and history. Taking the field for the XFL: Arlington Renegades, D.C. Defenders, Houston Roughnecks, Orlando Guardians, San Antonio Brahmas, Seattle Sea Dragons, St. Louis Battlehawks, and Vegas Vipers. The eight XFL teams are split into two divisions: XFL North (D.C. Defenders, Seattle Sea Dragons, St. Louis Battlehawks, Vegas Vipers) and XFL South (Arlington Renegades, Houston Roughnecks, Orlando Guardians, San Antonio Brahmas). This is the second time that Las Vegas has boasted an XFL team.

HISTORY OF THE XFL IN VEGAS

In 2001, the XFL began and one of its eight teams was the Las Vegas Outlaws. They played the season opening game at Sam Boyd Stadium against the New York/New Jersey Hitmen, which ended up being a 19-0 victory for the Outlaws. The game was televised nationally on NBC less then one week after the Super Bowl that season. Las Vegas played in the Western Division with the Los Angeles Xtreme, Memphis Maniax and San Francisco Demons. After the Week 1 victory for the Outlaws, Las Vegas fell to Los Angeles in Week 3 but bounced back with a win over San Fransisco in Week 4, giving the team a 3-1 record to start the year. Unfortunately the team dropped five of their final six games and finished with a 4-6 record. One of the most notable players on the Outlaws was Rod "He Hate Me" Smart, who would go on to become the first former XFL player to appear in a Super Bowl: Super Bowl XXXVIII.

CLEAR YOUR SCHEDULE

The Vegas Vipers, as every team in the XFL this season, will play 10 regular season games during the 2023 XFL season. The Vipers will play six games against division foes - Seattle, St. Louis and D.C. (one home, one road) - and four games against non-division opponents - at Arlington, vs. Orlando, vs. San Antonio and at Houston. Below are some notes regarding the schedule:

- Vegas kicked off the XFL season at Arlington on February 18

- From Week 2 through Week 7, Vegas will play only one road game (at D.C. during Week 4), the rest of the games will be at Cashman Field in Las Vegas

- The Vipers will be road warriors to end the season, finishing the 2023 regular season with three straight road games

HOW THE TEAMS WERE MADE

XFL Draft Week was held from Nov. 15-17 at the UFC APEX facility in Las Vegas, Nevada. The events began with a live-streamed Quarterback Selection Show and continued with two days of Draft action, where Head Coaches made selections alongside Directors of Player Personnel. Day One was broken into four positional groupings featuring 11 rounds of selections for each skill: Offensive Skill positions (WR, RB, TE, FB), Defensive Backs (CB, Safety, Nickel), Defensive Front Seven (ILB, Edge, DE, DT), and Offensive Line (LT, LG, C, RG, RT). Day Two featured three rounds of Specialists selections (kicker, punter, long snapper), followed by open rounds for all positions. Of the 442 non-quarterbacks selected in the XFL Draft, 285 came with NFL experience (signed an NFL active roster and/or practice squad contract). The XFL also held a Supplemental Draft on Jan. 1, 2023, selecting 90 total players over 17 rounds.

PLAYER 54: CHASING THE XFL DREAM

During the season, a nine-part docuseries, Player 54: Chasing The XFL Dream, will air chronicling different players and teams in the XFL, in partnership with The Walt Disney Company and ESPN. Directed by Peter Berg, the series follows the creation of the League under new ownership and highlights the unique stories and development of its players and coaches throughout the entire season. Player 54 will have its linear debut on Thursday, February 16 at 5pm ET on ESPN2. It will also air on ABC on Saturday, February 18 at 2pm ET leading into the XFL's opening game between the Vegas Vipers and Arlington Renegades. Episodes will be available to stream exclusively on ESPN+ immediately after each debuts on ESPN2. With eight teams, 400 players, 40 coaches, and a new ownership group, Player 54 is a visual manifestation of the League's motto: where dreams meet opportunity. The original series takes fans behind the scenes of what it takes to build a League and its eight teams from the ground-up, showcasing the human stories that exist within the XFL on and off the field. It is a character-driven look at the inspiring, unconventional, and even heartbreaking journeys of the players and head coaches whose professional aspirations are just beginning - or getting a second chance. Filming takes place primarily at the XFL Hub in Arlington, capturing unprecedented access into the day-to-day lives of the players and coaches - from the Draft and roster cuts to season kickoff and the Championship - immersing viewers in the competitive environment as players prove that they deserve a chance to win with the XFL.

UNDER ARMOUR THREADS

Under Armour is the exclusive provider of all on-field uniforms, including jerseys, base layer, sideline and training apparel, for all XFL teams. The unique home and away sets are designed with an authentic execution of the individual team identities. The design process was a collaboration between XFL ownership, marketing, and Under Armour teams. Each jersey features a "Blood, Sweat, Respect" mantra - a personal message from ownership to players, which is sublimated on the interior collars of all team uniforms. Additional design details include embroidered team wordmarks and branding at the base of the neckline, UA's ArmourGrid nameplates with twill lettering, and all uniforms are branded with XFL, Under Armour, and Project Rock Brahma Bull patches.

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