The XFL kicked off the second half of its common season with its greatest sport up to now, a Monday evening matchup in March between the 2 division leaders. In the tip, the D.C. Defenders confirmed why they’re the league’s solely unbeaten workforce, placing up 37 factors in opposition to a Houston Roughnecks group that had allowed the fewest factors within the league entering into.
It was the XFL’s first Monday evening sport, and 12,492 followers exhibiting up at D.C.’s Audi Field to look at the Defenders go to 6-0. The Roughnecks, arguably the second-best workforce via the primary half of the season, fell to 4-2 however stayed a sport up within the South Division.
Below, we’ll break down Roughnecks-Defenders and all of the video games from Week 6, together with Saturday’s matchups that noticed the Seattle Sea Dragons and St. Louis BattleHawks every enhance to 4-2 behind two of the league’s higher quarterbacks, because the BattleHawks’ A.J. McCarron and Sea Dragons’ Ben DiNucci threw 5 landing passes between them. On Sunday, Hines Ward’s San Antonio Brahmas bought their second win because of a robust protection.
Here’s a have a look at all of the Week 6 scores (you may also try the schedule and league standings).
Saturday
Seattle Sea Dragons 26, Orlando Guardians 19
St. Louis BattleHawks 29, Vegas Vipers 6
Sunday
San Antonio Brahmas 15, Arlington Renegades 9
Monday
D.C. Defenders 37, Houston Roughnecks 26
Monday evening’s sport
In primetime, D.C. reveals why it is the workforce to beat
If there was any doubt who the XFL’s finest workforce is earlier than Monday evening’s showdown, the D.C. Defenders made it completely clear with a 37-26 victory over the opposite division chief within the Houston Roughnecks. D.C. quarterback Jordan Ta’amu threw for 245 yards and a pair of touchdowns, whereas Abram Smith continued his tear out of the backfield, speeding for 95 yards with a rating. Defenders receiver Lucky Jackson additionally had a giant evening, with 5 catches for 136 yards and a TD.
The sport really started as a defensive battle till late within the first half when, with the Defenders up 9-8, Roughnecks quarterback Brandon Silvers was picked off by D.C.’s Santos Ramirez, who ran it again for a pick-six.
The Defenders took a 17-8 lead into halftime, and the Roughnecks might by no means make a lot of a run within the second half, as 12 Houston penalties within the sport proved expensive. Silvers (10 for 17, 111 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT) and Cole McDonald (8 for 11, 194 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT) break up time at quarterback for Houston, with McDonald including a speeding TD. McDonald led the Roughnecks in speeding with 37 yards, however Max Borghi did have two speeding TDs and 25 yards on the bottom.
The query now turns into, can anybody beat D.C. this season? They’ll face the 0-6 Orlando Guardians subsequent week, however the next weekend they get a Seattle workforce on a roll (extra on that beneath). It does not get simpler for the Roughnecks subsequent week, as they’re going to tackle the 4-2 BattleHawks.
Sunday’s sport
Brahmas snap three-game shedding streak
Despite failing to attain 20 factors for a fifth time in six video games, Hines Ward’s Brahmas posted a 15-9 win over Arlington on the power of their protection. San Antonio linebacker Jordan Williams’ 15-yard fumble return for a landing served as the one rating of the primary half because the Brahmas took a 9-0 lead at intermission.
Bob Stoops’ workforce rallied to tie the rating (on the power of their very own interception) earlier than the Brahmas responded with a pair of area objectives within the fourth quarter. San Antonio’s protection then sealed the win when defensive again Tenny Adewusi picked off Drew Plitt on the sport’s ultimate play.
With the win, San Antonio — which misplaced a 12-10 resolution to Arlington final week — is now inside a sport of Arlington within the XFL South division standings. The prime two groups in every division will face off within the playoffs on the weekend of April 29-30, with the winners colliding within the XFL championship on May 13.
Saturday’s video games
Sea Dragons roll off fourth straight victory
After shedding their first two video games by a mixed six factors, the Seattle Sea Dragons have gained 4 in a row. Fresh off an upset of the beforehand unbeaten Houston every week in the past, the Sea Dragons bounced again from a halftime deficit on Saturday to beat the Orlando Guardians, 26-19.
Seattle entered the sport with the XFL’s prime passing assault, and quarterback Ben DINucci threw two extra TD passes in Week 6. That was regardless of Josh Gordon not having a catch. The former NFL receiving chief bought off to a quick begin within the XFL, however Gordon now has solely two catches for 15 yards previously two video games mixed. Blake Jackson led Seattle in receiving with six catches for 79 yards, together with this 20-yard landing within the second half.
DiNucci went 18 for 35 for 177 yards, and he was additionally Seattle’s speeding chief (43 yards). The Sea Dragons’ operating backs managed simply 35 yards mixed.
Orlando stays the XFL’s solely winless workforce regardless of a robust first half on Saturday. The Guardians went with Quinten Dormady at quarterback after utilizing a number of QBs in earlier video games this season, together with Paxton Lynch, who did not play on this one. Dormady went 22 of 44 for 243 yards and not using a landing or interception.
The Sea Dragons will attempt to make it 5 wins in a row on Friday evening after they go to the Renegades in Arllington.
McCarron almost flawless for BattleHawks
A.J. McCarron threw three landing passes — two of them to Darrius Shepherd — as St. Louis cruised previous the Vipers, 29-6, on Saturday evening.
The BattleHawks improved to 4-2, with each of these losses coming in opposition to the D.C. Defenders, the XFL’s solely unbeaten workforce. McCarron went 23 of 29 for 236 yards and no interceptions together with the three TDs.
The St. Louis protection picked off Vipers quarterback Luis Perez twice. Perez (99 yards passing) and Brett Hundley (120 yards, 1 TD) break up QB duties for Vegas, which fell to 1-5.
