There wasn’t a single extra time sport by means of the primary seven weeks of the 2023 XFL season, however in Week 8 not solely did we get the primary have a look at the league’s unconventional new OT guidelines — a re-examination got here a day later. Then within the Week 8 finale, about the one factor lacking was OT because the D.C. Defenders cooled off the Seattle Sea Dragons in a wild shootout, 34-33.
The St. Louis Battlehawks obtained the OT ball rolling on Saturday, overcoming a double-digit deficit and an injured beginning quarterback to beat the Vegas Vipers within the additional interval. On Sunday, the Houston Roughnecks additionally received in OT, stopping their three-game skid after a 4-0 begin. In the brand new extra time guidelines, the XFL offers every staff three alternating makes an attempt to transform two-point conversions from their opponent’s 5-yard line to determine a winner (extra on that under).
On Sunday night time the league’s two hottest groups performed a thriller, because the Defenders bounced again from their solely loss to cease Seattle’s win streak at 4 video games.
We’ve obtained takeaways from each Week 8 sport. First, this is a have a look at the scores.
Saturday
St. Louis Battlehawks 21, Vegas Vipers 17 (OT)
Arlington Renegades 18, Orlando Guardians 16
Saturday
Houston Roughnecks 17, San Antonio Brahmas 15 (OT)
D.C. Defenders 34, Seattle Sea Dragons 33
Sunday’s video games
D.C. goes to 7-1 in Game of the Year candidate at Seattle
It was a conflict between two of the league’s hottest groups, and it lived as much as the billing. D.C.’s Jordan Ta’amu (247 yards, 4 TDs) and Seattle’s Ben DiNucci (301 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT) placed on a quarterback clinic, combining for 548 yards and seven touchdowns at wet Lumen Field in Seattle.
The Defenders bounced again from the strangest results of the season — dropping to beforehand winless Orlando — at hand the Sea Dragons their first loss in 5 video games. Ta’amu battled by means of a shoulder harm to place up gaudy numbers. Former Denver Broncos operating again Philip Lindsay scored a landing in his first sport with Seattle, the Sea Dragons’ solely first-half factors as D.C. led 16-6 on the break.
The Defenders led by 10 with simply over 5 minutes left within the sport, however a DiNucci landing — adopted by this wild three-point conversion — lower the D.C. result in 28-27.
The Defenders answered with a 70-yard landing move from Ta’amu to Chris Blair, however did not get the two-point conversion, and Seattle was down simply seven. DiNucci promptly drove the Sea Dragons down the sector and hit Jahcour Pearson for the rating with :31 remaining. Seattle went for 2 and the win, however D.C.’s protection made the play of the sport, sacking DiNucci to carry on.
D.C. has the XFL’s finest file at 7-1, however half their video games have been determined by 4 factors or fewer. The Sea Dragons are at the moment out of the playoff image, sitting a sport behind the St. Louis Battlehawks for the second and remaining berth within the North Division.
Roughnecks clinch playoff berth with OT victory
The Roughnecks led 15-6 with 3 minutes left within the sport when a Brandon Silvers interception opened the door for the Brahmas. San Antonio’s John Parker Romo hit a 49-yard discipline purpose with :01 left to power the XFL’s second extra time in 24 hours.
The complete sport was a defensive wrestle and the extra time was no completely different. With every staff getting three alternating makes an attempt to transform two-point conversions from their opponent’s 5, neither may convert on their first two. With one try left, Houston lastly broke by means of, as Cole McDonald hit Deontay Burnett for the game-winner, adopted by a crucial defensive cease.
Burnett additionally caught this TD in regulation from Silvers, who threw for 146 yards with 2 TDs and a pair of INTs.
The Roughnecks clinched a playoff spot with the win, regardless of coming into on a three-game dropping streak. At 5-3, South Division-leading Houston is three video games up on the third-place Brahmas (2-6) with two weeks remaining within the common season.
Saturday’s video games
Battlehawks win XFL’s first OT sport as wild new guidelines debut
St. Louis was rolling coming into Week 8 behind red-hot quarterback A.J. McCarron, however McCarron was pressured to sit down in Week 8 as a result of a shoulder harm. With backup Nick Tiano filling in, the Battlehawks received regardless of trailing 17-8 halfway by means of the fourth quarter within the first sport utilizing the XFL’s new extra time guidelines.
St. Louis’ Donny Hageman kicked a discipline purpose with 15 seconds left in regulation to power the XFL’s first OT sport of the season. With every staff getting three alternating makes an attempt to transform two-point conversions from their opponent’s 5, the Battlehawks prevailed within the OT, 2-0. St. Louis’ Brian Hill rushed into the tip zone on the staff’s second try to safe the victory, and gamers celebrated by leaping into the stands, the place there have been a reported 35,000-plus followers in attendance.
Defense dominated the afternoon, as Tiano threw for 194 yards with 1 TD and a pair of INTs. Vipers quarterback Jalan McClendon was held to 159 yards passing with 1 TD.
The excellent news for the Battlehawks is that they improved to 6-2. The unhealthy information: Three groups within the North Division entered Week 8 with two losses or fewer, and solely two of them will make the playoffs.
Renegades power 5 turnovers, Perez begins after commerce
The Arlington Renegades will not be the XFL’s finest staff however they’ve managed to win half their video games to this point, and on Saturday they obtained one other victory by forcing 5 Guardians turnovers in Orlando.
The Renegades’ solely offensive landing got here by way of De’Veon Smith, who rushed for a rating within the third quarter. Orlando managed simply two offensive touchdowns, each coming by way of quarterback Quinten Dormady who had one dashing and one passing TD — every week after totaling six touchdowns.
Luis Perez, in his Renegades debut, went 16 of 25 for 190 yards. Perez was traded from the Vegas Vipers to the Renegades for linebacker Ryan Mueller on the finish of March, a day after Arlington launched quarterback Kyle Sloter.
