XFL Preview, Week 2
The opening weekend of the new XFL is in the books and, as Larry David might say, it was “pretty, pretty, pretty good.” In my preview last week I suggested this league seemed more fully formed and ready for Prime Time than the AAF, and we saw that in Week 1. There were four games, and all of them were interesting.
Many enjoyed the XFL’s take on kickoffs and extra points. I liked the inside the game access with immediate sideline interviews, live audio from coaches calling plays, and a replay official whose process you got to see up close and personal. The XFL wants to provide good football, yes, but they also want to provide a good fan experience. And as someone who watched at least a half of all four games, I felt that.
And there are still more things to look forward to. There were no overtime games, and no one I saw attempted a three-point conversion. There are nine more regular season weeks, and I have to suspect we’ll get to see both of those at some point. Maybe even in Week 2!
Each week of the XFL season we’ll provide a primer, including a recap of the previous weekend, the Game of the Week, and a look at the Draft Kings slate. So, without further ado, here’s your Week 2 primer!
Week 1 Recap
D.C. Defenders 31, Seattle Dragons 19
About: The line on this game was Defenders -9.5, and in the first half that appeared to be way off. But the Defenders, under first-time coach Pep Hamilton, proved their mettle in the second half. Cardale Jones remains unbeaten as a starter at the collegiate or professional level, and he looked good in spreading the ball around in the second half. Seattle has a lot of good backs, and coach Jim Zorn did a nice job. I think they’ll be better than some expected, but the Defenders feel like the kind of balanced squad that could be a title contender.
Players of the Game: Jones was superb at times, throwing for 235 yards and two TDs. He also added 28 yards rushing and kept the plays alive with his feet. For the Dragons, I was impressed with receiver Austin Proehl, who was targeted 10 times and caught five for 88 yards and two TDs.
About: The line on this game was Defenders -9.5, and in the first half that appeared to be way off. But the Defenders, under first-time coach Pep Hamilton, proved their mettle in the second half. Cardale Jones remains unbeaten as a starter at the collegiate or professional level, and he looked good in spreading the ball around in the second half. Seattle has a lot of good backs, and coach Jim Zorn did a nice job. I think they’ll be better than some expected, but the Defenders feel like the kind of balanced squad that could be a title contender.
Players of the Game: Jones was superb at times, throwing for 235 yards and two TDs. He also added 28 yards rushing and kept the plays alive with his feet. For the Dragons, I was impressed with receiver Austin Proehl, who was targeted 10 times and caught five for 88 yards and two TDs.
Houston Roughnecks 37, L.A. Wildcats 17
About: This game was a battle in the first half. At one point the Wildcats held a 17–12 lead, but the Roughnecks scored to take the one-point lead at the half. A 19–0 run in the second half salted it away, and that was largely thanks to explosive quarterback play from P.J. Walker. The Wildcats, meanwhile, fired their defensive coordinator — Pepper Johnson — following a disappointing Week 1. They also played without starter Josh Johnson, who is down with injury. L.A. has some work to do.
Player of the Game: Walker paced Houston with 272 yards and four touchdown passes. He also added 26 yards rushing. If they can keep it up, Houston is gonna be fun to watch.
About: This game was a battle in the first half. At one point the Wildcats held a 17–12 lead, but the Roughnecks scored to take the one-point lead at the half. A 19–0 run in the second half salted it away, and that was largely thanks to explosive quarterback play from P.J. Walker. The Wildcats, meanwhile, fired their defensive coordinator — Pepper Johnson — following a disappointing Week 1. They also played without starter Josh Johnson, who is down with injury. L.A. has some work to do.
Player of the Game: Walker paced Houston with 272 yards and four touchdown passes. He also added 26 yards rushing. If they can keep it up, Houston is gonna be fun to watch.
New York Guardians 23, Tampa Bay Vipers 3
About: This was one of the more curious games to watch. The Vipers really moved the ball well at times, amassing 394 yards and running 71 plays. They just beat themselves with sloppy play, missed opportunities and turnovers. Aaron Murray struggled at quarterback, and it’s certainly worth wondering if Marc Trestman will go with Quinton Flowers in game two. The Guardians, meanwhile, got a nice performance from quarterback Matt McGloin leading the offense, but displayed some ferocious defense. They accounted for five sacks, three turnovers and plenty of busted plays. The Guardians smothered the Vipers, and they look like a real contender.
Player of the Game: McGloin threw for 182 yards and touchdown and added another touchdown on the ground, looking like a strong veteran presence to anchor the offense.
About: This was one of the more curious games to watch. The Vipers really moved the ball well at times, amassing 394 yards and running 71 plays. They just beat themselves with sloppy play, missed opportunities and turnovers. Aaron Murray struggled at quarterback, and it’s certainly worth wondering if Marc Trestman will go with Quinton Flowers in game two. The Guardians, meanwhile, got a nice performance from quarterback Matt McGloin leading the offense, but displayed some ferocious defense. They accounted for five sacks, three turnovers and plenty of busted plays. The Guardians smothered the Vipers, and they look like a real contender.
Player of the Game: McGloin threw for 182 yards and touchdown and added another touchdown on the ground, looking like a strong veteran presence to anchor the offense.
St. Louis Battlehawks 15, Dallas Renegades 9
About: This was a tough game to watch at times. The Battlehawks are decent but not overly impressive, while the Renegades were expected to be an explosive offense. But with starter Landry Jones sidelined, Philip Nelson went 33-for-42, but only threw for 209 yards and an interception and didn’t seem able to push the ball down the field. The Renegades also struggled to get the running game going. The Battlehawks, meanwhile, got 85 yards from Matt Jones on 21 carries. But the real star was Battlehawks’ quarterback Jordan Ta’amu, who rushed for 77 yards and threw for 209 and a touchdown to earn an opening day win.
Player of the Game: Ta’amu, who was strong rushing and throwing.
About: This was a tough game to watch at times. The Battlehawks are decent but not overly impressive, while the Renegades were expected to be an explosive offense. But with starter Landry Jones sidelined, Philip Nelson went 33-for-42, but only threw for 209 yards and an interception and didn’t seem able to push the ball down the field. The Renegades also struggled to get the running game going. The Battlehawks, meanwhile, got 85 yards from Matt Jones on 21 carries. But the real star was Battlehawks’ quarterback Jordan Ta’amu, who rushed for 77 yards and threw for 209 and a touchdown to earn an opening day win.
Player of the Game: Ta’amu, who was strong rushing and throwing.
Game of the Week:
New York Guardians at D.C. Defenders, Saturday, February 15 at 2 p.m. EST on ABC
About: These two teams were both big winners in Week 1, and both looked to have solid offenses and strong defense. Both the Defenders and Guardians scored defensive touchdowns, and McGloin and Jones were among the most solid looking quarterbacks. This is an early battle for the top spot in the East, and could go a long way toward determining home field in the playoffs. Both teams look like strong contenders in this first season, and I’m curious to see how they match up here.
About: These two teams were both big winners in Week 1, and both looked to have solid offenses and strong defense. Both the Defenders and Guardians scored defensive touchdowns, and McGloin and Jones were among the most solid looking quarterbacks. This is an early battle for the top spot in the East, and could go a long way toward determining home field in the playoffs. Both teams look like strong contenders in this first season, and I’m curious to see how they match up here.
DFS Lineups
You can play XFL in a couple slots, but I’ll be looking at the Draft Kings options. First, let’s look at quarterback. P.J. Walker is the most expensive at $10,600, and I wouldn’t pay up for him based on Week 1. I think their matchup with the Battlehawks will be tougher. I like Cardale Jones at $10,200, but I think the best option might be Ta’amu, who was a duel threat, and is the seventh most expensive at $8,900. I figure the Battlehawks will have to score to keep up with the Roughnecks, which is good for Ta’amu.
At running back, Matt Jones is only $5,900, sixth most, despite putting up a solid 85 yards in Week 1. I like those odds. I’m also high on Trey Williams, who looked explosive at times for the Seattle Dragons. He is just $5,000, which feels like a bargain in a winable game.
At receiver, Dan Williams paced the XFL with six receptions for 123 yards for the Vipers in Week 1. He went a bit under the radar since the team scored only three points, but Williams looked like a weapon. Pricing hasn’t caught up, as he’s only $7,600, and not in the top 10. I also like Proehl, who was a featured target for the Dragons. He’s only $9,200, and feels like a strong Red Zone threat.
When it comes to defense, the Seattle Dragons are the cheapest at $3,000. They weren’t bad against a strong Defenders’ squad, and they are playing the Vipers, who turned the ball over plenty in Week 1. It’s a big swing, but I like the upside versus cost.
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