XFL Week 2 baby. Catch the fever!
Game Recaps
New York Guardians 0 – D.C. Defenders 27
The D.C. defense made Matt McGloin look so bad he looked like, well, Matt McGloin. The former Penn State QB went 8-19 for 44 yards and 2 interceptions.
McGloin said this before half.
Then he went and did this.
THEN he went and said this. (After being benched)
YIKES FOLKS. Can’t wait to see where he ends up by the end of the season.
The Defenders on the other hand….
Cardale Jones had another excellent game, 23-37 for 276 yards, 2 TD and a pick. The guy just makes plays.
The offense played well as a whole, a few too many penalties but they made up for it.
Also I’m all for the Defenders just being the trick play team.
Player of the Game: DeAndre Thompkins, WR, D.C.
6 catches, 92 yards and a TD. Not half bad. Cardale had a few questionable throws (including the pick) that knocked him out of the running.
Special Shoutout to Eli Rodgers who played today while his mother’s funeral was going on. Thoughts and prayers to him and his family. (He also played phenomenally.)
Tampa Bay Vipers 9 – Seattle Dragons 17
The Tampa Bay Vipers are looking like they could very easily lose every game.
So far, their three quarterbacks (in two games) are 36-70 with five (5!) interceptions.
Back to the lab is right.
It wasn’t just a bad day for Tampa, Seattle got off to a slow start but they picked it up in the second half.
RUMBLIN, BUMBLIN, STUMBLIN. (all be it not very far)
Former Navy QB Keenan Reynolds caught a loooonnnngggg TD pass from QB Brandon Silvers.
The game was pretty boring otherwise.
The most electric part of the day came courtesy of Seattle Head Coach Jim Zorn.
GET WEIRD JIMMY!
Player of the Game: Keenan Reynolds, WR, Seattle
3 catches for 87 yards and a tudder. Pretty good for a QB.
Dallas Renegades 25 – LA Wildcats 18
The first 3 quarters were full of turnovers and missed opportunities.
First a Landry Jones interception.
Then two straight fumbles.
Then Halftime.
Then some more turnovers.
*****Josh Johnson fumble inside Dallas 5 that no-one posted on twitter*****
Sideline interviews are cool, but ON FIELD INTERVIEWS???? Those are sick.
It only took 48:10 of game time but we got a SWEET Josh Johnson TD pass to former Ram Nelson Spruce.
2:58 later we got another TD! What a treat!
LA went three and out and Flynn Nagel had a big 39 yard return that set up this 3 yard TD from Landry Jones to Donald Parham.
LA responded instantly with a 48 yard kick return, and then a 44 yard bomb from Josh Johnson to Nelson Spruce (who is quickly becoming my favorite player).
Then Dallas walked down the field and scored on a 14 yard TD run by Cameron Artis-Payne.
The Dallas defense made a stand and forced a turnover on downs.
Player of the Game: Cameron Artis-Payne, RB, Dallas
14 rushes, 99 yards, 2 TD, 131 total yards and he did it when it counted. 77 yards and both TD’s coming in the 4th quarter. Big day from the Auburn product.
Special shoutout to Nelson Spruce. 6 receptions, 89 yards and 2 TD’s. Nothing to laugh at, he would have won PotG if LA could have pulled out a win.
St. Louis BattleHawks 24 – Houston Roughnecks 28
Both teams moved the ball down the field easily on their first drives. Houston ended up settling for a FG but St. Louis drove down the field for a TD.
3:07 later PJ Walker threw a sidearm TD pass to former Bill WR Cam Phillips.
I know it’s annoying when announcers talk about it constantly but the arm angle on that TD pass was absurd.
There obviously aren’t going to be highlight videos and I sure as hell am not going to make them but damn Marquette King’s punts are amazing.
St. Louis DE Andrew Ankrah is a stud.
STL QB Jordan Ta’amu started 7/7 with a TD but threw a pick that led to a 1-yard Houston TD run.
PJ Walker did something absurd again.
Then he did this.
After halftime the BattleHawks started to fight back a bit.
Then this happened…..
Rest of the 4th stunk until this.
Player of the Game: Cam Phillips, WR, Houston
8 receptions, 63 yards, and 3 touchdowns. The guy throwing him passes was pretty good too, but if you account for this much of the offense you have to get PotG.
Week 2 Awards
Player of the Week: Cameron Artis-Payne, RB, Dallas
Dude single handedly iced that game against LA.
Team of the Week: D.C. Defenders
Two weeks in a row, no I’m not being bias. 31-19 win last week. 27-0 this week. They’ve won two different ways, they have a top QB and Defense. They will get a chance to improve to 3-0 next week vs an 0-2 LA squad.
Game of the Week: Dallas Renegades vs LA Wildcats.
It was boring as hell through 45 minutes but that fourth quarter was awesome! Those teams are fun to watch.
“Shut up bro you’re not even good.” Guy of the Week: Matt McGloin, QB, New York
Interview of the Week: De’Mornay Pierson-El, thoughts with his family.
Thoughts
- Cardale didn’t play great but he was solid again, got a little cocky with his decision making.
- Defenders defense adding Anthony Johnson may be unfair.
- LA should have won their game today, two red zone turnovers and an awful last possession, they’re better than 0-2.
- Tampa Bay HC Marc Trestman is not a leader of men. Harsh I know.
- Greg Olsen is VERY good in the booth. Doesn’t talk too much like some other announcers.
- It’s easy and lazy to make the white WR to the Pats joke, but Roughneck WR Nick Holley gives me MAJOR Danny Woodhead vibes. The dude MOVES! (I know Woodhead was a RB.)
- I’d like to see Holley on special teams, he’ll be 26 by the time the NFL season starts but there’s always room on a few rosters for versatile guys who play special teams. He also has to show he can stay healthy.
- PJ Walker is nowhere near perfect, he needs to work on accuracy, BUT he could easily be an NFL backup. The question is does he want that?
- Roughneck WR Cam Phillips was flagged for taking his helmet off after his second touchdown but not after his first? There shouldn’t be a penalty on either because that’s dumb at least give me some consistency.
- WR’s Austin Proehl (Seattle), Nelson Spruce (LA), Cam Phillips (Houston), and DeAndre Thompkins (DC) are NFL talents imo.
- I LOVE PUNTS!
OFFICIAL KJ SPORTS BLOG XFL POWER RANKINGS
- D.C. Defenders (2-0) – They have easily been the most well rounded team in the league. Offense, Defense, Special Teams they’re playing great all around.
- Houston Roughnecks (2-0) – They have some things that they need to work on defensively, second level missed a few tackles in the game against STL. Phillip Walker is easily the MVP through 2 weeks, he’s making that offense look better than other QB’s would.
- St. Louis BattleHawks (1-1) – The BattleHawks would absolutely be 2-0 if it weren’t for their turnover problems. Unlucky play on Ta’amu’s first pick, but bad decision making on the other. Jonathan Hayes is a great coach and should;d be able to help Ta’amu along. This is a good team.
- Dallas Renegades (1-1) – Dallas’ loss in WK1 came to a good STL team and without their starting QB. Their win today came with their starting QB who played awfully. If Landry Jones can pick it up, and I think he will, the Renegades will improve as he does.
- Seattle Dragons (1-1) – The Dragons played well in the WK1 loss to DC, they just had some mistakes that killed them, kind of like STL today. They’re not a great team, but they may be able to sneak in the playoffs if Dallas doesn’t improve.
- LA Wildcats (0-2) – “An 0-2 team in front of a 1-1 team? KJ Sports Blog what are you thinking?” LA’s first loss came without Josh Johnson their starter. Their second loss came in a game that they should have one and they improved a ton with the addition of Johnson.
- New York Guardians (1-1) – Maybe I’m over reacting but no I’m not. The Guardians are falling a part. Last week they beat a TB team that has failed to score an offensive TD this season, this week they got their doors blown off in DC and their QB called out their coach on live TV. That is #NotGood.
- Tampa Bay Vipers (0-2) – The Tampa Bay Vipers are not good. Their best QB started the season (2 weeks ago) as a RB. Their HC has proven to be a bad coach anywhere but Canada. They don’t have any real talent, their best player is their kicker. There is no hope for Tampa.
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