XFL – Week 3 – Sunday Recap
By Chris Belcher
Week 3 – Statement Sunday!
While Saturday’s games favored the road team, it was the complete opposite as the home teams dominated on Statement Sunday! Week 3 is really a time for teams to begin to separate themselves, and we saw just that!
Football Returns to St. Louis in Dramatic Fashion!
Sunday’s first game was the first time professional football had been played in The Dome since the NFL left after the 2015 season. Coach Jonathan Hayes was quoted earlier in the week as saying he hoped the atmosphere would be chaotic. And the Battlehawks fans heard that challenge loud and clear, and rose to the occasion! This game reminded me of the 2005 Monday Night Football showdown where the New Orleans Saints return to the Superdome for the first time since Hurricane Katrina. It was a night where the crowd was on fire, the team was emotional, and it seemed the home team could do no wrong on the field. This game had the same result as the Battlehawks scored on their first drive with former Seattle Seahawks Running Back Christine Michael and never looked back and routed the Guardians 29-9.
Battlehawks QB Jordan Ta’amu has been a consistent weapon all season, and he continued that trend with a solid day. But it was the running game, particularly Matt Jones who terrorized the Guardians defense for 95 rushing yards and a touchdown. One of the major highlights of the game for St. Louis was the XFL’s first kickoff return for a TD. A trick play on the kickoff from Keith Mumphrey and Joe Powell put the Battlehawks ahead 12-6.
New York continues to struggle on all fronts. Matt McGloin got the start at Quarterback again, but that didn’t stop Coach Kevin Gilbride from playing two others to try to find some sort of rhythm in the pass game. The running game racked up 112 yards, so that appears to be something the team can build on moving forward. But end the end, the offensive woes for the team would continue throughout the day.
DC Suffers First Loss in a Major Way!
It seemed as though the LA Wildcats were on the cusp of putting everything together on both sides of the ball, but many thought it would have to wait one more week as they hosted the undefeated DC Defenders. In our preview article, I mentioned that WR Nelson Spruce would have to bring his ‘A’ game for the Wildcats to have a shot. But it was former Tennessee Titans draft pick, WR Tre McBride who would torch the DC defense for 109 yards and 2 receiving TDs. Not only did the offense find their rhythm, but the struggling defense took center stage as the Wildcats picked up their first win in dominating fashion, 39-9 over the Defenders.
Many thought Cardale Jones would continue his consistent play over the XFL’s worst pass defense, especially without their two starting cornerbacks. However, the Wildcats defense would rattle the former Ohio State QB, forcing 4 interceptions, which is more than Jones had thrown in the first 2 games combined. The running game would be successful for the Defenders, but was not enough to keep them in the game. Along with 4 interceptions by Jones, the Wildcats defense would grab another interception from back-up QB Tyree Jackson, force a fumble, record 3 QB sacks and force the Defenders off the field on 3rd Down, with only a 15% conversion rate.
Former NFL journeyman QB Josh Johnson would throw for 278 yards and 3 TDs as he led the Wildcats offense by finding 9 different receivers throughout the game. But this game was the coming out party for RB Martez Carter. Carter was inactive for Week 1, did not record any stats for Week 2, but found the end zone 3 times and adding 76 total yards in Week 3.
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