XFL Week 3 Preview
By Dennis DuBay
Well, the biggest news of week two has to be the drop in overall numbers for TV. Week one saw the XFL jump out of the gates with 6.5 million in viewership - and watched 2.1 million find something else to do, week two.
This could be for a myriad of reasons: 1.) Fans tuned in hot and ready for a new league and wanted to see what the XFL was all about. Some may have even been hoping for a flop. Another reason for the tune out, the play. Maybe the play is just not up to the quality fans have come to expect from watching years and years of the NFL. And finally, burnout. Maybe people are just simply burned out from the amount of football they have watched over the course of the last year or so.
Now while i'm sure Vince and the gang aren't too scared - as long as the audience number stabilizes; if we see another drop at this level, that's catastrophic, in my mind.
It should be noted that the Saturday games still pulled in the best 18-49 demos, with a .6 - While the Sunday evening game was fifth overall in ratings for the day and 3rd in the 18-49 demo, with .74 rating.
The DC Defenders and the Houston Roughnecks stand alone as the last two undefeated teams in the league. The Roughnecks take on the Tampa Bay Vipers, who are still looking for their first victory, while The Defenders take on the Wildcats, also looking for their first victory in the XFL.
DC Defenders v. LA Wildcats
This will be DC's first road trip so it'll be interesting to see how they play outside of home. Cardale Jones continues to put up decent numbers heading into week three with 4 TD's and 511 yards.
The Wildcats are led by WR Nelson Bruce, who leads the league with 192 yards receiving. The key stat?
LA has given up eight TD's over the course of the first two games, which heading into week three is the most in the league.
NY Guardians v. St. Louis BattleHawks
To say the Guardians week two game wasn't at least entertaining would be misguided. But for all the wrong reasons. First you have QB Matt McGloin going Hollywood Hulk Hogan on his own team during halftime resulting in a seat on the bench - returns to a team that has only given up three TD's all season, but sits at 1-1 on the season.
McGloin needs to be refocused and ready as The BattleHawks play their first home game - and expect a large crowd ready to cheer the Hawks on.
Watch for Matt Jones to have a breakout game in this one.
Dallas Renegades v. Seattle Dragons
Landry Jones passed for a league record 305 yards last week against the LA Wildcats but will face a Seattle team that is coming off a huge emotion win after a huge goal-line stand pushed them to their first victory of the year.
If Jones can continue to play as well as he did last week, and limit his turnovers, there cold be a bloodbath in Seattle.
Houston Roughnecks v. Tampa Bay Vipers
It's safe to say the Roughnecks are the best overall team in the XFL at this moment while Tampa Bay is the worst - but in a league so young, with questions around every corner who can say what we'll see in this one.
The Vipers have an issue scoring - they traded for WR S.J. Green this week and it looks like we'll see the backups at QB with starter Aaron Murray not having practiced this week. If they can get some reasonable play at the position, it'll open up an already decent running tandem of De'Veon Smith and Jaques Patrick - and then you're in business.