By Andy York
The XFL’s week 2 was nothing short of excitement. It gave viewers a little bit of everything. A lot of great defense, fast paced offense, in-house drama, and lots of football. The question is what teams will start to distance themselves from the rest of the league?
The opening game of week 2 had the New York Guardians taking on the DC Defenders. While the story of last week for the Defenders was a tale of two halves, this week saw something completely different. The New York Guardians were never really in this game at all. It is becoming very evident, rather quickly, that the DC Defenders are one of the toughest teams in all of the XFL. Quarterback Cardale Jones had another spectacular game throwing for 276 yards and 2 touchdowns. But the powerhouse of the defenders is by far their defense. 3 defensive touchdowns in only 2 weeks and putting up a shutout in just week 2. The Defenders offense and defense is a force to be reckoned with.
On the other side of the field, the New York Guardians struggled from the beginning. It seems Quarterback Matt McGloin never got off the bus. He was 8/19 and only threw for 44 yards. McGloin showed his frustration more than once on the field and he even said, “Worst game I’ve ever been a part of.” McGloin had a very successful week 1 but was the complete opposite in week 2. Going into halftime McGloin said they needed to change the game plan, while head coach Kevin Gilbride said McGloin had to play better. Both McGloin and Gilbride seemed to be on different pages the whole game and it showed as DC demolished the Guardians 27-0.
The DC Defenders go on their first road game to Los Angeles to take on the Wildcats, while the Guardians travel out to St. Louis to take on the Roughnecks. It will be interesting to see if the Guardians can figure out their offensive woes and play like they did in week 1. Plus, will the Defenders be able to stay on this hot streak by going on the road and knocking off the Wildcats.
The second game of the day saw the Tampa Bay Vipers taking on the Seattle Dragons. While the first game was a blowout from the beginning, the second game was much closer. Both teams were scoreless through most of the first half until kicker Andrew Franks drilled a 36-yard field goal to go up 3-0. Both teams played compact and fierce defense all game.
However, just like last week it was a story of 2 halves. The Vipers turned it around quickly when CB Tarvarus McFadden intercepted the pass and took it to the house for a 78-yard pick six. But that would be the end of the Vipers scoring as the Dragons scored 17 straight points.
Quarterback Brandon Silvers found WR Keenan Reynolds for a 68-yard bomb to bring the score to 9-6 Tampa Bay. Vipers QB Quinton Flowers was picked off by DE Marcel Frazier for the second defensive touchdown of the game. The Dragons hit a late field goal in the 4th quarter to go up 17-9 on Tampa Bay.
Tampa Bay started to drive the ball in their final drive of the game. The Vipers even appeared to score a touchdown, until it was overturned due to an offensive passing interference. They never could get in the endzone and fell short losing to the Dragons 17-9.
The major takeaway from week 2 is that teams are starting to fall into place. Teams that were thought to be championship contenders are starting to drift away from the pack. The Defenders seem to be the front runner right now, but there is still plenty of time left in the XFL for any team to make a massive run for the gold.
Warrior Wrestling 8 - 2/15/20