Around the XFL: Week 9
The penultimate weekend of XFL regular-season action saw thrilling finishes and teams fighting to stay in the postseason picture. When the dust settled, two playoff spots remained up for grabs, one in each division.
The first game of the weekend saw the Houston Roughnecks looking to clinch home field in the South Division against the Vegas Vipers. Despite being eliminated from postseason contention, the visiting Vipers scored the game’s first 12 points off two short touchdown passes by quarterback Jalen McClendon.
Houston responded, tying the game after Tavante Beckett and Ajene Harris each returned a fumble for a touchdown. The Roughnecks took their first lead of the game on a 1-point conversion pass.
In the fourth quarter, Houston led by as many as 10 and was up by seven going into the last Vegas drive. McClendon led the Viper offense to the Roughneck 18, but his final pass to Matthew Sexton fell incomplete, meaning Houston earned home-field advantage.
Game two of the four-game slate pitted the Orlando Guardians against the San Antonio Brahmas, who needed a win to stay in the hunt for the postseason. Guardians quarterback Quentin Dormandy and receiver Jordan Thomas connected early for a touchdown and a 2-point conversion, putting the visitors up 8-0.
Orlando led for much of the first half, but San Antonio got a burst before halftime when Jaquez Patrick ran for a touchdown. The Brahmas running back then cut the deficit to four with a 1-point conversion run.
San Antonio eventually took the lead in the third quarter. Quarterback Jack Coan found Travis Toivonen, who broke a tackle and sprinted into the end zone, putting the home team up by five.
Nursing a two-point lead in the fourth, the Brahmas increased their lead to eight when linebacker Drew Beesley caught a tipped screen pass and took it to the house. Orlando responded with a touchdown, but the 2-point conversion was unsuccessful, ensuring San Antonio held on for their third victory.
The weekend’s third game saw the Arlington Renegades visit the D.C. Defenders, with there being stakes for both teams. Arlington could clinch a playoff spot with a win, but D.C. was looking to clinch home field in the North Division with a victory of their own.
In the first half, the Defenders’ offense came out hot. Wide receiver Lucky Jackson’s two touchdown receptions sparked a 20-9 halftime lead for the home team. D.C. continued its hot streak in the second half when safety D.J. Swearinger returned an interception 62 yards, putting the Defenders up 17.
However, the Renegades flipped the game on its head in the fourth quarter. A pair of De’Veon Smith touchdown runs and a 2-point conversion pass cut the deficit to three. Kicker Taylor Russolino’s 27-yard field goal sent the game to overtime, the third in the past two weeks.
Neither team scored on the first three overtime possessions, but D.C. quarterback Jordan Ta’amu found Josh Hammond in the end zone, putting the home team in front, 28-26. On the next Arlington attempt, quarterback Luis Perez’s pass was tipped by Davin Bellamy, sending the Audi Field sellout crowd into euphoria.
The last game of the weekend was also high-stakes for the Seattle Sea Dragons and St. Louis BattleHawks because a win for the latter would send them to the postseason at the former’s expense.
The game went back and forth in the first half. After Seattle scored first with a rushing touchdown and a 2-point attempt, St. Louis scored the game’s next nine points to take the lead.
From that moment on, the game belonged to Ben DiNucci, as the Sea Dragons quarterback threw touchdown passes to Jordan Veasy and Jahcour Pearson to put his team up by 11.
After a BattleHawk field goal, DiNucci took advantage of a Bryce Thompson interception, leading his team on a short drive that culminated with the quarterback taking it in himself on a draw play. A late Seattle field goal made the final score 30-12 Sea Dragons, setting up a unique situation.
With both St. Louis and Seattle at 6-3 going into Week 10, the battle for the second North Division playoff spot could come down to a tiebreaker. A Seattle win and a St. Louis loss sends the Sea Dragons to the postseason, with the opposite result sending the BattleHawks through.
If both teams lose, St. Louis would qualify on the divisional record tiebreaker. However, if both teams win, St. Louis would need to score 19 more points than Seattle to advance.
The postseason situation is much simpler in the South Division. Arlington qualifies for the postseason with a win or a San Antonio loss. If the Renegades were to lose and the Brahmas win, the second South spot would be decided on strength of victory.
Will Duerksen is a junior majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email wdd5066@psu.edu.
