Around the XFL: Week 6
The 2023 XFL season is now more than halfway over and action is starting to heat up.
Let’s take a look at how things played out in week six.
That all started on Saturday when the Seattle Sea Dragons took a trip down to Orlando to face the Guardians.
Orlando was still looking for its first win of the season and with a 26-19 loss, that search will continue into next week.
Sea Dragons quarterback Ben DiNucci got the job done with 177 passing yards and two touchdowns while also leading the team with 43 rushing yards.
Following a short touchdown drive by the Sea Dragons after a blocked punt with three minutes left in the game, the Guardians were able to get all the way down to the Seattle 25-yard line but couldn’t score as time expired.
The other Saturday game proved to be a much more lopsided affair with the St. Louis Battlehawks putting on a show against the Vegas Vipers with a 29-6 win.
Battlehawks quarterback A.J. McCarron had one of his best games of the season completing 23 of his 29 passes for 236 yards with three touchdowns.
Two of McCarron’s touchdown passes found the hands of Darrius Shepherd.
The Vipers still have just one win on the season which came in week five against the winless Guardians.
Only one game was played on Sunday and it was the lowest scoring game of the week.
The San Antonio Brahmas recorded a 15-9 road win over the Arlington Renegades in a lone star showdown.
San Antonio failed to pick up a single offensive touchdown in the win, recording three field goals and a defensive touchdown via a fumble recovery in the second quarter.
The Brahmas had just 59 total passing yards on the day, taking advantage of two Renegades turnovers.
Closing out week six, the XFL saved its best game for last in what was the only Monday Night football game listed on the regular season schedule.
The Houston Roughnecks and D.C. Defenders came into the game as the best teams in their respective divisions.
Both dynamic offenses were on full display and it was the Defenders who stayed undefeated on the year with a 37-26 victory.
It was a balanced attack for the Defenders who saw quarterback Jordan Ta'amu finish with 245 passing yards and two touchdowns through the air while running back Abram Smith added 95 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground.
The win kept the Defenders atop the XFL North by two games with the Battlehawks record of 4-2 good enough for second place.
In the XFL South, the Roughnecks are the only team above .500 with a 4-2 record sitting one game ahead of the 3-3 Arlington Renegades.
Logan Bourandas is a senior majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email lxb5412@psu.edu.
