Week #4 XFL Power Rankings

 XFL Outsider's Week #4 XFL Power Rankings

8. Orlando Guardians (0-3, Last Week: 8)

There are signs of life in Orlando! The offensive line, and quarterback Paxton Lynch, looked much better in week three. And the defense continues to look good, especially the run defense. If it wasn't for a couple of fumbles, they easily could have beat Arlington. You have to give a lot of credit to Coach Buckley and the entire Guardians organization for the improvement this week. If they continue to eliminate the penalties and turnovers, I have no doubt that this team will win some games this season. 

7. Vegas Vipers (0-3, Last Week: 7)

The Vipers lost a heartbreaker to Seattle this week to fall to 0-3, but they seem to have found a quarterback in the process. Brett Hundley made plays with his legs (8 carries, 66 yards, 1 TD), and his arm (13/28, 224 yards, 2 TD), in the loss. If Hundley can continue to play at this level, with the way the Vegas defense has played at times, the Vipers have the potential to get back into the XFL North race. In order to make that happen, however, they must find a way to improve their run game. Outside of Hundley, the team only gained 54 yards on 22 carries.

6. San Antonio Brahmas (1-2, Last Week: 5)

San Antonio is a hard team to figure out. There are times the offense looks like one of the better units in the league, and at other times they look like one of the worst. Jack Coan, after two good performances, was only 8 of 20 for 64 yards against Houston and spent most of the game scrambling away from pressure. The rushing game has also been hit or miss. The Brahmas' defense has similarly been a Jekyll and Hyde group. After giving up 22 points, and a ton of big plays through the air in the first half against Houston, San Antonio shut out the Roughnecks in the second half. If San Antonio can put together a complete game, they could overtake Arlington and be a playoff team. If they continue their current pattern, they will be watching someone else play in the Alamodome in May.

5. Arlington Renegades (2-1, Last Week: 4)

Arlington made a chance at quarterback this week, giving Kyle Sloter the start over Drew Plitt, but it did not make much of a difference for the offense. They were held to only 10 points by a Guardians defense that had given up 63 points through two weeks. They continue to struggle to run the ball, despite having an experienced offensive line and running backs. The thing that is keeping Arlington in games, and why they are 2-1, is the defense. They have forced eight turnovers this season. The defense is going to have to continue to play at that level if they are going to win at the BattleDome this week. 

4. Seattle Sea Dragons (1-2, Last Week: 6)

Finally! The third straight Seattle thriller finally went the Sea Dragons' way, as they beat the Vipers 30-26. Ben DiNucci still had some turnover issues, one fumble and one interception, but he also threw for 377 yards and 4 touchdowns. One of the things that helped Seattle was their ability to get Josh Gordon more involved in the game plan. One week after only having 2 targets, Gordon caught 6 passes for 118 yards and 2 touchdowns. The biggest concern this week for Seattle is their run game, with Brendan Knox missing last week's game and Morgan Ellison getting injured after rushing for 103 yards. The defense also needs to find a way to create some turnovers, something they haven't done since week one. 

3. St. Louis Battlehawks (2-1, Last Week: 3)

The Battlehawks went into a hostile environment in DC and almost came home with another come-from-behind win. The offense put up their best numbers of the season, throwing for 262 yards and 4 touchdowns. Unfortunately, St. Louis turned the ball over for the first time this season. Actually, they turned the ball over four times, including an interception that was returned for a touchdown by the Defenders. The St. Louis defense also continues to struggle, as they gave up 299 yards to DC, the lowest total they have held a team to this season. If the Battlehawks want to earn a spot in the XFL North championship game, they will need to improve their defense and get back to taking care of the ball.

2. DC Defenders (3-0, Last Week: 2)

The Beer Snake is back and so is Jordan Ta'amu. The XFL2.0 standout had his best game of the season last week against his former team, throwing for 196 yards and a touchdown and rushing for another 22 yards and a touchdown. If Ta'amu can continue to find success through the air, in combination with the league's best rushing attack, this DC offense will be hard to beat. Speaking of hard-to-beat, Gregg Williams' defense continues to play very well. While they did give up 28 points, they also forced four turnovers (sorry, takeaways) and sacked AJ McCarron 4 times. DC is in the driver's seat in the XFL North and, as of now, they have the best home-field advantage in the entire XFL. 

1. Houston Roughnecks (3-0, Last Week: 1)

The Roughnecks continue to be unbeaten in their history, although the Brahmas were able to make it exciting late on Sunday night. The Roughnecks' offense continues to go through stretches where they are unable to move the ball, which lasted the entire second half on Sunday. Thankfully for Houston, the offense was dynamic in the first half and the defense continued to be outstanding for the entire game. The Roughnecks might not be the most talented team, but Wade Phillips and AJ Smith found guys that perfectly fit their system and they are playing as well as any team in the XFL. All eyes have to be on their Monday night match-up in Week Six at DC. It has all the makings of a preview of the 2023 XFL Championship Game. 

Week Three Preview: San Antonio at Houston

San Antonio Brahmas at Houston Roughnecks (-4.5)

Sunday, March 5, 8:00 PM ET

ESPN2/ESPN+

The Sunday night game should be a great game for the third week in a row as the 1-1 Brahmas head to Houston to take on the 2-0 Roughnecks in the #SouthTexasShowdown. The Brahmas should be 2-0 if not for the last-minute collapse against the Battlehawks. The Renegades have looked like the best team in the XFL through two games. The winner takes the lead in the XFL South.

The San Antonio offense surprisingly struggled to run the ball last week against Orlando, only gaining 66 yards, but were bailed out by Jack Coan and his three touchdowns. A lot of those struggles were due to injuries on the offensive line, which may improve with another week to get healthy and find some cohesion. Coan was efficient if not dynamic, he only threw for 165 yards but had a 66.7 completion percentage. He also gained 23 yards with his legs. With their defense playing as well as it has, some slight improvement by the offense could make them a favorite to play in the XFL South Championship game.

Wade Phillips and Brian Stewart have this Houston defense playing at a championship level. They have 12 sacks and 6 turnovers through 2 games. The defensive line, led by Trent Harris and Tim Ward, does a great job of getting to the quarterback, and guys like Sean Davis and Ajene Harris have been great in coverage. They have to be licking their chops to face this makeshift Brahmas offensive line this week.

The Houston offense hasn't been perfect, but it has been good through two games. Brandon Silvers has been really good and also pretty bad, but he has a ton of weapons like Jontre Kirklin, Nick Holley, and Max Borghi to bail him out at times. Houston also has the legs of Cole McDonald they can utilize at quarterback to give them a different dynamic in this Mike Leach offense. Coordinator AJ Smith is quickly working to overtake his former boss, June Jones, as the best offensive coordinator in the XFL.

The San Antonio defense has been a strength all season, with twin brothers Mike and Deontae Scott getting after the quarterback. They play aggressive football and fly around the field. This, however, will be their toughest matchup of the season. They will need to not only pressure Silvers but also turn some of the pass break-ups they've had into interceptions. So far they have only forced one turnover on the season.

San Antonio is a good team, but with the questions on their offensive line, they rightfully come in as the underdogs against this swarming Houston defense, Wade Phillips is a legend in the coaching business and AJ Smith is a rising star as a play caller. They might not have the most talented team on paper, but they found guys who perfectly fit their schemes and they have them coached up and motivated. I think San Antonio hangs with them early, but the Roughnecks should pull away late thanks to the sacks and turnovers this Wade Phillips 3-4 defense will produce.

My Prediction: Houston (-4.5) over San Antonio

Week Three Preview: Orlando at Arlington

Orlando Guardians at Arlington Renegades (-9.5)

Sunday, March 5, 4:00 PM ET

FX/ESPN+

Arlington returns home Sunday, after a tough loss at Houston, to face the 0-2 Orlando Guardians. Just about everything went wrong for the Guardians on Sunday in their 30-12 loss to San Antonio. The team has lost both games by double digits, are struggling to find a quarterback, and have given up nine sacks. The Renegades, meanwhile, are also struggling at quarterback, with Drew Plitt having more interceptions than touchdowns so far this season. This should be a great opportunity for Arlington to get healthy this week against a clearly outmanned Orlando team.

The Guardians have used three quarterbacks so far this season, none of which has had much success. They are a combined 41/70 for 354 yards with 4 touchdowns and 4 interceptions Deondre Francois made his debut Sunday, going 6/13 for 8 yards with a touchdown and an interception. With the receivers the Guardians have, if they can find someone to just be competent at quarterback their offense can be successful. They should also find a way to utilize running back Jah-Maine Martin more, as he is averaging over five yards per carry on the season. The key to improving is the offensive line, which reduced the number of sacks allowed from seven to two last week but still gave up a lot of pressure throughout the game. They also had way too many penalties.

The Renegades' defense played well overall against Houston, but not well enough to overcome the short fields provided by their offense's turnovers. They held the Mike Leach offense to 173 yards passing and only 2.8 yards per carry. They should have a much easier time this week against this Orlando offense.

Arlington has its own questions to answer on offense as they have only scored two offensive touchdowns this season. Drew Plitt only threw for 120 yards with just over a 50% completion percentage Sunday and the team only averaged 2.3 yards per carry. Until the team can open up the passing game, they will struggle to win games. That may mean that All-USFL quarterback Kyle Sloter needs to get his opportunity to run the offense. If it's going to happen, this would be the perfect week for it. If it doesn't happen soon, it may be too late for this offense.

The Guardians' defense, despite all the negativity around Orlando, actually played well at times against San Antonio. They held one of the best run games in the league to only 66 yards on 26 carries and sacked Jack Coan twice. The secondary also made some plays. However, they also had to deal with short fields off of turnovers. They have the talent to shut down the Arlington run game this week and force Plitt or Sloter to win it with their arm.

If the Guardians could find a consistent quarterback and clean up the penalties, they could win some games this season. Unfortunately for Orlando fans, they have shown no ability to do either at this point in the season. Arlington has their own issues, but has much better coaching and does less to beat itself at this point in the season. I think that is enough for Arlington to win the game. The 9.5 points makes me a little nervous, even against Orlando, but if Sloter gets to play, or Plitt finally finds a rhythm, Arlington should be able to cover. 

My Prediction: Arlington (-9.5) over Orlando

Week Three Preview: St. Louis at DC

St. Louis Battlehawks at DC Defenders (-2)

Sunday, March 5, 1:00 PM ET

FX/ESPN+

The biggest game of the weekend, and not just because of the return of the Beer Snake, will be at Audi Field Sunday afternoon where the 2-0 Battlehawks travel to DC to take on the 2-0 Defenders. The Battlehawks come in as the unlikeliest 2-0 team ever, after their minute-and-a-half, 15-point, comeback versus San Antonio and their game-winning field goal versus Seattle. They have not been the better team in either game, but they always seem to find a way. DC, meanwhile, has also relied on comebacks to get to 2-0, but their's have been built less on luck and more on defense and the legs of D'Eriq King. It is setting up as a game that could, in true XFL style, go right down to the wire.

The St. Louis offense has been good enough through two weeks but needs to continue to improve. AJ McCarron, Captain Comeback, has been great in the fourth quarter but has only thrown for 374 yards so far this year. His biggest accomplishment, and one of the biggest reasons the team is 2-0, is that he has zero interceptions. The Battlehawks should be doing more through the air, especially with their receiving group, and this would be a perfect week to get closer to 250 yards through the air. The ground game took a step forward last week, even with Brian Hill injured, but still has room to grow as well.

The DC defense, meanwhile, has been outstanding this season. Gregg Williams, the long-time NFL defensive coordinator, has seemed to become calmer and gentler in the XFL, but his defenses have been just as dynamic. They held the Vipers to under 100 yards passing last week and have forced turnovers in both games. They have the ability to get after the quarterback, especially with Davin Bellamy, and playmakers in the secondary like Michael Joseph. They are, in my opinion, the best defense in the XFL.

When the Defenders have the ball, the biggest question will be how long until we get to see D'Eriq King at quarterback. The former Hurricane has taken the XFL by storm, rushing for 46 yards and 2 touchdowns and creating instant offense. His entrance last week led to a breakout performance by the offense and running back Abram Smith, who gained 71 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries. Fellow back Ryquell Armstead added 58 yards. This is, when King is in the game, one of the best rushing attacks in the league. The weakness in the offense is the passing game. The Defenders have thrown for exactly 93 yards in both games so far, and have completed less than 50% of their passes. Some of that is on quarterback Jordan Ta'amu, but some of it is on the lack of depth at receiver. The team had some injuries during the preseason at the position and top pick Jequez Ezzard has been non-existent in the offense. DC needs someone to step up, both throwing and receiving, for this offense to become two-dimensional.

The Battlehawks' defense has been a combination of bend don't break and perfect timing. They give up yards, but they have been able to avoid giving up a lot of points, and they have forced five turnovers. They have been susceptible to the run game, which could be a problem this week against this DC offense. They have also missed quite a few tackles. They need to improve in both of those areas this week.

This is a tough one to pick. The Defenders are the better team on defense and on the ground, but they will struggle to throw the ball if they get down. The Battlehawks don't turn the ball over and have the best passing attack, but they struggle to stop the run, the strength of the Defenders. And you have to take in account the fact that the Battlehawks, behind AJ McCarron, seem to be a team of destiny. If McCarron continues to keep a zero in the interception column, the zero in the loss column could continue as well. But I think Gregg Williams finds a way to get his defense to take the ball away, perhaps multiple times, which will give the DC run game exactly what it needs to put the game away. Give me the Defenders in a close one.

My Prediction: DC (-2) over St. Louis

Week Three Preview: Seattle at Vegas

Seattle Sea Dragons (-3) at Vegas Vipers

Saturday, March 4, 7:00 PM ET

FX/ESPN+

The Sea Dragons head to Vegas Saturday night in a battle of teams looking for their first win of the season. Seattle has looked like the better team in both of their first two games, but turnovers and penalties caused them to lose late. Vegas has played one good and one ok first half so far, and two really bad second halves. I hope the biggest takeaway from this game is the play on the field and not the condition of the field in Vegas.

The biggest question for the Seattle offense this week is if they can finally get the June Jones' Run-and-Shoot running on all cylinders. Last week the offense struggled, perhaps because they only targeted Josh Gordon twice the entire game. When you have the best player in the league, you need to find a way to get him the ball. I would like to see them push the ball down the field more this week. 196 yards passing is not enough to win games with the way this offense is built. On the plus side, running back Morgan Ellison had a breakout game versus St. Louis. He had 10 carries for 50 yards and caught another 4 passes for 24 yards. 

The Vegas defense played well on Saturday until D'Eriq King stepped on the field. From that point, they were unable to stop the run and the Defenders ran away with the game. The Vipers have had success getting after the quarterback, especially with Max Roberts, which should help them against Seattle. They held DC to 93 yards after holding Arlington to 172 yards. This defense is good enough to keep Vegas in games, but eventually, they need their offense to help out. 

The Vegas offense is the worst in the league right now. They've run for 116 yards through two games, averaging just over 3.2 yards per carry. Since throwing for two touchdowns in the first half versus Arlington in Week One, they have thrown more interceptions than touchdowns. Last week, in the rain, they only threw for 98 yards with a 52% completion rate. It looks like Brett Hundley might be taking over the reins of the offense now, the Vipers need him to use his legs more and also use his big-play receivers more. Last week Jeff Badet only had four targets and Martavis Bryant had just one.

Seattle's defense has been good so far, they have talent at all three levels and have been able to get after the quarterback. Their biggest weakness has been an inability to force turnovers. They have just one interception through two games. They have also been put in a lot of bad situations by the turnovers their offense, and special teams, have produced. With Jim Hasslet and Ron Zook, and the talent on the roster, I expect this defense to continue to improve throughout the season.

This is a game where one team, in my opinion, is much better than the other. Seattle should be undefeated. Instead, they are facing a must-win to avoid falling to 0-3. This game comes down to the Sea Dragons' ability to finally take care of the ball and avoid mental mistakes and penalties. If they can avoid beating themselves, the Vipers shouldn't be an issue. Especially if Ben DiNucci gets Josh Gordon involved in the offense. If, however, DiNucci continues to throw interceptions and the team continues to get ill-timed penalties, it will be the Vipers who hit the jackpot Saturday night.

My Prediction: Seattle (-3) over Vegas

Week #3 XFL Power Rankings

 XFL Outsider's Week 3 XFL Power Rankings

What a week. We had some great games, a blow-out, a weather game, and the debut of the worst stadium in XFL history. Most importantly, we had XFL football for another week. There were some shakeups in the rankings this week after the #TexasThrowdown and another come-from-behind win by the Battlehawks, aka the Team of Destiny. Here's a look at how we stand in the XFL after two weeks.

8. Orlando Guardians (Last Week: 8)

That was rough. Only three of the eight games so far in the XFL have resulted in double-digit losses, and two of those losses belong to the Guardians. Things are not going well in Orlando. If you don't believe me, just listen to Coach Terrell Buckley's post-game comments from Sunday. There is talent in Orlando, but the organization is lacking and the quarterback and offensive line positions are struggling. There are some bright spots, running back Jah-Maine Martin and the defense, but the Guardians have a lot of work to do before they escape the basement of the power rankings or win a game. 

7. Vegas Vipers (Last Week: 7)

The Vipers are clearly the worst team in the North Division. They cannot run the ball, which really showed up in the bad weather on Saturday, and their special teams continue to be the worst in the league. Even their run defense, which was a strength in Week One, turned into a liability in the second half against D'Eriq King and the Defenders.  If Brett Hundley can use his legs a little more and have some better weather to throw in, they could stay in games with this offense. If not, their Week Five game against Orlando could be their best, and maybe only, chance for a win this season.

6. Seattle Sea Dragons (Last Week: 4)

The Sea Dragons could be #1 on this list if they could only overcome the Sea Dragons. Turnovers have cost them two straight weeks and, despite those turnovers, each of those games came down to the final seconds. Even more surprising, this June Jones passing offense seems to be struggling and, or maybe because, they are underutilizing Josh Gordon (he only had two targets on Thursday night). If Seattle could find a way to take care of the ball, clean up the penalties, and get the Run-and-Shoot running again, they have the talent to get right back in the race for the XFL North Division championship. If they can't, there could be a lot of sleepless nights in Seattle this spring.

5. San Antonio Brahmas (Last Week: 6)

That's more like it. The Brahmas put together an entire game on Sunday and showed just how talented they are. The run game struggled early, but quarterback Jack Coan was able to make up for it with his arm. The defense continues to impress, with Delontae Scott picking up where his brother Mike left off last week getting after the quarterback. This team is 90 seconds from being 2-0 and they have a very real opportunity to knock off the Roughnecks on Sunday in what should be an outstanding game. 

4. Arlington Renegades (Last Week: 1)

Something needs to change in Arlington. This offense is too talented to only have two touchdowns through two games. Drew Plitt has struggled, he was 15 of 30 for 120 yards and threw 2 interceptions against Houston. The running game, and offensive line, have not been as good as expected. The defense is good, but can't continue to win games as they did in Week One against Vegas. With Orlando coming to town this week, it could be the perfect time to give Kyle Sloter his opportunity to run the offense. If not, and Plitt can't get the offense going, the Renegades might be on the outside looking in when the playoffs begin. 

3. St. Louis Battlehawks (Last Week: 5)

It isn't always pretty, but all the Battlehawks do is win, win, win no matter what. Thursday night was another example of how this St. Louis team, led by the inspirational AJ McCarron, might just be the Team of Destiny in the XFL. The offense is starting to look more in sync with McCarron starting to utilize his deep receiving corps more and young running back Mataeo Durant having a nice game filling in for an injured Brian Hill. The defense still needs to improve to consistently be at a championship level, but guys like LaCale London are making plays when they need them. I'm becoming a Battlehawks Believer, and if they win this week in DC, I'll officially be on the bandwagon.

2. DC Defenders (Last Week: 2)

It, once again, took until the second half, but the Defenders showed up big when they needed to Saturday night in Vegas to move to 2-0. D'Eriq King was a huge difference-maker with his legs, helping the team rush for 229 yards. And the Gregg Williams defense is continuing to get better, which should scare the rest of the XFL. The biggest question with this team is what happens if they need to count on the passing game? In two games they've thrown for exactly 93 yards in both. They need to find a way to have success through the air if they are going to win a championship. The best news for Defenders fans, and America, is that the Beer Snake is back and the crowd at Audi Field should be at a fever pitch for their showdown with the Battlehawks Sunday afternoon. 

1. Houston Roughnecks (Last Week: 3)

I was wrong, this Houston Roughnecks team is a legitimate championship contender. Wade Phillips has the defense playing at an elite level, they have 12 sacks through 2 games and have forced 7 turnovers. The offense hasn't been quite as good, Brandon Silvers has been hit or miss through the first two games, but they have been good enough so far. The thing that has helped the Houston offense is the running element added by the team's other quarterback, Cole McDonald. With offensive coordinator AJ Smith using both quarterbacks, in different ways, the offense has been able to be the highest-scoring team in the league through two games. They have set themselves up for a big game Sunday night with San Antonio. If they win and move to 8-0 all-time, they will give themselves a big lead in the XFL South. 

Week Two Preview: Arlington at Houston

Arlington Renegades at Houston Roughnecks (-5)

Sunday, February 26, 6:00 PM ET 

ESPN2/ESPN+

The XFL saved the best for last in Week #2 as the Renegades head to Houston for the Texas Throwdown Sunday night. Both teams are 1-0, with Arlington relying on their defense last week while the Roughnecks rode their Mike Leach offense to the victory. This sets up as a battle between one of the best offenses (Houston) in the league against one of the best defenses (Arlington). That means this game may come down to who can play better, the Arlington offense or the Houston defense.

The Arlington offense, under Drew Plitt, was able to move the ball between the 20s last week but struggled once they got to the red zone. Plitt was efficient with the ball (19 of 25) but only threw for 172 yards. The question I have is was that due to Plitt or because of a conservative game plan by co-offensive coordinators Jonathan Hayes and Chuck Long? Tight end Sal Cannell (7 receptions for 70 yards) was as advertised, but the Renegades need some wide receivers to step up in order to get the most out of Plitt and this offense. The most surprising thing for me last week was how the Renegades struggled at times to run the ball against the Vegas defense. The team only averaged 2.7 yards per carry, despite having De'Veon Smith and Keith Ford. In order to get the win this week, the team must be much more consistent running the ball and open up the passing game.

The Roughnecks' defense did some really good things against Orlando, like picking up seven sacks and intercepting three passes, but they were more flash than consistency. Houston allowed the combination of Paxton Lynch and Quinten Dormady to throw for 267 yards and 2 touchdowns and gave up 4.9 yards per carry on the ground. Both of these stats make me wonder how well the Roughnecks will hold up this week against a much better offense in the Renegades. It will be up to the pass-rushing duo of Trent Harris and Tim Ward to put Drew Plitt on his back, or else Plitt could have a breakout game.

When Houston gets the ball on offense, the key will be Brandon Silvers. The Roughneck quarterback looked like the best gunslinger in the league in the first half Sunday night in this AJ Smith offense, throwing for two touchdowns. Unfortunately, in the second half, he looked like 2020 Brandon Silvers, when he got benched in Seattle for BJ Daniels. If Silvers can take care of the ball, this offense and receiving corps has a chance to be the best in the league. One guy who really stood out to me last week was running back Max Borghi. He was excellent in both the run game and as a receiver. His backup, Dejoun Lee, also showed flashes. The one weakness, outside of the interceptions, was the three sacks the offensive line gave up in the second half.

If the offensive line doesn't improve, the Arlington defense is talented enough to take advantage. Last week the Renegades earned four sacks against a Vegas line that I have ranked higher than Houston. Donald Payne was a standout, no surprise after the led the USFL in tackles last season. This week, Arlington should add newly signed linebacker Darnell Sankey to the mix. All Sankey did was lead the CFL in tackles each of the last two seasons. If the front seven can get to Silvers, it will help out an Arlington secondary who doesn't need much help, I have them rated as the best secondary in the XFL. They struggled a little last week early against Vegas, but they played very well in the second half and should be even better this week.

As I said in the open, this game comes down to the Arlington offense versus the Houston defense. In my opinion, the Renegades' run game can be the difference in this game. Houston showed some weakness against the run last week and Arlington has much better running backs and offensive linemen. Unless the Roughnecks' edge rushers can replicate their seven-sack performance of last week, I think Drew Plitt has a breakout game. Also, in a close game, the special teams are always crucial, and Arlington has the best special teams in the XFL with Taylor Russolino and Marquette King. I am going to take the points in this one, but if you're feeling dangerous, I like the Renegades to pull off the upset win on the road Sunday night.

My Prediction: Arlington (+5) over Houston