The fifth week of the XFL is upon us. Here is the current state of the power balance in the league’s inaugural season.
Houston Roughnecks (4-0)
Last: 1st
Change: None
Houston continues to flex its muscles on the rest of the league. The Roughnecks turned Dallas over three times in the first half, en route to a 27-20 win in the first ever XFL Texas Throwdown. Houston is the only XFL team that can consistently win on the road, giving the Roughnecks a decided advantage as the season unfolds. Houston also leads the league in points per game (31.5).
Up Next: vs. Dragons (home)
St. Louis BattleHawks (3-1)
Last: 2nd
Change: None
St. Louis proved to be both a passing and a running team on Saturday, defeating the Dragons, 23-16. The BattleHawks seem to be unbeatable at home. Quarterback Jordan Ta’amu made his case for Player of the Week this week, going 20-for-27 for 264 yards and a touchdown pass. Ta’amu also added 64 yards rushing. With the current state of the Defenders, St. Louis looks to be the overwhelming favorite to win the XFL East this season.
Up Next: vs. Defenders (away)
Dallas Renegades (2-2)
Last: 3rd
Change: None
The Dallas Renegades lost a tough one to the Houston Roughnecks in Week 4. Additionally, Dallas may have lost starting quarterback Landry Jones for an extended period of time. Jones re-injured his knee against Houston and will miss a minimum of two weeks. This is the same knee Jones injured in the preseason, causing him to miss the first game of the regular season. Look for Dallas to rely heavily on the run game this week against New York. The Renegades are averaging 100.5 yards per game on the ground this season. Dallas is facing a Guardians team that is giving up 113.5 yards rushing to opposing offenses.
Up Next: vs. Guardians (home)
New York Guardians
Last: 8th
Change: +4
What a difference a change of quarterback can make. Former Birmingham Iron quarterback Luis Perez made good on his chance to be the Guardians’ starter. Perez went 18-for-26 for 150 yards and a touchdown pass. The quarterback efficiency allowed the Guardians to rush for over 120 yards in the week four win against L.A. This balanced attack looks like a recipe for success in New York. The real test will come this week when New York has to travel to Dallas. The Guardians are 2-0 at home and 0-2 on the road.
Up Next: vs. Renegades (away)
Tampa Bay Vipers (1-3)
Last: 7th
Change: +2
The Vipers continue to trend upward after defeating the Defenders 25-0 on Sunday. Tampa rushed for 266 yards against DC. Running backs De’Veon Smith (122) and Jacques Patrick (108) both ran for over 100 yards, an XFL first. The Vipers also stuck with one quarterback against DC, resulting in a solid effort from Taylor Cornelius. Cornelius was 24-for-31 with 211 yards. With this win, Tampa suddenly looks like a contender in the east.
Up Next: vs. Wildcats (away)
DC Defenders (2-2)
Last: 4th
Change: -2
What is happening in DC? The Defenders have been outscored 64-9 over the previous two games, going 0-2. The last two games were also away games, which begs the question: are the Defenders focused? Quarterback Cardale Jones struggled yet again, going nine-for-22 with only 72 yards and one interception. The Defenders were also not able to get the ball moving on the ground, running for only 46 yards in the contest. DC gets to return home this week, where the Defenders are unbeaten.
Up Next: vs. BattleHawks (home)
L.A. Wildcats (1-3)
Last: 5th
Change: -2
The developing trend across the league is that teams are not traveling well. Los Angeles was unable to keep the momentum going forward, losing to New York on Saturday. The Wildcats could only muster 14 points against the Guardians. L.A. was also plagued by miscues as one field goal was blocked and another was wide right, costing the Wildcats the game and XFL fans a glimpse at an overtime scenario.
Up Next: vs. Vipers (away)
Seattle Dragons (1-3)
Last: 6th
Change: -2
Seattle dropped to the bottom this week, but there is reason to hope among the Dragon faithful. Seattle made a quarterback change at halftime in Saturday’s game. B.J. Daniels came in and threw for 100 yards and rushed for 84 more. Daniels also added a touchdown pass. The Dragons looked like a different team with Daniels at the helm, so expect him to stay there going forward. With the struggles of other teams in the west, Seattle is certainly not out of playoff contention.
Up Next: vs. Houston (away)
