The Seattle Dragons earned their first win in franchise history on Saturday with a 17-9 win over the Tampa Bay Vipers.
The Dragons also set the bar for attendance in the XFL, as 29,172 fans attended the home opener at Century Link Field. Seattle used timely defensive plays and capitalized on some Tampa Bay miscues to secure the victory.
The first half was mostly uneventful, as both teams struggled to get anything going offensively. Seattle kicker Ernesto Lacayo missed his first field goal attempt as a Dragon, a 48-yard attempt in the second quarter. Tampa kicker Andrew Franks connected on a 36-yard try in the second quarter to give the Vipers a 3-0 halftime lead. The first half stats were abysmal, as Seattle had only 10 total passing yards.
Tampa began the scoring in the second half. Defensive back Tarvarus McFadden intercepted an errant Brandon Silvers pass, returning it 78 yards for a touchdown. The point-after try was unsuccessful, making the score 9-0 in favor of Tampa Bay. On the ensuing possession, Seattle quarterback Brandon Silvers redeemed himself. On second-and-nine from the 32-yard line, Silvers hit wide receiver, Keenan Reynolds, for a 68-yard touchdown pass, cutting the deficit to 9-6. Interestingly, Seattle attempted to go for two after the touchdown instead of going for three to tie the game.
The attempt failed.
After trading punts, Tampa took over again. This series would ultimately be the deciding factor in the game. Tampa was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct, which backed the Vipers up to the Tampa 11. A false start penalty pushed Tampa back further. Quarterback Quinton Flowers took the next snap from the shotgun. Pressure from Dragon linebacker Marcell Frazier prompted Flowers to throw early. Frazier leaped into the air and picked off the pass at the one-yard line and returned the pass for a touchdown, giving the Dragons a 12-9 lead. The two-point conversion was successful.
Marcell Frazier introduces himself to the home crowd.#ForTheLoveOfFootball | #BreathingFire š„š² pic.twitter.com/u5Y0b1NOdP
— Seattle Sea Dragons (@XFLSeaDragons) February 15, 2020
For the entirety of the game, Seattle used timely defensive play to keep Tampa off of the scoreboard. The Dragons forced three interceptions and recorded two sacks. Tampa Bay didn’t help themselves at all, either. The Vipers botched a field goal attempt on fourth-and-goal from the two-yard line. Tampa Bay has yet to score an offensive touchdown this season.
Seattle also got a crucial turnover on downs late in the fourth quarter. Viper quarterback Taylor Cornelius was sacked on fourth-and-short, giving Seattle excellent field position. The Dragons used this momentum to tack on another field goal, making the score 17-9. Tampa had one last chance and moved the ball to the Seattle 28-yard line. Cornelius heaved the ball to the endzone, but linebacker Kyle Quiero intercepted the final pass in the endzone as time expired.
Up next: Seattle hosts Dallas on Feb. 22.
One Response
Good recap David. I watched the game and it was almost like seeing it again.Arles and Bradie Taylor Carthage NC