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The XFL picked a crazy time to start getting good. NFL free agency is about to heat up, March Madness is almost in full swing, and we got playoff pushes happening in both hockey and basketball. That's neither here nor there, the purpose of this series is to give you more football, so that's what were going to do to! Here we have the rankings and previews for the XFL this week. Happy reading!
XFL Power Rankings-Week 3
Houston Roughnecks vs Orlando Guardians
Preview by Jordan Laube
Key Storylines
It's a match between the best team in the XFL vs the worst team in the XFL. Roughnecks look to remain one of two unbeaten teams in the league
Houston Roughnecks
Best Players from Week 3
Jontre Kirklin – Wide Receiver: Jontre had a day where he caught 6 of 7 targets, tallying 77 yards and putting 2 TDs on the board. He was also the highest graded offensive player in the XFL for Week 3 with an 86.6 overall grade per PFF.
John Daka – Edge Defender: Despite only posting half a sack, Daka added 4 total pressures, 2 TFLs, and 3 total tackles in last week’s win. He’s the highest graded defender in the entire XFL with a 91.5 defensive grade.
Key Factors
In Max Borghi we trust; keep feeding the animal that he is. He averages 4.6 yards a touch and has scored 2 TDs with no fumbles or drops.
2. The offensive line needs to improve if this team wants to run away with this league. They’ve allowed 27 pressures on 122 pass plays, meaning Brandon Silvers is getting pressured 22% of the time.
3. The defense needs to keep doing what they’re doing. They currently have 8 defenders who are above an 80 defensive grade and played at least 75 snaps per Pro Football Focus.
Orlando Guardians
Best Players from Week 3
Paxton Lynch – Quarterback: Paxton was the highest graded passer in Week 3 with an 89.0 pass grade. This ins large part due to an adjusted completion rate of 72.4%, and he made 3 big time throws. If he can get some help from his receivers to get open and drop the ball less, he could turn the Guardians season around.
Mike Lee – Defensive Back: Mike was all over this defense last week, as he posted 6 tackles with 5 of them being recorded as stops, and allowed only 3 catches for 10 yards and 0 TDs. He broke up a pass and played a whopping 57 snaps.
Key Factors
This running attack needs to get going, and it starts up front. The Guardians currently have the worst graded offensive line, with a team pass block grade of 24.5 and team run block grade of 49.2, ranking last and second to last respectively.
The Defense is solid in both stopping the run and covering passes, but this pass rush needs to get there more often. They’ve totaled 32 pressures, but only 7 sacks. It’s not the worst mark in the league, but that’s lower than a 25% pressure to sack conversion rate.
Betting Lines and Prediction
Moneyline: HOU: (+130) | ORL: (-150)
Spread: HOU: -9 (-110) | ORL: +9 (-110)
Total: 37.5 - Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)
Roughnecks all the way this week, not gonna elaborate more than I need to. Put your money on Houston spread and moneyline - and take the over while you’re at it.
My Take? This is an easy dub for the Roughnecks, even on the road. The Guardians won’t be able to stop this pass rush that registered 7 sacks in Week 1. Borghi should have his best game yet and this offense should make light work of an average squad. Give me Houston 38-13.
San Antonio Brahmas vs Seattle Sea Dragons
Preview by Will Tondo
Key Storylines and Preview
The Brahmas have been on a roller coast. They followed up their 30-12 win on the road against the Orlando Guardians with a 22-13 setback against the Houston Roughnecks last Sunday. They had a quick turnaround before heading to Washington to take on the Sea Dragons, who also find themselves in a similar boat.
Seattle has a top tier offense. They rank 1st in yards per game (383) and passing yards per game (284). They are scoring at least 20 points per game too, yet their defense is one of the worst in the league, resulting in their 1-2 record.
San Antonio Brahmas
Key Factors
Jack Coan - Quarterback: He's been playing well for the Brahmas thus far, throwing for 49 completions on 80 attempts and has 436 yards passing with five touchdowns and just two interceptions. If he can stay consistent and pick apart the defense, the the Brahmas can win this game with his leadership on offense.
Kalen Ballage - Running Back: Ballage is a great running back for the Brahmas and has added 142 yards rushing through three games, especially because the Brahmas are working with very little in the receiver department. The offense typically runs more than the average team. They've rushed the ball 92 times, while opponents have only rushed it 67 times this season.
Seattle Sea Dragons
Key Factors
Ben DiNucci - Quarterback: It's #DiNucciSzn, the Cowboys really let go of a good one. The Sea Dragon's QB leads the league in passing, with 855 yards. He leads the best offense in the passing game, and is the main reason for Seattle's offensive success
Jahcour Pearson - Wide Receiver: DiNucci's favorite target. He is averaging close to 100 yards per game this season, and is hard to defend in the secondary.
Betting Lines and Prediction
Spread: Brahmas +4.5 (-110), Sea Dragons -4.5 (-110)
Total Odds: O/U 40.5 (-110)
Moneyline Odds: Brahmas (+175), Sea Dragons (-205)
I have to stop betting with my heart, because I think the Brahmas are going to rule the league simply because of their logo and head coach. Yes, their schedule has been tough (besides Orlando), and now they head out west to take on a very potent offense. The one factor that is in the Brahmas favor is that Morgan Ellison (Seattle's top running back) is questionable with a leg injury. He has close to 300 yards on the ground this year. Give me San Antonio to cover the spread, but Seattle to take home the W.
Arlington Renegades vs St. Louis Battlehawks
Preview by Will Tondo
Key Storylines and Preview
The Battlehawks fell on the road to the D.C. Defenders last week in the highest-scoring game of the season (a total of 34-28 / we love the overs!). The Renegades almost fell to the winless Guardians, but snuck out with a 10-9 win. These two now meet for a key cross-divisional matchup that will shake up the power rankings for next week.
Arlington Renegades
Key Factors
The Defense: The reason for the Renegades 2-1 start is solely because of the defense. They are ranked third overall in total defense (258.0 ypg) and second in scoring defense (17.3 ppg) while ranking No. 1 against the run (60.7 ypg). Add the two pick sixes the team owns, Arlington is a stout as it gets.
St. Louis Battlehawks
Key Factors
AJ McCarron - Quarterback: The Alabama product has made himself one of the faces of the league in just a few short weeks. He leads the XFL with seven TD passes, and has thrown a whopping 636 yards. St. Louis is struggling to run the ball, but that's okay when you have AJ spreading out the offense and generating plays across the field. Despite being sacked the most of any QB (12 times), he has done a pretty good job of limiting the turnovers (2 INTs, lost fumble).
Betting Lines and Prediction
Moneyline: ARL: (+155) | STL: (-200)
Spread: ARL: -4 (-110) | STL +4 (-110)
Total: 36.5 - Over: (-110) | Under: (-110
When you score a mere 10 points against the worst team in the league, you don't give me any leeway into picking you this week. I like what AJ McCarron has been doing, so I'll stick to my guys and ride the Battlehawk wave.
DC Defenders vs Vegas Vipers
Preview by James Mas
Key Storylines and Preview
For the second time in three weeks, the DC Defenders will be taking on the Vipers from Las Vegas in a matchup of two teams heading in opposite directions. DC, who’s coming off a close win against another undefeated squad in St. Louis, are 3-0 and will look to continue their momentum towards the mid season mark. Vegas, on the other hand, are reeling at 0-3 and are in a must win scenario. While the Vipers will be facing the Defenders on the road this time, the only intimidating reptile in the nation’s capital this weekend will be the fan favorite cup snake at Audi Field.
Despite turning the ball over three times last week against St. Louis, DC was able to pull off a close victory in a high scoring game. Head coach Reggie Barlow must have taken a look at my Keys to the Game last week, as Jordan Ta’amu had a much improved game through the air. Going 11/20 with 198 passing yards and a TD, Ta’amu capitalized on high percentage throws which completely altered the course of the game. Although the running game wasn’t as prolific as it was in Week 2, DC showed that they can beat teams in more ways than one.
The Vipers also managed to keep a high scoring game pretty close, but ultimately lost a tough one to the Seattle Sea Dragons. Quarterback Brett Hundley was serviceable in efforts, going for 13/28 through the air with 224 yards and 2 TDs. Hundley also ran the ball 8 times for 66 yards and a score. Outside of Hundley, however, the rushing attack was nonexistent. That compounded with the Vipers secondary allowing 377 yards through the air and 4 TDs to Ben DiNucci, Vegas was unable to pull off the victory in the end.
DC Defenders
Key Factors
Incorporate D’Eriq King More - I’m not quite convinced the Defenders know yet what they have in D’Eriq King. After a stellar rushing performance in Week 2, King came back in Week 3 with an impressive day passing the ball, completing 100% of his throws accumulating a TD. I understand that Ta’amu is the team’s field general, but King needs to be on the field for more snaps.
Get Abram Going Again - Abram Smith, the Defenders leading rusher, was a relative non-factor in their Week 3 victory. Going for 54 yards on just 3.4 yards per carry, Smith will need to be more efficient moving forward if DC is to continue winning.
Limit turnovers - I said this last week and I’ll say it again; DC needs to get their turnovers under control in order to sustain winning. Losing 3 fumbles in one game rarely produces a positive outcome, and the Defenders can’t rely on luck moving forward this season.
Vegas Vipers
Key Factors
Help Out Hundley - Hundley was impressive in the Vipers loss last week, and was essentially doing it all himself out there. Whether it’s on defense or on the ground, Vegas needs to do something so the veteran quarterback can take the weight of the world off his shoulders.
Sure Up the Secondary - The Vipers secondary last week allowed Ben DiNucci of the Sea Dragons to absolutely air it out. I know that Jordan Ta’amu hasn’t been completely lights out through the air yet, but he could take advantage of a dilapidated Vegas secondary this week to right the ship. The Vipers need to do everything they can to stop that.
Contain David Bellamy - Bellamy was a beast for the Defenders defense last week, sacking the quarterback twice while also forcing a fumble. The last thing Brett Hundley needs is someone chasing him around the entire game, so Vegas must do whatever possible to keep Bellamy from their QB.
Betting Lines and Prediction
Moneyline: DC: (-250) | VGS: (+210)
Spread: DC: -6 (-110) | VGS +6 (-110)
Total: 41.5 - Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)
Although the Vipers come in at 0-3, I still think they can manage to keep this a close game. I also think it will be a high scoring affair like both teams experienced last week. The Defenders will still come out on top, however, and improve to a record of 4-0. DC takes this game 32-26.
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