The Xtreme Football League (XFL) made yet another return this past weekend. After two tries and two failures, the league rebooted for a third attempt at success this past weekend. The former owner, Vince McMahon, whose most recent attempt in 2020 failed in part due to COVID-19, decided to sell the league to former college football and wrestling star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Dany Garcia for $15 million in August 2020. The new owners were excited to display the revamped league this past weekend. With the National Football League (NFL) recently hitting its offseason, the XFL pounced on the chance to entertain those yearning for football.
The league consists of eight teams, six of which are returning from the previous XFL season. The returning teams include the D.C. Defenders, St. Louis Battlehawks, Houston Roughnecks, Seattle Dragons, Dallas Renegades (now residing in Arlington) and Vegas Vipers. The two newcomers are the Orlando Guardians and San Antonio Brahmas. These eight teams will go to war in a 10-week regular season, longing to make the postseason and win the XFL Championship. Only four teams can earn a spot in postseason play, which will consist of two semifinal games followed by the championship game two weeks later, culminating Saturday, May 13, at 3 p.m.
Opening weekend kicked off with a three o’clock matchup on Saturday between the Vegas Vipers and Arlington Renegades and came to a close with an 8 p.m. primetime game on Sunday between the Seattle Sea Dragons and D.C. Defenders. Other matchups this past weekend included the Orlando Guardians taking on the Houston Roughnecks on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. and the St. Louis Battlehawks traveling to San Antonio to challenge the Brahmas on Sunday at 3 p.m.
Overall, there was some good football played throughout the week. The inaugural game of the 2023 season between the Vipers and Renegades was decided by a failed two-point conversion attempt. After a heroic effort by Vipers’ quarterback Luis Perez to lead his team down the field for a touchdown, they could not convert the two-point try. The Renegades would win 22-20.
Saturday’s primetime game featuring the Guardians and Roughnecks was less competitive. The Roughnecks especially dominated the second half, showing up on both ends of the football, tallying multiple interceptions and driving down the field with ease. They would notch their first win of the season with a convincing 33-12 win.
Sunday’s slate of games opened with the Battlehawks and Brahmas, which came down to the wire. After being behind for most of the second half, former Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback A.J. McCarron and the Battlehawks offense orchestrated a 12-point comeback. With his back against the wall, McCarron would find wide receiver Austin Proehl for a clutch touchdown to steal the lead with less than 20 seconds left. The Battlehawks wound up winning 18-15.
Kickoff weekend finished on Sunday with a game that matched the Sea Dragons up with the Defenders. Initially, this had the makings of a blowout. The Sea Dragons showed some competence on offense, while the Defenders seemed inept when in possession of the football. However, like other games this weekend, a comeback was in store. D.C. took the lead midway through the fourth quarter thanks to two interceptions, one resulting in six points going the other way. The team sealed the deal later with yet another big-time defensive play, this one being a forced fumble and recovery by linebacker Jamal Brooks inside their own five-yard line. The Defenders sent their fans home happy with a 22-18 win.
Some unorthodox rules were illustrated on the field throughout the weekend like the option to complete a fourth and 15 pass to get the ball back in the fourth quarter as opposed to the common onside kick. The point-after-touchdown attempts also captivated viewers’ attention. The league incorporated three separate options to go for one, two or three points after the offense scores a touchdown, each from an increasingly further distance away from the end zone.
Of course, not everyone is going to love the XFL. There were many differing views, like critics on social media mentioning the games were boring. However, there was some particularly good football being played for a league that, at face value, is filled with older players and players that have been cut from National Football League (NFL) rosters. More notably, this league presents a second chance for many of those players. For some, they may be able to make their way back to the NFL. It has been done before by Carolina Panthers quarterback, P.J. Walker, so there is no telling what the future holds for the XFL and its players.
