XFL Week 1 Recap of 2/18/23:
Houston Roughnecks’ Max Borghi finished with 42 yards rushing, 32 yards receiving and 1 rushing touchdown.
The first week of XFL 2023 is in the books and the first chapter was a thriller. The owners of the XFL should be proud of the product that was on display for the world to watch on this weekend. What makes it all the more impressive is leading up to the kickoff weekend, the teams only had 5 weeks to prepare for the first game. There was little to no contact allowed within those 5 weeks. In comparison, the NFL begins organized team activities (OTAs) in May, which is a full 4 months prior to kick off. With the shortened timeframe to get game ready, as a casual football fan you would be none the wiser, but from the aspect of knowledgeable football writer, there was some lack of fluidity on teams. The most obvious aspect being the offensive line play. That did not take away from the excitement and joy of watching hungry football players competing their hearts out to make a statement.
Game 1: Vegas Vipers 20 vs. Arlington Renegades 22: The Tale of Two Halves
The XFL kickoff game set at the home of the XFL HUB, Choctaw Field in Arlington, Texas. The attendance for the game was 12,047, which weather most likely played a factor in that number. Although, the weather was not ideal it did not hinder the game play.
In the first half, the Vegas Vipers led by Luis Perez came out scorching hot going 8/9 on a 69 yard scoring drive ending with a touchdown pass to Jeff Badet. The Renegades answered the touchdown on the very next drive with 3 points of its own. The defenses settled in and took control of the game the majority of the second half. The Vipers did squeeze out a second touchdown drive in the 2nd quarter making it the second scoring connection between Perez and Badet. The Vipers went into halftime riding high on its success but there was a phase missing that would end up costing them big in the second half. The absence of a rushing attack for the Vipers was very apparent.
The second half started off with the Renegade offense’s drive stalling out but they were able to pin the Vipers deep avoiding any penalties due to the new punting rules (See XFL Rulebook page 69, Article 4, [9-4-4]). Then uncle momentum flipped hard in the next 3 minutes. Luis Perez’ 2nd down pass was intercepted for touchdown by the Renegades and the next possession the Vipers’ running back Carter fumbles the ball on the first play. The Renegades score two field goals to close out the 3rd quarter, all the while its defense begins to bring the heat on the Vipers’ QB. This was all due to the Vipers’ non existent running game. The game entered the 3rd quarter with the Renegades winning 15-14. The Renegades had all but shut down the Vipers’ offense in the second half and expanded its lead with a second pick 6 by De’Vante Bausby, one of the stand out players from Renegade preview. The Renegades elected to go for the 1 point conversion attempt rather than the 3 point attempt, which would have put the game away with little time left on the clock. This decision ended up playing a substantial factor as the Vipers strung together a late game touchdown drive to get within 2 points of the Renegade lead. The Vipers’ 2 point conversion attempt was stuffed and the game ended 22-20 in favor of the Renegades.
The first game had everything you would want in a football game. Both teams’ yardage was practically even, first downs even at 13 a piece but the weight of the turnovers was unmatched. The two pick sixes by the Renegades were the main difference in the game. Some standout performances from the game include Sal Cannella TE for the Renegades with 7 rec for 70 yds, DE La’Ron Stokes for Vipers had 7 tackles, 1.5 sacks and 3.5 TFL. The star of the game comes on the losing side with Jeff Badet and his 6 receptions for 81 yards and 2 TDs.
Game 2: Orlando Guardians 12 vs. Houston Roughnecks 33
Of the 4 games this weekend this matchup was the most one-sided affair. Looking at the teams prior to the season, these two teams were going to be near the bottom of the league. That being said, I did say that the Houston Roughnecks had potential but were going to have to dig deep to have success. I think this first game showed that they are capable of that. Just ask Orlando.
In the first half, the Guardians came out firing with Paxton Lynch at the helm. The Guardians’ first scoring play resulted in a in depth review by Dean Blandino, the Vice President of Officiating and Playing Rules Innovation of the XFL. He was in the control center while the viewers are able to watch the review process, which was another unique aspect of XFL. He determined the call on the field of Touchdown stood. The early signs were pointing to a resurgence of Paxton Lynch but the fairy tale did not last long. The Roughnecks led by Brandon Silvers scored a touchdown right before the end of the 1st quarter. All things went down hill for the Guardians in the 2nd quarter beginning with a 40 yard missed field goal by Lou Groza award winner Jose Borregales. The Roughnecks scored on three straight possessions in the 2nd quarter with 1 passing TD, 1 rushing TD and 1 FG made by UTSA’s Hunter Duplessis. At halftime the score was 21-6 Roughnecks.
The second half started with a defensive clinic in the third quarter. Both teams amassed a total of 41 yards the entire quarter including 4 turnovers, 3 punts and Paxton Lynch getting benched. The scoring was turned back on in the 4th quarter with another Hunter Duplessis field goal. The Guardians with their backup quarterback Quinten Dormandy now under center answers with a deep 51 yard strike for a touchdown. After giving up another touchdown the Roughnecks seemed to have taken its lapse on defense personal. They reignited their engine and answered with a flurry of scoring by adding a touchdown and another Hunter Duplessis field goal. It did not end there. The Wade Phillips defense then proceeded to humble the back up for the Guardians by intercepting him twice to end the game. The Roughnecks win big 33-12.
The Roughnecks showed its potential to be dominant on Saturday evening. The betting line had them as -3 point favorites and they covered by a landslide. Its defense was the biggest star of the game forcing 4 TOs, 7 sacks and took one of the preseason star QBs out of the game. The offensive stars of the game were Deontay Burnett with 8 rec, 90 yds and 1 TD. The break out player Max Borghi had 42 yards rushing and 32 yards receiving with 1 rushing touchdown. The final shining star was none other than K Hunter Duplessis going 3-3 on field goals.
Thank you for taking the time to read our XFL recap. Stay tuned for the recap of the Sunday games! Follow on all of our social media accounts! There is more to come.