It may be hard to believe, but the XFL is back! More than three years removed from the last iteration of the pro football league, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Dany Garcia have resurrected the XFL and brought it back to ESPN and venues across the country.
On Saturday, the Houston Roughnecks and Arlington Renegades set the tone with two impressive defensive performances. On Sunday, the San Antonio Brahmas and St. Louis BattleHawks kept the theme of strong defensive units going with a low-scoring affair that kept both teams under ten points combined through much of the showdown. Closing out the weekend, the DC Defenders and Seattle Sea Dragons expect to break free of the defensive stalemates that have characterized much of the league’s opening weekend.
How To Watch
Network: ESPN
Time: 8 p.m. EST
Date: Sunday, February 19
Location: Audi Field (Washington, D.C.)
Much like the previous iteration of the XFL, the Johnson and Garcia-led league will call ESPN home. Throughout the season, the league will air all of its matchups via ESPN and its family of Disney networks. Also, those who prefer to stream games rather than watch them through a traditional cable package can keep up with XFL action via ESPN+. Tonight, the Defenders and Guardians will air live on ESPN during a timeslot that is largely devoid of competing sporting events, except for the 2023 NBA All-Star Game.
Predictions
M
Money Line: Dragons (-140) def. Defenders (+120)
Point Spread: Dragons (-2.5) def. Defenders (+2.5)
Over/Under: Dragons Over 37.5 (-120) | Defenders Under 37.5 (+100)
Interestingly enough, the DC Defenders and Seattle Sea Dragons played in week one of the 2020 XFL season. The DC Defenders used the high-powered offense to break free from the Dragons and earn a 31-19 victory. This time around, things are a bit different. Cardael Jones is no longer the quarterback and Pep Hamilton is no longer calling the plays. With that said, the Defenders do have depth at the quarterback position with D’Eriq King and Jordan Ta’amu. Also, the Defenders have former NFL running backs Artavis Pierce and Pooka Williams On the other end, the Dragons carry a ton of firepower with former NFL quarterback Ben DiNucci and former NFL standout receiver Josh Gordon. Not to be forgotten, June Jones will be letting the ball fly through his run-and-gun offensive style. If the Defenders want to have a shot in this game, they need to get pressure up front and keep DiNucci guessing throughout the game. Unfortunately, I do not believe that the Defenders have the chemistry and reps needed to slow down an offense like this. I do believe that this game will be a high-powered offensive shootout that will be close throughout, but the Dragons will have too much on the offensive end of the ball and will break away late.
Ryan’s Prediction: Dragons def. Defenders, 31-27
