XFL Week 6 Review: Trouble in Paradise
The Houston Rougnecks face adversity for the first time in their XFL existence
It seems like yesterday that I was anxiously awaiting the return of the XFL, yet here we are, in the second half of the season. Week 6 of this season began with the red hot Seattle Sea Dragons facing the Orlando Guardians, an easy win on paper, but the Guardians looked to shock the world. They were up 10-9 at halftime, and while the second half was back and fourth, it would go the way of the Dragons, as they ended up winning 26-19, keeping the Guardians winless this season.
The Sea Dragons are for real. They are. It didn't look like it at first. They were 0-2 and had Ben DiNucci at quarterback. Yet they've now won four straight games, one of them being the win that handed the Houston Roughnecks their first loss ever. Could the Sea Dragons actually end up winning the whole thing? Imagine if that happened. It would honestly be quite monumental if that happened.
Another team who appears to be for real: the St. Louis BattleHawks. This team had an interesting start to the season; they had to play their first three games on the road, yet won two of the three. Regarding Week 6, the Hawks completely dismantled the Vegas Vipers, 29-6, also on the road. Now, given how the Vipers have been playing, that's not saying much. Even so, the BattleHawks have shown that they are a force to be dealt with this season, and could end up being one of the XFL's four playoff teams this season. The final four weeks will tell the tale.
The San Antonio Brahmas managed to get their payback against the Arlington Renegades, and picked up their second win of the season by a score of 15-9. However, I want to talk about the game of the week, the XFL's first Monday game: the battle between the DC Defenders and the Houston Roughnecks. I had this as a battle of unbeatens, but Houston suffered their first loss a week prior. Even so, this was a clash of the titans between the two best teams in the league, and in football, no matter what league it is, you expect a clash like this to be back and forth; an absolute nailbiter.
This wasn't it.
The Defenders were all over the Roughnecks on the get-go. A 17-8 lead at halftime, and no matter what dents Houston put in their deficit, they couldn't get over the hump. DC won, 37-26, handing Houston their second straight loss. This team was the bigtime favorite to win the championship this year. Now? I think they've slipped behind not one, but two teams on that list.
Here's how things stand with four weeks left. In the North Division, the DC Defenders are 6-0, leading by two games over the Seattle Sea Dragons and the St. Louis BattleHawks, who are both 4-2. The Vegas Vipers are 1-5, and running out of time this season. I just want to ask this. Isn't it nice to see a DC football that isn't problematic, doesn't have a prick owner, and never had a racist name or logo that said aforementioned owner defended forever? In the South Division, the Houston Roughnecks are now 4-2, the Arlington Renegades are close behind at 3-3, the San Antonio Brahmas are 2-4, and the Orlando Guardians are 0-6. Houston's woes have made things wide open in the South Division, as both of their fellow Lone Star State franchises have new life.
Week 7 takes place on WrestleMania Weekend; kicking off with a Friday matchup between the Seattle Sea Dragons and the Arlington Renegades. On Saturday, a doubleheader; first off, the Vegas Vipers host the San Antonio Brahmas, and then, the winless Orlando Guardians host the undefeated DC Defenders. The week ends with a Sunday matchup between the Houston Roughnecks and the St. Louis BattleHawks, with the former looking to get back on track.
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Comments (3)
Clyde, as always you have done a great job. Professionally written and you keep it interesting with interjections of your personality and points of view. I'm not much of a sports fan but you make me want to be one. Thank you again for your outstanding work.
Your not just an avid fan, you're an excellent sports writer. Thank you for sharing your talents with us.
I got to say, I keep meaning to watch more XFL, and just reading this REALLY made me feel like I GOT TO watch MORE. You did a great job with this. Great breakdowns, especially for someone like me not as familiar with the league. Oh, also, I LOVE that you took the time to throw in this beauty of a line, "Isn't it nice to see a DC football that isn't problematic, doesn't have a prick owner, and never had a racist name or logo that said aforementioned owner defended forever?" That made me smile. Thank you for putting that in there. You are absolutely right. And yes... it IS nice to see that.