I FINALLY got around to doing this end of season review. Unlike the NFL ones, I didn't intend on waiting this long so I can add recent news to this blog piece. Especially since not much news really happened between the championship game and today. They did a rookie draft last week but I don't really care about that. So, let's not waste any more time and blaze through this review.
END OF SEASON TEAM REVIEW
D.C. Defenders 9-1
This was a nice bounce back for Jordan Ta'amu in his professional career. After the 2020 XFL season was cut short, he struggled in the USFL with the Tampa Bay Bandits. He returned to the XFL and got his mojo back finishing 3rd in passing going 143/229 for 1,894 yards, 14 TDs and 3 INT. He went further than his old team, D.C. had more success than with their old QB and Washington fans actually had something football related to cheer on other than their team getting sold and stacking beer cups. They lost 2 games to teams that on paper, should've been blowouts but it's Any Given Weekend in the XFL. I don't know if players can return to their teams like in the USFL, but this is a good fit for Jordan. There's no shame in not being a NFL QB.
Houston Roughnecks 7-3
Their undefeated streak had to end sometime. It would be unreasonable to expect this team to be in the championship game when the key members of the 2020 team are gone. Either way, Wade Phillips did a good job as head coach. I still don't feel he's a NFL caliber head coach but the XFL is a good spot if he wants to return next season. The players seem to love him after all.
Seattle Sea Dragons 7-3
After I saw how much of a disaster Ben DiNucci was on the Cowboys while Dak was out for the year, I had my doubts on how effective he would be for Seattle. He can sling the rock but he's a turnover machine passing 242/374 for 2,671 yards 20 TDs, 13 INTs, 11 sacks, and 5 fumbles. Basically, he was to the XFL what Kyle Sloter was to the USFL last season. He wowed people by airing it out while relying on his defense to bail him out when he throws costly interceptions. He's a Bronco so far so if he can parlay this into a backup gig like P.J. Walker, then good for him.
St. Louis Battlehawks 7-3
A.J. McCarron could've ridden the bench for another year in the NFL, but he wanted his kids to see him play so he came here to be the Battlehawks starting QB. He did well going 203/295 for 2,150 yards, 24 TDs and 6 INTs. He has plenty of money in the bank from his 7-year NFL career so it's not like he's some young, overlooked player hoping to realize his dream of playing in the NFL. I also don't see a NFL team offering him a starting spot so he might stay in the XFL for the rest of his career. Unless the Niners call him up week 12 after their 6th QB goes down.
Arlington Renegades 4-6
They did it, they proved the haters wrong. They said the Renegades didn't belong here. They said a team with a losing record has no business in the playoffs. They said it was an embarrassment that a 4-6 team is in while the 7-3 Battlehawks are cleaning out their lockers. This is why there shouldn't be divisions in an 8-team league. All the Renegades did was convincingly beat 2 of the best teams in the league to win the championship. There are multiple guys on this team who had a storybook ending after facing adversity at some point.
Spring football legend Luis Perez, who bounced around various leagues, gets rescued from the Vipers, leads Arlington to the championship and wins game MVP. Bob Stoops, who was the only head coach from 2020 to return to his team, looked like he was gonna have another disappointing season. But he took advantage of his weak division and made the trade for Luis which propelled them into a championship winning team. Speaking of coaches, Jonathan Hayes made the right decision to be a offensive coordinator here instead of return to St. Louis. While offensive line/special teams coach Jonathan Himebauch became the first 2-time XFL champ.
And finally, De'Veon Smith got his redemption. He was fucked over by a dipshit hardass coach in the USFL with the Pittsburgh Maulers and it looked like his career was over. He decided to go back to the XFL to be coached by someone who actually knows what the fuck he's doing and gets a ring out of it. You love to see it. Oh, and shoutout to athletic punter Marquette King too.
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| This is a De'Veon Smith appreciation post. |
San Antonio Brahmas 3-7
The Rock's namesake team didn't finish 2-8 but they weren't much better. They played tough throughout the year and had a chance of being in the playoffs instead of Arlington if they beaten DC. It didn't help that they used 5 QBs including one who's best known for my college football playoff tournament and another for getting benched everywhere he goes. Perhaps they were doomed from the start since their uniforms looks like the San Diego Fleet from the failed AAF. The LA Xtreme would never lay a big fat egg like this while representing the XFL.
Vegas Vipers 2-8
The Vipers were a shitshow from the beginning. They thought they was gonna be a traveling team at first since they couldn't use the 2 major stadiums in the area (or a high school's). They resorted to using a small soccer/baseball/football stadium Cashman Field. The field was so terrible, they painted it green and it was all torn up with tire tracks for the whole season! The stadium didn't have a press box or place for the broadcast camera, so they had to build structures behind the sideline near the outfield wall to make do. They rather as well kept them in Tampa. Also, Rod Woodson was in way over his head and is one and done as head coach.
Orlando Guardians 1-9
Fuck Terrell Buckley! This motherfucker actually had the AUDACITY to blame Quinten Dormady of stooging off his plays to opponents and firing him after week 1. The XFL investigated and found no such evidence, so he returned to the team. That didn't stop him from blaming others for his fuckups and here they are finishing dead last in the league with a shocking win over the Defenders as the only positive this season. Again, it's the hardasses and terrible coaches who pull this kind of bullshit. In 7 games, Quinten was 140/205 for 1,507 yards 10 TDs and 5 INTs. He was also sacked 20 times and fumbled 5 times. Imagine how much better he could've been with a competent coach who doesn't bury his players to cover for his mistakes.
LAST WEEK: 0-1
OVERALL: 30-13
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