By Logan Borkey
XFL Power Rankings Week 2 Edition: Roughnecks and Defenders emerge as early favorites to win the championship
Week 2 in the XFL has come and gone and three teams have emerged as the cream of the crop while several teams at the bottom of the standings are struggling to find a solution at the most important position on the field. I will be ranking each team based on their performance last weekend.
1. DC Defenders (2-0)
After a strong performance against Seattle in their opener, the Defenders followed that up with a 27-0 drubbing of the Guardians. Both sides of the ball showed up on Saturday. Cardale Jones continued his good form with 276 yards and 2 touchdowns. DeAndre Thompkins contributed 92 yards and a touchdown and emerged as another receiving option for Jones alongside Rashad Ross and Eli Rogers. The defense contributed with 3 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and two picks with one being returned for a touchdown. After two weeks DC looks like one of the best teams in the league.
2. Houston Roughnecks (2-0)
Houston emerged victorious against the Battlehawks in the best game of the weekend. Quarterback P.J. Walker continues to impress so far adding three touchdowns to his league-leading 7. Walker has developed outstanding chemistry with receiver Cam Phillips who has caught four of those touchdowns. Roughnecks fans should thank Andrew Luck for pushing his father, league commissioner, Oliver Luck to look into the former Temple product.
3. St. Louis Battlehawks (1-1)
St. Louis was on the losing end of the previously mentioned game against the Roughnecks. Jordan Ta’amu proved he is a capable starting quarterback and can elevate his team. Ta’amu threw for 284 yards and 3 touchdowns although he did throw two interceptions which ended up being the deciding factor in the game. In all fairness to Ta’amu, one of the picks happened after the officials missed an offsides call on Houston. The Battlehawks have nothing to be upset about because they proved they can hang with one of the best teams in the league.
4. Dallas Renegades (1-1)
Landry Jones returned to the starting lineup after an injury kept him out of the Renegades opener and his return was...fine. He became the first quarterback in the XFL to throw over 300 yards but he also threw three picks. Jones struggled with accuracy and his mobility was limited. He improved in the second half but the real standout during this game was former Auburn running back, Cameron Artis-Payne. Artis-Payne rushed for 99 yards and two touchdowns and was the spark behind the Renegades second-half improvement. If Jones can clean up the mistakes and Dallas relies on Artis-Payne, the Renegades can become the team people were picking as the favorite before the season began.
5. Seattle Dragons (1-1)
The Dragons got their first win of the season in front of an incredible attendance of 29,000 fans on Saturday. In a game where neither offense was doing anything, the defense stepped up. The defense contributed four sacks and three interceptions including a pick-six. Even though Seattle got the win it wasn’t without problems. Quarterback Brandon Silvers struggled with accuracy and if you take out his 68-yard bomb to Keenan Reynolds, Silvers only managed 23 yards passing. Seattle was also 2 for 10 on third down which won’t be good enough to win games.
6. New York Guardians (1-1)
After a dominant performance in Week 1 the Guardians laid an egg in DC. New York was 1 for 11 on third down and only managed five first downs. Matt McGloin had a terrible outing only throwing for 44 yards and two picks and was benched for Marquise Williams after the third quarter. New York needs to sort out its quarterback situation before a tough match against St. Louis next week.
7. Los Angeles Wildcats (0-2)
After a blowout last week against the Roughnecks, the Wildcats fell to 0-2 after a close loss to Dallas. Josh Johnson returned after missing last week's game with an injury and was efficient with 196 yards and 2 touchdowns. Nelson Spruce continues to be one of the league’s best receivers catching 2 touchdowns and gaining 89 yards. In order for Los Angeles to get theri first win, they need to drastically improve their defense. You can’t win games by allowing 444 yards of offense.
8. Tampa Bay Vipers (0-2)
Tampa Bay has not scored an offensive touchdown through the first two weeks of the season. Taylor Cornelius and Quinton Flowers replaced the injured Aaron Murray who struggled against the Guardians in Week 1. However, their performance left a lot to be desired. The two quarterbacks combined for three picks and only 172 yards. In order for the Vipers to win games, they need to sort out the most important position on the field.
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