XFL week five is here and that means that we are halfway through the season. It’s crucial that teams find their identity soon. It’s getting really interesting as we get closer to the second half of the season and try to still figure out what these teams are all about.
XFL Week Five Matchups
Dragons vs Roughnecks
The first game of XFL week five will be the 1-3 Seattle Dragons traveling to face the undefeated Houston Roughnecks on Saturday at 2 pm Eastern on ABC.
This will be another tough game for the Dragons. The Roughnecks are undefeated and they don’t look like they are slowing down. Houston quarterback P.J. Walker looks like the early MVP of this league and he has a great connection with wide receiver Cam Phillips. The defense has given up 17 points or more in all four games, so if there is a potential target, it’s that defense.
That means the Dragons need to attack quickly. Last week against the BattleHawks, they only scored 16 points and had quarterback problems for most of the game. Brandon Silvers has been the starting quarterback but he hasn’t played that well. B.J. Daniels came in and he looked to give this team a step. He made it a game last as he threw a touchdown and ran for 84 yards. A lot of people liked what they saw and what Daniels to be the starter for this game. Either way, the Dragons need to come up with a good gameplan to stop the opposition.
Guardians vs Renegades
Saturday’s action will conclude when the 2-2 New York Guardians take on the 2-2 Dallas Renegades at 5 pm Eastern on FOX.
The Renegades have been an average team like their record says. Last week, they only lost by seven to the Roughnecks and if they executed in the red zone late, we could be talking about Dallas as a 3-1 team. Quarterback Landry Jones hasn’t played that well since coming back. He’s 2-1 as the starter but he’s thrown seven interceptions so he’s not putting his team is good position but the defense has been strong. Jones now is out at least a couple of weeks after re-aggravating his knee so others need to step up.
After two embarrassing losses, they bounce back last week with a 17-14 win over the Wildcats. They started quarterback Luis Perez after looking good in the game before last. He went 18/26 for 150 yards and a touchdown. They are likely to move forward with Perez which would be smart. The defense only gave up 14 points to a team that put up 37 in week 4. With the Renegades starting quarterback went down, they can take advantage and carry to momentum from last week.
BattleHawks vs Defenders
The 3-1 St. Louis BattleHawks will take on the 2-2 D.C. Defenders on Sunday at 3 pm Eastern on FS1.
In the first two weeks, the defenders looked like the best team in the league. In the last two weeks, they look like the worst. The whole team took a couple of steps back, including quarterback Cardale Jones. They got embarrassed in week three by the Vipers 25-0 and last week they got embarrassed by the Wildcats 39-9. They will be coming home upset after what happened and will be out to prove something. It won’t be an easy task though as they face a team BattleHawks team.
The BattleHawks are playing very efficient football so far this year. The defense is playing very well while the offense is doing just enough and it starts with quarterback Jordan Ta’amu. He is determining the pace of play for both teams. The management of games and his clutch plays are next to none. He can hurt you with his arm and legs. As we saw last week, if the run game is off, he is more than capable of taking the game over. They were a touchdown away from being undefeated a couple of weeks ago. This team is dangerous and it will be tough for D.C. to get it going.
Vipers vs Wildcats
A pair of one-loss teams face off in the last game of XFL week five as the 1-3 Tampa Bay Vipers take on the 1-3 Los Angeles Wildcats in LA on Sunday at 8 Eastern on ESPN,
Both of these teams need a win to get going but only one can win. The Vipers have looked very good these past couple of weeks. They scored 27 against the undefeated Roughnecks two weeks ago and then last week, they shutout the Defenders. Quarterback Taylor Cornelius took over the starting job after the injury to Aaron Murray. He’s played good but they would like to see a little more. The defense is looking to sustain momentum against a team that only scored 14.
The Wildcats are also looking to get back on track. After last week’s performance, they need to bounceback. Josh Johnson has thrown seven touchdowns and only one interception this season. He’s been good but other players need to step up around him. The defense also needs to step even though it’s been better than the past two weeks. This game will be a prove-it game for both teams so look for it to be a physical game.
Final Drive
Every week tells us something about a team and as we get deeper into the season, we figure out more and more about teams. It’s week-to-week for a lot of these teams that are out to prove that they have what it takes. XFL week five will be a lot of fun as hit the mid-way point starting on Saturday afternoon.
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