The XFL has put on an entertaining product through Week 3, and some amazing things happened this weekend. But we also saw some brutal performances and mind-boggling decisions from teams on the losing end of things.
That’s the stuff we’re focusing on here as we dive into the worst the XFL had to offer in Week 3.
Tampa Bay’s baffling QB decision
The Tampa Bay Vipers may have the worst quarterback situation in the XFL, which is pretty bad considering there really are only a couple of really good ones playing in the league right now. But they just might have found something worth investing in on Saturday when Quinton Flowers started getting things going for the Vipers’ offense.
Flowers had Houston on the ropes with his dual-threat abilities (like this). So much so that Roughnecks head coach June Jones couldn’t believe they pulled him for Taylor Cornelius after Flowers led a touchdown-scoring drive.
The Vipers have nothing to lose at this point. They’re the worst team in the XFL through Week 3, and their offense hadn’t scored a touchdown all season until Flowers did it Saturday. It’s just nuts that he was then replaced, and of course the results speak for themselves.
Seattle’s second-half offense
The Seattle Dragons had the Dallas Renegades right where they wanted them in the first half of Saturday’s Week 3 contest. They went up 12-6 when Brandon Silvers hit Kenneth Farrow on a 19-yard touchdown. Then, the wheels fell off the bus and the Renegades took the game over, especially in the second half.
Seattle opened the third quarter by stringing together some very nice plays and moving the ball into Dallas territory. Then came an ill-fated decision to go for it on 4th-and-3 from Dallas’ 38-yard line. Silvers ended up getting sacked for a turnover on downs, and from there the offense fell apart.
Dallas tied the game up with a long scoring drive after the turnover. From there, Seattle went on to have three straight three-and-outs, then turned the ball over on downs once more before ending the game with a whimper on a poorly executed final drive.
Kevin Gilbride appears to have lost his locker room
A pretty clear sign that things aren’t right in New York’s locker room took place last week when quarterback Matt McGloin ripped his coaching staff on national television. One week later, and things did not improve for Kevin Gilbride and the Guardians.
New York’s performance was bad enough. The Guardians were dominated from start to finish, losing 29-9. What makes it worse is that the players lost their composure throughout the game as multiple fights broke out in the first half.
Not surprisingly, at halftime, the ESPN camera crews revealed the New York coaching staff emphasizing discipline. And wouldn’t you know it? On the first play from scrimmage in the second half, the Guardians were hit with another 15-yard penalty for unnecessary roughness. There’s a disconnect going on between Gilbride and his players, and it appears to be getting worse.
Cardale Jones regression game was ugly
Entering XFL Week 3, D.C. Defenders quarterback Cardale Jones was right behind MVP front-runner P.J. Walker as the best quarterback in the league. On Sunday, the former Ohio State star took about five steps backward with a performance he’ll want to forget.
Jones had an absolutely brutal time of it going against the 0-2 Los Angeles Wildcats, who had previously let Landry Jones and Walker shred them to the tune of 577 yards and five touchdowns. All told, he completed just 13-of-26 passes for 103 yards with zero touchdowns and four interceptions.