The inaugural XFL season is now in full bloom. The first three weeks of this experiment seemingly went off without a hitch. Though, the quality of play has not been tremendous and attendance has dropped each week.
On the field, it looks like the Houston Roughnecks are the team to beat after they took care of the Dallas Renegades on Sunday.
On the other hand, quarterbacks continued to struggle big time this weekend. That included both Landry Jones and Brandon Silvers.
Here, we look at the top takeaways from Week 4 of the 2020 XFL season, with a focus on what I noted above.
DC Defenders hype is gone
Cardale Jones and the DC Defenders started the season strong, winning each of their first two games in dominating fashion. It had DC as the top team in the XFL and Jones as the MVP front runner. Following Sunday’s humiliating 25-0 blowout loss to a previously winless Tampa Bay Vipers squad, that’s no longer the case.
Pep Hamilton’s squad managed 107 total yards of offense. Jones completed 9-of-22 passes for 72 yards in a second consecutive dreadful performance for the former Buffalo Bills draft pick. We thought last week’s 39-9 blowout loss to the Los Angeles Wildcats was an exception to the rule. It obviously isn’t. And things must be corrected in the nation’s capital immediately.
Luis Perez was indeed the answer in Jersey
The drama we’ve seen surround the Guardians and quarterback Matt McGloin took on new meaning this week. The former Penn State star was sidelined to injury during Saturday’s game against the Los Angeles Wildcats.
In his stead, former AAF star Luis Perez put up the best performance for a Guardians quarterback this season. He completed 18-of-26 passes for 150 yards with a touchdown and zero interceptions. While Perez proved to be nothing more than a game manager, it did lead to a 17-14 New York win and a 2-2 record on the season.
Seattle finally pulls the plug on Brandon Silvers
It might be too little, too late for the now 1-3 Seattle Dragons. However, head coach Jim Zorn finally made the right decision. He benched Silvers early in Saturday’s loss to the St. Louis BattleHawks after the struggling signal caller completed 4-of-10 passes
Enter into the equation an electric B.J. Daniels, who has NFL experience with the Seahawks. Daniels would ultimately ignite the Dragons’ offense with three scoring drives. While it was not enough to come away with a win, we’re hard-pressed to believe that Seattle will end up going back to Silvers.
Nick Holley continues to stand out
His story is by now well known. A former star quarterback, running back and wide receiver at Kent State, Holley’s career was derailed due to multiple ACL injuries and issues with his back.
Now on the Houston Roughnecks, the 5-foot-9 running back is standing out in a big way. He compiled eight catches for 97 yards, including a touchdown in Sunday’s win over the Dallas Renegades. Holley now has 17 catches in four games this season. This could very well lead to a look from multiple NFL teams moving forward.
Landry Jones holds back Dallas, frustrates head coach
This has not been a great first season in the XFL for former NFL quarterback Landry Jones. The Renegades’ starter missed Week 1 with an injury and has not fit in well in Bob Stoops’ offensive system.
That came out in droves during Sunday’s loss to the Houston Roughnecks. Jones threw three first quarter interceptions, frustrating his head coach in the process, before suffering a knee injury late in the game. It’s really been something to see Jones’ fall from grace after the Pittsburgh Steelers made him a fourth-round pick back in 2013. Sunday’s outing magnified this big time.
Jordan Ta’amu is something else
Coming out of Mississippi last year, Ta’amu’s talents were never really in question. The athletic quarterback has traits teams looks for in a quarterback in the modern NFL. With that said, he was also seen as a major project.
What better way to prove yourself than in the start-up XFL? That’s what we’re seeing from the young signal caller as he leads the St. Louis BattleHawks to a first-place standing. Ta’amu completed 20-of-27 passes for 264 yards while adding 63 rushing yards en route to leading St. Louis to a 23-16 win over Seattle. He’s now a clear MVP candidate, joining P.J. Walker in that exclusive list.