Standings

Please visit XFL website at: https://www.xfl.com/ for Official Standings [Last Accessed 18 February 2023]

Playoff Schedule

Please visit XFL website at: https://www.xfl.com/ for Official Standings [Last Accessed 10 September 2023]

Regular Season Schedule

All Times ET. Please visit XFL website at: https://www.xfl.com/schedule for Official Schedule [Last Accessed 18 February 2023]

Weekly Recaps

Week 1 (18-19 February 2023)

Vegas Vipers travelled to Arlington, Texas to open the 2023 XFL season at the Renegades. Inspite of two first half touchdown passes from Luis Perez to Jeff Badet, building up a 14-3 lead at halftime, Vegas fell behind in the third quarter to a T Laulile Interception Return for touchdown and two T Russolino Field Goals as Arlington Renegades went into the final quarter 15-14 up. Another Luis Perez to Jeff Badet pass intercepted and return for touchdown by De Vante Bausby with just over four minutes to go and subsequent two-point conversion by Deveon Smith left Vegas needing a TD and 2-point conversion to force the game into overtime. Cinque Sweeting caught a 20 TD pass from Luis Perez with 12 seconds remaining but Arlington were left to celebrate after the 2-point conversion attempt failed. [References: 2]

Despite taking the lead early in the first quarter through Cody Latimer’s reception touchdown from Paxton Lynch, Orlando Guardians were to fall 6-24 down by the fourth quarter as Houston Roughnecks rattled off three touchdowns and two field goals in a 24-point scoring streak. Jontre Kirklin and Deontay Burnett both catching touchdown passes from Brandon Silvers and a 27-yard Max Borghi rushing TD left Orlando with a mountain to climb with 10 minutes remaining. Andrew Jameil caught a Quinten Dormady pass for a touchdown to reduce the deficit, but the game was put beyond doubt after Cole McDonald’s five yard rushing Touchdown with three minutes to go. H Duplessis added a third field goal for Houston near the end as the Roughnecks finished the game 33-12 winners. [References: 3]

Despite leading 15-3 with a little over two minutes renmaining San Antonio Brahmas lost their home opener to St. Louis Battlehawks after the Battlehawks drew within three points on Hakeem Butler’s TD reception from A.J. McCarron with 1:25 left in the fourth quarter. Following a successful three-pioint conversion pass from A.J. McCarron to Austin Proehl which brought St. Louis within three points, the Battlehawks were successful with the onside kick before a successful 14 yard pass for touchdown from McCarron to Proehl to wrap up an amazing comeback. [References: 4]

An Interception by Michael Joseph which was returned for a touchdown in the third quarter proved decisive in D.C. Defenders comeback versus Seattle Sea Dragons. With the successful two-point conversion it left the Defenders two-pints behind the Sea Dragons and the home team won the game early in the fourth quarter when Deriq King ran in from five yards out. [References: 5]

Week 2 (23-28 February 2023)

D.C. Defenders and St. Louis Battlehawks were clear leaders in the North Division after Week 2, both teams standing on 2-0 as the Defenders defeated Vegas Vipers 18-6 on a wet and windy night at Las Vegas’ old Baseball stadium, Cashman Field, last used for Professional Football in 1964 when Oakland Raiders played Houston Oilers in the AFL. D.C. went on a 15-point scoring streak in the fourth quarter to haul back a 3-6 deficit and win the game [References: S-6]

St. Louis Battlewhawks joined the Defenders on 2-0 with a 44-yard Field Goal from Donny Hageman to win the game 20-18 versus Seattle Sea Dragons. There has been a long list of 44-yard Field Goal heartbreaks for the Emerald City – In 2019 the Seattle Seahawks of the NFL missed a last second FG to hand the game to St. Louis Rams. Arizona Cardinals also defeated Seattle Seahawks with a 44-yarder in Overtime in 2020 and the Seahawks Jason Myers had made 37 consecutive FGs before missing one from 44-yards. [References: S-6]

In the South Division San Antonio Brahmas moved to 1-1 with a 30-12 defeat of struggling Orlando Guardians. Former Notre Dame Fighting Irish College star Jack Coan passed for three touchdowns in the victory. The game was a homecoming for San Antonio running back Jacques Patrick who starred at a local High School. [References: S-6]

Houston Roughnecks and Arlington Renegades, both 1-0 coming into the game, served up a brilliant game for Texas football fans, as a see-saw battle in Houston, with Renegades 14-11 up at halftime. Cedric Byrd stepped up the pace for the Roughnecks in the second half, however, as the Houston wide receiver put the home town team ahead with a short touchdown catch. After a Renegades FG, Max Borghi ran up the middle for a late TD to seal the win for Houston Roughnecks, 23-14. [References: S-6]

Week 3 (4-5 March 2023)

Three high-octane shootouts and one quieter game greeted fans in week 3 of the XFL. Arlington Renegades moved into second place in the XFL South with a close 10-9 defeat of Orlando Guardians, leaving the Guardians on 0-3. Houston Roughnecks, meanwhile, were firmly in the lead of the South Division after a 22-13 victory over San Antonio Brahmas in the Texas rivalry game which closed out the weekend. Earlier in the weekend, the North Division similarly had a 3-2-1-0 cascade of wins in the Standings with Seattle Sea Dragons improving to 1-2 after a 30-26 defeat of Vegas Vipers in the battle of two winless teams. Meanwhile D.C. Defenders took the spoils at the top end of the table with a 34-28 defeat of St. Louis Battlehawks in a Wild West Shootout of a game between two teams yet to be defeated in 2023. [References: S-7]

Week 5 (16-19 March 2023)

The week started with Seattle Sea Dragons shocking the Houston Roughnecks 21-14 on Thursday night to hand the Texas team their first ever loss. The victory put the Sea Dragons on 3-2, two games behind new Kingpins D.C. Defenders who improved to 5-0 with a 28-20 win at St. Louis Battlehawks, who dropped to 3-2, both teams also playing in the XFL North Division. Also in the North Division Vegas Vipers finally managed to put a W in the win column with a close and high-scoring 35-32 defeat of Orlando Guardians in Nevada. The loss was Orlando’s fifth-straight to start the season and the Florida team prop up the XFL South Division. On Sunday evening Arlington Renegades made the trip South to take on fellow Texans San Antonio Brahmas, winning 12-10 in a low-scoring affair. With the win Arlington move a game closer to South Division leaders Houston on 3-2 and San Antonio drop to 1-4. [References: 1]

Week 6 (25-27 March 2023)

The XFL’s top two teams met in USA’s Capital City – D.C. Defenders triumphed 37-26 at home to Houston Roughnecks to remain the only undefeated team on 6-0 as the Roughnecks slumped to a second-straight defeat after starting the season 4-0. St. Louis Battlehawks and Seattle Sea Dragons both won over bottom-placed teams to improve to 4-2 in the North Division: Seattle winning by a touchdown, 26-19 over Orlando Guardians (0-6), and St. Louis having an easier time in Nevada, winning 29-6 at Vegas Vipers (1-5). In an all-Texas battle in the South Division, San Antonio Brahmas considerably improved their chances of a playoff place with a 15-9 defeat of Arlington Renegades to gain a second win of the season as Arlington dropped to the .500 mark with the loss, and also missed the chance to draw level with Houston at the top of the Division. [References: 1]

Week 7 (31 March-1 April 2023)

With all three teams in the North Division winning besides the undefeated coming into the week D.C. Defenders it left a close race for the Division title with only three games to go in the regular season. Both Seattle Sea Dragons (at Arlington Renegades, 3-4) and St. Louis Battlehawks (at Houston Roughnecks, 4-3) won by the identical scoreline of 24-15 as both teams improved to 5-2. Vegas Vipers gained a second win of the season, 26-12 versus San Antonio Brahmas in Nevada as the Brahmas dropped to 2-5. Meanwhile in the biggest shock of the entire campaign Orlando Guardians, who were winless coming into the game defeated the previously undefeated D.C. Defenders 37-36 in Central Florida. As it stood, Vegas Vipers are the only team eliminated from postseason play after week seven. [References: 1]

Division Championships (29-30 April 2023)

Irish-born punter Dan Whelan kicked a 57-yard punt for D.C. Defenders as the team from USA’s Capitol defeated Seattle Sea Dragons 37-21 in the North Division Championship to reach the XFL Championship Game. Defenders went on to play Arlington Renegades from Texas in the Championship after the Renegades defeated Houston Roughnecks 26-11 in an all-Texas South Division Championship Game. [References: 1-2, S-11, P1-P2]

XFL Championship (13 May 2023)

Irish-born punter Daniel Whelan kicked three punts for a total 158 yards, putting two punts inside the 20 yard line of Arlington and including a long of 64 yards, but was to be disappointed after his D.C. Defenders lost 35-26 to the Renegades in the 2023 XFL Championship Game. [References: 1-2, S-12, P1-P2]

About the 2023 XFL Season

The 2023 XFL season is the third in XFL History, having already played in 2001 and 2020. Seven of the eight teams from 2020 are returning in some form, the exception being Los Angeles Wildcats who were replaced by San Antonio Brahmas. D.C. Defenders, St. Louis Battlehawks and Houston Roughnecks return with the same name and much the same image. Seattle Dragons have been renamed Seattle Sea Dragons, and have adopted orange as their primary colour. Dallas Renegades have been renamed Arlington Renegades after the city where they are based, a satellite city of Dallas. Tampa Bay Vipers have been relocated to Vegas and adopted red and black as their colour-scheme rather than green and lime. New York Guardians have been moved to Orlando and adopted silver and lime as their primary colours. The eight teams are divided into two divisions of four teams each, with top two in each division playing in semi-finals.

XFL Photo (2020)

References

[1] XFL (2023) 2023 League Schedule [Internet] Available from: https://www.xfl.com/schedule [Accessed 9 April 2023][Print Schedule at: https://assets.contentstack.io/v3/assets/bltc7f51537c5999ea8/blt502e44053a17fe3a/XFLLEAGUESCHED23_1SHEET.pdf ][Accessed 18 February 2023][Last Accessed 10 September 2023]

[2] XFL (2023) Standings [Internet] Available from: https://www.xfl.com/standings [Accessed 9 April 2023]

[S-2] XFL (2023) 202302001 Vegas at Arlington [Internet] Available from: https://www.xfl.com/games/2302001-VGS-at-ARL [Accessed 18 February 2023]

[S-3] XFL (2023) 202302002 Orlando at Houston [Internet] Available from: https://www.xfl.com/games/2302002-ORL-at-HOU [Accessed 18 February 2023]

[S-4] XFL (2023) 2302003 St. Louis at San Antonio [Internet] Available from: https://www.xfl.com/games/2302003-STL-at-SA [Accessed 20 February 2023]

[S-5] XFL (2023) 2302004 Seattle at D.C. [Internet] Available from: https://www.xfl.com/games/2302004-SEA-at-DC [Accessed 20 February 2023]

[S-6] XFL (2023) XFL Rewind: Week 2 Blog by Josh Lewis, 28 February 2023 [Internet] Available from: https://www.xfl.com/xfl-rewind/week-2 [Accessed 2 March 2023]

[S-7] XFL (2023) XFL Rewind: Week 3 Blog by Josh Lewis, 06 Mar 2023 [Internet] Available from: https://www.xfl.com/xfl-rewind/week-3 [Accessed 9 March 2023]

[S-8] XFL (2023) XFL Rewind: Week 4 Blog by Josh Lewis, 13 Mar 2023 [Internet] Available from: https://www.xfl.com/xfl-rewind/week-4 [Accessed 16 March 2023]

[S-11] XFL (2023) 2023 North Division Championship – Seattle Sea Dragons 21 DC Defenders 37 [Internet] Available from: https://www.xfl.com/games/2303001-NorthChamp-SEA-at-DC [Accessed 10 September 2023]

[S-12] XFL (2023) 2023 Championship – Arlington Renegades 35 DC Defenders 26 [Internet] Available from: hhttps://www.xfl.com/games/2303003-Champ-ARL-at-DC [Accessed 10 September 2023]

Player References

[P-1] RTE Online, 2023-08-29 (2023) Green Bay Packers take a punt on Irish-born Dan Whelan [Internet] Available from: https://www.rte.ie/sport/us-sport/2023/0829/1402335-green-bay-packers-take-a-punt-on-whelan/ [Accessed 10 September 2023]

[P-2] MSN / Journal.ie (2023) ‘Proud moment for the School’ – Excitement in Bray as former student chases NFL history [Internet] Available from: https://www.msn.com/en-ie/sports/nfl/proud-moment-for-the-school-excitement-in-bray-as-former-student-chases-nfl-history/ar-AA1ga5ec [Accessed 10 September 2023]

Logo References

[L-X1] XFL (2023) Arlington_Renegades_Mastersheet_Renegade_Lockup [Internet] Available from: https://res.cloudinary.com/xfl-production/image/upload/c_thumb,w_128,g_face/v1675657573/xfl-prod/logos/Arlington_Renegades_Mastersheet_Renegade_Lockup.png [Accessed 9 April 2023]

[L-X2] XFL (2023) DC_Defenders_Mastersheet_Defenders_Lockup [Internet] Available from: https://res.cloudinary.com/xfl-production/image/upload/c_thumb,w_128,g_face/v1675657573/xfl-prod/logos/DC_Defenders_Mastersheet_Defenders_Lockup.png [Accessed 9 April 2023]

[L-X3] XFL (2023) Houston_Roughnecks_Mastersheet_Roughnecks_Lockup [Internet] Available from: https://res.cloudinary.com/xfl-production/image/upload/c_thumb,w_128,g_face/v1675657573/xfl-prod/logos/Houston_Roughnecks_Mastersheet_Roughnecks_Lockup.png [Accessed 9 April 2023]

[L-X4] XFL (2023) Orlando_Guardians_Mastersheet_Guardians_Lockup [Internet] Available from: https://res.cloudinary.com/xfl-production/image/upload/c_thumb,w_128,g_face/v1675657573/xfl-prod/logos/Orlando_Guardians_Mastersheet_Guardians_Lockup.png [Accessed 9 April 2023]

[L-X5] San Antonio Brahmas Facebook (2022) Profile Picture, October 31, 2022 [Internet] Available from: https://www.facebook.com/XFLBrahmas/photos/a.108127215315874/137042252424370 [Accessed 9 April 2023][Actual Logo Reference at: https://scontent-dub4-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/313398847_137042249091037_9104381537955930824_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=09cbfe&_nc_ohc=hMdwiO4qmUIAX_OBOpU&_nc_ht=scontent-dub4-1.xx&oh=00_AfCq7u4MGmsAg38ijxc5pAwvwKGcWbZnU22bzZlyZOl44w&oe=6438AEC2 ][Accessed 9 April 2023]

[L-X6] XFL (2023) Seattle_SeaDragons_Mastersheet_Sea_Dragons_Lockup [Internet] Available from: https://res.cloudinary.com/xfl-production/image/upload/c_thumb,w_128,g_face/v1675657573/xfl-prod/logos/Seattle_SeaDragons_Mastersheet_Sea_Dragons_Lockup.png [Accessed 9 April 2023]

[L-X7] XFL (2023) STL_Battlehawks_MasterSheet_Battlehawk_Lockup [Internet] Available from: https://res.cloudinary.com/xfl-production/image/upload/c_thumb,w_128,g_face/v1675657573/xfl-prod/logos/STL_Battlehawks_MasterSheet_Battlehawk_Lockup.png  [Accessed 9 April 2023]

[L-X8] XFL (2023) Vegas_Vipers_Mastersheet_Vipers_Lockup [Internet] Available from: https://res.cloudinary.com/xfl-production/image/upload/c_thumb,w_128,g_face/v1675657573/xfl-prod/logos/Vegas_Vipers_Mastersheet_Vipers_Lockup.png [Accessed 9 April 2023]

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thanks to Los Mysterio and all at Everything Football

ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT

Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the

Eirball | Irish North American and World Sports Archive

Last Updated: 10 September 2023

(c) Copyright Enda Mulcahy and Eirball 2023

You may quote this document in part provided that proper acknowledgement is given to the authors. All Rights Reserved. The Logos and Photos used in this article remain the property of the organisations and individuals which own the copyright and are used here for educational and information purposes only.