In many ways, the XFL’s third weekend was a who’s who game as the league’s regular season moved past the quarter pole. While the outcomes were somewhat predictable (we went a perfect 4-0 in our Week 3 picks), last week’s results reinforced which teams are contenders versus pretenders.
Only two teams remain undefeated through three weeks: the D.C. Defenders and the Houston Roughnecks. The Defenders were No. 1 in each of our previous Power Rankings, while the Roughnecks started in the middle of the pack before quickly moving up into the No. 2 spot. Both teams justified their spots in our Power Rankings by again taking care of business this past weekend.
Did Houston do enough to surpass D.C.? We have that answer and the rest of our updated Power Rankings below ahead of the XFL’s fourth weekend.
1. D.C. Defenders (3-0)
After two wins in low-scoring games, the Defenders proved last weekend they can win a shootout. D.C. posted a 34-28 win over a BattleHawks team that came into the game with an unblemished mark. As has been the case all year, the Defenders’ defense played an integral role in the game by forcing four turnovers that included Michael Turner’s pick-six of St. Louis quarterback A.J. McCarron.
On offense, the Defenders continued to roll on the ground with 136 yards and a touchdown. But the really encouraging part of this game for D.C. was the play of quarterback Jordan Ta’amu, who enjoyed his best game to date after throwing for 196 yards and a touchdown.
2. Houston Roughnecks (3-0)
Houston appeared on its way to taking the No. 1 spot after playing a near-perfect first half last Sunday night against San Antonio. The Roughnecks led 22-7 at halftime after receiving a brilliant first half from quarterback Brandon Silvers, who completed 15 of his first 20 pass attempts for 225 yards and three touchdowns.
It was a different story in the second half, however, as Houston was outscored 6-0 in an eventual 22-13 win. The Roughnecks’ defense came up with several big stops, but their offense came up empty with two drives that ended in punts, two on missed fourth-down attempts and another via an interception.
Along with Silvers and Jontre Kirkland’s two touchdown catches, one positive regarding Houston’s offense on Sunday was running back Max Borghi, whose 74 yards on 15 carries helped Houston win time of possession while running 20 more plays than the…
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