The Xtreme Football League kicked off its inaugural reboot season Saturday, February 8th with the Seattle Dragons take on the D.C Defenders. This game showcased both the gameplay of the league and the hiccups the rules cause. When I say there were so many flags tossed, I’m not exaggerating. However, the first XFL game was pretty exciting.
The XFL’s rules were probably more understandable on paper than in action. Let’s get into what stood out from the Xtreme Football League’s first game of the 2020 season.
Expectations of the XFL
Off the bat, I wasn’t expecting a return of XFL 2001. That approach was exciting and new at the start, fell apart early on and failed at the end. This time around I simply expected a faster version of the NFL. Not live-action NFL Blitz—which XFL 2001 was going for—just a faster pace of play and presentation.
The team that drew up the league’s rules took from collegiate football and the NFL while cutting out elements that just didn’t work for faster play. XFL’s rules were explained for those watching at home and that’s part of the appeal of the first weekend of action. Just how would the gameplay look?
The D.C Defenders Take On The Seattle Dragons
For the most part, the XFL nailed its goal judging from the action of SEA vs. DC. The first two quarters were eventful and even. The referees didn’t toss out yellow flags that often, oh no that was reserved for the second half of the game.
Third quarter action started with the Seattle Dragons leading 13-12 then the Defenders took the lead following a nice pass from Cardale Jones to tight end Khari Lee. The Defenders made a one-point conversion bring it to 13-19. It would end up tied 19-19 with B.J Silvers passing to Austin Proehl.
After the D.C Defenders scored another touch down at the bottom of the third, that was pretty much it for the Dragons. Following the Defenders getting another touchdown early in the 4th, it was just a death spiral for the Dragons.
The fourth quarter saw the Dragons get several attempts to turn things around. I mean, they really racked up 1st downs on referee decisions. Very few of those 1st downs were undisputed. This saw the Seattle Dragons have possession of the ball for most of the 4th but failing to turn it into something. That 4th quarter made for a really exciting game because there was an expectation that Seattle would at least score again.
Defenders took the first game of the Xtreme Football League 31-19.
Impressions of the First Game
It was new but exciting to watch. This game didn’t come off as cleanly as the Houston Roughnecks beating the Los Angeles Wildcats 37-17 but it had an anticipation factor that one didn’t. The gameplay was just as fast but the Houston vs. L.A game was more technical, D.C vs. Seattle was a war that turned into a doom parade and I enjoyed it.
XFL’s presentation this time around was better and the players were enthusiastic about getting to play from interviews. I mean, this is a professional sport where if you don’t get the NFL there’s nowhere else to play in the U.S. With most of these players pulling five figures and a bonus if your team wins their game, these guys come off hungrier than those with more zeroes on their contract and it shows.
All in all, if you’re not expecting an NFL competitor off the bat or want faster football—or even something new, the Xtreme Football League was a really good experience. Check out highlights from the D.C Defenders hosting the Seattle Dragons below.
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