Every XFL team has faced this dilemma in the last few days since their regular seasons were suspended due to the worldwide pandemic known as (COVID-19).  The fans and teams are left to wonder what might have been and what was still to come. The only thing that remains, for now, is what was.

The New York Guardians finished the regular season in a three-way tie for first place in the East, along with the DC Defenders and St. Louis BattleHawks. All three teams were standing at 3-2, with half a season left to go.

New York was set to face off with the undefeated 5-0 Houston Roughnecks this past weekend on their home field, a place where the Guardians had yet to lose. There were three remaining divisional games left for New York to play. The Guardians had destiny in their own hands after appearing to be completely lost just a few short weeks ago.

How the Guardians got to 3-2, and this position is where the story lies.

After three weeks, the Guardians looked like the most fractured franchise in the entire league. Two consecutive blowout losses to division foes, DC and STL, plus a lack of discipline and division within the team, led to Kevin Gilbride confessing on the sidelines to his star receiver Mekale McKay, that he had misread the team, and had chosen the wrong leaders. Gilbride was looking for others to step up.

In a ten-game season with very little time to reflect and reset, Kevin Gilbride did just that. He took command of the team and turned to new leadership in his locker room. By seasons-end, New York was a completely different team off the field and on. A big credit goes to Kevin Gilbride and his coaching staff, in recognizing the issue and correcting the teams’ course in mid-stream.

The first leader emerging from the ashes was Quarterback Luis Perez. The Guardians had traded for Perez from the LA Wildcats at the tail-end of training camp in January. Perez went from being the Wildcats assigned starting quarterback to a third-stringer with New York.

Luis Perez picked up G.A. Mangus and his offensive scheme quickly and got to work. No player stabilized the New York Guardians season more than Perez. He brought balance and calm to the franchise. Perez, in his first start at Quarterback, exacted revenge on the team that initially anointed him as their starter. The Guardians back home defeated the explosive Josh Johnson led LA Wildcats 17-14.

The following week in Dallas, with Luis Perez back at the controls, he gave his team this speech before the game.

“Our season can go two ways right now, Up or Down. Today’s the day we turn it around. Obsession to detail,  play in, and play out. Do your job, trust the guy next to you, and I promise you, we will come out victorious.”

• • New York Guardians Quarterback Luis Perez addressing his teammates before the start of their game against the Dallas Renegades.

The Guardians took their next step forward, delivering their best overall team performance of the entire season in a 30-12 victory over the Dallas Renegades. The offense produced nearly 400 yards. The Guardian’s defense and special teams continued their run of making game-changing big-plays.

New York had turned their entire season around. After the back to back victories. At the midway point of their campaign, Gilbride had found his new leaders and the Guardians announced their 2020 Team Captains publicly.

At seasons-end, The New York Guardians looked like a legit contender to be playing for a championship in Houston on April 26th.

Let’s take an in-depth look at the team:

NEW YORK GUARDIANS OFFENSE

New York boasted a strong multi-headed backfield with tackle-breaking runners in Darius Victor/Tim Cook, and had begun incorporating the 4.3 speedster Justin Stockton into the mix with success. Highly respected Running Backs Coach Jerald Ingram was at the controls of yet another talented group.

The Guardian’s offensive line under Ronnie Vinklarek had stabilized after some early issues. New York had retooled their depth up front with the acquisition of players like Derek Dennis. Guard Anthony Coyle was named to the Official All-XFL team. The offensive line was playing better as a whole after the continuity of playing half a season together. Tackles John Kling and Jaron Jones were very consistent. Center Ian Silberman brought a lot of tenacity and toughness to the team. Sometimes too much, but he was a force on the inside.

The Guardian’s passing attack was the team’s biggest weakness early on. G.A. Mangus and WR Coach Mike Miller had some early issues to deal with. Thanks to Luis Perez and New York getting healthier at the receiver position. The sky was the limit with the potential of Mekale McKay, Colby Pearson, Tanner Gentry, and the returning DeAngelo Yancey being at full force.

At Tight End. EJ Bibbs was mister everything. He contributed as a lead blocker in the run game, playing multiple positions. Jake Powell was starting to emerge as a receiver and developed good chemistry with Luis Perez. The Guardians got selfless play from this group with talented young players like Jake Sutherland.

NEW YORK GUARDIANS SPECIAL TEAMS

Kicker Matthew McCrane and Punter Justin Vogel were clutch all season long. They were difference-makers, especially in New York’s second win of the season versus LA. The Guardians wouldn’t have won that game without them performing at a high level. The Guardians had also uncovered an explosive returner in Justin Stockton, to strengthen the overall unit further. Linebacker and Special Teams Captain Frank Ginda led the charge for New York. Jeff McInerney and Ray Rychleski were a great tandem in coaching up special teams and assisting the team in other areas as well.

NEW YORK GUARDIANS DEFENSE

The New York Guardians’ defense was a bright spot all season long. Experienced long time defensive assistant Jim Herrmann did a great job coordinating the entire group.

A big key to the Guardians’ defensive success was their fantastic young secondary. They were coached by former NFL All-Pro Chris Dishman.

Cornerback Jamar Summers played as advertised. The second-highest graded corner in the AAF by Pro Football Focus was stellar from week one. No penalties, no touchdowns allowed in five games, and made game-changing plays in New York’s two victories at home against the Vipers and Wildcats.

The Guardians secondary also got terrific play from Dravon-Askew Henry. A corner/safety hybrid from West Virginia, who was stellar in coverage and in tackling. Week after week, Askew-Henry forced incompletions by opposing passers. He led the XFL against Dallas with five pass-breakups.

Not to be outdone was CB Ranthony Texada. The TCU standout, shut down opposing receivers all season. In week 4, Texada played 35 coverage snaps against LA, without allowing a single yard.

Safeties A.J. Hendy and Andrew Soroh provided excellent smarts, toughness, and leadership. Hendy was the team’s sheriff in their secondary.

The New York Guardians’ front seven also raised its level of play to match their stellar secondary. Two young players who emerged were defensive linemen Bunmi Rotimi and Cavon Walker.

New York boasted three mountain men defensive tackles with NFL experience in TJ Barnes, Toby Johnson, and Joey Mbu, but it was Walker and Rotimi that were consistent disrupters for opposing teams offenses.

Former NFL defensive linemen C.J. Ah-You deserves a lot of credit for coaching up a very young and unproven group of players. An assist in uncovering these gems also goes to the Guardian’s front office of Alan “Trip” MacCracken, John Peterson, Chris Thompson, and Evan Ostrow.

Bunmi Rotimi was one of the league’s very best-run defenders. He took up real estate in opposing teams backfields all season long. Rotimi also led all edge rushers in hurries (18).  Cavon Walker led the league with 4.5 sacks in five games. Defensive End Jarrell Owens also started to emerge, his two sacks in week 4 helped lead NY to victory.

Defensive Captain Linebacker Ben Heeney led the team in tackles, and the Guardians linebacking corps with D’Juan Hines, Frank Ginda and tweener Ryan Mueller, were an extremely active group. The ability of these players to play every down against the run and the pass was one of the keys to New York’s success on defense. Assistant Kevin Kelly coached up this unit very well.

SEASON ENDING AWARDS

• OFFENSIVE TEAM MVP: QUARTERBACK LUIS PEREZ
• DEFENSIVE TEAM MVP: CORNERBACK JAMAR SUMMERS
• SPECIAL TEAMS MVP: KICKER MATTHEW MCCRANE

FINAL SUMMARY

Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would be writing this in mid-March. Part of me is still in denial. A promising and exciting climax of the XFL season denied to these players, coaches, and fans.

The New York Guardians were going to have an uphill battle to make the playoffs, based on the numbers. Despite having two home games against division foes, STL and DC, in weeks 8 and 9. Based on net touchdowns from all games and total points in head to head matchups. (The #2 and #3 tie-breakers after head to head) The Guardians would have had a hard time breaking ties if they had finished the season with the same record as the Defenders or BattleHawks.

A 4-1 finish to get to 7-3, might have been what was required. The entire XFL 2020 season is a “What might have been” scenario.

One things for sure. The New York Guardians were headed in the right direction as one of the league’s better teams. One may never know what could have become of the season, and we may not know what’s to come, but the New York Guardians plan to be back on duty in 2021.

“Our season can go two ways right now, Up or Down. Today’s the day we turn it around. Obsession to detail,  play in and play out. Do your job, trust the guy next to you and I promise you, we will come out victorious”

• • New York Guardians Quarterback Luis Perez addressing his teammates before the start of their game against the Dallas Renegades.

Arlington Texas– The New York Guardians have turned their entire season around. Off the heels of their second home victory last week against L.A., the Guardians (3-2) led by recently appointed starting quarterback Luis Perez, played the most complete game of their entire season, besting the Dallas Renegades (2-3) 30-12 at Globe Life Park.

Entering week five, the Guardians were last in the league in every offensive category. From points they have scored, down to yards gained per play. For one half, despite another stellar performance by New York’s defense, and solid special teams play, it appeared as if New York’s offense would continue their early-season struggles. Through no fault of Luis Perez, the receivers had several drops, including one in the end zone, and squandered field position; this led New York to a 6-6 tie with Dallas at the half.

At halftime, Kevin Gilbride addressed his entire team and set them on the right course for the rest of the game.

🗣 “My money is on us and you! Let’s go win this game!”

Hear from @XFLGuardians head coach Kevin Gilbride inside the halftime locker room pic.twitter.com/PX9pgWP5kG

— XFL on FOX (@XFLonFOX) March 7, 2020

“You wanted to turn this into a battle of wills. You wanted to turn it into mental toughness. You wanted to see who wanted it more. My money is on us, it’s on you. Defensively, you’re playing your ass off. Offensively, they can’t even stop you. All you have to do is make the plays that are there to be made. They’re there!  The kicking game, you’ve won games for us before, let’s go win it now as a team”.

Following Gilbride’s halftime speech, the Guardians ended up playing what may have been the best half of football by any team in the XFL this season. Save for one long 92-yard kick return for a touchdown by Dallas’s Austin Walter. New York got the job done on all three phases.

The Guardians marched down the field 76 yards for a touchdown on their opening drive of the second half. The Guardians pass game finally started clicking, as Luis Perez connected twice down the field to Mekale McKay for 45 yards. New York’s three-headed ground attack of Darius Victor, Tim Cook, and Justin Stockton  (32-144), drove the Guardians down to the one before Quarterback Marquise Williams capped off the drive with a one-yard td run.  The Guardians would take a 12-6 lead and never relinquish it.

After forcing the Renegades offense to punt late in the third quarter. Despiting missing both starting offensive tackles, John Kling to injury and Jarron Jones, suspension. The Guardians would immediately go on the attack, connecting on their longest play of the season, when Luis Perez (16/30 229 yards, one td) would connect down the field with Colby Pearson on a stop and go 80-yard catch and run for a touchdown. The longest play of the New York season. Perez would then connect with Justin Stockton for the 2-point conversion, extending the NY lead over Dallas to 20-6.  Almost immediately, New York would add to their expanding lead, when Defensive End Ryan Mueller would bat up and intercept Phillip Nelson’s attempted pass in the flat, and return it 33 yards for the score. A successful one-point conversion by Perez to McKay extended the Guardians lead to 27-6.

The New York Guardians’ defense continued to make life very difficult for Phillip Nelson and the Dallas offense. The Guardians were aided by great coverage from secondary standouts Dravon Askew-Henry and Jamar Summers. New York’s defense harrassed Phillip Nelson (28/49 210 yards, two interceptions) all afternoon long. Led by the XFL leader in sacks, Cavon Walker, who added another two sacks to his league-leading total of 4.5. The Maryland standout has played both DT and DE for New York, and he was in the Dallas backfield all day, finishing with seven total tackles. The Renegades failed to establish any semblance of a rushing attack, and save for Walter’s long kick return to cut the NY lead to 27-12. The Guardians were two steps ahead of the Renegades all afternoon long, leading towards their first road win of the season, decisively over Dallas 30-12.

The victory by New York over Dallas thrusts them right directly into the playoff race in the East. The Guardians now at 3-2, will wait to see who wins tomorrow in DC, between the 3-1 St. Louis BattleHawks and the 2-2 Defenders. Should the Defenders win, it will create a three-way tie for first, with just five games remaining in the regular season. New York has two home dates remaining with both St. Louis (Week 8) and D.C. (Week 9), should the BattleHawks win, New York takes over sole possession of second place and will control their destiny in the playoff race.

For the Dallas Renegades (2-3), by default, they remain in second place in the West with head to head victories over Seattle, and L.A. Dallas heads to D.C. in Week 6, still looking for answers, while their starting Quarterback Landry Jones remains out of the picture.

For the New York Guardians (3-2), they head back to MetLife Stadium, next Saturday at 2 pm ET on ABC, to defend their undefeated home record against the undefeated (5-0) Houston Roughnecks.

East Rutherford, N.J– What a difference a week makes. The New York Guardians (2-2) turned their season around today with a 17-14 victory of the Los Angeles Wildcats (1-3). Both teams came into the day with entirely different outlooks. LA, coming off a dominant home performance against the then-unbeaten DC Defenders, and New York coming off of two straight demoralizing losses on the road, which saw the Guardians outscored 59-9.

With Luis Perez starting at Quarterback, and strong running by Darius Victor (18-82). The New York Guardians offense did just enough offensively to ward off the Wildcats led by Josh Johnson.

The schedule makers can get an assist in this outcome as well. LA had to travel to the east coast and play an early game on short rest. Adding to LA’s disadvantage was the fact that their top receiver Nelson Spruce (knee) and emerging runner Martez Carter (hip), were both unable to suit up and play.

With no ground attack, the LA Wildcats leaned heavily on Josh Johnson (25/40 330 yards 2 touchdowns) to win this game for them. That and Winston Moss employing a refuse to lose mentality and going for it successfully on 4th down on two separate occasions.  Most notably, on a 4th and 2 on their own 28-yard line in the second half. LA nearly stole this game on the road. Two missed field goals by veteran kicker Nick Novak ended up being the difference in the contest. LA outgained NY 350-250.

The difference in this game was the New York Guardians’ defense. Despite giving up big numbers to Johnson and Tre McBride (8-127-1td). The New York defense made big plays all day long in crucial moments. Oklahoma State Star Jarrell Owens had his breakout moment of the early season, with 2 sacks and a blocked field goal. Late in the game tied at 14-14,  LA was driving into NY territory to take the lead.  Superstar cornerback Jamar Summers made one of, if not the best individual defensive play of the early season, with a huge interception and return, that helped slow down the Wildcats second-half momentum.

INTERCEPTION FOR THE “AMBITIOUS BOY” 🔥💪@jsum | #OnDuty pic.twitter.com/5PrE8epvjh

— New York Guardians (@XFLGuardians) February 29, 2020

The Guardians’ special teams also played a hand in today’s triumph. Kicker Matt McCrane made three big kicks (51,23 and 47) in windy conditions at MetLife. Punter Justin Vogel pinned LA deep inside the ten-yard line for what ended up being the Wildcats’ final desperation drive to potentially tie or win the game late.

The story of the day, however, was Quarterback Luis Perez. The player who was once assigned to the Wildcats and positioned as their franchise player was deemed expendable when LA acquired Josh Johnson. Late in training camp, Luis Perez was unceremoniously traded away for backup QB Chad Kanoff. On this day, Luis Perez took command of New York’s beleaguered attack and showed composure and poise in the pocket. Perez finished the day 18/26 for a modest 150 yards and a touchdown, but his numbers on the day could have been better if not for an uncharacteristic deep ball drop by Mekale McKay late, that would have sealed the game. Perez was the reason that LA walked away from MetLife today with a 1-3 record.

New York at 2-2, now heads back on the road to face Bob Stoops and the Dallas Renegades at Globe Life Park, Saturday 5 pm ET on Fox. With six weeks to go, the Guardians’ are now back in the playoff hunt in the East. For the now 1-3 LA Wildcats, they head back home and host the Tampa Bay Vipers in a 9 pm ET/6 pm PT primetime game on ESPN next Sunday.

Post-game Quotes

Los Angeles Wildcats Head Coach, Winston Moss

On being 1-3 and what you tell your team on the way back to LA:

“I thought we had a breakthrough, to be honest with you. After meeting with the guys and there were some emotions and there were some things going on. We’re at a crossroads and I think that with the heart and character, the Wildcat way will show itself strong moving forward. I think this loss is actually going to help us move forward through the rest of this season.”

Los Angeles Wildcats Quarterback, Josh Johnson

On playing consistent football and getting back on track:

“I mean just really focusing on the fundamentals of football- the details- and just trying to go out there and play the quarterback position the way I’ve been taught, and the way that our coaches want me to play it, just trying to take one play at a time, and just execute as best as possible- but obviously it’s not good enough right now. So, just got to find a way to get better.”

New York Guardians Head Coach, Kevin Gilbride:

On the win:

“We’re obviously excited about the win. We’re very pleased with the effort that our players put forth. I thought they continued to fight and play hard, which we needed to do if we’re gonna get a W against a very good football team. Josh Johnson’s a heck of a quarterback and made some spectacular plays, so we were very fortunate to hang in there and win, but that was the thing that I thought we could do if we just don’t self-destruct. We had that one moment where there was a frustrated young man with a holding call, and we just can’t have that. But other than that, I thought the guys showed the kind of discipline that you need to show, and good football teams have. It was a small step but it was at least a step in the right direction, so we’re pleased with that.”

On Quarterback Luis Perez:

“I thought Luis showed the kind of poise and composure and understanding of what we’re trying to do that you like to see from that position. I was very pleased with his effort. He’d be the first one to tell you that there were some chances that he didn’t quite see and he didn’t quite get the ball where he needed to get it to, but the bottom line is you keep playing, and when you miss a throw or you miss an opening that was available to you, it doesn’t destroy you and prevent you from coming back the next play. You continue to play, play in and play out, and he does that very well. Of course, that’s just his makeup. It was good – I think he was a significant catalyst to us playing as well as we did…He’s like most quarterbacks that are the right makeup – the competitive kind of guys that like to be pushed, they like to be coached, they like to be taught as to what you’re trying to achieve. He certainly is a guy that enjoys being a student of the game, a guy that likes to come in and watch the film. He lives with his family still out in California, his wife just had a baby. So he’s got a lot of time on his hands. So when we finished the day at about 5:00, it’s a long day. A lot of guys aren’t looking to come back in, you know. They’ve been here since 8:00 this morning, but he’s there every night. He’s got that kind of drive to absorb as much information and as much knowledge as he can, and he’s done a terrific job in a short period of time. He’s the makeup you’re looking for, no question about it.”

New York Guardians Quarterback, Luis Perez:

On the transition from being an elite bowler to community college to DII Player of the year, now starting for the Guardians:

“I think faith is number one – after so many times – you get stomped on and there are so many different circumstances that happen, you just got to keep faith and keep working, and believe in your work ethic and hope that everything will work out.”

His personal assessment of his first start:

“There are a lot of plays that I wish I had back – As a quarterback you want to be perfect all the time, but obviously that’s not going to be the case, but ultimately it’s about improving, so I’m going to go back and watch the tape and improve for next week.”

On what the message was to the team before the go-ahead FG drive in the fourth quarter:

“It all started by saying we have a bunch of leaders on this team. Coach then says ‘we are going to hit adversity at some point in the game and it’s about how we respond to it that matters. Let’s get a drive going and let’s go get some points.’

On the way the entire team came together to win the game:

“This was the definition of a team win. Matt [McCrane] making all of those kicks, and they were some long kicks. Justin [Vogel], at the end, pinning them inside the 10 yard line. Offense doing our part. We talk about no turnovers all the time in all aspects, and the defense got one, and we didn’t turn it over.”

On the incompletion to McKay:

“Not every play is going to be made. He knows he makes that play 99 out of 100 times. I told him, as soon as that happened, I’m coming back to you, I still have faith in you, and I know you’re going to make a play for me.”

On the crowd support:

“On third down you can hear them chanting and that definitely helps, especially because, as quarterbacks we have the earpiece and when it starts getting really loud, it’s hard to hear the communication. The false starts, all the penalties, it shows up. The crowd played a huge part in that.”

On facing his former team:

“It definitely felt good going against them. Ultimately, I wish them nothing but the best. They’ve been great to me. I talked to a lot of the guys after the game everything was fun and love, I wish them nothing but the best going forward.”

On keeping the momentum going into next week:

“This is definitely a momentum game. Now we got one down, we just need to keep stringing them along, and we know that. We know we didn’t play our best in all facets of the game. We’ve got to be obsessed with detail- not being okay with being average. I think with this win it’s going to help motivate everyone to stack these wins together.”

“At no point in time, did I feel like we were going to be successful today.” Worst game, I have ever been a part of.”
-New York Guardians Quarterback Matt McGloin after being benched in New York’s 27-0 loss to the DC Defenders on Saturday Afternoon.

” One of two things happen when you get your butt beat like we did. You either come together or you splinter.”
-New York Guardians Head Coach Kevin Gilbride addressing his team in the locker room after the Defenders loss.

Washington D.C–  The New York Guardians faced their first big test of the early season in DC on Saturday and failed to build off of last week’s 23-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Vipers. In front of over 15,000 fans at Audi Field, the D.C. Defenders (2-0) controlled the entire game from the outset, while the Guardians (1-1) fell apart at the seams, in a 27-0 loss. To state that it was a terrible day at the office for Guardians Quarterback Matt McGloin would be an understatement.

It was a tale of two entirely different offenses. Defenders Head Coach/play-caller Pep Hamilton and early MVP candidate Cardale Jones (23/37 276 yards 2 td’s 1 int) are in mid-season form, clicking on all cylinders. The Guardians defense was competitive and held DC out of their end zone for the majority of the game until faltering late.

The drama surrounding New York’s offense overshadowed DC’s crisp overall team win, with its dysfunction and ineptitude. A game that saw Quarterback Matt McGloin (8/19 44 yards 2ints) miss multiple open receivers. The 30-year old former NFL quarterback, McGloin looked frustrated from the outset.  At halftime with the Guardians trailing 12-0, ESPN’s Diana Russini interviewed Matt McGloin on the sidelines to get his take on the teams’ first-half struggles.  McGloin told Russini, “We need to change the whole entire gameplan.”  A shot inadvertently or not, taken towards New York’s offensive coordinator G.A. Mangus. Matt McGloin’s struggles would get worse in the second half, missing two receivers downfield for would be-scores, and then throwing an ill-advised pass in the flat, that was intercepted by the Defenders Jameer Thurman and returned for a score from 46-yards out, to give DC an 18-0 lead. At one point, Kevin Gilbride had to calmly get into McGloin’s ear to try and settle the veteran down on the sidelines. McGloin’s woes on the field and sidelines led to him being benched for Quarterback Marquise Williams late in the game.

The excitement behind the quality of the new league that is the XFL hasn’t worn off, but the business of football has begun. The league may be in good standing with its audience, but players or coaches who perform poorly will not be well received. The Quarterback position lends itself to scrutiny, sometimes unfairly, but it’s part of the job. McGloin has always been a stand-up veteran. It’s part of the reason why he was recommended by Andy Reid, and why the Guardians specifically targeted him to lead their offense back in the fall. McGloin certainly had the type of game as a pro, that he would like to forget as soon as possible. The feeling is that Matt McGloin will remain the starter moving forward for the time being.

One of the underlying elements of New York’s early-season offensive struggles is the change in offensive play-caller from Kevin Gilbride to GA Mangus.  Kevin Gilbride has decided to take on a CEO role with the entire team. He’s entrusted Mangus and his offensive staff with the play-calling/design. A significant concession for someone like Gilbride, who has been a play-caller his entire career. One of the aspects lost in last week’s opening win was New York’s struggles on offense (1-10 on 3rd down) the inefficiency was camouflaged by a strong performance from the Guardians defense and special teams. Part of McGloin’s frustration was the play-calling. If New York produces only 137 yards as they did against DC moving forward. Kevin Gilbride may have to retake ownership of the offense. To Kevin Gilbride’s credit, he told the media and his players after the game that the loss was on him. “This is nobody’s fault except mine.” Gilbride is trying to not lose the team, and keep everyone on the same page.

In a shorter ten-game season in the XFL, how the Guardians respond to today’s disappointing loss will tell the tale of their upcoming season.

After the game, Gilbride spoke to the media and expressed his displeasure, “I’m disappointed with how we played, and that’s on me… When you play as poorly as we did today, one of two things is going to happen. You will either recognize that this wasn’t good enough, and you’re going to dig down deeper, and you’re going to rally each other and inspire each other… Or you splinter apart.” Gilbride continued, “I thought they (Guardians defense) played inspired football, it’s not wasted. The effort that was put forth… it was quite an example of how to go about your business… Knowing the character that was demonstrated today, I would be very, very surprised if we don’t rally around each other and come back ready to play next week.”

The Guardians will visit St. Louis next week to take on the BattleHawks in the team’s home opener (Sunday, 3 pm ET on ESPN)  while D.C. will fly cross-country to take on the Los Angeles Wildcats on Sunday, February 23. (6 pm ET/3 pm Pac, FS1).

It’s about how you 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐍𝐃 when times get tough 💯 #OnDuty | #ForTheLoveOfFootball pic.twitter.com/AYFoJ5bybb

— New York Guardians (@XFLGuardians) February 16, 2020

New York Guardians (1-0) at D.C. Defenders (1-0)

• Saturday 2 pm ET (Fox) Audi Field, Washington, D.C
• Point Spread: Defenders -6.5  Over/Under 47.5 (DraftKings Sportsbook)
• Forecast: High 39, Winds 10mph
• Injuries: (New York) G Garrett Brumfield (Head), C Ian Silberman (Thigh), DB Dravon Askew-Henry (Shoulder), DL Cavon Walker (Ankle) (DC) DT Kalani Vakameilalo (Ankle) WR Malachi Dupre (Thigh), CB Desmond Lawrence (Shoulder), TE Khari Lee (Foot), LB AJ Tarpley (Hand), S Shamarko Thomas (Thigh), WR DeAndre Thompkins (Foot), LB Scooby Wright (Knee)

Injury Notes:  While DC’s injury report is lengthier than that of New York, the Defenders are relatively healthy going into week two. The Guardians, on the other hand, have two key injuries worth monitoring. Staring interior linemen Ian Silberman(C) and Garrett Brumfield may miss this Saturday’s game. Damien Mama would be in line to replace Silberman at the pivot, while Avery Young could replace Brumfield at guard. The Guardians may also miss their starting nickel on defense in Dravon-Askew Henry. The team released DeJuan Neal this week and has brought back Jeremiah McKinnon.

New York and D.C. are coming off huge victories at home in the opening week. The Guardians were 23-3 winners over the Tampa Bay Vipers, while DC topped the Dragons 31-19. Both these teams are vying to stay unbeaten and atop the standings in the eastern division. New York has the opportunity to go 2-0 in their division, before traveling to St. Louis for the BattleHawks home opener in week three. The three-game divisional stretch for NY completes half of their eastern schedule, before ending the season with three straight divisional games in weeks eight through ten.

Matchup: Guardians offense versus Defenders defense 

Kevin Gilbride has taken on a CEO type role for the first time in his lengthy coaching career. Last week, Gilbride handed over his play-calling duties to former Steve Spurrier QB and disciple,  QB’s coach G.A. Mangus. The results were mixed. New York struggled to get a ground game going, and McGloin was steady, not spectacular at the controls.

The Defenders employ a 3-4 defense under newly appointed Defensive Coordinator Louie Cioffi. Pep Hamilton handed over the coordinator reins to Cioffi when Jeffrey Fitzgerald departed DC for family reasons. The early returns were pretty positive for DC, while they did give up some big plays to Seattle in the passing game, the defense held up pretty well overall. The defense gave up over 300 yards, but was able to force Brandon Silvers into mistakes. The emerging star of the DC defense is cornerback Elijah Campbell. He had a great showing in week one in coverage, tackling, and even on special teams.

Look for the Guardians to try and establish a more balanced attack on the ground this Saturday. Seattle’s three-headed dragon backfield averaged over 5 yards per carry against DC’s defensive front. The Defenders do not have a dynamic standout player in their front seven, particularly from the edge-rushing position. DC will be getting Scooby Wright back on the inside, and that will help. In the passing game, one of the areas that the Guardians may target, that proved to be vulnerable for DC’s pass defense in week one, is their inside/slot coverage. Seattle’s Austin Proehl had a field day against whomever DC lined up against him. The Dragons also tested the Defender corners deep, and were nearly successful on multiple occasions. Matt McGloin has to show the patience that Brandon Silvers did not, and can’t afford to miss wide-open receivers. Protecting the football on the road is always paramount. McGloin will be tasked with doing just that.

Matchup: Guardians defense versus Defenders offense

The DC Defenders have a valid MVP candidate in Cardale Jones, a proven play-caller in Pep Hamilton, and one of the deepest rosters on offense in the entire league.

Look for DC to try and run the football against NY, the same way Tampa did in week one, to the tune of 150 yards. Running Back Jhurell Pressley, despite having a modest week statistically in week one, forced the second-most missed tackles (5) in the league, a trait he displayed while leading the AAF in rushing. The Guardians are massive upfront on the defensive line. TJ Barnes (350), Joey Mbu (330), Toby Johnson (350), and Cavon Walker (290). The issue is lateral speed and wearing down late in games because of their size. The Guardian linebackers were fantastic last week, making plays from sideline to sideline, led by their captain Ben Heeney. The one area that is a weakness in New York’s linebacking corps is their lack of size. Look for DC to try and get their impressive young linemen like mauler Rishard Cook to the second level to force New York’s smaller backers to disengage and beat blocks.  The Guardians defense must also be prepared for dual-threat quarterback Tyree Jackson. The 6’7 monster from UB was used sparingly last week in the RPO game, but he could see his role increase, especially in red-zone packages. The Vipers had some success last week against NY  with a similar player in Quentin Flowers.

Last week. the Guardians defense bent but didn’t break, and Tampa’s offensive line provided Aaron Murray plenty of time. But, because of stellar coverage, Murray had to eat five sacks. The same recipe won’t work for New York against Cardale Jones and the DC passing game. Cardale can shed defenders and make plays with his arm by using his feet. He escaped out of trouble several times last week. Jim Herrman will have to decide when to blitz Cardale, but his defenders will have to get Jones down immediately. Rashad Ross and DeAndre Thompkins are genuine home run threats on the outside. Eli Rogers is a great security blanket underneath for Cardale.  New York has excellent speed and athleticism on the back end of their defense but one area that is lacking in size. The Vipers exploited this with Daniel Williams and Nick Truesdell last week. The Defenders present a different set of receivers than the Vipers have. Will Herrmann decide to shadow Jamar Summers on Eli Rogers or Rashad Ross?  New York corner Bryce Jones is a former track star and has the speed to keep up, but he will be tested.

Special Teams Matchup: Guardians versus Defenders

The New York staff gave a good glimpse as to how the XFL kickoff will be schemed by most coaching staffs. Coaches Jeff McInerney and Ray Rychleski designed their returns and blocking schemes like running plays. Using movement and double team blocks to create running lanes. It paid off on Austin Duke’s 59-yard return at the start of last week’s opener. DC’s special teams’ coordinator Steve Wilson has probably spent the week preparing for New York’s return alignments. Both sides have dependable kicking specialists on their rosters. Ty Rausa redeemed himself after missing a short kick in week one, by nailing a 55-yard field goal at the end of the half. The elements have thus far played into these two northeast teams favor, despite it being February.

Final Summary

Both the New York and D.C. coaching staffs have something that they didn’t have going into last week. Game film to study their opponent. Before week one, XFL teams had to get creative in their game planning for their opponents. Most staffs resorted to going back to old footage of a teams’ coordinators or players in different leagues. Now, the game film to prepare is week one in the XFL.

This is a massive game for both teams. The winner of Saturday’s game will get a considerable boost in their season outlook. Especially New York, they play the Defenders later in the season at home. Stealing a division game on the road will feel like two wins.  The Guardians are going into this game as heavy road underdogs. Lost in the hysteria of last week’s New York win, is that the Guardians were outgained by the Vipers, and didn’t play particularly well on both sides of the ball. When you win in pro football, your flaws are camouflaged. When you lose, they are magnified. If the Guardians are going to win this game, they will have to play better than they did last week. This is an excellent test for them to see how they handle not playing at home against a powerful and formidable opponent.