Well, things couldn’t have gotten off to a much better start for the XFL. Twitter was ablaze with praise for the league that kicked off on Saturday. For good reason, too. Vince McMahon’s 2nd stint in the world of professional football seems to be a stark contrast to his 1st. You don’t have wrestlers cutting promos before games…there’s no Jim Ross on commentary. This iteration of the XFL has no pro wrestling vibe at all. Most importantly, the quality of the football (at least in Week 1) was phenomenal. Leading the charge were DC Defenders quarterback Cardale Jones and Houston Roughnecks quarterback PJ Walker.
More like DC Offenders
— XFL (@xfl2020) February 8, 2020
@ABCNetwork
️ https://t.co/Y3eyIb9PfX pic.twitter.com/ePH2B9TG1O
.@CJ1two got. it. done. in his first ever #XFL game pic.twitter.com/Qc7kcVCWWT
— XFL (@xfl2020) February 9, 2020
The Defenders got the win, meaning Cardale Jones is now 12-0 as a starting quarterback since high school. The dude in those clips looks like the guy we thought he was going to be when the Buffalo Bills drafted him in the 4th round a few years ago. This is a great thing for the XFL…to have a guy that most football fans know playing well. Brand identity, baby! Jones finished the game 16/26 for 235 yards and two touchdowns.
PJ Walker has an absolute CANNON pic.twitter.com/IeHzhKZIRm
— XFL (@xfl2020) February 8, 2020
Walker looks like he might be the XFL MVP front runner right out of the gate. What an impressive throw. The Roughnecks posted 37 on the Wildcats, the most points of any team in Week 1. Walker finished 23/39 for 272 yards, FOUR touchdowns, and a pick.
A couple of lower scoring games on Sunday, but how cool was it to see the St. Louis Battlehawks get that win behind their franchise quarterback Jordan Ta’amu? Football’s back in St. Louis, baby.
Jordan Ta'amu got it done on the ground and in the air pic.twitter.com/XOgxxEjlcF
— XFL (@xfl2020) February 10, 2020
The reason I say the quality of the football itself is most important is because that’s basically the product you’re selling. If we get several more weeks of what we saw in Week 1, we’re in for quite the show. The XFL has showed us what they can do. Now, they just have to keep the momentum going. Remember, a year ago, the AAF or whatever it was called, had a strong first week before fizzling out big time.
But, what’s different about the XFL, aside from good football, is the branding. The AAF kinda felt dated…like it was a bunch of old dudes just trying to get more football on the air. The XFL feels a little more hip. The production by FOX Sports was as professional as their college football and NFL coverage. And, the social media game is strong for the XFL (big time props to whoever’s running that thing). It feels like the XFL brain trust “gets it,” and as long as the football’s good, they may be onto something here.
Attendance was reported at around or above 17,000 at each game this weekend. That’s pretty wild.
Man, I want spring football to work so badly. LFG!
Week 1 XFL Scores
DC Defenders 31, Seattle Dragons 19
Houston Roughnecks 37, Los Angeles Dragons 17
New York Guardians 23, Tampa Bay Vipers 3
Dallas Renegades 9, St. Louis Battlehawks 15
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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