XFL Week 3: What we learned

1) P.J. Walker is really good and Houston’s offense is explosive

Walker finished 24-of-36 for 306 yards with three passing touchdowns, 34 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown, and no turnovers. Walker seems to get better every week and as of right now this team is may be the best in the XFL. That’s not just because of Walker either. The Roughnecks have weapons all over the place and the win over Tampa Bay put that on display as Cam Phillips finished with a ridiculous 8-194-3 stat line off of 10 targets, and has now scored six touchdowns in the last two games. The running game was solid too, with running back James Butler also playing well. He rushed seven times for 72 yards.

2) Tampa is not a lost cause after all

The crowd was nice and the game was one of the best played in this inaugural season. Coach Marc Trestman, for some reason in the first half, continued to play quarterback roulette which almost never works, In the second half, he settled on Taylor Cornelius. Cornelius finished 16-of-31 for 193 yards with two touchdowns (one passing, one rushing) and an interception. That one interception killed any chance they had left to win the game though. The Vipers look like they are destined to look back after the season and wonder what might have been if they only had a quarterback.

3) If Dallas would just run the ball

Once again the Renegades didn’t commit to running the ball until the second half and just like last week, once they did it was game over. Quarterback Landry Jones played relatively well, completing 30-of-41 for 274 yards and three touchdowns. He also had two interceptions, which is why the game was so close at the beginning. Then the running game took over as Cameron Artis-Payne had 110 scrimmage yards. To win a Championship they must start off more balanced. Landry Jones is a solid quarterback for this league but he will not throw them to a title without a great effort from the ground game.

4) A lot to like in Seattle

The crowds have been great and the team is improving as quarterback Brandon Silvers played better this week, going 21-of-34 for 204 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. The big issue in Seattle is the lack of a running game. If they can get that figured out they could make some noise.

5) Cardale Jones and Matt McGloin were a little off in week 3

It’s to be expected with McGloin, but Jones had played lights out the first two weeks of the season. Jones, I will take as just a bad game. With McGloin it is more of a pattern that he is not very good and I am guessing he has started his last game for the Guardians.

6) Attendance in Los Angeles is not good and that was to be expected

Los Angeles doesn’t draw well for the Chargers so why should an XFL team be any different? I still think you move the Los Angeles team if the attendance continues to hover around the 10K mark. I still maintain that no expansion should take place after this year, but moving a team that’s underperforming is another issue altogether.