After losing their first game to a winless team, the D.C. Defenders looked to reverse course against the only remaining team without a victory, the Tampa Bay Vipers.Instead, the road to redemption was blocked as the winless Vipers closed that exit in a 25-0 Tampa Bay win.
The Defenders finished with a pitiful 107 yards of total offense in falling to 2-2 on the season.
D.C dropped out of first after a win by St.Louis and with a win by New York earlier in the weekend, the Defenders are now in a tie for second.
The Defenders' chances for a division title could be on the line next Sunday at Audi Field as the Defenders host the first-place Nighthawks.
Defensive Deflections
1) I know the fifth game seems to be early to proclaim that a game is a "must-win", but if the Defenders want to win a division title, it could be.
D.C hosts first place St.Louis and are currently behind the Nighthawks by one game.
Win next week and move into a tie for first, lose it and fall two behind with five to go.
Not insurmountable, but behind the eight ball for sure.
2) I'm not sure what happened to this team in two weeks.
They looked like (along with undefeated Houston) to be the best team in the league and just crushed in back to back games to winless teams?
Befuddled.
3) Pep Hamilton wasn't a coach that I was excited about in picking my team, but the cameras and microphones don't him any favors.
Hamilton gives off the vibe that "Michael Scott" vibe that seems oblivious to the chaos around him and has no idea what to do about it.
Hamilton's calm and while I'm not saying he has to go crazy, a little outward emotion may help.
4) Here's Hamilton at his worst.
Midway in the second quarter, Cardale Jones throws a deep ball to Malachi Dupre on a third down.
Dupre is ruled out of bounds on the catch, which was a good call, but it was worth a review.
The officials look at it and rule that Dupre was out of bounds and kicker Ty Rausa enters for a field goal attempt.
Rausa lines up and just as he kicks the ball, Pep Hamilton has used one of his two timeouts to "review the play".
We know this because the cameras catch all this, Hamilton asks for a review that has been completed, so back comes Rausa for another try.
Kick Blocked.
5) Someone trying to stop the run might be a nice idea as well.
Tampa Bay's starting running backs DeVone Smith and Jacques Patrick each rushed over 100 yards on the evening as the Vipers finished with 266 yards rushing.
D.C. had no clue for the Viper running game, which wasn't overwhelming anyone in their previous three games.
6) Not that they were any better against the pass as Tampa Bay's backup Taylor Cornelius completed 24 of his 31 throws for over 200 yards and a touchdown.
The pass rush didn't register a sack and allowed Cornelius to have as much time as he needed in the pocket.
Other than a nifty interception by Rakim Moore, I can't come up with anything nice to say about the defense.
7) Cardale Jones continued to struggle as he completed only nine of twenty-two passes for 72 yards and an interception.
The offensive line hasn't given him a lot of time to throw and the communication issues continued in the loss, but some of the inaccuracy has to go to Jones, who overthrew Rashad Ross in the second quarter on what would have easily been a long touchdown and could have shaken some of the mildew off the offense.
8) This was a painful game to watch and for a team with this much talent (for the level) to be demolished like this two weeks in a row is very concerning.
It does seem that (other than Houston) home field is immensely important in the XFL and the Defenders will bounce back next Sunday at home.
If they don't- the playoffs may not be out of hand, but the division title could be.
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