NXCWith the NXC going 5-11 in week 1, we have 3 divisions with just 1 undefeated team with only the South having 2 undefeated teams.
With my prediction that all 4 teams in the NXC East would finish with 10 wins, I'm not off to a great start as 3 of the 4 teams already have a lose and there were no division games in week 1 which guarantee (barring ties) 6 loses in division.
EASTBrooklyn They hosted Texas in week 1 and they welcomed in rookie QB Parent for his first game. Brooklyn won easily 24-10 but it had nothing to do with the rookie QB who played well. The game wasn't as close as the score makes it seem since Brooklyn jumped out to a 17-0 lead at halftime before Texas kicked a fieldgoal in the 3rd quarter to make the score 17-3. Brooklyn sealed the game with a 4th quarter TD to make the score 24-3 before Texas scored a meaningless TD late to make the final score more respectable.
●QB Jack Harber did out play the rookie QB but not by much as he threw for 288 yards (6th), 2 TDs (7th) & 1 INT while he was sacked twice.
●WR Scooter Kavanaugh led the team in rushing with 85 yards plus he added 60 yards receiving.
●WR Popcorn Sutton is a rookie drafted in the 2nd round and he led the team in receiving with 76 yards.
●Brooklyn is ranked 4th in offense (452.0) including 7th in rushing (164.0) & 6th Un passing (288.0).
●Brooklyn ranks 7th in defense (274.0) including 5th in rushing (26.0).
●Brooklyn is only 1 of 4 teams with a top 10 offense & defense.
Washington They traveled to the badlands to play Dakota and lost a barn burner 44-28. The game started fast as both teams scored 2 TDs in the 1st quarter where the game entered the 2nd quarter tied 14-14. While Tampa Bay slowed down in the 2nd quarter, Dakota didn't as they scored 2 more TDs to take a 28-14 lead into halftime. Tampa Bay scored a TD first in the 3rd quarter, cutting the lead to 28-21 before Dakota answered with 2 more TDs plus they converted a 2-point conversion on each to extent their lead to 44-21. Washington would score a late TD to make the score closer but it was too little, too late.
●QB Richard New threw for 362 yards (4th), 3 TDs (3rd) & 4 INTs (1st) while being sacked once.
●WR Ronald Robinson led the team in receiving with 106 yards (9th) while WR Donald Dean led the team with 2 TD receptions (2nd).
●CB Jason Robertson paced the defense with 5 tackles & 4 knockdowns (1st).
●Washington is ranked 6th in offense (419.0) including 4th in passing (362.0)
●Washington leads the league in pass attempts (58), completions (38) and turnovers (4).
Providence They traveled to Memphis in week 1 for an early showcase game between two teams that are a staple in the postseason. Memphis starter fast and jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the 1st quarter before Providence responded with 10 points in the 2nd quarter until Memphis added another TD near the end of the half to take a 21-10 lead into halftime. Memphis added a fieldgoal in the 3rd quarter then Providence scored a TD with 6:28 left in the game to make the score 24-17 Memphis. Providence forced a Memphis punt and got the ball back will a chance to tie the game with 3:24 remaining. Providence started from their own 22 and drove to the Memphis 42 yard line but on 4th & 2, QB Gary Villicana had his pass knocked down and they turned the ball over on downs. Memphis would tack on a fieldgoal to win the game 27-17.
●QB Gary Villicana is replacing the retired QB Powers and he has enormous shoes to fill. He threw for 256 yards, 1 TD and 0 INTs while being sacked 3 times.
●WR Richard Hoffman & WR Thomas Marrero led the team in receiving with 76 & 75 yards respectively and Marrero had 1 TD reception.
●CB Eugene Fish & CB John Culp each had 6 tackles & 3 knockdowns (8th) to lead the defense.
Philadelphia They traveled to Daytona in week 1 where they got doubled up by the Bull Sharks 26-13. Daytona scored on 4 of their 6 first half possessions with the other 2 ending in a punt and the half to take a 20-6 lead into halftime. Philadelphia scored a TD to start the 2nd half scoring which trimmed the lead to 20-13 but that's as close as the game got as Daytona tacked on 2 fieldgoals to clinch the victory.
●QB Darren Hensley began his 2nd season as Philadelphia's starting QB throwing for 166 yards, 1 TD and 0 INTs while being sacked 3 times.
●WR Jarrod Ross & WR John Hayes combined for 118 yards (67 rush/51 rec) & 101 yards (66 rush/37 rec) respectively.
●CB Elmo Freeman led the defense with 11 tackles (5th) & 1 knockdown.
●Philadelphia is #1 in the league in yards/carry with an average of 7.8 yards rushing on 19 carries.
WEST Los AngelesThey traveled to Phoenix in week 1 for a division game with their boogeyman as LA has lost 12 straight to the Predators. In fact, the last time LA beat the Phoenix francise, they were still called the Arizona Wranglers back in week 16 of the 2044 season. The streak is now 13 as Phoenix won big 42-10. Los Angeles actually opened up the scoring as they took an early 3-0 lead then it was all Phoenix as they scored 42 unanswered before LA scored a TD in the 4th quarter on a KO return.
●QB Reynaldo Cook threw for just 64 yards, 0 TDs and 1 INT while he remained clean all game and wasn't sacked.
●WR Jordan Garcia returned a 4th quarter KO 110 yards for the only Challengers TD.
●SS Kevin Kangas was late year"s 6th overall pick and he began his 2nd season by matching a career high with 10 tackles (7th) plus he had an interception in the lose.
●Los Angeles is 2nd in the league in interceptions (3) & turnover margin (+3).
Phoenix They hosted division rival Los Angeles and won their 13th straight against the Challengers 42-10. Los Angeles actually opened up the scoring as they took an early 3-0 lead then it was all Phoenix as they scored 42 unanswered before LA scored a TD in the 4th quarter on a KO return.
●QB Brandon Rodriquez started his 2nd season as the Predator's starter by throwing for 414 yards (2nd), 4 TDs (1st) and 3 INTs (2nd) while being sacked 4 times.
●WR Carmelo Cruz lead the league in rushing in week 1 with 128 yards plus he added 61 yards receiving.
●WR James Hulbert lead the team with 115 yards receiving (7th).
●WR Mark Sager had 102 yards receiving (10th) and 2 TD receptions (2nd) to give Phoenix the only pair of 100 yard receivers in week 1.
●CB Jeffrey Daniels paced the defense with 9 tackles & 4 knockdowns (1st).
●Phoenix has the #2 offense & #2 defense and they are just 1 of 4 teams with top 10 rankings in both joining Brooklyn (4th/7th), Cincinnati (7th/3rd) and New York (8th/4th).
Vegas They hosted Kansas City in week 1 and they lost 31-19. The game wasn't as close as the score indicates as Kansas City scored the first 28 points of the game and they went into halftime leading 28-0. Vegas won the 2nd half by a score of 19-3 but it was too little, too late.
●QB Larry Scruggs threw for 332 yards (5th), 1 TD and 3 INTs while being sacked 3 times.
●WR Matthew Schupp led the team in receiving with 10 receptions (2nd) & 83 yards. He also added a 101 yard KO return TD.
●WLB Cesar Menzies was all over the field while amassing 18 tackles to lead the league. He had 5 more tackles then the next closest player. The 9 year vet has played 114 games including 63 starts since being drafted in the 2nd round in 2043 and he has only had 1 other double digit tackle game in his career. In 2046, he had 10 tackles in a game versus Seattle. In fact, Menzies had just 39 tackles in 2050, 34 tackles in 2049 & just 26 tackles in 2048 so the 18 tackles is equal to over 50% of the tackles he has averaged the last 3 seasons (33). His career high in tackles is 89 back in 2047 so the question is will Menzies continue to play at this level or was it just an anomaly.
●Vegas is 5th in passing yards (332.0), 5th in pass attempts (51.0) & 4th in completions (33.0).
Seattle They hosted the 2049 XFL Champion Vancouver Vandals in week 1 and they lost 36-13. The game was actually close in the 1st half where the score was 10-10 until Vancouver scored late in the half to take a 17-10 lead into halftime. Seattle scored first in the 2nd half to cut the lead to 17-13 before Vancouver kicked it into gear scoring 19 unanswered in the 4th quarter to win going away.
●QB Stanley McKeon enters his 4th season as starter after being drafted in the 3rd round of the 2048 draft. He threw for 228 yards, 1 TD and 0 INTs but he was sacked 7 times and he fumbled once which was recovered by Vancouver. He also ran for 24 yards on 2 carries as he was running for his life most of the game.
●WR Jay Garvey led the team in receiving with 60 yards and 1 TD reception.
●CB Garrett Lansberry led the defense with 4 knockdowns (1st) while DT Jeffery Davis led the team with 13 tackles (2nd) which is an incredible number for a true DT.
●Seattle in 4th in completion percentage (78.4%) and 8th in completions (29)
NORTHGem CityThey hosted Buffalo in a week 1 game which featured over 1,000 yards of net offense but the Gangsters accounted for roughly 37% of the total. The game started with Buffalo dominating early and they took a 19-9 lead into halftime. The pace increased in the 2nd half as Gem City outscored Buffalo 21-12 in the 3rd quarter making the score 31-30 after 3 quarters. Buffalo scored the next 2 touchdowns to extent their lead to 43-30 but Gem City would finally answer cutting the lead to 43-37 with 5:25 left in the game. Buffalo would tack on a fieldgoal late and Gem City failed to convert on 4th down as time ran out.
●QB Robbie Heath is entering his 7th season as starter for Gem City after being acquired in a trade with Philadelphia 6 games into the 2045 season. He threw for 234 yards, 3 TDs (3rd) and 2 INTs (6th) while he was sacked once.
●RB Ichabob Crane ran like he was being chased by a headless horseman gaining 101 yards (8th) on just 14 carries where he averaged 7.2 yds/att which is 4th best among players with at least 10 carries. He also returned a KO 107 yards for a TD as apparently Crane's headless demons play on both defense and special teams.
●WR John Long led the team with 93 yards on 7 receptions including 1 TD reception.
●K Scooby Snacks has established himself as the next great Kicker for a francise known for great Kickers. Starting with HOF K Gustavo Fring who was a 7× ALLPRO to K Earl Joyce who was a solid replacement for the HOF to K Scooby Snacks who was drafted in the 5th round of the 2045 draft. He went 3 for 3 on FGs (2nd) plus 4 for 4 on XPs (2nd) and his 94.0% FG success rate for his career is the highest in XFL history among Kickers with at least 200 FG attempts.
●Gem City is 2nd in yds/carry (7.0), 2nd in completions (34) and 3rd in PASS attempts (53.0) and passing TDs (3).
Montana They traveled to Saint Paul to just 1 of the 2 division games in week 1 and they won 22-13. Saint Paul scored first taking a 7-0 lead on the first play from scrimmage. For the next 50 minutes it was all Montana as they scored 22 unanswered to take a 22-7 lead with 4:00 remaining. Saint Paul would score another TD on the first play of the drive to trim the lead to 22-13 after a missed 2 point conversion but they never saw the ball again as Montana ran out the clock.
●QB Benjamin Flanagan began his 2nd season as starter by throwing for 270 yards (9th), 1 TD and 0 INT while being sacked 6 times.
●WR Ty Smith is 3rd in the league with 158 yards receiving plus he has 1 TD reception.
●WLB William Ward led the team with 10 tackles (7th) plus he had 1 knockdown.
●Montana is 9th in completion percentage (67.7), 9th in passing yards (270.0) and 8th in pass yds/attempt (7.9)
ZehlendorfThey hosted New York in week 1 and they were shutout 33-0 as the Empire made themselves feel right at home. New York scored a safety, touchdown and fieldgoal in the 1st half to take a 12-0 lead into halftime. New York scored 3 TDs in the 2nd half as they won the game going away.
●QB Michael Hall is a 12 year vet who has made at least 10 starts in 7 of the last 8 seasons for Zehlendorf. He threw for just 108 yards, 0 TDs and 2 INTs while he was sacked an amazing 9 times. He had to scramble so much that he actually led the team in rushing with 19 yards.
●FS Eric Wicker led the team with 10 tackles (7th)
●Zehlendorf has the 6th ranked pass defense (123.0)
Saint PaulThey hosted division rival Montana in week 1 and they lost 22-13 in a game that wasn't that close. Saint Paul scored first taking a 7-0 lead on the first play from scrimmage. For the next 50 minutes it was all Montana as they scored 22 unanswered to take a 22-7 lead with 4:00 remaining. Saint Paul would score another TD on the first play of the drive to trim the lead to 22-13 after a missed 2 point conversion but they never saw the ball again as Montana ran out the clock.
●QB Stephen Gibson is entering his 12th season as starter for Saint Paul and in the first 11 seasons he has never had more TD passes than INTs in a season. He threw for 288 yards (6th), 2 TDs (7th) and 0 INTs while only being sacked once.
●WR Mike Johnson led the team with 184 yards receiving (2nd) and 2 TD receptions (2nd).
●MLB Jason Cain led the defense with 10 tackles (7th) plus he had 1 sack & 1 hurry.
●Saint Paul is 6th in passing yards (288.0), 6th in pass attempts (50.0), 7th in pass TDs (2) and 4th in sacks (6).
SOUTHMemphis They hosted Providence in week 1 showcase game between two perennial contenders. Memphis starter fast and jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the 1st quarter before Providence responded with 10 points in the 2nd quarter until Memphis added another TD near the end of the half to take a 21-10 lead into halftime. Memphis added a fieldgoal in the 3rd quarter then Providence scored a TD with 6:28 left in the game to make the score 24-17 Memphis. Providence forced a Memphis punt and got the ball back will a chance to tie the game with 3:24 remaining. Providence started from their own 22 and drove to the Memphis 42 yard line but on 4th & 2, QB Gary Villicana had his pass knocked down and they turned the ball over on downs. Memphis would tack on a fieldgoal to win the game 27-17.
●QB Richard Anthony is a rookie drafted in the 4th round and he was the 8th QB taken in the draft. He turned heads in camp and impressed enough to take the starting job from QB Bruce Shadrick. He threw for 260 yards (10th), 1 TD and 1 INT while getting sacked twice.
●WR Reinaldo Millet rushed for 109 yards (5th) and 2 rushing TDs (1st).
●WR Tracy Wert led the team with 140 yard receiving (4th).
●CB Kevin Eastham had 4 knockdowns with is tied for the league lead.
●Memphis has the 10th ranked offense.
●Memphis is 9th in pass attempts (41), 10th in passing (260.0), 5th in yds/rush (6.2) and 2nd in rushing TDs (2).
Atlanta They traveled to Toronto in week 1 and forgot to pack their offense as they were shutout 7-0 in a old school defensive slobbernocker. Toronto had 1 drive all game of 50+ yards and they capitalized on it by scoring the games only touchdown/points. Atlanta had 2 drives of 50+ yards which ended in a missed fieldgoal and an interception.
●QB Charles Deleon was tested for color blindness after the game after throwing for 219 yards, 0 TDs and 3 INTs while being sacked twice.
●WR Dennis Moore combined for 144 yards after leading the team in rushing (74 yards) and receiving (70 yards).
●Atlanta is 2nd in pass attempts (56.0), 5th in completions (32.0), 7th in yds/rush (5.5) and 9th in defense (278.0)
Tampa Bay They hosted the defending Champion Cincinnati Defenders in week 1 and we're shutout 25-0, one year after going 14-2 and winning their first 10 games. Tampa Bay just couldn't get moving on offense as their best 3 drives were 38, 25 & 20 yards which ending with an interception, a turnover on downs and a punt.
●QB Douglas Brock is entering his 10th seasons as starter for Tampa Bay and is coming off his best season where he threw for 4,897 yards, 39 TDs and 16 INTs. In week 1 he threw for 125 yards, 0 TDs and 3 INTs.
●MLB John Price is a rookie who was drafted in the 4th round and he made his presence felt in week 1 by leading the team with 9 tackles plus adding 1 knockdown.
●Tampa Bay is 9th in pass attempts (41.0) and completions (25.0).
●Tampa Bay finds themselves with the worst turnover margin in the XFL (-4).
Carolina They traveled to Pittsburgh in week 1 and they shutout the Blitzkrieg 21-0 amidst the drama of the owner walking away for his francise. Carolina shut them out 21-0 after Pittsburgh had 1 drive of 50+ yards that ended with a fumble. The game wasn't as close as the score indicates as Carolina missed 3 fieldgoals in the win.
●QB Daniel Stroud becomes a 1st season starter for Carolina after being a starter for Washington from 2040-2047 then being a backup the last 3 seasons. He went 15 for 19 passing for 161 yards, 1 TD and 0 INTs while getting sacked just once.
●RB Raymond Lecompte was 2nd in the league with 122 yards rushing.
●TE Leon Roberts led the team in receiving with 93 yards and 1 TD reception.
●K Chris Claycomb was signed to a 6 year deal in the off-season and he was brutal in the win going 2 for 5 on FGs and thankfully it didn't hurt Carolina since the defense shutout Pittsburgh but if Carolina wants to take that next step then they may need to address this issue.
●WR Earnest Underwood is one of the most talented playmakers on the roster and despite play 41 snaps versus Pittsburgh, he had no targets let alone receptions. He did have 3 punt returns but it is puzzling.
●Carolina has the 5th ranked defense and 5th ranked pass defense.