XFL 2023 Results: Week 8 Scores and Best Twitter Reaction from Sunday
We're in the thick of the XFL playoff race, and Week 8 has been a critical one for teams looking to make the postseason.
The red-hot St. Louis Batttlehawks won the first overtime game of the season on Saturday, outlasting the Vegas Vipers 21-17. The Arlington Renegades escaped the Orlando Guardians on Saturday night, winning 18-16 to reach .500 and keep their playoff hopes alive.
The competition continued on Sunday afternoon, with the San Antonio Brahmas hosting the Houston Roughnecks. The Seattle Sea Dragons and D.C. Defenders ended the week on Sunday night.
Roughnecks 17, Brahmas 15
Houston struck first, engineering a lengthy opening drive that took more than six minutes off the clock and ended with a Brandon Silvers touchdown pass to Deontay Burnett. Silvers completed 6-of-9 passes and found five different receivers on the drive.
Max Borghi was stopped on the one-point conversion attempt, leaving the Roughnecks with an early 6-0 lead. San Antonio responded with a promising drive, but the Brahmas were forced to settle for a 26-yard John Parker Romo field goal.
Another strong San Antonio drive in the second quarter faltered just short of the red zone. However, the Brahmas tied the game on a 42-yard field goal by Romo.
Quarterback Jack Coan was sacked twice on the drive and failed to keep the series going after having a 1st-and-10 from the San Antonio 24-yard line. Unsurprisingly, fans on social media were less than thrilled.
Houston managed to regain the lead late in the second quarter with a 41-yard field goal from Austin Jones. The Roughnecks gave the ball back to San Antonio with only 56 seconds remaining before intermission.
The Brahmas pushed into Houston territory just before the break, but Coan was picked off by William Likely—who is quickly emerging as one of the league's top defensive stars—to end the drive.
On the very next play and the final one of the half, Silvers misfired on a deep pass and was picked.
Halftime was bookended by turnovers. Coan was picked off again, with defensive lineman Trevon Mason nearly returning it for a touchdown.
Two plays later, the Roughnecks cashed in with a touchdown pass from Silvers to Garrett Owens. The two-point try was unsuccessful, but Houston still netted a nine-point lead—though in the XFL, that's still a one-possession game.
The Brahmas and Roughnecks traded punts following Owens' touchdown, but San Antonio moved into opposing territory on its next drive. However, the Brahmas stalled, and Romo's 59-yard field-goal attempt was no good. A penalty on Houston gave San Antonio another fourth-down attempt, but that, too, was unsuccessful.
The Roughnecks did little aside from chewing up some clock on their next drive, and the Brahmas entered the fourth quarter with the football and a nine-point deficit.
Another sack of Coan ended San Antonio's drive in Houston territory yet again, and a touchback penalty gave Houston excellent field position. A 21-yard catch-and-run by Borghi immediately put the Roughnecks in San Antonio territory.
While the Roughnecks didn't score on that drive, they did take a little more time off the clock and set up Houston with a long field.
Again, the teams traded punts, giving San Antonio another opportunity with just under six minutes remaining. Unfortunately for Brahmas fans, that series yielded negative yardage and a punt.
Houston had an opportunity to put the game away, but Silvers tossed his second interception of the afternoon in Roughnecks territory with just over three minutes remaining.
Houston's sixth sack of Coan gave the Roughnecks a lot of ground to cover on third down, and San Antonio was forced to try converting a 4th-and-10. Coan's throw to the end zone on that play fell incomplete, but a pass-interference call gave the Brahmas 1st-and-goal at the two-yard line.
Jacques Patrick punched it in one play later, giving San Antonio the touchdown and a chance to tie with a successful three-point conversion. Coan was picked on the points-after try, however, preserving a three-point lead for the Roughnecks.
San Antonio next tried a 4th-and-15 conversion, which serves as the XFL's alternative to an onside kick. An illegal contact penalty on Houston gave the Brahmas a first down and hope.
After a few successful plays and a 49-yard field goal from Romo, the XFL had its second overtime game of the season.
XFL overtime features alternating two-point tries from the 5-yard line. If the game is still tied after each team gets three attempts, they continue to alternate until there is a victor.
Neither team scored on its first two attempts, but Houston finally got into the end zone with a nifty slant pass from McDonald to Burnett. San Antonio failed to answer, giving the Roughnecks the slimmest of victories.
It was a thrilling finish to a fun back-and-forth contest. Social media reaction was mostly positive, though some fans lamented the inconsistent level of play and the disappointing result for San Antonio.
Defenders 34, Sea Dragons 33
Sunday's finale between the Sea Dragons and Defenders had serious playoff implications for both teams.
D.C. came in atop the XFL North, but after experiencing its first loss of the season in Week 7, it didn't have a commanding lead. The Battlehawks moved to 6-2 on Saturday, and Seattle needed a win to keep pace.
After the teams traded punts to open the game, D.C. got on the board with a quick three-play drive. Quarterback Jordan Ta'amu completed passes of 10 and 52 yards before Abram Smith punched it into the end zone.
The two-point attempt was successful, giving D.C. an early 8-0 lead.
The Sea Dragons offense responded with a touchdown of its own three possessions later. Running back Phillip Lindsay—who just joined the team on April 1—capped a lengthy drive with a two-yard rush into the endzone.
The ensuing three-point try was unsuccessful, however, leaving D.C. with a three-point advantage.
Seattle's defense delivered on the ensuing drive, sacking Ta'amu on third down after D.C. marched into Sea Dragons territory. However, the Defenders forced a three-and-out on the next drive and quickly put themselves in scoring position.
D.C. marched into the red zone, and following a critical Sea Dragons penalty on third down, faced a 1st-and-goal from the 7-yard-line. The Defenders cashed in when Ta'amu found Ryquell Armstead for an 11-yard touchdown pass.
A successful two-point conversion gave D.C. a 10-point lead that the Defenders carried into halftime.
Seattle got the ball first after intermission, but a quick three-and-out gave it right back to the Defenders. D.C. added to its lead with Ta'amu's second touchdown pass of the day, this one to tight end Alex Ellis.
Ta'amu was sacked on the ensuing two-point try and fumbled the ball. Sea Dragons linebacker Tyrell Adams scooped up the ball and returned it the length of the field. Following a lengthy discussion between the officials, it was ruled a two-point score for Seattle.
D.C.'s touchdown ultimately only added two points to the Defenders' lead.
That shocking play appeared to give Seattle a ton of momentum. Quarterback Ben DiNucci found Juwan Green for a 46-yard touchdown strike on the ensuing drive. A successful one-point try cut D.C.'s lead to seven points.
Seattle's defense then got a turnover when D.C. change-of-pace quarterback D'Eriq King fumbled. That gave the Sea Dragons the ball on the cusp of the red zone.
However, the Defenders grabbed some momentum back when a tipped pass resulted in an interception and cost Seattle a prime opportunity to put points on the board.
The Sea Dragons got a stop, though, and got the ball back before entering the final quarter. Seattle moved into the red zone, but a timely D.C. blitz on third down forced an incompletion and forced the Sea Dragons to settle for a 29-yard Dominik Eberle field goal.
Despite taking some big blows from Seattle, D.C. still held a 22-18 lead.
The Defenders added to their lead with a 13-play, 72-yard drive that was capped by Ta'amu's third touchdown pass. While that might have been the proverbial dagger in a different contest, Seattle responded quickly with a 56-yard touchdown strike from DiNucci to Green.
The Sea Dragons then converted a three-point play from the 25-yard line following a penalty. Just like that, it was a one-point ballgame.
D.C. responded with a long touchdown pass of its own, this one a 70-yard catch-and-run by Chris Blair. However, the Defenders failed to convert the two-point play, leaving it a one-score game.
Seattle engineered another impressive drive, finishing it with a 14-yard touchdown pass from DiNucci to Blake Jackson. Then, Sea Dragons head coach Jim Haslett made the gutsy decision to go for the two-point play and the win.
DiNucci was sacked, forcing Seattle to attempt a 4th-and-15 conversion. The Sea Dragons were unsuccessful, and D.C. escaped with a hard-fought victory.
It was an exciting finish and a finish way to wrap a wonderful weekend of football.
The Sea Dragons will have a chance to gain some ground back on St. Louis, as the two are scheduled to face off in the Week 9 finale next Sunday.
Week 9 will open Saturday afternoon, with the Roughnecks hosting the Vipers at 12:30 p.m. ET on ABC and ESPN+.
