The DC Defenders took their first loss of the season on Sunday in Los Angeles, falling 39-9, and giving the Los Angeles Wildcats their first win of the season.
This result was widely unexpected for the Defenders, who spent the first two weeks of the season near the top of the leagues power rankings, behind only the Houston Roughnecks.
Everything was off for the Defenders on Sunday:
Cardale Jones went 13/26 for 103 yards and an XFL record setting four interceptions in a single game.
The Defenders’ defense allowed a near perfect passer rating to Josh Johnson, who finished with 278 yards and three touchdowns.
They held their own on run defense, until the Wildcats entered the redzone. They allowed three rushing touchdowns, but held the team under 3.2 yards-per-cary.
The rushing offense was the strong suit of the team effort on Sunday. Khalid Abdullah and Nick Brossette emerged unexpectedly, combining for 122 yards, 7.6 yards-per-carry, and the teams only touchdown.
The Defenders dominated the first two weeks in front of their home fans, and after this week, it appears they may have gotten overconfident before their trip to Los Angeles.
The Defenders and Roughnecks were the runaway candidates for the XFL playoffs, but now the Roughnecks are ahead of the pack, and the St. Louis Battlehawks now hold the tie-breaker over the Defenders in the Eastern conference.
The Defenders will head to Tampa Bay next Sunday to take on the only remaining winless team. A few days ago, this would have been an easy game to pick, but the Tampa Bay Vipers put up a fight against the leagues best team on Saturday, coming within a touchdown of Houston.
The Defenders will need to adapt to road environments if they want to hold the top spot in the East in April. The St. Louis Battlehawks have proven that they can play on the road, and this Sunday we’ll see if the Defenders can keep up.
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