In week three, XFL pulled out all the punches. The Defenders and Battlehawk players certainly did not hold back.

Is the quarterback play getting better after three weeks? Not much movement in the power rankings going into week 4, as Seattle is on the rise. Approaching mid-season in the XFL, we should know better after this week who are the contenders and who are the pretenders. XFL week 4 power rankings are rolling in so I hope you enjoy the ride.

#8. ORLANDO GUARDIANS (0-3) SAME SPOT LAST WEEK

Let’s give you the bad news first for the Guardians. Turnovers and penalties still haunted this team in a week 3 loss to the Renegades. The good news is the Guardians played their best game of the season versus the Renegades, losing a very close one 10-9. Week three the Guardian defense played well holding the Renegades to only ten points after giving up 30 points per game the first two weeks. The Guardians made some cuts coming in to week 3 in hoping to improve that offensive line. What do you know? It did pan out as Paxton Lynch played the full game behind center as he scored a late 4th quarter touchdown to give his team a 9-3 lead. After what this Guardian team went through week two, this was by far the best & a much needed performance to keep the wheels on the bus for at least another week. When you get cut from an XFL team, especially a team at the bottom of the barrel, where do you go after this in your football career?

#7. VEGAS VIPERS (0-3) SAME SPOT LAST WEEK

The Vipers, just like the Guardians, showed improvement as they played their best game of the season. It was a close one with the Sea Dragons. The Vipers showed improvement on the offense in which Brett Hundley looked like a quarterback that had more than a cup of coffee in the NFL.

Hundley was throwing dimes against the Sea Dragon defense connecting on two 50 yard strikes for a pair of touchdown passes: one to Jeff Badget & the other, John Lovett. Hundley had 66 yards on the ground and scored a touchdown as the Vipers offense put 26 points on the score board. The Viper defense could not hold the lead as the Sea Dragons’ late touchdown was the difference in the game. Could this be a sign of a turn around in Vegas? Stay tuned.

#6. ARLINGTON RENEGADES (2-1) DROPPED ONE SPOT FROM LAST WEEK

Even though the Renegades won the game last week versus the Guardians, I have dropped them one spot in the power rankings for only scoring ten points versus the Guardians. The Guardians have been giving up 30 points per game and they probably should have won that game last week versus this Renegade team. The Renegades offense came to life at the very end to win this 10-9 thrill ride. We know it’s been the Renegade defense that has kept this team in ball games and gets the credit for having this team right now with a winning record. The Renegades defense had two take-aways versus the Guardians, and I think if they did not get either of the two, Arlington would be 1-2 right now. Could Kyle Sloter have been rusty getting his first start in the XFL taking over for Drew Plitt who was inconsistent in the first two weeks?

If it was rus,t Kyle Sloter came up big in crunch time to hit Tyler Vaughns with a 15 yard strike to tie this game up. Then the Renegades converted the 1 point conversion to win the game. Renegades need to generate more offense if they want to be a playoff team at the end. They have the defense.

#5. SEATTLE SEA DRAGONS (1-2) MOVED UP ONE SPOT FROM LAST WEEK

The Sea Dragons have three of their receivers in the top 6 in receptions after three weeks. The Sea Dragons won their first game of the season last week when quarterback Ben Dinucci hit Josh Gordon on a 65 yard strike to finish off the Vipers. Gordon had a whale of a game with two touchdown catches for 118 yards.

Gordon is tied for number six in catches with 13 for 225 yards and 3 touchdowns. Blake Jackson has 18 catches for 121 yards with 1 touchdown. Jahcour Pearson leads the league with 23 grabs for 272 yards and one touchdown catch. DiNucci had a great game throwing for 377 yards with 4 touchdown passes. If DiNucci avoids turnovers, this Seattle team could be one of the toughest teams in the league to face.

#4. SAN ANTONIO BRAHMAS (1-2) SAME SPOT AS LAST WEEK

This was one of the first Battle of Texas games, as the XFL has three teams from the Lone Star state. This game was a measuring stick for the Brahmas against the Roughnecks. Brahmas had a big victory over the Guardians in week two and knew Houston would be a tough test. The first half, the Roughnecks had a 22-7 lead. San Antonio would win the second half as they added a touchdown and held the Roughnecks scoreless. It was a big goal line stand by the Roughnecks defense that prevented the Brahmas from a comeback victory at the end. I like the Brahmas’ defense & it is one the best units in the league. The offense against the big dogs could be a concern. Jack Coan, who looked like a upcoming superstar in the league at quarterback, only threw for 64 yards against the Houston defense. The Brahma running game could not muster up much as they were stopped in their tracks. The Brahmas right now are hovering in the middle of the pack and can be going in any direction as they need their first significant kill.

#3. ST.LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS (2-1) SAME SPOT AS LAST WEEK

The Battlehawks did not have the late game magic like they did in the first two weeks with a pair of comeback wins. The Battlehawks shot themselves in the foot with 4 turnovers against one of the best teams in the league, the Defenders. The DC defense had a pick six and the Defenders scored 9 points off St. Louis turnovers in a tight game that the Battlehawks lost by one score. St. Louis did give the Defenders a battle all the way to the end, which this game featured an all out brawl between the two teams.

It seemed from the start of this one that both teams hated each other with lots of plays having extra activity. Both Defenders and Battlehawks play in the same division and play each other again in a few weeks. It should be fun to watch two league heavyweights go at it in the ring on the field. Despite the turnovers, A.J McCarron still played well tossing 4 touchdown passes with 262 passing yards. The running game could be a concern for St. Louis… the lack of it. Next week, the Battlehawks will finally have a home game after playing on the road for the first three games of the season.

#2. DC DEFENDERS (3-0) SAME SPOT AS LAST WEEK

In the second home game of the Defenders, the beer snake is alive and well.

The fans in DC were treated to a dandy with their Defenders welcoming in the Battlehawks. The fans had more lemons in the crowd dressed up like them then being tossed on the field. The DC fans, probably a nice drunken crowd, created a beer snake like they do were able to watch their team brawl it out with division rival Battlehawks.

On defense, Michael Joseph adds another pick six for the Defenders defense who forced 4 turnovers and help DC score 34 points, the most in one game this season. The Defenders use duel quarterbacks and the team has to be happy seeing Jordan Ta’amu have his best game of the season tossing his first touchdown pass in a Defenders uniform. Ta’amu had 196 passing yards and beat his old team, St.Louis, as he was the team’s starting quarterback in the XFL reboot in 2020.

#1. HOUSTON ROUGHNECKS (3-0) SAME SPOT AS LAST WEEK

The Roughnecks still have never lost a game this season and in that unfinished season of 2020. The Roughnecks defense is still number one in the league. This unit made a huge 4th down stand at the end of the game versus the Brahmas, which prevented San Antonio from winning the game. The Roughneck defense has not allowed a team to get past the teens in scoring. The Roughnecks offense were shutout in the second half last Sunday. Is that a concern? The Roughnecks did all their Van Damage in the first half, scoring 22 points.

Roughnecks wide receiver, Jontre Kirklin, who is Brandon Silvers’ number one target through the air had a pair of touchdowns. Silvers had a nice game with 225 passing yards with three touchdown passes.