I have always wondered if being a back up quarterback in the NFL is a sweet deal. Some franchises, the back up QB is the most popular guy on the team. Usually that means the starter is not doing well. Guys like Jordan Love for the Packers, a first round draft pick, will finally get his chance if the Packers can successfully move Aaron Rodgers. What about veterans who were once upon a time starters in the league that melt away on some bench with clip board waiting for some injury to occur instead of a mop up role? Some quarterbacks are meant to be back ups and some can make that gig like they are specialists to be called upon duty to come in after an injury or steer the ship for a few games & then go back to holding the clip board. What about aging quarterbacks that want one more act in their book of life? With Spring leagues like the XFL or the USFL, you think you get more guys taking their talents to these Spring leagues. One quarterback did give up that nice cushy office job in the quarterback room to take less money to play in the XFL. Former Bengals & Raiders quarterback A.J McCarron is playing for the St. Louis Battlehawks of the XFL so his kids will get to see him play on the gridiron. I think for McCarron and surprised by others playing the game again as a starter is an itch that you can finally be scratch. McCarron gave up more money in the NFL to play in the XFL.

A.J McCarron now is 32 years old and has played in the NFL for six seasons. McCarron was a hot commodity his rookie season as he saw action for the injured Andy Dalton. In seven games in 2015 in which three of them were starts, McCarron threw for 854 yards with 6 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. McCarron won 2 of the three starts he had in his rookie campaign. After 2015, his next start came with Houston in 2019 after three years in Cincinnati and one season in Oakland. McCarron’s NFL career he has played in only 17 games and is 2-2 in just 4 starts as he threw all six touchdown passes his first season. The last two seasons McCarron has not played as his last action came in a Texans uniform in 2020 where he made 1 pass attempt and completed it for 20 yards. Before signing with the Battlehawks of the XFL, an NFL team had offered McCarron more money to be a back up quarterback.

When the original USFL started in the 1980’s, they found ways to pay young players big money especially at the quarterback position. Guys like Jim Kelly, Steve Young, Doug Williams, and Doug Flutie flourished in the USFL before ending up in the NFL. Back then the NFL lost back up quarterbacks that went on and did well in the USFL like A.J McCarron is having a very good season in St. Louis. The Philadelphia Stars were the New England Patriots of the USFL as they had Chuck Fusina, a long time veteran of the NFL leading the team. The Fusina Stars won two championships as they made it there all three seasons. Chuck Stoudt, former Pittsburgh Steeler, threw for over 6,000 yards for the Birmingham Stallions back in the 1980’s USFL. Stoudt threw 60 touchdown passes and had 14 rushing touchdowns. Brian Sipe, a long time Cleveland Brown in the NFL, played two seasons in the USFL with New Jersey Generals and Jacksonville Bulls and threw 21 touchdown passes while racking up over 3,000 passing yards. These guys wanted to step on the field and play the game of football, not watch from the sideline and fetch the coaching staff coffee.

How many NFL quarterbacks are like Chase Daniel? Daniel has played for 13 years in the NFL and has made 41 million dollars as back up and started only 5 games.

When the Bears had Jonathan Quinn as their back up quarterback, he was stealing money & such a fraud. Quinn never played in Kansas City but knew the system though. Years on the bench until he was thrown to the wolves when the Bears needed him to play for QB 1 who went down with an injury. Horrific. But they are millionaires. Some of these quarterbacks should use the XFL or USFL just to get back to the NFL. Cam soft Newton says no way 30 current NFL starters could be better than him. What has Cam Newton done in the last few years besides throw interceptions. Then Colin Kapernick is another fraud living the life as an activist but the far fetched fish story tales of how he was one best quarterbacks in the NFL and one point and the league took it away. Then quit blaming your adopted parents for the hand you’ve been dealt and prove you’re that quarterback that you never were. These Spring leagues discover guys like P.J Walker, former Roughneck of the XFL reboot in 2020. The Spring leagues are good for developing younger talent not drafted. Playing for the love of the game. Playing for your kids. That’s what it’s all about. How about playing for yourself? A.J McCarron is having fun. His family is loving watching him play again. I know it’s tough giving up millions of dollars. To be in the game again is something better than money. Playing the game is why you became a professional.

The 2023 March Madness NCAA basketball tournament was one of the most exciting ones I ever witnessed. Coming in to the tournament, no team was clearly favorite to win the entire thing. This year’s tournament had upsets and the Cinderella stories were all over the tournament map including a 16th seed knocking off a number 1 seed. Schools no one has ever heard of and small potato basketball universities created some much needed noise. Many of the Big Bad Wolf basketball universities as we’ve seen that done that were eliminated, which happens to most of them rather quickly. The final four had three teams making it there for the first time in their school history. In the end, the University of Connecticut prevails with another championship. A University that is big time basketball program ruins the end of this Hollywood thriller of a movie with a bad ending as the Huskies blow out the Aztecs in the championship.

Before the tournament even gets started, everyone is looking for that awesome Cinderella story. Everyone loves to see the underdog take down a big fish. The very first round had the debut of Kennesaw State University in the March Madness tournament which would have been a nice story of the school’s first ever game knocking down a big school. The Owls were quickly dispatched by Xavier University. Then Texas Southern ties a record with Coppin State and Liberty with their first round lost. Texas Southern now is tied for most tournament losses all-time with 20. The first round had its fairy tales as the Fairleigh Dickinson FDU became the second 16th seed to knock out a number one seed in NCAA history. FDU was the shortest team in the tournament and they took down the University of Purdue’s Giant in the middle cutting his bean stalk down with a weed wacker.

It’s the third year in a row that a 15th seed beat a number two seed. Those Ivy league smarties, Princeton University, pick up their first tournament win since 1988 beating the number two Arizona Wild Cats. Arizona became the first University to lose to a number 15th seed twice as Santa Clara Broncos did them in 1993. The last time Furman University was in the dance was 1980 in which they were number 13th seed and they beat the number 4 Virginia. Remember the University of Virginia was derailed in the first round by a number 16th seed and made history for UMBC, being the first team to ever accomplish that.

The former Ghostbuster, Bill Murray, was seen in every game the University of Connecticut played because his son, Luke Murray, is the assistant coach for the Huskies. We know Bill Murray is a super fan when it comes to sports as the poor bastard roots for the Chicago Cubs. Hollywood actors, when you hear their true life story, just wants to make you vomit.

TROPHY KILLS

This March Madness was really exciting because the big bad bullies on the court were quickly dispatched. Schools like Duke, University of Kentucky, Kansas, Gonzaga and Michigan State. Some schools like North Carolina did not make the tournament. It was great seeing the University of Arkansas take down the Kansas Jay Hawks.

In the state of Kansas, that left the other school doing better than the Jay Hawks. The Wild Cats made it to the Elite 8.

Kansas State would be eliminated by Florida Atlantic University in a close one while the entire school fell on Bill Self and his basketball program. No wonder why he missed the tournament.

HURLEY BLOOD

Dan Hurley’s older brother, Bobby Hurley, won back to back titles playing for Duke University as he made the final 4 3 times in his decorated college career. Dan Hurley played at Seton Hall University and would lose to his brother Bobby and Duke University in 1992 in the elite 8. Now both Hurley brothers are in the college game as head coaches. Dan Hurley has his first title while Bobby is out in the desert with Arizona State, who did not make this year’s tournament.

ELITE 8

It was the first time in March Madness history that no number 1 seeds made it to the Elite 8.

Many thought University of Alabama and University of Houston would be in the final 4. Both schools were ousted in the sweet 16 which even made this 2023 tournament special and busted up your brackets at the same time.

THE FINAL 4

The final four had three teams making their first ever appearance.

I think of palm trees when I think about Florida Atlantic University. The Owls beat number three seeded Kansas State to cement their selves in the final four for the first time. The Owls are the second number 9 seed to make the tournament since expanding to the 64 team format in 1985. The Owls were the first team since George Mason in 2006 picking up their first tournament win in the same season they made it to the final 4. The Owls would be eliminated by San Diego State in a classic final 4 game in the very last second of regulation.

The San Diego State Aztecs make the final four for the first time as a number 5 seed. The Aztecs beat Creighton University with a questionable foul call by the referee at the end in the elite 8. The Aztecs would then proceed to beat FAU with a last second shot and make it all the way to the championship to be destroyed by the Huskies. The Aztecs are still holding on to their Indian name. I’m sure some people will try to pressure the university to change their nickname. They may have already tried. That can be a debate for another time & another place. It’s a very cool logo the Aztecs have.

The Miami Hurricanes surprised me that their University never made it to the final 4.

The Hurricanes are known more for their football program as they were the cons in their rival with Notre Dame back in the late 1980’s. The Hurricanes made a huge comeback to beat number two seeded Texas University to get their spot in the final 4. The Huskies were too much for them as they were dispatched by UCONN in a blow out.

University of Connecticut with their 5th national championship as they beat up on the Aztec in the final game of the tournament. The Huskies beat up on the Hurricanes to get to the final.

Like every March Madness tournament, the ending always stings unless you have the team that wins it in your brackets or pools. If you’re not winning money on the team that wins it, then you’re going against the big time basketball programs unless you went to the school or have family there. Then you have the music chairs when it comes to coaching. The slime ball Rick Pitino leaves Iona University who he got to the big dance for St. John’s University. Then the FDU head coach, Tobin Anderson, quickly jumps ship to take the Iona job Pitino left.

Once again the smaller schools are just a stepping stone for the bigger schools. Once again, the Big Bad Wolf prevails over the smaller school in the National championship.

The 2023 tournament looked very promising most of the way. The ending is once again the same old song and dance.

TEAMS ON THE RISE

BATTLE HAWKS & SEA DRAGONS

NEW SHERIFF IN TOWN

Louie Perez new sheriff in Arlington

Who took Paul Bunyan’s ax? The Guardian Auto Re-builders pull off the biggest upset of the year.

Week 8 we are remodeling the entire house of power rankings.

It will look beautiful and ugly, but it’s week 8 XFL power rankings.

#8. ARLINGTON RENEGADES (3-4) DROPPED 2 SPOTS FROM LAST WEEK

Bob Stoops’ team has stooped to a new level of the power rankings as Arlington has played poorly for weeks. The defense was the team’s staple, but teams are getting points off the Renegades defense as Seattle had 21 points in the first half last Friday. It’s the Renegades offense that’s been dormant most of the year as the team desperately is clinging to hopes that Luis Perez saves the day for this Arlington team. They hope to grab that number two playoff spot as it’s anyone’s to land. even the Guardians now have a chance. Stoops has seen just a Plitt stain behind center as the Renegades had had no answer. Drew Plitt is horrible. Kyle Sloter was just hype as he was cut. Can Perez be the fish that saved Pittsburgh for the Renegades?

I know the Renegades have won more games than the Vipers and Guardians. The Guardians offense is dealing it right now as the Renegades just look for some kind of savior.

#7. SAN ANTONIO BRAHMAS (2-5) DROPPED 2 SPOTS FROM LAST WEEK

The Brahmas found some points from their special teams but still lost last Sunday in the X-Steeler bowl. Fred Brown has the first XFL kick off return touchdown of the season. The Brahmas offense looked good on the first drive inserting quarterback Kurt Benkert behind center who had his first touch down pass. The Brahmas defense came in allowing the fewest points in the league. The Brahmas defense is the number 1 scoring defense in the league. They also have racked up the most tackles for loss as a unit. Drew Beesley was able to record a few sacks last week versus the Vipers. The Vipers inserted their new guy behind center and were able to generate 26 points off the Brahma defense that did not look as sharp as they have been.

#6. ORLANDO GUARDIANS (1-6) MOVED UP TWO SPOTS FROM LAST WEEK

I did not think the Guardians were going to get off the snide. What a way to get your first win beating the top team in the league the DC Defenders. How many times have you seen a winless team beating a undefeated team? That has to be worth at least two spots in the power rankings. The Guardians offense has been rocking the last few weeks because they have found their quarterback Quinten Dormady, who lit up the Defenders with his arm and legs as he was involved in all of the scoring last week in the upset.

Dormady had three rushing touchdowns while throwing 3 touchdown passes. Dormady’s day was electric by going 27-34 for 328 yards with three touchdown strikes dropping dimes out there in the aerial game. In 4 games, Dormady has 969 passing yards with 6 touchdown passes & only two interceptions. Orlando is alive and well to snag that number two spot in that division of all Texas teams that all are riding the struggle bus.

#5. VEGAS VIPERS (2-5) MOVED UP 2 SPOTS

Looks like the Vipers found their quarterback.

The Vipers traded the King of the Spring Fling, Luis Perez, to the Renegades. The Vipers also have Brett Hundley, who has NFL experience. Door number three suddenly looks like the better option.

In Jalen McClendon’s first start as a Viper, he threw two touchdown passes with 264 passing yards and leads the team to their second victory of the year beating up on the Brahmas.

Look at the Viper running back, Rod Smith, flying over the Brahmas defender like Superman. It’s too bad the Vipers are not in the other division with all those crappy Texas teams or they would be making a run for a playoff spot. Instead to hurtle the Battlehawks, Sea Dragons, or the Defenders is a tall task.

#4. HOUSTON ROUGHNECKS (4-3) SAME SPOT FROM LAST WEEK

Houston has a big problem as they have now lost three games in a row after jumping out to a 4-0 start. I have them in the same spot because they lost to a very good St. Louis team last week. The Roughnecks were playing without their number one quarterback, Brandon Silvers, who did not play versus St. Louis due to injury. Back up quarterback Cole McDonald did not do very well in his first start.

McDonald completed 15 passes out of 32 attempts at just over 100 yards with 106. McDonald threw a touchdown pass and had 1 of his passes picked off as well. McDonald has been used in extra point situations this year as Silvers has been the starter the entire year. If the Roughnecks don’t get Silvers back, this team could be on the biggest slide in the game of Chutes and ladders because their division is suddenly wide open for both spots.

#3. DC DEFENDERS (6-1) DROPPED TWO SPOTS FROM LAST WEEK

When you get beat by a team with no wins, you better believe you will drop in the power rankings. The Defenders were the big dog of the XFL in this go around. Losing to the Guardians is like the Washington Generals beating the Harlem Globe Trotters.

It would have been the bet of the year to go Guardians. Like when Krusty the Clown bet on the Generals to beat the Harlem Globe Trotters, thinking they were due. The Defenders defense could not stop the Guardians quarterback’s big day. Quentin Dormady had three touchdown passes and three rushing. The Defenders offense kept up with the Guardians in this shoot out. The DC comeback came up short with a 63 yard field goal miss at the end.

Another unsung hero for the Defenders, Chris Blair, had a big game with 139 receiving yards. Lucky Jackson added another receiving touchdown. Maybe the Defenders need a scare like this to refocus and get back on track. The Defenders will need to rebound quickly because the Battle Hawks and Sea Dragons are not going away.

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

Sea Dragons now have the longest winning streak in the XFL as they won 5 straight. After losing their first two games of the season in close contests, the Seattle monster is out of the water.

Ben DiNucci played for the Dallas Cowboys and still lives in the area had a nice game coming back to Texas as he beat the Renegades. DiNucci still leads the league in touchdown passes had 1 as he passed for another 266 yards which he leads the XFL with 1,771 passing yards.

Josh Gordon has been quiet the last few weeks. Gordon caught 3 balls for 43 yards and had the touchdown pass of DiNucci going up in the air, snatching the ball, and coming down with a defender draped on him while still getting the leg down in the end zone. Gordon now has 23 catches for 340 with 4 receiving touchdowns for the season.

#1. ST.LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS (5-2) MOVING UP ONE SPOT

In football, the kicker of the year should be awarded the Leg Lamp trophy as this one is not the Christmas Story one but could be made with beer. St. Louis kicker Donald Hageman, is living the high life this year in the XFL. Hageman has two game ending winning field goals this season.

Now Hageman has the longest field goals in XFL history as he drilled a 59 yarder. The Battlehawks looked great once again as A.J McCarron had another big game with three touchdown passes as the Battlehawks beat up on the Roughnecks. McCarron’s second game in a row he did not throw an interception. Battlehawks receiver Darrius Shepard had a nice day with 7 catches for 70 yards with one touchdown catch. Can the Battlehawks hold on to the number one spot in the power rankings the rest of the way with 3 weeks remaining?

The Chicago Bears has been a revolving door for quarterbacks. Not just decades trying to find their next franchise quarterback that goes back to the 1940’s, when Sid Luckman was behind center. If you’re a back-up quarterback and want to actually play, the Bears are the team to sign with. Most years if you’re any quarterback, signing with the Bears was a suicide mission. Bad coaching. An offensive line that gave up for more tricks than a whorehouse giving away free ice cream. The Bears believe they finally have their franchise quarterback in Justin Fields. Fields has shown flashes of brilliance on the field, but you still have questions on his development as the team’s face of the franchise for the next ten years. Fields is a duel-threat that relies more heavily on the run than the pass because of the horrific O-line he has dealt with. Running quarterbacks have injuries and Fields in two seasons has missed some games. The Bears think they may have upgraded their backup quarterback from at least last year, which is not that hard with the signing of P.J Walker. He came out of the XFL reboot in 2020 and has been the back up for the Panthers the last three seasons.

P.J Walker was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an un-drafted free agent in 2017. Walker never took a snap for the Colts and improved his craft with the Houston Roughnecks of the XFL in 2020. The XFL reboot only lasted 5 weeks as the league was shut down from the pandemic and the league cancelled the remainder of the season. In those 5 weeks, Walker had the Roughnecks perfect 5-0 as the starter behind center. Walker by far was the best quarterback in the XFL, in which he led the league in passing. The Carolina Panthers signed Walker in 2020 as he made the team and played well as the backup quarterback, as he even started one game and won it. Last year, Walker filled in for Sam Darnold and made 5 starts, & won 2 of them as he completed 59.4% of his passes for 731 yards with 3 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. In three seasons, Walker has made 7 starts in which he has 4-3 record. At 28 years old with 3 seasons behind center in the NFL all with the Panthers Walker has played in 15 games and has 1.461 passing yards with 5 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions.

Last year, the Bears had two veteran quarterbacks in Trevor Siemian and Nathan Peterman. Peterman is a train wreck that I can’t believe is still in the league playing quarterback – a guy that should be washing cars or playing in the XFL or USFL to prove his worth. Last year for the Bears, Peterman started 1 game and completed 56% of his passes for 139 yards with 1 touchdown pass and he only threw one interception in a Chicago loss. Peterman started his career with the Bills & threw 5 interceptions in one game versus the Chargers. Peterman is all-time 1-4 as a starter and has 4 touchdown passes with 13 interceptions. Now Trevor Siemian had a good season filling in at quarterback for the New Orleans Saints in 2021 when he threw 11 touchdowns with 3 interceptions but lost all 4 starts. Last year in one start, Siemian did better than Peterman as he completed 57.7% of his passes with 1 touchdown pass and 1 interception. Siemian was a failed draft pick for the Broncos and has a career record behind center in six seasons in the NFL of 13-17 with 42 touchdown passes and 28 interceptions.

P.J Walker gets a two year deal to back up Justin Fields. The pro of this signing is Walker played with D.J Moore in Carolina, who then was the Panthers leading receiver for the last few years. Moore came to Chicago in a trade that involved the Bears’ first round draft pick several weeks ago. Walker and Trevor Siemian have numbers that are similar behind center. The Bears will be going younger with Walker and not electing to re-sign Siemian. Walker has more mobility than Siemian even though the Bears have improved their offensive line this off-season and fans hope they get additional help through the draft. Walker can throw the ball down the field and hit guys in stride instead of living off the short passing game. Walker can make mistakes but is not scared to hit the big play. With Fields’ injury history, which could be just because of the bad offensive line he has played behind since arriving from Ohio State. I like Walker filling in a few games feeling confident that he could win a few of those contests if Fields gets an injury. We have heard from the Bears brass about the great work ethic Justin fields has and how hard he works to improve his own game. It can’t hurt to have a guy like Walker who has come from a galaxy far far away to just be in the NFL. Not everyone can play quarterback in a Spring football league & then start a game in the NFL and win. Walker combined for the Roughnecks and Panthers in 2020 during a pandemic was 6-0 as a starting quarterback in two leagues. Both Fields and Walker could improve each other’s games with the way they prepare and how they elevate their own game. I like the quarterback room. I would still like to see the Bears draft another quarterback later in this April’s draft. A rookie quarterback could really Walk the Field with the knowledge they can soak in with these two.

Will any of the XFL fan bases ever be be compared to the Charlestown Chiefs boosters following their team on the road? Maybe in the playoffs Battlehawk fans will travel in bus loads to another team’s stadium. Speaking of the Battlehawks they are on the rise in this week’s version of the XFL power Rankings. Can the Beer Snake of DC travel with the team on the road? The Bookends of the power rankings remain the same DC on top of the mountain and you know who is at the bottom of the barrel. I will not take the rest of the surprises away from you as we roll out week 7 of the XFL still going from worst to first.

#8. ORLANDO GUARDIANS (0-6) SAME SPOT FROM LAST WEEK

The Guardians record stays perfect through the first 6 weeks of the XFL season. Actually in the loss, the Guardians played better than the Vipers (another bad team in the league if that is any bright spot.) The Guardians have a former Bear calling the offensive plays for them. Shane Matthews was one of the better Bears options at the quarterback position over several decades since the 1940’s, which may not be saying much.

Matthews looked like he took over the offense now calling the plays as he came in as a quarterbacks coach for the Guardians. Matthews may have found a running back as Devin Darrington had a 43 yard rushing touchdown for the Guardians.

The Darrington touchdown made things close with Seattle in the third quarter. It was an Orlando home game in front of the few people that showed the Guardians call the home faithful. It’s hard to root for a bad team as the Guardians once again with multiple stupid penalties with one that wiped off a touchdown off the board.

#7. VEGAS VIPERS (1-5) SAME SPOT AS LAST WEEK

How would the Vipers respond after getting their first victory? Not good as they laid a clunker at home only scoring 6 points off the Battlehawks defense. The Vipers offense was shut out the first three quarters of the game. Luis Perez was not King of the Spring Fling behind center. The Vipers finally got on the score board with Brett Hundley, who has been hobbled by an leg injury, replaced Perez and threw a 17 yard touchdown pass to running back John Lovett.

Lovett, Lovitz same result for the desert snakes as they were steam rolled by the Battlehawks.

#6. ARLINGTON RENEGADES (3-3) DROPPED ONE SPOT FROM LAST WEEK

The Renegades failed to convert the sweep over their arch rival in back to back games versus the San Antonio Brahmas. The Renegades went back with their original starting quarterback Drew Plitt in a game where Arlington muster up 9 points. Plitt was sacked three times and is a turn over machine as he fumbled and threw an interception. Plitt has 4 interceptions in 4 games. The Renegades even tried another quarterback who has thrown 5 passes and completed one of those. The Renegades cut Kyle Sloter who was one of the better quarterbacks in the USFL last spring. Could Sloter find another job back in the USFL which will be starting up in the next two weeks. The Renegades, desperate for someone behind center, made a trade with the Vipers and land the King of the Spring Fling.

Luis Perez is heading to Arlington. Another city & another Spring jersey Perez can add to his football closet.

#5. SAN ANTONIO BRAHMAS (2-4) MOVED UP ONE SPOT FROM LAST WEEK

San Antonio’s season remains alive with a win over the Renegades last week. If Renegades would have swept the Brahmas, Hines Ward and this San Antonio team would have slim chances to get to the post-season. The Brahmas play the Vipers this weekend and have a chance to establish a winning streak as they have never won more than one game in a row. Brahmas offense has been in a major slump since that victory against the very bad Guardian team. Brahmas only scored 15 points in the win last week. Which the defense, the bright spot for the Brahmas, forced a fumble as Linebacker Jordan Williams scooped up the ball and ran it in for a score.

Williams is number two in the XFL in tackles made. How can Hines Ward get his dormant offense awakened? Perhaps he has to suit up.

Ward can be the very first player coach of the XFL.

#4. HOUSTON ROUGHNECKS (4-2) DROPPED ONE SPOT FROM LAST WEEK

The Roughnecks season has suddenly gone Ivan Drago.

The Roughnecks were 4-0 and in cruise control. Then Seattle landed that punch that caused that oil gasket to erupt like Rocky Balboa getting that first punch to make Drago bleed. It went down hill from there. The Roughnecks in the first ever Monday night game of the XFL versus the Defenders now take another loss in back to back weeks. The Roughnecks put up a good fight against the Defenders but unlike Wade Phillip’s teams were called for 12 penalties. Max Borghi had a pair of rushing touchdowns to give him 4 for the year. Back up quarterback out of Hawaii University, Cole McDonald, had an 85 yard pass strike to wide receiver Deontay Burnett.

The Defenders were too much for the Roughnecks to handle. Not a very easy task as the Roughnecks will square off against a talented St. Louis team.

#3. SEATTLE SEA DRAGONS (4-2) DROPPED ONE SPOT FROM LAST WEEK

I know the Sea Dragons have won 4 games in a row. Last week the Guardians, XFL’s worst team, hung with this Seattle team most of the game. The way St. Louis played, they dominated a bad team in the Vipers. It starts with Seattle’s quarterback Ben DiNucci who went 18-35 which is right around 50% completion of his passes. DiNucci for the season so far has completed 64.2 % of his passes. DiNucci is the top quarterback in the XFL but still makes too many mistakes as the interceptions is catching up to his touchdown passes. The Sea Dragons could have just fell victim too, even though they still won playing to the competition. The Guardians probably do make a nice sparring partner when they appear on the schedule. The Sea Dragons special teams may be one of the best units in the league.

Two weeks in a row the Sea Dragons special teams have blocked punts. Last week versus the Guardians the punt set up a much needed score for the Sea Dragons which Alijah Holder got the credit for, getting behind enemy lines.

#2. ST.LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS (4-2) MOVED UP TWO SPOTS FROM LAST WEEK

The Battlehawks after losing to the Defenders for the second time this season, and at home, took a road trip to Vegas. The Battlehawks have done great as road warriors this season as they made snake meat out of the Vipers.

Do you know what Battlehawks eat? Snakes on the barbie. The Battlehawks defense shut down Luis Perez and the Vipers offense for the first three quarters of the game. The Battlehawks had 4 sacks and six tackles for a loss as the blue, white, and silver swarmed the men in black.

Defensive back Lavert Hill had a big day versus the Vipers with two interceptions. A.J McCarron did his thing with 235 passing yards. Darius Sheperd was part of the McCarron’s thing as the wide receiver had two touchdown catches and hauled in a 2 point conversion pass. Could third time be the charm for the Battlehawks if they met the Defenders in the playoffs?

#1. DC DEFENDERS (6-0) SAME SPOT FROM LAST WEEK

The Defenders are holding the number one spot like the Pope at the Vatican. The Defenders gave the Roughnecks their second consecutive loss and remain undefeated this season in the XFL. The Defenders are the only undefeated team in the XFL. It seems like the Defenders have a new unsung hero every week. Who is Lucky Jackson? Any dog named Lucky is a three legged dog.

Lucky Jackson had a monster day under the lights on Monday night with 5 catches for 136 yards and a touchdown pass. One of the Defenders dueling quarterbacks had his best game of the season. Jordan Ta’amu was dealing completing 19-31 through the air with two touchdown tosses one to Lucky for a total of 245 passing yards. The Defenders put 37 points on the board against one of the better defensive units in the league that Houston brings to the table. The Defenders run game wore out the Roughnecks as the offense converted 27 first downs the most in one game by any team in the XFL. I don’t know what team can beat the Defenders. This weekend it could be a blood bath as the Defenders playing a Guardian squad that have the perfect record too but going the wrong way.

Since Aaron Rodgers and his former tight end Robert Tonyan will most likely never play together on the same team, it’s nice to get a parting gift on the way out of Green Bay. Rogers is helping Tonyan go home and play for the team he grew up watching as Aaron owns the Chicago Bears and set him up with a one year deal. Tonyan, a local Chicago guy growing up in McHenry, Illinois, is another free agent the Bears are bringing home. Suddenly the Bears roster is piling up with guys that have roots in the Windy City. Signing Tonyan gives the Bears another weapon for their quarterback, Justin Fields. Tonyan, a bigger target, could be very valuable in the red zone. Tonyan also reunites with his former coach in Green Bay: Luke Getsy, the Bears offensive coordinator.

Robert Tonyan is 28 years old and was another undrafted free agent coming out of Indiana State University. After 5 seasons at Indiana State, Tonyan was number two all-time in receiving stats behind only Sam Logan with 150 receptions and 2,047 yards. He also set the record for most touchdowns in one season at Indiana State with ten. In 2017, Tonyan signed with the Detroit Lions & became only the tenth player ever at Indiana State to make it to the NFL. Tonyan would never see the field in Detroit as the furthest he came was the practice squad. In 2018, Tonyan moved on from the Lions to the Packers and actually got on the field. It was not until Tonyan’s third season in 2020, when he became your fantasy pick up after catching 52 balls for 586 yards for 11 touchdowns. In 2018-19, Tonyan only had 14 catches for 177 yards with two touchdowns. In 2021, Tonyan would only play in 8 games for the Packers as he tore his ACL and was out the rest of the season. Tonyan would only catch 18 balls for 204 yards with two touchdowns in those 8 games he did play. Last year, Tonyan rebounded and caught 52 passes for 470 yards with 2 touchdown grabs.

Robert Tonyan reminds me of the former Bear they over paid for a few seasons back, Jimmy Grahamcracker. Tonyan is a 6’5″ target with great hands but can’t shake or break a tackler for extra yards. Tonyan does not do run blocking or pass very good, just like the graham cracker dust. Tonyan is not breaking the bank like Graham and is younger than him. With Tonyan on the field at the same time as Cole Kmet, an emerging talent at the tight end position who had a break out season last year, could make the Bears offense very interesting. Tonyan can catch the ball. If you can get the ball near him he has gobbled up 80% of his passes. Tonyan could be targeted on third down plays and the red zone could be a valuable piece to this Bears offense who suddenly have bullets in the chamber. With Tonyan on board now, the Bears have Kmet, Jack Sanborn, and T.J Edwards: all guys who grew up around Chicago rooting for the Bears when they were younger. I think having Luke Getsy on the coaching staff and calling the offensive plays knowing Tonyan could only benefit both parties. This is a low budget move by the Bears and only a one year deal so if it goes bad, the team can cut ties with the former Packer. I think Tonyan can help Justin Fields’ short passing game with his good hands. Fields has not established that he can beat a team with the short passing game. Tonyan can be used on deeper routes as we’ve seen him do with Aaron Rogers before. I like having depth on the roster as well just in case Kmet does get injured & misses some time. At least you have another guy that can catch the ball at that position.

It did not look good for the Buffalo Bills defense with two of their studs heading to free agency. The Buffalo Bills were up against the salary cap with some big decisions on the horizon knowing it would be impossible to bring back both line backer Tremaine Edmunds and safety Jordan Poyer. The Bills front office had to face reality that they could have lost both of these guys to free agency not being able to pay them the money other teams had and were willing to give. The off-season for the Bills defense started off bleak with Leslie Frazier stepping down as the teams defensive coordinator who just wanted to step away from the game for one season to recharge his batteries. The Bills defense has been one of the top units in the league since Jordan Poyer and head coach Sean McDermott came to Buffalo in 2017. In the first day of free agency, right out of the gates the Chicago Bears plucked line backer Tremaine Edmunds off the board with a 4 year deal. Poyer wanted to come back to Buffalo but had said playing in some warmer climate with less state taxes sucking up all his funds would be ideal to him and his family. In the background, Poyer’s wife Rachel was never shy about chiming in on the lack of a contract extension. The Bills looked like they were on the ropes about to lose two of their captains on their defense. In the end, it all worked out for the 31 year pro-bowl safety as he landed a two year deal to return to his family the Bills where he had the most success out of his career and to play along side with his best friend safety Micah Hyde who missed most of the season last year with an injury. Hyde would comment on the taxes to his football brother as he most likely was the first teammate to know about Jordan coming back to town. The comment was just busting the chops on his friend for life – the kind of deal where everyone has that person in life that can say anything to poke fun at you when your foot is inserted in your mouth.

Jordan Poyer has played ten seasons in the NFL and has come a long way to being the ball hawk and big play maker on the Bills defense. Poyer was born in Oregon which has a better tax situation than Western New York, I assume. Poyer was drafted out of Oregon State by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 7th round of the 2013 draft. Poyer was an excellent baseball player in high school and in 2009 was actually drafted by the Florida Marlins so to play both baseball and football at a high level, Jordan is a very good athlete. For the Eagles, they did not show brotherly love for Poyer as he only played three games before then being released and picked up by the Browns. It was not until 2017 when Poyer arrived in Buffalo where he elevated his game and had 5 interceptions and found himself in a system that his talents thrived in or just found his game. Last season, in 12 games only due to injuries, Poyer would still get the Pro Bowl selection & still had 63 tackles, 4 interceptions, & 1 forced fumble, while defending 8 passes. In week six in a big game with the Chiefs, the Bills safety dealing with an rib injury could not fly with the team to Kansas City. Instead of missing the game between two heavy weights of the AFC, Poyer drove to Kansas City from Buffalo and back to play in that game. It shows you his heat and dedication to the team. In 2021, Poyer was named First NFL-All Pro selection. That year he tied his career high with 5 interceptions.

In 2020, Jordan Poyer thought he drank too much and said he was an alcoholic. Poyer went to some meetings and ended up quitting drinking for his own sake, for his family and perhaps just wanting to take his craft of playing safety in the NFL to new heights. Poyer would tell his Bills teammates then of his decision and the support he got from them and the Bills Mafia after he went on Instagram and told his story about the demon he was dealing with. His performance on the field did get better after the pandemic year of 2020. It takes guts to even mention to one person about your problem rather than opening up to a group of guys. It seems like this is the team the Buffalo Bills are. A small market franchise with dedicated fans and that mom and pop family operations at the work place as it spills on to the field. Since 2017, Poyer is the only NFL player with 500 tackles, 20 interceptions, and ten sacks. During that span, Poyer has had 22 interceptions which is good for 5th in NFL. Then 9 of those picks have come in the last two seasons.

Jordan Poyer wants to retire as a Buffalo Bill and that would be a great thing. He wants to win a championship with the Bills as that would be special for this group on the field and to give the fans of Buffalo their first ever Superbowl title. It would be that feeling the Chicago Cubs fans had in 2016 breaking over a 100 year drought since their last title. I think the Bills got lucky on this re-signing of one of their own. With Poyer’s age and with some injuries last year, teams were not willing to ante up for the all pro safety. Sometimes when things look bleak, destiny takes over and brings Poyer back to town. Poyer, in ten years in the NFL, has racked up 706 tackles, 11 sacks, 50 pass defended, 8 forced fumbles, 7 fumble recoveries, 24 interceptions, and one defensive touchdown. Poyer keeps that Buffalo defensive secondary solid, and the fans would love to see the dynamic duel next season do their thing with a healthy Micah Hyde back from injury. Now the Bills have to worry about finding Tremaine Edmunds’ replacement which will not be easy as he was a talented young line backer about to play in his prime years of his career. It’s better than trying to find two positions on your defense, especially with two captains on your field. This move bringing back Poyer may be one of the most important moves the Bills front office will make this off-season. Play makers on defense is very important with dealing with these high powered offenses the AFC has, especially in the Bills’ own division with how rivals are stacking up their squads.

With 5 weeks in the books for the XFL III, and football scheduled this weekend, it looks like the league will last longer than the 2020 reboot who lasted only 5 weeks. It was the pandemic that took out the XFL reboot. Things should be good this weekend unless players caught the Irish flu at the St.Patrick’s Day celebrations last weekend. In our latest version of the XFL power rankings, the Defenders are flying high right now.

The Roughnecks blow an oil gasket.

We are rearranging the furniture in week six and starts with the top of the food chain.

#8. ORLANDO GUARDIANS (0-5) FOREVER IN THE SAME SPOT

Would week 5 be Terrell Buckley’s above coming out party? The Guardians versus Vipers in the XFL Classic Toilet Bowl I. The Guardians had some good, bad, and as usual… just ugly moments in this game between two winless teams. The good or maybe just lucky, as Quinton Dormady came of the bench after being suspended this season and looked, kept the Guardians in the game with a chance to win late.

Dormady was accused of giving away plays to the opposing team and was kicked off the team & then reinstated. What would Buckley’s play book be?? A pop-up book with Disney characters. Dormady went 22-25 for 256 yards with two touchdown passes. As a team, the Guardians scored the most points in a game this season with 32. At the end, with a chance to win, the Guardians get derailed by penalties at which they had another game over ten of them. This Guardian team has no discipline and bad coaching decisions. They had a chance at the end but took a sack and then two false starts keeps their perfect record intact.

#7. VEGAS VIPERS (1-4) SAME SPOT LAST WEEK

The Vipers prevailed in the Classic XFL Toilet Bowl game winning their first game of the season versus a Guardian team that took them to the brink of the game. The Vipers have played teams tough this season as I was shocked to see the Guardians making this showdown a close game. The Vipers won this game because the Guardians shot themselves in the foot at the very end of the game with the ball on the Vipers’ doorstep to take the lead. Former Pittsburgh Steeler great, Rod Woodson, gets his first victory as a head coach as he tied former teammate, Hines Ward, who is head coach of the Brahmas in San Antonio. Quietly, the King of Spring Fling, Luis Perez, is one of the top quarterbacks in the XFL. Perez in 4 games for the Vipers has 8 touchdowns. This Viper team will not make the playoffs but could play the role of spoiler to another team’s playoff hopes.

#6. SAN ANTONIO BRAHMAS (1-4) DROPPED ONE SPOT FROM LAST WEEK

Only ten points versus the Renegades as they scored just 12 to beat you. The problem with the Brahmas is the offense, offense, and the offense. MIA!!! The Brahmas defense has kept them, in every game, one of the better units. Head Coach Hines Ward has changed his offensive coordinator, which did not. Ward even changed his quarterback that did not work as Reid Sinnett did not set the league on fire passing for 97 yards. Sinnett threw 19 passes & completed 13 for the shortest of the short of passing games, averaging 5.1 yards a pass play. The Brahmas go home next week and quickly have a rematch versus the same division rival, the Renegades, who could take the bull by the horns and end San Antonio’s playoff hopes of sweeping the series. When is the Steeler Bowl?

Hines’ Brahma’s versus Rod Woodson’s Vipers. Might be better than the toilet bowl between the Vipers and Guardians.

#5. ARLINGTON RENEGADES (3-2) MOVED UP ONE SPOT FROM LAST WEEK

The Renegades are like the Brahmas with a great defense and non-existent offense. However, the Renegades have 3 wins as they are just doing enough to get by as they scored 12 to beat the Brahmas who only scored 10. The Renegades play in the same division as the Guardians and face the Brahmas in a rematch this weekend. If Bob Stoops’ Renegades prevail in San Antonio, they would have swept the Brahmas and improved their record to 4-2. The Brahmas would drop to 1-5 with 4 games left. The Renegades would have that 2nd place spot wrapped up in the division and a ticket to the post-season play.

The Renegades linebacker, Donald Payne, is one of the cogs that make the Renegades defense one of the best. Payne is second in the XFL in tackles. Payne played for the Houston Gamblers in the USFL last Spring and was one of the leading tacklers in that league. Payne, like most of these guys, is trying to get back to the NFL. A post-season appearance by the Renegades could help Payne’s case if he can thrive in big game moments and take control of the game for his Arlington team.

#4. ST. LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS (3-2) DROPPED ONE SPOT FROM LAST WEEK

I thought the St. Louis Battlehawks would be undefeated at home. With those packed houses and the Battlehawks playing some good football. The Defenders waltz in to St.Louis and beat the Battlehawks for the second time this season to sweep the series. Only two losses the BattleHawks have are against DC. My problem with the Battlehawks is they find themselves behind in the second half and have to try these immaculate comebacks to win games. The Battlehawks won their first two on the road with impressive comebacks. A.J McCarron once again made things interesting hitting on 50 yard touchdown strike to make the game 28-20 with 4 minutes left against the Defenders. The Battlehawk defense then stopped the Defenders on the next possession, forcing them to punt.

Carson Wells, linebacker for the Battlehawks defense, one of my favorite defenders in the league. He’s always in on a tackle or making a big play. The Battlehawks would get the ball back and McCarron throws an interception on the potential game winning drive as the Defenders hold on and stay undefeated.

Battlehawks end up losing once again to their former quarterback of of 2020 in the XFL first reboot, Jordan Ta’amu.

#3. HOUSTON ROUGHNECKS (4-1) DROPPED TWO SPOTS FROM LAST WEEK

Do the 1972 Dolphins use the Roughnecks loss as an excuse to go out & hoist a few drinks to salute the only perfect season in pro football history? The Roughnecks were having a perfect season until the pandemic shut things down in the XFL reboot in 2020. This year the streak is over at the midway point of the season.The first loss ever for the Roughnecks game looked close, but it could have been a blow out by Seattle who kept shooting themselves in the foot to keep Houston in the game. The Roughnecks have two wins versus the Guardians, which is not saying much. In games besides the Guardian, the offense of the Roughnecks has disappeared for half the game. The offense was shut out in the first half last week versus the Sea Dragons. Is that a concern? We will find out how the Roughnecks do against the Defenders on the XFL’S first Monday night game in week 6. Would have been cool to see if the Defenders and Roughnecks were facing each other undefeated. A Roughnecks win could catapult them back to the top of the power ranking mountain.

#2. SEATTLE SEA DRAGONS (3-2) MOVED UP 2 SPACES FROM LAST WEEK

The Sea Dragons give the Roughnecks their first blemish of all-time and first loss this season in the standings. Seattle has now won 3 games in a row and have the scariest quarterback in the league. Ben DiNucci can beat you with his arm and use his legs to get important yards. DiNucci leads the XFL in many of the passing stats like yards and touchdown passes. I felt like the Sea Dragons should have killed the Roughnecks 40-0. But DiNucci makes too many mistakes as he has 7 interceptions this season in 5 games. Roughnecks had some late scores to make the game look close at 21-14. It was a game Seattle dominated. The Sea Dragons offense has the most weapons in the XFL and has a good quarterback, but thanks to Ron Zook’s defense, they overcame DiNucci’s mistakes.

It was defensive line man Niko Lalos that came up with the interception to end any Roughnecks’ comeback. Houston’s quarterback did not look comfortable most of the game as Zook’s defense had a nice game plan to shut out the Houston’s squad in the first half. The Sea Dragons lost their first two games in close games and now are finding ways to win close games.

#1. DC DEFENDERS (5-0) MOVED UP ONE SPACE FROM LAST WEEK

The Defenders finally found that deluxe apartment in the sky of the XFL power rankings. I told you it would take Houston losing a game to move the Roughnecks off the top peg of the power rankings. Houston finally lost and the Defenders now are the last of the remaining undefeated teams in the XFL. The Defenders went off the road and came out of St. Louis with a victory. The Defenders had their work cut out for them as they had to deal with 35,000 screaming fans and beat a very good St. Louis team. Plus, the Defenders beat St. Louis twice and swept the series as the first one ended in a rumble in DC in a hard fought game. It seems like the Defenders have a different unsung hero every week on a well-rounded team on all aspects of the game.

The Defenders used that talented offensive line they assembled and opened up holes for running back Abraham Smith. He torched the Battlehawks defense for three rushing touchdowns and ran for 218 games. Smith had a monster game and now leads the XFL in rushing. In 5 games, Smith has averaged 5.1 yards per carry, has 4 rushing touchdowns, and has compiled up 432 yards. 218 of those 432 yards were last week against a pretty good Battlehawk defense.

Last season after the Bears got rid of all their old defensive stars, the defense was looser than a whore house giving away free cake. The Bears were able to find out about what they had in young players as a local kid Jack Sanborn turned some heads at the linebacker position. He had 64 tackles of which 50 of them were solo. When you see a player with heart when your team is getting mauled every Sunday by the opposing team’s offenses, you can most certainly somebody check the box that Sanborn is a keeper. The Bears found themselves a carbon copy of Sanborn – a little bit older but both players come from the same journey to the NFL as undrafted free agents. The Bears sign T.J Edwards, a 26 year old linebacker from the Philadelphia Eagles who is also a local kid from Chicago. He’s actually a former teammate of Sanborn as their paths crossed in 2018 playing college ball at the University of Wisconsin. Edwards is a tackling machine that helped the Eagles maintain one of the best defensive units in the league which helped Philadelphia get back to the Superbowl. The Bears made a splash on the same day as getting Edwards, they inked the Bills’ heart and soul of their defense, Tremaine Edwards, to a 4 year deal. Head Coach of the Bears, Matt Eberflus has three linebackers that can chase the opponents down with high speed and what they do best is make the tackle.

In 2019, T.J Edwards came out of the University of Wisconsin undrafted, signed with the Eagles, and made the squad playing all 16 games in which 4 of them he started. In his first year, Edwards had 30 tackles of which 15 of them were solo. In 2020, Edwards showed improvement – he started 12 games, had 70 tackles with two sacks, and an interception. In 2021, Edwards became a defensive pillar on the Eagles defense starting all 16 games and racking up 130 tackles which 5 of them were for loss. Edwards also had 1 interception, 1 fumble recovery, while defending 5 passes. Last year, Edwards even got better as he has 159 tackles which is record for third in Eagles history in one season. Edwards also had 2 sacks, ten of his tackles were for a loss of yardage while defending 7 passes and picked up a fumble recovery while playing all 17 games. In four seasons, Edwards has 389 tackles on the back of his football card with 5 sacks and 20 tackles for loss of yardage in 61 games. It’s pretty exciting to be a Bears fans with this line backing crew.

T.J Edwards said, “When the home team comes calling, it’s time to head home.” Edwards is a Lake Villa native who grew up a Bears fans liking guys like Lance Briggs, Brian Urlacher, Mike Brown, and Devin Hester. Edwards loved seeing his old friend & Badger teammate, Jack Sanborn, having success with the Bears. Edwards felt a tad jealous not playing for the home team. The Bears also drafted Cole Kmet in 2020, another local guy who played high school football in Arlington Heights which in a few years could be the new home for the Chicago franchise. With Sanborn, Edmunds, and now Edwards, you have a trio of young linebackers in the prime of their career. In 2006, Briggs, Urlacher and Hunter Hillenmeyer were a very impressive group. I may be looked at like I have three heads saying this trio could be the next Monsters of the Midway group that help win the Bears’ only Superbowl in the best defense of all-time… the ’85 team. That ’85 team had Mike Singletary, Otis Wilson, and a force to be reckoned with… Wilbur Marshall. I shouldn’t be this giddy right now as this is the Bears & they always screw things up. I was not sure the Bears would crank the gear into overdrive in the free agency market. I thought they would build this thing slowly through the draft & then spend the big bucks at Menards on all the power tools. The Bears general manager is not getting washed up veterans like some of the old regimes. Ryan Poles is getting talent from guys in their mid 20’s looking for their second contract in the NFL. Local guys that liked the Bears growing up that are very talented, I always thought they were Packers fans as the cheese heads have infiltrated the Chicagoland area the last 30 years. Welcome home and go Bears!!!

I bet many people never even heard of the school Fairleigh Dickinson. On Friday night, many people probably did a simple google search, including myself, wondering where the hell FDU was located. Which I found in a town called Madison in the state of New Jersey. On Friday night, this unknown University made history being the second only team in NCAA history to be he 16th seed to knock off a number one seed. They did it to the University of Purdue in a shocking upset in Columbus, Ohio. It was a game that featured the shortest team in the tournament beating a Giant center in Zach Edey, and a well established Big Ten basketball program. Talk about a significant trophy kill. The Knights would beat the Boilermakers 63-58 as the buzzer sounded, and the world would rejoice seeing one of the ultimate Cinderella stories unfold in a classic David versus Goliath style of game.

The Boiler makers went 15-5 in the Big Ten with a 29-6 overall record and won the conference tournament. The selection committee made Purdue the number one seed in the Eastern Region. The Boiler Makers have one of the best head coaches in the country in Matt Painter. Painter has been on the other side of the fence before as he brought a small school, Southern Illinois, to the tournament with a 25-5 record back in the 2003-04 season. Painter would move on from SIU and take the job at Purdue where he been ever since. At Purdue he has 5 conference titles under his bel,t and as head coach has compiled up a impressive record of 438-203 which is a .683 winning percentage. The Boilermakers the last three seasons have made the tournament but have been dropped by double digit seeds. Last year, Purdue was a number three seed and was, knocked off by St. Peter’s who were a 15. Then in 2021, the Boilermakers were a number 4 seed and dropped by a 13th seed in North Texas.

Fairleigh Dickinson came into the tournament with a 20-15 record before facing the Boilermakers. FDU had to beat Texas Southern University in the First 4, which they obviously did to play another game of Friday night. FDU did not win their conference tournament as they took a loss to Merrimack University in the NEC Championship. The Warriors of Merrimack were not eligible for the tournament, so the automatic bid went to FDU and the Knights would take full advantage. The head coach of FDU, Tobin Anderson is in his first season on the job as being the guy and has two tournament wins. After the victory against Texas Southern, Anderson’s gut feeling was he could beat Purdue with his team. After his team pulled off the upset in his interview, he wished his father was here to see this miracle but knew he was watching from the heavens as he was the real coach of the family. Anderson’s dad was a former basketball coach and Tobin is following in his footprints.

FDU pulled off the upset with quickness and full court pressure most of the game against the Boilermakers. Purdue did not shoot very well going 19-23 and hitting only 5 three pointers. It seem at the end of the game, no one on Purdue wanted to shoot the ball as they were all off and lacked confidence. The big man for Purdue, Zach Edey, had 21 points with 15 rebounds, but he played soft most of the night as the FDU players were like little Napoleon dogs nipping at the big junk yard mutt ankles all night long causing him to turnover the ball. FDU players razzled and dazzled the Boilermakers, moving the ball around defenders and quick passing that set up great shots for the Knights. Sean Moore had a big night for the Knights scoring 19 points. The native from Columbus had maybe his best game of his college career in front of his family and friends. Moore’s season average was only 6.7 points per game. At the end, FDU joins only UMBC as teams that won as a 16th seed. UMBC (University of Maryland Baltimore County) beat Virginia in 2018. FDU will move on to play another day and go up against the Owls of Florida Atlantic, a number 9 seed. This year it seems there’s no clear cut favorite team to win the entire enchilada. It would be cool to see the underdogs battle it out in the final four. It will be interesting to see if FDU can continue their stretch and make it to the sixteen. UNBC would lose their next game after beating Virginia. If FDU can get by the Owls, they would make more history for their basketball program out of Madison, New Jersey… just in case you’re asking.