The XFL had its first set of games for their 2020 season this past weekend, and the Tampa Bay Vipers losing to the New York Guardians. There were colorful uniforms, awkward interviews with coaches and players trying to focus on the game, and two more interceptions thrown by a professional football team from Tampa (that makes 32 in the past six months).
Here are five things that fans can take away from the first game.
1. Quinton Flowers needs to be implemented more in the offense (LET HIM COOK).
Look, I may seem biased because Quinton Flowers is my favorite football player of all time, but the fact is the offense was more explosive with him on the field. The Vipers looked sluggish at times, and their three points scored shows that. It’s a shame, because the team gained close to 400 yards of offense, but simply couldn’t finish drives in the red zone. Four drives ended inside the Guardians’ 10 yard-line, and yet Tampa Bay only got a field goal out of it. That’s under one point per possession. Flowers only had two pass attempts, with his role mostly regulated to running the read option. This needs to change. I don’t know if Flowers lacks reps with the starters, or if they don’t have plays for the former USF Bull, but they need to center their offense around Flowers. Murray’s two interceptions were atrocious. Plus, with Flowers being more involved, the Vipers might sell some more tickets.
2. The defense is not as big of a problem as it seemed.
I know the 23 points given up may seem like a bit of a problem, but 10 of those points came off of turnovers. One was a fumble recovery for a touchdown, and the other three came after an Aaron Murray touchdown (do these problems with turnovers sound familiar?) The defense played pretty well. Sure, they didn’t force any turnovers or get any pressure on Guardians quarterback Matt McGloin, but they limited the Guardians to 226 yards of total offense. There were some blown coverages, but it was the first game. Guys are still getting used to playing with each other. Plus, if your defense only gives up 13 points a game you should win most contests.
3. Where’s the creativity in the play calling?
The play calling this past week showed flashes of explosiveness and uniqueness, but overall it was pretty bland. Handoffs, drop backs by Aaron Murray, some play action. All pretty vanilla stuff. Where’s the double forward pass? Where’s the pre-snap movement? Where’s the misdirection? Look, I know little to nothing about football strategy and how to call a game as an actual football coach (there’s a reason I’m writing about this game after playing four hours of Madden yesterday), but the offense was just so… bleh. What’s frustrating though, is that in the third quarter the offense showed flashes of being as dynamic as we were all anticipating. There was a jet sweep to Quinton Flowers, and he continued to be put into motion throughout the drive, until he was inexplicably taken out of the game near the goal line. The drive stalled out, and no touchdown was scored. Come on Marc Trestman, show us some of that pazazz, give the fans what they want.
4. Marc Trestman needs to shake up his halftime speech.
Good Lord. I’ve never been so uninspired in my life. Marc Trestman’s halftime speech was about as galvanizing as watching a documentary on snails. I’m not saying it’s important, or that it had anything to do with why the Vipers lost, but it’s more based on principle. Football is an emotional game. It’s not golf. You want to be riled up, ready to run through a wall, and after viewing that halftime speech, I wouldn’t run through an open door for Trestman.
5. The insight into the replay booth is actually pretty tight.
While this isn’t a Tampa Bay Vipers thing as much as it’s an XFL thing, it was still pretty cool to see the process of reviewing a play. There were two reviews in the game, and the first one was overturned. With review processes in other professional sporting leagues, we’re left to wonder what the hell the people up in the sky were thinking in their decision. But in the XFL, we get to listen to and see what goes on in the replay booth, and it’s a good time. I dig it. Hopefully Vipers fans will dig the results of the team’s next game, too.
They play the Seattle Dragons this Saturday at 5 p.m. at CenturyLink Field on FOX.
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This article appears in Feb 6-13, 2020.