Seattle Sea Dragons (2-2) at San Antonio Brahmas (1-3)
In Week 4, the Seattle Sea Dragons hosted the San Antonio Brahmas in a matchup where defenses shined. Seattle recorded 4 sacks on the day, which is the most they’ve had in a single game all season. On offense, the turnover issues weren’t completely eliminated, as quarterback Ben DiNucci threw a terrible interception late in the game. However, this was the Sea Dragons’ first game without a fumble. While it was a bit slow at times in terms of scoring, Seattle figured things out in the 2nd half well enough to pull off the win and move to a 2-2 record on the year.
Top Performers
Offense
WR – Juwan Green
RB – Morgan Ellison
WR – Jahcour Pearson
Honorable Mention(s): WR – Blake Jackson, WR – Josh Gordon
Defense
OLB – Tuzar Skipper
OLB – Shareef Miller
OLB – Elijah Ponder
CB – Chris Payton-Jones
Honorable Mention(s): ILB – Jordan Evans, DE – Daniel Joseph
Stats
Offensive Stats
Passing
##
Seattle Sea Dragons
Comp/Att (%)
Yds
TD
Int
LG
Sack – Yds
6
Ben DiNucci
28/41 (68.3%)
264
1
1
30
1-2
##
Team
28/41 (68.3%)
264
1
1
30
1-2
Rushing
##
Seattle Sea Dragons
Att
Yds
Avg
TD
LG
25
Morgan Ellison
16
69
4.3
1
15
19
T.J. Hammonds
1
5
5.0
0
5
23
Darius Bradwell
1
5
5.0
0
5
6
Ben DiNucci
2
2
1.0
0
3
##
Team
20
81
4.0
1
15
Receiving
##
Seattle Sea Dragons
Rec
Yds
Avg
TD
LG
Tgts
3
Jahcour Pearson
8
76
9.5
0
18
9
80
Blake Jackson
5
59
11.8
0
30
8
0
Josh Gordon
5
57
11.4
0
23
8
4
Juwan Green
4
36
9.0
1
18
6
88
Jordan Veasy
3
14
4.7
0
8
4
19
T.J. Hammonds
1
12
12.0
0
12
1
25
Morgan Ellison
2
10
5.0
0
5
2
15
Damion Willis
0
0
0.0
0
0
2
##
Team
28
264
9.4
1
30
40
Fumbles
##
Seattle Sea Dragons
Fum
Lost
Rec
##
Team
0
0
0
Defensive Stats
##
Seattle Sea Dragons
Solo
Ast
Total
Sacks – Yds
TFL
INT
FF
FR
32
Qwynnterrio Cole
4
1
5.0
0-0
0.0
0
0
0
26
Jordan Evans
4
0
4.0
0-0
1.0
0
0
0
51
Tuzar Skipper
3
1
4.0
2-10
2.0
0
1
0
2
Antoine Brooks
3
1
4.0
0-0
0.0
0
0
0
21
Linden Stephens
3
1
4.0
0-0
0.0
0
0
0
58
Austin Faoliu
2
2
3.0
0-0
0.0
0
0
0
1
Bryce Thompson
3
0
3.0
0-0
1.0
0
0
0
5
Chris Jones
2
0
2.0
0-0
0.0
0
0
0
8
Tre Walker
1
1
2.0
0-0
0.0
0
0
0
48
Shareef Miller
1
1
2.0
1-4
0.0
0
0
0
52
Antwuan Jackson
0
1
1.0
0-0
0.0
0
0
0
97
Niko Lalos
1
0
1.0
0-0
0.0
0
0
0
43
Emmanuel Smith
1
0
1.0
0-0
0.0
0
0
0
44
Elijah Ponder
1
0
1.0
1-5
1.0
0
0
0
9
Clarence Hicks
1
0
1.0
0-0
0.0
0
0
0
33
Alijah Ponder
1
0
1.0
0-0
0.0
0
0
0
##
TEAM
31
8
39.0
4-19
6.0
0
1
0
Thoughts & Performance Grade
In a matchup which had the highest over/under of any XFL game so far, the Seattle Sea Dragons and San Antonio Brahmas ended up as one of the lower scoring games of the year and Seattle’s second win of the season.
While some silly penalties, a few missed throws, and a late interception kept this game far from perfect for Seattle, the defense played their best game so far, recording a season high of 4 sacks and holding the Brahmas to only 6 points throughout the game.
Seattle’s offense had trouble keeping drives alive in the first half due to some off target passes and a few drive killing penalties. However, they still moved the ball pretty well through the air, and their violent running back, Morgan Ellison, continued to prove he’s a key piece of the offense.
Sea Dragons quarterback Ben DiNucci ended the day completing 28/41 passes for 264 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception, and is officially the first XFL quarterback in 2023 to pass the 1,000 yards passing mark. It should be noted the interception was not only a poor throw and decision by DiNucci, but it came at a point in the game where the Sea Dragons had the lead with under two minutes left in regulation, so Seattle’s offensive coordinator June Jones really didn’t need to keep calling pass plays. Besides the interception, the turnover issues weren’t as much of a problem as they had been in previous weeks, as the offense didn’t fumble at all for the first time this season.
Seattle’s receiving core continued to shine, with Juwan Green recording his second touchdown of the year. Additionally, Jahcour Pearson, Blake Jackson, and Josh Gordon all continued to add to their season totals. However, defensive back Luke Barqoo and the Brahmas defense didn’t make things easy and put up a great fight.
After suffering an injury in Week 3 there was uncertainty around running back Morgan Ellison getting the start against the Brahmas. However, Ellison was healthy enough to play and took 16 carries for 69 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, the Sea Dragons played their best game of the season, holding the Brahmas to only 6 total points, and shutting down their rushing attack. Seattle recorded a season high of 4 sacks, with linebacker Tuzar Skipper recording 2 of those and forcing a fumble. In general, Seattle’s front seven played a great game, and defensive back Chris Payton-Jones made a few crucial plays.
While they did play well, the defense was not without its issues. A player was not touched down for the second straight week, then got up and ran for another 10 yards before getting tackled. Additionally, a few offsides penalties and a flag for 12 men on the field kept San Antonio alive late in the game.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the Sea Dragons played a solid game and while they weren’t perfect, they’ve continued to clean up mistakes each week. Besides his lone interception, Ben DiNucci played well, connecting with his talented receiving core throughout the game. Additionally, running back Morgan Ellison continued to solidify himself as a key piece of the Sea Dragons offensive success.
The biggest issues for Seattle seemed to be self inflicted, with some missed opportunities in the passing game, silly penalties, and some questionable play calling late in the 4th quarter which gave the Brahmas a chance to tie the game.
With their next matchup coming against the undefeated Houston Roughnecks this coming Thursday, Seattle will have to emphasize playing smarter football. The Sea Dragons cannot keep forgetting to tag people down after a catch, and they have to do a better job of protecting the football and managing clock late in the game. While their mistakes didn’t lead to a loss this week, making the same mistakes against Houston will not be as forgiving.
A Hard Fought Win, But Self Inflicted Mistakes Need To Be Cleaned Up.
