There’s no denying the Guardians have been the most underwhelming team this young season. Orlando will continue searching for its first victory following another disappointing defeat at the hands of the San Antonio Brahmas.
Over 12,000 fans gathered at Camping World Stadium Sunday afternoon with aspirations of helping lead their team to victory for the home opener. Instead, the Guardians’ dropped their second straight, and are now desperate for answers a fifth of the way through the season.
Head coach Terrell Buckley did not hesitate to criticize the players he believes “aren’t competing.”
“We’ve got to get different guys in there,” Buckley proclaimed during an on-field interview. “We’ve gotta get people in there, young men that want to play…that want to compete and make plays.”
The FSU legend now carries the responsibility of plugging several glaring holes on the roster and limited time to do so.
Buckley elected to divvy up reps between active quarterbacks for the second straight week, with Deondre Francois making his debut in this one. However, before Francois got some run, Paxton Lynch once again got the start, and once again failed to find any rhythm and consistency.
Quarterback play has undoubtedly been the team’s weakest link after just two weeks of play. The two quarterbacks went a combined 15/32 for 87 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception in this game. While the team as a whole certainly has some kinks to work out, getting consistent play from whoever is under center will be vital to Orlando keeping up with others around the league.
With all three quarterbacks failing to stand out above one another, Buckley and his staff will have a tough decision to make with only eight games remaining this season. The Guardians will now reevaluate all three quarterbacks in practice and should name the starter for Sunday’s game toward the end of the week.
The Guardians travel to Texas for another Sunday afternoon affair. Buckley’s squad is set to take on the 1-1 Arlington Renegades, who are coming off a 23-14 loss to the Houston Roughnecks last Sunday. The game kicks off at 4 PM EST on FX.
