In XFL Week 7, the Seattle Sea Dragons are on the road for the second straight week, this time in Arlington to take on the Renegades.
The Sea Dragons come into this matchup on a 4-game winning streak, having just barely defeated the winless Orlando Guardians in a game that was too close for comfort. The turnover issues continued for Seattle, and quarterback Ben DiNucci got lucky with defenders dropping a few additional interceptions. While the Renegades’ offense has struggled, their defense has been one of the better units in the league, and will not be as forgiving if DiNucci forces the ball into double and triple coverage.
Arlington comes into Week 7, having just lost to the San Antonio Brahmas in a low-scoring affair. There’s been a lot of movement in Arlington’s quarterback room this week, with Kyle Sloter getting released and Vegas Vipers quarterback, Luis Perez, arriving in a trade. While Perez will likely play for the Renegades at some point this season, head coach Bob Stoops mentioned in Wednesday’s press conference he probably won’t be ready for Friday’s game. Drew Plitt will get the start against Seattle with Kevin Anderson backing him up.
This matchup should heavily favor Seattle. However, the issues they’ve faced even in their wins have kept opposing teams alive until the very end. If the Sea Dragons continue to beat themselves, sooner or later an opposing team will too.
Seattle Sea Dragons (4-2) at Arlington Renegades (3-3)
Kickoff: Friday, March 31st at 4:00 pm PT
Where: Choctaw Stadium, Arlington, Texas
TV: FX, ESPN+, & ESPN Xtra on Sirius/XM
Broadcast Team: Roy Philpott (Play-By-Play), Joey Galloway (Analyst), Eric Maclain (Sideline Analyst), Tiffany Blackmon (Sideline Reporter)
Weather
Scattered thunderstorms are expected earlier in the day, but should pass by kickoff. Friday afternoon’s forecast around Choctaw Stadium calls for clear skies with a high of 83 degrees and winds as high as 15 mph.
The Seattle Sea Dragons come into Week 7 on a 4-game winning streak and sit at 3rd place in the North Division. Meanwhile, the Arlington Renegades are coming off a tough loss to the San Antonio Brahmas and sit at 2nd place in the South Division.
The Sea Dragons’ offense has continued to thrive in the passing game, with Jahcour Pearson still leading the league in receiving yards and receptions. However, they’ve yet to reach their full potential due to poor decision-making from quarterback Ben DiNucci, and injuries to running back Morgan Ellison. Ellison should be back in the lineup this week, but he’s listed as the 2nd string back behind Darius Bradwell. This is likely due to fumbling issues and problems with pass protection, which was alluded to by head coach Jim Haslett in last week’s post-game press conference.
Seattle’s defense is getting banged up at this point in the season, with 5 starting defenders on the injury report. While they’ve had their moments, they’ve allowed teams to stay in games late, partially due to Seattle’s offense being unable to hold onto the football, but also due to mistakes late in the game. This week’s addition of former NFL linebacker Tyrell Adams should help, but the influx of injuries could result in a big outing for the Renegades’ offense.
Despite Arlington’s success in the South Division, they’ve struggled mightily on offense. Additionally, last week’s loss to the Brahmas resulted in the shuffling of their quarterback room. Kyle Sloter was released by the Renegades earlier this week, then they’d trade to acquire Vegas Vipers quarterback Luis Perez. Perez is not expected to play this week according to head coach Bob Stoops, and Drew Plitt will start against the Sea Dragons with Kevin Anderson backing him up.
Arlington’s defense can safely be called one of the better units in the league, ranking 2nd in forced fumbles (6), fumble recoveries (6), and interceptions (7). Additionally, the team has returned two interceptions for touchdowns this season. Arlington’s defensive unit has to be chomping at the bit to face Ben DiNucci with the number of opportunities he consistently gives defenses to make plays.
Overall, this should be another close game, as Seattle doesn’t seem to know how to play any other way. If DiNucci isn’t careful, Arlington’s defense could feast. If that ends up being the case, the Renegades’ offensive struggles may not matter, and Seattle could lose this game. The return of Morgan Ellison should help keep Seattle’s offense a bit more balanced, but with him listed as the 2nd string back, I’m not sure they’ll lean on him a whole lot. The Sea Dragons are the more talented squad, but injuries on the defense and poor offensive decisions might turn this game in the favor of Arlington.
