The XFL is scratching the itch of football fans far and wide, but when are the XFL games today? Here’s everything you need to know about the Week 6 XFL games this weekend, including start times, channels, live stream options, and game analysis.
XFL Games Today: Is There Football This Weekend?
We are halfway through the 2023 XFL regular season. Arguably, four teams stand out as clear-cut title contenders. Another two or three could make some noise if . . . well, if they make a lot of noise these next five weeks, where “noise” equals victories.
Here’s where you can watch this weekend’s action, as well as some insights on what we might expect from each team.
Orlando Guardians (0-5) vs. Seattle Sea Dragons (3-2)
- Date: Saturday, March 25
- Start Time: 1 p.m. ET
- TV Channel & Live Stream Options: ABC and ESPN+
Last weekend, the Guardians had one more “good” opportunity to establish XFL relevance amidst faint hopes for a playoff push. Facing the equally winless Vegas Vipers, they mercifully abandoned Paxton Lynch in favor of Quinten Dormady, who rose to the occasion. The Guardians scored a season-high 32 points. Once again, their defense let them down.
If only they’d made this QB move sooner.
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Cody Latimer and Charleston Rambo form the best one-two receiving punch of any 0-5 team I’ve seen in a long time. But as long as their defense continues to hemorrhage yards and points, it’s probably moot.
Speaking of which, the Seattle Sea Dragons are on a roll, coming off a third straight victory by vanquishing the previously undefeated Houston Roughnecks. One of my two preseason favorites to win the XFL title, Seattle remains on the outside looking in on a postseason berth in a competitive division.
However, the Sea Dragons largely control their own destiny with an upcoming rematch against the St. Louis Battlehawks. Frankly, as long as they don’t stumble this weekend against the Guardians, followed by the beatable Arlington Renegades next week, then they should be in good shape for the stretch run.
Keep a close eye on the enigmatic Ben DiNucci, who leads the league in passing yards (1,328) and interceptions (seven). For context, no other QB has more than four picks. DiNucci’s turnovers proved disastrous earlier this season. Lately, his team has been able to overcome the mistakes. But he needs to figure this out sooner rather than later.
Vegas Vipers (1-4) vs. St. Louis Battlehawks (3-2)
- Date: Saturday, March 25
- Start Time: 7 p.m. ET
- TV Channel & Live Stream Options: FX and ESPN+
I pushed Luis Perez in last week’s DFS lineup over far more productive quarterbacks, despite confusion over whether he’d even start over Brett Hundley. Why? Because he was facing Orlando.
Timing is (almost) everything in sports. Had Perez faced the DC Defenders’ vaunted D, he likely would have flopped, as we’ve seen for much of the season. Instead, Perez played like a star, as the Vipers claimed their first win over the even more hapless Guardians.
This weekend’s faceoff against the far more talented Battlehawks presents a unique challenge. We cannot view the team’s recent performance as a sign of things to come. Instead, it’s probably more of an anomaly. They were beneficiaries of good timing, at least for one week.
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St. Louis, on the other hand, is one of the XFL’s most complete teams. They boast one of the league’s top quarterbacks (A.J. McCarron), running backs (Brian Hill), and receivers (Hakeem Butler). And their defense is averaging 2.4 forced turnovers per game while yielding the third-fewest passing yards.
Perez will face an uphill battle as he seeks to prove that last weekend was no fluke.
Arlington Renegades (3-2) vs. San Antonio Brahmas (1-4)
- Date: Sunday, March 26
- Start Time: 3 p.m. ET
- TV Channel & Live Stream Options: ABC and ESPN+
This marks the second meeting between these teams, with the previous one coming last Sunday. Had the San Antonio Brahmas won, both squads would have been 2-3 in a fierce battle for their division’s final playoff spot.
Instead, Arlington eked out the victory, giving them a two-game cushion for a postseason berth. Surely, they’re in the driver’s seat? Not so fast.
The Renegades’ three wins have come against San Antonio, Orlando, and Vegas. Those teams have a combined 2-13 record. Basically, the Renegades have beaten up on the league’s worst squads. The rest of the season won’t be so kind, with the Sea Dragons, Defenders, and Roughnecks on the horizon.
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So this game still matters. If the Renegades win, they’ll be tough to push aside. But if they lose, the Brahmas will be one game back with a slightly softer remaining schedule (essentially, the same as Arlington’s, except playing beatable Vegas instead of Seattle).
Keep a close eye on the Brahmas’ QB situation, with backup Reid Sinnett recently outplaying longtime starter Jack Coan. San Antonio’s exceptional defense has not been able to compensate for a frequently anemic passing attack and backfield.
This QB battle is all the more pressing with the expected return of wideouts Landen Akers and Calvin Turner. Akers won a Super Bowl ring with the Rams two seasons ago, spending most of the year on the practice squad. Not too shabby when it comes to XFL prep.
Meanwhile, Turner was the Brahmas second-round pick in the “offensive skills” portion of November’s draft. He was expected to serve as their No. 1 WR. His presence could help change the complexion of this offense.
