Defenders Pull Off Win Vs. Renegades in Week 3

Week three of the UFL began with a big one, as the D.C. Defenders faced the Arlington Renegades. These two teams are both from the XFL. They also both faced each other in the XFL Championship in 2023. The Renegades are the reigning XFL champions. On Saturday afternoon in the UFL, the Defenders got the best of them in a big way, winning 29-28.

Arlington Renegades Almost Win It

The game started with a few slow drives, as Arlington’s offense could not take advantage of opportunities. D.C. was the first team to get on the board scoring a field goal, but Arlington controlled the game overall. Things began to pick up for the Renegades offense on their second drive. Luis Perez and the rest of the offense began to get momentum, taking the lead. Rotating between two quarterbacks does not always work, but the Renegades found their stride, allowing Lindsey Scott Jr., to pass the ball a couple of times. This benefited the team because while Perez played the entire game, he did play hurt. The two quarterbacks both kept their team moving downfield.

Even in the fourth quarter, it looked as though it would be smooth sailing for the Renegades, scoring with under three minutes to go to extend the lead. The game should have been over, but the Renegades defense gave up too many penalties when all they had to do was make the stop. The pass interference when the Defenders took a shot downfield gave D.C. an automatic first down. There was also, a potentially questionable, roughing the passer call against Arlington. The Renegades became disoriented in the end, which changed the game.

Turning Moment for the Defenders

The D.C. defense continuously let up big plays. They were not able to stop Arlington from running the ball, which only let the Renegades run the clock down. The Defenders also struggled with finishing their tackles. This is an aspect of their game that will need to improve moving forward as they continue to look for more wins this year. As for the offense, quarterback, Jordan Ta’amu was under pressure but able to make key plays for D.C. His ability to scramble and run when needed kept the Defenders in the game. Hopefully, the team can figure out how to get the run game going with someone other than Ta’amu more consistently moving forward. Luckily, even with the mistakes, the Defenders pulled off the win.

The turning point for the Defenders actually came in the last two minutes of the game. The Renegades had a strong lead, and it was a two-score game. On the kickoff, D.C. returned the ball to Arlington’s side of the field. The Defenders quickly scored a touchdown as Cam’Ron Harris rushed the ball into the endzone. The team then made the two-point conversion to make it a two-point game. In the UFL, instead of an onside kick, teams can go for a fourth-down conversion from their own 28. With that rule, D.C. successfully made the conversion, once again gaining possession of the ball. On the next play, they made a pass to get them into field goal range. They ran the ball a little more to get them closer in range, and easier on their kicker. With the time running out, the D.C. Defenders won the game with the field goal.

MVP of the Game

The Kicker for D.C., Matthew McCrane is one of the two MVPs in this week three matchup. McCrane made all three field goals for the team, which includes the game-winner. His longest of the night was for 58 yards, according to Fox Sports. If he had missed any of those, this game would have gone to the Renegades. A good kicker is always important, and McCrane deserves MVP for D.C.

For the Arlington Renegades, tight end, Sal Cannella is MVP. The Renegades may have not won the game, but Cannella’s ability to break tackles kept them in it the whole time. Cannella only had four receptions for 48 yards, according to Fox Sports, but he stood out. His ability to break tackles for many more yards than expected will keep the Renegades in every game this year.

What’s Next?

The D.C. Defenders will face the Birmingham Stallions on Saturday, April 20th at 7 P.M. Eastern.

The Arlington Renegades will face the Houston Roughnecks on Sunday, April 21st at 2 P.M. Eastern.