The 2023 XFL Championship game is this Saturday. The game is between the DC Defenders and the Arlington Renegades. The DC Defenders have the better record, ending the regular season 9-1. Despite the Renegades’ poor record, they made the upset win and made it to the Championship game. Here is a look at what the Defenders need to do in order to win the XFL Championship game.
DC Defenders’ Way to Win XFL Championship 2023
The most important thing for the Defenders to do in order to win is to play their own game. Arlington was heavily doubted against the Houston Roughnecks, and they ended up winning. The only loss the Defenders faced this past season was against the Orlando Guardians, a team they should have dominated against. They need to make sure this does not happen to them again.
DC Defenders vs. Seattle Sea Dragons 2023 – Scott Taetsch/Getty Images
If the Defenders’ defense plays to the best of their ability, they should be able to put enough pressure on the Renegades’ quarterback to prevent Arlington from scoring. The Renegades struggled during the season to find who their starting quarterback would be. Even with this, Arlington put up 26 points against Houston.
The Renegades have been starting Luis Perez as their quarterback, and against the Roughnecks, he had 19 completions out of 27 attempts for 289 yards and three touchdowns, according to the XFL. He was only sacked once. In this year’s XFL Championship, a key to the DC Defenders’ success will be to put constant pressure on Perez. This can lead to more turnovers, giving DC more chances to score.
In the Defenders’ Divisional Championship round, they beat the Seattle Sea Dragons 37-21. The Defenders sacked Seattle’s quarterback, Ben DiNucci, three times, who had a much better season than Perez. If the Defenders leave the Renegades little time to pass, they should win the XFL Championship.
The DC Defenders offense also has a big chance this weekend. In the Divisional round, quarterback Jordan Ta’amu completed 19 out of 31 passes for 258 yards, according to the XFL. He also had two passing touchdowns but two interceptions as well. DC cannot risk turnovers this weekend in such an important game. Abram Smith rushed the ball 23 times for 48 yards and one touchdown. If Smith can get going, the Defenders could take control of the XFL Championship game early.
2023 DC Defenders – Scott Taetsch/Getty Images
The Roughnecks had two players rush for over 40 yards against the Renegades in the Championship round. This gives Smith an advantage to run through Arlington’s defense. It will be important for the DC Defenders to win the possession game as well. If they keep more time of possession, their defense can rest up and continuously play strong.
The Defenders are the favorites to win this game by a large-point differential. The 2023 All-XFL team was released earlier in the week. The Defenders had seven players make the team, while the Renegades just had one. While this does not impact the outcome of the game, there is a big difference between the two. A 9-1 team vs a 4-6 team should be predictable, but after what happened in the divisional round, anything can happen.
The most important thing the DC Defenders will need to do is stay focused. There are no easy games where a team can slack. This is the 2023 XFL Championship game, and the Defenders will still need to play their game and give it their all. While the Defenders may not be in their stadium, where they had a strong fanbase, many are still expected to make the trip.
The XFL Championship Game will be this Saturday, May 13th, at 8 PM Eastern. The game will be held in San Antonio between the DC Defenders and the Arlington Renegades, and the winner will be the first champion of this XFL.
