Tag: D.C. Defenders

Former Washington defensive coordinator Gregg Williams back coaching in D.C.

One of the greatest defensive coordinators in franchise history is back — in the XFL.

When you think of Joe Gibbs’ second stint in Washington from 2004-07, the name Gregg Williams frequently comes to mind.

When Gibbs chose to return to the NFL, he wanted a top-notch defensive coordinator, and Williams was among the best in the NFL. Coming off a three-year stint as head coach of the Buffalo Bills, the then-45-year-old Williams was considered one of the best defensive minds in the NFL.

Williams was popular among fans during his four seasons with Washington because his defensive units —outside of 2006 — were some of the best in recent franchise history. Williams was known for his aggressive and attacking style. Unfortunately, like the current Washington team, Williams didn’t always receive much help from the offense.

When Gibbs abruptly retired at the conclusion of an emotional 2007 season, many believed Williams was the ideal replacement. For whatever reason, owner Daniel Snyder and his handpicked stooge, Vinny Cerrato, thought otherwise and somehow came to the conclusion that Jim Zorn was the ideal Gibbs replacement.

No disrespect to Zorn, but that coaching “search” was among the most embarrassing moments of Snyder’s tenure, of which there are plenty.

Williams departed and spent the next 13 seasons going back and forth between different teams as a defensive coordinator and even a stint as the Browns interim coach in 2018. At one point, there was hope among fans that Williams would return to Washington and serve as Jay Gruden’s defensive coordinator, but it never came to fruition.

Williams last coached in the NFL in 2020 with the New York Jets. After spending two seasons out of football, Williams is back — in Washington.

Only this time, Williams is with the D.C. Defenders of the XFL, which begins play this weekend. It’s been a long road for Williams, but he’s glad to be back in Washington.

“I just smiled thinking about getting an opportunity to go back to Washington, D.C., as one of my favorite places I’ve been to,” Williams said, per Jake Russell of The Washington Post. “ It [Washington is] one of the most powerful and fun fan bases that I’ve been a part of,” Williams said.

Unfortunately, Williams is most known by some fans for Bountygate when he was with the Saints from 2009-11. That cost him a year of his coaching career. However, Williams was always popular with his players, who still speak highly of him to this day.

One of the players Williams was closest to was legendary Washington safety Sean Taylor. Williams and Taylor had a close bond in their four years together before Taylor’s tragic death in Nov. 2007.

While Williams could’ve been back in the NFL, this opportunity is ideal for him.

“This is a perfect, perfect setting here to have the entire team be that way,” Williams said. “It brings a smile to my face every single day we get a chance to compete and get better.”

Williams and the Defenders open the 2023 XFL season Sunday at home against the Seattle Sea Dragons.

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Former Browns DBs Channing Stribling, Parnell Motley taken in XFL Draft

Former Browns defensive backs Parnell Motley and Channing Stribling have come off the board in the XFL Draft.

Wide receiver Ja’Marcus Bradley was not the only player who has spent time with the Cleveland Browns who has ended up in the XFL today. As they continue to work through their reboot draft, two more players who have spent time with the Browns in training camp have been taken off the board in defensive backs Parnell Motley and Channing Stribling.

Motley spent this past summer with the Browns before failing to make the final-53 man roster. He has also spent time with the Denver Broncos and Tampa Buccaneers since going undrafted out of the University of Oklahoma in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Stribling signed with the Browns as an undrafted free agent after the 2017 NFL Draft but did not make the final-53 man roster. Bouncing from the Browns to the Indianapolis Colts, San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Chargers, and Washington Commanders in the NFL, Stribling has spent time in other leagues as well. From the Canadian Football League to the Alliance of American Football, then to the USFL, Stribling now checks off the XFL as well.

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Cardale Jones and DC Defenders might be team to beat in XFL

Behind the leadership and playmaking ability of former Ohio State QB Cardale Jones, the D.C. Defenders might be the team to beat in the XFL.

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Just two games into the XFL season, the D.C. Defenders, led by former Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones look like one of the teams to beat. The former Buckeye gunslinger with the big arm might not quite be MVP worthy despite way too early chants calling for him to be, but he’s been awfully close.

Jones has passed for almost 300 yards in both games separately, has shown a flair for the dramatic, and has even had a few rushing yards and successful trick plays thrown in for good measure. Heck, he’s even made a busted and chaotic fumble look spectacular.

Here’s what USA TODAY’s Lorenzo Reyes says about the Defenders’ play behind 12-gauge.

“Cardale Jones has been pretty solid,” said Reyes. “I don’t think he’s necessarily done what we’ve expected him to do, because he came in out of Ohio State and went to the NFL, and everyone knew about his big arm, the big presence, but he’s been able to throw short to intermediate routes. He’s been quite efficient, and he has the Defenders really just moving the chains and a big reason why, don’t sleep on the DC offensive line. They have allowed just one sack in two games. Which, for a league that has struggled with its offensive line play, that’s saying something.”

It’s obviously still very early in the season, but it’s not hard to see the Defenders have what it takes to compete for a title. If they do, Jones, his big arm, and wide smile will have a lot to do with it.

Watch what Cardale Jones had to say after his first XFL start

Watch what current D.C. Defenders and former Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones had to say after his XFL debut.

By all accounts and measures, former Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones had one whale of a debut with the XFL. His D.C. Defenders squad won the first game in its history 31-19 over Seattle Saturday. And Jones had a lot to do with it.

He completed 16 of 26 passes for 291 yards and two touchdowns, and gained a few more on the ground because of the whole better runner than thrower thing, right?

Jones was a happy man after the game and took some time to reflect upon what he hopes is the start of something special.

“It feels good to be out there for a full game, grinding out there with these guys that we put a lot of work in since November,” said Jones.

When asked what he learned about his team, Jones said he knew one thing about his teammates.

“We knew we had a tough, hard-nosed team,” Jones said. “The unknown was what these guys will come out and prepare for, so it was hard for us to prepare.”

You can catch his exchange and brief interview after the game by clicking on the below video shared by the official Twitter feed of the D.C. Defenders.

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There you have it. Jones looked more like the quarterback that unexpectedly and somewhat miraculously led Ohio State to a national championship in 2014, instead of the one that struggled to find his place in the NFL.

Hopefully, there’s more coming too. The D.C. Defenders are back in action next Saturday at 2 PM Eastern against the New York Guardians.

Watch: Fans chant “MVP” for Cardale Jones in DC Defenders XFL game

Former Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones has clearly won the hearts of the XFL’s D.C. Defenders fans. Listen as they chant MVP.

Well, that didn’t take long.

Cardale Jones is the face of the XFL’s D.C. Defenders franchise, and he played like it Saturday. The former Ohio State quarterback that led the Buckeyes to the national championship at the tail end of the 2014 season completed 16 of 26 passes for 291 yards and two touchdowns.

And it looked like he was having a bushel of fun in the game. He even took part in a double-reverse flea-flicker pass for one of his scores through the air — if that’s such a thing.

The excitement is such that D.C. fans even began an MVP chant. But not at the end of the game, or even in the second half. It only took about four minutes into the game for everyone to buy-in to Jones being the guy in our nation’s capital.

Click on the below and have a listen to crowd serenade Jones as he goes into shotgun formation very early in the game. The video is courtesy of the Twitter feed of ESPN’s SportsCenter.

Pretty wild stuff here, but it’s clear that there’s at least a decent amount of fans that are excited about what the XFL could be. But how long will that last?

 

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WATCH: Cardale Jones uses trick play for touchdown pass in first XFL game

Former Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones took part in a fun trick play that resulted in a few touches before he threw a 39-yard TD pass.

The XFL has officially been rebooted, and the early returns are good.

If you’ve been curious about the new league and how it might differ from the original attempt at a failed launch, or you just wanted to watch football still, it could have been worse. Especially seeing how there were some former Ohio State players on display today with the D.C. Defenders.

One of those Buckeyes is former national championship-winning quarterback Cardale Jones. It looks like he had himself a lot of fun, and put together a pretty solid day.

But this isn’t exactly the same thing as the NFL, and the play-calling was a little more open. In fact, there was a trick play that got Cardale Jones a touchdown pass against Seattle Saturday. Watch as Jones hands off on what looks like a double-reverse, only to have it pitched back to him, where he then throws to a wide-open Khari Lee for a 39-yard touchdown pass.

I have to say, this product does look fun and it was definitely entertaining. What will be interesting to see is if people will keep their interest during this void of football.

For now though, many fans appear to be “in” on this whole experiment.

Seattle Dragons at D.C. Defenders XFL odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s Seattle Dragons at D.C. Defenders sports betting odds and lines, with Week 1 XFL betting picks, tips and bets.

The Seattle Dragons (0-0) and D.C. Defenders (0-0) begin their 2020 campaigns in the relaunched XFL Saturday at 2 p.m. ET, squaring off at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. We analyze the Dragons-Defenders Week 1 odds and lines, with XFL betting advice and tips around this matchup, the first game of the league’s opening weekend.

Dragons at Defenders: XFL Week 1 preview, betting trends and notes

  • The Dragons are led by coach Jim Zorn, who was once the head coach of the Washington Redskins. While an experienced coach, his quarterback Brandon Silvers doesn’t offer much in the way of confidence.
  • D.C. is led by a coach-quarterback tandem with NFL experience. Pep Hamilton worked as an assistant for five NFL teams, most recently with the Cleveland Browns, while quarterback Cardale Jones is a big-arm QB who was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the fourth round of the 2016 draft.
  • DT Will Sutton and WR Keenan Reynolds are the most recognizable names on Seattle’s roster, which is short on ex-NFL talent.
  • The Defenders are loaded with former NFL players. S Matt Elam, QB Tyree Jackson, LB Scooby Wright and RB Donnel Pumphrey lead the charge behind Jones.
  • The Defenders have the fourth-best odds (+600) to win the XFL 2020 Championship. The Dragons have the longest odds at +1100.

Get some action on this XFL matchup or other games by betting at BetMGM. New customer offer: RISK-FREE First Bet (up to $500!) paid in free bets; visit BetMGM for terms and conditions. Bet now!

Dragons at Defenders: Key injuries

Dragons

  • OT Isaiah Battle (ankle) out
  • TE Cam Clear (undisclosed) out
  • S Tyson Graham (hand) out
  • WR Kasen Williams (quad) out
  • WR Alonzo Moore (hip) questionable

Defenders

  • WR DeAndre Thompkins (foot) out
  • LB Scooby Wright (knee) out
  • S Shamarko Thomas (thigh) questionable
  • DE Tavaris Barnes (arm) probable
  • S Matt Elam (thigh) probable
  • G Dorian Johnson (shoulder) probable
  • DB Bradley Sylve (thigh) probable

Dragons at Defenders: Odds, betting lines and prediction

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 9:45 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Defenders 27, Dragons 15

Moneyline (?)

Betting the moneyline in the first XFL game ever is risky, given the unknowns about both teams and the league as a whole. Yes, the Defenders have more NFL-caliber players on their roster, but that’s not the only determining factor in a good team.

The Defenders’ moneyline is -358, which comes with very little reward for the risk you’d have to make to win any significant amount of money. You could put down a small wager on the Dragons (+280) to hedge your bet if you’re betting on the spread, too, but I’d probably PASS on both.

Against the Spread (?)

On paper – which is all we have to go off of right now – the Defenders look like a much better team. We have no idea what we’re going to get from Silvers at QB for the Dragons, and even though Jones is a question mark, too, we at least saw him against top competition at Ohio State and briefly in the NFL.

All told, the Defenders are 7.5-point favorites, which is the second-largest spread of the weekend. D.C.’s defense has enough NFL-caliber talent that it should be able to keep the Dragons in check. Plus, having a proven player like Pumphrey at RB will help D.C.’s offense.

Take the DEFENDERS -7.5 (-121).

Over/Under (?)

With the revamped rules in the XFL, there should be more scoring. There are different point-after-touchdown options, and with a shorter play clock, the pace should be higher. That doesn’t mean the offenses will be productive, though.

With an Over/Under of 49.5, I’d be inclined to take the UNDER 49.5 (-110), just because the Dragons don’t have much proven talent on offense and there are still questions about Jones as the Defenders’ QB.

Want action on this game? Sign up and bet at BetMGM. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

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Former Ohio State QB Cardale Jones named an XFL player to watch by USA TODAY

Former Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones has been named one of ten XFL Players to Watch by USA TODAY.

Things didn’t quite work out for former Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones. He had a season to remember for the Buckeyes in 2014 when every game he played ended with confetti falling from the sky, but then had an underachieving 2015. From there he went to the NFL, but never really carved out a job, spending time with Buffalo, Los Angeles, and Seattle before being released and out of a job.

Until, that is, the human energy drink Vince McMahon decided to resurrect the XFL and have a go with it one more time. Now, Jones will be the starting quarterback for the D.C. Defenders, and will have fellow former OSU players Doran Grant and Tracy Sprinkle in our nation’s capital with him.

If you’ve had a chance to look at the XFL rosters, there’s actually some decent talent spread across the eight teams, and Jones has a chance to be one of the league’s stars. Those that have followed 12-gauge, know he has a cannon of an arm, and is a big, strong presence in the pocket that’s tough to bring down.

Tom Schad at USA TODAY has taken notice. He included Jones in his Ten Players to Watch in the XFL. Here’s what he says about the former Buckeye star.

XFL leaders knew star power at quarterback would be pivotal to the league’s success, and Jones certainly provides some of that. His NFL career fizzled after short stints with the Bills and Chargers, but he’ll forever be a legend at Ohio State after leading the Buckeyes to a national championship in spot duty as a freshman. Jones is likely to start at quarterback from Day 1 in D.C., and he’s one of the few players in the league that have the capability to draw in casual NFL fans and expand the XFL’s viewership.

What do you think? Does Jones have the goods to be a star in the zany world of the XFL 2.0, or will he continue to have issues putting it all together? Furthermore, if he does break-out, how long with the XFL last?

Tune in starting this weekend to find out. The D.C. Defenders take on the Seattle Dragons at 2 PM on Saturday. ABC has the game.