Audi Field Washington, D.C.—-Let’s get right into it. Seattle wasted no time getting on the scoreboard with an explosive opening kickoff return for a touchdown by none other than Josh Gordon. This man has been through it all and it’s great to see him making plays on the field again. Unfortunately, they missed the 3-point conversion attempt, making it 6-0.
For those of you who don’t know, the XFL has a unique scoring system. There are no extra points, only 1, 2, or 3-point conversion attempts. It keeps the game interesting and unpredictable.
The Defenders couldn’t get anything going on their first drive, and their offense looked a little sluggish. They punted on a 4th and 3 from their own 35-yard line. The Sea Dogs took advantage on their next possession, moving the ball to the red zone, but had to settle for a field goal, upping their score to 9-0.
The Defenders finally found some rhythm on their third drive, their QB punched it in for 2 yards out, followed by a successful 2-point conversion, making the score 9-8 Seattle with 8:58 left in the first half.
The Sea Dogs took a 9-8 lead into the locker room.
Seattle came out of the half firing on all cylinders in the second half, started up with a 10-yard TD run followed by a 3-point conversion, making it 18-8 with 9:42 left in the third quarter. But, QB Ben Dinucci had a pick-six, and the Defenders converted the 2-point attempt, making it 18-16 Seattle with 6:28 left in the third.
The Defenders then took the lead with a 5-yard touchdown run by Dering King, making the score 22-18 D.C. with 14:14 left on the clock.
Seattle had a chance to win it all with just 25 seconds left in the game, driving all the way to the one-yard line. But, another turnover by Dinucci, this time a fumble, ended their hopes of any comeback.
In the end, the D.C. Defenders came out on top, with a final score of 22-18. It was a hard-fought battle by both teams, but the Defenders made the necessary plays when it mattered most. The attendance for the game was 12,438, the city was very much into the game and this league based upon the electric atmosphere.
