2023 DC Defenders season

American professional football season

The 2023 DC Defenders season was the second season for the DC Defenders as a professional American football franchise. The Defenders played their home games at Audi Field and were led by head coach Reggie Barlow.

At the first home game security staff prevented fans building the "Beer Snake", a signature feature from the 2020 season, and fans started throwing lemons on the field. The league made the proper arrangements for the "Beer Snake" to be allowed during Defenders home games.[1][2]

Earning their first playoff berth and clinching first place in the North Division, the Defenders eliminated the Seattle Sea Dragons in the North Division title game in the playoffs. With the win, the Defenders advanced to the XFL Championship Game where they faced the Arlington Renegades, losing by a score of 26-35.[3][4]

Roster

2023 DC Defenders final roster
Quarterbacks
  •  2 Geremy Hickbottom
  •  3 D'Eriq King
  • 10 Jordan Ta'amu

Running backs

  • 14 Cam'Ron Harris
  •  4 Abram Smith
  • 13 Pooka Williams

Wide receivers

  •  1 Chris Blair
  •  8 Jazz Ferguson
  •  0 Josh Hammond
  • 11 Lucky Jackson
  • 16 Brandon Smith

Tight ends

  • 18 Alex Ellis
  • 88 Briley Moore
  • 82 Ethan Wolf
 Offensive linemen
  • 62 Tommy Champion T
  • 66 Ty Clary C
  • 77 Liam Fornadel G
  • 78 D'Marcus Hayes T
  • 53 Kyle Murphy T
  • 64 Bruno Reagan C
  • 51 Dare Rosenthal T
  • 63 Liam Ryan G
  • 72 Gunnar Vogel T

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

Reserve lists


Rookies in italics
 51 active, 9 inactive

Background

The 2020 season was the inaugural season for the DC Defenders as a professional club. They were playing as charter members of the rebooted XFL, one of eight teams to compete in the league for the season. The Defenders played their home games at Audi Field and were led by head coach Pep Hamilton.

Their inaugural season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the XFL officially suspended operations for the remainder of the season on March 20, 2020.[5] The Defenders finished the season with a 3–2 record.

Schedule

All times Eastern

Week Day Date Kickoff TV Opponent Results Location Attendance
Score Record
1 Sunday February 19 8:00 p.m. ESPN Seattle Sea Dragons 22–18 1–0 Audi Field 12,438
2 Saturday February 25 7:00 p.m. FX at Vegas Vipers 18–6 2–0 Cashman Field 6,023
3 Sunday March 5 1:00 p.m. FX St. Louis BattleHawks 34–28 3–0 Audi Field 16,212
4 Sunday March 12 7:00 p.m. ESPN2 Vegas Vipers 32–18 4–0 Audi Field 11,521
5 Saturday March 18 7:00 p.m. FX at St. Louis BattleHawks 28–20 5–0 The Dome at America's Center 35,868
6 Monday March 27 7:00 p.m. ESPN2 Houston Roughnecks 37–26 6–0 Audi Field 12,492
7 Saturday April 1 6:00 p.m. ESPN at Orlando Guardians 36–37 6–1 Camping World Stadium 7,011
8 Sunday April 9 7:00 p.m. ESPN2 at Seattle Sea Dragons 34–33 7–1 Lumen Field 11,874
9 Sunday April 16 12:00 p.m. ESPN Arlington Renegades 28–26 (OT) 8–1 Audi Field 18,684
10 Saturday April 22 3:00 p.m. ABC at San Antonio Brahmas 29–28 9–1 Alamodome 12,129

[6]

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. Seattle Sea Dragons

Week 1: Seattle Sea Dragons at DC Defenders – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Sea Dragons 9 0 9018
Defenders 0 8 8622

at Audi Field, Washington, DC

Game information

First quarter

  • SEA – Josh Gordon 6-yard pass from Ben DiNucci (3-pt Conversion No Good), 9:13. Sea Dragons 6–0. Drive: 11 plays, 71 yards, 5:47.
  • SEA – Dominik Eberle 36-yard field goal, 1:36. Sea Dragons 9–0. Drive: 11 plays, 52 yards, 5:52.

Second quarter

  • DC – Jordan Ta'amu 1-yard rush (2-pt Conversion Good by Lucky Jackson), 8:58. Sea Dragons 9–8. Drive: 15 plays, 73 yards, 7:23.

Third quarter

  • SEA – Brenden Knox 13-yard rush (3-pt Conversion Good by Ben DiNucci), 9:42. Sea Dragons 18–8. Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, 3:45.
  • DC – Michael Joseph 15-yard interception return (2-pt Conversion Good by D'Eriq King), 6:28. Sea Dragons 18–16. Drive: 1 play, 15 yards, 0:04.

Fourth quarter

  • DC – D'Eriq King 5-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 14:14. Defenders 22–18. Drive: 2 plays, 4 yards, 0:34.

Top passers

  • SEA – Ben DiNucci – 35/54, 282 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT
  • DC – Jordan Ta'amu – 8/19, 86 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT

Top rushers

  • SEA – Brenden Knox – 11 rushes, 31 yards
  • DC – Abram Smith – 11 rushes, 28 yards

Top receivers

  • SEA – Jahcour Pearson – 12 receptions, 95 yards
  • DC – Lucky Jackson – 4 receptions, 25 yards

Week 2: at Vegas Vipers

Week 2: DC Defenders at Vegas Vipers – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Defenders 0 0 31518
Vipers 6 0 006

at Cashman Field, Las Vegas, Nevada

Game information

First quarter

  • VGS – DeAndre Torrey 2-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 12:10. Vipers 6–0. Drive: 1 play, 98 yards, 0:04.

Second quarter

  • No scoring plays.

Third quarter

  • DC – Matt McCrane 47-yard field goal, 9:41. Vipers 6–3. Drive: 11 plays, 42 yards, 5:19.

Fourth quarter

  • DC – D'Eriq King 12-yard rush (1-pt Conversion Good by D'Eriq King), 14:58. Defenders 10–6. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:21.
  • DC – Abram Smith 9-yard rush (2-pt Conversion Good by Ethan Wolf), 8:43. Defenders 18–6. Drive: 5 plays, 44 yards, 2:16.

Top passers

  • DC – Jordan Ta'amu – 11/23, 93 yards
  • VGS – Brett Hundley – 11/18, 98 yards

Top rushers

  • DC – Abram Smith – 15 rushes, 71 yards
  • VGS – Rod Smith – 7 rushes, 39 yards

Top receivers

  • DC – Josh Hammond – 3 receptions, 24 yards
  • VGS – John Lovett – 2 receptions, 33 yards

Week 3: vs. St. Louis BattleHawks

Week 3: St. Louis BattleHawks at DC Defenders – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
BattleHawks 8 6 6828
Defenders 14 0 11934

at Audi Field, Washington, DC

Game information

First quarter

  • DC – Ethan Wolf 7-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion Good by Ethan Wolf), 10:31. Defenders 8–0. Drive: 7 Plays, 77 Yards, 2:26.
  • DC – Michael Joseph 42-yard interception return (2-pt Conversion No Good), 9:45. Defenders 14–0. Drive: 2 Plays, 4 Yards, 0:46.
  • STL – Brian Hill 8-yard pass from A. J. McCarron (2-pt Conversion Good by Darrius Shepherd), 5:33. Defenders 14–8. Drive: 8 Plays, 73 Yards, 4:12.

Second quarter

  • STL – Hakeem Butler 1-yard pass from A. J. McCarron (2-pt Conversion No Good), 0:03. Tied 14–14. Drive: 9 Plays, 75 Yards, 2:20.

Third quarter

  • DC – Matt McCrane 41-yard field goal, 9:24. Defenders 17–14. Drive: 11 Plays, 48 Yards, 5:18.
  • STL – Jake Sutherland 23-yard pass from A. J. McCarron (2-pt Conversion No Good), 8:26. BattleHawks 20–17. Drive: 2 Plays, 25 Yards, 1:16.
  • DC – Jordan Ta'amu 2-yard rush (2-pt Conversion Good by Lucky Jackson), 3:08. Defenders 25–20. Drive: 12 Plays, 81 Yards, 5:18.

Fourth quarter

  • DC – Matt McCrane 35-yard field goal, 15:00. Defenders 28–20. Drive: 4 Plays, 7 Yards, 1:40.
  • DC – Chris Blair 4-yard pass from D'Eriq King (2-pt Conversion No Good), 6:02. Defenders 34–20. Drive: 12 Plays, 67 Yards, 6:46.
  • STL – Steven Mitchell 2-yard pass from A. J. McCarron (2-pt Conversion Good by Steven Mitchell), 0:22. Defenders 34–28. Drive: 1 Play, 2 Yards, 0:00.

Top passers

  • STL – A. J. McCarron – 26/42, 262 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT
  • DC – Jordan Ta'amu – 11/20, 196 yards, TD

Top rushers

  • STL – Brian Hill – 12 rushes, 32 yards
  • DC – Abram Smith – 16 rushes, 54 yards

Top receivers

  • STL – Hakeem Butler – 9 receptions, 105 yards
  • DC – Lucky Jackson – 4 receptions, 89 yards

Week 4: vs. Vegas Vipers

Week 4: Vegas Vipers at DC Defenders – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Vipers 3 3 01218
Defenders 6 8 61232

at Audi Field, Washington, DC

  • Date: March 12
  • Game time: 7:00 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: 40 °F (4 °C)
  • Game attendance: 11,521
  • Referee: Jeff Heaser
  • TV announcers (ESPN2): Matt Barrie, Joey Galloway, and Tiffany Blackmon
Game information

First quarter

  • DC – D'Eriq King 5-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 13:11. Defenders 6–0. Drive: 4 Plays, 21 Yards, 1:35.
  • VGS – Bailey Giffen 37-yard field goal, 0:50. Defenders 6–3. Drive: 6 Plays, 44 Yards, 2:49.

Second quarter

  • DC – D'Eriq King 2-yard rush (2-pt Conversion Good by Chris Blair), 10:42. Defenders 14–3. Drive: 11 Plays, 72 Yards, 5:08.
  • VGS – Bailey Giffen 33-yard field goal, 5:15. Defenders 14–6. Drive: 11 Plays, 50 Yards, 5:27.

Third quarter

  • DC – Matt McCrane 20-yard field goal, 6:48. Defenders 17–6. Drive: 12 Plays, 80 Yards, 6:10.
  • DC – Matt McCrane 35-yard field goal, 1:44. Defenders 20–6. Drive: 5 Plays, 43 Yards, 2:36.

Fourth quarter

  • VGS – Cinque Sweeting 26-yard pass from Luis Perez (2-pt Conversion No Good), 14:22. Defenders 20–12. Drive: 5 Plays, 74 Yards, 2:22.
  • DC – Matt McCrane 26-yard field goal, 6:53. Defenders 23–12. Drive: 14 Plays, 76 Yards, 7:29.
  • DC – Jequez Ezzard 32-yard pass from D'Eriq King (2-pt Conversion No Good), 2:40. Defenders 29–12. Drive: 6 Plays, 52 Yards, 2:49.
  • VGS – Cinque Sweeting 25-yard pass from Luis Perez (3-pt Conversion No Good), 1:55. Defenders 29–18. Drive: 2 Plays, 30 Yards, 0:45.
  • DC – Matt McCrane 23-yard field goal, 0:47. Defenders 32–18. Drive: 5 Plays, 16 Yards, 1:02.

Top passers

  • VGS – Luis Perez – 23/32, 283 yards, 2 TD
  • DC – Jordan Ta'amu – 14/19, 177 yards, 0 TD

Top rushers

  • VGS – John Lovett – 7 rushes, 39 yards
  • DC – Abram Smith – 22 rushes, 58 yards

Top receivers

  • VGS – Jeff Badet – 7 receptions, 80 yards
  • DC – Josh Hammond – 5 receptions, 17 yards

Week 5: at St. Louis BattleHawks

Week 5: DC Defenders at St. Louis BattleHawks – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Defenders 0 14 6828
BattleHawks 0 3 9820

at The Dome at America's Center, St. Louis, Missouri

Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

  • STL – Donny Hageman 36-yard field goal, 10:02. BattleHawks 3–0. Drive: 16 Plays, 72 Yards, 8:55.
  • DC – Abram Smith 62-yard rush (2-pt Conversion good by Josh Hammond), 9:22. Defenders 8–3. Drive: 2 Plays, 68 Yards, 0:38.
  • DC – Abram Smith 5-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 1:54. Defenders 14–3. Drive: 3 Plays, 14 Yards, 0:12.

Third quarter

  • STL – Donny Hageman 34-yard field goal, 13:16. Defenders 14–6. Drive: 4 Plays, 0 Yards, 1:44.
  • DC – Abram Smith 70-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 12:24. Defenders 20–6. Drive: 2 Plays, 73 Yards, 0:51.
  • STL – George Campbell 5-yard pass from A. J. McCarron (2-pt Conversion No Good), 6:20. Defenders 20–12. Drive: 11 Plays, 65 Yards, 5:56.

Fourth quarter

  • DC – D'Eriq King 10-yard rush (2-pt Conversion Good by Jordan Ta'amu), 12:16. Defenders 28–12. Drive: 7 Plays, 65 Yards, 3:31.
  • STL – Steven Mitchell 50-yard pass from A. J. McCarron (2-pt Conversion Good by Steven Mitchell), 4:19. Defenders 28–20. Drive: 4 Plays, 71 Yards, 1:43.

Top passers

  • DC – Jordan Ta'amu – 12/18, 90 yards, 0 TD
  • STL – A. J. McCarron – 22/34, 236 yards, 2 TD

Top rushers

  • DC – Abram Smith – 23 rushes, 218 yards
  • STL – Brian Hill – 14 rushes, 79 yards

Top receivers

  • DC – Lucky Jackson – 5 receptions, 54 yards
  • STL – Hakeem Butler – 9 receptions, 86 yards

Week 6: vs. Houston Roughnecks

Week 6: Houston Roughnecks at DC Defenders – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Roughnecks 8 0 61226
Defenders 3 14 91137

at Audi Field, Washington, DC

  • Date: March 27
  • Game time: 7:00 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C)
  • Game attendance: 12,492
  • Referee: Reggie Smith
  • TV announcers (ESPN2): Taylor Zarzour, Tom Luginbill, and Stormy Buonantony
  • [5]
Game information

First quarter

  • HOU – Max Borghi 4-yard rush (2-pt Conversion Good by Cedric Byrd), 5:08. Roughnecks 8–0. Drive: 8 Plays, 66 Yards, 4:32.
  • DC – Matt McCrane 34-yard field goal, 1:18. Roughnecks 8–3. Drive: 8 Plays, 52 Yards, 3:50.

Second quarter

  • DC – Abram Smith 1-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 1:57. Defenders 9–8. Drive: 10 Plays, 61 Yards, 4:37.
  • DC – Interception returned for touchdown by Santos Ramirez (2-pt Conversion Good by Josh Hammond), 1:15. Defenders 17–8. Drive: 1 Play, -12 Yards, 0:42.

Third quarter

  • DC – Alex Ellis 1-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion No Good), 10:12. Defenders 23–8. Drive: 8 Plays, 72 Yards, 4:48.
  • DC – Matt McCrane 32-yard field goal, 2:08. Defenders 26–8. Drive: 11 Plays, 44 Yards, 6:03.
  • HOU – Deontay Burnett 85-yard pass from Cole McDonald (3-pt Conversion No Good), 1:19. Defenders 26–14. Drive: 2 Plays, 86 Yards, 0:49.

Fourth quarter

  • DC – Lucky Jackson 30-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion Good by Chris Blair), 13:16. Defenders 34–14. Drive: 6 Plays, 76 Yards, 3:04.
  • HOU – Max Borghi 1-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 10:03. Defenders 34–20. Drive: 6 Plays, 65 Yards, 3:12.
  • DC – Matt McCrane 50-yard field goal, 6:14. Defenders 37–20. Drive: 7 Plays, 36 Yards, 3:49.
  • HOU – Cole McDonald 1-yard rush (3-pt Conversion No Good), 1:57. Defenders 37–26. Drive: 9 Plays, 62 Yards, 4:17.

Top passers

  • HOU – Brandon Silvers – 10/17, 111 yards, 0 TD
  • DC – Jordan Ta'amu – 19/31, 245 yards, 2 TD

Top rushers

  • HOU – Max Borghi – 11 rushes, 25 yards
  • DC – Abram Smith – 19 rushes, 95 yards

Top receivers

  • HOU – Travell Harris – 5 receptions, 60 yards
  • DC – Lucky Jackson – 5 receptions, 136 yards

Week 7: at Orlando Guardians

Week 7: DC Defenders at Orlando Guardians – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Defenders 14 8 6836
Guardians 12 6 13637

at Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Florida

Game information

First quarter

  • DC – Lucky Jackson 32-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion Good by Chris Blair), 13:08. Defenders 8–0. Drive: 5 Plays, 74 Yards, 1:52.
  • ORL – Quinten Dormady 1-yard rush (1-pt Conversion No Good), 10:47. Defenders 8–6. Drive: 6 Plays, 45 Yards, 2:21.
  • ORL – K. D. Cannon 41-yard pass from Quinten Dormady (1-pt Conversion No Good), 8:01. Guardians 12–8. Drive: 3 Plays, 58 Yards, 1:09.
  • DC – Abram Smith 1-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 3:14. Defenders 14–12. Drive: 11 Plays, 69 Yards, 4:40.

Second quarter

  • DC – Briley Moore 12-yard pass from D'Eriq King (2-pt Conversion Good by Alex Ellis), 13:00. Defenders 22–12. Drive: 9 Plays, 48 Yards, 3:20.
  • ORL – Quinten Dormady 1-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 0:00. Defenders 22–18. Drive: 9 Plays, 55 Yards, 4:19.

Third quarter

  • ORL – Jordan Thomas 15-yard pass from Quinten Dormady (1-pt Conversion Good by Jah-Maine Martin), 9:38. Guardians 25–22. Drive: 9 Plays, 46 Yards, 5:22.
  • DC – Chris Blair 86-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion No Good), 8:29. Defenders 28–25. Drive: 3 Plays, 85 Yards, 1:09.
  • ORL – Quinten Dormady 1-yard rush (1-pt Conversion No Good), 3:31. Guardians 31–28. Drive: 10 Plays, 60 Yards, 4:58.

Fourth quarter

  • DC – Lucky Jackson 15-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion Good by Alex Ellis), 11:37. Defenders 36–31. Drive: 5 Plays, 50 Yards, 1:39.
  • ORL – Cody Latimer 44-yard pass from Quinten Dormady (2-pt Conversion No Good), 8:50. Guardians 37–36. Drive: 6 Plays, 65 Yards, 2:47.

Top passers

  • DC – Jordan Ta'amu – 21/29, 285 yards, 3 TD
  • ORL – Quinten Dormady – 27/34, 328 yards, 3 TD

Top rushers

  • DC – Abram Smith – 18 rushes, 127 yards
  • ORL – Devin Darrington – 13 rushes, 17 yards

Top receivers

  • DC – Chris Blair – 5 receptions, 139 yards
  • ORL – Cody Latimer – 7 receptions, 93 yards

Week 8: at Seattle Sea Dragons

Week 8: DC Defenders at Seattle Sea Dragons – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Defenders 8 8 61234
Sea Dragons 0 6 91833

at Lumen Field, Seattle, Washington

  • Date: April 9
  • Game time: 7:00 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: 58 °F (14 °C)
  • Game attendance: 11,874
  • Referee: Jason Autrey
  • TV announcers (ESPN2): Roy Philpott, Eric Mac Lain, Tiffany Blackmon
  • [7]
Game information

First quarter

  • DC – Abram Smith 2-yard rush (2-pt Conversion Good by Lucky Jackson), 9:22. Defenders 8–0. Drive: 3 Plays, 64 Yards, 0:55.

Second quarter

  • SEA – Phillip Lindsay 2-yard rush (3-pt Conversion No Good), 10:35. Defenders 8–6. Drive: 12 Plays, 60 Yards, 6:47.
  • DC – Ryquell Armstead 11-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion Good by Lucky Jackson), 1:24. Defenders 16–6. Drive: 9 Plays, 60 Yards, 3:59.

Third quarter

  • DC – Alex Ellis 14-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion No Good), 8:34. Defenders 22–6. Drive: 7 Plays, 71 Yards, 4:22.
  • SEA – Defensive 2-pt Conversion, 8:34. Defenders 22–8. Drive: 1 play, -5 yards, 0:01.'
  • SEA – Juwan Green 46-yard pass from Ben DiNucci (1-pt Conversion Good by Blake Jackson), 6:33. Defenders 22–15. Drive: 4 Plays, 75 Yards, 2:02.

Fourth quarter

  • SEA – Dominik Eberle 29-yard field goal, 12:37. Defenders 22–18. Drive: 7 Plays, 44 Yards, 3:15.
  • DC – Brandon Smith 5-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion No Good), 5:13. Defenders 28–18. Drive: 13 Plays, 73 Yards, 7:24.
  • SEA – Juwan Green 56-yard pass from Ben DiNucci (3-pt Conversion Good by Blake Jackson), 4:05. Defenders 28–27. Drive: 3 Plays, 79 Yards, 1:09.
  • DC – Chris Blair 70-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion No Good), 2:10. Defenders 34–27. Drive: 3 Plays, 72 Yards, 2:02.
  • SEA – Jahcour Pearson 14-yard pass from Ben DiNucci (2-pt Conversion No Good), 0:32. Defenders 34–33. Drive: 9 Plays, 70 Yards, 1:31.

Top passers

  • DC – Jordan Ta'amu – 17/26, 247 yards, 4 TD
  • SEA – Ben DiNucci – 28/42, 301 yards, 3 TD

Top rushers

  • DC – Abram Smith – 17 rushes, 66 yards
  • SEA – Phillip Lindsay – 8 rushes, 23 yards

Top receivers

  • DC – Chris Blair – 5 receptions, 148 yards
  • SEA – Juwan Green – 7 receptions, 142 yards

Week 9: vs. Arlington Renegades

Week 9: Arlington Renegades at DC Defenders – Game summary
Period 1 2 34OTTotal
Renegades 3 6 017026
Defenders 6 14 60228

at Audi Field, Washington, DC

Game information

First quarter

  • ARL – Taylor Russolino 23-yard field goal, 9:39. Renegades 3–0 Drive: 9 Plays, 79 Yards, 5:21.
  • DC – Josh Hammond 9-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion No Good), 7:54. Defenders 6–3. Drive: 5 Plays, 71 Yards, 1:45.

Second quarter

  • DC – Lucky Jackson 14-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion No Good), 9:27. Defenders 12–3. Drive: 5 Plays, 70 Yards, 3:08.
  • ARL – Caleb Vander Esch 25-yard pass from Luis Perez (2-pt Conversion No Good), 6:26. Defenders 12–9. Drive: 7 Plays, 65 Yards, 3:01.
  • DC – Lucky Jackson 6-yard pass from D'Eriq King (2-pt Conversion Good by Jazz Ferguson), 0:46. Defenders 20–9. Drive: 11 Plays, 77 Yards, 5:40.

Third quarter

  • DC – Pass interception returned for touchdown by D. J. Swearinger (2-pt Conversion No Good), 9:40. Defenders 26–9. Drive: 6 Plays, 43 Yards, 3:50.

Fourth quarter

  • ARL – De'Veon Smith 1-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 12:49. Defenders 26–15. Drive: 6 Plays, 31 Yards, 3:00.
  • ARL – De'Veon Smith 1-yard rush (2-pt Conversion Good by Tyler Vaughns), 1:20. Defenders 26–23. Drive: 9 Plays, 67 Yards, 4:02.
  • ARL – Taylor Russolino 27-yard field goal, 0:05. Tied 26–26. Drive: 8 Plays, 66 Yards, 1:15.

Overtime

  • DC – Josh Hammond pass from Jordan Ta'amu for 2 points

Top passers

  • ARL – Luis Perez – 31/41, 335 yards, 1 TD
  • DC – Jordan Ta'amu – 14/20, 188 yards, 2 TD

Top rushers

  • ARL – De'Veon Smith – 12 rushes, 43 yards
  • DC – Abram Smith – 10 rushes, 27 yards

Top receivers

  • ARL – Sal Cannella – 7 receptions, 92 yards
  • DC – Josh Hammond – 5 receptions, 74 yards

Week 10: at San Antonio Brahmas

Week 10: DC Defenders at San Antonio Brahmas – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Defenders 11 8 3729
Brahmas 3 8 9828

at Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas

  • Date: April 22
  • Game time: 3:00 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: 78 °F (26 °C)
  • Game attendance: 12,129
  • Referee: Reggie Smith
  • TV announcers (ABC): Tom Hart, Greg McElroy, Cole Cubelic and Katie George
  • [9]
Game information

First quarter

  • DC – Alex Ellis 5-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion Good by Josh Hammond), 12:41. Defenders 8–0. Drive: 5 Plays, 68 Yards, 2:19.
  • SA – Parker Romo 26-yard field goal, 4:06. Defenders 8–3. Drive: 16 Plays, 64 Yards, 8:35.
  • DC – Matt McCrane 21-yard field goal, 2:31. Defenders 11–3. Drive: 4 Plays, 5 Yards, 1:35.

Second quarter

  • DC – Alex Ellis 1-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion Good by Brandon Smith), 11:44. Defenders 19–3. Drive: 5 Plays, 86 Yards, 2:03.
  • SA – Jacques Patrick 1-yard rush (2-pt Conversion Good by T. J. Vasher), 0:03. Defenders 19–11. Drive: 6 Plays, 44 Yards, 0:30.

Third quarter

  • SA – Parker Romo 28-yard field goal, 8:14. Defenders 19–14. Drive: 11 Plays, 60 Yards, 6:46.
  • DC – Matt McCrane 49-yard field goal, 4:43. Defenders 22–14. Drive: 7 Plays, 45 Yards, 3:31.
  • SA – Jon Hilliman 1-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 0:06. Defenders 22–20. Drive: 9 Plays, 75 Yards, 4:37.

Fourth quarter

  • SA – Jacques Patrick 2-yard rush (2-pt Conversion Good by Jon Hilliman), 5:16. Brahmas 28–22. Drive: 10 Plays, 63 Yards, 6:27.
  • DC – Jordan Ta'amu 4-yard rush (1-pt Conversion Good by Jordan Ta'amu), 2:32. Defenders 29–28. Drive: 5 Plays, 69 Yards, 2:43.

Top passers

  • DC – Jordan Ta'amu – 15/22, 271 yards, 2 TD
  • SA – Jack Coan – 34/48, 312 yards, 0 TD

Top rushers

  • DC – Abram Smith – 10 rushes, 44 yards
  • SA – Jacques Patrick – 16 rushes, 41 yards

Top receivers

  • DC – Josh Hammond – 4 receptions, 59 yards
  • SA – Landen Akers – 8 receptions, 90 yards

Standings

  • v
  • t
  • e
North Division[7]
Team W L PCT GB TD+/- TD+ TD- DIV PF PA DIFF STK
(y) DC Defenders 9 1 .900 0 -2 33 35 6–0 298 240 58 W3
(x) Seattle Sea Dragons 7 3 .700 2 +10 30 20 3–3 243 177 66 W2
(e) St. Louis Battlehawks 7 3 .700 2 +9 32 23 3–3 249 202 47 W1
(e) Vegas Vipers 2 8 .200 7 0 28 28 0–6 184 252 -68 L3
South Division[7]
Team W L PCT GB TD+/- TD+ TD- DIV PF PA DIFF STK
(y) Houston Roughnecks 7 3 .700 0 +4 30 26 6–0 247 182 65 W3
(x) Arlington Renegades 4 6 .400 3 -8 15 23 3–3 146 194 -48 L2
(e) San Antonio Brahmas 3 7 .300 4 -8 16 24 3–3 169 183 -14 L1
(e) Orlando Guardians 1 9 .100 6 -5 32 37 0–6 204 310 -106 L3
(x)–clinched playoff berth; (y)–clinched division; (e)–eliminated from playoff contention


Postseason

Schedule

Week Day Date Kickoff TV Opponent Results Location Attendance
Score Record
Division Finals Sunday April 30 3:00 p.m. ESPN Seattle Sea Dragons 37–21 1–0 Audi Field 18,684
XFL Championship Saturday May 13 8:00 p.m. ABC vs. Arlington Renegades 26–35 1–1 Alamodome 22,754

Game summaries

XFL North Division Finals: vs. (2) Seattle Sea Dragons

XFL North Division Finals: (2) Seattle Sea Dragons at (1) DC Defenders – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Sea Dragons 3 6 01221
Defenders 9 0 141437

at Audi Field, Washington, DC

  • Date: May 5
  • Game time: 3:00 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: 61 °F (16 °C)
  • Game attendance: 18,684
  • Referee: Reggie Smith
  • TV announcers (ESPN): Tom Hart, Greg McElroy, Cole Cubelic and Katie George
  • [10]
Game information

First quarter

  • SEA – Dominik Eberle 33-yard field goal, 9:54. Sea Dragons 3–0. Drive: 10 Plays, 59 Yards, 5:06.
  • DC – Matt McCrane 24-yard field goal, 6:55. Tied 3–3. Drive: 6 Plays, 59 Yards, 2:59.
  • DC – Lucky Jackson 44-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion No Good), 1:59. Defenders 9–3. Drive: 7 Plays, 69 Yards, 3:05.

Second quarter

  • SEA – Jahcour Pearson 15-yard pass from Ben DiNucci (2-pt Conversion No Good), 11:3. Tied 9–9. Drive: 10 Plays, 76 Yards, 5:21.

Third quarter

  • DC – Abram Smith 1-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 9:25. Defenders 15–9. Drive: 11 Plays, 78 Yards, 5:35.
  • DC – Ethan Wolf 26-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion Good by Alex Ellis), 4:49. Defenders 23–9. Drive: 6 Plays, 56 Yards, 2:36.

Fourth quarter

  • DC – Cam'Ron Harris 1-yard rush (1-pt Conversion Good by Abram Smith), 11:53. Defenders 30–9. Drive: 9 Plays, 65 Yards, 4:41.
  • SEA – Juwan Green 34-yard pass from Ben DiNucci (2-pt Conversion No Good), 6:05. Defenders 30–15. Drive: 4 Plays, 65 Yards, 1:38.
  • DC – Cam'Ron Harris 11-yard rush (1-pt Conversion Good by Cam'Ron Harris), 2:06. Defenders 37–15. Drive: 9 Plays, 67 Yards, 3:59.
  • SEA – Juwan Green 8-yard pass from Ben DiNucci (3-pt Conversion No Good), 0:12. Defenders 37–21. Drive: 10 Plays, 64 Yards, 1:54.

Top passers

  • SEA – Ben DiNucci – 31/48, 295 yards, 3 TD
  • DC – Jordan Ta'amu – 19/31, 258 yards, 2 TD

Top rushers

  • SEA – Ben DiNucci – 3 rushes, 16 yards
  • DC – Abram Smith – 23 rushes, 48 yards

Top receivers

  • SEA – Juwan Green – 8 receptions, 89 yards
  • DC – Josh Hammond – 6 receptions, 55 yards

XFL Championship Game: vs. Arlington Renegades

XFL Championship Game: (2) Arlington Renegades at (1) DC Defenders – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Renegades 14 6 12335
Defenders 0 6 14626

at Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas

  • Date: May 18
  • Game time: 8:00 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: 76 °F (24 °C)
  • Game attendance: 22,754
  • Referee: Michael VanderVelde
  • TV announcers (ABC): Tom Hart, Greg McElroy, Cole Cubelic and Katie George
  • [11]
Game information

First quarter

  • ARL – Sal Cannella 41-yard pass from Luis Perez (2-pt Conversion No Good), 11:00. Renegades 6–0. Drive: 2 Plays, 59 Yards, 4:02.
  • ARL – Tyler Vaughns 9-yard pass from Luis Perez (2-pt Conversion Good De'Veon Smith), 0:29. Renegades 14–0. Drive: 16 Plays, 88 Yards, 8:45.

Second quarter

  • ARL – Taylor Russolino 29-yard field goal, 4:54. Renegades 17–0. Drive: 13 Plays, 54 Yards, 6:50.
  • DC – Abram Smith 2-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 0:32. Renegades 17–6. Drive: 10 Plays, 45 Yards, 4:22.
  • ARL – Taylor Russolino 51-yard field goal, 0:02. Renegades 20–6. Drive: 3 Plays, 12 Yards, 0:30.

Third quarter

  • DC – Abram Smith 52-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 11:42. Renegades 20–12. Drive: 7 Plays, 71 Yards, 3:27.
  • ARL – Leddie Brown 7-yard rush (1-pt Conversion No Good), 4:44. Renegades 26–12. Drive: 12 Plays, 71 Yards, 6:49.
  • DC – Josh Hammond 72-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion Good by Abram Smith), 0:06. Renegades 26–20. Drive: 2 Plays, 70 Yards, 0:42.
  • ARL – Leddie Brown 30-yard pass from Luis Perez (1-pt Conversion No Good), 0:00. Renegades 32–20. Drive: 1 Play, 30 Yards, 0:06.

Fourth quarter

  • ARL – Taylor Russolino 33-yard field goal, 9:56. Renegades 35–20. Drive: 7 Plays, 8 Yards, 3:40.
  • DC – Josh Hammond 24-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion No Good), 1:17. Renegades 35–26. Drive: 7 Plays, 78 Yards, 0:45.

Top passers

  • ARL – Luis Perez – 26/36, 288 yards, 3 TD
  • DC – Jordan Ta'amu – 16/30, 245 yards, 2 TD

Top rushers

  • ARL – De'Veon Smith – 15 rushes, 54 yards
  • DC – Abram Smith – 13 rushes, 90 yards

Top receivers

  • ARL – Tyler Vaughns – 8 receptions, 83 yards
  • DC – Josh Hammond – 6 receptions, 127 yards

Staff

DC Defenders staff
Front office
  • Director of team operations – Stacie Johnson
  • Director of player personnel – Von Hutchins
Head coach
Offensive coaches
  • Offensive coordinator/running backs – Fred Kaiss
  • Wide Receivers - Alvance Robinson
  • Tight Ends - Cody Crills
  • Offensive Line - Russ Ehrenfeld
  
Defensive coaches
Team operations
  • Quality Control – Deion Harris
  • Athletic Trainer – Chris Lacsamana
  • Equipment Manager – VanDyke Jones
  • Video Manager – Caleb Studivant

References

  1. ^ "DC Defenders Beer Snake is Back, With Some Rules Fans Need To Follow".
  2. ^ "The XFL Beer Snake Returns (D.C. Defenders Fans Tradition)".
  3. ^ "DC Defenders Earn Spot in First-Ever XFL Championship". WRC-TV. April 30, 2023. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  4. ^ "DC Defenders head to XFL championship game". WUSA (TV). May 1, 2023. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  5. ^ "A THANK YOU TO OUR FANS". Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  6. ^ "XFL and ESPN Announce 2023 Schedule, Divisions, Vegas Vipers Playing At Cashman Field". January 5, 2023.
  7. ^ a b "XFL Standings". XFL.com. February 19, 2023. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  • v
  • t
  • e
DC Defenders
  • Founded in 2018
  • Based in Washington, DC
Franchise
Stadiums
Key personnel
Culture
Division championships (1)
2023
Affiliations
  • League: XFL (2020-2023); United Football League (2024-present)
    Conference: XFL Conference (2024-present)
    Division: East (2020); North (2023)
Seasons