The Good Doctor’s XFL Weekly Rankings: Week 2

Each week The Good Doctor will bring you his XFL Power Rankings. Keep an eye out for updates each week. I will break down the good, the bad, and the ugly for each XFL team and preview their upcoming contest.

1. Houston Roughnecks (2-0)– Houston remains at the top of the league. The Roughnecks used a monster second half against Arlington to move to 2-0 on the young season. The Roughnecks are +30 on the season, which is a league-best. Houston recorded 5 sacks in their win this weekend. Turnovers may be a problem for Houston, but for now, the team is able to get past mistakes.
2. D.C. Defenders (2-0) +2 -DC is number 2 because of their defense. DC is a +16 on the season, which is second in the league. The Defenders have surrendered the least amount of points on the season, but there is cause for concern. Jordan Ta’amu continues to struggle, but he is being bailed out by a strong run game. This week is a pivotal matchup with the St. Louis Battlehawks.
3. St. Louis Battlehawks (2-0) +3 – Only + 5 on the season, but St. Louis is 2-0. Another close win over an opponent will pay dividends as the season wears on. AJ. McCarron continues to be lights out in the fourth quarter. This week will be a huge test for St. Louis. The team will be playing it’s third consecutive road game, as DC looms. If St. Louis can get past the Defenders and a tough defense, the Dome will be rocking in week 4 for the team’s home opener.
4. San Antonio Brahmas (1-1) +3 -The Brahmas got win number one of the season this weekend over the lowly Orlando Guardians, but looked pretty solid in the victory. Jack Coan, my pick to be the player of the year for the league, tossed 3 touchdowns in the win. San Antonio put up the most points of any team this week. While San Antonio is +15 on the season, I am putting St. Louis over them because they have a win over the Brahmas.
5. Arlington Renegades (1-1) -3 -Arlington dropped three spots this week. They did not impress me much against Houston, the top team. Arlington’s pass protection left a lot to be desired, giving up 5 sacks in the loss. The Renegades are sitting at -7 on the season. On the plus side, Arlington’s defense was successful in forcing some turnovers in the loss. If the defense can continue to play strong, expect Arlington to rise in the rankings.
6. Seattle Sea Dragons (0-2) -1 -Seattle, on paper, appeared to be one of the top teams in the league, but an 0-2 start has some rethinking that assessment. Seattle cannot close out games, which is their biggest issue. Turnovers continue to plague the team. At time, Ben DiNucci looks like the best quarterback in the league and at times he cannot hang on to the football. If Seattle can start hanging on to the football, this team will rise quickly.
7. Las Vegas Vipers (0-2) -4 – Las Vegas has the biggest drop in the rankings this week. The offense was putrid this week. At -14, the Vipers need to get the offense moving. If Las Vegas can get the offense in sync, I think the defense is good enough to win some games, but there are questions on the offensive side of the ball that the Vipers need to answer before they can win some games.
8. Orlando Guardians (0-2) – Listen, when your team makes headlines for the quarterback telling teammates to “Shut the F’ up” that’s not a good thing. At -36 on the season, Orlando is just a mess. This team is the laughing stock of the XFL at the moment and it does not appear that will be changing any time soon.