Week 1 of the XFL season ended in a New York Guardians win. Their match up verse the Vipers had a ton of excitement for the home Guardians. Offensively they moved the ball enough early on to score points and lean on their strong defense. Defensively their unit played some of the best football all weekend. Let us look at where the Guardians excelled in their week 1 victory.
Defense
When looking at this game we are going to start with the defense. We talked about how the Guardians would have to get pressure and have a great game in the secondary to win. Well they did that and even more. The Vipers were supposed to be a top passing unit and the Guardians held them to 244 pass yards and forced two interceptions. The pass rush really excelled in this game forcing 5 sacks and pressuring Murray consistently. Murray finished completing less than 50% of his passes and only had 6.8 yards per attempt. The line also held up for the most part against the run which was one of our concerns.
One player we said was sure to make an impact for this defense was Jamar Summers. Summers had a terrific game for this secondary that consistently harassed the Vipers wide receivers. Summers returned a fumble for a touchdown late in the game that essentially sealed the victory. The Guardians secondary consistently kept everything in front of them and forced the Vipers into difficult throws. Wesley Sutton also had two sacks from his safety position in crucial spots in the game. It seemed like the perfect scheme for going up against a team like the Vipers. If this defense can play this well moving forward the Guardians will be a tough out.

Offense
We start by saying that this was not a spectacular performance by any means for the Guardians offense. They struggled to keep moving the ball and the run game was dreadful at times. McGloin managed the game well and made the accurate passes when need be. Early in the game after a tremendous opening return McGloin led a terrific drive. The offense went 48 yards in 8 plays coming out passing. Although this is a balanced offense I loved the approach of coming out swinging. It showed McGloin’s ability to make accurate throws and fit them into tight windows. This is the drive that Guardians fans want to see for the season.
-
Ep 161: Lions Dissapoint; NFL MVP; Week 12 Discussion
by Full Press Coverage on November 27, 2023 at 12:12 am
The rest of the game was very sluggish for this Guardians team. Outside of a huge catch by Mekale McKay to set up the second touchdown for the Guardians in the 2nd the team did not do much. 6 out of the last 7 drives ended in punts including all of their second half drives. They only had a net of 43 yards and 2 first downs in the second half. No player really stepped up for this offense and they found no rhythm. The offensive line struggled against the pass rush and could not open any lanes for the running backs. If it was not for the strong defensive effort the offense could have lost this game by not being able to control the clock. The one plus we did see was that the unit did not lose any fumbles and had no turnovers overall.
Special Teams
The special teams unit started off the game very strong. An opening kickoff of 59 yards by Austin Duke immediately got the crowd into it. Being able to have explosive plays like this from this unit will be important in swinging momentum in the Guardians favor. Matt McCrane also added a 49 yard field goal in the game. Being able to make a kick of that yardage gives the coaching staff confidence in him moving forward. Having an accurate kicker in McCrane can go a long way for this Guardian team. Overall the coverage unit played very well and did not give up any major returns which helped mightily in the New York Guardians win.
Final Thoughts
Overall the New York Guardians win was a very solid effort. Yes the offense struggled at times but they were able to make enough plays early on to take a lead. The defense settled in and had a very strong showing which included several big plays in key moments. The Guardians will have to continue to improve all around especially with a two game road trip coming up. Next week the Guardians will play the DC Defenders who also won their home opener. Look for the Guardians to have an important week of practice and check out our game preview at the end of the week.
-
Ep 180: Hall of Fame Class Of 2024 Semifinalists Discussionby Full Press Coverage on November 28, 2023 at 7:02 pm
Ira and Clark dissect the 2024 Hall of Fame class semifinalists. Learn […]
-
Ep 179: Hall of Famer Drew Pearson Joins The Showby Full Press Coverage on November 22, 2023 at 5:14 pm
Hall of Fame wide receiver Drew Pearson returns to the show to talk to […]
-
Ep 178: Patriots, Eagles, 49ers, and More With Joe Bannerby Full Press Coverage on November 18, 2023 at 3:00 am
Former NFL executive Joe Banner returns to the show to talk with Clark and […]
-
Ep 177: Hall of Famer Mel Blount Joins The Showby Full Press Coverage on November 11, 2023 at 1:00 am
Former Steeler and Pro Football Hall of Famer Mel Blount joins Clark and […]
-
What's next for the Carolina Panthersby LandryFootball.com on November 30, 2023 at 11:00 am
Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper said he does possess patience despite […]
-
All about the CFB Playoff Scenariosby LandryFootball.com on November 29, 2023 at 6:30 pm
Heading into championship weekend, eight teams — Georgia, Michigan, […]
-
Ep 316: Week 13 Fantasy Football Previewby Full Press Coverage on November 30, 2023 at 4:08 am
-
Ep 315: Week 12 Fantasy Football Previewby Full Press Coverage on November 22, 2023 at 3:46 am
-
Ep 314: Week 11 Fantasy Football Previewby Full Press Coverage on November 15, 2023 at 3:18 am
-
Ep 313: Week 10 Fantasy Football Previewby Full Press Coverage on November 9, 2023 at 1:53 am
-
Ep 198: Week 13 vs Chiefsby Full Press Coverage on November 30, 2023 at 8:20 pm
In this episode, co-hosts Kyle Senra and Jesse Hall are joined by Braden […]
-
Ep 197: Recapping Weeks 11 & 12by Full Press Coverage on November 27, 2023 at 11:26 pm
This episode is a double-dip in a good way. Kyle Senra and Jesse Hall […]
-
Full Press Islanders - 11-29 - It happened again.by Full Press Coverage on November 29, 2023 at 5:05 pm
The Islanders blow another multi goal lead losing 5-4 to the Devils. This […]
-
Full Press Hurricanes - 11-29 - The Hurricanes Defeat the Flyers 4-1 on the Roadby Full Press Coverage on November 29, 2023 at 4:15 pm
Carolina never trailed in this road game as they handed Philadelphia a 4-1 […]
-
Full Press Kraken - 11-29 - disappointing loss, Blackhawks, distractionsby Full Press Coverage on November 29, 2023 at 2:30 pm
Recapping the loss to Chicago. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit […]
-
Full Press Panthers - 11-29 - Florida Panthers go to the 6 and lose to the Toronto Maple Leafsby Full Press Coverage on November 29, 2023 at 2:15 pm
The Panthers on the road lose to the Maple Leafs. A lot of positives to be […]
-
Full Press Wild - 11-29 - Recapping a big win for the Wild, and a new head coach.by Full Press Coverage on November 29, 2023 at 2:15 pm
Win, St Louis, New coach, John Hynes. Learn more about your ad choices. […]
-
Full Press Blackhawks - 11-29 - Corey Perry’s contract has been terminatedby Full Press Coverage on November 29, 2023 at 2:00 pm
Discussing the Chicago Blackhawks terminating the contract of Corey Perry, […]
-
11/28 - MNF Reaction, State Of The NFLby Full Press Coverage on November 30, 2023 at 3:49 am
Ian and John react to Monday Night Football and discuss more of the state […]
-
11/27 - Thanksgiving Recap; Jalen Hurts, NFL News and Notesby Full Press Coverage on November 27, 2023 at 10:43 pm
Ian and John recap Thanksgiving weekend, discuss Jalen Hurts' moment, and […]
-
11/24 - Thanksgiving Recap, Jets/Dolphins, Week 12 Picksby Full Press Coverage on November 24, 2023 at 3:47 pm
Ian and John react to all of the action on Thanksgiving Day and look ahead […]
-
11/23 - Thanksgiving Day Preview, Tom Brady, Top 5 NFL Teamsby Full Press Coverage on November 23, 2023 at 3:11 pm
Ian and John discuss the Thanksgiving Day slate of games in the NFL, Tom […]
-
11/21- MNF Reaction, Eagles Handle Chiefs, NFL MVPby Full Press Coverage on November 22, 2023 at 3:31 am
Ian and John react to the Eagles win over the Chiefs on Monday Night […]
-
11/20 - Week 11 Reactions, MVP Race, MNF Previewby Full Press Coverage on November 20, 2023 at 3:08 pm
Ian and John react to Sunday's NFL action, talk MVP, and preview MNF […]
-
Ep 2: Top 5 Super Bowls Of All Timeby Full Press Coverage on February 7, 2023 at 3:26 pm
Ian Glendon and John Sapochetti give their Top 5 Super Bowls of all time. […]
-
Ep 1: The Top 10 Quarterbacks Of All Timeby Full Press Coverage on January 12, 2023 at 8:42 pm
On the first episode of 'According To Who?', host Ian Glendon and John […]
-
Ep 198: Week 13 vs Chiefsby Full Press Coverage on November 30, 2023 at 8:20 pm
-
CFB Daily: College Football Championship Weekendby Full Press Coverage on November 30, 2023 at 5:01 pm
-
Broncos at Texans - Browns at Rams - 49ers at Eaglesby Broken Controller Media on November 30, 2023 at 3:00 pm
-
Jazz at Timberwolves - Bucks at Bulls - Clippers at Warriorsby Broken Controller Media on November 30, 2023 at 3:00 pm
-
Pacers at Heat - Hawks at Spurs - Lakers at Thunderby Broken Controller Media on November 30, 2023 at 2:00 pm
-
Trail Blazers at Cavaliers - Pistons at Knicks - Hornets at Netsby Broken Controller Media on November 30, 2023 at 1:05 pm
-
Ep 316: Week 13 Fantasy Football Previewby Full Press Coverage on November 30, 2023 at 4:08 am
-
11/28 - MNF Reaction, State Of The NFLby Full Press Coverage on November 30, 2023 at 3:49 am
-
Panthers at Buccaneers - Colts at Titans - Dolphins at Commandersby Broken Controller Media on November 29, 2023 at 6:40 pm
-
Full Press MMA - 11-29 - Sean Strickland in the news for a wild situationby Full Press Coverage on November 29, 2023 at 4:00 pm
-
AEW Full Gear 2023 Review and Roman Reigns Inflated Title Streakby Full Press Coverage on November 22, 2023 at 1:00 pm
Jim Biringer is back once again as he breaks down AEW Full Gear 2023. What […]
-
AEW Full Gear 2023 Previewby Full Press Coverage on November 17, 2023 at 8:08 pm
Jim Biringer is back once again getting you ready for AEW 2023 Full Gear […]
-
Ep 192 - Matt Morganby Full Press Coverage on November 25, 2023 at 3:00 pm
Matt Morgan is a 7-foot monster who had runs in both WWE and TNA. This […]