New York Guardians Week 5 Preview

The New York Guardians week 5 opponent is the Dallas Renegades. The Renegades were talked about being the championship favorites before the season. However just like the Guardians they sit at .500 in the league. A major injury though could have a huge impact on this game. Yes the odds are against the Guardians but with a great game plan and a strong defensive effort they might just win this game. The weather in Dallas should be beautiful and have no impact on the road. Let us tell you the keys for a New York Guardians Week 5 win.

Guardians Offense versus Renegades Defense

It comes as no surprise the Guardians offense is not going to put on a show. They have been struggling every week to score as they average only 12.5 points per game. They key for them is to not shoot themselves in the foot and make mistakes. Last week we saw Darius Victor play his best game of the season. He looked sharp in his running and the offensive line finally opened some holes up for him. If they are going to win this game they will have to use him a lot. They should look to control the clock and keep a balanced offense. The Renegades defensive front seven is solid led by linebacker Greer Martini. Martini is versatile and can track down defenders. Micah Abernathy also is a good run defender from his safety spot. However the Guardians should have success running this game.

The key for this offense is mistake free quarterback play. In their two wins at home the quarterbacks have done that. Luis Perez did that last week and at times he looked comfortable running the offense. To do this on the road is something I am interested in seeing. Road wins have no come easy in this league and that is no surprise. The offensive line is going to have to give him time and I expect Mekale McKay to get more involved in the red zone. Last week he caught a touchdown using his big frame. The Roughnecks were able to expose this Renegade secondary a bit last week. While the Guardians offense is not as explosive I expect a grind it out type of passing attack. If they can finish their drives with touchdowns instead of field goals they could win this game.

Guardians Defense versus Renegades Offense

The Guardians catch a break this week as Landry Jones is out with an injury. Yes Jones had 3 interceptions last week but he is still a top notch quarterback in the XFL. In Philip Nelson’s opening day start he struggled in big game moments. He was very efficient completing almost 80% of his passes but he could not finish the drives. In order to get him off rhythm the Guardians are going to have to continue getting excellent pass rush. Last week Jarrell Owens recorded 7 total pressures and was a dominant force. Cavon Walker and Bunmi Rotimi have also been impressive this year giving the Guardians a top notch defensive line. Look for the Guardians to try to hit Nelson early and often and hopefully force some turnovers. This could impact the Renegades game plan mightily if Nelson struggles.

The Guardians will have to try and control the Renegades skill players. Cameron Artis-Payne is top 5 in rushing and Lance Dunbar is averaging 2 yards per route in the passing game. The Guardians linebackers are going to have to contain these running backs to limit their explosive play ability. Jamar Summers is going to have to have another big game. I say it every week but his shutdown ability could take out Flynn Nagel. I also expect one of the corners to potentially match up against Renegade tight end Donald Parham. Parham is second in the league in yards and has 4 touchdowns. Expect several guys to match up against him. Bryce Hall could also play a major factor for this Guardians secondary. His coverage skills could be greatly utilized for a Guardians potential win.

Game Picks

The Guardians are in much better to win this game with Landry Jones on the sideline. Yes it will be a difficult outing but the defense has proven to be a dominant unit in this league and could show up big again. I would love to see this offense use Darius Victor as much as possible. He showed tremendous promise last week and stepped up big time. Luis Perez and this passing attack needs to just play it safe. I would be shocked if the Guardians put up any big passing numbers. I have a lot of confidence for this Guardians team yet I cannot find myself to predict them to win. The early trends from the first four weeks suggest road wins are extremely difficult to come by. It will be close but the New York Guardians week 5 will end in a loss.

Renegades 20 – Guardians 14