The 12th man roared loud at CenturyLink field in the Spring of 2020. The Seattle Dragons of the XFL put fans in the seats until the unfortunate suspension of the season. When it was all said and done, Seattle finished with a below average 1-4 record. Below I’ll examine some of the highs and lows of the Dragons Season.
The Dragons dealt with at least two positive COVID-19 tests towards the end of its season. The March 15th game against the LA Wildcats was supposed to be held without fans in attendance in response to COVID-19. Instead, the season was subsequently cancelled due to the pandemic.
Dragons Players who made an Impact
Brandon Silvers – 3rd in the XFL with 6 Passing Touchdowns
B.J. Daniels – 114 rushing yards, 2 TDs (backup Quarterback)
Austin Proehl – 225 receiving yards, 3 TDs
Steven Johnson – XFL Leading 48 tackles, XFL Leading 6 Tackles for loss
Jacquies Smith – 5 Tackles for loss, 2 sacks
John Santiago – 440 Kick return yards
Ernesto Lacayo – 3/4 Field Goals
Here’s what to look forward to:
The Dragons touted a trio of effective Running backs in 2020. Kenneth Farrow II, Trey Williams and Ja’Quan Gardner all accounted for the at least 110 rushing yards in the 5 game, shortened season. Couple that with backup Quarterback B.J. Daniels duel threat abilities and you get a Dragons team that produced over 103 yards per game on the ground. Seattle also finished with 11 touchdowns, good for 3rd best in the XFL. On Defense, former NFL Linebacker Steven Johnson was undoubtedly the Dragons MVP. He finished with combined tackles and 6 tackles for loss. Seattle surprisingly came away as the best team in the league in the red zone, with an 80% clip inside the 20. They faired decently on third down as well at 36.9%. The Dragons defense forced 9 takeaways as well, good for third in the league.
Final Thoughts:
The Seattle Dragons were, by all accounts, the worst team in the XFL statistically. They could only put out 248 yards per game offensively. On the defensive side of the ball, way too many big plays lead to a league worst 358 yards per game allowed. Punting the ball away 23 times in five games tells you all you need to know. Not enough offense and below average defense lead to the XFL’s worst record in 2020 for Seattle. Sure, some garbage time touchdowns made some games look close, but this Seattle team could not hang with the best of them this past spring. While individual players shined at times, this team will need to make a big jump forward in 2022.
Header Pic Credit
(Credit: SEATTLE, WA – FEBRUARY 15: One of the team flag bearers for the Seattle Dragons waving the flag during the game at CenturyLink Field on February 15, 2020 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Joe Nicholson/XFL via Getty Images)
