The New York Guardians of the XFL had a true “up and down” season in 2020. Inconsistent quarterback play is part of the reason the Guardians did not finish better than 3-2 this last year. After Week One, the Guardians looked towards DC to take on the Defenders. Quarterback Matt McGloin struggled and infamously called out his entire offense heading into halftime. After the game, the Gaurdians would turn to backup Quarterback Luis Perez the rest of the way. New York finished 2-1 in their final three games.
my favorite Matt McGloin moment was when he called out his coaches on National TV at halftime to @diannaESPN pic.twitter.com/J1KvbBpEvD
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) November 18, 2020
Players lost to the NFL
Matthew McCrane – Cleveland Browns (Practice Squad)
Jarron Jones – Pittsburgh Steelers (Practice Squad)
Anthony Coyle – Pittsburgh Steelers (Practice Squad)
Guardians Players who Made an Impact
Darius Victor – 60 Rushes, 242 Rushing Yards, 4.2 Yards per Rush, 8 Receptions, 36 Receiving Yards
Colby Pearson – 16 Receptions, 223 Receiving Yards, 2 Receiving Touchdowns
Cavon Walker – 19 Tackles, League leading 4.5 Sacks, 9 Quarterback Hits, 5 Tackles for Loss
Bunmi Rotimi – 25 Tackles, 1 Sack, 5 Quarterback Hits, 4 Tackles for Loss
Drayvon Askew-Henry – 11 Tackles, 6 Passes Defensed
Austin Duke – 136 Kick Return Yards, 99 Punt Return Yards
Matthew McCrane – 8 Field Goals Made
What to Look Forward to
Simply put, the Guardians Defense was elite. They ranked second in Points Against and Sacks, with 85 and 13 respectively. New York also finished tied for first with 2 Defensive Touchdowns. The Guardians ranked 3rd in 4th down efficiency in 2020 at a 50% clip. The Offense protected the ball well, giving up only 5 turnovers, good for 2nd best in the league. Couple that with the leagues second best extra point success rate and you have a disciplined offense. Add in a perfect 8 for 8 on Field Goal Attempts and you’ve got yourself some respectable stats for this 3-2 team. Head coach Kevin Gilbride put together a solid Defense while also assembling arguably the best Offensive Line in the league.
Final Thoughts
All in all, the New York Guardians have some pieces to make this franchise a successful one. They’ll have to improve on the offensive side of the ball if they wish to accomplish anything though. The Guardians mustered 79 points in 5 games, worst in the XFL. They also finished as the worst team in 3rd down conversion percentage. Not to mention only scoring 6 touchdowns in 5 games, also worst in the league in 2020. Inconsistent quarterback play may have been a factor in the Guardians offensive woes last season as well. With all that being said, New York finished tied for first place in the East. The Guardians will need some improvement on offense in order to compete in the XFL in 2022.
