DC Defenders Week 3 Recap: Back to Back!! What a Comeback!!

For DC, this game was personal, it was about getting their “get back!” 

 

For those unaware, the Renegades beat the Defenders last year in the XFL championship game. Don’t let the 0-2 record fool you, the Renegades are still a good team and both of their losses were very close. 

 

More importantly, this was about building more momentum for DC, after the Defenders got their first win last week in a comeback victory against the Houston Roughnecks. 

 

Saturday's tilt featured a ton of star players, including Renegades QB Luis Prez and Defenders QB Jordan Ta’amu.

 

Perez ranks second in the UFL in passing yards per game (221) and first in average yards per completion (7.8) headed into Week 3. 

 

Perez is one of only two signal-callers who has completed more than 70% of his passes (minimum 50 attempts) so far this season. 

 

Perez was The XFL title game MVP in 2023, but the Defenders have a great quarterback of their own: Jordan Ta’amu is the reigning XFL Offensive Player of the Year for good reason. 

 

So let’s get to the rematch of last year’s XFL Championship game.

 

The Defenders defense exploded right out of the gate, shutting down the Renegades’ opening possession with ease and forcing them to turn the ball over on downs.

 

DC grabbed an early lead after kicker Matt McCrane drilled a 54-yard field goal on their opening drive, giving DC the early 3-0 lead.

 

Expect to see McCrane quite a few times in this recap…he’s a stud. 

 

DC should enjoy him while we can, because he will be NFL bound after the season. 

 

After coming up empty on the first drive of the game, Arlington settled into its own rhythm on their second possession. The drive started with a huge punt return and ended with a 19-yard touchdown pass from QB Luis Perez to Wide Receiver Tyler Vaughns. 

 

However, the Renegades were unsuccessful on the ensuing 2-point attempt, and it remained a three-point game, 6-3 Renegades. 

 

The Renegades extended their lead after a gorgeous trick play to pick up a first down, followed by Perez finding a wide-open JP Payton in the end zone to cap off a 75-yard, 13-play drive for a touchdown. 

 

Arlington added two more points after signal-caller Lindsey Scott got dove across the pylon, extending Arlington’s lead to 14-3.

 

The Defenders did close the gap slightly when DC’s QB Ta’amu found WR Chris Rowland for a 10-yard touchdown just before halftime. They failed to convert on the ensuing 2-point try, so it remained a five-point game at the break: Renegades 14, Defenders 9.

 

DC made it a two-point game after kicker Matt McCrane drilled a 58-yarder to start the third quarter (we told you this kid is a stud) and the score was now Renegades 14, Defenders 12. 

 

A pass from Arlington QB Luis Perez somehow found WR Tyler Vaughns after Defenders DE Derick Roberson nearly got his hands on the ball. Fortunately for the Renegades, Perez's throw was not picked, and the drive resulted in a 36-yard field goal by Taylor Russolino. 

 

This was a huge source of frustration for the Defenders defense. Three times throughout the game, they had a golden opportunity for an interception but DC couldn’t hold on to the ball.

 

Renegades 17 - Defenders 12.

 

The Defenders finally reclaimed the lead, their first since it was 3-0, after capping off a 76-yard drive with a touchdown catch by Brandon Smith in the back of the end zone.

 

They successfully converted on a 2-point try, which gave the Defenders a one-point lead over Arlington, 18-17.

 

The good times didn’t last long as Arlington took the lead back almost immediately. After rotating in as Arlington's signal-caller, Lindsey Scott Jr. ran into the end zone untouched for a 13-yard score, as the Renegades grabbed the lead right back. 

 

Starter Luis Prez subbed back in for the successful two point try, and Arlington was back on top 25-18.

 

Unfortunately The Defenders were unable to take advantage of a 15-yard defensive pass interference call against the Renegades late in the game, as Arlington's defense buckled down following the call and prevented DC from converting on fourth-and-12. 

 

The Renegades took a good chunk of time off the game clock by moving the ball downfield, but rather than opting to keep possession until the two-minute warning, Arlington elected to go for a 49-yard field goal. They added 3 more points to their lead and were now up 28-18.

 

With less than a minute remaining, the Defenders cut the Renegades' lead to two following a 1-yard touchdown run from RB Cam’ron Harris and a successful two-point conversion. 

 

Renegades 28, Defenders 26 

 

The Defenders were able to get into field goal range after completing a fourth-and-12 try, which is an option allowed to teams that are trailing or tied following a fourth quarter score as opposed to an onside kick attempt, which is a great rule for the UFL. 

 

After facing a 10-point deficit late in the fourth quarter, the Defenders came all the way back for the win on a Matt McCrane game-winning 49-yard field goal as time expired. 

 

This was a fantastic game and an incredible comeback win for the Defenders, as they scored 11 points in 54 seconds! 

 

Final score 

 

Defenders 29 - Renegades 28