2023 DC Defenders season

2023 DC Defenders season
2023 DC Defenders season
Owner	Alpha Acquico, LLC
General manager	Reggie Barlow
Head coach	Reggie Barlow
Home field	Audi Field
Results
Record	9–1
Division place	1st XFL North
Playoff finish	Won Division Finals (vs. Seattle Sea Dragons) 37–21; Lost XFL Championship (vs. Arlington Renegades) 26–35
	← 2020; DC Defenders seasons; 2024 →;

The 2023 DC Defenders season was the second season for the DC Defenders as a professional American football franchise. The Defenders played their home games at Audi Field and were led by head coach Reggie Barlow.

At the first home game security staff prevented fans building the "Beer Snake", a signature feature from the 2020 season, and fans started throwing lemons on the field. The league made the proper arrangements for the "Beer Snake" to be allowed during Defenders home games.^[1]^[2]

Earning their first playoff berth and clinching first place in the North Division, the Defenders eliminated the Seattle Sea Dragons in the North Division title game in the playoffs. With the win, the Defenders advanced to the XFL Championship Game where they faced the Arlington Renegades, losing by a score of 26-35.^[3]^[4]

Roster

**2023 DC Defenders roster**
Quarterbacks (QB) 2 Geremy Hickbottom 3 D'Eriq King 10 Jordan Ta'amu Running backs (RB) 14 Cam'Ron Harris 4 Abram Smith 13 Pooka Williams Wide receivers (WR) 1 Chris Blair 8 Jazz Ferguson 0 Josh Hammond 11 Lucky Jackson 16 Brandon Smith Tight ends (TE) 18 Alex Ellis 88 Briley Moore 82 Ethan Wolf		Offensive linemen (OL) 62 Tommy Champion T 66 Ty Clary C 77 Liam Fornadel G 78 D'Marcus Hayes T 53 Kyle Murphy T 64 Bruno Reagan C 51 Dare Rosenthal T 63 Liam Ryan G 72 Gunnar Vogel T Defensive linemen (DL) 6 Fadol Brown DE 92 Malik Fisher DE 95 Jarrell Owens DE 96 Jacub Panasiuk DE 97 Caraun Reid DT 99 Joseph Wallace DT 98 Gabe Wright DT		Linebackers (LB) 17 Davin Bellamy OLB 43 Francis Bernard ILB 20 Jamal Brooks ILB 27 Ferrod Gardner OLB 57 Anthony Hines OLB 48 Andre Mintze OLB 5 Reggie Northrup OLB Defensive backs (DB) 21 Joshua Allen SS 29 Kentrell Brice FS 22 Travon Fuller CB 15 Michael Joseph CB 24 Anthoula Kelly CB 31 Cameron Lewis FS 26 DeJuan Neal CB 39 Santos Ramirez SS 25 Reggie Robinson CB 9 K. J. Sails CB 36 D. J. Swearinger SS Special teams 80 Trae Barry LS 34 Matt McCrane K 19 Daniel Whelan P				Reserve 41 Jesse Aniebonam DE (IR) 67 Cody Conway T (IR) 33 Isaiah Johnson CB (IR) 52 Mike Maietti C (IR) 21 Montae Nicholson FS (IR) 28 Artavis Pierce RB (IR) 38 Nydair Rouse CB (IR) 90 Niles Scott DT (IR) 87 Kahale Warring TE (IR) Rookies in italics 51 active, 9 reserve

Background

The 2020 season was the inaugural season for the DC Defenders as a professional club. They were playing as charter members of the rebooted XFL, one of eight teams to compete in the league for the season. The Defenders played their home games at Audi Field and were led by head coach Pep Hamilton.

Their inaugural season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the XFL officially suspended operations for the remainder of the season on March 20, 2020.^[5] The Defenders finished the season with a 3–2 record.

Schedule

All times Eastern

Week	Day	Date	Kickoff	TV	Opponent	Results		Location	Attendance
Week	Day	Date	Kickoff	TV	Opponent	Score	Record	Location	Attendance
1	Sunday	February 19	8:00 p.m.	ESPN	Seattle Sea Dragons	22–18	1–0	Audi Field	12,438
2	Saturday	February 25	7:00 p.m.	FX	at Vegas Vipers	18–6	2–0	Cashman Field	6,023
3	Sunday	March 5	1:00 p.m.	FX	St. Louis BattleHawks	34–28	3–0	Audi Field	16,212
4	Sunday	March 12	7:00 p.m.	ESPN2	Vegas Vipers	32–18	4–0	Audi Field	11,521
5	Saturday	March 18	7:00 p.m.	FX	at St. Louis BattleHawks	28–20	5–0	The Dome at America's Center	35,868
6	Monday	March 27	7:00 p.m.	ESPN2	Houston Roughnecks	37–26	6–0	Audi Field	12,492
7	Saturday	April 1	6:00 p.m.	ESPN	at Orlando Guardians	36–37	6–1	Camping World Stadium	7,011
8	Sunday	April 9	7:00 p.m.	ESPN2	at Seattle Sea Dragons	34–33	7–1	Lumen Field	11,874
9	Sunday	April 16	12:00 p.m.	ESPN	Arlington Renegades	28–26 (OT)	8–1	Audi Field	18,684
10	Saturday	April 22	3:00 p.m.	ABC	at San Antonio Brahmas	29–28	9–1	Alamodome	12,129

^[6]

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. Seattle Sea Dragons

Week 1: Seattle Sea Dragons at DC Defenders – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Sea Dragons	9	0	9	0	18
Defenders	0	8	8	6	22

at Audi Field, Washington, DC

Date: February 19
Game time: 8:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: 56 °F (13 °C)
Game attendance: 12,438
Referee: Jeff Heaser
TV announcers (ESPN): John Schriffen, Tom Luginbill, and Stormy Buonantony
[1]

Game information

First quarter

SEA – Josh Gordon 6-yard pass from Ben DiNucci (3-pt Conversion No Good), 9:13. Sea Dragons 6–0. Drive: 11 plays, 71 yards, 5:47.
SEA – Dominik Eberle 36-yard field goal, 1:36. Sea Dragons 9–0. Drive: 11 plays, 52 yards, 5:52.

Second quarter

DC – Jordan Ta'amu 1-yard rush (2-pt Conversion Good by Lucky Jackson), 8:58. Sea Dragons 9–8. Drive: 15 plays, 73 yards, 7:23.

Third quarter

SEA – Brenden Knox 13-yard rush (3-pt Conversion Good by Ben DiNucci), 9:42. Sea Dragons 18–8. Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, 3:45.
DC – Michael Joseph 15-yard interception return (2-pt Conversion Good by D'Eriq King), 6:28. Sea Dragons 18–16. Drive: 1 play, 15 yards, 0:04.

Fourth quarter

DC – D'Eriq King 5-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 14:14. Defenders 22–18. Drive: 2 plays, 4 yards, 0:34.

Top passers

SEA – Ben DiNucci – 35/54, 282 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT
DC – Jordan Ta'amu – 8/19, 86 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT

Top rushers

SEA – Brenden Knox – 11 rushes, 31 yards
DC – Abram Smith – 11 rushes, 28 yards

Top receivers

SEA – Jahcour Pearson – 12 receptions, 95 yards
DC – Lucky Jackson – 4 receptions, 25 yards

Week 2: at Vegas Vipers

Week 2: DC Defenders at Vegas Vipers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Defenders	0	0	3	15	18
Vipers	6	0	0	0	6

at Cashman Field, Las Vegas, Nevada

Date: February 25
Game time: 7:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: 56 °F (13 °C)
Game attendance: 6,023
Referee: Jason Autrey
TV announcers (FX): John Schriffen, Tom Luginbill, and Stormy Buonantony
[2]

Game information

First quarter

VGS – DeAndre Torrey 2-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 12:10. Vipers 6–0. Drive: 1 play, 98 yards, 0:04.

Second quarter

No scoring plays.

Third quarter

DC – Matt McCrane 47-yard field goal, 9:41. Vipers 6–3. Drive: 11 plays, 42 yards, 5:19.

Fourth quarter

DC – D'Eriq King 12-yard rush (1-pt Conversion Good by D'Eriq King), 14:58. Defenders 10–6. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:21.
DC – Abram Smith 9-yard rush (2-pt Conversion Good by Ethan Wolf), 8:43. Defenders 18–6. Drive: 5 plays, 44 yards, 2:16.

Top passers

DC – Jordan Ta'amu – 11/23, 93 yards
VGS – Brett Hundley – 11/18, 98 yards

Top rushers

DC – Abram Smith – 15 rushes, 71 yards
VGS – Rod Smith – 7 rushes, 39 yards

Top receivers

DC – Josh Hammond – 3 receptions, 24 yards
VGS – John Lovett – 2 receptions, 33 yards

Week 3: vs. St. Louis BattleHawks

Week 3: St. Louis BattleHawks at DC Defenders – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
BattleHawks	8	6	6	8	28
Defenders	14	0	11	9	34

at Audi Field, Washington, DC

Date: March 5
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: 62 °F (17 °C)
Game attendance: 16,212
Referee: Chris Coyte
TV announcers (FX): John Schriffen, Tom Luginbill, and Stormy Buonantony
[3]

Game information

First quarter

DC – Ethan Wolf 7-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion Good by Ethan Wolf), 10:31. Defenders 8–0. Drive: 7 Plays, 77 Yards, 2:26.
DC – Michael Joseph 42-yard interception return (2-pt Conversion No Good), 9:45. Defenders 14–0. Drive: 2 Plays, 4 Yards, 0:46.
STL – Brian Hill 8-yard pass from A. J. McCarron (2-pt Conversion Good by Darrius Shepherd), 5:33. Defenders 14–8. Drive: 8 Plays, 73 Yards, 4:12.

Second quarter

STL – Hakeem Butler 1-yard pass from A. J. McCarron (2-pt Conversion No Good), 0:03. Tied 14–14. Drive: 9 Plays, 75 Yards, 2:20.

Third quarter

DC – Matt McCrane 41-yard field goal, 9:24. Defenders 17–14. Drive: 11 Plays, 48 Yards, 5:18.
STL – Jake Sutherland 23-yard pass from A. J. McCarron (2-pt Conversion No Good), 8:26. BattleHawks 20–17. Drive: 2 Plays, 25 Yards, 1:16.
DC – Jordan Ta'amu 2-yard rush (2-pt Conversion Good by Lucky Jackson), 3:08. Defenders 25–20. Drive: 12 Plays, 81 Yards, 5:18.

Fourth quarter

DC – Matt McCrane 35-yard field goal, 15:00. Defenders 28–20. Drive: 4 Plays, 7 Yards, 1:40.
DC – Chris Blair 4-yard pass from D'Eriq King (2-pt Conversion No Good), 6:02. Defenders 34–20. Drive: 12 Plays, 67 Yards, 6:46.
STL – Steven Mitchell 2-yard pass from A. J. McCarron (2-pt Conversion Good by Steven Mitchell), 0:22. Defenders 34–28. Drive: 1 Play, 2 Yards, 0:00.

Top passers

STL – A. J. McCarron – 26/42, 262 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT
DC – Jordan Ta'amu – 11/20, 196 yards, TD

Top rushers

STL – Brian Hill – 12 rushes, 32 yards
DC – Abram Smith – 16 rushes, 54 yards

Top receivers

STL – Hakeem Butler – 9 receptions, 105 yards
DC – Lucky Jackson – 4 receptions, 89 yards

Week 4: vs. Vegas Vipers

Week 4: Vegas Vipers at DC Defenders – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Vipers	3	3	0	12	18
Defenders	6	8	6	12	32

at Audi Field, Washington, DC

Date: March 12
Game time: 7:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: 40 °F (4 °C)
Game attendance: 11,521
Referee: Jeff Heaser
TV announcers (ESPN2): Matt Barrie, Joey Galloway, and Tiffany Blackmon

Game information

First quarter

DC – D'Eriq King 5-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 13:11. Defenders 6–0. Drive: 4 Plays, 21 Yards, 1:35.
VGS – Bailey Giffen 37-yard field goal, 0:50. Defenders 6–3. Drive: 6 Plays, 44 Yards, 2:49.

Second quarter

DC – D'Eriq King 2-yard rush (2-pt Conversion Good by Chris Blair), 10:42. Defenders 14–3. Drive: 11 Plays, 72 Yards, 5:08.
VGS – Bailey Giffen 33-yard field goal, 5:15. Defenders 14–6. Drive: 11 Plays, 50 Yards, 5:27.

Third quarter

DC – Matt McCrane 20-yard field goal, 6:48. Defenders 17–6. Drive: 12 Plays, 80 Yards, 6:10.
DC – Matt McCrane 35-yard field goal, 1:44. Defenders 20–6. Drive: 5 Plays, 43 Yards, 2:36.

Fourth quarter

VGS – Cinque Sweeting 26-yard pass from Luis Perez (2-pt Conversion No Good), 14:22. Defenders 20–12. Drive: 5 Plays, 74 Yards, 2:22.
DC – Matt McCrane 26-yard field goal, 6:53. Defenders 23–12. Drive: 14 Plays, 76 Yards, 7:29.
DC – Jequez Ezzard 32-yard pass from D'Eriq King (2-pt Conversion No Good), 2:40. Defenders 29–12. Drive: 6 Plays, 52 Yards, 2:49.
VGS – Cinque Sweeting 25-yard pass from Luis Perez (3-pt Conversion No Good), 1:55. Defenders 29–18. Drive: 2 Plays, 30 Yards, 0:45.
DC – Matt McCrane 23-yard field goal, 0:47. Defenders 32–18. Drive: 5 Plays, 16 Yards, 1:02.

Top passers

VGS – Luis Perez – 23/32, 283 yards, 2 TD
DC – Jordan Ta'amu – 14/19, 177 yards, 0 TD

Top rushers

VGS – John Lovett – 7 rushes, 39 yards
DC – Abram Smith – 22 rushes, 58 yards

Top receivers

VGS – Jeff Badet – 7 receptions, 80 yards
DC – Josh Hammond – 5 receptions, 17 yards

Week 5: at St. Louis BattleHawks

Week 5: DC Defenders at St. Louis BattleHawks – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Defenders	0	14	6	8	28
BattleHawks	0	3	9	8	20

at The Dome at America's Center, St. Louis, Missouri

Date: March 18
Game time: 7:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: 27 °F (−3 °C)
Game attendance: 35,868
Referee: Francisco Villar
TV announcers (FX): John Schriffen, Tom Luginbill, and Stormy Buonantony
[4]

Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

STL – Donny Hageman 36-yard field goal, 10:02. BattleHawks 3–0. Drive: 16 Plays, 72 Yards, 8:55.
DC – Abram Smith 62-yard rush (2-pt Conversion good by Josh Hammond), 9:22. Defenders 8–3. Drive: 2 Plays, 68 Yards, 0:38.
DC – Abram Smith 5-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 1:54. Defenders 14–3. Drive: 3 Plays, 14 Yards, 0:12.

Third quarter

STL – Donny Hageman 34-yard field goal, 13:16. Defenders 14–6. Drive: 4 Plays, 0 Yards, 1:44.
DC – Abram Smith 70-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 12:24. Defenders 20–6. Drive: 2 Plays, 73 Yards, 0:51.
STL – George Campbell 5-yard pass from A. J. McCarron (2-pt Conversion No Good), 6:20. Defenders 20–12. Drive: 11 Plays, 65 Yards, 5:56.

Fourth quarter

DC – D'Eriq King 10-yard rush (2-pt Conversion Good by Jordan Ta'amu), 12:16. Defenders 28–12. Drive: 7 Plays, 65 Yards, 3:31.
STL – Steven Mitchell 50-yard pass from A. J. McCarron (2-pt Conversion Good by Steven Mitchell), 4:19. Defenders 28–20. Drive: 4 Plays, 71 Yards, 1:43.

Top passers

DC – Jordan Ta'amu – 12/18, 90 yards, 0 TD
STL – A. J. McCarron – 22/34, 236 yards, 2 TD

Top rushers

DC – Abram Smith – 23 rushes, 218 yards
STL – Brian Hill – 14 rushes, 79 yards

Top receivers

DC – Lucky Jackson – 5 receptions, 54 yards
STL – Hakeem Butler – 9 receptions, 86 yards

Week 6: vs. Houston Roughnecks

Week 6: Houston Roughnecks at DC Defenders – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Roughnecks	8	0	6	12	26
Defenders	3	14	9	11	37

at Audi Field, Washington, DC

Date: March 27
Game time: 7:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C)
Game attendance: 12,492
Referee: Reggie Smith
TV announcers (ESPN2): Taylor Zarzour, Tom Luginbill, and Stormy Buonantony
[5]

Game information

First quarter

HOU – Max Borghi 4-yard rush (2-pt Conversion Good by Cedric Byrd), 5:08. Roughnecks 8–0. Drive: 8 Plays, 66 Yards, 4:32.
DC – Matt McCrane 34-yard field goal, 1:18. Roughnecks 8–3. Drive: 8 Plays, 52 Yards, 3:50.

Second quarter

DC – Abram Smith 1-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 1:57. Defenders 9–8. Drive: 10 Plays, 61 Yards, 4:37.
DC – Interception returned for touchdown by Santos Ramirez (2-pt Conversion Good by Josh Hammond), 1:15. Defenders 17–8. Drive: 1 Play, -12 Yards, 0:42.

Third quarter

DC – Alex Ellis 1-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion No Good), 10:12. Defenders 23–8. Drive: 8 Plays, 72 Yards, 4:48.
DC – Matt McCrane 32-yard field goal, 2:08. Defenders 26–8. Drive: 11 Plays, 44 Yards, 6:03.
HOU – Deontay Burnett 85-yard pass from Cole McDonald (3-pt Conversion No Good), 1:19. Defenders 26–14. Drive: 2 Plays, 86 Yards, 0:49.

Fourth quarter

DC – Lucky Jackson 30-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion Good by Chris Blair), 13:16. Defenders 34–14. Drive: 6 Plays, 76 Yards, 3:04.
HOU – Max Borghi 1-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 10:03. Defenders 34–20. Drive: 6 Plays, 65 Yards, 3:12.
DC – Matt McCrane 50-yard field goal, 6:14. Defenders 37–20. Drive: 7 Plays, 36 Yards, 3:49.
HOU – Cole McDonald 1-yard rush (3-pt Conversion No Good), 1:57. Defenders 37–26. Drive: 9 Plays, 62 Yards, 4:17.

Top passers

HOU – Brandon Silvers – 10/17, 111 yards, 0 TD
DC – Jordan Ta'amu – 19/31, 245 yards, 2 TD

Top rushers

HOU – Max Borghi – 11 rushes, 25 yards
DC – Abram Smith – 19 rushes, 95 yards

Top receivers

HOU – Travell Harris – 5 receptions, 60 yards
DC – Lucky Jackson – 5 receptions, 136 yards

Week 7: at Orlando Guardians

Week 7: DC Defenders at Orlando Guardians – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Defenders	14	8	6	8	36
Guardians	12	6	13	6	37

at Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Florida

Date: April 1
Game time: 6:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: 85 °F (29 °C)
Game attendance: 7,011
Referee: Chris Coyte
TV announcers (FX): John Schriffen, Tom Luginbill, and Harry Douglas
[6]

Game information

First quarter

DC – Lucky Jackson 32-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion Good by Chris Blair), 13:08. Defenders 8–0. Drive: 5 Plays, 74 Yards, 1:52.
ORL – Quinten Dormady 1-yard rush (1-pt Conversion No Good), 10:47. Defenders 8–6. Drive: 6 Plays, 45 Yards, 2:21.
ORL – K. D. Cannon 41-yard pass from Quinten Dormady (1-pt Conversion No Good), 8:01. Guardians 12–8. Drive: 3 Plays, 58 Yards, 1:09.
DC – Abram Smith 1-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 3:14. Defenders 14–12. Drive: 11 Plays, 69 Yards, 4:40.

Second quarter

DC – Briley Moore 12-yard pass from D'Eriq King (2-pt Conversion Good by Alex Ellis), 13:00. Defenders 22–12. Drive: 9 Plays, 48 Yards, 3:20.
ORL – Quinten Dormady 1-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 0:00. Defenders 22–18. Drive: 9 Plays, 55 Yards, 4:19.

Third quarter

ORL – Jordan Thomas 15-yard pass from Quinten Dormady (1-pt Conversion Good by Jah-Maine Martin), 9:38. Guardians 25–22. Drive: 9 Plays, 46 Yards, 5:22.
DC – Chris Blair 86-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion No Good), 8:29. Defenders 28–25. Drive: 3 Plays, 85 Yards, 1:09.
ORL – Quinten Dormady 1-yard rush (1-pt Conversion No Good), 3:31. Guardians 31–28. Drive: 10 Plays, 60 Yards, 4:58.

Fourth quarter

DC – Lucky Jackson 15-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion Good by Alex Ellis), 11:37. Defenders 36–31. Drive: 5 Plays, 50 Yards, 1:39.
ORL – Cody Latimer 44-yard pass from Quinten Dormady (2-pt Conversion No Good), 8:50. Guardians 37–36. Drive: 6 Plays, 65 Yards, 2:47.

Top passers

DC – Jordan Ta'amu – 21/29, 285 yards, 3 TD
ORL – Quinten Dormady – 27/34, 328 yards, 3 TD

Top rushers

DC – Abram Smith – 18 rushes, 127 yards
ORL – Devin Darrington – 13 rushes, 17 yards

Top receivers

DC – Chris Blair – 5 receptions, 139 yards
ORL – Cody Latimer – 7 receptions, 93 yards

Week 8: at Seattle Sea Dragons

Week 8: DC Defenders at Seattle Sea Dragons – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Defenders	8	8	6	12	34
Sea Dragons	0	6	9	18	33

at Lumen Field, Seattle, Washington

Date: April 9
Game time: 7:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: 58 °F (14 °C)
Game attendance: 11,874
Referee: Jason Autrey
TV announcers (ESPN2): Roy Philpott, Eric Mac Lain, Tiffany Blackmon
[7]

Game information

First quarter

DC – Abram Smith 2-yard rush (2-pt Conversion Good by Lucky Jackson), 9:22. Defenders 8–0. Drive: 3 Plays, 64 Yards, 0:55.

Second quarter

SEA – Phillip Lindsay 2-yard rush (3-pt Conversion No Good), 10:35. Defenders 8–6. Drive: 12 Plays, 60 Yards, 6:47.
DC – Ryquell Armstead 11-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion Good by Lucky Jackson), 1:24. Defenders 16–6. Drive: 9 Plays, 60 Yards, 3:59.

Third quarter

DC – Alex Ellis 14-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion No Good), 8:34. Defenders 22–6. Drive: 7 Plays, 71 Yards, 4:22.
SEA – Defensive 2-pt Conversion, 8:34. Defenders 22–8. Drive: 1 play, -5 yards, 0:01.'
SEA – Juwan Green 46-yard pass from Ben DiNucci (1-pt Conversion Good by Blake Jackson), 6:33. Defenders 22–15. Drive: 4 Plays, 75 Yards, 2:02.

Fourth quarter

SEA – Dominik Eberle 29-yard field goal, 12:37. Defenders 22–18. Drive: 7 Plays, 44 Yards, 3:15.
DC – Brandon Smith 5-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion No Good), 5:13. Defenders 28–18. Drive: 13 Plays, 73 Yards, 7:24.
SEA – Juwan Green 56-yard pass from Ben DiNucci (3-pt Conversion Good by Blake Jackson), 4:05. Defenders 28–27. Drive: 3 Plays, 79 Yards, 1:09.
DC – Chris Blair 70-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion No Good), 2:10. Defenders 34–27. Drive: 3 Plays, 72 Yards, 2:02.
SEA – Jahcour Pearson 14-yard pass from Ben DiNucci (2-pt Conversion No Good), 0:32. Defenders 34–33. Drive: 9 Plays, 70 Yards, 1:31.

Top passers

DC – Jordan Ta'amu – 17/26, 247 yards, 4 TD
SEA – Ben DiNucci – 28/42, 301 yards, 3 TD

Top rushers

DC – Abram Smith – 17 rushes, 66 yards
SEA – Phillip Lindsay – 8 rushes, 23 yards

Top receivers

DC – Chris Blair – 5 receptions, 148 yards
SEA – Juwan Green – 7 receptions, 142 yards

Week 9: vs. Arlington Renegades

Week 9: Arlington Renegades at DC Defenders – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Renegades	3	6	0	17	0	26
Defenders	6	14	6	0	2	28

at Audi Field, Washington, DC

Date: April 16
Game time: 12:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: 77 °F (25 °C)
Game attendance: 18,684
Referee: Francisco Villar
TV announcers (ESPN): John Schriffen, Tom Luginbill, and Stormy Buonantony
[8]

Game information

First quarter

ARL – Taylor Russolino 23-yard field goal, 9:39. Renegades 3–0 Drive: 9 Plays, 79 Yards, 5:21.
DC – Josh Hammond 9-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion No Good), 7:54. Defenders 6–3. Drive: 5 Plays, 71 Yards, 1:45.

Second quarter

DC – Lucky Jackson 14-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion No Good), 9:27. Defenders 12–3. Drive: 5 Plays, 70 Yards, 3:08.
ARL – Caleb Vander Esch 25-yard pass from Luis Perez (2-pt Conversion No Good), 6:26. Defenders 12–9. Drive: 7 Plays, 65 Yards, 3:01.
DC – Lucky Jackson 6-yard pass from D'Eriq King (2-pt Conversion Good by Jazz Ferguson), 0:46. Defenders 20–9. Drive: 11 Plays, 77 Yards, 5:40.

Third quarter

DC – Pass interception returned for touchdown by D. J. Swearinger (2-pt Conversion No Good), 9:40. Defenders 26–9. Drive: 6 Plays, 43 Yards, 3:50.

Fourth quarter

ARL – De'Veon Smith 1-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 12:49. Defenders 26–15. Drive: 6 Plays, 31 Yards, 3:00.
ARL – De'Veon Smith 1-yard rush (2-pt Conversion Good by Tyler Vaughns), 1:20. Defenders 26–23. Drive: 9 Plays, 67 Yards, 4:02.
ARL – Taylor Russolino 27-yard field goal, 0:05. Tied 26–26. Drive: 8 Plays, 66 Yards, 1:15.

Overtime

DC – Josh Hammond pass from Jordan Ta'amu for 2 points

Top passers

ARL – Luis Perez – 31/41, 335 yards, 1 TD
DC – Jordan Ta'amu – 14/20, 188 yards, 2 TD

Top rushers

ARL – De'Veon Smith – 12 rushes, 43 yards
DC – Abram Smith – 10 rushes, 27 yards

Top receivers

ARL – Sal Cannella – 7 receptions, 92 yards
DC – Josh Hammond – 5 receptions, 74 yards

Week 10: at San Antonio Brahmas

Week 10: DC Defenders at San Antonio Brahmas – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Defenders	11	8	3	7	29
Brahmas	3	8	9	8	28

at Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas

Date: April 22
Game time: 3:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: 78 °F (26 °C)
Game attendance: 12,129
Referee: Reggie Smith
TV announcers (ABC): Tom Hart, Greg McElroy, Cole Cubelic and Katie George
[9]

Game information

First quarter

DC – Alex Ellis 5-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion Good by Josh Hammond), 12:41. Defenders 8–0. Drive: 5 Plays, 68 Yards, 2:19.
SA – Parker Romo 26-yard field goal, 4:06. Defenders 8–3. Drive: 16 Plays, 64 Yards, 8:35.
DC – Matt McCrane 21-yard field goal, 2:31. Defenders 11–3. Drive: 4 Plays, 5 Yards, 1:35.

Second quarter

DC – Alex Ellis 1-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion Good by Brandon Smith), 11:44. Defenders 19–3. Drive: 5 Plays, 86 Yards, 2:03.
SA – Jacques Patrick 1-yard rush (2-pt Conversion Good by T. J. Vasher), 0:03. Defenders 19–11. Drive: 6 Plays, 44 Yards, 0:30.

Third quarter

SA – Parker Romo 28-yard field goal, 8:14. Defenders 19–14. Drive: 11 Plays, 60 Yards, 6:46.
DC – Matt McCrane 49-yard field goal, 4:43. Defenders 22–14. Drive: 7 Plays, 45 Yards, 3:31.
SA – Jon Hilliman 1-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 0:06. Defenders 22–20. Drive: 9 Plays, 75 Yards, 4:37.

Fourth quarter

SA – Jacques Patrick 2-yard rush (2-pt Conversion Good by Jon Hilliman), 5:16. Brahmas 28–22. Drive: 10 Plays, 63 Yards, 6:27.
DC – Jordan Ta'amu 4-yard rush (1-pt Conversion Good by Jordan Ta'amu), 2:32. Defenders 29–28. Drive: 5 Plays, 69 Yards, 2:43.

Top passers

DC – Jordan Ta'amu – 15/22, 271 yards, 2 TD
SA – Jack Coan – 34/48, 312 yards, 0 TD

Top rushers

DC – Abram Smith – 10 rushes, 44 yards
SA – Jacques Patrick – 16 rushes, 41 yards

Top receivers

DC – Josh Hammond – 4 receptions, 59 yards
SA – Landen Akers – 8 receptions, 90 yards

Standings

2023 XFL standings v t e
North Division^[7]
Team	W	L	PCT	GB	TD+/-	TD+	TD-	DIV	PF	PA	DIFF	STK
(y) DC Defenders	9	1	.900	0	-2	33	35	6–0	298	240	58	W3
(x) Seattle Sea Dragons	7	3	.700	2	+10	30	20	3–3	243	177	66	W2
(e) St. Louis Battlehawks	7	3	.700	2	+9	32	23	3–3	249	202	47	W1
(e) Vegas Vipers	2	8	.200	7	0	28	28	0–6	184	252	-68	L3
South Division^[7]
Team	W	L	PCT	GB	TD+/-	TD+	TD-	DIV	PF	PA	DIFF	STK
(y) Houston Roughnecks	7	3	.700	0	+4	30	26	6–0	247	182	65	W3
(x) Arlington Renegades	4	6	.400	3	-8	15	23	3–3	146	194	-48	L2
(e) San Antonio Brahmas	3	7	.300	4	-8	16	24	3–3	169	183	-14	L1
(e) Orlando Guardians	1	9	.100	6	-5	32	37	0–6	204	310	-106	L3
(x)–clinched playoff berth; (y)–clinched division; (e)–eliminated from playoff contention

Postseason

Schedule

Week	Day	Date	Kickoff	TV	Opponent	Results		Location	Attendance
Week	Day	Date	Kickoff	TV	Opponent	Score	Record	Location	Attendance
Division Finals	Sunday	April 30	3:00 p.m.	ESPN	Seattle Sea Dragons	37–21	1–0	Audi Field	18,684
XFL Championship	Saturday	May 13	8:00 p.m.	ABC	vs. Arlington Renegades	26–35	1–1	Alamodome	22,754

Game summaries

XFL North Division Finals: vs. (2) Seattle Sea Dragons

XFL North Division Finals: (2) Seattle Sea Dragons at (1) DC Defenders – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Sea Dragons	3	6	0	12	21
Defenders	9	0	14	14	37

at Audi Field, Washington, DC

Date: May 5
Game time: 3:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: 61 °F (16 °C)
Game attendance: 18,684
Referee: Reggie Smith
TV announcers (ESPN): Tom Hart, Greg McElroy, Cole Cubelic and Katie George
[10]

Game information

First quarter

SEA – Dominik Eberle 33-yard field goal, 9:54. Sea Dragons 3–0. Drive: 10 Plays, 59 Yards, 5:06.
DC – Matt McCrane 24-yard field goal, 6:55. Tied 3–3. Drive: 6 Plays, 59 Yards, 2:59.
DC – Lucky Jackson 44-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion No Good), 1:59. Defenders 9–3. Drive: 7 Plays, 69 Yards, 3:05.

Second quarter

SEA – Jahcour Pearson 15-yard pass from Ben DiNucci (2-pt Conversion No Good), 11:3. Tied 9–9. Drive: 10 Plays, 76 Yards, 5:21.

Third quarter

DC – Abram Smith 1-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 9:25. Defenders 15–9. Drive: 11 Plays, 78 Yards, 5:35.
DC – Ethan Wolf 26-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion Good by Alex Ellis), 4:49. Defenders 23–9. Drive: 6 Plays, 56 Yards, 2:36.

Fourth quarter

DC – Cam'Ron Harris 1-yard rush (1-pt Conversion Good by Abram Smith), 11:53. Defenders 30–9. Drive: 9 Plays, 65 Yards, 4:41.
SEA – Juwan Green 34-yard pass from Ben DiNucci (2-pt Conversion No Good), 6:05. Defenders 30–15. Drive: 4 Plays, 65 Yards, 1:38.
DC – Cam'Ron Harris 11-yard rush (1-pt Conversion Good by Cam'Ron Harris), 2:06. Defenders 37–15. Drive: 9 Plays, 67 Yards, 3:59.
SEA – Juwan Green 8-yard pass from Ben DiNucci (3-pt Conversion No Good), 0:12. Defenders 37–21. Drive: 10 Plays, 64 Yards, 1:54.

Top passers

SEA – Ben DiNucci – 31/48, 295 yards, 3 TD
DC – Jordan Ta'amu – 19/31, 258 yards, 2 TD

Top rushers

SEA – Ben DiNucci – 3 rushes, 16 yards
DC – Abram Smith – 23 rushes, 48 yards

Top receivers

SEA – Juwan Green – 8 receptions, 89 yards
DC – Josh Hammond – 6 receptions, 55 yards

XFL Championship Game: vs. Arlington Renegades

XFL Championship Game: (2) Arlington Renegades at (1) DC Defenders – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Renegades	14	6	12	3	35
Defenders	0	6	14	6	26

at Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas

Date: May 18
Game time: 8:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: 76 °F (24 °C)
Game attendance: 22,754
Referee: Michael VanderVelde
TV announcers (ABC): Tom Hart, Greg McElroy, Cole Cubelic and Katie George
[11]

Game information

First quarter

ARL – Sal Cannella 41-yard pass from Luis Perez (2-pt Conversion No Good), 11:00. Renegades 6–0. Drive: 2 Plays, 59 Yards, 4:02.
ARL – Tyler Vaughns 9-yard pass from Luis Perez (2-pt Conversion Good De'Veon Smith), 0:29. Renegades 14–0. Drive: 16 Plays, 88 Yards, 8:45.

Second quarter

ARL – Taylor Russolino 29-yard field goal, 4:54. Renegades 17–0. Drive: 13 Plays, 54 Yards, 6:50.
DC – Abram Smith 2-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 0:32. Renegades 17–6. Drive: 10 Plays, 45 Yards, 4:22.
ARL – Taylor Russolino 51-yard field goal, 0:02. Renegades 20–6. Drive: 3 Plays, 12 Yards, 0:30.

Third quarter

DC – Abram Smith 52-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 11:42. Renegades 20–12. Drive: 7 Plays, 71 Yards, 3:27.
ARL – Leddie Brown 7-yard rush (1-pt Conversion No Good), 4:44. Renegades 26–12. Drive: 12 Plays, 71 Yards, 6:49.
DC – Josh Hammond 72-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion Good by Abram Smith), 0:06. Renegades 26–20. Drive: 2 Plays, 70 Yards, 0:42.
ARL – Leddie Brown 30-yard pass from Luis Perez (1-pt Conversion No Good), 0:00. Renegades 32–20. Drive: 1 Play, 30 Yards, 0:06.

Fourth quarter

ARL – Taylor Russolino 33-yard field goal, 9:56. Renegades 35–20. Drive: 7 Plays, 8 Yards, 3:40.
DC – Josh Hammond 24-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion No Good), 1:17. Renegades 35–26. Drive: 7 Plays, 78 Yards, 0:45.

Top passers

ARL – Luis Perez – 26/36, 288 yards, 3 TD
DC – Jordan Ta'amu – 16/30, 245 yards, 2 TD

Top rushers

ARL – De'Veon Smith – 15 rushes, 54 yards
DC – Abram Smith – 13 rushes, 90 yards

Top receivers

ARL – Tyler Vaughns – 8 receptions, 83 yards
DC – Josh Hammond – 6 receptions, 127 yards

Staff

DC Defenders staff

	Front office Director of team operations – Stacie Johnson Director of player personnel – Von Hutchins Head coach Head coach/general manager – Reggie Barlow Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator/running backs – Fred Kaiss Wide Receivers - Alvance Robinson Tight Ends - Cody Crills Offensive Line - Russ Ehrenfeld			Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator/secondary – Gregg Williams Defensive Line - Jeremy Watkins Linebackers/Special Teams - Jamie Sharper Team operations Quality Control – Deion Harris Athletic Trainer – Chris Lacsamana Equipment Manager – VanDyke Jones Video Manager – Caleb Studivant

References

^ "DC Defenders Beer Snake is Back, With Some Rules Fans Need To Follow".
^ "The XFL Beer Snake Returns (D.C. Defenders Fans Tradition)".
^ "DC Defenders Earn Spot in First-Ever XFL Championship". WRC-TV. April 30, 2023. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
^ "DC Defenders head to XFL championship game". WUSA (TV). May 1, 2023. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
^ "A THANK YOU TO OUR FANS". Retrieved March 23, 2020.
^ "XFL and ESPN Announce 2023 Schedule, Divisions, Vegas Vipers Playing At Cashman Field". January 5, 2023.
^ ^a ^b "XFL Standings". XFL.com. February 19, 2023. Retrieved February 21, 2023.

[1] "DC Defenders Beer Snake is Back, With Some Rules Fans Need To Follow".

[2] "The XFL Beer Snake Returns (D.C. Defenders Fans Tradition)".

[3] "DC Defenders Earn Spot in First-Ever XFL Championship". WRC-TV. April 30, 2023. Retrieved May 1, 2023.

[4] "DC Defenders head to XFL championship game". WUSA (TV). May 1, 2023. Retrieved May 1, 2023.

[5] "A THANK YOU TO OUR FANS". Retrieved March 23, 2020.

[6] "XFL and ESPN Announce 2023 Schedule, Divisions, Vegas Vipers Playing At Cashman Field". January 5, 2023.

[XFLstandings-7] "XFL Standings". XFL.com. February 19, 2023. Retrieved February 21, 2023.

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v t e DC Defenders
Founded in 2018 Based in Washington, DC
Franchise	History Seasons Players Coaches
Stadiums	Audi Field
Key personnel	Co-Owners: Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia General manager: Von Hutchins Head coach: Reggie Barlow
Culture	Beer Snake
Division championships (1)	2023
Affiliations	League: XFL (2020-2023); United Football League (2024-present) Conference: XFL Conference (2024-present) Division: East (2020); North (2023)
Seasons	2020 ~~2021~~ ~~2022~~ 2023 2024 2025

v t e 2023 XFL season
North Division	DC Defenders Seattle Sea Dragons St. Louis Battlehawks Vegas Vipers
South Division	Arlington Renegades Houston Roughnecks Orlando Guardians San Antonio Brahmas
Draft • XFL Championship