XFL Week 2 has come and gone, and it was another successful week for the league. Teams bounced back from 0-1 starts, two of the top teams in the league squared off in a primetime showdown, and we are starting to see who the real contenders are. There were some new names making plays this week that didn’t stand out in week 1. Here are the statistical leaders from XFL week 2 action.
XFL Week 2 Statistics
Passing Leaders
- Landry Jones (DAL): 305 yards
- Jordan Ta’amu (STL): 284 yards
- Cardale Jones (DC): 276 yards
There was a lot of poor quarterback play in XFL week 2, but these three players did not disappoint. Landry Jones made his season debut for the Dallas Renegades. Following a slow start, he stepped up and completed 70% of his passes for 305 yards and a touchdown, though he did throw two interceptions. If Jones stays healthy and plays well, Dallas is a team to keep an eye on as the season progresses. Jordan Ta’amu had another spectacular week for the St. Louis Battlehawks. He completed an eye-catching 81% of his passes for 284 yards and three touchdowns, though he did throw two interceptions which really cost his team the game. Despite the loss, St. Louis is definitely a team who can compete for the championship, thanks in large part to the offense led by Ta’amu. Cardale Jones had another big week for the DC Defenders and established them as the favorites through two weeks of the season. With the best receiving corps in the league and to this point the MVP frontrunner in Jones, the Defenders will be a tough out come playoff time.
Rushing Leaders
- Cameron Artis-Payne (DAL): 99 yards
- Jacques Patrick (TB): 73 yards
- Donnel Pumphrey (DC): 52 yards
Last week, Cameron Artis-Payne was unexpectedly not a major part of the Renegades’ gameplan. This week, him being the featured back turned the teams rushing attack around instantly. Last week, they ran the ball successfully on just 41.7% of their attempts. This week, that number was up to 76.2%. They don’t run the ball a lot, but Artis-Payne is definitely the back to feature when they do decide to run. Jacques Patrick‘s 73 yards on 14 carries was the only real bright spot on a Tampa Bay Vipers team still trying to find their identity (and their quarterback). DC’s successful run rate of 32.1% is by far the worst of any team, but Donnel Pumphrey managed to sneak his way onto the leaderboards this week.
Receiving Leaders
- Rashad Ross (DC): 95 yards
- DeAndre Thompkins (DC): 92 yards
- Nelson Spruce (LA): 89 yards
The addition of a healthy DeAndre Thompkins to the Defenders makes their offense even more dangerous. In his season debut, he totaled 92 yards on six catches and added a touchdown. His teammate Rashad Ross ended up passing him, gaining 95 yards on just four receptions. Throw Eli Rogers into the mix and it becomes apparent that the offense in DC is special. Nelson Spruce had himself another big game, as he continues to be the only positive on the Los Angeles Wildcats. He gained 89 yards on six catches and added two touchdowns as well. So far, he is the league’s leading receiver by 45 yards and has been the best non-quarterback in the XFL.
Tackles Leaders
- Marcelis Branch (TB): 12 tackles
- Beniquez Brown (HOU): 10 tackles
- Ajene Harris (HOU): 9 tackles
- DeMarquis Gates (HOU): 9 tackles
Despite Tampa Bay’s rough game on the offensive side of the ball, Marcelis Branch held it down for them on defense. To go with his 12 tackles, he also added a sack and two tackles for loss. The Houston Roughnecks put three players on the tackles leaderboard this week. Linebacker Beniquez Brown led the way with ten, while Ajene Harris and DeMarquis Gates each tallied nine. Harris and Gates also each recorded a tackle for loss, and Gates added a sack in the team’s big win over St. Louis.
Field Goals
Field goal accuracy was slightly higher this week, as kickers combined to go 9-for-11 on their field goal attempts. Ty Rausa led the way, making all three of his attempts for the Defenders this week. Austin MacGinnis for the Renegades made each of his two attempts on the week as well. Nick Novak had the longest kick of the week, knocking down a 47 yard attempt in LA’s loss to Dallas. The two misses on the week came by Novak on a 50 yard attempt and Ernesto Lacayo of the Dragons, as he missed from 48 yards out. Overall, kickers performed well in XFL week 2 action.
Extra Points
This week saw the first successful three point conversion of the year, though it followed a defensive penalty so they play was ran from the five-yard line. It was a rough week for conversions overall, as just four of the 19 attempts were converted successfully. Here are the updated extra point conversion rates leaguewide for the 2020 season.
1 point conversions: 6/22 (27.3%)
2 point conversions: 4/20 (20%)
3 point conversions: 1*/2 (50%)
* came from a shortened distance following a penalty
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