Saturday afternoon at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay Florida the XFL won big. The Houston Roughnecks took down the Tampa Bay Vipers in their home opener 34-27. It was not easy for the Roughnecks as the 0-3 Vipers put a fight. The game was close and if not for a couple pass interference calls and once again not getting in the endzone, the Vipers may have won.
Offensive explosion
This week was a bit different for the Vipers as they got in the end-zone this week. The first was a seven-yard run by Quinton Flowers and a one-yard run by Taylor Cornelius. As with the first two games of the season, the Vipers went with the two-man rotation at QB with Cornelius getting the majority of the snaps. Cornelius went 16 of 31 for 193 yards and a touchdown with an INT. Flowers was four for six for 51 yards and he ran for 29 yards and a touchdown.
The crowd made its decision on the second play of the first drive by the Vipers. The crowd started chanting, “We want Quinton” over and over. It was clear who they were here to see. What the crowd of 18, 117 did get to see was a quarterback, receiving combo go nuts. That combo was P.J. Walker and Cam Phillips who combined for 194 yards and four touchdowns between just those two.
Walker was 24 of 36 for 306 yards passing with three touchdowns, all three to Phillips. He also ran one of the best runs of the season on a broken play in for a touchdown. Houston has established that they are one of if not the best team in the XFL. Every time the Vipers scored the Roughnecks had an answer. The defense also had their moment in the game when they held the Vipers to no points on a fourth and goal.
Late in the fourth, the Vipers were on the two-yard line looking for the tying score. The roughnecks held tight and kept the vapors out of the endzone in a must stop
The XFL won Big
What the XFL needed to survive was a good quality product on the field and a star. What was solidified on Saturday afternoon is the XFL has two big stars! P.J. Walker has shown through the first three games of the season to be a dynamic dual-threat QB. He has thrived in the June Jones offense and has proven he can throw the deep ball or just about any other pass he needs to.
It does not hurt that he has been throwing to a receiver in Phillips that can flat out play. This guy can catch anything in his area and when he gets the ball in his hands he can take it all the way at any time. The duo has now combined for seven touchdowns in three games. The talk is what NFL team will give them their shot, but what the XFL should be saying is, this is our future, for this league.
I know that these are but two of the players we have seen already through the first three weeks of play that are good. The XFL needs to hop on these players and promote them and lock them up to help the league. There is real talent in this league and on Saturday night the XFL won big.
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