Jesse Dyess and Mike Guardiola 
ESPN PHOTO
Week 2 of the XFL, got off to a flying start Thursday night, with the Battlehawks and Sea Dragons battling to an instant classic. In a week that features many games of note, the San Antonio Brahmas face off against the Orlando Guardians. With many questions to be answered, I have fellow ambush sports writer Mike Guardiola to help break it down.
Offense
Jesse Dyess
There are still many questions left to be answered on offense. Last week against Houston, the Orlando offense looked lost and lacked leadership. Is Paxton Lynch going to be the guy? I was not convinced after week one, but he will start in week 2. Deondre Francois is expected to receive some time in this game as well while Orlano figures out the Quarterback position.
Will the Orlando offense misuse a talented Jah- Maine Martin again? He was one of the few bright spots before the game got out of hand. I hope that Orlando can do a better job of game management to maximize his effectiveness. Will Paxton Lynch be able to utilize his good receiver room? On paper the Orlando Guardians have one of the most talented receiver rooms in the XFL, they need to make the adjustments necessary to use them.
On the other hand, the San Antonio offense looks far more together. They had the best rushing attack in the XFL last week, with Kallen Ballage and Jaques Patrick combining for more than 100 yards. Jack Coan managed the game pretty well when they asked him to. Barring some last-minute heroics, the Brahmas would have been 1-0 At this point one team is at a clear advantage
Advantage: San Antonio
Mike Guardiola
The Bulls added Dan Williams, who was second in the league in receiving yards in 2020, to help after having at least half a dozen drops last week. Jack Coan was 25 of 36 in his first start and faced constant pressure but should have more time in the pocket however he faces a really good secondary (possibly the best unit on the entire team) which forced 2 interceptions last week. I expect the 2 headed monster of Kalen Ballage (84 yards) and Jaques Patrick to get on track this week.
Advantage: San Antonio
Defense
Jesse Dyess
While looking at the scores initially, it would be very easy to say that San Antonio has a clear advantage. Houston scored 33 points against Orlando, and San Antonio held the Battlehawks without a touchdown until the last minute and a half. But a closer look should indicate a far more even playing field. Orlando’s defense was the beneficiary of an offense that put them in harm’s way multiple times. Multiple 3 and outs, 3 turnovers, and a special teams fumble eventually killed the will of a unit that was pretty resilient.
In the second half, they forced multiple turnovers on Brandon Silvers and did everything they could to keep Orlando in the game. It should be very exciting what an Orlando defense not playing from behind is capable of. Combine that with the fact that the Brahmas defense imploded with one minute left, and I see this as a push.
Advantage: Push
Mike Guardiola
San Antonio faces an offense that is in search of a consistent signal caller. With Paxton lynch expected to start, and Deiondre Francois expected to make an appearance, I like this match-up. This sputtering offense had one lone bright spot in Cody Latimer, who had 6 catches for 68 yards and a touchdown in a blowout loss to Houston. For these reasons, I feel very confident in San Antonio’s defense to get the job done.
Advantage: San Antonio
Coaching
Jesse Dyess
This is still the biggest question mark in this league. Both teams have first-time coaches Hines Ward and Terrell Buckley. However examining their first game, there does appear to be a distinct advantage. The Brahmas came out ready for their first game. They ran the ball and executed well, their defense was smothering( for 58 minutes anyway).
On the other hand, Orlando came out very flat. No cohesion, no leadership, and the use of the word analytics seemed to cover up some questionable game management decisions. This answer could change, however, at the moment, I see one clear winner.
Advantage: San Antonio
Mike
While both Hines Ward and Terrell Buckley are first-time head coaches. T-Buck is still feeling his way through the position while trying to decide on a starting QB, not a good mix. After a stunning letdown in the final minutes, Ward has to learn not to take his foot off the gas and his team will be hyper-focused in the 4th quarter on learning how to close out games.
Advantage: San Antonio
Prediction
Jesse Dyess
This has the potential to be a very interesting game. We will see very quickly how Orlando responds to week one. Many fans and writers alike are ready to cast off Orlando after the game against Houston. However, like Lee Corso from college gameday, I say not so fast my friend. In their home opener, I expect Orlando to show that they learned from week one. You heard it hear first I am calling for Orlando to pull off the upset.
Prediction: Orlando 31 San Antonio 27
Mike
We could see the XFL’s second blowout. I’m taking The Bulls to get the first victory in franchise history.
Prediction: Brahmas 34 Guardians 12
Betting Line
The Current Betting line for this game is at Orlando 3.5. At this point, I am taking Orlando and the points, As I feel they will win outright. Mike is taking San Antonio at minus 3.5 because he believes they will win outright. We both believe this game will achieve a higher over-under than 38.
