The XFL week 2 kicked off Thursday night with an exciting game between the St Louis Battlehawks and the Seattle Sea Dragons. Seattle jumped out to a quick 12-0 lead early but the Battlehawks, like week 1, battled back and managed to set themselves up with a game-winning field goal on a last-minute drive.
Let’s get into the first game of week 2.
St. Louis Battlehawks CB Brandon Sebastian
5 tackles.
One of the young players that popped in action Thursday night was former Boston College cornerback Brandon Sebastian, who did an excellent job in coverage and in run support as a physical tackler and strong cornerback.
Sebastian showed good recovery ability from his trail technique. He’s physical enough to be a punishing tackler in space, which tells me that he can possibly play as a slot cornerback.
Seattle Sea Dragons DE Shareef Miller
3 tackles, 1 sack.
The former Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Shareef Miller had himself a night, showing some of the tools that got him drafted into the NFL. Miller used his hands and finesse to work himself back to AJ McCarron and come up with a crucial third-down sack.
Miller may have one more NFL shot left in his game. He’s got good sizer and athletic ability and with the need for solid pass rushers, it’s hard to imagine Miller not getting a shot at some poin next year.
Seattle Sea Dragons WR Jahcour Pearson
4 receptions, 78 yards, 1 touchdown.
Much like in week one, Jahcour Pearson stood out again with his speed and ability to stretch the field despite his obvious lack of size. This time, it was a 54-yard touchdown catch and run on a deep corner route that put Pearson on the map.
I think it’s pretty clear that he will not be a player who can effectively catch through contact very well. When he was at Western Kentucky, he played out of the slot. When he transferred to Ole Miss in 2021, Lane Kiffin played him on the boundary. He’s found ways to work into gaps in zone coverage and is effective running after the catch. With his special teams value, there’s a good chance that Pearson is playing in the NFL next year.
St. Louis Battlehawks WR/TE Hakeem Butler
4 catches, 61 yards, 1 touchdown.
I didn’t point out Hakeem Butler last week simply because of his previous NFL experience and how poorly it went, but he’s played well in back-to-back weeks now. Last week, he caught the first touchdown over a defender to get Saint Louis back into the game.
This week, he was AJ McCarron’s security blanket and showcased his strength. Did he drop some passes that he should have caught? Yes. Did he make some impressive plays, meanwhile? Absolutely. His touchdown catch and run in a 1v1 situation where he easily stiff-armed the defender and romped down the field for a score.
Seattle Sea Dragons LB Emmanuel Smith
10 tackles.
I had talked about this much of the Markcast podcast, but Seattle has a loaded roster. General manager Randy Mueller did a great job building the roster, and I think he might have the best group of linebackers in the entire XFL. Last week, I talked about Tre Walker. This week, I’m talking about Emmanuel Smith.
Emmanuel Smith was all over the field making plays. He made ten tackles in action and it felt like every other play he was there. His instincts and closing speed are good as well as his wrap up tackling ability. Smith is a player to keep an eye on as a productive prospect going forward.
