# 2020 New York Guardians season

The 2020 New York Guardians season was the only season for the New York Guardians as a professional American football franchise. They played as charter members of the XFL, one of eight teams to compete in the league for the 2020 season. The Guardians played their home games at MetLife Stadium and were led by head coach Kevin Gilbride.
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.

## Standings

2020 XFL standingsvte :
| East Division ||||||||||||||
| Team | W | L | PCT | TD+/- | TD+ | TD- | DIV | PF | PA | DIFF | STK |
| DC Defenders | 3 | 2 | .600 | -3 | 9 | 12 | 2–1 | 82 | 89 | -7 | W1 |
| St. Louis Battlehawks | 3 | 2 | .600 | 3 | 11 | 8 | 1–1 | 97 | 77 | 20 | L1 |
| New York Guardians | 3 | 2 | .600 | -1 | 8 | 9 | 1–2 | 79 | 85 | -6 | W2 |
| Tampa Bay Vipers | 1 | 4 | .200 | -4 | 11 | 15 | 1–1 | 98 | 115 | -17 | L1 |
| West Division ||||||||||||||
| Team | W | L | PCT | TD+/- | TD+ | TD- | DIV | PF | PA | DIFF | STK |
| Houston Roughnecks | 5 | 0 | 1.000 | 7 | 21 | 14 | 3–0 | 158 | 111 | 47 | W5 |
| Dallas Renegades | 2 | 3 | .400 | -3 | 9 | 12 | 2–1 | 90 | 102 | -12 | L2 |
| Los Angeles Wildcats | 2 | 3 | .400 | 4 | 18 | 14 | 0–2 | 129 | 122 | 7 | W1 |
| Seattle Dragons | 1 | 4 | .200 | -3 | 12 | 15 | 0–2 | 87 | 119 | -32 | L3 |
| (x)–clinched playoff berth; (y)–clinched conference; (e)–eliminated from playoff contention ||||||||||||

## Schedule

All times Eastern
| Week | Day | Date | Kickoff | TV | Opponent | Results | Results | Location |
| Week | Day | Date | Kickoff | TV | Opponent | Score | Record | Location |
| 1 | Sunday | February 9 | 2:00 p.m. | Fox | Tampa Bay Vipers | W 23–3 | 1–0 | MetLife Stadium |
| 2 | Saturday | February 15 | 2:00 p.m. | ABC | at DC Defenders | L 0–27 | 1–1 | Audi Field |
| 3 | Sunday | February 23 | 3:00 p.m. | ESPN | at St. Louis BattleHawks | L 9–29 | 1–2 | The Dome at America's Center |
| 4 | Saturday | February 29 | 2:00 p.m. | ABC | Los Angeles Wildcats | W 17–14 | 2–2 | MetLife Stadium |
| 5 | Saturday | March 7 | 5:00 p.m. | Fox | at Dallas Renegades | W 30–12 | 3–2 | Globe Life Park in Arlington |
| 6 | Saturday | March 14 | 2:00 p.m. | ABC | Houston Roughnecks | Not played | Not played | MetLife Stadium |
| 7 | Sunday | March 22 | 3:00 p.m. | ABC | at Seattle Dragons | Not played | Not played | CenturyLink Field |
| 8 | Saturday | March 28 | 5:00 p.m. | Fox | St. Louis BattleHawks | Not played | Not played | MetLife Stadium |
| 9 | Saturday | April 4 | 2:00 p.m. | ABC | DC Defenders | Not played | Not played | MetLife Stadium |
| 10 | Sunday | April 12 | 6:00 p.m. | FS1 | at Tampa Bay Vipers | Not played | Not played | Raymond James Stadium |

## Season summary

The Guardians destroyed the Tampa Bay Vipers in the first game of the season, winning 23–3. The next week, however, they were shut out by the DC Defenders 27–0. They stumbled again in week 3, losing to the St. Louis BattleHawks 29–9. They stole a win from the Los Angeles Wildcats at home by 3 points, winning 17–14 with a change at the quarterback position, starting Luis Perez over Matt McGloin. This success continued into week 5, where the Guardians were able to defeat the Dallas Renegades on the road 30-12 before the season's abrupt end.

## Game summaries
### Week 1: Tampa Bay Vipers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vipers | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Guardians | 7 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 23 |
at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
* Date: Sunday, February 9
* Game time: 2:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Cloudy • Temperature: 42 °F (6 °C) • Wind: E 6 mph
* Game attendance: 17,634
* Referee: Jeff Heaser
* TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt (play-by-play), Greg Olsen (analyst), Jenny Taft (sideline)
Game information :
First quarter
NY – Matt McGloin 1-yard rush (1-pt. good), 9:55. Guardians 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 48 yards, 5:08.
Second quarter
NY – Matt McGloin 12-yard pass to Colby Pearson (1-pt good), 13:38. Guardians 14–0. Drive: 3 plays, 57 yards, 1:21.
NY – Matt McCrane 49-yard field goal, 0:05. Guardians 17–0. Drive: 3 plays, 37 yards, 0:31.
Third quarter
TB – Andrew Franks 23-yard field goal, 1:05. Guardians 17–3. Drive: 16 plays, 77 yards, 7:42.
Fourth quarter
NY – Jamar Summers 27-yard fumble return (1-pt. failed), 12:09. Guardians 23–3.
Top passers
TB – Aaron Murray – 16/34, 231 yards, TD, 2 INT
NY – Matt McGloin – 15/29, 182 yards, TD
Top rushers
TB – De'Veon Smith – 16 carries, 79 yards
NY – Darius Victor – 9 carries, 32 yards
Top receivers
TB – Daniel Williams – 6 receptions, 123 yards
NY – Mekale McKay – 3 receptions, 58 yards :
The Guardians started their inaugural season at home for Round 1 against the Vipers. Heading into halftime, the Guardians led 17–0. Though, the Vipers were able to get on the board in the third quarter, in the fourth quarter, the Guardians wrapped up the scoring of the game with a late touchdown (with a failed 1-point attempt) to make it 23–3. This would be the final score of the game.
With the win, the Guardians started their season 1–0.

### Week 2: at DC Defenders

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Guardians | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Defenders | 6 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 27 |
at Audi Field, Washington, D.C.
* Date: Saturday, February 15
* Game time: 2:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Partly cloudy • Temperature: 36 °F (2 °C) • Wind: S 9 mph
* Game attendance: 15,031
* Referee: John O'Neill
* TV announcers (ABC): Steve Levy (play-by-play), Greg McElroy (analyst), Tom Luginbill and Dianna Russini (sideline)
Game information :
First quarter
DC – DeAndre Thompkins 13-yard pass from Cardale Jones (1-pt. failed), 7:09. Defenders 6–0. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 6:09.
Second quarter
DC – Tyler Rausa 27-yard field goal, 11:19. Defenders 9–0. Drive: 13 plays, 51 yards, 7:31.
DC – Tyler Rausa 36-yard field goal, 0:30. Defenders 12–0. Drive: 5 plays, 43 yards, 0:49.
Third quarter
DC – Jameer Thurman 46-yard interception return (1-pt. failed), 10:07. Defenders 18–0.
Fourth quarter
DC – Tyler Rausa 26-yard field goal, 7:22. Defenders 21–0. Drive: 13 plays, 54 yards, 7:28.
DC – Derrick Hayward 6-yard pass from Cardale Jones, 1:29. Defenders 27–0. Drive: 5 plays, 49 yards, 1:57.
Top passers
NY – Marquise Williams – 4/8, 51 yards
DC – Cardale Jones – 23/37, 276 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
NY – Tim Cook III – 10 rushes, 39 yards
DC – Donnell Pumphrey – 12 rushes, 53 yards
Top receivers
NY – Mekale McKay – 3 receptions, 30 yards
DC – Rashad Ross – 4 receptions, 95 yards :
In their first road game ever, the Guardians were shut out in Round 1 against the Defenders 27–0.
With the loss, the Guardians fell to 1–1.

### Week 3: at St. Louis Battlehawks

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Guardians | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 9 |
| BattleHawks | 6 | 17 | 3 | 3 | 29 |
at The Dome at America's Center, St. Louis, Missouri
* Date: Saturday, February 15
* Game time: 3:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Partly sunny • Temperature: 61 °F (16 °C) • Wind: 9 mph
* Game attendance: 29,554
* Referee: Brandon Cruse
* TV announcers (ESPN): Tom Hart (play-by-play), Joey Galloway (analyst), Pat McAfee (field analyst)
Game information :
First quarter
STL – Christine Michael 14-yard rush (2-pt. failed), 13:17. BattleHawks 6–0. Drive: 4 plays, 72 yards, 1:49.
Second quarter
NY – Matt McCrane 53-yard field goal, 12:31. BattleHawks 6–3. Drive: 7 plays, 30 yards, 3:51.
STL – Joe Powell 84-yard kickoff return (2-pt. failed), 12:24. BattleHawks 12–3.
STL – Taylor Russolino 39-yard field goal, 4:29. BattleHawks 15–3. Drive: 11 plays, 37 yards, 5:10.
STL – Matt Jones 1-yard rush (2-pt. good), 1:12. BattleHawks 23–3. Drive: 5 plays, 17 yards, 0:57.
Third quarter
STL – Taylor Russolino 58-yard field goal, 10:03. BattleHawks 26–3. Drive: 7 plays, 36 yards, 3:04.
Fourth quarter
NY – Austin Duke 8-yard pass from Luis Perez (3-pt. failed), 6:19. BattleHawks 26–9. Drive: 5 plays, 40 yards, 2:17.
STL – Taylor Russolino 36-yard field goal, 0:51. BattleHawks 29–9. Drive: 13 plays, 54 yards, 5:26.
Top passers
NY – Marquise Williams – 7/15, 94 yards
STL – Jordan Ta'amu – 12/18, 119 yards
Top rushers
NY – Tim Cook III – 9 carries, 50 yards
STL – Matt Jones – 15 carries, 95 yards, TD
Top receivers
NY – Austin Duke – 4 receptions, 43 yards, 1 TD
STL – Alonzo Russell – 3 receptions, 36 yards :
After being shut out on the road, the Guardians traveled again this time for Round 1 against the Battlehawks. The Battlehawks scored the only points of the first quarter when Christine Michael ran for a 14-yard touchdown (with a failed point attempt) to make it 6–0. The Guardians got on the board in the second quarter when Matt McCrane kicked a 53-yard field goal to make it 6–3. The Battlehawks would go on a 17–0 run to take a 23–3 lead at halftime. They added to their run by scoring the only points of the third quarter when Taylor Russolino kicked a 58-yard field goal for a 26–3 lead. The Guardians scored again in the fourth quarter when Luis Perez found Austin Duke on an 8-yard touchdown pass (with a failed point attempt) to make it 26–9. Russolino closed out the scoring of the game with a 36-yard field goal as the Battlehawks won 29–9.
With the loss, the Guardians fell to 1–2.

### Week 4: Los Angeles Wildcats

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Wildcats | 6 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 14 |
| Guardians | 3 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 17 |
at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
* Date: Saturday, February 29
* Game time: 2:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 41 °F (5 °C) • Wind: SE 13 mph
* Game attendance: 12,211
* Referee: James Carter
* TV announcers (ABC): Steve Levy (play-by-play), Greg McElroy (analyst), Tom Luginbill and Dianna Russini (sideline)
Game information :
First quarter
NY – Matt McCrane 51-yard field goal, 5:51. Guardians 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 37 yards, 5:15.
LA – Tre McBride 4-yard pass from Josh Johnson (2-pt. failed), 0:07. 'Wildcats 6–3. Drive: 10 plays, 68 yards, 5:43.
Second quarter
NY – Matt McCrane 23-yard field goal, 8:15. Tied 6–6. Drive: 12 plays, 60 yards, 6:51.
NY – Mekale McKay 3-yard pass from Luis Perez (2-pt. good), 1:31. Guardians 14–6. Drive: 10 plays, 63 yards, 4:32.
Third quarter
LA – Saeed Blacknall 42-yard pass from Josh Johnson (2-pt. good), 4:45. Tied 14–14. Drive: 4 plays, 81 yards, 1:47.
Fourth quarter
NY – Matt McCrane 47-yard field goal, 10:57. Guardians 17–14. Drive: 9 plays, 26 yards, 4:18.
Top passers
LA – Josh Johnson – 25/40, 330 yards, 2 TD, INT
NY – Luis Perez – 18/26, 150 yards, TD
Top rushers
LA – DuJuan Harris – 5 carries, 25 yards
NY – Darius Victor – 18 carries, 82 yards
Top receivers
LA – Tre McBride – 8 receptions, 127 yards, 1 TD
NY – Colby Pearson – 5 receptions, 34 yards :
After another tough road loss, the Guardians went home to take on the Wildcats. The Guardians scored first in the first quarter when Matt McCrane kicked a 51-yard field goal to make it 3–0. Though, the Wildcats would take the lead when Josh Johnson found Tre McBride on a 4-yard pass (with a failed 2-point play) to make it 6–3. In the second quarter, it was all Guardians when they made it 14–6 at halftime. After the break, the Wildcats tied the game up at 14-14 when Josh Johnson found Saeed Blacknall on a 42-yard pass. However, in the fourth, quarter the Guardians would wrap the scoring up when McCrane kicked a 47-yard field goal to make the final score 17–14.
With the win, the Guardians improved to 2-2.

### Week 5: at Dallas Renegades

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Guardians | 3 | 3 | 21 | 3 | 30 |
| Renegades | 3 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 12 |
at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Arlington, Texas
* Date: Saturday, March 7
* Game time: 5:00 p.m. EST
* Game attendance: 15,950
* Referee: Jeff Heaser
* TV announcers (Fox): Curt Menefee (play-by-play), Joel Klatt (analyst), Cam Jordan (sideline)
Game information :
First quarter
DAL – Austin MacGinnis 23-yard field goal, 9:32. Renegades 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 62 yards, 5:32.
NY – Matt McCrane 46-yard field goal, 6:43. Tied 3–3. Drive: 5 plays, 12 yards, 2:51.
Second quarter
NY – Matt McCrane 39-yard field goal, 8:37. Guardians 6–3. Drive: 12 plays, 49 yards, 6:19.
Third quarter
NY – Marquise Williams 1-yard rush (2-pt. failed), 10:57. Guardians 12-6. Drive: 8 plays, 76 yards, 4:07.
NY – Colby Pearson 80-yard pass from Luis Perez (2-pt. good), 3:31. Guardians 20-6. Drive: 1 play, 80 yards, 0:14.
NY – Ryan Mueller 33-yard interception return (1-pt. good), 02:48. Guardians 27-6.
DAL – Austin Walter 97-yard kickoff return (3-pt. failed), 02:38. Guardians 27-12.
Fourth quarter
NY – Matt McCrane 26-yard field goal, 8:51. Guardians 30–12. Drive: 9 plays, 27 yards, 5:18.
Top passers
NY – Luis Perez – 16/30, 229 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
DAL – Philip Nelson – 28/49, 210, 2 INT
Top rushers
NY – Darius Victor – 15 carries, 58 yards
DAL – Cameron Artis-Payne – 6 carries, 25 yards
Top receivers
NY – Colby Pearson – 5 receptions, 95 yards, 1 TD
DAL – Flynn Nagel – 7 receptions, 46 yards :
After a tough home win, the Guardians traveled to take on the Renegades. In the first quarter, the Renegades scored first when Austin MacGinnis kicked a 23-yard field goal to make it 3–0. The Guardians tied it up later on in the quarter when Matt McCrane kicked a 46-yard field goal to make it 3-3. In the second quarter, McCrane kicked a 39-yard field goal to make it 6–3. However, the Renegades tied it up before halftime when MacGinnis kicked a 36-yard field goal to make it 6-6. In the third quarter, the Guardians retook the lead when Marvin Williams ran for a 1-yard touchdown (with a failed point play) to make it 12–6. They would make it 20-6 when Luis Perez found Carl Pearson on an 80-yard touchdown pass. Philip Nelson was then intercepted by Ryan Mueller and it was returned 33 yards for a touchdown to make it 27–6. The Renegades then made it 27-12 after Austin Walter ran a kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown (with a failed point play) to close out the quarter. In a highly defensive fourth quarter, the Guardians scored the only points in what would be MacGinnis's fourth field goal from 26 yards out to make the final score 30–12.
With the win, the Guardians improved to 3–2.
After a huge win on the road, the Guardians were to return home for a game against the Roughnecks. However, this game, along with the remainder of their games were canceled due to the sudden rise of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nevertheless, the Guardians managed to finish their first season with a winning record.