# 2023 DC Defenders season

The 2023 DC Defenders season was the second season for the DC Defenders as a professional American football franchise. The Defenders played their home games at Audi Field and were led by head coach Reggie Barlow.
At the first home game security staff prevented fans building the "Beer Snake", a signature feature from the 2020 season, and fans started throwing lemons on the field. The league made the proper arrangements for the "Beer Snake" to be allowed during Defenders home games.
Earning their first playoff berth and clinching first place in the North Division, the Defenders eliminated the Seattle Sea Dragons in the North Division title game in the playoffs. With the win, the Defenders advanced to the XFL Championship Game where they faced the Arlington Renegades, losing by a score of 26-35.

## Background

The 2020 season was the inaugural season for the DC Defenders as a professional club. They were playing as charter members of the rebooted XFL, one of eight teams to compete in the league for the season. The Defenders played their home games at Audi Field and were led by head coach Pep Hamilton.
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. The Defenders finished the season with a 3–2 record.

## Schedule

All times Eastern
| Week | Day | Date | Kickoff | TV | Opponent | Results | Results | Location | Attendance |
| Week | Day | Date | Kickoff | TV | Opponent | Score | Record | Location | Attendance |
| 1 | Sunday | February 19 | 8:00 p.m. | ESPN | Seattle Sea Dragons | 22–18 | 1–0 | Audi Field | 12,438 |
| 2 | Saturday | February 25 | 7:00 p.m. | FX | at Vegas Vipers | 18–6 | 2–0 | Cashman Field | 6,023 |
| 3 | Sunday | March 5 | 1:00 p.m. | FX | St. Louis BattleHawks | 34–28 | 3–0 | Audi Field | 16,212 |
| 4 | Sunday | March 12 | 7:00 p.m. | ESPN2 | Vegas Vipers | 32–18 | 4–0 | Audi Field | 11,521 |
| 5 | Saturday | March 18 | 7:00 p.m. | FX | at St. Louis BattleHawks | 28–20 | 5–0 | The Dome at America's Center | 35,868 |
| 6 | Monday | March 27 | 7:00 p.m. | ESPN2 | Houston Roughnecks | 37–26 | 6–0 | Audi Field | 12,492 |
| 7 | Saturday | April 1 | 6:00 p.m. | ESPN | at Orlando Guardians | 36–37 | 6–1 | Camping World Stadium | 7,011 |
| 8 | Sunday | April 9 | 7:00 p.m. | ESPN2 | at Seattle Sea Dragons | 34–33 | 7–1 | Lumen Field | 11,874 |
| 9 | Sunday | April 16 | 12:00 p.m. | ESPN | Arlington Renegades | 28–26 (OT) | 8–1 | Audi Field | 18,684 |
| 10 | Saturday | April 22 | 3:00 p.m. | ABC | at San Antonio Brahmas | 29–28 | 9–1 | Alamodome | 12,129 |

### Game summaries
#### Week 1: vs. Seattle Sea Dragons

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Sea Dragons | 9 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 18 |
| Defenders | 0 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 22 |
at Audi Field, Washington, DC
* Date: February 19
* Game time: 8:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 56 °F (13 °C)
* Game attendance: 12,438
* Referee: Jeff Heaser
* TV announcers (ESPN): John Schriffen, Tom Luginbill, and Stormy Buonantony
Game information :
First quarter
SEA – Josh Gordon 6-yard pass from Ben DiNucci (3-pt Conversion No Good), 9:13. Sea Dragons 6–0. Drive: 11 plays, 71 yards, 5:47.
SEA – Dominik Eberle 36-yard field goal, 1:36. Sea Dragons 9–0. Drive: 11 plays, 52 yards, 5:52.
Second quarter
DC – Jordan Ta'amu 1-yard rush (2-pt Conversion Good by Lucky Jackson), 8:58. Sea Dragons 9–8. Drive: 15 plays, 73 yards, 7:23.
Third quarter
SEA – Brenden Knox 13-yard rush (3-pt Conversion Good by Ben DiNucci), 9:42. Sea Dragons 18–8. Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, 3:45.
DC – Michael Joseph 15-yard interception return (2-pt Conversion Good by D'Eriq King), 6:28. Sea Dragons 18–16. Drive: 1 play, 15 yards, 0:04.
Fourth quarter
DC – D'Eriq King 5-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 14:14. Defenders 22–18. Drive: 2 plays, 4 yards, 0:34.
Top passers
SEA – Ben DiNucci – 35/54, 282 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT
DC – Jordan Ta'amu – 8/19, 86 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT
Top rushers
SEA – Brenden Knox – 11 rushes, 31 yards
DC – Abram Smith – 11 rushes, 28 yards
Top receivers
SEA – Jahcour Pearson – 12 receptions, 95 yards
DC – Lucky Jackson – 4 receptions, 25 yards :

#### Week 2: at Vegas Vipers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Defenders | 0 | 0 | 3 | 15 | 18 |
| Vipers | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
at Cashman Field, Las Vegas, Nevada
* Date: February 25
* Game time: 7:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 56 °F (13 °C)
* Game attendance: 6,023
* Referee: Jason Autrey
* TV announcers (FX): John Schriffen, Tom Luginbill, and Stormy Buonantony
Game information :
First quarter
VGS – DeAndre Torrey 2-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 12:10. Vipers 6–0. Drive: 1 play, 98 yards, 0:04.
Second quarter
No scoring plays.
Third quarter
DC – Matt McCrane 47-yard field goal, 9:41. Vipers 6–3. Drive: 11 plays, 42 yards, 5:19.
Fourth quarter
DC – D'Eriq King 12-yard rush (1-pt Conversion Good by D'Eriq King), 14:58. Defenders 10–6. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:21.
DC – Abram Smith 9-yard rush (2-pt Conversion Good by Ethan Wolf), 8:43. Defenders 18–6. Drive: 5 plays, 44 yards, 2:16.
Top passers
DC – Jordan Ta'amu – 11/23, 93 yards
VGS – Brett Hundley – 11/18, 98 yards
Top rushers
DC – Abram Smith – 15 rushes, 71 yards
VGS – Rod Smith – 7 rushes, 39 yards
Top receivers
DC – Josh Hammond – 3 receptions, 24 yards
VGS – John Lovett – 2 receptions, 33 yards :

#### Week 3: vs. St. Louis BattleHawks

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| BattleHawks | 8 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 28 |
| Defenders | 14 | 0 | 11 | 9 | 34 |
at Audi Field, Washington, DC
* Date: March 5
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 62 °F (17 °C)
* Game attendance: 16,212
* Referee: Chris Coyte
* TV announcers (FX): John Schriffen, Tom Luginbill, and Stormy Buonantony
Game information :
First quarter
DC – Ethan Wolf 7-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion Good by Ethan Wolf), 10:31. Defenders 8–0. Drive: 7 Plays, 77 Yards, 2:26.
DC – Michael Joseph 42-yard interception return (2-pt Conversion No Good), 9:45. Defenders 14–0. Drive: 2 Plays, 4 Yards, 0:46.
STL – Brian Hill 8-yard pass from A. J. McCarron (2-pt Conversion Good by Darrius Shepherd), 5:33. Defenders 14–8. Drive: 8 Plays, 73 Yards, 4:12.
Second quarter
STL – Hakeem Butler 1-yard pass from A. J. McCarron (2-pt Conversion No Good), 0:03. Tied 14–14. Drive: 9 Plays, 75 Yards, 2:20.
Third quarter
DC – Matt McCrane 41-yard field goal, 9:24. Defenders 17–14. Drive: 11 Plays, 48 Yards, 5:18.
STL – Jake Sutherland 23-yard pass from A. J. McCarron (2-pt Conversion No Good), 8:26. BattleHawks 20–17. Drive: 2 Plays, 25 Yards, 1:16.
DC – Jordan Ta'amu 2-yard rush (2-pt Conversion Good by Lucky Jackson), 3:08. Defenders 25–20. Drive: 12 Plays, 81 Yards, 5:18.
Fourth quarter
DC – Matt McCrane 35-yard field goal, 15:00. Defenders 28–20. Drive: 4 Plays, 7 Yards, 1:40.
DC – Chris Blair 4-yard pass from D'Eriq King (2-pt Conversion No Good), 6:02. Defenders 34–20. Drive: 12 Plays, 67 Yards, 6:46.
STL – Steven Mitchell 2-yard pass from A. J. McCarron (2-pt Conversion Good by Steven Mitchell), 0:22. Defenders 34–28. Drive: 1 Play, 2 Yards, 0:00.
Top passers
STL – A. J. McCarron – 26/42, 262 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT
DC – Jordan Ta'amu – 11/20, 196 yards, TD
Top rushers
STL – Brian Hill – 12 rushes, 32 yards
DC – Abram Smith – 16 rushes, 54 yards
Top receivers
STL – Hakeem Butler – 9 receptions, 105 yards
DC – Lucky Jackson – 4 receptions, 89 yards :

#### Week 4: vs. Vegas Vipers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vipers | 3 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 18 |
| Defenders | 6 | 8 | 6 | 12 | 32 |
at Audi Field, Washington, DC
* Date: March 12
* Game time: 7:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 40 °F (4 °C)
* Game attendance: 11,521
* Referee: Jeff Heaser
* TV announcers (ESPN2): Matt Barrie, Joey Galloway, and Tiffany Blackmon
Game information :
First quarter
DC – D'Eriq King 5-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 13:11. Defenders 6–0. Drive: 4 Plays, 21 Yards, 1:35.
VGS – Bailey Giffen 37-yard field goal, 0:50. Defenders 6–3. Drive: 6 Plays, 44 Yards, 2:49.
Second quarter
DC – D'Eriq King 2-yard rush (2-pt Conversion Good by Chris Blair), 10:42. Defenders 14–3. Drive: 11 Plays, 72 Yards, 5:08.
VGS – Bailey Giffen 33-yard field goal, 5:15. Defenders 14–6. Drive: 11 Plays, 50 Yards, 5:27.
Third quarter
DC – Matt McCrane 20-yard field goal, 6:48. Defenders 17–6. Drive: 12 Plays, 80 Yards, 6:10.
DC – Matt McCrane 35-yard field goal, 1:44. Defenders 20–6. Drive: 5 Plays, 43 Yards, 2:36.
Fourth quarter
VGS – Cinque Sweeting 26-yard pass from Luis Perez (2-pt Conversion No Good), 14:22. Defenders 20–12. Drive: 5 Plays, 74 Yards, 2:22.
DC – Matt McCrane 26-yard field goal, 6:53. Defenders 23–12. Drive: 14 Plays, 76 Yards, 7:29.
DC – Jequez Ezzard 32-yard pass from D'Eriq King (2-pt Conversion No Good), 2:40. Defenders 29–12. Drive: 6 Plays, 52 Yards, 2:49.
VGS – Cinque Sweeting 25-yard pass from Luis Perez (3-pt Conversion No Good), 1:55. Defenders 29–18. Drive: 2 Plays, 30 Yards, 0:45.
DC – Matt McCrane 23-yard field goal, 0:47. Defenders 32–18. Drive: 5 Plays, 16 Yards, 1:02.
Top passers
VGS – Luis Perez – 23/32, 283 yards, 2 TD
DC – Jordan Ta'amu – 14/19, 177 yards, 0 TD
Top rushers
VGS – John Lovett – 7 rushes, 39 yards
DC – Abram Smith – 22 rushes, 58 yards
Top receivers
VGS – Jeff Badet – 7 receptions, 80 yards
DC – Josh Hammond – 5 receptions, 17 yards :

#### Week 5: at St. Louis BattleHawks

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Defenders | 0 | 14 | 6 | 8 | 28 |
| BattleHawks | 0 | 3 | 9 | 8 | 20 |
at The Dome at America's Center, St. Louis, Missouri
* Date: March 18
* Game time: 7:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 27 °F (−3 °C)
* Game attendance: 35,868
* Referee: Francisco Villar
* TV announcers (FX): John Schriffen, Tom Luginbill, and Stormy Buonantony
Game information :
First quarter
Second quarter
STL – Donny Hageman 36-yard field goal, 10:02. BattleHawks 3–0. Drive: 16 Plays, 72 Yards, 8:55.
DC – Abram Smith 62-yard rush (2-pt Conversion good by Josh Hammond), 9:22. Defenders 8–3. Drive: 2 Plays, 68 Yards, 0:38.
DC – Abram Smith 5-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 1:54. Defenders 14–3. Drive: 3 Plays, 14 Yards, 0:12.
Third quarter
STL – Donny Hageman 34-yard field goal, 13:16. Defenders 14–6. Drive: 4 Plays, 0 Yards, 1:44.
DC – Abram Smith 70-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 12:24. Defenders 20–6. Drive: 2 Plays, 73 Yards, 0:51.
STL – George Campbell 5-yard pass from A. J. McCarron (2-pt Conversion No Good), 6:20. Defenders 20–12. Drive: 11 Plays, 65 Yards, 5:56.
Fourth quarter
DC – D'Eriq King 10-yard rush (2-pt Conversion Good by Jordan Ta'amu), 12:16. Defenders 28–12. Drive: 7 Plays, 65 Yards, 3:31.
STL – Steven Mitchell 50-yard pass from A. J. McCarron (2-pt Conversion Good by Steven Mitchell), 4:19. Defenders 28–20. Drive: 4 Plays, 71 Yards, 1:43.
Top passers
DC – Jordan Ta'amu – 12/18, 90 yards, 0 TD
STL – A. J. McCarron – 22/34, 236 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
DC – Abram Smith – 23 rushes, 218 yards
STL – Brian Hill – 14 rushes, 79 yards
Top receivers
DC – Lucky Jackson – 5 receptions, 54 yards
STL – Hakeem Butler – 9 receptions, 86 yards :

#### Week 6: vs. Houston Roughnecks

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Roughnecks | 8 | 0 | 6 | 12 | 26 |
| Defenders | 3 | 14 | 9 | 11 | 37 |
at Audi Field, Washington, DC
* Date: March 27
* Game time: 7:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C)
* Game attendance: 12,492
* Referee: Reggie Smith
* TV announcers (ESPN2): Taylor Zarzour, Tom Luginbill, and Stormy Buonantony
Game information :
First quarter
HOU – Max Borghi 4-yard rush (2-pt Conversion Good by Cedric Byrd), 5:08. Roughnecks 8–0. Drive: 8 Plays, 66 Yards, 4:32.
DC – Matt McCrane 34-yard field goal, 1:18. Roughnecks 8–3. Drive: 8 Plays, 52 Yards, 3:50.
Second quarter
DC – Abram Smith 1-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 1:57. Defenders 9–8. Drive: 10 Plays, 61 Yards, 4:37.
DC – Interception returned for touchdown by Santos Ramirez (2-pt Conversion Good by Josh Hammond), 1:15. Defenders 17–8. Drive: 1 Play, -12 Yards, 0:42.
Third quarter
DC – Alex Ellis 1-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion No Good), 10:12. Defenders 23–8. Drive: 8 Plays, 72 Yards, 4:48.
DC – Matt McCrane 32-yard field goal, 2:08. Defenders 26–8. Drive: 11 Plays, 44 Yards, 6:03.
HOU – Deontay Burnett 85-yard pass from Cole McDonald (3-pt Conversion No Good), 1:19. Defenders 26–14. Drive: 2 Plays, 86 Yards, 0:49.
Fourth quarter
DC – Lucky Jackson 30-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion Good by Chris Blair), 13:16. Defenders 34–14. Drive: 6 Plays, 76 Yards, 3:04.
HOU – Max Borghi 1-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 10:03. Defenders 34–20. Drive: 6 Plays, 65 Yards, 3:12.
DC – Matt McCrane 50-yard field goal, 6:14. Defenders 37–20. Drive: 7 Plays, 36 Yards, 3:49.
HOU – Cole McDonald 1-yard rush (3-pt Conversion No Good), 1:57. Defenders 37–26. Drive: 9 Plays, 62 Yards, 4:17.
Top passers
HOU – Brandon Silvers – 10/17, 111 yards, 0 TD
DC – Jordan Ta'amu – 19/31, 245 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
HOU – Max Borghi – 11 rushes, 25 yards
DC – Abram Smith – 19 rushes, 95 yards
Top receivers
HOU – Travell Harris – 5 receptions, 60 yards
DC – Lucky Jackson – 5 receptions, 136 yards :

#### Week 7: at Orlando Guardians

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Defenders | 14 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 36 |
| Guardians | 12 | 6 | 13 | 6 | 37 |
at Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Florida
* Date: April 1
* Game time: 6:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 85 °F (29 °C)
* Game attendance: 7,011
* Referee: Chris Coyte
* TV announcers (FX): John Schriffen, Tom Luginbill, and Harry Douglas
Game information :
First quarter
DC – Lucky Jackson 32-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion Good by Chris Blair), 13:08. Defenders 8–0. Drive: 5 Plays, 74 Yards, 1:52.
ORL – Quinten Dormady 1-yard rush (1-pt Conversion No Good), 10:47. Defenders 8–6. Drive: 6 Plays, 45 Yards, 2:21.
ORL – K. D. Cannon 41-yard pass from Quinten Dormady (1-pt Conversion No Good), 8:01. Guardians 12–8. Drive: 3 Plays, 58 Yards, 1:09.
DC – Abram Smith 1-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 3:14. Defenders 14–12. Drive: 11 Plays, 69 Yards, 4:40.
Second quarter
DC – Briley Moore 12-yard pass from D'Eriq King (2-pt Conversion Good by Alex Ellis), 13:00. Defenders 22–12. Drive: 9 Plays, 48 Yards, 3:20.
ORL – Quinten Dormady 1-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 0:00. Defenders 22–18. Drive: 9 Plays, 55 Yards, 4:19.
Third quarter
ORL – Jordan Thomas 15-yard pass from Quinten Dormady (1-pt Conversion Good by Jah-Maine Martin), 9:38. Guardians 25–22. Drive: 9 Plays, 46 Yards, 5:22.
DC – Chris Blair 86-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion No Good), 8:29. Defenders 28–25. Drive: 3 Plays, 85 Yards, 1:09.
ORL – Quinten Dormady 1-yard rush (1-pt Conversion No Good), 3:31. Guardians 31–28. Drive: 10 Plays, 60 Yards, 4:58.
Fourth quarter
DC – Lucky Jackson 15-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion Good by Alex Ellis), 11:37. Defenders 36–31. Drive: 5 Plays, 50 Yards, 1:39.
ORL – Cody Latimer 44-yard pass from Quinten Dormady (2-pt Conversion No Good), 8:50. Guardians 37–36. Drive: 6 Plays, 65 Yards, 2:47.
Top passers
DC – Jordan Ta'amu – 21/29, 285 yards, 3 TD
ORL – Quinten Dormady – 27/34, 328 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
DC – Abram Smith – 18 rushes, 127 yards
ORL – Devin Darrington – 13 rushes, 17 yards
Top receivers
DC – Chris Blair – 5 receptions, 139 yards
ORL – Cody Latimer – 7 receptions, 93 yards :

#### Week 8: at Seattle Sea Dragons

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Defenders | 8 | 8 | 6 | 12 | 34 |
| Sea Dragons | 0 | 6 | 9 | 18 | 33 |
at Lumen Field, Seattle, Washington
* Date: April 9
* Game time: 7:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 58 °F (14 °C)
* Game attendance: 11,874
* Referee: Jason Autrey
* TV announcers (ESPN2): Roy Philpott, Eric Mac Lain, Tiffany Blackmon
Game information :
First quarter
DC – Abram Smith 2-yard rush (2-pt Conversion Good by Lucky Jackson), 9:22. Defenders 8–0. Drive: 3 Plays, 64 Yards, 0:55.
Second quarter
SEA – Phillip Lindsay 2-yard rush (3-pt Conversion No Good), 10:35. Defenders 8–6. Drive: 12 Plays, 60 Yards, 6:47.
DC – Ryquell Armstead 11-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion Good by Lucky Jackson), 1:24. Defenders 16–6. Drive: 9 Plays, 60 Yards, 3:59.
Third quarter
DC – Alex Ellis 14-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion No Good), 8:34. Defenders 22–6. Drive: 7 Plays, 71 Yards, 4:22.
SEA – Defensive 2-pt Conversion, 8:34. Defenders 22–8. Drive: 1 play, -5 yards, 0:01.
SEA – Juwan Green 46-yard pass from Ben DiNucci (1-pt Conversion Good by Blake Jackson), 6:33. Defenders 22–15. Drive: 4 Plays, 75 Yards, 2:02.
Fourth quarter
SEA – Dominik Eberle 29-yard field goal, 12:37. Defenders 22–18. Drive: 7 Plays, 44 Yards, 3:15.
DC – Brandon Smith 5-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion No Good), 5:13. Defenders 28–18. Drive: 13 Plays, 73 Yards, 7:24.
SEA – Juwan Green 56-yard pass from Ben DiNucci (3-pt Conversion Good by Blake Jackson), 4:05. Defenders 28–27. Drive: 3 Plays, 79 Yards, 1:09.
DC – Chris Blair 70-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion No Good), 2:10. Defenders 34–27. Drive: 3 Plays, 72 Yards, 2:02.
SEA – Jahcour Pearson 14-yard pass from Ben DiNucci (2-pt Conversion No Good), 0:32. Defenders 34–33. Drive: 9 Plays, 70 Yards, 1:31.
Top passers
DC – Jordan Ta'amu – 17/26, 247 yards, 4 TD
SEA – Ben DiNucci – 28/42, 301 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
DC – Abram Smith – 17 rushes, 66 yards
SEA – Phillip Lindsay – 8 rushes, 23 yards
Top receivers
DC – Chris Blair – 5 receptions, 148 yards
SEA – Juwan Green – 7 receptions, 142 yards :

#### Week 9: vs. Arlington Renegades

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Renegades | 3 | 6 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 26 |
| Defenders | 6 | 14 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 28 |
at Audi Field, Washington, DC
* Date: April 16
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 77 °F (25 °C)
* Game attendance: 18,684
* Referee: Francisco Villar
* TV announcers (ESPN): John Schriffen, Tom Luginbill, and Stormy Buonantony
Game information :
First quarter
ARL – Taylor Russolino 23-yard field goal, 9:39. Renegades 3–0 Drive: 9 Plays, 79 Yards, 5:21.
DC – Josh Hammond 9-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion No Good), 7:54. Defenders 6–3. Drive: 5 Plays, 71 Yards, 1:45.
Second quarter
DC – Lucky Jackson 14-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion No Good), 9:27. Defenders 12–3. Drive: 5 Plays, 70 Yards, 3:08.
ARL – Caleb Vander Esch 25-yard pass from Luis Perez (2-pt Conversion No Good), 6:26. Defenders 12–9. Drive: 7 Plays, 65 Yards, 3:01.
DC – Lucky Jackson 6-yard pass from D'Eriq King (2-pt Conversion Good by Jazz Ferguson), 0:46. Defenders 20–9. Drive: 11 Plays, 77 Yards, 5:40.
Third quarter
DC – Pass interception returned for touchdown by D. J. Swearinger (2-pt Conversion No Good), 9:40. Defenders 26–9. Drive: 6 Plays, 43 Yards, 3:50.
Fourth quarter
ARL – De'Veon Smith 1-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 12:49. Defenders 26–15. Drive: 6 Plays, 31 Yards, 3:00.
ARL – De'Veon Smith 1-yard rush (2-pt Conversion Good by Tyler Vaughns), 1:20. Defenders 26–23. Drive: 9 Plays, 67 Yards, 4:02.
ARL – Taylor Russolino 27-yard field goal, 0:05. Tied 26–26. Drive: 8 Plays, 66 Yards, 1:15.
Overtime
DC – Josh Hammond pass from Jordan Ta'amu for 2 points
Top passers
ARL – Luis Perez – 31/41, 335 yards, 1 TD
DC – Jordan Ta'amu – 14/20, 188 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
ARL – De'Veon Smith – 12 rushes, 43 yards
DC – Abram Smith – 10 rushes, 27 yards
Top receivers
ARL – Sal Cannella – 7 receptions, 92 yards
DC – Josh Hammond – 5 receptions, 74 yards :

#### Week 10: at San Antonio Brahmas

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Defenders | 11 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 29 |
| Brahmas | 3 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 28 |
at Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas
* Date: April 22
* Game time: 3:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 78 °F (26 °C)
* Game attendance: 12,129
* Referee: Reggie Smith
* TV announcers (ABC): Tom Hart, Greg McElroy, Cole Cubelic and Katie George
Game information :
First quarter
DC – Alex Ellis 5-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion Good by Josh Hammond), 12:41. Defenders 8–0. Drive: 5 Plays, 68 Yards, 2:19.
SA – Parker Romo 26-yard field goal, 4:06. Defenders 8–3. Drive: 16 Plays, 64 Yards, 8:35.
DC – Matt McCrane 21-yard field goal, 2:31. Defenders 11–3. Drive: 4 Plays, 5 Yards, 1:35.
Second quarter
DC – Alex Ellis 1-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion Good by Brandon Smith), 11:44. Defenders 19–3. Drive: 5 Plays, 86 Yards, 2:03.
SA – Jacques Patrick 1-yard rush (2-pt Conversion Good by T. J. Vasher), 0:03. Defenders 19–11. Drive: 6 Plays, 44 Yards, 0:30.
Third quarter
SA – Parker Romo 28-yard field goal, 8:14. Defenders 19–14. Drive: 11 Plays, 60 Yards, 6:46.
DC – Matt McCrane 49-yard field goal, 4:43. Defenders 22–14. Drive: 7 Plays, 45 Yards, 3:31.
SA – Jon Hilliman 1-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 0:06. Defenders 22–20. Drive: 9 Plays, 75 Yards, 4:37.
Fourth quarter
SA – Jacques Patrick 2-yard rush (2-pt Conversion Good by Jon Hilliman), 5:16. Brahmas 28–22. Drive: 10 Plays, 63 Yards, 6:27.
DC – Jordan Ta'amu 4-yard rush (1-pt Conversion Good by Jordan Ta'amu), 2:32. Defenders 29–28. Drive: 5 Plays, 69 Yards, 2:43.
Top passers
DC – Jordan Ta'amu – 15/22, 271 yards, 2 TD
SA – Jack Coan – 34/48, 312 yards, 0 TD
Top rushers
DC – Abram Smith – 10 rushes, 44 yards
SA – Jacques Patrick – 16 rushes, 41 yards
Top receivers
DC – Josh Hammond – 4 receptions, 59 yards
SA – Landen Akers – 8 receptions, 90 yards :

## Standings

2023 XFL standingsvte :
| North Division |||||||||||||||
| Team | W | L | PCT | GB | TD+/- | TD+ | TD- | DIV | PF | PA | DIFF | STK |
| (y) DC Defenders | 9 | 1 | .900 | 0 | -2 | 33 | 35 | 6–0 | 298 | 240 | 58 | W3 |
| (x) Seattle Sea Dragons | 7 | 3 | .700 | 2 | +10 | 30 | 20 | 3–3 | 243 | 177 | 66 | W2 |
| (e) St. Louis Battlehawks | 7 | 3 | .700 | 2 | +9 | 32 | 23 | 3–3 | 249 | 202 | 47 | W1 |
| (e) Vegas Vipers | 2 | 8 | .200 | 7 | 0 | 28 | 28 | 0–6 | 184 | 252 | -68 | L3 |
| South Division |||||||||||||||
| Team | W | L | PCT | GB | TD+/- | TD+ | TD- | DIV | PF | PA | DIFF | STK |
| (y) Houston Roughnecks | 7 | 3 | .700 | 0 | +4 | 30 | 26 | 6–0 | 247 | 182 | 65 | W3 |
| (x) Arlington Renegades | 4 | 6 | .400 | 3 | -8 | 15 | 23 | 3–3 | 146 | 194 | -48 | L2 |
| (e) San Antonio Brahmas | 3 | 7 | .300 | 4 | -8 | 16 | 24 | 3–3 | 169 | 183 | -14 | L1 |
| (e) Orlando Guardians | 1 | 9 | .100 | 6 | -5 | 32 | 37 | 0–6 | 204 | 310 | -106 | L3 |
| (x)–clinched playoff berth; (y)–clinched division; (e)–eliminated from playoff contention |||||||||||||

## Postseason
### Schedule

| Week | Day | Date | Kickoff | TV | Opponent | Results | Results | Location | Attendance |
| Week | Day | Date | Kickoff | TV | Opponent | Score | Record | Location | Attendance |
| Division Finals | Sunday | April 30 | 3:00 p.m. | ESPN | Seattle Sea Dragons | 37–21 | 1–0 | Audi Field | 18,684 |
| XFL Championship | Saturday | May 13 | 8:00 p.m. | ABC | vs. Arlington Renegades | 26–35 | 1–1 | Alamodome | 22,754 |

### Game summaries
#### XFL North Division Finals: vs. (2) Seattle Sea Dragons

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Sea Dragons | 3 | 6 | 0 | 12 | 21 |
| Defenders | 9 | 0 | 14 | 14 | 37 |
at Audi Field, Washington, DC
* Date: May 4
* Game time: 3:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 61 °F (16 °C)
* Game attendance: 18,684
* Referee: Reggie Smith
* TV announcers (ESPN): Tom Hart, Greg McElroy, Cole Cubelic and Katie George
Game information :
First quarter
SEA – Dominik Eberle 33-yard field goal, 9:54. Sea Dragons 3–0. Drive: 10 Plays, 59 Yards, 5:06.
DC – Matt McCrane 24-yard field goal, 6:55. Tied 3–3. Drive: 6 Plays, 59 Yards, 2:59.
DC – Lucky Jackson 44-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion No Good), 1:59. Defenders 9–3. Drive: 7 Plays, 69 Yards, 3:05.
Second quarter
SEA – Jahcour Pearson 15-yard pass from Ben DiNucci (2-pt Conversion No Good), 11:3. Tied 9–9. Drive: 10 Plays, 76 Yards, 5:21.
Third quarter
DC – Abram Smith 1-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 9:25. Defenders 15–9. Drive: 11 Plays, 78 Yards, 5:35.
DC – Ethan Wolf 26-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion Good by Alex Ellis), 4:49. Defenders 23–9. Drive: 6 Plays, 56 Yards, 2:36.
Fourth quarter
DC – Cam'Ron Harris 1-yard rush (1-pt Conversion Good by Abram Smith), 11:53. Defenders 30–9. Drive: 9 Plays, 65 Yards, 4:41.
SEA – Juwan Green 34-yard pass from Ben DiNucci (2-pt Conversion No Good), 6:05. Defenders 30–15. Drive: 4 Plays, 65 Yards, 1:38.
DC – Cam'Ron Harris 11-yard rush (1-pt Conversion Good by Cam'Ron Harris), 2:06. Defenders 37–15. Drive: 9 Plays, 67 Yards, 3:59.
SEA – Juwan Green 8-yard pass from Ben DiNucci (3-pt Conversion No Good), 0:12. Defenders 37–21. Drive: 10 Plays, 64 Yards, 1:54.
Top passers
SEA – Ben DiNucci – 31/48, 295 yards, 3 TD
DC – Jordan Ta'amu – 19/31, 258 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
SEA – Ben DiNucci – 3 rushes, 16 yards
DC – Abram Smith – 23 rushes, 48 yards
Top receivers
SEA – Juwan Green – 8 receptions, 89 yards
DC – Josh Hammond – 6 receptions, 55 yards :

#### XFL Championship Game: vs. Arlington Renegades

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Renegades | 14 | 6 | 12 | 3 | 35 |
| Defenders | 0 | 6 | 14 | 6 | 26 |
at Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas
* Date: May 17
* Game time: 8:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 76 °F (24 °C)
* Game attendance: 22,754
* Referee: Michael VanderVelde
* TV announcers (ABC): Tom Hart, Greg McElroy, Cole Cubelic and Katie George
Game information :
First quarter
ARL – Sal Cannella 41-yard pass from Luis Perez (2-pt Conversion No Good), 11:00. Renegades 6–0. Drive: 2 Plays, 59 Yards, 4:02.
ARL – Tyler Vaughns 9-yard pass from Luis Perez (2-pt Conversion Good De'Veon Smith), 0:29. Renegades 14–0. Drive: 16 Plays, 88 Yards, 8:45.
Second quarter
ARL – Taylor Russolino 29-yard field goal, 4:54. Renegades 17–0. Drive: 13 Plays, 54 Yards, 6:50.
DC – Abram Smith 2-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 0:32. Renegades 17–6. Drive: 10 Plays, 45 Yards, 4:22.
ARL – Taylor Russolino 51-yard field goal, 0:02. Renegades 20–6. Drive: 3 Plays, 12 Yards, 0:30.
Third quarter
DC – Abram Smith 52-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 11:42. Renegades 20–12. Drive: 7 Plays, 71 Yards, 3:27.
ARL – Leddie Brown 7-yard rush (1-pt Conversion No Good), 4:44. Renegades 26–12. Drive: 12 Plays, 71 Yards, 6:49.
DC – Josh Hammond 72-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion Good by Abram Smith), 0:06. Renegades 26–20. Drive: 2 Plays, 70 Yards, 0:42.
ARL – Leddie Brown 30-yard pass from Luis Perez (1-pt Conversion No Good), 0:00. Renegades 32–20. Drive: 1 Play, 30 Yards, 0:06.
Fourth quarter
ARL – Taylor Russolino 33-yard field goal, 9:56. Renegades 35–20. Drive: 7 Plays, 8 Yards, 3:40.
DC – Josh Hammond 24-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion No Good), 1:17. Renegades 35–26. Drive: 7 Plays, 78 Yards, 0:45.
Top passers
ARL – Luis Perez – 26/36, 288 yards, 3 TD
DC – Jordan Ta'amu – 16/30, 245 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
ARL – De'Veon Smith – 15 rushes, 54 yards
DC – Abram Smith – 13 rushes, 90 yards
Top receivers
ARL – Tyler Vaughns – 8 receptions, 83 yards
DC – Josh Hammond – 6 receptions, 127 yards :