NFL Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells once said, “You are what you record you are.” Unfortunately for him, he was unfamiliar with the XFL.
The defense entered Week 7 with a fairly simple task. Beat the undefeated Guardians and you’re in the playoffs. It turned out that the task was not so simple. They lost 37-36 in Orlando and made the XFL North division a wide open race again.
With just three weeks left in the season, the four teams that will ultimately make the playoffs are up for grabs. There are still teams with poor results, but that didn’t matter last week. Because in the XFL, it’s every Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Monday.
There were several scenarios to win a week ago, but neither team was able to finish the job. Can they do it this time, or will every division be turned completely upside down?
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Here’s your preview of all the Week 8 action the XFL has to offer.
XFL Schedule Week 8
| It matches | Time (ET) | TV Channel |
| Vegas Vipers vs. St. Louis Battlehawks | 1 in the afternoon | ESPN |
| Arlington Renegades vs. Orlando Guardians | 4 o’clock in the afternoon | ESPN |
| It matches | Time (ET) | TV Channel |
| Houston Roughnecks vs. San Antonio Brahmas | 3 in the afternoon | ABC |
| DC Defenders vs. Seattle Sea Dragons | 7 in the evening | ESPN2 |
XFL Week 8 Games TV Schedule Live Streams
Vegas Vipers vs. St. Louis Battlehawks
- Date: Saturday, April 8
- Kickoff: 1 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: ESPN
- Live Stream: ESPN+, Fubo
The Battlehawks and Vegas Vipers kick off in St. Louis on Saturday afternoon. After playing five of their first seven games on the road, Anthony Becht’s Battlehawks will enjoy a three-game homestand to close out the 2023 season.
On paper, these two teams are relatively evenly matched, but that wasn’t the case when they met two weeks ago in Vegas. St. Louis dominated the Vipers, using 17 points in the second quarter to catapult to a 29-6 victory. AJ McCarron threw just six incompletions on the day. With a chance to keep a spot in the playoff race, the Battlehawks should be able to take care of business in front of their home crowd.
Arlington Renegades vs. Orlando Guardians
- Date: Saturday, April 8
- Kickoff: 4 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: ESPN
- Live Stream: ESPN+, Fubo
The Renegades will try to hold on to second place in the XFL South and make a favorable matchup in the process — or so they thought. No one in the league seemed to be too afraid of the Guardians heading into last week, the only team without a win before Week 7. Instead, they hosted and beat the XFL’s best team.
They snuck into DC, but that won’t be the case with Arlington coming to town. The problem for Renegades is that they remain the lowest scoring team, which is never a good sign. Arlington and Orlando squared off in Week 3, with the Renegades narrowly escaping with a 10-9 victory. They’ll need a much better effort this time around if they hope Week 11 is in their future.
Houston Roughnecks vs. San Antonio Brahmas
- Date: Sunday, April 9
- Kickoff: 3 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: ABC
- Live Stream: ESPN+, Fubo
Sunday’s action begins with a battle of the Texans. It wasn’t that long ago that people were considering the Roughnecks as the team that would represent the South in the XFL Championship. They have now lost three in a row and Wade Phillips’ side are in desperate need of something to celebrate. Fortunately for them, their division doesn’t have many winners, which means they still remain in first place.
The Roughnecks will need to win at least two of their remaining three games to clinch a playoff spot unassisted. In San Antonio, the Brahmas will need a lot of help, and it all starts on Sunday. To make the playoffs, they will need to win each of those three games and be helped by some losses to the Roughnecks and Renegades. Rumor has it that everything is bigger in Texas — which now includes the miracle the Brahmas will require to find the postseason in 2023.
DC Defenders vs. Seattle Sea Dragons
- Date: Sunday, April 9
- Kickoff: 7 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: ESPN2
- Live Stream: ESPN+, Fubo
This is exactly the kind of game you want if you’re in the XFL league office. The best team in the league so far and a star-studded offense in Seattle? In prime time? Yes please.
It’s a rematch from Week 1, when the Defenders opened the season with a 22-18 win over the Sea Dragons. The task remains the same for DC this week. Win and you’re in. On the other hand, the task is a bit more difficult for Seattle – who have dug themselves an early hole this season but are riding a five-game winning streak. The Sea Dragons need to win at least two of their last three games and get some help in the Battlehawks loss. Ben Dinucci threw the ball 54 times in the first game and threw two interceptions. Seattle will need more efficiency to compete with the league’s best at Lumen Field.