Roughnecks 28, BattleHawks 24

5 thoughts from the Roughnecks'  thrilling win over the BattleHawks

Jack Mccraw
Feb 17, 2020, 4:28 am
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Sunday night's game between the Houston Roughnecks and the St. Louis BattleHawks was a thriller to say the least. The BattleHawks rallied late and almost mounted a comeback, but it was too little too late. Houston relied on its high-powered offense and some timely defense to remain undefeated. There were many positive and only a few negative takeaways from the Roughnecks' 28-24 victory.

1) P.J. Walker is a legit Star

Walker had his second great start at quarterback for the Roughnecks and could be on his way to earning some MVP consideration. He looks calm, cool and collected under pressure, and his game is starting to mirror that of Deshaun Watson's. On multiple instances, Walker would elude tackles and extend plays using his legs. Walker's first touchdown pass was a side-armed throw to a tightly covered Cam Philips that was similar to something you would see high caliber NFL quarterbacks do. If he continues to play this way, the Roughnecks' offense will be hard to stop the rest of the season.

2) Cam Phillips has become the number one receiver

If P.J. Walker is the face of the team, Cam Phillips has become the second star that's starting to shine bright. He had three touchdown catches and led the team in receiving yards for the second week in a row. Phillips now leads the XFL in touchdown receptions. Walker and Phillips have developed a Batman and Robin like tandem that is shredding defenses week after week.

3) More star players are starting to emerge for the Roughnecks

To start the season, the most notable name in the entire Roughnecks' organization was Coach June Jones. That's all starting to change now. Besides the aforementioned Walker and Phillips duo, more Roughnecks' players are starting to get praise from their fans and the media. Running Back James Butler has become the go-to running back for the Roughnecks and is playing a great supporting role in Jones' Run N Shoot offense. On defense both Cornerbacks Cody Brown and Jeremiah Johnson nearly had touchdown returns after their interceptions and have shown they can be lockdown cornerbacks when needed. Another emerging defensive star is Linebacker DeMarcus Gates, who has become one of the best tacklers on the team in my opinion. Winning draws fans, and the more you win the more people will watch. I'm not saying these players will start appearing in car commercials, but soon more player's names will become recognizable as the season progresses.

4) The Run N' Shoot is weak against the blitz

The BattleHawks went in to halftime needing to make key adjustments on defense. They did just that for the 3rd quarter and the majority of the 4th quarter as well. The Roughnecks only had one offensive possesion in the 3rd quarter which was a quick three-and-out. They didn't score after halftime until nine minutes left in the 4th quarter to go up 28-18. Their offense started struggling once the BattleHawks started blitzing. The O-line did their part and played well, but in a typical Run N' Shoot style offense, there isn't a tight end or a blocking running back in most plays. This made it easier for St. Louis' defense to get Walker under pressure and force him to try and escape the pocket multiple times. Adjustments made by Coach Jones,Walker and the Roughnecks were able to counter this strategy and win the game. Walker was able to elude the rushers multiple times and extend plays with his legs forcing the BattleHawks to stop blitzing after the Roughnecks scored their final touchdown. I tried to have one negative takeaway, but I would be nitpicking. The offense's lone weakness seems to be blitzing defenses. If that's their only weakness, they surely have one of if not the best offenses in the league.

5) The XFL in Houston works

Nearly 1,000 less people showed up to the second Roughnecks' game of the season, but that didn't seem to matter to the fans who did show up. TDECU Stadium once again had a lound party like atmosphere, and the Roughnecks still outdrew the Defenders and the Wildcats this weekend. Houston fans love them some XFL football. So much so that XFL Commissioner & CEO Oliver Luck announced that TDECU Stadium would host the inaugural championship game. As previously mentioned, if you keep winning fans show up, and it looks as though the Roughnecks are starting to from their own niche in the busy sports scene that is Houston.

The Roughnecks look to remain undefeated as they play their first road game of the season against the winless Tampa Bay Vipers. The early odds show the Roughnecks as a big favorite against the worst team in the league, but could also be a potential trap game if they are not careful.

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It's time we had an honest conversation about the Houston Texans GM

Nick Caserio's history of drafting injury prone players has become a problem. Composite Getty Image.

Nick Caserio was hired to serve as the general manager (GM) of the Texans on January 7, 2021. Some saw it as another nod to the organization's obsession with the Patriots. Others saw it as the team finally getting their guy after pursuing him previously. They were even hit with a tampering charge while trying to talk to him about the job. Since he's been on the job, there have been highs and lows.

Recently, the news about Kenyon Green and Derek Stingley Jr put a stain on his tenure. Green was placed on season-ending injured reserve (IR) and Stingley Jr is expected to be placed on IR, likely missing six to eight weeks, per Aaron Wilson. Both guys were Caserio's 2022 first rounders. Both guys are starting to look like busts and have fans a little more than just upset.

Green's case was curious because he was said to have needed surgery before he tore his labrum during the Saints preseason game. He had knee surgery this past offseason. There were knee injury concerns when he was coming out of A&M. Adding to his injuries, Green has played poorly. To make matters worse, the Chargers drafted fellow guard Zion Johnson two picks later. Johnson played all 17 games last season as a rookie at right guard and has moved to left guard this season. The pick used to draft Green was part of a trade back with the Eagles. They used the 13th overall pick to take Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis, a guy at a position this team could desperately use.

Stingley Jr was a highly touted recruit coming into LSU as a freshman. He played as well as any corner in the country that year. Oh, and they won a national title with arguably one of the best teams in college football history. His net two years in Baton Rouge were marred with injuries. Some believed his junior year was more him holding back to stay healthy for the draft. It worked because he was taken third overall, one spot ahead of Sauce Gardner. Gardner went on to be an All Pro as a rookie. While he's surrounded by more talent on the Jets' defense, people will forever link them because Stingley Jr hasn't lived up to expectations. He missed six games last season and is set to miss at least that many this season. When he has played, he's looked okay. “Okay” isn't what you want from a guy drafted third overall ahead of the other guy who was widely considered better than him.

For the 2021 draft, Caserio was handcuffed. He had no first or second rounders, and made a few trades that lessened his draft pool from eight to five picks. Of the five guys drafted that year, only Nico Collins seems to be a player. The 2022 draft was more productive. Although Green and Stingley Jr were the headliners and haven't played up to the hype, the others are carrying the load. Jalen Pitre and Dameon PIerce alone make that draft class dope. This past draft was seen as the one to save the franchise so to speak. Getting C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson Jr got the team a franchise quarterback and edge rusher with picks two and three overall. The price paid to move back up to three was hefty and puts more scrutiny on Anderson Jr. They appear, so far, to have also found a couple other nice players. Tank Dell being the hidden gem of this class.

While people can't, and shouldn't, base Caserio's performance strictly off of the guys he's drafted, one must call it into question. The '21 draft was a wash. The '22 draft looks suspect, but has some redeeming qualities. The '23 draft will most likely be his saving grace. But should it? Former Texans GM Rick Smith nailed almost every first rounder he drafted. Even he was almost run out of town because folks didn't like what he did. Why should Caserio be any different? So what if he cleaned up the mess by the previous regime! That's what he was hired to do!

“Keep that same energy!” That phrase is used when people try to hold others to different standards. Where's that energy everyone had for Bill O'Brien, Jack Easterby, Rick Smith, Gary Kubiak, David Culley, and Lovie Smith? When others weren't performing well, their heads were called for. I see some people holding Caserio accountable. For the most part, it appears as if he's getting a bit of a pass. I'll be interested to see if this continues should the team has another subpar season. If that pick they traded to the Cardinals is another top 10 pick and the Browns pick the Texans own isn't...if Green can't come back and/or Stingley Jr doesn't show any signs of being a lockdown corner...then what? Let's hope none of this comes to fruition. If it does, we'll have to revisit this conversation.

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