The Seattle Dragons suffer defeat in their debut XFL matchup against the DC Defenders, in the nation’s capital. The Dragons look to bounce back in week 2 as they play their first home matchup of the season.

The Dragons Had Some Positive Moments

While the final score of the Defenders – Vipers game was 31 – 19, there were some promising showings that the Dragons should build off of heading into the team’s first home game this Saturday at CenturyLink Field. Austin Proehl was a revelation at wide receiver, and he showed why he was one of North Carolina’s most prolific collegiate receiver during his time with the Tar Heels. His opening touchdown was a beautiful route that was thrown on a dime by William Silvers. While turnovers ultimately did the Dragons in, the team should build off of the connection that Silvers and Proehl are developing.

The Vipers Looked Much Worse Than the Dragons

Coming into the first week of the regular season, Tampa Bay was one of the XFL teams that was expected to compete for a championship. Their offense looked anything but championship on Sunday as New York repeatedly shut down Aaron Murray and their high-powered receivers. If Coach Marc Trestman is going to revamp his passing attack, he may want to turn to the backup quarterback who was able to move the ball down the field with his legs much more efficiently than Murray was with his arm. Unless Tampa Bay finds a way to convert in the Red Zone, the Dragons may be able to win if they do not throw interceptions that turn into touchdowns for the opposing defense. Saturday’s pick six against the Defenders was a huge blow to a team that had the lead and was playing pretty well.

Seattle Is Ready for the Home Opener

The first week of the XFL was better than many pundits expected, and Seattle fans have responded enthusiastically for this week’s home opener. As of Monday afternoon, team officials had announced that the stadium would be opening up additional seating to accommodate all of the fans that are wanting to buy tickets. If the stadium can get half as loud as it does for the Seahawks on an NFL Sunday, it is quite possible that the Dragons will have one of the best home field advantages in the XFL. While the crowd noise at an opponent’s stadium is mitigated to a degree for the offense since all of the players have a microphone in their helmet, it is no doubt an advantage to have a crowd that is loud and rowdy. If you are interested in scoring a ticket to this week’s Tampa Bay Vipers vs. Seattle Dragons game that will be held on February 15 at 2:00 P.M., then you should reach out to the Dragons’ sales staff.

This is the XFL

As mentioned, the opening weekend of the XFL was viewed by 3.3 million men and women in the United States. This is a higher opening than the Alliance of American Football enjoyed, and fans were genuinely excited about the new rules and access that the league gave to fans. Seattle was the first team to take the field in the new league, and Head Coach Jim Zorn and the Dragons played hard in spite of defeat. League Commissioner Oliver Luck appears to have hit a home run with the new kickoff formation, the quick game tempo, and the all-access view to the league’s instant replay process. If the Dragons are hoping to do their part to grow the game in the Pacific Northwest, they will need to keep involving Austin Proehl in the offense and find ways to cut down on turnovers to bring home the victory.