St. Louis, Houston still lead XFL’s East & West divisions coming out of Week 4

We’re nearing the midway point of the 2020 XFL season, as Week 4 has come to a close. Some teams are pulling away from the competition, while others have fallen by the wayside. Here’s how the XFL East and West are shaping up so far:

The St. Louis BattleHawks didn’t dominate in their 23-16 victory against the Seattle Dragons on Saturday but are shaping up to be one of the top two teams in the league. Their only loss of the season came in a close game against the Houston Roughnecks, who remain the league’s only unbeaten team. Jordan Ta’amu can tear it up with his arm or legs, and St. Louis has what’s arguably the best backfield in football with Matt Jones and Christine Michael. They sit atop the XFL East and have been more consistent than the rest of the field.

The Roughnecks improved to 4-0, but it came in a 27-20 win against the Dallas Renegades that went down to the wire. Landry Jones injured his knee on a potentially game-winning drive and his replacement, Philip Nelson soiled Dallas’ chances with an interception. Although Cam Phillips was a non-factor for the first time this year, the Roughnecks used other tools on offense to score. Houston’s defense also totaled an impressive five takeaways and has been making plays when it matter most. The Roughnecks sit atop the XFL West.

The DC Defenders and have looked like the worst team in the XFL for the past two weeks, as they’ve been outscored by by a total of 55 points in Weeks 3 and 4. Cardale Jones has thrown five interceptions with no touchdowns during that stretch, and DC’s defense has looked terrible as well.

The Tampa Bay Vipers, on the other hand, have been improving rapidly. They appear to have found a full-time starting quarterback in Taylor Cornelius and blew out the Defenders 25-0 in Week 4 with him under center. They might not have the best passing game, but both of their running backs eclipsed 100 rushing yards in Week 4. Although this was Tampa Bay’s first win of the season, it comes on the heels of a one-score loss to the Roughnecks. The Vipers are last in the XFL East, but could climb the ladder if they continue at this pace.

XFL East

1. St. Louis BattleHawks (3-1)
2. New York Guardians (2-2)
3. DC Defenders (2-2)
4. Tampa Bay Vipers (1-3)

XFL West

1. Houston Roughnecks (4-0)
2. Dallas Renegades (2-2)
3. Los Angeles Wildcats (1-3)
4. Seattle Dragons (1-3)