Orlando Guardians Fall to Houston Roughnecks 44-16

ORLANDO, Fl. (FNN) — The Orlando Guardians’ home opener proved tougher for them than they likely expected.

Rough time with the Roughnecks

In the opening drive of the game, Houston wasted no time getting points on the board. The Roughnecks took just four minutes to score their first touchdown of the game with a beautifully threaded pass from Brandon Silvers. Travell Harris combined in the air and wrestled past a tackle to push it past the end zone. Despite the beautiful display Houston were unlucky in securing any extra points.

Things went from bad to worse for Orlando on their first offensive possession. A tipped pass from Paxton Lynch led to an eventual fumble in open field. William Likely quickly picked up the ball and ran it back to the end zone to add more misery in the first quarter. This marks the first game for Orlando Guardians where they fail to score on their first offensive drive. With just two looks of their team, Houston are already showcasing their dominance. Wade Phillips surely hopes to push his team to 4-0 after a triumphant start.

The playmaking continues to be a defining factor for Houston. After exploiting a forward lateral pass to Jontre Kirklin, the wideout sailed an easy ball into the Orlando defense that found Deontay Burnett wide open. However, Houston have failed twice to secure their two point conversions. These mistakes have stifled the lead they could be exploiting over Orlando. The second quarter saw more stability on the side of Orlando. They were able to control an offensive run for more than 10 plays that ended in a field goal.

Jontre Kirklin continues to impress; Rambo makes XFL history

The Silvers-Kirklin connection continued to be money from distance. In the dwindling minutes of the second quarter they joined forces to complete a 42 yard pass. The completion marked Kirklin’s second touchdown reception of the evening with Houston starting to mark their distance. With the score 26-3 into the break, Orlando finally found some pay-dirt. Paxton Lynch lobbed a pass over to Jaylen Smith to complete a 31-yard effort in the end zone. To follow it up, Deandre Francois found Charleston Rambo in the single point conversion. The successful attempt marks the first time this season Orlando Guardians successfully convert an extra point play.

After some unsuccessful third & outs, Orlando struck again in the third quarter to cut the deficit. Paxton Lynch found Charleston Rambo for a huge 81-yard pass that culminated in a touchdown. The effort from Rambo is the longest TD catch of the XFL season thus far. With that touchdown, 16 points marks the highest margin Orlando has scored this year. A long list of firsts for the burgeoning Orlando Guardians despite a nightmarish start.

After a slow and controlled eight play possession, Houston once again put points on the board thanks to some silly penalties on the side of Orlando. The 32-16 deficit was simply too much to surpass for Orlando. Despite some positive moments on offense, and great rush stopping numbers, Houston Roughnecks were simply too dominant on both ends of the ball and ultimately defeated Orlando 44-16.

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Nicolas Vera is a reporter for Florida National News, part of the FNN News Network. | info@floridanationalnews.com