2023 DC Defenders season
{{short description|American professional football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{More citations needed|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox NFL team season
| logo = DC Defenders wordmark new.png
| team = DC Defenders
| teamcolor =
| year = 2023
| previous = 2020
| record = 9–1
| division_place = 1st XFL North
| coach = Reggie Barlow
| general manager = Reggie Barlow
| owner = Alpha Acquico, LLC
| stadium = Audi Field
| uniform =
| playoffs = Won Division Finals (vs. Seattle Sea Dragons) 37–21
Lost XFL Championship (vs. Arlington Renegades) 26–35
}}
The 2023 DC Defenders season was the second season for the DC Defenders as a professional American football franchise. The Defenders played their home games at Audi Field and were led by head coach Reggie Barlow.
At the first home game security staff prevented fans building the "Beer Snake", a signature feature from the 2020 season, and fans started throwing lemons on the field. The league made the proper arrangements for the "Beer Snake" to be allowed during Defenders home games.{{cite web |title=DC Defenders Beer Snake is Back, With Some Rules Fans Need To Follow|url=https://xflnewshub.com/xfl-news/dc-defenders-beer-snake-is-back-with-some-rules-fans-need-to-follow/}}{{cite web |title=The XFL Beer Snake Returns (D.C. Defenders Fans Tradition)|url=https://www.xfl.com/teams/washington-dc/videos/dc-defenders-fans-tradition}}
Earning their first playoff berth and clinching first place in the North Division, the Defenders eliminated the Seattle Sea Dragons in the North Division title game in the playoffs. With the win, the Defenders advanced to the XFL Championship Game where they faced the Arlington Renegades, losing by a score of 26-35.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/sports/capital-games/dc-defenders-play-in-hopes-of-making-it-to-xfl-championship/3339180/|title=DC Defenders Earn Spot in First-Ever XFL Championship|website=WRC-TV|access-date=May 1, 2023|date=April 30, 2023|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.wusa9.com/article/sports/dc-defenders-head-to-xfl-championship/65-d277ae96-df70-4c61-a54d-72996e9808f4|title=DC Defenders head to XFL championship game|website=WUSA (TV)|access-date=May 1, 2023|date=May 1, 2023|language=en-US}}
Roster
{{NFL final roster
|Year=2023
|TeamName=DC Defenders
|Active=51
|Quarterbacks=
{{XFLplayer| 2|Geremy Hickbottom}}
{{XFLplayer| 3|D'Eriq King}}
{{XFLplayer|10|Jordan Ta'amu}}
|Running Backs=
{{XFLplayer|14|Cam'Ron Harris}}
{{XFLplayer| 4|Abram Smith|d=American football}}
{{XFLplayer|13|Pooka Williams}}
|Wide Receivers=
{{XFLplayer| 1|Chris Blair|d=American football}}
{{XFLplayer| 8|Jazz Ferguson}}
{{XFLplayer| 0|Josh Hammond}}
{{XFLplayer|11|Lucky Jackson}}
{{XFLplayer|16|Brandon Smith|link=no}}
|Tight Ends=
{{XFLplayer|18|Alex Ellis|d=American football}}
{{XFLplayer|88|Briley Moore}}
{{XFLplayer|82|Ethan Wolf}}
|Offensive Linemen=
{{XFLplayer|62|Tommy Champion}} T
{{XFLplayer|66|Ty Clary}} C
{{XFLplayer|77|Liam Fornadel}} G
{{XFLplayer|78|D'Marcus Hayes}} T
{{XFLplayer|53|Kyle Murphy|d=American football, born 1993}} T
{{XFLplayer|64|Bruno Reagan}} C
{{XFLplayer|51|Dare Rosenthal}} T
{{XFLplayer|63|Liam Ryan|d=American football}} G
{{XFLplayer|72|Gunnar Vogel}} T
|Defensive Linemen=
{{XFLplayer| 6|Fadol Brown}} DE
{{XFLplayer|92|Malik Fisher}} DE
{{XFLplayer|95|Jarrell Owens}} DE
{{XFLplayer|96|Jacub Panasiuk}} DE
{{XFLplayer|97|Caraun Reid}} DT
{{XFLplayer|99|Joseph Wallace|d=American football}} DT
{{XFLplayer|98|Gabe Wright}} DT
|Linebackers=
{{XFLplayer|17|Davin Bellamy}} OLB
{{XFLplayer|43|Francis Bernard|d=American football}} ILB
{{XFLplayer|20|Jamal Brooks|d=American football}} ILB
{{XFLplayer|27|Ferrod Gardner}} OLB
{{XFLplayer|57|Anthony Hines}} OLB
{{XFLplayer|48|Andre Mintze}} OLB
{{XFLplayer| 5|Reggie Northrup}} OLB
|Defensive Backs=
{{XFLplayer|21|Joshua Allen|link=no}} SS
{{XFLplayer|29|Kentrell Brice}} FS
{{XFLplayer|22|Travon Fuller}} CB
{{XFLplayer|15|Michael Joseph|d=American football}} CB
{{XFLplayer|24|Anthoula Kelly}} CB
{{XFLplayer|31|Cameron Lewis|link=no}} FS
{{XFLplayer|26|DeJuan Neal}} CB
{{XFLplayer|39|Santos Ramirez}} SS
{{XFLplayer|25|Reggie Robinson}} CB
{{XFLplayer| 9|K. J. Sails}} CB
{{XFLplayer|36|D. J. Swearinger}} SS
|Special Teams=
{{XFLplayer|80|Trae Barry}} LS
{{XFLplayer|34|Matt McCrane}} K
{{XFLplayer|19|Daniel Whelan}} P
|Reserve Lists=
{{XFLplayer|41|Jesse Aniebonam|DE|IR}}
{{XFLplayer|67|Cody Conway|T|IR}}
{{XFLplayer|33|Isaiah Johnson|d=cornerback|CB|IR}}
{{XFLplayer|52|Mike Maietti|C|IR}}
{{XFLplayer|21|Montae Nicholson|FS|IR}}
{{XFLplayer|28|Artavis Pierce|RB|IR}}
{{XFLplayer|38|Nydair Rouse|CB|IR}}
{{XFLplayer|90|Niles Scott|DT|IR}}
{{XFLplayer|87|Kahale Warring|TE|IR}}|Inactive=9}}
Background
{{main|2020 DC Defenders season}}
The 2020 season was the inaugural season for the DC Defenders as a professional club. They were playing as charter members of the rebooted XFL, one of eight teams to compete in the league for the season. The Defenders played their home games at Audi Field and were led by head coach Pep Hamilton.
Their inaugural season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the XFL officially suspended operations for the remainder of the season on March 20, 2020.{{cite web |title=A THANK YOU TO OUR FANS|url=https://www.xfl.com/en-US/articles/a-thank-you-to-our-fans |access-date=March 23, 2020}} The Defenders finished the season with a 3–2 record.
Schedule
All times Eastern
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size: 95%;" |
| rowspan="2" width="40" style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|DC Defenders|border=2}}" | Week
! rowspan="2" width="80" style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|DC Defenders|border=2}}" | Day ! rowspan="2" width="90" style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|DC Defenders|border=2}}" | Date ! rowspan="2" width="90" style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|DC Defenders|border=2}}" | Kickoff ! rowspan="2" width="60" style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|DC Defenders|border=2}}" | TV ! rowspan="2" width="200" style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|DC Defenders|border=2}}" | Opponent ! colspan="2" width="200" style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|DC Defenders|border=2}}" | Results ! rowspan="2" width="200" style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|DC Defenders|border=2}}" | Location ! rowspan="2" style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|DC Defenders|border=2}}"| Attendance |
|---|
| width="60" style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|DC Defenders|border=2}}" | Score
! width="60" style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|DC Defenders|border=2}}" | Record |
| bgcolor=#ccffcc
! 1 | Sunday | February 19 | 8:00 p.m. | ESPN | 22–18 | 1–0 | 12,438 |
| bgcolor=#ccffcc
! 2 | Saturday | February 25 | 7:00 p.m. | FX | at Vegas Vipers | 18–6 | 2–0 | 6,023 |
| bgcolor=#ccffcc
! 3 | Sunday | March 5 | 1:00 p.m. | FX | 34–28 | 3–0 | Audi Field | 16,212 |
| bgcolor=#ccffcc
! 4 | Sunday | March 12 | 7:00 p.m. | ESPN2 | 32–18 | 4–0 | Audi Field | 11,521 |
| bgcolor=#ccffcc
! 5 | Saturday | March 18 | 7:00 p.m. | FX | 28–20 | 5–0 | The Dome at America's Center | 35,868 |
| bgcolor=#ccffcc
! 6 | Monday | March 27 | 7:00 p.m. | ESPN2 | 37–26 | 6–0 | Audi Field | 12,492 |
| bgcolor=#ffcccc
! 7 | Saturday | April 1 | 6:00 p.m. | ESPN | at Orlando Guardians | 36–37 | 6–1 | 7,011 |
| bgcolor=#ccffcc
! 8 | Sunday | April 9 | 7:00 p.m. | ESPN2 | at Seattle Sea Dragons | 34–33 | 7–1 | 11,874 |
| bgcolor=#ccffcc
! 9 | Sunday | April 16 | 12:00 p.m. | ESPN | 28–26 {{small|(OT)}} | 8–1 | Audi Field | 18,684 |
| bgcolor=#ccffcc
! 10 | Saturday | April 22 | 3:00 p.m. | ABC | at San Antonio Brahmas | 29–28 | 9–1 | 12,129 |
=Game summaries=
==Week 1: vs. Seattle Sea Dragons==
{{Americanfootballbox
|titlestyle={{NFLPrimaryStyle|DC Defenders|year=2023|border=2}};text-align:center;
|state=autocollapse
|title=Week 1: Seattle Sea Dragons at DC Defenders – Game summary
|date={{dow tooltip|February 19, 2023}}
|time=8:00 p.m. EDT
|road=Sea Dragons
|R1=9|R2=0|R3=9|R4=0
|home=Defenders
|H1=0|H2=8|H3=8|H4=6
|stadium=Audi Field, Washington, DC
|attendance=12,438
|weather={{convert|56|F|C}}
|referee=Jeff Heaser
|TV=ESPN
|TVAnnouncers=John Schriffen, Tom Luginbill, and Stormy Buonantony
|reference=[https://www.xfl.com/games/2302004-SEA-at-DC]
|scoring=
First quarter
- SEA – Josh Gordon 6-yard pass from Ben DiNucci (3-pt Conversion No Good), 9:13. Sea Dragons 6–0. Drive: 11 plays, 71 yards, 5:47.
- SEA – Dominik Eberle 36-yard field goal, 1:36. Sea Dragons 9–0. Drive: 11 plays, 52 yards, 5:52.
Second quarter
- DC – Jordan Ta'amu 1-yard rush (2-pt Conversion Good by Lucky Jackson), 8:58. Sea Dragons 9–8. Drive: 15 plays, 73 yards, 7:23.
Third quarter
- SEA – Brenden Knox 13-yard rush (3-pt Conversion Good by Ben DiNucci), 9:42. Sea Dragons 18–8. Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, 3:45.
- DC – Michael Joseph 15-yard interception return (2-pt Conversion Good by D'Eriq King), 6:28. Sea Dragons 18–16. Drive: 1 play, 15 yards, 0:04.
Fourth quarter
- DC – D'Eriq King 5-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 14:14. Defenders 22–18. Drive: 2 plays, 4 yards, 0:34.
|stats=
Top passers
- SEA – Ben DiNucci – 35/54, 282 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT
- DC – Jordan Ta'amu – 8/19, 86 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT
Top rushers
- SEA – Brenden Knox – 11 rushes, 31 yards
- DC – Abram Smith – 11 rushes, 28 yards
Top receivers
- SEA – Jahcour Pearson – 12 receptions, 95 yards
- DC – Lucky Jackson – 4 receptions, 25 yards
}}
==Week 2: at Vegas Vipers==
{{Americanfootballbox
|titlestyle={{NFLPrimaryStyle|DC Defenders|year=2023|border=2}};text-align:center;
|state=autocollapse
|title=Week 2: DC Defenders at Vegas Vipers – Game summary
|date={{dow tooltip|February 25, 2023}}
|time=7:00 p.m. EDT
|road=Defenders
|R1=0|R2=0|R3=3|R4=15
|home=Vipers
|H1=6|H2=0|H3=0|H4=0
|stadium=Cashman Field, Las Vegas, Nevada
|attendance=6,023
|weather={{convert|56|F|C}}
|referee=Jason Autrey
|TV=FX
|TVAnnouncers=John Schriffen, Tom Luginbill, and Stormy Buonantony
|reference=[https://www.xfl.com/games/2302006-DC-at-VGS]
|scoring=
First quarter
- VGS – DeAndre Torrey 2-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 12:10. Vipers 6–0. Drive: 1 play, 98 yards, 0:04.
Second quarter
- No scoring plays.
Third quarter
- DC – Matt McCrane 47-yard field goal, 9:41. Vipers 6–3. Drive: 11 plays, 42 yards, 5:19.
Fourth quarter
- DC – D'Eriq King 12-yard rush (1-pt Conversion Good by D'Eriq King), 14:58. Defenders 10–6. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:21.
- DC – Abram Smith 9-yard rush (2-pt Conversion Good by Ethan Wolf), 8:43. Defenders 18–6. Drive: 5 plays, 44 yards, 2:16.
|stats=
Top passers
- DC – Jordan Ta'amu – 11/23, 93 yards
- VGS – Brett Hundley – 11/18, 98 yards
Top rushers
- DC – Abram Smith – 15 rushes, 71 yards
- VGS – Rod Smith – 7 rushes, 39 yards
Top receivers
- DC – Josh Hammond – 3 receptions, 24 yards
- VGS – John Lovett – 2 receptions, 33 yards
}}
==Week 3: vs. St. Louis BattleHawks==
{{Americanfootballbox
|titlestyle={{NFLPrimaryStyle|DC Defenders|year=2023|border=2}};text-align:center;
|state=autocollapse
|title=Week 3: St. Louis BattleHawks at DC Defenders – Game summary
|date={{dow tooltip|March 5, 2023}}
|time=1:00 p.m. EDT
|road=BattleHawks
|R1=8|R2=6|R3=6|R4=8
|home=Defenders
|H1=14|H2=0|H3=11|H4=9
|stadium=Audi Field, Washington, DC
|attendance=16,212
|weather={{convert|62|F|C}}
|referee=Chris Coyte
|TV=FX
|TVAnnouncers=John Schriffen, Tom Luginbill, and Stormy Buonantony
|reference=[https://www.xfl.com/games/2302010-STL-at-DC]
|scoring=
First quarter
- DC – Ethan Wolf 7-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion Good by Ethan Wolf), 10:31. Defenders 8–0. Drive: 7 Plays, 77 Yards, 2:26.
- DC – Michael Joseph 42-yard interception return (2-pt Conversion No Good), 9:45. Defenders 14–0. Drive: 2 Plays, 4 Yards, 0:46.
- STL – Brian Hill 8-yard pass from A. J. McCarron (2-pt Conversion Good by Darrius Shepherd), 5:33. Defenders 14–8. Drive: 8 Plays, 73 Yards, 4:12.
Second quarter
- STL – Hakeem Butler 1-yard pass from A. J. McCarron (2-pt Conversion No Good), 0:03. Tied 14–14. Drive: 9 Plays, 75 Yards, 2:20.
Third quarter
- DC – Matt McCrane 41-yard field goal, 9:24. Defenders 17–14. Drive: 11 Plays, 48 Yards, 5:18.
- STL – Jake Sutherland 23-yard pass from A. J. McCarron (2-pt Conversion No Good), 8:26. BattleHawks 20–17. Drive: 2 Plays, 25 Yards, 1:16.
- DC – Jordan Ta'amu 2-yard rush (2-pt Conversion Good by Lucky Jackson), 3:08. Defenders 25–20. Drive: 12 Plays, 81 Yards, 5:18.
Fourth quarter
- DC – Matt McCrane 35-yard field goal, 15:00. Defenders 28–20. Drive: 4 Plays, 7 Yards, 1:40.
- DC – Chris Blair 4-yard pass from D'Eriq King (2-pt Conversion No Good), 6:02. Defenders 34–20. Drive: 12 Plays, 67 Yards, 6:46.
- STL – Steven Mitchell 2-yard pass from A. J. McCarron (2-pt Conversion Good by Steven Mitchell), 0:22. Defenders 34–28. Drive: 1 Play, 2 Yards, 0:00.
|stats=
Top passers
- STL – A. J. McCarron – 26/42, 262 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT
- DC – Jordan Ta'amu – 11/20, 196 yards, TD
Top rushers
- STL – Brian Hill – 12 rushes, 32 yards
- DC – Abram Smith – 16 rushes, 54 yards
Top receivers
- STL – Hakeem Butler – 9 receptions, 105 yards
- DC – Lucky Jackson – 4 receptions, 89 yards
}}
==Week 4: vs. Vegas Vipers==
{{Americanfootballbox
|titlestyle={{NFLPrimaryStyle|DC Defenders|year=2023|border=2}};text-align:center;
|state=autocollapse
|title=Week 4: Vegas Vipers at DC Defenders – Game summary
|date={{dow tooltip|March 12, 2023}}
|time=7:00 p.m. EDT
|road=Vipers
|R1=3|R2=3|R3=0|R4=12
|home=Defenders
|H1=6|H2=8|H3=6|H4=12
|stadium=Audi Field, Washington, DC
|attendance=11,521
|weather={{convert|40|F|C}}
|referee=Jeff Heaser
|TV=ESPN2
|TVAnnouncers=Matt Barrie, Joey Galloway, and Tiffany Blackmon
|reference=
|scoring=
First quarter
- DC – D'Eriq King 5-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 13:11. Defenders 6–0. Drive: 4 Plays, 21 Yards, 1:35.
- VGS – Bailey Giffen 37-yard field goal, 0:50. Defenders 6–3. Drive: 6 Plays, 44 Yards, 2:49.
Second quarter
- DC – D'Eriq King 2-yard rush (2-pt Conversion Good by Chris Blair), 10:42. Defenders 14–3. Drive: 11 Plays, 72 Yards, 5:08.
- VGS – Bailey Giffen 33-yard field goal, 5:15. Defenders 14–6. Drive: 11 Plays, 50 Yards, 5:27.
Third quarter
- DC – Matt McCrane 20-yard field goal, 6:48. Defenders 17–6. Drive: 12 Plays, 80 Yards, 6:10.
- DC – Matt McCrane 35-yard field goal, 1:44. Defenders 20–6. Drive: 5 Plays, 43 Yards, 2:36.
Fourth quarter
- VGS – Cinque Sweeting 26-yard pass from Luis Perez (2-pt Conversion No Good), 14:22. Defenders 20–12. Drive: 5 Plays, 74 Yards, 2:22.
- DC – Matt McCrane 26-yard field goal, 6:53. Defenders 23–12. Drive: 14 Plays, 76 Yards, 7:29.
- DC – Jequez Ezzard 32-yard pass from D'Eriq King (2-pt Conversion No Good), 2:40. Defenders 29–12. Drive: 6 Plays, 52 Yards, 2:49.
- VGS – Cinque Sweeting 25-yard pass from Luis Perez (3-pt Conversion No Good), 1:55. Defenders 29–18. Drive: 2 Plays, 30 Yards, 0:45.
- DC – Matt McCrane 23-yard field goal, 0:47. Defenders 32–18. Drive: 5 Plays, 16 Yards, 1:02.
|stats=
Top passers
- VGS – Luis Perez – 23/32, 283 yards, 2 TD
- DC – Jordan Ta'amu – 14/19, 177 yards, 0 TD
Top rushers
- VGS – John Lovett – 7 rushes, 39 yards
- DC – Abram Smith – 22 rushes, 58 yards
Top receivers
- VGS – Jeff Badet – 7 receptions, 80 yards
- DC – Josh Hammond – 5 receptions, 17 yards
}}
==Week 5: at St. Louis BattleHawks==
{{Americanfootballbox
|titlestyle={{NFLPrimaryStyle|DC Defenders|year=2023|border=2}};text-align:center;
|state=autocollapse
|title=Week 5: DC Defenders at St. Louis BattleHawks – Game summary
|date={{dow tooltip|March 18, 2023}}
|time=7:00 p.m. EDT
|road=Defenders
|R1=0|R2=14|R3=6|R4=8
|home=BattleHawks
|H1=0|H2=3|H3=9|H4=8
|stadium=The Dome at America's Center, St. Louis, Missouri
|attendance=35,868
|weather={{convert|27|F|C}}
|referee=Francisco Villar
|TV=FX
|TVAnnouncers=John Schriffen, Tom Luginbill, and Stormy Buonantony
|reference=[https://www.xfl.com/games/2302018-DC-at-STL]
|scoring=
First quarter
Second quarter
- STL – Donny Hageman 36-yard field goal, 10:02. BattleHawks 3–0. Drive: 16 Plays, 72 Yards, 8:55.
- DC – Abram Smith 62-yard rush (2-pt Conversion good by Josh Hammond), 9:22. Defenders 8–3. Drive: 2 Plays, 68 Yards, 0:38.
- DC – Abram Smith 5-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 1:54. Defenders 14–3. Drive: 3 Plays, 14 Yards, 0:12.
Third quarter
- STL – Donny Hageman 34-yard field goal, 13:16. Defenders 14–6. Drive: 4 Plays, 0 Yards, 1:44.
- DC – Abram Smith 70-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 12:24. Defenders 20–6. Drive: 2 Plays, 73 Yards, 0:51.
- STL – George Campbell 5-yard pass from A. J. McCarron (2-pt Conversion No Good), 6:20. Defenders 20–12. Drive: 11 Plays, 65 Yards, 5:56.
Fourth quarter
- DC – D'Eriq King 10-yard rush (2-pt Conversion Good by Jordan Ta'amu), 12:16. Defenders 28–12. Drive: 7 Plays, 65 Yards, 3:31.
- STL – Steven Mitchell 50-yard pass from A. J. McCarron (2-pt Conversion Good by Steven Mitchell), 4:19. Defenders 28–20. Drive: 4 Plays, 71 Yards, 1:43.
|stats=
Top passers
- DC – Jordan Ta'amu – 12/18, 90 yards, 0 TD
- STL – A. J. McCarron – 22/34, 236 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
- DC – Abram Smith – 23 rushes, 218 yards
- STL – Brian Hill – 14 rushes, 79 yards
Top receivers
- DC – Lucky Jackson – 5 receptions, 54 yards
- STL – Hakeem Butler – 9 receptions, 86 yards
}}
==Week 6: vs. Houston Roughnecks==
{{Americanfootballbox
|titlestyle={{NFLPrimaryStyle|DC Defenders|year=2023|border=2}};text-align:center;
|state=autocollapse
|title=Week 6: Houston Roughnecks at DC Defenders – Game summary
|date={{dow tooltip|March 27, 2023}}
|time=7:00 p.m. EDT
|road=Roughnecks
|R1=8|R2=0|R3=6|R4=12
|home=Defenders
|H1=3|H2=14|H3=9|H4=11
|stadium=Audi Field, Washington, DC
|attendance=12,492
|weather={{convert|60|F|C}}
|referee=Reggie Smith
|TV=ESPN2
|TVAnnouncers=Taylor Zarzour, Tom Luginbill, and Stormy Buonantony
|reference=[https://www.xfl.com/games/2302024-HOU-at-DC]
|scoring=
First quarter
- HOU – Max Borghi 4-yard rush (2-pt Conversion Good by Cedric Byrd), 5:08. Roughnecks 8–0. Drive: 8 Plays, 66 Yards, 4:32.
- DC – Matt McCrane 34-yard field goal, 1:18. Roughnecks 8–3. Drive: 8 Plays, 52 Yards, 3:50.
Second quarter
- DC – Abram Smith 1-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 1:57. Defenders 9–8. Drive: 10 Plays, 61 Yards, 4:37.
- DC – Interception returned for touchdown by Santos Ramirez (2-pt Conversion Good by Josh Hammond), 1:15. Defenders 17–8. Drive: 1 Play, -12 Yards, 0:42.
Third quarter
- DC – Alex Ellis 1-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion No Good), 10:12. Defenders 23–8. Drive: 8 Plays, 72 Yards, 4:48.
- DC – Matt McCrane 32-yard field goal, 2:08. Defenders 26–8. Drive: 11 Plays, 44 Yards, 6:03.
- HOU – Deontay Burnett 85-yard pass from Cole McDonald (3-pt Conversion No Good), 1:19. Defenders 26–14. Drive: 2 Plays, 86 Yards, 0:49.
Fourth quarter
- DC – Lucky Jackson 30-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion Good by Chris Blair), 13:16. Defenders 34–14. Drive: 6 Plays, 76 Yards, 3:04.
- HOU – Max Borghi 1-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 10:03. Defenders 34–20. Drive: 6 Plays, 65 Yards, 3:12.
- DC – Matt McCrane 50-yard field goal, 6:14. Defenders 37–20. Drive: 7 Plays, 36 Yards, 3:49.
- HOU – Cole McDonald 1-yard rush (3-pt Conversion No Good), 1:57. Defenders 37–26. Drive: 9 Plays, 62 Yards, 4:17.
|stats=
Top passers
- HOU – Brandon Silvers – 10/17, 111 yards, 0 TD
- DC – Jordan Ta'amu – 19/31, 245 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
- HOU – Max Borghi – 11 rushes, 25 yards
- DC – Abram Smith – 19 rushes, 95 yards
Top receivers
- HOU – Travell Harris – 5 receptions, 60 yards
- DC – Lucky Jackson – 5 receptions, 136 yards
}}
==Week 7: at Orlando Guardians==
{{Americanfootballbox
|titlestyle={{NFLPrimaryStyle|DC Defenders|year=2023|border=2}};text-align:center;
|state=autocollapse
|title=Week 7: DC Defenders at Orlando Guardians – Game summary
|date={{dow tooltip|April 1, 2023}}
|time=6:00 p.m. EDT
|road=Defenders
|R1=14|R2=8|R3=6|R4=8
|home=Guardians
|H1=12|H2=6|H3=13|H4=6
|stadium=Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Florida
|attendance=7,011
|weather={{convert|85|F|C}}
|referee=Chris Coyte
|TV=FX
|TVAnnouncers=John Schriffen, Tom Luginbill, and Harry Douglas
|reference=[https://www.xfl.com/games/2302028-DC-at-ORL]
|scoring=
First quarter
- DC – Lucky Jackson 32-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion Good by Chris Blair), 13:08. Defenders 8–0. Drive: 5 Plays, 74 Yards, 1:52.
- ORL – Quinten Dormady 1-yard rush (1-pt Conversion No Good), 10:47. Defenders 8–6. Drive: 6 Plays, 45 Yards, 2:21.
- ORL – K. D. Cannon 41-yard pass from Quinten Dormady (1-pt Conversion No Good), 8:01. Guardians 12–8. Drive: 3 Plays, 58 Yards, 1:09.
- DC – Abram Smith 1-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 3:14. Defenders 14–12. Drive: 11 Plays, 69 Yards, 4:40.
Second quarter
- DC – Briley Moore 12-yard pass from D'Eriq King (2-pt Conversion Good by Alex Ellis), 13:00. Defenders 22–12. Drive: 9 Plays, 48 Yards, 3:20.
- ORL – Quinten Dormady 1-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 0:00. Defenders 22–18. Drive: 9 Plays, 55 Yards, 4:19.
Third quarter
- ORL – Jordan Thomas 15-yard pass from Quinten Dormady (1-pt Conversion Good by Jah-Maine Martin), 9:38. Guardians 25–22. Drive: 9 Plays, 46 Yards, 5:22.
- DC – Chris Blair 86-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion No Good), 8:29. Defenders 28–25. Drive: 3 Plays, 85 Yards, 1:09.
- ORL – Quinten Dormady 1-yard rush (1-pt Conversion No Good), 3:31. Guardians 31–28. Drive: 10 Plays, 60 Yards, 4:58.
Fourth quarter
- DC – Lucky Jackson 15-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion Good by Alex Ellis), 11:37. Defenders 36–31. Drive: 5 Plays, 50 Yards, 1:39.
- ORL – Cody Latimer 44-yard pass from Quinten Dormady (2-pt Conversion No Good), 8:50. Guardians 37–36. Drive: 6 Plays, 65 Yards, 2:47.
|stats=
Top passers
- DC – Jordan Ta'amu – 21/29, 285 yards, 3 TD
- ORL – Quinten Dormady – 27/34, 328 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
- DC – Abram Smith – 18 rushes, 127 yards
- ORL – Devin Darrington – 13 rushes, 17 yards
Top receivers
- DC – Chris Blair – 5 receptions, 139 yards
- ORL – Cody Latimer – 7 receptions, 93 yards
}}
==Week 8: at Seattle Sea Dragons==
{{Americanfootballbox
|titlestyle={{NFLPrimaryStyle|DC Defenders|year=2023|border=2}};text-align:center;
|state=autocollapse
|title=Week 8: DC Defenders at Seattle Sea Dragons – Game summary
|date={{dow tooltip|April 9, 2023}}
|time=7:00 p.m. EDT
|road=Defenders
|R1=8|R2=8|R3=6|R4=12
|home=Sea Dragons
|H1=0|H2=6|H3=9|H4=18
|stadium=Lumen Field, Seattle, Washington
|attendance=11,874
|weather={{convert|58|F|C}}
|referee=Jason Autrey
|TV=ESPN2
|TVAnnouncers=Roy Philpott, Eric Mac Lain, Tiffany Blackmon
|reference=[https://www.xfl.com/games/2302032-DC-at-SEA]
|scoring=
First quarter
- DC – Abram Smith 2-yard rush (2-pt Conversion Good by Lucky Jackson), 9:22. Defenders 8–0. Drive: 3 Plays, 64 Yards, 0:55.
Second quarter
- SEA – Phillip Lindsay 2-yard rush (3-pt Conversion No Good), 10:35. Defenders 8–6. Drive: 12 Plays, 60 Yards, 6:47.
- DC – Ryquell Armstead 11-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion Good by Lucky Jackson), 1:24. Defenders 16–6. Drive: 9 Plays, 60 Yards, 3:59.
Third quarter
- DC – Alex Ellis 14-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion No Good), 8:34. Defenders 22–6. Drive: 7 Plays, 71 Yards, 4:22.
- SEA – Defensive 2-pt Conversion, 8:34. Defenders 22–8. Drive: 1 play, -5 yards, 0:01.
- SEA – Juwan Green 46-yard pass from Ben DiNucci (1-pt Conversion Good by Blake Jackson), 6:33. Defenders 22–15. Drive: 4 Plays, 75 Yards, 2:02.
Fourth quarter
- SEA – Dominik Eberle 29-yard field goal, 12:37. Defenders 22–18. Drive: 7 Plays, 44 Yards, 3:15.
- DC – Brandon Smith 5-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion No Good), 5:13. Defenders 28–18. Drive: 13 Plays, 73 Yards, 7:24.
- SEA – Juwan Green 56-yard pass from Ben DiNucci (3-pt Conversion Good by Blake Jackson), 4:05. Defenders 28–27. Drive: 3 Plays, 79 Yards, 1:09.
- DC – Chris Blair 70-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion No Good), 2:10. Defenders 34–27. Drive: 3 Plays, 72 Yards, 2:02.
- SEA – Jahcour Pearson 14-yard pass from Ben DiNucci (2-pt Conversion No Good), 0:32. Defenders 34–33. Drive: 9 Plays, 70 Yards, 1:31.
|stats=
Top passers
- DC – Jordan Ta'amu – 17/26, 247 yards, 4 TD
- SEA – Ben DiNucci – 28/42, 301 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
- DC – Abram Smith – 17 rushes, 66 yards
- SEA – Phillip Lindsay – 8 rushes, 23 yards
Top receivers
- DC – Chris Blair – 5 receptions, 148 yards
- SEA – Juwan Green – 7 receptions, 142 yards
}}
==Week 9: vs. Arlington Renegades==
{{Americanfootballbox
|titlestyle={{NFLPrimaryStyle|DC Defenders|year=2023|border=2}};text-align:center;
|state=autocollapse
|title=Week 9: Arlington Renegades at DC Defenders – Game summary
|date={{dow tooltip|April 16, 2023}}
|time=12:00 p.m. EDT
|road=Renegades
|R1=3|R2=6|R3=0|R4=17|R5=0
|home=Defenders
|H1=6|H2=14|H3=6|H4=0|H5=2
|stadium=Audi Field, Washington, DC
|attendance=18,684
|weather={{convert|77|F|C}}
|referee=Francisco Villar
|TV=ESPN
|TVAnnouncers=John Schriffen, Tom Luginbill, and Stormy Buonantony
|reference=[https://www.xfl.com/games/2302035-ARL-at-DC]
|scoring=
First quarter
- ARL – Taylor Russolino 23-yard field goal, 9:39. Renegades 3–0 Drive: 9 Plays, 79 Yards, 5:21.
- DC – Josh Hammond 9-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion No Good), 7:54. Defenders 6–3. Drive: 5 Plays, 71 Yards, 1:45.
Second quarter
- DC – Lucky Jackson 14-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion No Good), 9:27. Defenders 12–3. Drive: 5 Plays, 70 Yards, 3:08.
- ARL – Caleb Vander Esch 25-yard pass from Luis Perez (2-pt Conversion No Good), 6:26. Defenders 12–9. Drive: 7 Plays, 65 Yards, 3:01.
- DC – Lucky Jackson 6-yard pass from D'Eriq King (2-pt Conversion Good by Jazz Ferguson), 0:46. Defenders 20–9. Drive: 11 Plays, 77 Yards, 5:40.
Third quarter
- DC – Pass interception returned for touchdown by D. J. Swearinger (2-pt Conversion No Good), 9:40. Defenders 26–9. Drive: 6 Plays, 43 Yards, 3:50.
Fourth quarter
- ARL – De'Veon Smith 1-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 12:49. Defenders 26–15. Drive: 6 Plays, 31 Yards, 3:00.
- ARL – De'Veon Smith 1-yard rush (2-pt Conversion Good by Tyler Vaughns), 1:20. Defenders 26–23. Drive: 9 Plays, 67 Yards, 4:02.
- ARL – Taylor Russolino 27-yard field goal, 0:05. Tied 26–26. Drive: 8 Plays, 66 Yards, 1:15.
Overtime
- DC – Josh Hammond pass from Jordan Ta'amu for 2 points
|stats=
Top passers
- ARL – Luis Perez – 31/41, 335 yards, 1 TD
- DC – Jordan Ta'amu – 14/20, 188 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
- ARL – De'Veon Smith – 12 rushes, 43 yards
- DC – Abram Smith – 10 rushes, 27 yards
Top receivers
- ARL – Sal Cannella – 7 receptions, 92 yards
- DC – Josh Hammond – 5 receptions, 74 yards
}}
==Week 10: at San Antonio Brahmas==
{{Americanfootballbox
|titlestyle={{NFLPrimaryStyle|DC Defenders|year=2023|border=2}};text-align:center;
|state=autocollapse
|title=Week 10: DC Defenders at San Antonio Brahmas – Game summary
|date={{dow tooltip|April 22, 2023}}
|time=3:00 p.m. EDT
|road=Defenders
|R1=11|R2=8|R3=3|R4=7
|home=Brahmas
|H1=3|H2=8|H3=9|H4=8
|stadium=Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas
|attendance=12,129
|weather={{convert|78|F|C}}
|referee=Reggie Smith
|TV=ABC
|TVAnnouncers=Tom Hart, Greg McElroy, Cole Cubelic and Katie George
|reference=[https://www.xfl.com/games/2302038-DC-at-SA]
|scoring=
First quarter
- DC – Alex Ellis 5-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion Good by Josh Hammond), 12:41. Defenders 8–0. Drive: 5 Plays, 68 Yards, 2:19.
- SA – Parker Romo 26-yard field goal, 4:06. Defenders 8–3. Drive: 16 Plays, 64 Yards, 8:35.
- DC – Matt McCrane 21-yard field goal, 2:31. Defenders 11–3. Drive: 4 Plays, 5 Yards, 1:35.
Second quarter
- DC – Alex Ellis 1-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion Good by Brandon Smith), 11:44. Defenders 19–3. Drive: 5 Plays, 86 Yards, 2:03.
- SA – Jacques Patrick 1-yard rush (2-pt Conversion Good by T. J. Vasher), 0:03. Defenders 19–11. Drive: 6 Plays, 44 Yards, 0:30.
Third quarter
- SA – Parker Romo 28-yard field goal, 8:14. Defenders 19–14. Drive: 11 Plays, 60 Yards, 6:46.
- DC – Matt McCrane 49-yard field goal, 4:43. Defenders 22–14. Drive: 7 Plays, 45 Yards, 3:31.
- SA – Jon Hilliman 1-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 0:06. Defenders 22–20. Drive: 9 Plays, 75 Yards, 4:37.
Fourth quarter
- SA – Jacques Patrick 2-yard rush (2-pt Conversion Good by Jon Hilliman), 5:16. Brahmas 28–22. Drive: 10 Plays, 63 Yards, 6:27.
- DC – Jordan Ta'amu 4-yard rush (1-pt Conversion Good by Jordan Ta'amu), 2:32. Defenders 29–28. Drive: 5 Plays, 69 Yards, 2:43.
|stats=
Top passers
- DC – Jordan Ta'amu – 15/22, 271 yards, 2 TD
- SA – Jack Coan – 34/48, 312 yards, 0 TD
Top rushers
- DC – Abram Smith – 10 rushes, 44 yards
- SA – Jacques Patrick – 16 rushes, 41 yards
Top receivers
- DC – Josh Hammond – 4 receptions, 59 yards
- SA – Landen Akers – 8 receptions, 90 yards
}}
Standings
{{2023 XFL standings|team=DC}}
Postseason
=Schedule=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size: 95%;" |
| rowspan="2" width="40" style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|DC Defenders|border=2}}" | Week
! rowspan="2" width="80" style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|DC Defenders|border=2}}" | Day ! rowspan="2" width="90" style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|DC Defenders|border=2}}" | Date ! rowspan="2" width="90" style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|DC Defenders|border=2}}" | Kickoff ! rowspan="2" width="60" style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|DC Defenders|border=2}}" | TV ! rowspan="2" width="200" style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|DC Defenders|border=2}}" | Opponent ! colspan="2" width="200" style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|DC Defenders|border=2}}" | Results ! rowspan="2" width="200" style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|DC Defenders|border=2}}" | Location ! rowspan="2" style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|DC Defenders|border=2}}"| Attendance |
|---|
| width="60" style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|DC Defenders|border=2}}" | Score
! width="60" style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|DC Defenders|border=2}}" | Record |
| style="background:#ccffcc
! Division Finals | Sunday | April 30 | 3:00 p.m. | ESPN | 37–21 | 1–0 | 18,684 |
| style="background:#ffcccc
| Saturday | May 13 | 8:00 p.m. | ABC | vs. Arlington Renegades | 26–35 | 1–1 | 22,754 |
=Game summaries=
==XFL North Division Finals: vs. (2) Seattle Sea Dragons==
{{Americanfootballbox
|titlestyle={{NFLPrimaryStyle|DC Defenders|year=2023|border=2}};text-align:center;
|state=autocollapse
|title=XFL North Division Finals: (2) Seattle Sea Dragons at (1) DC Defenders – Game summary
|date={{dow tooltip|Sunday, April 30}}
|time=3:00 p.m. EDT
|road=Sea Dragons
|R1=3 |R2=6 |R3=0 |R4=12
|home=Defenders
|H1=9 |H2=0 |H3=14 |H4=14
|stadium=Audi Field, Washington, DC
|attendance=18,684
|weather={{convert|61|F|C}}
|referee=Reggie Smith
|TV=ESPN
|TVAnnouncers=Tom Hart, Greg McElroy, Cole Cubelic and Katie George
|reference=[https://www.xfl.com/games/2303001-NorthChamps-SEA-at-DC]
|scoring=
First quarter
- SEA – Dominik Eberle 33-yard field goal, 9:54. Sea Dragons 3–0. Drive: 10 Plays, 59 Yards, 5:06.
- DC – Matt McCrane 24-yard field goal, 6:55. Tied 3–3. Drive: 6 Plays, 59 Yards, 2:59.
- DC – Lucky Jackson 44-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion No Good), 1:59. Defenders 9–3. Drive: 7 Plays, 69 Yards, 3:05.
Second quarter
- SEA – Jahcour Pearson 15-yard pass from Ben DiNucci (2-pt Conversion No Good), 11:3. Tied 9–9. Drive: 10 Plays, 76 Yards, 5:21.
Third quarter
- DC – Abram Smith 1-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 9:25. Defenders 15–9. Drive: 11 Plays, 78 Yards, 5:35.
- DC – Ethan Wolf 26-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion Good by Alex Ellis), 4:49. Defenders 23–9. Drive: 6 Plays, 56 Yards, 2:36.
Fourth quarter
- DC – Cam'Ron Harris 1-yard rush (1-pt Conversion Good by Abram Smith), 11:53. Defenders 30–9. Drive: 9 Plays, 65 Yards, 4:41.
- SEA – Juwan Green 34-yard pass from Ben DiNucci (2-pt Conversion No Good), 6:05. Defenders 30–15. Drive: 4 Plays, 65 Yards, 1:38.
- DC – Cam'Ron Harris 11-yard rush (1-pt Conversion Good by Cam'Ron Harris), 2:06. Defenders 37–15. Drive: 9 Plays, 67 Yards, 3:59.
- SEA – Juwan Green 8-yard pass from Ben DiNucci (3-pt Conversion No Good), 0:12. Defenders 37–21. Drive: 10 Plays, 64 Yards, 1:54.
|stats=
Top passers
- SEA – Ben DiNucci – 31/48, 295 yards, 3 TD
- DC – Jordan Ta'amu – 19/31, 258 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
- SEA – Ben DiNucci – 3 rushes, 16 yards
- DC – Abram Smith – 23 rushes, 48 yards
Top receivers
- SEA – Juwan Green – 8 receptions, 89 yards
- DC – Josh Hammond – 6 receptions, 55 yards
}}
==XFL Championship Game: vs. Arlington Renegades==
{{Main|2023 XFL Championship Game}}
{{Americanfootballbox
|titlestyle={{NFLPrimaryStyle|DC Defenders|year=2023|border=2}};text-align:center;
|state=autocollapse
|title=XFL Championship Game: (2) Arlington Renegades at (1) DC Defenders – Game summary
|date={{dow tooltip|Saturday, May 13}}
|time=8:00 p.m. EDT
|road=Renegades
|R1=14 |R2=6 |R3=12 |R4=3
|home=Defenders
|H1=0 |H2=6 |H3=14 |H4=6
|stadium=Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas
|attendance=22,754
|weather={{convert|76|F|C}}
|referee=Michael VanderVelde
|TV=ABC
|TVAnnouncers=Tom Hart, Greg McElroy, Cole Cubelic and Katie George
|reference=[https://www.xfl.com/games/2303003-Champ-ARL-at-DC]
|scoring=
First quarter
- ARL – Sal Cannella 41-yard pass from Luis Perez (2-pt Conversion No Good), 11:00. Renegades 6–0. Drive: 2 Plays, 59 Yards, 4:02.
- ARL – Tyler Vaughns 9-yard pass from Luis Perez (2-pt Conversion Good De'Veon Smith), 0:29. Renegades 14–0. Drive: 16 Plays, 88 Yards, 8:45.
Second quarter
- ARL – Taylor Russolino 29-yard field goal, 4:54. Renegades 17–0. Drive: 13 Plays, 54 Yards, 6:50.
- DC – Abram Smith 2-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 0:32. Renegades 17–6. Drive: 10 Plays, 45 Yards, 4:22.
- ARL – Taylor Russolino 51-yard field goal, 0:02. Renegades 20–6. Drive: 3 Plays, 12 Yards, 0:30.
Third quarter
- DC – Abram Smith 52-yard rush (2-pt Conversion No Good), 11:42. Renegades 20–12. Drive: 7 Plays, 71 Yards, 3:27.
- ARL – Leddie Brown 7-yard rush (1-pt Conversion No Good), 4:44. Renegades 26–12. Drive: 12 Plays, 71 Yards, 6:49.
- DC – Josh Hammond 72-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion Good by Abram Smith), 0:06. Renegades 26–20. Drive: 2 Plays, 70 Yards, 0:42.
- ARL – Leddie Brown 30-yard pass from Luis Perez (1-pt Conversion No Good), 0:00. Renegades 32–20. Drive: 1 Play, 30 Yards, 0:06.
Fourth quarter
- ARL – Taylor Russolino 33-yard field goal, 9:56. Renegades 35–20. Drive: 7 Plays, 8 Yards, 3:40.
- DC – Josh Hammond 24-yard pass from Jordan Ta'amu (2-pt Conversion No Good), 1:17. Renegades 35–26. Drive: 7 Plays, 78 Yards, 0:45.
|stats=
Top passers
- ARL – Luis Perez – 26/36, 288 yards, 3 TD
- DC – Jordan Ta'amu – 16/30, 245 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
- ARL – De'Veon Smith – 15 rushes, 54 yards
- DC – Abram Smith – 13 rushes, 90 yards
Top receivers
- ARL – Tyler Vaughns – 8 receptions, 83 yards
- DC – Josh Hammond – 6 receptions, 127 yards
}}
Staff
| class="toccolours" style="text-align: left;"
|+ colspan="7" style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|DC Defenders|border=2}};font-weight:bold;"|DC Defenders staff |
| colspan=7 style="text-align:right;" | |
| style="vertical-align:top;" |
| style="font-size: 95%;vertical-align:top;" | ;Front office
;Head coach
;Offensive coaches
|width="35"| | style="vertical-align:top;" | | style="font-size: 95%;vertical-align:top;" | ;Defensive coaches
;Team operations
|