If this Luis Perez start did not convince you that he is the right New York Guardians quarterback, I don’t know what will.
Luis Perez is now 2-0 in the XFL, as he led the New York Guardians to their second win in a row. Their record is now 3-2 and they could go into 1st place with a Battlehawks loss vs the DC Defenders. The Guardians got their first road win, something they struggled to get in weeks 2 (Defenders) and 3 (Battlehawks).
Offense
Perez had a good start going 16 of 30 for 229 yards with one interception and one touchdown. His completion percentage dipped to 53. But other than that, he could very well lock up the starting job.
Here’s what Guardians head coach Kevin Gilbride had to say about the 25-year-old quarterback: “I think Luis is a guy that the rest of the team both offensively and defensively actually look to him as kind of a calming force,…[They see him] as a guy who is dependable, and if things aren’t going as we hoped, that he’s not going to get rattled or frustrated … and that he will give our team a chance to win.â€
That is a convincing statement from Gilbride that Perez will start from now on.
Colby Pearson was Perez’s lead target as he collected 5 receptions for 95 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown. Joe Horn had a disappointing day, not having a single catch in three targets. McKale McKay had three receptions for 67 yards.
Defense
The Guardians defense played their best game played on Saturday as they held Renegades quarterback Philip Nelson to 210 yards. Defensive tackle Toby Johnson and defensive end Ryan Mueller had an interception each off deflections. Mueller took his back to the house for a touchdown. The run defense improved and only allowed 66 rushing yards. They also limited the deep pass, only allowing only 32 yards on the longest pass.
Special Teams
Special Teams was a mixed bag for the Guardians on Saturday. For the second time this season the Guardians allowed a kickoff return touchdown, but this time Austin Walter took it 92 yards. Later on, in the 4th quarter, D’Juan Hines recovered a fumble on a Flynn Nagel punt return. Ironically, the fumble was forced by backup quarterback Marquise Williams. Kicker Matthew McCrane made three field goals Saturday and remains perfect this season.
Result
Luis Perez had one miscue when he threw an interception to Josh Hawkins. A brawl ensued after that when some extra pushing and shoving occurred before the interception between two linemen. Both were ejected. Even after that, the Guardians kept on going and won the game 30-12. The Guardians advance to 3-2, while Renegades falls to 2-3.