XFL 2023 Results: Week 2 Scores and Best Twitter Reaction from Sunday

Week 2 of the 2023 XFL season has served as a fair follow-up to a thrilling opening slate. It kicked off on Thursday, with another come-from-behind victory by AJ McCarron and the St. Louis Battlehawks.

Saturday featured a second strong defensive performance by the D.C. Defenders, who have jumped out to a 2-0 start like the Battlehawks.

The second week of the XFL's latest inaugural season—this is the league's third incarnation—picked up on Sunday afternoon with the Orlando Guardians hosting the San Antonio Brahmas. It concluded with the Arlington Renegades visiting the Houston Roughnecks in the night game.

Let's dive into the action and some of the best Twitter reaction from Sunday.

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Brahmas 30, Guardians 12

The Brahmas got off to a fast start with their opening drive, which ended with a three-yard touchdown strike from Jack Coan to tight end Deon Yelder. The Guardians immediately answered, though, as Paxton Lynch found Eli Rogers for an eight-yard touchdown pass.

Both teams failed on their points-after tries, and both offenses were bogged down from there. The second quarter began with the score tied at six and didn't feature a lot of clean offensive execution.

San Antonio got into scoring range on its final possession of the half, thanks in part to a late third-down hit on Coan and the accompanying flag. He capped the drive with a 19-yard touchdown pass to Alizé Mack. The Brahmas converted the ensuing one-point play and took a 13-6 lead into intermission.

They added to their lead early in the third quarter on Coan's third touchdown pass, this one to Jalen Tolliver.

Another successful point-after play gave San Antonio a 20-6 lead, and the Brahmas added to that lead after a blocked punt and Jon Hilliman touchdown run. They carried a 27-6 lead into the final quarter.

Orlando finally got back on the board in the early fourth quarter with a touchdown drive aided by multiple defensive penalties, including a pass-interference call on 4th-and-goal. However, it was almost all San Antonio in the second half.

Coan finished the game 16-of-24 for 165 yards and three touchdowns. He was complemented by running back Kalen Ballage (23 yards) and some strong defensive and special teams play.

The Guardians struggled to find any semblance of offensive rhythm, and the platooning of Lynch and Deondre Francois at quarterback probably didn't help. Collectively, the duo went 15-of-32 for 87 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

"Offensively, that was pretty bad," Orlando coach Terrell Buckley told ESPN's Katie George after the game.

Reaction to Sunday's opener was largely mixed, with some fans enjoying the game's highlight plays and others criticizing the lackluster stadium atmosphere and the uneven and sometimes sloppy play, especially by the Guardians.

San Antonio picked up its first victory of the season, a week after blowing a late lead to the Battlehawks. The Guardians, meanwhile, have dropped their first two contests, both in convincing fashion.

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Roughnecks 23, Renegades 14

Sunday's second game was a more competitive affair, highlighted by some huge defensive and special teams plays.

Houston got it off to a fast start with an interception of Renegades quarterback Drew Plitt on the first offensive play of the game. The Roughnecks went three-and-out on the ensuing drive but cashed in with a 42-yard field goal by Hunter Duplessis.

The Roughnecks defense was terrific again on its second drive, notching back-to-back sacks to force a punt that William Likely returned to the Arlington 10-yard line. A penalty on the kickoff set up Houston at the five, and quarterback Brandon Silvers delivered a five-yard scoring strike to Nick Holley.

With the two-point conversion successful, Houston jumped out to a fast 11-0 lead and carried it into the second quarter. Arlington responded, though, getting the ball back on a special teams fumble and finding its first points on a four-yard LuJuan Winningham touchdown reception.

Winningham was also responsible for the forced fumble and did it again late in the second quarter. He stripped Likely for the second time on a punt return, setting up Arlington's second touchdown of the evening; a 13-yard pass from Plitt to tight end Nate Becker.

The Renegades were unsuccessful on their first two-point try but took a 14-11 lead with a successful conversion. They got another turnover, this time on defense just before the break. Arlington couldn't turn the takeaway into points, but it carried plenty of momentum into halftime.

Houston regained the lead midway through the third quarter. After starting their drive in Arlington territory, the Roughnecks drove 45 yards and capped the series with a 15-yard touchdown pass from Silvers to Cedric Byrd. Quarterback Cole McDonald played a portion of the series and provided a spark as a runner.

The third quarter was largely dominated by defense, and Houston carried a 17-14 lead into the final period.

Safety Sean Davis picked off Plitt early in the fourth quarter, giving Houston an opportunity to extend its advantage. It did just that, finishing a 13-play, 70-yard drive with a Max Borghi touchdown. The point-after attempt was unsuccessful, though, which left Arlington with a nine-point deficit—a one-score deficit in the XFL.

There would be no miracle comeback for Arlington, though. Houston's defense held on one last time, and its offense did enough to run out the remaining game clock.

Silvers finished the game 14-of-28 for 173 yards and two touchdowns. Plitt went 15-of-30 for 120 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Tight end Sal Cannella led the Renegades with 38 receiving yards. Ben Putman led Houston with 65 receiving yards, while McDonald led all players with 39 rushing yards.

The reaction to Game 2 was mostly positive, with fans commending some of the top performers and the XFL's unique rules:

The nightcap was tight until the closing minutes of the final quarter, and it served as a strong finish to Week 2. Houston remains undefeated along with St. Louis and D.C., while Seattle, Vegas and Orlando are still looking for their first victories.

Week 3 is slated to kick off on Saturday, with the Vipers hosting the Sea Dragons at 7 p.m. ET on FX and ESPN+.