XFL Fans Clown Josh Gordon, Ben DiNucci for Seattle QB Appearing to Want WR Benched

Although the Seattle Sea Dragons hung on to hand the Houston Roughnecks their first loss of the 2023 XFL season on Thursday night, there was a clear disconnect between Seattle quarterback Ben DiNucci and wide receiver Josh Gordon.

With Seattle leading 15-6 in the fourth quarter, DiNucci targeted Gordon on a go route, but Gordon appeared to stop running on the play, resulting in an interception by Ajene Harris (beginning at the 12-minute mark of the video):

The turnover gave the Roughnecks new life with about five minutes remaining, and it seemingly led to DiNucci calling for Gordon to be benched, which yielded no shortage of reaction on Twitter:

Neither DiNucci nor Gordon had particularly strong games in the 21-14 win, leading to some differing opinions regarding who was at fault for the fourth-quarter interception.

Some felt DiNucci, who completed just 17 of 32 passes for 209 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions, was being too careless with the football in a late-game situation:

Gordon finished with just two catches for 15 yards in the contest, and he faced his fair share of criticism on social media as well for a perceived lack of awareness or effort:

The Sea Dragons were able to force the Roughnecks to turn the ball over on downs after DiNucci's third interception of the game, and Seattle's offense would make Houston pay.

DiNucci led a six-play, 38-yard drive that culminated in a three-yard touchdown run by Darius Bradwell with just over two minutes left, essentially putting the game away.

While the Sea Dragons improved to 3-2 with the win and put themselves firmly back in championship contention, it is fair to wonder where things stand between their two highest-profile players.

DiNucci is a former Dallas Cowboys quarterback who started one game in 2020, while Gordon was once among the NFL's top wideouts, leading the league with 1,646 receiving yards as a member of the Cleveland Browns in 2013 en route to a Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro selection.

Both figures to be key to Seattle's success moving forward, which is why it will be paramount for head coach Jim Haslett to get them back on the same page.

Haslett will have over a week to sort things out, as the Sea Dragons do not return to action until Saturday, March 25 against the Orlando Guardians.