XFL 2023 Results: Week 6 Scores and Best Twitter Reaction from Monday

Fans missing football on Monday nights were in for a treat this week. The XFL capped Week 6 with a pivotal showdown between the D.C. Defenders and the Houston Roughnecks.

Houston entered the week with a 4-1 record and the top spot in the XFL South. The Defenders entered as the league's lone undefeated team and atop the XFL North standings. This highly anticipated matchup was a fitting way to finish the week and ramp up the playoff race.

On Saturday, the Seattle Sea Dragons defeated the Orlando Guardians 26-19, while the St. Louis Battlehawks bested the Vegas Vipers 29-6. The San Antonio Brahmas beat the Arlington Renegades 15-9 on Sunday.

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Defenders 37, Roughnecks 26

The visiting Roughnecks got the ball first, but neither team grasped the early momentum, instead trading punts to open the game. However, Houston got into the end zone on its second possession.

A methodical drive that featured some tough running by Max Borghi and some precision passion by Brandon Silvers was capped by Borghi's four-yard touchdown run. Silvers' point-after pass to Cedric Byrd was complete, giving the Roughnecks an 8-0 lead.

The Defenders responded quickly, moving into Houston after a late-hit penalty and a 36-yard strike from Jordan Ta'amu to Lucky Jackson. However, D.C.'s drive stalled in the red zone, and the Defenders settled for a 34-yard Matt McCrane field goal.

Houston's 7-3 lead held into the second quarter, but the Defenders moved into the red zone yet again and chewed nearly seven minutes off the clock. This time, though, McCrane's 37-yard attempt sailed just a bit right.

The D.C. defense forced a three-and-out on the ensuing drive, and a strong punt return by Jequez Ezzard set the Defenders up at their 44-yard line.

The Defenders then engineered a 10-play drive, this time cashing in with a one-yard touchdown run by Abram Smith. The two-point try was unsuccessful, but D.C. Still claimed a 9-8 lead.

D.C. also seemed to have all the momentum inside the two-minute warning. Silvers was called for intentional grounding on the first play of Houston's drive. On the second, Santos Ramirez read Silvers, picked off the pass and returned it for the score.

The second two-point play was good, and the Defenders were rolling. Not only had they scored 17 unanswered points, but back-to-back sacks essentially ended Houston's next drive and the half.

D.C. got the ball to open the second half and immediately gained ground with a huge 36-yard completion from Ta'amu to Jackson.

The Defenders moved into the red zone and got multiple opportunities to push the ball in due to defensive penalties. One of them, a late hit by Renegades defensive lineman Jack Heflin, resulted in an ejection.

D.C. added to its lead with a one-yard touchdown pass from Ta'amu to Alex Ellis.

A three-and-out by Houston gave D.C. an opportunity to extend its lead late in the third quarter. The Defenders' drive was aided by one of the most bizarre personal fouls we've seen this season.

Roughnecks defensive back Ajene Harris was flagged for squirting the line judge with a water bottle. Fans on social media were less than thrilled that there was no replay of the infraction.

That was only one of three accepted penalties on the drive, but Houston did hold the Defenders to a field goal. D.C. had a 26-8 lead, but that's only a two-possession game in the XFL.

Houston began closing the gap quickly. On the first play from scrimmage, quarterback Cole McDonald hit a wide-open Deontay Burnett for an 85-yard touchdown.

The Renegades went for a three-point attempt following the touchdown, but it was unsuccessful, so D.C. carried a 12-point lead into the final frame. The Defenders added to their lead thanks to another great drive highlighted by a 30-yard Smith run and a 30-yard touchdown grab by Jackson.

Houston responded with a strong drive that was capped by another Borghi touchdown run. Again, the two-point try was unsuccessful, leaving D.C. with a two-score lead that McCrane then extended to 17 points lead with a booming 50-yard field goal on the ensuing drive.

McDonald stayed in at quarterback for the Roughnecks on their next drive and completed several clutch passes to get Houston into D.C. territory. He then ripped off a 12-yard run to move it inside the 10.

Houston had the ball at the 2-yard line at the two-minute warning. It cut the deficit to 11 points just inside the break and went for the 4th-and-15 attempt—the XFL's alternative to an onside kick—but it was unsuccessful.

D.C. got the ball back and was able to close the game out.

Ta'amu finished 19-of-31 for 245 yards and two touchdowns. Smith led all runners with 95 yards, while Jackson led all players with 136 receiving yards to go with a score. McDonald (8-of-11 for 194 yards and a touchdown) didn't do enough to get the win, but he provided Houston with a spark and may have forced himself into the starting conversation.

Fans on social media seemed to enjoy Monday night's game, a strong performance by the Defenders and, yes, the D.C. beer snake.

The Roughnecks will next host the Battlehawks, while the Defenders will visit the winless Guardians. The Renegades will host the Sea Dragons on Friday to kick off Week 7. That game is slated for a 7 p.m. ET kickoff on FX and ESPN+.