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Post by MGB01 on Jul 1, 2024 11:36:35 GMT -5
Drew Carter monologue
We started the 2024 XFL season back in February, in a familiar spot
(Begin multiple highlight packages: Tre Tucker and KaVontae Turpin touchdown returns, Case Keenum touchdown passes to Odell Beckham and Michael Carter)
......and we'll end it in one as well, as for the 14th straight year, the Kansas City Monarchs will play in the league's showcase game for the ultimate prize.
(More 2024 Monarchs highlights)
......which they would walk away from with the ten pounds of gold for the ninth time, and sixth consecutive if they are victorious tonight.
But one team stands in their way. The team who derailed their quest in Detroit some 15 years ago, and the team who knocked them off in week four, the first to defeat them this season.
(Week 4: Kyle Trask touchdown passes to Hunter Renfrow, Ian Thomas, and Tee Higgins)
Much as on that March day in Raleigh, the Carolina Colonels will make the Monarchs go through them, and with revenge in mind.
(X-Bowl XXIII)
Carolina jumped out to a 14-0 lead
(Trask to Higgins)
But as the Monarchs have proven too many times to count over the last decade and a half, nothing's safe.
(Jalen Virgil TD return, Keenum to Terry McLaurin twice)
And the Monarchs emerged from Lumen Field 371 days ago once again champions.
This year the Monarchs had probably more questions than ever before, and came the closest to elimination at least since before their latest string of X-Bowls began
(Kyle Lauletta to Cade Otton TD puts Demons up 24-20 with 1:08 left)
But once again, the answer's the same
(Virgil TD return, San Francisco four-and-out)
The Colonels started down 0-2, but for the next two months looked like the best team in the Eastern Conference
(won 10 of 11, highlighted by series of blowout wins)
But as injuries piled up an upstart took their crown
(at Columbus in week 15, two-point conversion incomplete to Chris Herndon, giving Columbus a 38-36 win and putting them in position to win home field)
The Colonels would lose two of three, forcing them into the wildcard round, where they would have to do it all over again. But for Kevin O'Connell's team, it was an invitation
to do it all over again. And getting healthier, they did what they set out to do.
(Colonels swamp Enforcers in wildcard round, then dispatch Capitols in rematch)
There may have been some doubt as to whether the Colonels would make it to St. Louis, but not for the team who plays from February to June at Carter-Finley Stadium.
So now the stage is set, it's an X-Bowl rematch for the first time in five years. That was the first of the Monarchs' current run. Will it end tonight, or it just another chapter in Matt Nagy's seemingly unending championship story?
(Matt Nagy shows book with blank pages, as if to continue the story)
Drew Carter, Sam Acho, and Tommy Lugenbill on call. Cole Cubelic and Stormy Buonantony on sidelines. Lowell Galindo and Harry Douglas on-field analysis.
DC: In January 2004, St. Louis hosted Carolina in a playoff game. 20 years later here we are again, St. Louis plays host to Carolina, not quite the same thing. You won't see Steve Smith or Marshall Faulk, although you might see some Rams legends here as we get ready for a championship, the XFL championship.
(Cut to Kurt Warner)
DC: Do you remember Kurt Warner spending two seasons in Carolina before handing off to that man?
(Cuts to Kevin O'Connell)
DC: Maybe a bit of home field advantage through association? I welcome in my partners tonight, Sam Acho, an 11-year XFL veteran with four teams, and Tommy Lugenbill, whose father was the coach of the inaugural X-Bowl champion Los Angeles Xtreme. Guys, if this crowd is looking for a team to pull for, at least the undecideds or unaffiliateds, I gotta think it would be the Colonels, maybe not for that but these people are probably just sick and tired of seeing the Monarchs win in this building.
SA: We've been saying this for what seems like forever, and certainly I played on teams that tried to take them down over the years, we came close in 2018, right down to literally the last second. But you gotta beat this team, they ain't stepping aside. Carolina beat this team in March, do it again, but that's the problem. Kansas City doesn't lose to teams twice.
DC: In fact Sam I think you might know who the last team to beat Kansas City twice in a season is.
SA: Do they play in a dome stadium?
DC: You're on the right track (laughs).
SA: They were so upset (about that) they didn't lose a game for three years!
DC: Tommy, you've inherited some knowledge about this game I'd imagine.
TL: You know three years ago I'm watching the game against the Xtreme with my dad, the West division title game and all he could say was 'good grief, we wouldn't have come close to beating these guys 20 years ago!' The Monarchs do what they want. Sam, as the, spoiler, member of the last team that beat them twice, how does this work?
SA: Oh you just had to go and do that (laughs). Well number one, Case Keenum, who was my teammate the previous year then he left, got off the bus. So Carolina's already down right there. I also gotta mention, Keenum wasn't the quarterback when we played them. It was (Christian) Ponder. So literally no one's beaten him since he became the starter for Matt Nagy. I mean teams had better success against Brady in his prime than they do here.
DC: Keenum threw for 82 yards, which he often does in the first quarter. Yet he finished the Western Conference title game with that. Of course the asterisk there is the Monarchs had 277 return yards, and two scores. One from that man Jalen Virgil, who had the big game-changing return a year ago in Seattle, oh and his first game back? Right here in St. Louis he had one back in week 12. The other came from KaVontae Turpin, took two punts back during the regular season, and then had one last week.
Keenum threw four touchdown passes in that game, a 52-35 win, so even though Carolina's coming off a five-INT performance against Will Levis, there's, no offense to Levis, a difference between a playoff first-timer and a seasoned vet like Keenum in the month of June. The Monarchs have not lost a playoff game since he became the starter, their first win? Over these Colonels in the 2019 playoffs.
Kansas City 3-1 against Carolina all-time in the playoffs. Lost in Detroit to O'Connell, Matt Forte, and that brilliant team coached by another Ram legend, Mike Martz. Avenged that two years later in the American Conference championship game, that was Carolina's last game period until 2019. Monarchs beat the Colonels on the way to their first X-Bowl win since 2015, and then beat them in Seattle in X-Bowl XXIII a season ago. It was their first title in the 16-team XFL, as all seven of their titles came in a 10 and 12-team league.
So here we go from St. Louis, Sterling Hofrichter to boot it away.
Jayden Reed, all-rookie as a punt returner, also averaged 25 yards per kickoff return after their regular kickoff return man, Jalen Nailor, suffered a season-ending concussion in week one.
We are underway. Reed at the 2, got blockers, at the 20, still going, broken at the 40, finally taken down by Kaevon Merriweather up at the 45. A return of 43!
So here are the Colonels. Kyle Trask, see what he did this year. The two best quarterbacks on the season, the two Kyles, Trask and Lauletta. So the Monarchs will have to go through them both, and if they do it will go a long way to erasing a season of doubts on the defensive side of the ball, that's kind of what hardware does.
Blitz, picked up, Trask throws, CAUGHT! Hunter Renfrow, down to about the 36. 19 to start us off.
SA: Carolina did this last year, got the ball and drove right down. Regardless of the way the Monarchs sputtered at times offensively last week you gotta get scores where you can.
DC: And you've gotta keep priming the pump as Carolina was up 14-0 and 17-7 last year in this game but couldn't keep it up. First down, Trask, got it to Higgins. He'll have a first down as Riq Woolen takes him down. Quick change for the Monarchs as Khalil Davis is in there for some early snaps, we'll see what's going on with Teair Tart and Jordan Elliott.
There's a short pass it's caught by Higgins again, that'll pick up about seven. Second and 3. Lot of talk about what will happen with Higgins, the Colonels gave Hunter Renfrow a big new deal last year, and Jayden Reed has been tremendous. Higgins could be playing his last game as a Colonel.
Second down, movement. And there's a penalty on the left guard Ben Powers, back them up five. Not Powers' first rodeo here against the Monarchs, was the starting left guard for the Hitmen three years ago in X-Bowl XXI.
Give to Edwards, and Gus the Bus rolls down near a first down, brings up a third and short. Edwards coming off a 1300-yard season, two years ago with the Hitmen he was part of that barrage of injuries at running back. Last year had a nice bounceback season in Birmingham and here he is.
Third and 2 Trask fakes the handoff, and no one in the vicinity, some wires crossed there. More Monarchs were closer to it.
TL: Oh Trenton Simpson, all he's gotta do is turn away from the coverage he's got an easy pick. Not a very well-thrown ball by Trask, bring up fourth down I think they're leaving the offense on the field.
SA: Needs to be a handoff here
DC: Got Tart on the field as if they were anticipating just that, the run defense has been slightly better since Tart showed up. He signed in late March, so he wasn't there when Edwards rushed for 112 against the Monarchs in week four. Here's fourth down, play-action. Being chased, DOWN HE GOES!!!!!! Andre Carter!
SA: Like going for it but not in love with the play call at all, totally hate it. The Monarchs do that, they lull you into these fancy playfakes, when the numbers say run it at them. Too much cuteness here.
TL: Edwards carries it once? Gotta do better.
DC: So here is the man, Case Keenum. Two interceptions, while only 36 touchdown passes got people around the team saying "OK give all the awards to the Kyles, we'll take them both down!"
SA: He got all the dubs and the rings, saying "Beat that".
DC: You won't, he will. And there's Odell Beckham! Looking for his second straight X-Bowl ring after winning a Super Bowl with the Rams, am I allowed to say that? 23 for OBJ.
Keenum again, Haynes coming, now also being chased by Twyman. Dumps it off to Carter, and he'll take it down to the marker, and a first down. Akeem Davis-Gaither with the stop.
SA: You see why they went for it but you really needed to run it at them because right now the Monarchs are throwing it at them and when they soften that D up enough, you know you'll see Carter and those dudes.
DC: All four running backs on the team active tonight. All three tight ends active after they had just two last week, so Travis Vokolek, rookie out of Nebraska whom they use as an extra blocker is in. Demarcus Robinson out tonight with a groin injury.
Here's another screen to Carter, won't get as much as Madubuike helps Davis-Gaither chase him down, short gain of about 3. Second down.
Here goes Keenum, looking, got Jarvis Landry. His first catch and that will take Kansas City inside the 30. Nice leaping catch for a gain of 11.
SA: Right now Keenum a little ahead of Trask in how he's throwing the ball, and a 180 from last week.
TL: Monarchs just have too many guys for Carolina to cover. You got Beckham, Landry, Austin Mack, Tre Tucker, Turpin comes in and runs routes, plus the way they use their backs, I mean this is looking, and we're just six minutes in but it's a total 180 from when they played in March.
DC: Also a total 180 from last week in Columbus, you're seeing the experience, and there's a short pass to Landry. Six yards, second and 4.
SA: Will Levis would see the rush, the same rush that Keenum's seeing right now, he'd either throw it up or he'd throw it to the wrong spot. Keenum sees it and, well he yawns, just get rid of it to who you got open. Get a few yards here, pick up the first down on second, just go about your business.
DC: Second down and there's a catch, it's Landry again, first down and we got an injured Monarch, and it's Michael Carter. And it was Michael Carter for the Colonels who made the tackle. So we'll take a timeout. 7:53 left first quarter, Monarchs on the move.
Michael Carter helped to the sidelines, and here comes Kareem Hunt to replace him. Boy how strong is this Kansas City run game? They lose David Montgomery to San Antonio, they bring in a couple of NFL free agents in Moss and Hunt. Then Hunt gets injured in the preseason, then they lose Salvon Ahmed, and what happens? Carter only gets his first 1000-yard season, Hunt didn't return until week eight but he scored touchdowns in all but one game he played in. Sean Tucker ran for eight yards a clip, and Moss wasn't too shabby himself, with five touchdowns.
Oh by the way Michael Carter of the Colonels on that tackle, not only did they come out in the same draft they also played against each other in the ACC. And no I'm not related to either.
Here's Keenum to throw, zips it in to Landry for the touchdown. Vintage Keenum. Monarchs score first.
Extra point for Folk and there it is, 7-0 Monarchs with 7:35 left.
Halfway done first quarter and the Monarchs are all business here. Seven plays 75 yards after the turnover on downs. Could be a big spot, big response needed for the Colonels.
SA: This is the worst Monarchs you want to see, they're focused, they're angry, and you ain't careful they're about to run through you for that six-pack.
DC: Six in a row if they win this one. Reed at the 9, got a lane to the 20, the 30, up past the 40 and the 45, up to the 46. Boy second time Merriweather's saved perhaps a touchdown, and kept them on their side of the field. But can Carolina capitalize this time after another big return by Reed?
TL: This is huge what does KOC have after coming so close last time?
DC: Here's a throw by Trask and incomplete. Here's a flag. Look like Dre'Mont Jones got him a little late, so give him 15 and a first down, and this is basically how the first drive started.
And some big injury news for the Monarchs as Jordan Elliott is out with an ankle injury, Teair Tart also out for the time being so it's Khalil Davis getting the snaps at NT.
Short pass to Edwards and that's gonna go the sticks, they'll measure. Meanwhile Trask just got leveled again, look like it was Pappoe over there, yep, Owen Pappoe, the rookie out of Auburn.
SA: That's two, even they didn't get called for it. Gotta be careful and not just start letting them back in, make them earn it.
DC: Trask drops, got Reed. First down and more, down to the 10, or near the 10 where Gipson gets him. So the Colonels needed a response, here it is.
Handoff Edwards, he'll take it down to the 7. Owusu-Koramoah with the stop, second and 6. See if this Monarch redzone defense tightens up. Them and San Francisco tied for the fewest touchdowns allowed in the league, so here we go. Second and 6, and knocked away by Riq Woolen, as that looked like a touchdown for Tee Higgins.
SA: And just like that fourth down, needs to be Edwards.
DC: Especially with the injury situation, although Tart's at least on the sideline and looks ready to go back in. But looks like they're at least down Elliott.
Third and 6, broken up! Owusu-Koramoah. So this drive will end with a couple of knockdowns after it started with a pair of roughings, even though only one was called.
SA: And O'Connell screaming at the officials, saying there was contact, and Owusu might have gotten in there with Chris Herndon. No call.
DC: But, points will be had, as Dustin Hopkins is on for a short field goal. Out of the hold of the punter Blake Hayes, and it's straight down the middle. So that makes it 7-3. That's something, now you just want that first series back.
TL: You want the fourth down back, and I don't think people were really expecting you to kick it but that just looked like a broken play.
SA: The Monarchs are the cause of a broken play because they will break you. I mean they had that bad rush defense, but they also were a third/fourth down lockdown defense.
DC: A league-low 35% third down conversion rate, fourth down was a little higher as it was for everyone else cause of the 4th and 15. Here's a short kick it's Virgil, past the 20, 30, 40, to the 45 where Webb tackles him. Might not have been the best idea to give them a short field.
TL: Just go ahead and kick it out of bounds if you're gonna do that. Endzone 20, out 40. You don't want them returning the ball, just ask San Francisco.
DC: Keenum looks and there's Beckham, first down, there you go down to the 40. Keenum was just 9 of 18 last week, he's eight for his first eight, and the Monarchs have yet to run the ball, although two of those were screens to Carter. Hunt is in, and he gets it, one the first run play.
Hunt scored touchdowns in his first seven games, five rushing two receiving, ended up with 666 yards from scrimmage. 86 carries and 25 catches, good back for the Monarchs to have as if they need it, as Salvon Ahmed went on IR after six games with a broken bone in his foot.
Keenum, looks deep on second down and there is O...B...J. 33 and Keenum is nine of nine.
TL: We wondered back a couple weeks ago if Carolina would miss Luq Barcoo, and we're getting our answer. I said it earlier, just too many guys for Carolina to cover.
SA: That's even with Robinson out.
DC: First and goal from the 1 Keenum rolls out and just drops it in, a walk-in TD for Kareem Hunt, and a touchdown. His first as a Monarch in the playoffs.
Folk for the extra point, makes it 14-3, and now Carolina's in the spot you don't want to be against this team, playing catch-up.
The only place the Colonels are really staying with the Monarchs right now is in their return game, here's Hofrichter, to Reed a yard deep. Got another one, across the 30, the 35 and there is Merriweather again. Boy this rookie out of Iowa, really busy on special teams.
TL: Think they'd like it better ten yards further downfield. Could be a shutout right now.
DC: Trask looks, needs some plays. Got one to Hunter Renfrow, quickly taken down by Wallace, and they're gonna give him the first. Or are they? A discussion, and now here come the sticks.
TL: This benefits Kansas City cause the Colonels need any momentum, and they don't need a timeout here.
DC: It's gonna be short!
SA: Wow.
DC: So second and inches, not a terribly big deal as the give to Edwards and there's the first down.
TL: Well it might have been a throw over the middle if they get to go tempo.
DC: But it is a first down and there's throw, caught! Tee Higgins! All the way down to the 13. 31 on the play! See if they run a play here as the clock runs out in the quarter. Doesn't look like it.
So we'll go to the second quarter. 14-3 Monarchs, with the Colonels needing to punch this one in. End of one in St. Louis, you're watching the X-Bowl, on ABC.
DC: Second quarter we're back. Drew Carter, Sam Acho, Tommy Lugenbill in the booth. Cole Cubelic, Stormy Buonantony on the sidelines. Lowell Galindo, Harry Douglas at field level. Second quarter underway from St. Louis.
Trask, back, to Reed, dropped.
SA: That looked like free throws down there, trying to get position. Reed did, but right as soon as he did so that ball's right there and he was doing so much trying to fight free, just some handfighting, with, looked like Bausby down there, and he can't make the catch.
DC: Would have taken it inside the 5, second down. That's knocked away, by Xavier McKinney. Looking for Ian Thomas there, no dice. It'll be third down and 10. Can the Monarchs shut Carolina down in the redzone again?
Blitz on, Trask fires, Reed doesn't drop it that time, that's six! Colonels finally break through, it's 14-9.
TL: For the first time tonight I've seen Trask stare down the blitz and Jayden Reed with the big catch, cause I honestly don't know what Carolina would have done if he didn't hold on. Fortunately for Carolina that question won't be answered.
DC: Seven plays, 64 yards, and Carolina is right back in this game. Extra point good, it's 14-10.
Monarchs led San Francisco, watched that lead evaporate--momentarily as it turned out. Can Carolina get some stops here? Keenum has completed all ten passes for 124 yards and two scores. Here's an onside kick!, and it's snared by Elliss! Wow, think fast there.
SA: That's two questionable at best calls for KOC tonight. I hate that even more than a fourth down play action. You're what, 30 seconds into the second quarter? Case Keenum's gonna cool off at some point.
TL: Just to look at it from KOC's side here, you saw what happened last week. You know a big return is coming, why not at least put the onside in play so you decrease the chances of one happening, since they're not set up to block for a return. If you give Kansas City the ball at your 45, that's what happens.
SA: At this point of the game? The second quarter just started! You're not giving any confidence in your defense if you're resorting to this. It's gonna be 21-10 here, and what did you accomplish? At least if you have a return there's always a chance of a penalty, or maybe even a fumble.
This ain't no rookie head coach, he was here last year. I just totally struggle to get it.
DC: The Monarchs, as you say, could be plays away from getting it. Here's Hunt, he'll pick up four before Davis-Gaither brings him down.
SA: I'm not getting it, you have to hold the Monarchs, not only to a three-and-out, but they're gonna go for it if it's four yards or less on fourth. What's the upside here?
TL: Getting the ball?
SA: And how many successful onsides have we had this year, two?
DC: Second and six, drops it out to Hunt. Not a lot there and Davis-Gaither escorts him out, for a gain of maybe one. Third and 5.
SA: OK here we go, now you need not only to hold here but you need to possibly get a negative play, good luck with that.
DC: Keenum now 11 of 11, and well there you go. Bergeron the left guard gonna be whistled for a false start, back them up five.
SA: That's one part of it, but they, I'd say have to hold Kansas City to four yards or less here.
DC: Third and ten and Keenum, finds Landry, for 12 and a first down to the 32!
SA: You know, all I got to say is I'm glad Stephen A. ain't here tonight.
TL: What if say, this drive started on the 35 and they're at midfield right now?
SA: It is a big deal, you change the playcalling on your side of the field. Because if you're on your side of the field, all you're thinking about is grind out yards, move the sticks, and get across the 50. If you start in plus territory, you're thinking score or if you put a few first downs together you're already in field goal range. Is it making sense why I'm having such a problem with this onside call by KOC? Cole, help me out here.
CC: You've gotta slow their momentum here. But I agree with you, this isn't the time to do it. Now you can't do 4th and 15 until the fourth quarter, so................
DC: Landry got it, oh and there's your fumble! But La'el Collins gets right on it, keeping it with the Monarchs. Cole? continue.
CC: We've seen it a lot this year in the third quarters. To me that's the time.
SA: There was a near-turnover, but you get that ball at your 27 instead of plus-territory yourself.
TL: He gambled and lost.
SA: That's about the least he did. We're gonna agree to just disagree ok?
TL: I like how that sounds
DC: And Matt Nagy's gonna like how this sounds as Hunt takes it for a first down. So Hunt is in the game right now for Carter, and defensively Jordan Elliott has been ruled out for the rest of the game with an ankle injury. That thins them a bit on the line, because apparently Tart got injured and Khalil Davis has been getting most of the snaps.
First down from the 21, and Keenum, on the run, now gonna fire and there is Austin Mack, and that's gonna be six!. Third touchdown pass for Keenum, he had two last year. Extra point Folk, good. 21-10 Monarchs.
Talk about a 180. The Monarchs had some problems last week moving the ball, they had more return yards than they did offense. Carolina held Columbus last week to just 267 yards. But here? Monarchs have run 18 plays, 174 yards, three touchdowns. That's Kansas City-like efficiency, coming in at over 9.5 per play.
What a big play from the all-XFL tackle La'el Collins to get that ball after Carter had jarred it loose from Landry. It's a 14-10 game with the Colonels inside their 30, now it's 21-10 and Carolina once again needs an answer.
Hofrichter to kick it away to Reed, and that time he is hemmed in. Elliss who snared the surprise onside, gets Reed at about the 25 and Carolina will start there with 10:27 left.
SA: Huge drive, only way I'm punting this if it's say six yards or more. Even fourth and 5 at their 40 I'm going.
TL: Not to reopen old wounds but didn't you just say trust their defense?
SA: You did see they added another touchdown from that right?
TL: Touche, touche.
DC: Trask on the run, and he finds Renfrow, and Renfrow up over the 40. So an excellent start to the drive as they get 16.
SA: Need a lot of these.
DC: Trask, going deep, and incomplete, wanted Higgins, second down.
SA: They still need to run it, why aren't you with a guy in at DT that hasn't had a lot of snaps this year?
DC: There he is, and he's dropped! Owusu-Koramoah, brings up third and 11
SA: You needed to run it on first down, second was only an option if you gain yardage on first.
TL: I think the tight ends need to get involved here. Nothing out of either Thomas or Herndon, and Thomas had such a big game last year. I'm not getting it.
DC: Third down, goes to Thomas, and that's incomplete. Would have been short of midfield, short of the first down, and now fourth down. Monarchs are gonna have a chance to put some serious distance between themselves and the Eastern Conference champions here.
SA: The problem KOC is having? He's a play behind, you don't do that against the Monarchs cause that's something you rarely see from Matt Nagy, and by the time you get out from behind you're usually down 21-10 and trying to hold the dam together like Carolina is here.
DC: And here's danger waiting to happen, KaVontae Turpin. A high punt towards the sideline is going to bounce inside the 20 and Turpin will let this roll dead inside the 15
TL: That's about the best punt you could have
DC: And we saw last week, San Francisco was kind of lackadaisical with their special teams coverage, allowing Turpin a pair of usual no-nos, returns inside his 5, and you saw the one.
So a great punt by Hayes, and now the Monarchs will start with their worst field position after averaging their own 42 for their first three drives.
Hunt cuts it in, gains four. Call it the 17, as Michael Carter meets him. Still waiting for that Michael Carter-Michael Carter meet. It did happen when UNC played Duke, but hasn't really had much of a chance in the XFL as the Monarchs' Carter played behind David Montgomery his first two seasons.
SA: So is it safe to say that when Michael Carter meets Michael Carter, bet on Michael Carter?
DC: Sam I don't think you could make that tackle any better
And there's a catch and a first down, it's caught by Jake Ferguson, his first of the night. Move the sticks.
SA: And if this is what the Monarchs are doing in their own end, so be it. Just don't give them field position.
TL: Anything else?
SA: Well, yes. Can they bring Hofrichter onto the field in something other than the holder/kickoff variety? That'd be a nice start.
DC: Keenum now 15 for 15. We had a perfect game this year in D.C.
SA: If you'd said that a few years back I'd have thought you were talking about Stephen Strasburg.
TL: Apparently he's no Taylor Heinicke.
DC: Speaking of ex-Monarchs. And current as Keenum makes it 16 for 16 and finds OBJ near a first down, he'll be a yard short.
TL: Heinicke and Keenum were teammates for two years, what if Heinicke had won the job?
DC: Maybe the biggest what-if in league history, and we won't have the perfect game as that was a little high and Ferguson couldn't bring it in, third and 1.
SA: OK who gets the announcer jinx?
DC: No comment. But I think Keenum is more interested in going end-to-end here anyway, third and 1 and the give is to Zach Moss, and he's gonna barrel his way for a first down.
TL: You have a bowling ball like Moss, they actually lined him up some at fullback last week, they just go out get what they need.
DC: And it'll be the same a few weeks from now when they lose some players and they'll just restock, or in the case of Moss go into camp and reassess. And there's a drop, Austin Mack had what would have been about a 15-yard gain but he's probably thinking about his second score.
SA: Yeah just a rare concentration lapse, but with Kansas City that's usually a one-off, just chew it up spit it out and next play let's go.
DC: See here, and it's back to Mack for the first down as Keenum off his back foot for a gain of 16.
TL: The man's just running ballet out there but it's the Carolina secondary who is alternating between dancing and roller derby while his receivers are just naturally gliding, and here's a huge score on deck.
DC: Jay Ward with the stop but it's 16 and a first down. Here's Moss, breaks a tackle, finally down just short of another one as the big rookie Calvin Avery makes the stop.
Avery was a project that really wasn't gonna get much playing time this year, I imagine he was going to be a gameday inactive more times than not. Then all the sudden here come injuries to Alim McNeill, T.Y. McGill--who's out today, and maybe there's a spot for this 340-lb rookie, and his first game? Against Kansas City, week four.
SA: Still can't get around the fact that the Colonels were without both McNeill and Micah Hyde in that game and they still won.
DC: Moss, right side. Here he goes! Gets by Stone, and Marquis Haynes goes and gets him inside the 20, but it's a gain of 18 for Moss.
SA: What I said in the first, Keenum is gonna peck away, some big, mostly small stuff. Then they're gonna kill you with the run after they've softened up that D, and I'm seeing a lot of hands on jerseys in white.
TL: Thought you were gonna also say Monarchs were gonna go up 28-10
SA: That too. This defense just isn't getting a good push at all.
DC: Keenum scans, now just going to dump it off to Moss. Short gain before Davis-Gaither with the stop. Brings up second and 6, and we'll see how many plays Kansas City tries to get in before the two-minute warning. Or if they try for one in general.
TL: Now you have to wonder, are the Monarchs maybe gonna run it down enough while scoring to where Carolina can't do anything on offense? Then keep in mind the Monarchs receive the second half kick. So this game could really get away from the Colonels, like in the second half in Seattle last year.
DC: Tenth play of the drive and a screen is behind Hunt, so that's going to bring up a third and 6 and also bring the two-minute warning. Monarchs on the verge of a score, will it be three or another touchdown?
Back in St. Louis on a big third and 6, and Keenum to throw, caught, it's Tre Tucker, and a touchdown. The Monarch coaches, kind of following Matt Nagy's lead, were saying "Hey, sleep on Tre Tucker, and you'll probably stay asleep". He only caught four catches for 40 yards in the regular season, but he was the main kickoff returner for most of the season until Jalen Virgil returned. Ended up averaging over 28 yards per return, and no Demarcus Robinson tonight but here is the perhaps not-so-secret weapon after tonight.
Extra point good for Folk and it's 28-10.
SA: Carolina has to score here, and I'm gonna stress touchdown. Field goal does absolutely nothing.
TL: Well Trask had a quick two-minute drive in the rain in Columbus last week, he should be in good shape in a much drier situation here even though the Monarch defense has been much tougher than anything he faced last week, or even two weeks ago against Chicago.
DC: Hofrichter's kick bounces, into the endzone, downed by Reed. Out to the 20.
Oh by the way, Kansas City has eclipsed their offensive total from last week here in the first half. 261 yards of offense on 29 plays. Nine yards per play, that's pretty good.
Here's Edwards, and a run up the middle gains 5. Hurry up.............
SA: Hoo boy
DC: Short pass to Reed, will bring up third down and I'm not sure I'm getting this.
TL: You're kind of limiting your plays here, but I guess with all three timeouts you have some latitude, it can't be much I imagine.
DC: Third and 1 it's Edwards again and he picks up the first down, he'll have more and he'll get near midfield. There's timeout #1. Or excuse me no timeout and it's Trask to take it himself and he'll go sliding down near the 40. There's the timeout.
SA: And you just saw two things you don't see from Kansas City defenders, whiffs. Xavier McKinney has Edwards about the 35, misses him and Edwards gets about 12 more yards. Now Dre'Mont Jones has him here at midfield, and Trask gets free of that. So two missed tackles result in about, what, 20 more yards? Time to dig in, not time to get sloppy.
DC: Trask, out to Edwards, down inside the 35. No timeout here and Trask gonna fire, got Thomas, and he'll go out inside the 15.
SA: This is gonna be a point of contention for Matt Nagy at halftime. This last drive has had hideous tackling as well as coverage, and this was a drive that didn't seem to have a whole lot of urgency when it started. That's leaving the door open.
DC: Trask to the endzone, broken up by Jaquan Brisker, and that should probably be a flag as Herndon I think has a point. Looks like Brisker, oh he's completely on him!
TL: And the Colonels can argue, perhaps rightfully so, that Kansas City's gotten away with three or four penalties and this could be a touchdown game instead of 18 points.
DC: And here's Edwards with a short pass, Edwards, he's............in. Touchdown. So this drive starts off haphazardly, but the Colonels get a couple of big plays, and they're going to go to the half down 11, hardly unmanageable. But they need to get a stop or two, maybe a turnover. Boy that fumble that La'el Collins got to would have been nice.
We'll see what kind of pressure the Monarchs put on the Colonels in the second half, with 14 seconds left minus this kickoff return I wouldn't expect anything here.
Hopkins kicks it, taken by Virgil, from the 2, here he goes, is there time? Up near the 40 with eight seconds left. Flag down, and this one's coming back. So it will be just a kneeldown, I imagine. Holding on Brisker.
Give to Hunt, and he breaks a few tackles before going down, and Matt Nagy's over there screaming GET DOWN. So as much as the Monarchs dominated for 28 minutes, I'm sure Nagy wants to have a little chat about the last two. Stormy, anything?
SB: Coach, anything you're going to say at halftime to your guys?
Matt Nagy: Yeah I don't know what the problem is. If you went by the last two minutes you'd think we were down 28-17 instead of on top. So I gotta get with all the guys and figure out why that's happening. Thirty minutes away from a title, can't have that (happening). We got a lot of guys here who remember how Carolina kicked our (behinds) in the first half last year and we got back in it at the end and then rolled over them in the second half. I'm sure they want to return the favor, they were humiliated, I would be too. Our offense was great, need to keep it going. Defense had some lapses, need to clean those up and we should be fine there.
SB: Thanks Coach.
DC: Alright let's send it to our team on the field, Lowell Galindo and Harry Douglas, take it away gentlemen.
LG: Thirty minutes in the books. Thirty minutes, or possibly more, till either a new X-Bowl champion is crowned, as it would be the Carolina Colonels for the first time since 2009, or the Kansas City Monarchs are fitted for the sixth straight year and ninth time overall. We've got highlights, analysis, stats, and more as we roll on. Monarchs 28, Colonels 17. Back to St. Louis after these words from your local ABC station.
Welcome back to The Dome in St. Louis and the Monarchs, as they've done in this building five times since they first played here in 2020, are on top. But maybe a few red flags Harry?
HD: The Monarchs owned this half, until the last minute and change. What happened last year? Carolina owned the first 28 and a half minutes, then the Virgil return changed everything.
LG: Can the reverse happen here? Or are the Monarchs up by too much?
HD: Ask Matt Ryan if you can be up by too much in a title game. No, this is an 11-point game, but really a few missed calls, and a fumble that bounced Kansas City's way, it could be a three-point game maybe even Carolina on top. I didn't think, even as dominant as Kansas City was on offense, that this felt like a 28-10 game, and Carolina came back and showed it.
LG: What about some questionable coaching moves by Kevin O'Connell?
HD: I'm gonna disagree with Acho and say that they should have kicked a field goal. Yes it's fourth and 2 and you're trying to set the tone, but you're also here for a reason, so points on board is the thing. You know you ain't San Diego or Birmingham, you can kick a field goal. They'd be down eight right now, is that a bad deal? No, you'd be putting all sorts of pressure on that opposing locker room. They think they've dominated the whole way and yet here they are up eight. That's a huge swing of momentum, of confidence, and of the overall game feel.
LG: How about the onside kick?
HD: I'm not sure that there's much wrong there. I mean Kansas City's got what, 265 yards of offense in the first half? They scored on short fields and long drives equally, so I don't see where it makes a difference.
LG: What do you like second half?
HD: Carolina needs to get Gus Edwards involved more. They need Thomas too. I mean the only three guys that are a factor on offense, other than the quarterback, are the three wideouts--Higgins, Renfrow, and Reed. Obviously they need a stop right out of the gate, Case Keenum had some severe two-weeks-off rust last week, yet he also just came back and started 15 of 15, and the only incomplete passes were drops. So that front seven needs to dial in, cause Keenum's doing whatever he wants.
For the Monarchs, they're averaging over 8.5 yards a clip on offense. This Carolina defense is too good for that to be sustainable. They're gonna make some adjustments in the pass defense, so I like the Monarchs to keep running Hunt and Moss, and they don't have Carter, but bring in Sean Tucker and be even more balanced in the second half. Defense I thought gave up too many big plays, they made stops but that was more bad playcalling than anything else. Let's look at that fourth and 2, if this is a handoff to Edwards straight up the gut, he's gonna get 10 yards. There were a couple of times when Edwards didn't get the ball and that was the drive they had to settle for a field goal. That's why even on the last drive I didn't have a problem with running the ball, cause it still threw the defense off-balance and you saw that Trask still managed it just as skillfully as he did in Columbus.
So can Carolina come back and win? Of course. Can Kansas City slow it down, grind it out, and take home the chip again? Of course. So who's gonna do it? Sit back, watch the show, find out. We got a good one.
LG: When we come back, back to Drew Carter, Sam Acho, and Tommy Lugenbill to call this final 30 minutes, and maybe more, of this 2024 XFL season from St. Louis. Don't go away.
DC: Dustin Hopkins to get the second half underway
TL: I hate to ask this but think an onside kick here?
SA: No you don't want that.
TL: Me or the Colonels?
SA: Both
DC: Well here it is, no onside kick, and it's Virgil.............he takes a shot by Summers, just across the 20. And he's slow to get up. Meantime, flag down, and that's on Trenton Simpson for a block, so not only do they potentially lose Virgil, but they'll start all the way back at their 7. Just what Carolina needs.
Kansas City on their four scoring drives averaged their own 36. Here they'll start at the 7. Meanwhile Virgil goes to the sideline, we'll have an update from Cole Cubelic a little later. Toss to Hunt and he's got room, got blockers and he's up over the 20 to the 23. Davis-Gaither over there to get him after Geno Stone had a shot, it's a gain of 16.
SA: Geno Stone knows better than a weak attempt like that, you're not getting anybody as elusive as Hunt by just throwing arms out there. I got on Kansas City for some bad defense on that last drive, same gotta go here.
DC: Geno Stone will be a free agent when it opens in two weeks. That's probably not something to put on the pitch tape.
SA: No it isn't.
DC: First and 10 at the 23, movement and Hunt's gonna be wrapped up. But this play's dead, they'll get Madubuike. Make it first and 5 now at the 28.
SA: They making me look bad here.
DC: And that time Hunt is swallowed up again this time by Jeremiah Ledbetter, no gain.
SA: And on that play we saw for maybe the first time tonight, push from the defensive line. They had a four-man front, maybe that'll work for the rest of the game.
DC: Second and 5 and Hunt again this time, and he hits the line. Got room past the 30, 35, and up across the 40 where Carter makes the stop after a gain of 14.
TL: And what they did was they went back to their standard three-man front on that play as they took Twyman off.
SA: You know I don't think it's much that, as much that but they had six DBs out there. Now Kansas City is at the point of the game they can attack with the run, have more balance. Playing their game, no I think they need to have seven up there, we've seen it doesn't matter if they have seven defensive backs on every play Keenum is just shredding them. So put an extra DL or LB in there because Isaiah Johnson, Mark Webb and some of these extra DBs aren't stopping Hunt or Moss, whoever's running it.
DC: Plus you put your d-backs more in run support where you need them to try to slow Keenum down.
SA: Kansas City's playing their game right now. Carolina needs a turnover or something.
DC: And here's a dumpoff to the rookie Sean Tucker, and Sean Tucker, look at him! Gets past Carter, one man to beat, and somehow Davis-Gaither, who's been all over the place cause he's had to be, gets him down short of the 20.
TL: The Monarchs are about to go 93 yards here.
SA: The defensive alignments are just not right. They need an extra lineman or linebacker when they have an extra DB, and vice versa. I mean I was just playing when I said Keenum getting off the bus was an L, wasn't I?
DC: The Monarchs had 230 yards of offense last week, Keenum has 265 yards passing three minutes into the third quarter, and looking for his fifth touchdown pass.
Here's Tucker on the carry, he'll get 4. Carter with the stop after the initial contact by Avery.
SA: Colonels need to hold the Monarchs to a field goal here, but a turnover is even better. Whether it's a ball turnover or they get them to fourth and 1, 2 and they go and miss.
DC: Second and 6, and there's Tre Tucker, touchdown! Two catches, two touchdowns. Boy they weren't kidding, that's, for all intents and purposes, throw out that runout at the end of the half, five for five scoring, and Keenum has now a career-high. Five touchdown passes, he had four in X-Bowl XX four years ago against the Rage.
Here's Folk for the extra point, and the Monarchs looking for the X-Bowl record. They set it in that game with 49 against Orlando now 35 here, with almost 26 minutes left to go in this one.
And all the sudden Carolina looking at back-to-back X-Bowl losses. It'd be the first time that happened since oddly enough, the Monarchs, when they lost three straight to the Enforcers in '16, '17, and '18. Sam did you guys have any celebrations down in San Antonio with that one?
SA: No cause we didn't earn the right to do anything, and the next year which ended up being my last year there we had a chance and we choked hard. The Stampede haven't even back to the playoffs since so you only wish you could be in that spot to lose three in a row.
DC: Speaking of celebration, it was announced over the weekend that the Alamodome will host X-Bowl XV on June 29, 2025.
SA: Imagine if say they redid the playoffs so the host gets a guaranteed playoff spot, that way San Antonio finally makes it.
TL: Look at the Stamps out here catching strays, looked like the Knicks getting it on Smackdown the other night.
SA: I don't think Tyrese Haliburton's coming.
DC: Back to the game and Reed'll take this one eight yards deep for a touchback. Carolina back into a familiar spot, they're down 18, though now we're at 10:41 of the third quarter and they need something. Trask, from shotgun, blitz from Pappoe picked up by Carolina. Pass right on the sideline by Renfrow and he's knocked out, right at the sticks by Wallace. They're giving him the first.
SA: Three and out would have undoubtedly the worst thing to happen, now I don't think you can punt here. If you have five, maybe six yards or less you gotta go, even if you're short of midfield.
TL: Still too early?
SA: This Kansas City offense is unstoppable, I know what you're about to say so I'll just leave it there. But they need to keep the ball.
DC: Trask looking, incomplete, wanted Renfrow, second and 10.
TL: Is it too late to keep getting Edwards touches?
SA: It won't be later cause of the 4th and 15, but right now you've got to score and do it quickly as possible.
DC: There's Thomas on second and 10 and he'll be run out of bounds by McKinney. Third and 2.
Trask looks back, and out of shotgun he fires. It's caught, a first down to Reed for a gain of 13.
SA: So Carolina moving the ball, getting first downs. Now they're in go-mode, what I mean is even if they get to say fourth and 7 on the 20 they gotta go for it. A field goal does nothing here with the way the Monarchs are playing on offense.
TL: But the thing is, they only need one stop as long as they don't fall behind any further. You are right though about them taking too much time here.
DC: Trask being chased by Jones, and he's gonna stay on his feet. Still going, and out of bounds at the 39, and that should be a first down as he stretched going out. And yes, it will be a first down.
SA: Still too much time, need to be one line about 8:30, he we are about 8:20 and just now breaking out of the huddle? Come on!
DC: Edwards gonna make his way for two.
SA: I gotta just say this, Kevin O'Connell has not had a good night. From the fourth and 2, the onside, the lack of urgency. They can't be doing this! They ain't in a spot where they can go 35-40 seconds between plays, you're down 18, you gotta move!
DC: Trask to Higgins and Riq Woolen knocks it away, third down.
SA: And I thought Woolen got away with one earlier but that was just textbook coverage, Higgins don't wanna hear that but that's the truth.
DC: Third and 8 big down here for Trask and he had to get rid of it! Fourth and 8, he had Owusu-Koramoah and Gipson bearing down on him.
SA: This is how Kansas City's dominating in this game, they're one play ahead. Carolina goes four-wide, Joe Whitt says fine, my guys can cover I'm bringing the heat. Trask ain't been handling it all game so they're gonna bring six, seven, and it's gonna be a throwaway.
DC: Offense stays on the field and this could be the game at the midway point of the third quarter. Trask, deflected, CAUGHT!!!!!!! Thomas. That's gonna be 18 yards and a first down on a play that defines why it's better to be lucky than good.
SA: You can't play this any better, and 99 times out of 100 that's a pick for Xavier McKinney. But you'll hear fans and sometimes media complaining about players going into stat mode on fourth down. Hey go ahead and make that pick young man, because there's the flip side, he did what he was supposed to do, and it still went to Thomas. Luck ain't no substitute for the bottom line, and neither is going by the book. If Carolina comes back and makes this a thing cause of that play, you think they're gonna throw it out cause it wasn't by the book? You're out of your damn mind!
DC: So here's the toss to Edwards and he's off, and now whistles blow he's ruled out at the 12. Yep heel hits sideline, or else that's a touchdown. Second and 3.
SA: Monarchs still got everything in front of them, they play this like it's second and 12 cause I still don't think you can get three here and be in good shape.
DC: Trask back, and he overthrows Renfrow, and Levi Wallace had a better chance at that one. Third and 3.
TL: And no blitz there that's just standard coverage, I think if you did send one that probably could have been picked but here we go again
DC: And how big is Edwards stepping out of bounds if the Colonels don't punch it in here? Third and 3, goes back to Renfrow, and he holds on. Touchdown Colonels! They do pay it off!
SA: Levi Wallace is bringing the pain here so Renfrow has to basically have the strongest fingertips known to man and yeah he just does pull that one in before being knocked out of bounds.
DC: Hopkins a huge extra point that would make it an 11-point game and he got it with 5:32 left. So the Colonels get a big conversion on 4th and 8, and they validate it with a touchdown, and they're hanging on to life.
12 plays, 80 yards, 5:09 off the clock. And Carolina still alive.
SA: I'd feel much better about their chances if this were at 7:32 instead of 5:32, at least 6:32.
DC: Here's Hopkins to kick it off, and Tre Tucker will handle it. Here he is, and now here he goes. Tre Tucker, across the 50, to the 40, 30, 20, the 10, and pushed out at the 5 by Jaylon Jones! 93 yards!
SA: And that's why.
DC: Tucker took one back against the Demons in week one, and he comes five yards from doing it here. Two touchdowns on two catches, and now a 93-yard kickoff return to set the Monarchs up first and goal at the Carolina 5.
Here's Hunt, gets through, and in! One play! Second touchdown for Kareem Hunt. And with 5:17 left, we have last year's final, which I don't think will stay that way. Folk gets it back to 18, 42-24.
CC: Just a quick injury update, Jalen Virgil out for the game with officially a shoulder injury. Jordan Elliott out with an ankle.
DC: And that's been a huge part of the Monarchs' success over the last X number of years, next man up. Of course Elliott had lost his starting job but it still thins the Monarchs' depth at defensive tackle, especially when Tart has only played a handful of snaps but it's been Khalil Davis to step up and play most of the snaps alongside Dre'Mont Jones. Tre Tucker has filled in for both Demarcus Robinson and now Virgil and we're seeing just why he was tagged the secret weapon this week, and Michael Carter hasn't played since the first quarter yet the three-headed monster of Hunt, Moss, and Sean Tucker are gashing the Colonels.
Here's another touchback, and the Colonels start at the 20. So they've net not made any progress, as the Monarchs have answered them both times, and the last one even more devastating. They get the fourth and 8 conversion, get the touchdown, then boom 93-yard return, and then Hunt with the touchdown run and now you're effectively back to where you were at the end of the first half.
SA: Yeah Matt Nagy is content to trade touchdowns, Kevin O'Connell can't afford it.
DC: Short throw, caught Edwards, corralled by Owusu-Koramoah and that was dangerously close to a horse collar, but second and 2.
DC: Here's Edwards, got daylight! Up to the 43.
SA: Kansas City's gonna, if not take it, they'll accept it cause that clock continues to tick off seconds and I don't know why you're doing this at this point in the game.
DC: And now movement, back them up five it's Little. So the left side of the Colonels' offensive line, Little and Powers, were both Hitmen three years ago playing against Kansas City in X-Bowl XXI. Both moved to Carolina this past season.
And now another flinch, this from the other tackle, the veteran Daryl Williams. Five more.
First and 20, a short cross to Higgins will get most of the penalties back. Second and 11.
SA: Where's the composure?
DC: Now they'll go tempo and Trask fires, incomplete, looking for Herndon. Third and 11.
TL: Two-down territory here.
DC: Third and 11 and it's a short toss to Thomas that'll be well short, but I think they had that in mind. Offense stays on, fourth and 6.
And there's Thomas, dives forward and gets just enough for the first down.
SA: Xavier McKinney gave up that fourth down and he was mad this time, he was gonna go full Brock Lesnar and take Thomas to Suplex City if he needed to, almost worked.
DC: We go under a minute it's Edwards.
SA: Now I might get it cause you're getting close to the fourth quarter, and the fourth and 15 is in play. So yeah I can see slowing it down and going to the run here.
DC: Pappoe got the stop and we go under a minute here. Not in a hurry for just that reason, second and 5 coming up.
Here goes, give again. Edwards, breaks out of a tackle! Has the first down, down inside the 20 where Gipson makes the stop. And will Carolina run another play?
TL: I'd at least try another run but what if he ends up scoring? All the sudden you kind of got a ridiculous scenario where you might have to go down inside the 5 at the end of third quarter simply for that fourth and 15 to become available. I think they might wanna look at this in the offseason and consider moving it up to the third if you want it
SG: granted there's a substantial deficit
TL: Right, although that's another discussion right there. But we can talk about it on the podcast in the offseason
SG: Sounds good
DC: No play here, so the third quarter will run out. Three down, Kansas City up 42-24, X-Bowl number nine clearly in sight. Fourth quarter straight ahead, on ABC.
Underway in the fourth, tenth play of the drive. Simpson blitzing, picked up. Screen to Edwards, got blockers, dodges tackles, and all the way down to the 6. Gain of 12.
SA: And now you can go fourth and 15, that said even though they've converted a couple fourth downs here they still want to pick it up.
DC: And they're doing it as Trask drops back but that time he's going to run right into Aaron Lynch for a sack and a loss of 3
TL: Tick, tick, tick. They want to get this score sometime in the next minute, Kansas City just wants to disrupt them, and that's a pretty good way of doing it.
DC: A league-best 58 sacks on the regular season. Carter led the way with 14, Schult had nine, Lynch only had three but still a force. Twelfth play of the drive coming up. Trask, looking, endzone, CAUGHT! Herndon for six.
SA: Two plays the Colonels have needed right there at that point, they got them. One was the fourth and 8, and now this one.
DC: 12 plays 80 yards, and Trask to Chris Herndon. And now the extra point for Hopkins to make it 11 at 42-31, which he puts it through. Now, as for the last three times. Will the Colonels come up with the stop?
SA: Well they're not kicking off here, that'll help.
TL: But fourth and long in minus territory always different than the fourth and long they converted. Plus that was sort of a lucky bounce, odds of it happening again? Joe Whitt doesn't have any reason to change up his defense, says my guys are gonna cover and I'll just bring four cause you can't handle it.
SA: That's why I think you gotta leave a fullback or a tight end in here as an extra blocker. And I don't like this.
DC: Five wide, Monarchs will bring four and drop seven. Here we go. Trask, and look out. Hit as he throws, not even going to be close, and Renfrow picks it out of the air but he'll be tackled by Gipson. So the fourth and 15 isn't successful and the Monarchs take over at the Carolina 35!
SA: Didn't like that cause you have no one in to block. Five on four, is really four on four because when Cam Jurgens snaps the ball, Dre'Mont Jones is already three steps to the quarterback. Now he's gotta take on Owusu-Koramoah and let one of the tackles go get Jones, and in the meantime you got Carter and Lynch running wild. That's a busted play and you gotta leave somebody in there to pick it up.
DC: First and 10 Monarchs at the 35 and they can go for the kill here.
TL: I would really be shocked if the Monarchs pass the ball on anything but third and long here.
DC: Give is to Hunt and he runs into a swarm. No gain. Second and 10.
TL: This is gonna be a win for the Monarchs if they can pick up a first down, they're thinking touchdown and tie that record from four years ago.
DC: Hunt goes out, and here comes Sean Tucker. So the Monarchs, although out of necessity with Michael Carter going out, have rotated all their backs. On a second and 10.
SA: And another win for the Monarchs as I don't think I've seen either Gainwell or Ford for Carolina. Of course their usage of Edwards has been debatable.
DC: On second and 10 and a little dumpoff to Tucker and he'll get four. Third and 6, and I thought maybe Carolina get him for a loss, that might change this down.
TL: Third and 6 at the 31 this is important cause I keep it on the ground and you've got automatic Nick Folk to make it a two-touchdown game if you don't get it.
DC: Monarchs taking time off the clock but looking at this first down, and then that will get another two minutes. Third and 6, and Keenum to throw, INTERCEPTED! Guess who? Jamar Summers off the tip! Still going, brings it back across the 35. Colonels very much alive!
So the Colonels now 2-0 on the tip. One ended up going right to Ian Thomas on fourth and 8, and the other by Marquis Haynes, goes right to Jamar Summers. He'll get 13 on the return, and it's a first down for Carolina on the first Kansas City turnover of not just the game but the postseason.
TL: Rare mistake by Mike Kafka, should have been a run then you're either getting the first down or bringing Folk out to make it a 14-point game.
SA: Yeah but you got Mr. X-Bowl as usual doing whatever he wants. You go with him. Just another right place right time, so the defense has to go shut them down. Carolina's been better the last three drives, but that blitz and those defensive rotations are getting to Trask and that offensive line.
DC: Keenum threw just two interceptions in the regular season, the last one coming in Chicago in week seven, 261 passes ago. He didn't throw an interception in week four, but has one here, and it keeps Carolina alive.
And Trask gonna go for it all and he's got it, Jayden Reed, into Monarchs territory, gain of 29!
SA: When they get these big plays, what do they all have in common? All have a tight end or fullback in there and none of these have an empty backfield. So the Monarchs are eating them up when Carolina goes empty or a little less on the line but different story when they have one in there. Might need some adjustment there, an adjustment for an adjustment.
DC: 29 yards down to the 35 and here's Edwards. Pushing his way for yardage before being led out of bounds, he'll pick up six. Second and four.
TL: Now here's the question. If Carolina scores here and it's one-score game, do you go for fourth and 15?
SA: Depends on how quickly, no reason to do it with eight or nine minutes on the clock. Five, six? Then you start thinking about it. Because remember, you got Kansas City once, you're probably not doing it again. It's like Eraser, this only happens once.
DC: We should probably get that movie on to ABC sometime during the summer. Second and 4, it's Edwards. He's got a first down.
SA: Now Carolina still needs to go because now you're getting to that point where you need to think about it, or you will be. Time management hasn't really been one of KOC's strengths here tonight.
DC: Trask looking, oh there's Gainwell, he's got blockers, he's gonna take it down inside the 10 and cut down at the 8!
SA: That's a play you slow down this rush, I'm surprised we haven't seen more of that, and is that the first time we've seen Gainwell?
DC: Think he was in for two plays earlier.
SA: Well, O'Connell's gonna have a lot to think about this week, unfortunately it's gonna be a lot of 'why didn't I do this?' unless Carolina can win this game. I just don't think you're beating Kansas City 45-42.
DC: The Monarchs lost a game in 2013 48-38 in Dallas, that's the most they've scored in a loss to this day.
Here's Gainwell, he'll get four as Schult makes the stop.
SA: And here you go. They're robbing themselves of options, I just don't see how Kansas City's been a machine all night, and you're all the sudden gonna get them to go three and out in their own end. That's what you're pretty much pinning it down to the longer this keeps going.
DC: Second and goal and Gainwell is rocked for a three-yard loss by Dre'Mont Jones, third and goal!
TL: Oh by the way they had two tight ends there, Thomas and Herndon, and still was almost a mismatch as the Monarchs just became a wall.
SA: And that's where I like bouncing Gainwell out. Edwards is the punisher, Gainwell is the side-to-side outside back. No I don't like pounding Gainwell inside when your offensive line hasn't really gotten push all night. Even Edwards' big gains have come when he goes outside. Gotta look at these inside/outside splits, I'll be shocked if Carolina's getting three yards a carry between the tackles.
DC: Third and goal and Trask is leveled again as the throw I think was about to go to Gainwell on a wheel route but totally destroyed there and now fourth down.
SA: Monarchs tighten up inside the 10, second time they've done tonight. But I think you wanted to use either Edwards or Ford for at least one of those plays. Change it up like Kansas City's having all sorts of success doing.
DC: 25 yards for Hopkins to make it a one score game with 7:53 left, and he puts in through. 42-34, so the Colonels do cash in with three. Now what?
SA: Still can kick deep, but gotta tighten up your unit and no biggies here.
DC: Last time out, Tre Tucker nearly took it back for a touchdown. Similar here would be catastrophic for the Colonels. Tucker at the 6, and he'll bring it out over the 25 but short of the 30 where Webb tackles him. That has to be a win right there.
SA: But we've seen that the Monarchs can do it from anywhere on the field. You can't let them get more than one first down, maybe two.
DC: And there's one as Hunt takes the pitch and gets lots of blocking, out of bounds as he's run out at the 40 by Nakobe Dean.
SA: That actually works out for Carolina cause it happens early, now not that you want Kansas City to be moving the sticks, but at least it happened now and not two or three plays into this drive, they've burned up two minutes.
DC: 10 carries 51 yards for Hunt, who also has a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown. Exactly what the Monarchs were hoping for when they signed him back in January.
And the Monarchs will stay in two tight end here's Hunt again tries the right side, and he's got more room. Rips off another big run and another first down as we will tick down to the six-minute mark. Pair of 12-yard runs to open this drive.
SA: And no more from here. They can run this down to the two minute mark, even a field goal. They're up 45-34 and I think you call game at that point.
DC: Here's Hunt again but that time Madubuike gets him for no gain, second and ten.
SA: That's big cause you just changed this drive as far as playcalling and personnel, also give yourself a chance here.
DC: Zack Moss now in the game on second and 10 and Moss is shoveled in the backfield, gets out of it, and somehow gets back to line of scrimmage where Ledbetter's waiting for him. What a play by Marquis Haynes, who had the tip that led to the pick by Summers, and now this one. Defense showing up in the fourth, but is it too little too late?
TL: James Willis, the defensive coordinator, also wondering where this was for three quarters. Do you stay on the ground?
SA: I throw the ball, cause if it's incomplete, you're punting the ball and gonna pin Carolina inside their 20, maybe inside the 10. If you get say eight yards here you're tempted to go for it on fourth and 2, you don't make it you'll give Carolina the ball at the 40 with all three timeouts and under four minutes left. I know it sounds weird to say this but play it safe and throw the ball, you trust Mr. X not to just put it up for grabs here.
DC: Third and 10 and Keenum to throw, and it's incomplete! Not there for Beckham so it's fourth and 10.
SA: I tell you what I almost might have taken a sack so Carolina either uses a timeout or you run 40 seconds of clock. Cause we almost had the no man's land situation I was talking about cause that was going to be short of the marker.
TL: The last thing they wanted was the clock stopped at 4:24
DC: So Sterling Hofrichter will punt for the first time tonight. Kind of a linedrive wobbler that Renfrow will take at the 17 and Christian Elliss prevents a larger return by leg-whipping him just across the 20. Not a great punt but it will do the job, and the Colonels will start at the 21 with 4:16 left.
TL: Four-down territory here?
SA: With all three timeouts left and the two-minute warning it's tempting. But you've got to be ultra-confident in your defense, and I don't think two drives, one was as much as about killing clock, are enough to say "OK we're back, we got this". I think if it's fourth and relatively short you gotta go.
DC: Gainwell gets two, Jones with the stop.
SA: Ahhhhhhhhhhhh, I like Edwards there. If you're trying to get the tough yards, Gainwell you use on second down.
DC: We're told that Jerome Ford was injured on a special teams play, so that's why we've only seen Edwards and Gainwell, and Gainwell's only been in there for a handful of plays. Second and 8. It's Edwards, gets about three, and that's gonna put him over 100 for the second time against the Monarchs this year. Third and 5
SA: You know what? Run the ball, and then fourth and short you go cause you know on the other side they're shutting it down.
TL: Depends on this play here, if Trask takes a sack, you're going for it on fourth and 12?
SA: Is that any different than the fourth and 15 they'd do if they had to?
TL: Not sure they outright have to, we'll see.
DC: Third and 5 here's the blitz, it's picked up. Trask moves left, fires downfield it's incomplete! And Owusu-Koramoah may have gotten away with another one, fourth and 5.
SA: That's PI, and should be the second. One was Woolen earlier they didn't call, and yes Owusu-Koramoah just goes right through Edwards. Clear PI and should be first and ten at the 32. Now you force KOC into a decision.
DC: And here comes Blake Hayes.
SA: Oh man just like this. And this being the week of memes, here comes another one about a Kansas City football team in the final minutes of a title game with PI or holding.
TL: I'm not sure, there is contact here, but does that impede Edwards from making a move to the ball?
SA: Yes Owusu-Koramoah uses Edwards to balance himself, then pushes forward into him. Easy call, just not one made on the field.
TL: Apparently not that easy.
DC: Fourth and 5 Hayes punts it away and Turpin going to take it, got daylight--which is the last thing Carolina needs, but it's coming back as Turpin goes out at the 46.
Block in the back on Bausby, so that will come back and the Monarchs will start at the 23 with 2:41 left.
SA: Got to regroup and shut this thing down, cause you know on the other side that's what they're thinking.
DC: First and ten it's Hunt, run of about 3, second down. And now Carolina gonna call timeout.
TL: Second and 7, if this play gets even a yard there's no reason for Kansas City not to keep it on the ground. That was why Keenum ended up throwing it on the last series cause of the two runs for no gain.
DC: Stay with two tight ends here and Hunt the lone setback and here he goes around the right side, got the first down and more, into Carolina territory and he's hit, but knocked out of bounds by Byron Young so that stops the clock
TL: Oh the best play you can get there and it essentially acts as a fifth timeout for Carolina cause Hunt should have just gone down and not put himself into position to get knocked out of bounds.
SA: I think what Hunt's thinking is he cuts in back in there's a bunch of white shirts there, and that could be a fumble waiting to happen. No biggie, just run it here and just take it inside and don't go out of bounds.
TL: If this were about 20 seconds later he's good since the clock runs down the two-minute warning anyway.
DC: Here he is again and he'll take it down near, or inside the 40, and we are going down to two minutes left. Monarchs, trying to run this one out and pick up their ninth XFL championship. Colonels just trying to get it back and force the fourth overtime in X-Bowl history. We're coming back for it all, from the Lou.
Hunt went over 100 yards on that carry, 15 for 105. Michael Carter, the Monarch, is one the sidelines and we're told is available. But they may let Hunt ride this one out. 142 yards rushing for Kansas City.
That group, Raimann, Bergeron, Schmitz, Cleveland, and the all-XFL veteran Collins all making the difference. And three of them are new from last year, they drafted Schmitz and Bergeron in the first round, and signed Collins, the former #1 overall pick of the Xtreme who had been playing with the Cincinnati Bengals. So usually when you change 60% of the offensive line from year to year it's not something that's looked at as a bigtime upgrade in league circles.
TL: Actually it's more like 80 cause Raimann was the starter at right tackle last year and he moves over to the left side to take Eric Fisher's spot. So this is sort of unprecedented. Don't tell the team that plays here cause Jarrett Stidham is just a sack waiting to happen every time he drops back, and this on a team that's drafted three legit players in the middle with Humphrey, Goedeke, and Avila.
DC: Hunt again, and that line has been crushing the Colonels all night. Hunt has 5 and there's the second Carolina timeout.
TL: So Carolina ends up getting all these timeouts, these extra timeouts and it's doing nothing, cause instead of giving them extra opportunities to make stops, it's the opposite, it's giving the Monarchs extra opportunities to run it down their throats.
DC: Hunt again, dodges a tackler. Gets inside the 30 and down to the 28, last timeout for Carolina. Second and 4 with 1:44 left, so Hunt is gonna go off, and here is Michael Carter, not the one who just missed the tackle but Carter for the Monarchs, who had a ten-yard catch on the Monarchs' first scoring drive.
SA: This could be a risk cause you bring in a guy that's been out for three quarters. I might bring in one of the other two backs, but no risk it no biscuit I guess.
TL: Well that's just the thing, you also have an ultimately fresher back. So granted there's nothing going on like any concussion issues you should be fine.
DC: No timeouts, second and four. The Monarchs hold on to the ball they're in good shape, they get the first down they're champions again. A June ritual as it has been for the last five coming into tonight. Carter............stopped short. Third and 1.
SA: Carolina has two chances, turnover. Or a hold on downs, and that's probably unlikely cause Folk is coming out if they don't get this first, even if it's fourth and inches.
DC: Carter gets it, got the first down and that will do it. I think they wanted to let him score there but he just went down at the 20. So one kneeldown and Kansas City will add another title, doubling up with the Chiefs the second year in a row and third time in five years.
TL: And everything on that last series, on the ground. Gonna be 161 for the Monarchs, but that offensive line got that, or they were a big reason.
DC: They have one starter back from last year in his same spot, that was Cleveland at right guard. And the numbers won't lie just how big they were. Keenum, who takes a knee, 23 of 28, 287 yards, five touchdowns and a pick. Kareem Hunt, signed in January, has to carry the load with Carter out all but a few snaps, 17 carries for a buck 16 and a touchdown, three catches for 18 yards and a touchdown. And for the sixth time, second this year, the remaining crowd is going to watch the Monarchs win in this building.
SA: Just tremendous up and down, that run defense was still kind of a sore spot, Edwards with 101 tonight, you know that as Matt Nagy goes for number 10 next year he's looking at that. He's already onto 2025, probably as soon as Carter got that first down to end it. But if you're going to address deficiencies that's where you want to do it. How can you win more as opposed to just how can you win?
DC: This was all the Monarchs to win or lose. They led 14-3 after one, a sharp contrast to last year in Seattle when they trailed 14-0. They led by 18 on multiple occasions, and the Colonels never got closer than eight, the final margin. They did everything on offense perfectly up until the fourth quarter, when Keenum was picked off by Summers on a deflection, and then they punted on their penultimate series. But they got it back with 2:41 left, Carolina never saw it again, and as Tommy pointed out everything on the ground.
Keenum threw three passes in the fourth quarter. One a screen pass for four yards, one the interception, and another incomplete. But he was more than happy to hand it off, so to speak, to his run game, which pounded the Colonels for 80 yards in that fourth quarter, 56 on that last drive.
TL: The undernoticed part of this game. Every time Carolina got close, the Monarchs pushed it away. It was 14-10, the Monarchs push it to 28-10. They score at the end of the half, Kansas City comes out and makes ii 35-17. Colonels get that unbelievable fourth down, Monarchs do it again. Back and forth one more time, Tre Tucker, who was the hidden weapon, takes it 93 yards, Hunt does the rest. That was the game.
SA: This I think is a big disappointment for the Colonels. Not the season, cause I played for teams that haven't been close, back when Case Keenum was in my locker room. I played for teams that went up against these Monarchs back when Matt Nagy wasn't there, back against guys like Ponder and Travis Lulay and we couldn't get it done, they haven't been anywhere since so getting there isn't a failure. The disappointment is in the game, they never controlled one aspect of it any point, and the failure, if there is one, would be going forward if they all the sudden fall to 8-8.
DC: It's hard to pick an MVP cause this was a team effort, but Cole Cubelic's standing by with the guy that's gonna hoist the MVP trophy. Case Keenum.
(CC talks to CK)
DC: Case Keenum was an undrafted free agent, signed by the Stampede in 2012. For most of his six years, he backed up Brian Hoyer. He and my partner Sam Acho were teammates for three. He signed with the Monarchs as a free agent in the summer of 2017, Matt Nagy became the head coach. All seven of Keenum's seasons have ended in an X-Bowl, the last six a champion. In that span? The Monarchs are a ridiculous 113-10. He has more interceptions over that span than the Monarchs have losses. Something on the pro level that just doesn't happen, and they may lose some guys when free agency begins in two weeks, but there's no signs it's slowing down anytime soon.
SA: It's the next guy. It ain't just Nagy that's set it up either. They had Anthony Calvillo, first-ballot Hall of Famer, retire after they won their second, Travis Lulay comes in and they repeat in 2015. I struggled when I was a free agent cause we'd just played them in the division championship game. Do I go back to Dallas, and we try to take them down again? Do I go somewhere else? Do I even go there--to Kansas City? I went to San Antonio and we got one shot, we beat them twice but then the third time, that was like Patrick Mahomes/Travis Kelce stuff. So this has been going for years, it ain't shutting down say they just go 4-12. That's not happening.
DC: And there will be some talk of Keenum's future. The Monarchs certainly would love to have him back but they're set if Keenum rides into the sunset. Vernon Adams came down from the CFL he played some this year, Skylar Thompson is there, Stetson Bennett took a year off for personal reasons but he'll be back. They're stocked there.
You saw what just happened tonight. Carter goes out early, Kareem Hunt comes in and was just sensational. Their other backs also played. Tre Tucker not only replaced Demarcus Robinson he also replaced Jalen Virgil, you saw what he did. Teair Tart and Jordan Elliott were injured, Khalil Davis comes in and in the most he's ever played in a game did very well.
They might take some hits in a couple weeks, but coming up two weeks after that is the draft, and you've seen how they clean up there. Schmitz and Bergeron were their first two picks, both first rounders, they were outstanding tonight. Tre Tucker, Sean Tucker, Pappoe, Andre Carter. They got Kaevon Merriweather as an undrafted free agent. They keep this up this isn't even close to being done.
Time to present some hardware, let's go to Stormy Buonantony, XFL commissioner MGB, league ambassador Dany Garcia, and here we go
(Trophy presentation)
MGB: Well. Mahomes, Kelce--probably Taylor Swift, and Clark Hunt are gonna have something to say about this but this has to be Kansas City's best. Eight times before we have called the Monarchs XFL champions of the world, and now a ninth. Coach, it's all yours.
(Commissioner MGB presents trophy to Nagy. SB interviews Hunt, Keenum, OBJ and others)
MGB: And you know what that means, the Monarchs will open defense of their ninth title on February 14, 2025 at Arrowhead, right here on ABC
DC: Let's toss it over to Cole Cubelic, standing by with Kevin O'Connell. A tough loss to the Monarchs for the second year in a row
(CC interviews KOC)
DC: Alright, Monarchs victorious. Kind of a new thing they haven't won a championship indoors before. The only other one was in 2009 with O'Connell standing on the other side as the quarterback. Matt Nagy was the quarterback in San Francisco that year so he was far away from the festivities. But that's two straight over the Colonels for him, and, for the first time, the Monarchs go back-to-back over a team in the X-Bowl. They have four wins over Chicago, but all came in non-consecutive years--2012, 2015, 2019, and 2022. They have wins over Washington in 2014--that was Anthony Calvillo's last game, Orlando in 2020 and New York in 2021, so new thing. But nothing to be ashamed of for Carolina.
SA: Never if you lose to the best, I think they left some plays out here but whether the game goes the other way, who knows. They didn't play as well as they did last year but you don't discount them all the sudden, there were seven other teams in the East that didn't lose here tonight sure, but there's also a reason none of them were here, and five of those didn't make it to the playoffs. So Carolina'll be back.
TL: Everyone thought, especially after we saw them in Raleigh, then once after that in Chicago, there was something wrong with the Monarchs, no it was Carolina winning that day--as it was the Enforcers that night a few weeks later. It happens, you don't go 16-0 every year, even if the Monarchs already have three of those in the bank. That was Trask's coming out party, and the Monarchs saying "OK you get today, it was in front of your home fans, you need it more than us. Now meet me in St. Louis in June, and do it again then if you want to be the champs". Carolina gave it another shot, but this time the Monarchs had two things in mind: last year in Seattle, and then March in Raleigh. Wasn't happening again. Kansas City won this, Carolina didn't lose it.
DC: Over to our field duo of Lowell Galindo and Harry Douglas for closing comments.
LG: Another great season, and it ends the same as the last five before this, and three before that, with the Monarchs being the ultimate great.
HD: You can't argue this. A couple weeks ago we just crowned a champion here that dominated the NBA in its early years, and as the league's grown they've pretty much stayed the course. Hasn't been too many years in that span where they haven't been in the mix, and the same here in the XFL with this Monarchs team, although their run might be even better.
LG: Sixteen X-Bowls since 2009, and only one they haven't played in, and ironically it was one that Kansas City hosted as a neutral site game in 2010. Hey Celtics, Monarchs, can we bring back the old tagline: ABC Sports, championship television? We've definitely seen it this month. Can't wait for next year, as the Monarchs go for number ten.
HD: One for the thumbS.
DC: And it will be one for the second thumb, and another milestone up for Matt Nagy. Win number 125, and right now the Monarchs at 113 in his run. By the way, that's in his eighth year he's going for 125. We have coaches that are just looking for 25.
The 25th year for this league, and we're gonna kick it off February 14 in Kansas City cause of course.
TL: Who's gonna stop them? Somebody will, we thought San Francisco could, they came close. Hey Sam the teams that came the closest to keeping them out of the X-Bowl? Two of your former teams. Chicago had the three-game streak, the three X-Bowls, it's been a few years and I think Rex is ready to win again, can Gardner Minshew take that next step? Jimmy Clausen ended up dominating the decade with those four titles, and just like it was in 2013 who's gonna be the ones? Well the one that was the one back then is your best bet. But that was a monster defense with Jordan, Watt, Miller, Campbell, Bowman, Peterson. That's six guys who are going in the Hall of Fame, Chicago has some guys now but not to that level.
SA: You know, people complain about dynasties ruining the sport. I'm not hearing any of it. It gives 15 teams, although really it's about five, something to shoot for. Was the NBA better when everyone was chasing MJ, Shaq and Kobe, the Warriors? Or just a season-long open tournament? Who won the title this year? The Celtics, the 17-time champions. Think it would have been better with the Raptors again? Give me a break!
TL: Now the Raptors catching the strays.
SA: Better stop before I go full Stephen A but I think this league has been at its best, 24 years, and 15 of those the Monarchs have been in the title game. About 60%? More? People want to see good, great. The Monarchs are great. And if you're in Kansas City, man you got two title teams at Arrowhead, hey maybe Kansas wins the Big 12 this year they're playing some games there. There ain't nothing like championship football.
DC: Alright, that's it for the 2024 season. Great job everyone involved. Special thanks to our production staff, from night one in Kansas City, to night 136, also involving these Monarchs here in St. Louis. Want to thank our director Anthony DiMarco, been with us every week that we've been with you. For Tommy Lugenbill, Sam Acho in the booth, Cole Cubelic and Stormy Buonantony on the sidelines, Lowell Galindo and Harry Douglas on the field, this is Drew Carter. Now, except on the west coast, stay tuned for the late news on your local ABC station and so long from St. Louis. Final once more, Monarchs 42 Colonels 34, and the Monarchs are champions again, goodnight everybody.
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