XFL playoff schedule: When will DC Defenders face Arlington Renegades?

The stage is set for the 2023 XFL championship game. The North Division champion, the DC Defenders, will be locking horns with the Arlington Renegades, who came out victorious in the South Division.

The game is scheduled for Saturday, May 13 at 8:00 p.m. ET.

The Arlington Renegades reached the championship game on Saturday night after defeating the Houston Roughnecks 26-11 at the TDECU Stadium in front of 13,558 fans.

Despite being the favorite, the Roughnecks were only able to score a touchdown against a team they had defeated twice in the regular season.

The D.C. Defenders, on the other hand, secured their place in the contest with a 37-21 win over the Seattle Sea Dragons on Sunday night. The Sea Dragons, who made the playoffs on the final day of the regular season, were blown out in front of 18,684 fans by the Defenders, who had defeated them twice in the regular season.

A widely unexpected matchup

Considering many factors, this matchup is highly improbable. Not many would have predicted such an unexpected pairing for the title game during the regular season. Nonetheless, here we are, waiting to see one of them become the 2023 XFL champion.

Despite their losing record of 4-6 during the regular season, the Renegades made it to the playoffs after clinching the second spot in the South Division. They would, however, go on to do the impossible against the division favorite, the Houston Roughnecks, in the divisional championship game.

The D.C. Defenders have been the top-performing team in the XFL throughout the season. They have showcased their dominance in the matchups against teams from both divisions. It's definitely no surprise to see them here. Many expected them to overpower the highly competitive Sea Dragons team in the divisional championship game.

Preview of the XFL Championship game

It will obviously be a thrilling encounter at the Alamodome when the two sides meet up to decide the 2023 XFL king. Without a doubt, the Defenders are the clear favorites for this. The team has shown its class throughout the season with a 9-1 record and would be a worthy champion.

However, an upset could be on the cards. The Defenders needed overtime to overcome the Renegades 28-26 in their earlier matchup in Week 8. Arlington pulled an impressive 26-9 comeback to force the game into overtime in the last quarter.

An encounter of such will be expected on May 13. The Renegades' head coach, Bob Stoop, will be counting on his defense, which held the Roughnecks to a season-low 11 points, to do the magic against the domineering D.C. Defenders.

Despite the Renegades’ impressive upset against the Roughnecks, the Defenders are expected to have the upper hand in the championship game. With such remarkable talent on their team, it would be surprising if the Defenders did not cap off their outstanding season with a championship title.