Tampa Bay Vipers: 2020 Season Review
In the 2020 Season Review series, we're recapping the results, highlights, and stats from the first XFL season.
Read all eight team wrap-ups as we roll them out:
- Tuesday, 4/7: DC Defenders, New York Guardians
- Wednesday, 4/8: St. Louis BattleHawks, Tampa Bay Vipers
- Thursday, 4/9: Dallas Renegades, Houston Roughnecks
- Friday, 4/10: Los Angeles Wildcats, Seattle Dragons
2020 Season Review
Record/Results | Statement Win | Breakout Players
Best Moment | Photos | Team Stats | Player Stats
1-4 (4th, East)
- Home: 1-1
- Away: 0-3
- vs. East: 1-1
- Against The Spread: 2-3
| WEEK | W/L | OPP | SCORE | ATS | OVER/UNDER |
| 1 | L | at NY | 23-3 | L | U |
| 2 | L | at SEA | 17-9 | L | U |
| 3 | L | HOU | 34-27 | W | O |
| 4 | W | DC | 25-0 | W | U |
| 5 | L | at LA | 41-34 | L | O |
Statement Win
Week 4 Highlights: Tampa Bay Vipers 25, DC Defenders 0
Week 4: Tampa Bay Vipers 25, DC Defenders 0
It should come as no surprise that the win against the Defenders was the statement win for the Vipers, who finished the season 1-4.
The victory couldn't have come at a better time for Tampa Bay. After starting 0-3 -- despite going down to the last drive versus Seattle and Houston -- the Vipers needed to prove they could close out games.
It didn’t take long for them to shut the door on D.C. The team came out humming, with Taylor Cornelius leading an 11-play, 75-yard opening drive that culminated poetically with what looked to be the entire offensive line pushing Jacques Patrick into the end zone.
From there, the Vipers never looked back, all-out dominating the Defenders on both sides of the ball and coming away with a 25-0 victory and the second shutout in XFL history.
Breakout Players
RBs De’Veon Smith & Jacques Patrick
The league’s No. 1 and No. 3 leading rushers, they established themselves as the XFL’s dynamic RB duo, becoming the first backs to rack up 100-plus rushing yards in a single game (Week 4 vs. DC).
Smith (5-foot-11, 220 pounds) pulverized defensive lines, helping the Vipers offense move swiftly and effectively down the field. The wrecking ball ran for a league-leading 365 yards, averaging 73 ground yards per game.
His 122-yard performance in Week 4 set the XFL record for the most single-game rush yards. He also made one of the year’s best grabs in Week 3 against the Roughnecks, leaping in the air to bring down and hold onto a Quinton Flowers pass, despite taking a shot that drew a flag for unnecessary roughness.
Patrick rushed for 254 yards and two touchdowns on the season. His touchdown on the opening drive vs. DC delivered what was arguably the year’s most emotional moment.
After crossing the goal line, he knelt down and then pointed up to the sky to honor his late father, who had passed away just weeks earlier. He then followed up that performance the next week with another rushing score against the Wildcats.
Week 4: Jacques Patrick scores first pro TD
Defensive backs Anthoula Kelly & Marcelis Branch
It’s hard to pick out players to spotlight in Jerry Glanville’s notorious run-chase-hit defense, but these two did their best to make their presence known in the secondary.
Kelly proved why he deserves the nickname "Tank." The Fresno State alum was a force in the secondary. His 8 passes defensed led the league, and his 20 solo tackles led the Vipers.
Branch led the team with 33 combo tackles and added a sack for good measure. The former Pittsburgh Steeler claims to have “evil intentions” on the field and routinely showed off those intentions by delivering some of the biggest hits of the season.
Tarvarus McFadden takes an INT to the house
Week 2: Tarvarus McFadden's Pick-6
McFadden picks off a pass, falls down, gets back up, evades multiple opponents, and records the XFL's longest interception return -- with a touchdown to boot.
Vipers stand for national anthem in Week 2 (Joe Nicholson)
OFFENSE: EFFICIENCY
| Category | Stat (Rank) |
| Pts/G | 19.6 (3) |
| Pts/Play | 0.263 (8) |
| Avg Score Margin | -3.4 (7) |
| Yds/G | 391.8 (1) |
| Yds/Play | 5.25 (3) |
| Plays/G | 74.6 (1) |
| Yds/Play | 5.25 (3) |
| Rush Play% | 50.4% (3) |
| Pass Play% | 46.1% (6) |
PASSING
| Category | Stat (Rank) |
| Pass Yds | 1195 (4) |
| Comp% | 59.3% (4) |
| Yards/Pass | 6.9 (4) |
| Pass TD | 4 (T7) |
| Interceptions Thrown | 9 (7) |
RUSHING
| Category | Stat (Rank) |
| Rush Yds | 828 (1) |
| Yards/Rush | 4.4 (T3) |
| Rush TD | 6 (1) |
EXTRA POINTS
| Category | Stat |
| 1-pt | 6/8 (75%) |
| 2-pt | 1/3 (33%) |
| 3-pt | -- |
| TOTAL | 7/11 (64%) |
Notable: The Vipers led the XFL in 1-point success and overall success.
GAME CONTROL
| Category | Stat (Rank) |
| Takeaways | 5 (7) |
| Turnovers | 11 (7) |
| TO Margin | -6 (7) |
| 3rd Down Conv% | 44.6% (2) |
| 4th Down Conv% | 46.2% (6) |
| Red Zone TD% | 38.1% (6) |
| Team Pen Yds | 348 (8) |
DEFENSE: EFFICIENCY
| Category | Stat (Rank) |
| Opp Pts/G | 23.0 (6) |
| Opp Pts/Play | 0.464 (8) |
| Opp Yds/G | 258.8 (1) |
| Opp Yds/Play | 5.32 (4) |
| Opp Plays/Game | 48.6 (1) |
| Opp Rush Yds/G | 75.8 (1) |
| Opp Pass Yds/G | 183 (3) |
| Opp Yards/Rush | 3.8 (3) |
| Opp Yards/Pass | 6.54 (4) |
DEFENSE: EVENTS
| Category | Stat (Rank) |
| Sacks | 5 (8) |
| QB Hits | 25 (4) |
| Interceptions | 3 (T7) |
| Passes Defensed | 28 (3) |
| Fumble Recoveries | 2 (T4) |
| Forced Fumbles | 1 (7) |
| Defensive/Special Teams TDs | 1 (T3) |
More: TB Team Stats
QUARTERBACKS
| Name | COMP | ATT | % | YDS | AVG | TD | LG | INT | ATT | YDS | AVG | TD | LG |
| Taylor Cornelius | 78 | 123 | 63 | 858 | 7 | 4 | 38 | 6 | 17 | 114 | 6.7 | 3 | 17 |
| Aaron Murray | 16 | 34 | 47 | 231 | 6.8 | 0 | 44 | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Quinton Flowers | 8 | 15 | 53 | 106 | 7.1 | 0 | 37 | 1 | 16 | 78 | 4.9 | 1 | 15 |
RUNNING BACKS
| Name | RUSH | RUSH YDS | AVG | RUSH TD | LG | REC | REC YDS | AVG | REC TD | LG |
| De'Veon Smith | 90 | 365 | 4.1 | 0 | 22 | 7 | 36 | 8.9 | 0 | 25 |
| Jacques Patrick | 60 | 254 | 4.2 | 2 | 24 | 5 | 21 | 9.8 | 0 | 21 |
Notable: Smith led the XFL in rushing yards and carries. Patrick finished third in rushing yards.
WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS
| Name | TAR | REC | REC YDS | AVG | REC TD | LG |
| Dan Williams | 38 | 23 | 338 | 14.7 | 1 | 42 |
| Jalen Tolliver | 36 | 21 | 297 | 14.1 | 1 | 44 |
| Reece Horn | 36 | 27 | 240 | 8.9 | 1 | 24 |
| Nick Truesdell | 15 | 9 | 91 | 10.1 | 0 | 27 |
| DeAndre Goolsby | 8 | 5 | 76 | 15.2 | 1 | 24 |
Notable: Horn finished second in the XFL in receptions. The Vipers had three in the top 10 for receiving yards: Williams (second), Tolliver (fourth) and Horn (ninth).
KICKING
| Name | FGM | FGA | FG% | LONG |
| Andrew Franks | 8 | 11 | 73 | 48 |
DEFENSE: TACKLES
| Name | TAK | AS | CMB |
| Marcelis Branch | 19 | 14 | 33 |
| Anthoula Kelly | 20 | 3 | 23 |
| Micah Hannemann | 16 | 7 | 23 |
| Nikita Whitlock | 9 | 10 | 19 |
DEFENSE: SACKS
| Name | SK | YDS | QBH | TFL |
| Marcelis Branch | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Obum Gwacham | 1 | 5 | 2 | 1 |
| Reggie Northrup | 1 | 9 | 1 | 1 |
| Robert Priester | 1 | 7 | 1 | 1 |
| Terrance Plummer | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
DEFENSE: INTERCEPTIONS
| Name | INT | PD |
| Tarvarus McFadden | 2 | 3 |
| Robert Priester | 1 | 3 |
PUNTING
| Name | NO | YDS | AVG | LG |
| Jake Schum | 15 | 634 | 42.3 | 67 |
Notable: Schum tied for the longest punt of the season.
More: TB Player Stats