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Vipers’ young talent trying to set offseason tone in finale

On paper, there isn’t a whole lot for the Vipers to play for as they hit the road for their inaugural XFL season finale against the Seattle Sea Dragons at 4 p.m. Sunday.

This one could be more about the offseason vibes.

“It’s hard to have a sour taste in your mouth for another seven months,” coach Rod Woodson said. “I don’t want it. The good thing is we have another game and we get to go to Seattle, who we were beating for 58 minutes and then they score at the end to win. We need to play our best football out there.”

The game has much more tangible meaning for Seattle. While a series of extraordinarily complicated tiebreaker scenarios could be triggered, the Sea Dragons would almost certainly make the playoffs with a victory. Seattle (6-3) is out with a loss.

Woodson says his team is capable of playing spoiler, and there have been signs of such an ability despite a 2-7 record.

The emergence of several young players, including quarterback Jalan McClendon, has been a major factor in the team’s recent improvement.

In the three games since McClendon was installed as the starter, the Vipers have outscored opponents 64-61 and held a second-half lead in all three games.

Yet they have won just once, a frustrating reality for Woodson, who says he has the most talented roster in the league.

“I really believe we have a real good group, but it doesn’t matter if you don’t play like it,” he said. “We’ve done so in spurts. We’re smashing people in the first half. Second half, we don’t play with the same focus, enthusiasm and passion.”

McClendon will try to make sure the team can maintain that standard for a full 60 minutes and avoid the kind of mistakes that led to the offense allowing two fumbles to get returned for touchdowns last week in a 28-21 loss at Houston.

The Vipers’ defense has also seen the emergence of some young playmakers down the stretch.

Keylon Kennedy, who last played football at Garden City Community College in Kansas in 2020 before the Vipers drafted him this season, had his first two interceptions of the season last week.

Woodson had high praise for his young protege.

“Key is really talented,” Woodson said. “He can play, he can run, he’s physical. He does everything the right way. He’s young, and sometimes young players play young. That’s the nature of the business. But I think he’s going to keep getting better and better. He’s a baby, so we’re teaching him football and he’s just getting better and better each week.”

Woodson is a Hall of Fame defensive back, so he understands what it takes to succeed in the secondary. He said Kennedy has it.

“He will be in the National Football League,” Woodson said. “I just don’t know what year it will be, but he will be there. He’s an extremely talented player who is still learning. I can’t wait to work with him this offseason. I just know he’s going to keep growing.”

First, the Vipers have one more game to get through.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on Twitter.

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