Getty The XFL debuts this weekend nearly two decades after the league initially folded.
The New York Guardians will host the Tampa Bay Vipers at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford Sunday in their first game in the XFL’s opening weekend.
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The game is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. ET and will be televised on Fox. If you don’t have cable, you can watch a live stream of the game on your computer, phone, Roku, Fire TV Stick or other streaming device via one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services:
Sling TV
Sling TV’s “Sling Blue” package comes with 47 channels, including Fox (live in select markets). And as part of a special 5-year anniversary deal Sling is offering until February 11, the first month is only $5 ($30 per month after that):
Once signed up for Sling TV, you can watch Tampa Bay vs New York live on your computer via the Sling TV website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, or other streaming device via the Sling TV app.
If you can’t watch live, Sling TV comes included with 10 hours of cloud DVR.
FuboTV
Fox (live in select markets) is one of the 95-plus live TV channels included in the main FuboTV bundle, which comes with a free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for FuboTV, you can watch a live stream of Tampa Bay vs New York on your computer via the FuboTV website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, or other supported device via the FuboTV app.
If you can’t watch live, FuboTV comes with 30 hours of cloud DVR space, as well as a 72-hour look-back feature, which will allow you to watch the game on-demand within three days of its conclusion, even if you don’t record it.
Hulu With Live TV
Fox (live in select markets) is included in Hulu With Live TV, which comes with 60-plus live TV channels and Hulu’s extensive on-demand library of TV shows and movies.
Once signed up for Hulu With Live TV, you can watch a live stream of Tampa Bay vs New York on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Echo Show, or other streaming device via the Hulu app.
If you can’t watch live, Hulu With Live TV comes with 50 hours of cloud DVR space, as well as the option to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of space and the ability to fast-forward through commercials.
AT&T TV Now
AT&T TV Now (formerly DirecTV Now) offers six different channel bundles. They range from 45 to 125 live TV channels, and they all include Fox (live in select markets). The “Plus” and “Max” bundles come with a free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for AT&T TV Now, you can watch a live stream of Tampa Bay vs New York on your computer via the AT&T TV Now website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, or other compatible streaming device via the AT&T TV app.
If you can’t watch live, AT&T TV Now — no matter what channel package you choose — comes with included cloud DVR.
Tampa Bay Vipers vs New York Guardians Preview
Tampa Bay is led by former Chicago Bears head coach Marc Trestman, who led the Bears from 2013-14. Trestman was with the Baltimore Ravens briefly after that as an offensive coordinator, but he hasn’t coached in the NFL since 2016. Trestman said this week that his new team is off to a promising start, however. “The guys came out today and worked very hard throughout practice,” Trestman noted. “They were very focused. We got a lot of work done.”
The team hasn’t played enough for Trestman to get a grip on its primary weaknesses, but once Sunday’s matchup against New York gets underway, any glaring weaknesses shoulf emerge in a hurry. “We don’t know yet,” Trestman said. “We’re going to get a measuring stick, certainly on Sunday. Our hope is that we’ll play smart football and eliminate the things that we can control: pre-snap penalties, turnovers.” Former Georgia Bulldog Aaron Murray will start at quarterback for Tampa Bay.
As for New York, the Guardians will be led by former New York Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride, who was the O.C. from 2007-2013, while also with Eli Manning since 2004. Gilbride will serve as both head coach and general manager of the Guardians.
Matt McGloin will get the start at quarterback for New York, and Joe Horn Jr., son of the former Pro Bowl wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints of the same name, will play the same position in this league.
There are some key differences between the XFL and the National Football League, however. For example, the extra point has been eliminated. After a touchdown, teams can elect to go for one, two, or three points. The XFL will also require receivers to have just one foot in bounds, which is the same in college football.
There is also the double forward pass, a rule stipulating that if one pass has been thrown behind the line of scrimmage, another pass can be thrown in addition to the first.
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