IFL 2025 Week 11: What We Learned
- offthewallfbpod
- Jun 4
- 9 min read
The playoff races are heating up as IFL Week 11 came to a close! The East is looking like a 4-team race for four spots, it's just a matter of who lands where. The West is a little more of a wild card (imo), but regardless we are in for a really fun end of the year as in-conference clashes are going to be a weekly occurrence.
What did we learn this past weekend?
Jacksonville Sharks @ Massachusetts Pirates
Result: 43-29 Massachusetts
What We Learned: Massachusetts seems to have the Sharks' number & Jacksonville needs a breather in the worst way
IFL Week 11 got started on Thursday of last week with the Pirates getting a much needed win over a beat up a Jacksonville Sharks team. The Pirates fed RB Pooka Williams Jr EARLY and OFTEN in this one as he racked up 140 yards & 2 TDs on the ground, and QB Kenji Bahar connected with WR Isaac Zico 7 times for 62 yards & 2 TDs.
The Pirates had an early fumble in the first quarter, but otherwise played a pretty safe game and control the ball on offense really well running with Pooka. This game was a lot more reminiscent of 2023 & 2024 Pirates games in terms of running the ball well and having the QB be supplemental to the offense and not necessarily the driving force.
I've been pretty harsh on QB Kenji Bahar over the past month or so but he played well coming out of the bye week as the Pirates snagged their 3rd win of the season -- and their 2nd against the Sharks.
For the Sharks, this was a brutal portion of the schedule for them. They played on the road at Fishers, then 4 days later played again on the road in Massachusetts with a pretty beat up roster. They had their 3rd different QB in 3 games start this one, with Tyler Huff attempting to pick up where he left off in that second half against Fishers -- but they just had a tough time getting started. They found themselves in a 19-point hole at halftime and just didn't have the personnel to storm back through the air like they needed to in this one. Tyler Huff ran for 2 TDs and connected with WR Marcus Rogers for 2 more through the air, but they just didn't have the firepower in the 2nd half as the Pirates ran down the clock.
Sharks are now sitting at 6-3 on the year, only a game back and plenty to play for -- but they need some of their key guys back on offense quickly if they want to keep up in the race for the top seed in the East.
Quad City Steamwheelers @ Tulsa Oilers
Result: 31-27 Quad City
What We Learned: Daquan Neal is the straw that stirs the drink in Moline & Tulsa's offense rolls against everybody but Quad City
Heading into this game, it was unclear if Daquan Neal was going to get the start or if Quad City play it safe and roll with a backup, but Neal got the start and the Steamwheelers improved to 7-0 in games that he has started at QB this year.
He wasn't lights out in this one, but played pretty well in his first game back with 3 total TDs, including a CLUTCH touchdown to WR Key Rudd in the final minute of the game to put the game away. The possessions were very limited in this game due to a strong game from both teams, which just made each one that much more valuable. The Steamwheelers held on for this one and turned it into a field possession game behind a very stout defense that was able to really hold their own against TJ Edwards & company.
Steamwheelers are number one in the East right now and will look to keep their momentum going and hold on to that number one spot with Neal back in the lineup.
For Tulsa, the Steamwheelers defense seems to be the the Oilers' kryptonite. This Tulsa offense has been really impactful over the past 2 months against every team not name Quad City, but they've struggled against this defensive front.
They had 4 possessions in a row that ended in zero points and a turnover and just looked flat on offense for most of the evening. I know some Oilers fans weren't thrilled with some of the officiating at the end of the first half, but I think there were plenty of other things in their control that this Tulsa team could have done to reverse their fortunes.
TJ Edwards finished with 3 rushing TDs, a passing TD & 2 INTs, after coming into this game with only 2 INTs on the year up to this point. He seemed off and just couldn't get cooking on offense until it was way too late.
Quad City is a bad match up for Tulsa, and the last game of the regular season should be circled on everybody's calendars... as that could have pretty large seeding implications for the playoffs.
Fishers Freight @ Green Bay Blizzard
Result: 55-39 Green Bay
What We Learned: Green Bay's offense is inevitable & Fishers (might) finally have their answer at QB (maybe)
It's hard enough to stop this Blizzard offense, but then you mix in newly sign Jazeric Peterson returning the opening kick for touchdowns and then the return of their All-IFL caliber kicker in Andrew Mevis this team almost seems unstoppable.
8 of Green Bay's 9 offensive drives in this game ended in points, with 6 of them being touchdowns. Along with their defense stepping up in the 2nd half and shutting down the Freight offensive attack, it was just a perfect recipe for them.
QB Max Meylor had 100 passing yards & 3 TDs, with another 2 on the ground, with RB Jalyn Cagle catching 2 of those TDs & tacking on a rushing TD of his own.
I like what the Blizzard are doing at this point of the season, as they approach a pretty backhalf with Jacksonville twice, Arizona & Quad City all on the docket. This team looks primed for another playoff run.
For the Freight, the offense looked pretty damn good through both the air and the ground for the first time in a while. Recently signed QB Carlos Davis got the start in this one and came out swinging and making things happen for the Fishers offense, heading into halftime only down by 3 thanks to a weird FG situation.
But this Fishers offense looked multi-dimensional for the first in months and was able to toss the to 5 different receivers in this one, with Davis finding WR Isiah Cox for a TD & running one in himself. Shane Simpson tacked on 3 TDs as well, but the Freight came unraveled in the 2nd half with three straight turnovers to open the 3rd quarter (fumble, INT, turnover on downs) and Green Bay kept scoring.
I think there is reason to be optimistic about this offense as long as Carlos Davis is in at QB and I will be very interested to see how the offense grows and develop as he gets more time and reps with his teammates.
Northern Arizona Wranglers @ San Diego Strike Force
Result: 35-32 San Diego
What We Learned: San Diego is a ground and pound team until Nate Davis gets back & Northern Arizona is gonna be a tough out for teams the rest of this season
San Diego QB Rudy Johnson got the keys to the offense again this week, and just like we saw in spurts last week this Strike Force offense shifted from being a pass-heavy attack to a ground and pound offense with Johnson at the helm. San Diego ran the ball a staggering 37 times (lol) in this game, and racked up over 160 yards on the ground and were able to dictate the flow of the majority of this game.
Defensively, San Diego hasn't been as dynamic as they were last year in terms of the number of interceptions and forced turnovers, but they've been playing well this year and got them off to a solid start. DB Atoa Fox played a great game in this one with 7.5 total tackles, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, 2 PBUs & a half a sack.
K Ernesto Lacayo (friend of the program) also played a strong game in this one, with 2 FGs & a game icing deuce in the final minutes of the game to put them ahead for good. It remains to be seen how much more time QB Nate Davis will miss, but the team seems to be in good hands with an adjusted offensive scheme that works for them.
For Northern Arizona, they got off to a tough start in this one but played pretty well in this one and were going band for band with San Diego until final quarter. QB Ramon Atkins threw for 188 yards & a TD, while adding 2 more TDs on the ground.
DB Kieran Page had 2 INTs on the day that helped propel the Wranglers to a lead at one point in the 4th quarter, but that brutal first quarter came back to be too much to overcome.
This team is stout and is a lot better than their 1-7 record indicates right now. They are a much different team than the one that started 0-6 and they are gonna play some teams tough down the stretch. To me, they are the wild card for this Western Conference playoff race. I think they are a little too far out at this point, but they'll catch some teams sleeping and ruin some seasons in this backhalf of the year.
San Antonio Gunslingers @ Tucson Sugar Skulls
Result: 48-28 San Antonio
What We Learned: San Antonio has a high-ish ceiling and a very low floor & so does Tucson
I can't seem to put my finger on what San Antonio is this year. They are a roller coaster of a team where the highs are great and the offense showcases their big play ability, but then the lows leave questioning if they are able to win another game this season. QB Joaquin Collazo played an incredible game in this one, being named the IFL Offensive Player of the Week behind 153 passing yards & 3 TDs, along with 45 rushing yards and another TD on the ground. He looked poised and in control from the start of this game, as the Gunslingers started HOT on offense.
They scored on offense, recovered a surprise onside kick, scored again, for a turnover on downs and then scored AGAIN! They were 21-0 early in the 2nd quarter and it left some folks (me, I am folks) baffled at where THIS team has been. Three different receivers caught TDs in this game and San Antonio was able to get things going on the ground, with over 120 rushing yards and their most well balanced offensive output of the year so far.
The highs are high and the lows are low -- but San Antonio is a fun team to watch when they get hot.
For Tucson, they had a TON of momentum heading into their bye week before this game and they seemed to lose it all and came out very flat. They were able to get things going in the second half, but it was just a little too late. This Sugar Skulls team is at their best when they can run the ball effectively and trade blows with their opponent. They are just not built to be a passing attack that can come from behind. They were down 35-6 midway through the 3rd quarter and it was a wrap from there.
Tucson is just like San Antonio where they can play at a high level, but when things start to go wrong they go wrong very, very quickly. They are sitting at 3-5 right now, and still within striking range of the playoffs but really needed this one to keep up with the rest of the pack. They have a VERY tough back half of the schedule with a Western Conference gauntlet, but they've shown that they can go toe to toe with the best in the West.
They just gotta do it consistently now.
Arizona Rattlers @ Vegas Knight Hawks
Result: 52-37 Vegas
What We Learned: Arizona ran out of gas in the second half & Vegas might be back (with a twist)
Vegas tossed the keys to the car to QB Jayden De Laura in this crucial game for the Knight Hawks that you could make the case would set them up for success or catastrophe in the second half of the season..
...and this offense looked really great. I love Ja'Rome Johnson and love what he brings to the table with his athleticism and the magic he can make with the ball -- but there is just something about Jayden De Laura that makes this offense click.
He was very efficient passing the ball, completing 11 passes for 108 yards & 4 TDs, and facilitated the ground game well with RB Antonio Wimbush at the same time.
Vegas scored a TD on 7 of their 8 possessions (minus the one to end the game and run out the clock) and got points every time they touched the ball. If De Laura is the starter moving forward, this offense is going to continue to be efficient and get the ball to their playmakers.
For Arizona, they had a rough start on offense and got stymied by the Vegas defense early, and then couldn't find ways to get stops on defense.
QB Dalton Sneed didn't have a good game, completing less than 50% of his passes and only scoring 2 total TDs on the day, but for the second straight week RB Ron Brown Jr had 3 rushing TDs and seemed to be the driving force of the offense any time they got close in the red zone.
WR Isaiah Huston had a minimal impact on this game after coming in white-hot over the past month or so, and that impact was sorely missed in the passing game. But this wouldn't go so far as to say this was necessarily a bad game by Arizona either, they just got outplayed by Vegas as they split season series 1-1.
No reason to panic for Arizona, as they get healthy and Sneed gets back on track, they will continue to be a force in the Western Conference.
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