IFL 2026 Week 12: What We Learned

Week 12 of the IFL Season is a wrap! The leaders in the Eastern & Western conferences imposed their will on visitors from the other conference, the playoff races are starting to take shape and the gap is further widening between the top and bottom of the league. But what did we learn?

San Antonio Gunslingers @ Green Bay Blizzard

Result: 62-28 Green Bay

What We Learned: Green Bay continues to pour it on teams with different weapons & San Antonio is in the danger zone

The beginning of this game made it seem like San Antonio was going to make this one a LOT more interesting than people thought. (It's me, I am people)

The Gunslingers offense has struggled all year and they came out HOT in this one, scoring touchdowns on 2 of their first 3 plays from scrimmage following some big kick returns by Ravarius Rivers, who was playing in his first game in Green Bay since departing the team after the 2024 season. But then the same bugaboos that have hindered this offense all year reemerged and it was back to business as usual.

14 points in the first 7 minutes of the game. 14 points in the final 53 minutes. #ugh

This San Antonio offense is continuing to tread water while underperforming. They still don't have a clear offensive identity and with Tucson playing the way that they are now, they are starting to spiral and will be on the outside looking in of the playoff picture very soon if the offense doesn't get it together ASAP.

For Green Bay, their ability to continuously reload and develop players in their system is incredible to watch. RB Kairee Robinson is the latest example, who posted 5 TDS (4 rushing, 1 receiving) including several incredible touchdown runs where the San Antonio defense had him dead to rights, but he kept churning and found lanes to get to the end zone.

QB Liam Thompson continued his MVP campaign with a pretty clean performance, with 3 TDs through the air and 1 on the ground, and this offense was humming along. WR Trevon Alexander hauled in 2 TDs in the first half when it was looking this would be a shootout, but then it became the ground and pound show that we have become familiar with in the midwest (#BlizzBall).

The defense stepped up in a big way in the second half to smother this San Antonio offense and they continue to prove that they are the class of the Eastern Conference at this point in the season.

Iowa Barnstormers @ Tulsa Oilers

Result: 63-29 Tulsa

What We Learned: Tulsa is finding their groove on both sides of the ball & Iowa is back in QB hell

It's well documented that the Oilers have been underperforming this season and have been on losing end of several coin flip games this season, but it seems like they are starting to find their groove on offense... and it's in part due to vastly improved efficiency at the running back spot.

It feels like someone has been shouting that from the mountain tops all season long... hmm.

RB Caleb Ramseur has been a breath of fresh air for this offense with his contributions to the offense, averaging 7.9 yards per carry in this one while adding a TD on the ground and through the air. His increased presence on the ground has opened things up for QB TJ Edwards through the pass & rushing attack and is ultimately going to be the key to this Oilers team going on a run here.

WR Mike Carrigan had one hell of a game in this one, scoring a rushing TD, 2 receiving TDs AND a kick return TD, with an incredible celly to go along with it.

The defense stepped up in a big way and dominated this Iowa offense and this Tulsa team seems like it is starting to turn the corner. BUT... only one of their 4 wins is against a team that I would deem as a quality opponent at this point (San Diego vs Iowa, San Antonio x2).

They are going to have to have a big game against Fishers & Orlando these upcoming weeks for me to be fully convinced this team is for real.

For Iowa, right when it seems like they start to get some momentum on offense, it sputters on them. QB Clifton McDowell was coming off a big game against the Sharks a couple weeks back and was looking like he would be the answer for this Barnstormers attack moving forward, but he just couldn't get things going against this confident Oilers defense.

He eventually got pulled for Dante Aviles-Santos in the second half, who came in and provided a little boost with a passing TD & 2 rushing TDs in garbage time. But that begs the question, did he score because he is the better fit at QB for Iowa or because it was in garbage time and it was very well in hand at that point?

Clifton McDowell looks the part of the prototypical IFL QB, but ultimately it seems like Dante Aviles-Santos is the better fit when he has been on the field for the Barnstormers. I'd lean towards DAS moving forward, but we'll have to see what Coach Coles ends doing.

Fishers Freight @ Jacksonville Sharks

Result: 36-34 Jacksonville

What We Learned: Jacksonville is proving that they are one of the most complete teams in the IFL & Fishers keeps finding ways to beat themselves

Despite the lower scoring output, this game was a heater. It looked like Jacksonville would be in full control of this one, but Fishers came roaring back in the second half and made the Sharks put together some late game heroics to win their 7th straight game of the IFL season.

For the Sharks, this was definitely not one of their prettier games on offense but they managed to do just enough late in the game to get the win. James Cahoon had some rough mistakes in this one, but ultimately made up for it with their game winning drive to score with 9 seconds left to take the lead. A missed Marc Orozco XP made this game a LOTTTTT more stressful, but the Sharks special teams was able to BLOCK the game winning field goal attempt by Fishers to finish the game and stay perfect in the Eastern Conference.

This Sharks defense is impressive and Isaiah Major had a monster game with 13 tackles, a sack, an interception AND the game-clinching field goal block. This defense is amongst the best in the league and they are a major reason why this team is neck and neck with Green Bay right now at the top of the East.

For Fishers, this game was a "close but no cigar" situation for them. They controlled the ball on offense for the majority of the game, with nearly 40 minutes of time of possession but they floundered multiple opportunities to steal this game on the road.

A couple of tough Felix Harper interceptions combined with some rough clock management in the second half put them in a bad spot. They were running Dominic Roberto in the second half of this one, and to me it's not shocking that that was when the offense was looking its best. To me, he needs to be the focal point early in the game and bring in Josiah King as the explosive option in rotation instead of vice versa. CJ Windham & Isaiah Coulter had mirroring 5 catches for 56 yards & a TD stat lines, but this game was one that was very winnable fo the Freight one that they badly needed to get back on track. Now, they have a matchup with the Oilers next week that could make or break both of their seasons and is a Must Win for both teams.

NAZ Wranglers @ Arizona Rattlers

Result: 56-32 Arizona

What We Learned: Arizona keeps beating up the teams they are supposed to beat up & NAZ can't play a complete game against the tough teams

Coming off of an IFL Cup loss, this Rattlers team began a two game homestand hosting their neighbors to the north, controlled the game and pulled away in the second half. NAZ did make it a one point game right before halftime, but Arizona was able to score right before AND right after halftime to blow the game wide open.

QB Drew Powell got the start again and had a really solid game, throwing for 80% completion for 218 yards & 3 TDs through the air, while Arland Bruce IV continued his impressive 2026 season against his former team with 7 catches for 90 yards & 2 TDs.

K Matthew Cook has risen as a potential All-IFL caliber player in recent weeks and had an impressive 14-point game with 2 deuces, a field goal and 7 extra points.

Overall, this Arizona team is taking care of business against the teams that they absolutely should be and have themselves in a great spot in the back half of the season. This Rattlers team has had a stellar season against teams not from Vegas and will have a favorable schedule the rest of the way. 12-4 is extremely achievable.

For NAZ, they had a strong start to this game and managed to keep it really close, but just couldn't continue their same push in the second half. QB Anthony Garrett had a decent first half, but the momentum of the game flipped after his two interceptions before and after halftime.

WR Marlon Cook Jr led the way with 5 catches for 45 yards & 2 TDs and overall they did a good job of distributing the ball, but overall the offense really struggle in the second half, as they were held off the scoreboard until late in the 4th quarter when the game was very much in hand.

This has been a tough season for NAZ, but they have a few opportunities to snag some wins in the back half of the year and seem to have their guy at QB in Anthony Garrett. Continuing to get him reps and building him up will be key for this team's potential success.

Orlando Pirates @ Tucson Sugar Skulls

Result: 53-37 Tucson

What We Learned: Ja'Rome Johnson has flipped the outlook of this Tucson team & Orlando is has been upgraded from #FraudWatch to #FraudAlert

This was a massive game for the Tucson Sugar Skulls. Coming off a bye week in which they brought in QB Ja'Rome Johnson to help right the ship, they needed to make a splash to get back on track after a 2-6 start. The QB spot was the glaring and obvious hole in this team, and Johnson immediately came in and got this offense flowing.

This Sugar Skulls team was averaging 25.4 PPG in their previous 5 games and they more DOUBLED that against the a Pirates defense has continued to struggle.

Ja'Rome passed 169 passing yards & 3 TDs, while adding a TD on the ground as well. RB Brandon Mackey added a hat trick of TDs on the ground as well, as this offense is starting to live up to the potential of the talent they've had at the skill position players all year long. The increased offensive efficiency loosened things up for the defense and enabled them to pin their ears back and get after this Pirates offense that is suddenly spiraling after a white hot month of April. The Sugar Skulls are in a much better spot than they were a week ago, but they have a tough second half of the season ahead of them.

For Orlando, this was a tough watch. After spending two weeks in New Jersey, they flew out directly to Arizona for this matchup and they looked like they had the juice in the first half, but fell flat in the second with only 3 total points scored in the 3rd & 4th quarter combined.

Veteran OL Jordan McCray went down with a seemingly severe lower leg injury in this one and it seems like the Pirates offensive struggles occurred immediately following that.

QB Paxton DeLaurent had a strong first half, with a trio of passing TDs thrown to WR Teo Redding in the second quarter, but started to come unraveled in the second half with two interceptions and hardly any bite on offense. This Pirates team gets back home to Orlando this upcoming weekend for a prime get right game against the Iowa Barnstormers, but it just further raises questions on this team. Their quality of wins isn't great as a whole and keeps getting worse as Fishers continues to flounder. Their offense was their strength that carried them to wins despite their defense's shortcomings, but now the offense seems to be a problem for them now.

I've upgraded the Pirates from #FraudWatch to #FraudAlert as this team is at a crossroads and will need to have an impressive June in order to regain some of that promise they had early in the season.

San Diego Strike Force @ New Mexico Chupacabras

Result: 55-45 San Diego

What We Learned: San Diego got tested early and bounced back in a big way & New Mexico is showing some moxy on offense that we haven't seen with Donovan Porterie at QB

In what was one of the more shocking games of the weekend, the Chupacabras stunned the Strike Force when they were able to jump out to a 19-0 lead in the first half. But San Diego picked themselves off the mat, remembered who they were and quickly regained the leader before halftime with 27 points in the 2nd quarter. QB Nate Davis had a slow start, but ultimately got the team back on track behind 201 passing yards & 5 TDs, finding 4 different WRs for scores along the way.

The Strike Force defense was getting worked early, but came up with multiple stops and turnovers throughout the game (2 from Elijah Reed, 1 from Devin Hafford) to take back control of the game and nearly cover the -13.5 (it's fine, everything's fine)

This was a good adversity test for the Strike Force on the road against a team that has suddenly found life and should be one that helps them in the long run on their push for the playoffs.

For New Mexico, this was their best game of the season on offense. QB Donovan Porterie turned back the hands of time to mirror Nate Davis' production with 200 passing yards & 5 TDs of his own, but the 3 INTs ended up being the final nail(s) in the coffin for the Chups.

WR Arthur Jackson had a great revenge game against his former team with 8 catchs for 66 yards & 3 TDs, with CJ Jefferson accounting for the other 3 TDs as well.

They made conscious efforts to run the ball with La'James White and I would love to see them continue to make that a priority. Lining him up in the Wildcat formation with LB Wes Bowers as his lead blocker was a interesting wrinkle that I am curious to see will grow and evolve throughout the year.

The Chups defense started strong, but ultimately was feeling the void left by DL Maurice Jackson, who recently departed for the Vegas Knight Hawks. The defense had kept them in some of their games in the first half of the season, so they'll need someone else to step up and help fill the gap there.

Quad City Steamwheelers @ Vegas Knight Hawks

Result: 61-28 Vegas

What We Learned: Vegas is an absolute mega-wagon & Quad City is #dead

Every week, the linemakers spit out a Vegas spread line that makes you think "are you serious?", but week after week after week they continue to find ways to not just cover but pummel teams.

Eight straight weeks the Vegas Knight Hawks have covered the spread on their games, which is bonkers if you are not familiar with spread betting, and they have looked like an absolute juggernaut in the process.

QB Jayden DeLaura had an outstanding game for Vegas, throwing 18/25 for 227 yards & 6 TDs. DeShon Stoudamire had an unreal game with 11 catches for 135 yards & 4 TDs and was just feasting on this Quad City secondary that has collectively been their achilles heel throughout the season.

The Vegas defense stepped up and absolutely dominated the Quad City offense in the second half, holding them to 6 points and tilting the field and letting the d-linemen just go to town. This Vegas team is continuing to dominate and continuing to get better with the addition of Maurice Jackson and some additional reinforcements that may be on the way.

For Quad City, they are #dead. RIP in peace. I was holding out hope for this team based off of the talent on paper alone, but they continue to find ways to bury themselves every week. Each time you watch Quad City play, it's like death by a 100 papercuts where every little thing that can go wrong seems to go wrong for them consistently.

For example, right before halftime Quad City had a chance to spike the ball with ~8 seconds left on the clock to take a couple shots at the end zone. For some reason, they stalled and took multiple seconds to snap and spike it, and ended up going for a field goal that ultimately missed.

Dropped passes throughout the night, bad timeouts being taken, bad coaches challenges -- you name it and they were doing it. And that's been the case throughout the season. This team only score 28 points and 6 of that came on special teams, so really this offense only scored 22 points all game and that's just not good enough.

QB Daquan Neal had a rough outing with some bad reads and some rough decision making and the avalanche of papercuts just came down upon them in a game where they needed to be near-perfect.

I had high hopes for this Quad City team heading into the season and it stinks to see them sitting at 3-7 on the year.

What did YOU think of IFL Week 12? What were your takeaways?

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