IFL 2026 Week 2: What We Learned

What a week of indoor football!

Three out of four home teams emerged victorious, we had a Sportscenter Top 10 play, we got our first cross conference clash and we're starting to figure out who some of these teams are. But what did we learn?

Iowa Barnstormers @ Quad City Steamwheelers

Result: 46-25 Quad City

What We Learned: Quad City got back on track & Iowa has some promising young pieces

This was a big time "get right" game for the Steamwheelers and they took full advantage of it. Quad City's offense laid an egg in the second half in Week 1, and they answered the bell in this one with a well balanced attack. QB Daquan Neal had another 4 Passing TD game and added another on the ground with a PHENOMENAL run from about 25+ yards out.

This offense needed to get Jarrod Ware going, and they were able to do that in this one -- but through the passing game! They got him in the mix in the passing game to the tune of 4 catches for 55 yards and a fantastic catch and run that put the DB on skates as pranced into the end zone. This Quad City defense did what they needed to do against a young QB making his first ever start in an IFL game and started to look like the Steamwheelers we expected in the preseason.

For Iowa, they have a TON of young talent and I think there were some promising things to build off of. I really liked what the Barnstormers were starting to do with RB Nasjzae Bryant-Lelei and WR Kurtis Ravenel was starting to emerge as WR1 throughout the game.

Defensively they had some pretty good drives and looked MUCH improved over a historically bad 2025 campaign. They intentionally brought in some veteran DBs and it has this Barnstormers defense in a decent spot after game 1 of 16.

QB Harry Roubidoux made his first start and had the expected growing pains, but was able to deliver on some good passes as he started to get comfortable out there. Roubidoux to Ravenel is going to be a tongue twister for broadcasters this season, but you better get used to it because they are going to quite the connection.

Fishers Freight @ Green Bay Blizzard

Result: 51-42 Green Bay

What We Learned: Liam Thompson is the man & Fishers is a dangerous second half team

I had some doubts about Liam Thompson after Week 1, but MAN did he shut me up this week. He was incredible for this Green Bay Blizzard offense is picking right back up where last year's IFL MVP left off.

SEVEN total TDs in this one -- 3 through the air and 4 on the ground -- and he was able to hit big time throw after big time throw when they needed them. He was shifty and doing all the right things on the ground and was able to connect with Draysean Hudson for 2 TDs & Isaac Ross for another.

The Green Bay defense, specifically that D-line, deserves a ton of love for the second straight week. They were super disruptive in the first half and punched the Fishers offense in the mouth and got off to a white hot start. Green Bay looks fantastic and are 2-0 against two of the stronger opponents in the Eastern Conference.

Fishers had a fantastic Week 1... and maaaaaaybe got caught smelling their own home cooking a little too much to at the start of this one. They were a little sluggish and got beat up in the first half, but they made a fantastic effort in the second half and nearly came back from 26-point deficit.

All 3 WRs for Fishers hauled in touchdowns in this one, as Felix Harper started to get into a rhythm after what I imagine was a fiery halftime speech from Coach Dixie Wooten. RB Josiah King also had several highlight reel worthy plays that showed that if this Freight offense is dialed in for a full four quarters, they are a tough outing for anybody in this league.

Unfortunately they only got about 2.5 quarters of Freight football in this one.

Orlando Pirates @ New Mexico Chupacabras

Result: 41-38 Orlando

What We Learned: Pooka Williams is the lifeblood of this Pirates team & New Mexico has a spicy and fiesty roster

In what many were expecting to be a big romp win for the Orlando Pirates, the New Mexico Chupacabras came out swinging and really took it to the Pirates. QB Ja'rome Johnson (friend of the program) had a great game in this one, with 4 passing TDs and flexing enough of the ground game to keep the Pirates defense honest.

WRs Isaiah Crocker & DaMon Street had a pretty good games and the Chupacabras were able to get multiple pieces of the offense going to avoid having it all rest on the QBs shoulders.

Defensively they impressed up front and it feels like they are in a prime position to catch some teams off guard this season. The uniforms looked great, the new field looked fantastic and it looks like we've got a fiesty team taking the field for New Mexico in 2026.

For Orlando, presumed starting QB Taulia Tagovailoa was signed to the UFL about 48 hours before kickoff, so they had to quickly pivot to Paxton DeLaurent to make his IFL debut on the road in Albuquerque.

But fortunately for PDL, he is in surrounded by a TON of talent on offense and they were able to make his life a lot easier. RB Pooka Williams had himself a day with 4 TDs on the ground, shucking and jiving in the red zone and DeLaurent was able to avoid the BIG ONE. He protected the football well in this one and didn't have to do too much.. at least not yet.

This Pirates team looked good but not quite where some folks, myself included, expected them to be. They've got some things to get cleaned up before a big time clash in their Orlando home debut against the Steamwheelers in a couple weeks.

Northern Arizona Wranglers @ San Diego Strike Force

Result: 42-40 San Diego

What We Learned: #FEEDVANDER #FEEDVANDER #FEEDVANDER & Northern Arizona is off to a much better start in 2026 than 2025

When you have a player like Ed Vander, the gameplan is simple. You #FEEDVANDER.

San Diego leaned into that philosophy early and often, with Vander accounting for three first half TDs and he was able to just run all over this NAZ defense in this game. The offense was balanced as they hammered Vander and got the ball to the outside to their WRs in space. WR Jalen Sample hauled in 2 TDs from Nate Davis, including a CLUTCH one in the 4th quarter, but this offense lived and breathed with Ed Vander. There were certainly some early season mishaps and game one jitters they worked through, but San Diego looked great in the first half but kinda came undone in the second half of their home opener -- and this one got DRAMATIC at the very end.

Big win to startthe season 1-0, but they are going to need to get better quickly with the Rattlers on the horizon next weekend.

Northern Arizona started the season with their QB1 in Ramon Atkins-Frazier, and this offense was starting to get into a rhythm as the game progressed and looked like the team we saw at the tail end of the 2025 season.

Atkins-Frazier was able to get it done through the air AND on the ground and showed why he has been one of the best IFL QBs of the past decade...

BUT there were a couple of tough interceptions that really prohibited the offense from capitalizing on the Strike Force's mistakes, which the Wranglers will have to get under control in order to get themselves in a position to steal these types of games. WR Kobe Smith had some impressive catches before going out with an injury, so his status moving forward will be one worth monitoring. He can be a big time contributor on this offense if he can stay on the field and healthy.

This Northern Arizona team is super young (one veteran on offense and one on defense) and is going to have some growing pains

What did YOU think of IFL Week 2?

Follow Off The Wall on Twitter/X, Instagram, TikTok & Facebook and let me know!