IFL 2026 Week 6: What We Learned

We had some of our highest scoring games of the season this past weekend with Chapter 6 of the 2026 version of #TheIndoorWar, with a team breaking through the 70+ point mark for the first time this season and numerous offenses starting to really click.

On the other hand, while some teams were off to the races scoring points in bunches, we had some teams that we were struggling to get the car started. There is a lot to dive into with these games and teams are starting to further separate themselves from the pack.

But what did we learn this week?

Orlando Pirates@ Jacksonville Sharks

Result: 68-40 Jacksonville

What We Learned: The Sharks can be one of the most efficient offenses in the IFL & the Pirates have a very apparent Rob Keefe-sized hole on their defense

The Sharks defense was dominated on the ground the last time we saw this team against the Vegas Knight Hawks, but they stepped up in a big way in this one to make this Pirates offense very one dimensional and pounce on them very quickly.

RB Jimmie Robinson Jr led the way with a big four TD day against his former team, with 3 on the ground and 1 through the air, as this Sharks offense was able to score eight offensive touchdowns in this one to really lay it on their new in-state rivals from the south. QB James Cahoon had an efficient day in this, only needing to throw it 9 total times but found paydirt on 3 of them along with 94 total yards.

This game seemed like it was a combination of Jacksonville bouncing back to what they are and can be, while Orlando also regressed back to the mean a bit after over-performing in their first couple of games.

Jacksonville managed to score points on offense, defense (pick six) and special teams for their most complete game of the season so far.

For Orlando, it felt like we were due for one of these games for the Pirates and it is becoming very apparent that there is a problem for this defense.

Heading into the season, the secondary was the biggest question mark on the team and the defense as a whole has regressed tremendously since Rob Keefe (who was also the defensive coordinator and playcaller) resigned as head coach a few weeks back.

• First 2 games with Keefe calling the defense: 42.0 PPG

• Last 2 games without Keefe calling the defense: 57.5 PPG

Uhhhhhh uhoh. That's not great, especially when the formula that has worked for the Pirates has been not needing QB Paxton DeLaurent to do too much and relying on the defense to get some big plays, Pooka to get in the mix on the ground and to have a spark or two on special teams to guide the team to a win.

But when none of those things happen, this team gets exposed a bit and things start to fall apart. In order for Orlando to keep up with the joneses in games like these, they are going to need at least 2 of the 3 to happen consistently. Otherwise, they are going to need PDL to take the next step from game manager to game changer very, very quickly to keep them in these games.

Quad City Steamwheelers @ San Diego Strike Force

Result: 73-59 San Diego

What We Learned: San Diego's offense is a WAGON when they are clicking & Quad City might be entering panic mode sitting at 2-3 on the year

We had the PLEASURE of being in the building for this game and what a THRILLER it turned out to be. San Diego's offense exploded in this one and could seemingly do no wrong (sans a Nate Davis interception in the second half that looked like an attempt to throw the ball away gone wrong), as this offense kepy scoring and scoring and scoring some more.

Nate Davis (friend of the program) finished the game with 276 passing yards & NINE TDs, finding Shane Hooks 6 times for 140 yards and 4 TDs and connecting with Dallas Daniels & Jalen Sample for 2 TDs a piece. It was just one of those game where everybody was eating on this offense and it showed the capabilities of what this team can be when they are functioning at their peak.

Ernesto Lacayo (also a friend of the program) had a perfect day with PATs going 9/9 and hitting a DEUCE in the second half that put the Strike Force in a good spot to maintain the lead moving forward. Despite the offense success, the defense let up a ton of yardage and points of their own that made this game more of a sweat than you would think, with it being a one possession game early in the 4th quarter. Something to monitor to see if that is the result of poor defense or a Quad City offense that was catching fire in their own right.

For the Steamwheelers, this was a tough outing. Traveling 1900 miles across multiple time zones to get your ass kicked like this is never fun, and it starts on the defensive side of the ball.

73 points is the highest point total of the entire IFL season so far and is coming off of a game where this same Quad City defense suffocated the Green Bay Blizzard offense in the first half and kept them out of the end zone for nearly 2.5 quarters. They only got a defensive stop late in the second half that opened the door for a potential comeback, but couldn't get much else going. The secondary was getting shredded by Nate Davis and they had a really hard time getting to the quarterback in this one. The San Diego offensive line stood tall and Davis was able to roll out and buy time when needed to push the ball downfield. It still feels like the absence of LB Bubba Arslanian from last year's team is still felt and they are going to need to find a way to get more pressure on the QB in games like this one.

On offense, WR Quian Williams (friend of the program) had a phenomenal game with 7 catches for 120 yards & 4 TDs, with another kick return TD as well for 5 total on the day. Offensively the Steamwheelers looked really great in this game, but unfortunately turned in an A- performance when they needed an A+ to win.

Iowa Barnstormers @ Green Bay Blizzard

Result: 55-19 Green Bay

What We Learned: Green Bay played their first fully complete game of the season & Iowa just has no juice on offense

For the second time in 3 weeks, the Green Bay Blizzard offense put up 50+ points on the Barnstormers.. but this time they didn't let up and allow Iowa back into the game late. They took full advantage of a new QB Ivan Corbin making his first start for the Barnstormers on defense swarming the field making life as difficult as possible for that offense.

On offense, Liam Thompson had a bounce back game after a rough start their last time out vs Quad City with some big plays through the air that gained 153 yards through the air on just 9 completions with 3 TDs to go along with it. Sprinkle in Demilon Brown adding 2 TDs on the ground and another through the air, and this Green Bay offense took care of business.

But the defense kept their foot on the gas into the second half of this one, with a 3.5 total TFLs on the day and scoop & score TD late in the 4th to put the cherry on top. There wasn't much that this Iowa offense could do with how well this Green Bay defense played in this one.

For Iowa, they switched things up with Ivan Corbin getting the start at QB and (despite the outcome of this one) looks more like the QB mold that will work in this Coach Coles system. He is a lot more mobile than Harry Roubidoux and can allow the offense to do a bit more on the ground, but it's unfortunately going to take some time to get there.

Corbin ended up with 2 passing TDs on the day, to RB Nasjzae Bryant-Lelei & WR Andre Williams, with another on the ground. Iowa made an effort to run the ball in this one and you could tell were trying to limit the possessions for the Green Bay offense, but they just didn't have the horses in the stable to achieve what they were trying to do.

This has been a tough stretch to start the season for this Iowa team and it doesn't get any easier with the Fishers Freight coming to town next week.

Vegas Knight Hawks @ San Antonio Gunslingers

Result: 62-35 Vegas

What We Learned: When Vegas is hot, they are the best team in the IFL & San Antonio is flip-flopping at the QB position to find a spark

Vegas, man. What a team.

We've touched on it previously where they can beat you through the air or they can ground and pound you into oblivion, and in this game the aerial attack reigned supreme with getting the ball down the field while punching it in on the ground. Jayden De Laura had a 16/18 day with 211 yards & 3 TDs, finding WR1 Quentin Randolph for all three touchdowns on some very big plays to pour it on this San Antonio team that is struggling to find their way.

Add in FIVE more scores on the ground and this Vegas offense was absolutely rolling. They even changed out the QB and got Avaun Rucker on the board late! This team is simply outstanding when they are fully clicking and have been a dominant force for all but 2 quarters this season and to me are far and away the best team in the IFL right now. Jayden De Laura has put himself in prime MVP conversation and this defense is becoming more and more disruptive in the pass rush. This team is going to be extremely dangerous at the rate that they are going.

For San Antonio, they had a rough start on offense with Joaquin Collazo at QB with a missed FG, turnover on downs and an interception in the first half, ultimately leading to a switch back to Game 1 starter Fred Payton Jr. Payton Jr was able to step in and get things going for this offense, but the momentum of this Vegas team was already in motion and there was nothing anybody could have done to stop it. He ended up throwing for 104 yards & 3 TDs through the air, while adding another on the ground. Rookie WR Deon Cook continued his impressive start to the season with another team leading 7 catches for 82 yards & 2 TDs, while Deion McShane hauled in a receiving TD as well. DB Ravarius Rivers led the way with 13 total tackles on the day, but that was just about the extent of what was highlight worthy for this defense that was just getting manhandled all day. San Antonio is still looking for their first win of the season and will have their best opportunity this upcoming weekend against the equally toothless NAZ Wranglers.

Fishers Freight @ Tulsa Oilers

Result: 40-38 Fishers

What We Learned: Fishers is going to run the ball and there is nothing you can do about it & Tulsa is still searching for answers in the ground game

I had this game circled on the calendar as one that had the potentially to be a sneaky banger, and it was a pretty dang good game. While it wasn't quite a full-fledged banger, it was a good matchup that put strength on strength for both teams on both sides of the ball.

• Fishers high-powered offense coming off of back-to-back 63 point games vs Tulsa defense that has been historically strong over the past couple of seasons.

• Tulsa offense that can let it fly vs a Fishers defense that has been pretty good so far this season and opportunistic when the time comes.

Fishers kept on rolling with their ground and pound attack that has been crushing defenses over the past month, to the tune of 176 total rushing yards and four scores on the ground. RB Dominic Roberto got the bulk of the yardage with 82 rushing yards on a 7.6 yards per carry average, while Felix Harper did just enough through the air to keep the Tulsa defense honest. JT Stokes (friend of the program) had a big day when he got the rock, with both a receiving & rushing touchdown on the day to continue to be one of the most versatile players in the IFL today. Big win for Fishers as they improve to 3-1 on the year.

For Tulsa, this was a very winnable game for them that they ultimately let slip away. Two turnover on downs and a fumble at the one yard line left a lot of points on the field and off the scoreboard, and to me it goes back to what we've talked about the past few weeks about this Tulsa offense: They NEED someone not named TJ Edwards to step up and be impactful in the rushing game. Players not named TJ Edwards had 19 rushing yards on 7 carries and that isn't going to be good enough to beat some of these top teams in the East. Truthfully, I'm not sure the play calling is setting those players up for success either.

TJ Edwards had four passing touchdowns on the day and added another on the ground, but had that aforementioned fumble at the one yard line that would have doubled his ground account for the day. This offense has done a really good job of spreading the ball around in the passing game and finding ways to get the different receivers in the mix, but now it's time to do the same with the rushing attack. Find ways to get those players in the mix and set them up for success!

Arizona Rattlers @ NAZ Wranglers

Result: 44-32 Arizona

What We Learned: Arizona overcame a rough start to get the win & NAZ can't string together a full four quarters of football

The Rattlers win their second consecutive game and improved to 3-1 on the season, but it feels weird because the eye test of this team so far doesn't read like a 3-1 team. They struggled a bit in this one from the beginning, where they allowed a stagnant NAZ offense to get going early on them behind a pair of first half Ramone Atkins-Frazier passing TDs and another on the ground. But credit to the Rattlers defense, they got their affairs in order at halftime (behind what I am sure were so colorful words from Coach Guy) and forced some keys stops and turnovers to allow their offense to take the lead for good.

FIVE rushing touchdowns on the day for the Rattlers powered this offense, split between Kimo Clarke (2), Max Meylor (2) & Corey Reed Jr. (1). It wasn't pretty, but ultimately all wins count the same and the defense has looked much improved since their lashing in Fishers a few weeks back. And the fact that they are 3-1 while not playing near their best football... that's a scary thought for the rest of the West.

For NAZ, the struggles of shooting themselves in the foot constantly this season spilled over into this game as well. While Ramon Atkins-Frazier did have a big first half with 3 total TDs, he balanced that out three interceptions as well that really put the Wranglers into a tough spot down the stretch, Marlon Cook Jr & Ka'Ron Ashley got in the mix for a combined 100 receiving yards on 7 catches and one TD a piece, but the offense as a whole struggled down the stretch when they had an opportunity to keep pace and potentially close out the game. Manny Higuera had quite a day on special teams, where he connect on TWO deuces that kept them ahead at halftime and gave them a fighting chance in the 4th quarter.

Last week against New Mexico, NAZ struggled in the first half but lit it up in the second. In this game, they played pretty well in the first half and just fell apart in the second. We have not seen a game where NAZ played a full four quarters of good football where they limited the amount of times the hurt themselves. QB Ramon Atkins-Frazier is leading the league with 9 interceptions on the season so far, and if he continues at that rate you have to wonder if there is a change to be made on the horizon.

New Mexico Chupacabras @ Tucson Sugar Skulls

Result: 33-26 Tucson

What We Learned: New Mexico is undisciplined and needs O-line help ASAP & Tucson made a switch at QB that both worked and didn't

It what was arguably the roughest watch of the seven game weekend slate, Tucson scored the go-ahead touchdown in the final minute to get their second win of the season -- both overall and over New Mexico.

In a game that was dominated by the KICKERS (of all people), this was a rough go for both of these offenses. The Sugar Skulls opted to give Kacey Otto a start at QB in this one, and he didn't light it up but didn't have any catastrophic mistakes either. He had a touchdown through the air to Jaivian Lofton & added another on the ground, as the offense was able to get down the field gradually but had to settle for FOUR Kevin Macias field goals that kept New Mexico in the game.

The biggest winner of the day for the Sugar Skulls was running back Tavion Thomas, who took over the bulk of the carries after Brandon Mackey got dinged a little bitt, and he ended up having quite a day with 86 yards rushing, 7.2 yards per carry and the game-winning touchdown with less than 20 seconds left in the game.

Tucson was a little shorthanded due to injuries in this one but still got the win, but this is one of the few games on their schedule where they can get away with that. They are going to need to get back to full strength and get the offense to finish drives in the end zone.

For New Mexico, this was a frustrating viewing experience of this offense. The offensive line continues to struggle in both protection and with general discipline issues, while QB Ja'Rome Johnson seems to be holding on to the ball a little too long -- which gets messy when the o-line is just not playing well at all. Johnson was having to be an escape artist a little too often, but part of it was a bit of his own doing... or at least the playcalling.

As pointed on commentary by the legendary Sed Bonner, there were numerous opportunities to take short gains and get the ball out quick to inch down the field and get some pressure off of that struggling line. But it seemed like the 'home run' play was being looked for consistently rather than taking the 'single' that was right there for the taking. Now, is that due to QB decision making or OC playcalling?

He made some really great plays down the stretch to keep his team in it and have a chance in the dying moments, but this offense must find ways to get WR CJ Jefferson involved much more often going forward and they will need much more help on the o-line to get Ja'Rome Johnson enough time to work his magic.

What did YOU think of IFL Week 6? What were your takeaways?

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