IFL 2026 Week 7: What We Learned

What. A. Weekend. Of. Football.

We had a couple of #CertifiedBangers this past weekend, as well as a game or two that I will happily shelve and never look at again. The gap between the top three teams in the West and the rest is widening, while the East seems destined for an absolute slugfest in the second half of the season.

We've got some teams that are hot, some teams that are not.. but what did we learn this week?

Orlando Pirates @ Green Bay Blizzard

Result: 71-68 Green Bay

What We Learned: These offenses proved they are extremely potent but both defenses left you scratching your head

First off, what a way to kick off the week of indoor football. An absolute #CertifiedBanger between two rival Eastern Conference heavyweights in a game that wasn't necessarily must-win for either team, but Green Bay is walking away from this one feeling a little better.

The Blizzard put on an extremely impresssive offensive performance, where they were able to march up and down the field at will and find their way into the end zone NINE times, with a tenth touchdown coming via a kick return by Isaac Ross. Defensively, they couldn't do much but they were able to force the Pirates into two field goals that ended up being the difference in the game.

QB Liam Thompson had one of the more impressive performances of the weekend going 16/21 for 185 passing yards & 6 TDs, with another on the ground. The Blizzard weren't able to get much going on the ground yardage wise against a pretty stout Orlando front line, but that wasn't necessary as they were able to just do whatever they wanted through the air. WRs Draysean Hudson & Terrell Carey each snagged 2 TDs, with Issac Ross & Demilon Brown adding to the tally as well.

Green Bay is VERY well positioned in the Eastern Conference at 5-1, with a rematch with the Fishers Freight (also 5-1) on the horizon.

For the Pirates, last week we sounded the alarm on this defense that has been porous at best and this was the roughest performance we have seen yet. This secondary was getting scorched all game long and, unfortunately for the players, it wasn't due to the talent on the field. They were playing a soft zone defense all day that gave Green Bay every opportunity in the world to dink and dunk their way down the field every, single, drive.

For those keeping track at home: They have now given up 55, 69 & 71 (in order) since Rob Keefe resigned as head coach.

The news out of Orlando is that former NAZ & SD defensive coordinator Jason Simpson is en route to hopefully save the day for this struggling defense.

But for this Pirates offense, they played pretty great in this one and would have been more than enough for a win in the majority of games played. Paxton DeLaurent had 182 yards & 4 TDs through the air, finding Thomas Owens twice and Teo Redding & Nyqwan Murray once a piece, with Pooka Williams adding two more on the ground and another on an electric kickoff return that was badly needed in the 2nd half.

It's not all doom and gloom for the Pirates, but until they get this defense sorted out it feels like it is going to be trending in that direction.

Northern Arizona Wranglers@ San Antonio Gunslingers

Result: 32-14 San Antonio

What We Learned: Gunslingers are inching in the right direction & Northern Arizona is a mess and a half

What a tough game to watch. For as electric and awesome as that Orlando-Green Bay game was, this one swung the pendulum in the complete opposite direction.

This was a slugfest but in a way that gives too much gravitas to either defense, but moreso highlighting the ineptitude of these offenses. For San Antonio, we've been looking for something to identify as the "a-ha!" moment on this offense and we got some glimpses of what that could potentially be in this one.

Fred Payton Jr got the start at QB and ended up with 158 passing yards & 2 TDs through the air and another on the ground, but a sub 50% completion percentage and 2 INTs to go with it. WR Deon Cook continues to be the clear and obvious WR1 on this team and is in the drivers seat for at least an All-IFL rookie team nomination, but there isn't much else going with this offense at the moment.

WR Lowell Patron (friend of the program) was recently acquired in a trade with Jacksonville and you would imagine he would become a large part of the offensive gameplan, but luck for San Antonio they were facing the other red-white-blue cowboy hat team.. otherwise they probably don't win this game.

For Northern Arizona, I don't where you go from here. QB Kaleb Lowe got the start in this one, but after a quick fumble (that turned into a scoop and score) and an INT, they flipped back to QB Ramon Atkins-Frazier and he wasn't any better. RAF is one of the few veteran-classified players on this team and it seems like he is getting worse every single week.

There have been some rumblings that he is only practicing once per week with the team due to his "day job" commitments, which would make a ton of sense all things considered and what we see out of this offense on a weekly basis. RB Nolan Susel provided the only ray of sunshine for this offense late in the game when he broke off a TD run, but outside of that there was nothing for this offense to hang their hat on and it was just a bad, bad game. At this point, it feels like the Atkins-Frazier experience has run its course. Do you ride with Kaleb Lowe and stick with him no matter what for a few games? Do you look to bring in a new body into the QB room?

Idk man, it is so bleak in Prescott Valley right now.

Fishers Freight @ Iowa Barnstormers

Result: 53-31 Fishers

What We Learned: Fishers is rinsing and repeating a winning formula & Iowa is starting to put together a potential offensive identity

Fishers has been on a tear so far this season and they aren't really reinventing the wheel by any means whatsoever.

• Run the ball and average 5.0+ yards per carry

• Throw the ball ~10 times per game and be extremely efficient

• Get multiple stops on defense

• Win

Pretty good game plan! Especially when pitted against a struggling Iowa team that has been put the ringer through their first five games of the season. RB Dominic Roberto had a strong game in this one with 63 yards and a touchdown on the ground, and QB Felix Harper had another efficient (but not box score attention grabbing) game going 8/10 passing for 83 yards & 4 TDs.

But that is the box score you WANT to see if you are Fishers fan, because that means the gameplan is working. Not to say that Harper can't carry the team on his back if needed, but if you are only throwing 8-10 times a game, that usually indicates you are in the drivers seat for most of the game and that's a great spot to be when you have this Freight roster.

For Iowa, this was another tough one but to me there were some moments of optimism that can be taken away from this game.

For starters, bringing in RB David Elder is going to be big for this offense. Elder was fantastic in Northern Arizona the past couple of seasons and is a good get for this Barnstormers offense that needed a spark and an indoor football veteran to help guide things on the field. QB Ivan Corbin had a big game on the ground with 17 carries for 95 yards & 5 TDs, but really struggled to get the passing game going (9/23, 62 yards, 0 TDs).

The success of the ground game kept this game closer than most people probably envisioned in the second half, but ultimately that lack of any sort of passing attack sewered any chance of stealing this one at home.

If they can get WR Kurtis Ravenel re-engaged in the passing attack while still developing that run-first identity, we could start to see Iowa get in the win column and steal some games from their tough, tough remaining schedule.

Tulsa Oilers @ Arizona Rattlers

Result: 64-63 Arizona

What We Learned: Arizona is built for nail biters & Tulsa is...not.

This game. Holy moly what a #CertifiedBanger. This was a game that we've seen the Arizona Rattlers play and pull off many times over the years and, unfortunately, this was also a game that we have also seen the Tulsa Oilers blow many times over the years (twice so far this season alone).

For the Rattlers, this was a wild one that featured the most balanced attack we've seen from this ofense with Max Meylor throwing for 215 yards & 5 TDs, with Ron Brown Jr & Kymani Clarke each adding 2 TDs on the ground for an offensive explosion that was imminent from this squad. WR Arland Bruce had a mega game in this one (11 catches for 119 yards & 2 TDs) and made alllllll the plays when they needed it the most, but none bigger than the final grab with less than 10 seconds to go in the game.

An interesting note for this game: Offensively, the playcalling duties were handed over to OC Peyton Riggs, while HC (and usual playcaller) Kevin Guy focused on the defensive side of the ball. While the defense certainly has some things to get cleaned up, you have to be thrilled with this offensive performance if you are a Rattlers fan and have to wonder what the future at the playcalling spot looks like now in Glendale, AZ.

For Tulsa, what a gut punch. Another game where QB TJ Edwards was making play after play and providing so much fire power on offense, and they just get the game stolen from them in the dying moments.

The biggest wound for Tulsa in this game were 100% self inflicted - Penalties.

Officially, they ended up with 11 penalties for 80 yards, but that is not including all of the committed penalties that were offsetting or declined in this one. It felt like every other play there was a yellow flag on the field to match the Oilers helmet and pants combo.

Offensively, TJ Edwards showed shades of his younger self with a pair of TD runs that were muched needed and Jerminic Smith had another 10+ catch game that went for 72 yards and 3 TDs. But the undisciplined play did the Oilers in for this one.

They are sitting at 1-3 on the season with all three of their losses being by a combine 9 points. They are a very, very good team, but have to be able to close out games and avoid self inflicted wounds. They are three individual plays away from being 4-0 this season, which hurts if you are an Oilers fan but should also be inspiring when you consider what this team can be if they can get our of their own way.

New Mexico Chupacabras @ Vegas Knight Hawks

Result: 48-12 Vegas

What We Learned: On an off day, Vegas is capable of putting up nearly 50 & New Mexico is putting the pain in "growing pains" as a first year org

This game was going to be an emotional one for New Mexico and I think everyone in the building knew it. The head coach and six players on this Chupacabras roster were making their 'homecoming' to Henderson, NV after winning the title with the Knight Hawks in 2025 and had revenge on their mind, but simply don't have the depth and overall talent to match with Vegas right now.

Credit to the Chups, they keep this one close in the first half when many (myself included) expected Vegas to kick the door in and immediately blow this game wide open. Former Knight Hawks QB Ja'rome Johnson & WR CJ Jefferson connected for an early TD to jump out to a short-lived lead, but from there on out it was tough sledding for this offense.

If you take away that one play, the passing game for New Mexico only produced 133 yards, 0 TDs & 2 INTs on the day. A fumble, two interceptions, & four turnover on downs is a nightmare combination that makes it hard to win ANY game, but especially difficult against the defending champs.

The tough inaugural campaign continues for New Mexico.

For Vegas, they got punched in the mouth at the beginning of this one and found themselves in a bit of a fight for the first ~20-25 minutes of this game -- something they haven't experienced since Week 1 against Green Bay.

They had a couple of early missteps, but really laid it on the Chups defense in the second half to pull away. Jayden DeLaura had a 3 passing TD day, finding Quentin Randolph for 2 & DeShon Stoudamire (who just returned from short term IR) for 1, with Josh Tomas tacking on two more on the ground.

Backup QB Avaun Rucker got in the mix and punched it in as well, so all things considered this was a very comfortable Vegas win that should have been even more comfortable with a faster start.

Vegas gets a heavyweight matchup this upcoming week with the 4-1 Arizona Rattlers coming to town.

Jacksonville Sharks @ Quad City Steamwheelers

Result: 39-38 Jacksonville

What We Learned: The Sharks successfully leaned on their QB(s) to secure the win & Quad City fans should officially be in panic mode

This game was a tale of two halves that came down to the final possession for the Sharks and they were able to lean on QB James Cahoon to come through and deliver for them in the clutch and get a MASSIVE 4th & 15 conversion from their own 5-yard line with less than one minute to go. Usually you see teams lean on the running game in these instances, but the Quad City defense was really clapping down on the run game.

WRs Redd Douglas & Jaedon Stoshak each hauled in TDs through the air and RB Jimmie Robinson Jr was the clear workhorse (despite note much going for them on the ground) with six catches for 78 yards. QB2 Sammy Edwards came into the game in the red zone as a 'wildcat'-esque type of situation to punch it in and finish some drives, and was a much needed and welcomed additional threat that teams have to account for now.

This was a gritty win against a talent Quad City roster in a tough environment, as the Sharks improve to 3-1 on the year.

For Quad City, we're entering Panic Mode Territory. The margin for error the rest of the season has slimmed down CONSIDERABLY with this loss and it leaves you with more questions than answers at the moment.

Having a 2-4 record with this roster is insane and it all comes down to situational football and executing in those pivotal moments. Late in the game on the Sharks final drive, the Quad City d-line was dominating the Sharks o-line and getting to the QB and disrupting the flow, forcing a tough 4th & 15 from their own 5. So what does Quad City do? They stop doing what was working and only rushed 2 d-linemen and dropped All-IFL DL KeShaun Moore into pass coverage five yards down the field. As a result, James Cahoon had plenty of time and delivered a BULLET to Stoshak for what was essentially the game clinching first down.

Situations like that, on both sides of the ball, have been an all too. common theme for the Steamwheelers this year. Dequan Neal had a big game with 5 passing TDs, but had some missteps at the same time (2 INTs, a couple of bobble snaps).

Keyvan Rudd stepped up for 2 TD grabs and Quian Williams hauled in the other 3, but QC had little to no ground game to speak of, against a Jacksonville team that has been susceptible to giving up rushing yards this season. Brutal game for Quad City and they have to at least go 8-2 over the last 10 to have a decent chance at the playoffs, which they can do given the talent they have, but they have to be able to execute in those pivotal moments to beat the best teams in the East.

Tucson Sugar Skulls @ San Diego Strike Force

Result: 48-25 San Diego

What We Learned: The Strike Force overcame multiple self inflicted wounds to secure the win & Tucson is in hell at the QB position

These teams met for the second time this month, and in the first game San Diego got off to a hot start on offense, stumbled a bit and Tucson's defense and running game got them back in it and took this matchup to the wire.

In this one, San Diego's offense got off to a very slow start (one week after scoring 73) and opended the door for Tucson to make this a game in the first half after a bobbled snap was returned for a Sugar Skulls scoop and score touchdown (same thing that happened in the first matchup). However, what San Diego was missing in the first half they clearly exhibited in the second on offense.

They were able to get the ball down the field and scored points in most ways possible -- passing touchdown, rushing touchdown, missed field goal return, field goal, safety, rouge -- to bust this one open and pounce on the opportunity. Not the pretty game on offense, but this Tucson defense deserves a ton of credit for the way they were able to really limit what the Strike Force were wanting to do.

San Diego is sitting pretty at 4-1 on the year with a big time cross conference clash with the Tulsa Oilers on the horizon.

For Tucson, they were extremely fortunate for this game to be tied at halftime considering how the first half went for them. Time of possession in the first half:

• San Diego - 25 min and change

• Tucson - 4 min and change

The offense simply could not get anything going through the air and have lacked any sort of aerial threat in recent memory. QBs Kacey Otto & Dreylin Ellis combined to go 4/11 for 23 yards & an INT, relying fully on the running game to get anything going.

It's simply not sustainable and really is a disservice to how well this Sugar Skulls defense played in this game. If they had average QB play in this game, they most likely win this one. DB Zachariah Twardosky had a huge scoop and score when Strike Force were driving in the red zone in the first half and Tavion Thomas was able to punch it in right before halftime, but this Tucson offense was essentially nonexistent in this game.

San Diego was going for deuces every single time because the Tucson offense put absolutely no fear into their heart and they knew they couldn't get anything going.

The Sugar Skulls desperately need some production out of the QB position, and it feels like Dreylin Ellis has the higher ceiling at this point but he's gotta be able to get in there and pull the trigger to get this offense going. Or perhaps the answer is with somebody not currently on the roster that they may bring in... hmm.

What did YOU think of IFL Week 5? What were your takeaways?

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