Stop me if you’ve heard this one:
What a freaking weekend of games we got from the IFL in Week 17!
We had not one, not two, but THREE one-point games, including an unbelievable comeback in California that I am still trying to wrap my brain around. The playoff picture got a little more clear in the West as San Diego clinched their spot, leaving two spots up for grabs amongst the Arizona Rattlers, Vegas Knight Hawks & Northern Arizona Wranglers.
We're going to have a very good team on the outside looking in, but that's the game, baby!
The East is looking like it should be Quad City getting that final playoff spot, but there is a lane open where Tulsa can snatch it if Tulsa wins both of their remaining games and Quad City loses both of theirs.
It's going to be an eventful week ahead, but before that let's take a look at the Week 17. What did we learn this week?
Massachusetts Pirates @ San Antonio Gunslingers
Result: 58-55 San Antonio
What We Learned: These teams were destined to play each other & we had a rare Kicker Duel in San Antonio!
This game rocked from the opening kick. I usually don’t start with the kickers, but these two deserve it: Pirates kicker Henry Nell & San Antonio kicker TC Stevens were lighting it up.
Nell opened the game with a Deuce and had 3 total on the day, 2/3 on Dropkick XP, & 3/4 on PATs (only miss being blocked). Stevens had FOUR deuces on the day & went 6/6 on PATs. It was an electric duel that ultimately ended up being the deciding factor of the game.
San Antonio did their typical Gunslinger thing where they scored a ton but also gave up a ton in the process, but found a way to outlast the Pirates. QB Sam Castronova went 16/23 for 199 yards & 4 TDs, adding another score on the ground as well. The offense was super efficient and worked their way down to score on every drive but one, and was able to score the go ahead TD with 12 seconds left.
Unfortunately with some of the other results in the league, San Antonio is now out of the playoff hunt but they had one hell of a first year in the IFL. They were must watch all year long and participated in some of the most exciting games of the entire season. Defensively, if they can just be middle of the pack average next year they are going to be a VERY dangerous team.
On the other side, Massachusetts had multiple chances in this one to seal it but they couldn’t get multiple stops against the high powered Gunslingers offense. RB Jimmie Robinson had himself quite a day — ending with 84 rushing yards & 5 TDs on the ground. QB Alejandro Bennifield didn’t have a jaw dropping game (in part due to Robinson being able to score 5 TDs) and ended up going 11/18 for 140 yards & 2 TDs with no turnovers. The only drives that didn’t end in touchdowns for the Pirates were ones that ended with long missed field goals at the end of the first half and the end of the game. There’s honestly not much more the Pirates offense could have done in this game.
Defensively, they made some head scratching personnel adjustments leading up this one that make you think in hindsight, but the Pirates are locked into the playoffs now — it is just a matter of them getting the 3 or the 4 seed at this point. This offense has the talent and potential to make a run, but it’s going to be so difficult for them to overcome their foes in the East.
Sioux Falls Storm @ Quad City Steamwheelers
Result: 45-44 (OT) Quad City
What We Learned: Sioux Falls might have a QB for 2025 & the 2024 Quad City QB Tango continues
“Throw the record books out the window when these teams play each other”
That old cliche fits these two teams perfectly. Sioux Falls is way out of the playoff and sunk to last place in the Eastern conference, yet still put up a hell of a fight against Quad City — who had a LOT to play for in this one.
For Quad City, the quarterback-and-forth continued this week with Judd Erickson getting the start, but Mike Irwin ultimately finishing the game. Erickson could not keep things flowing very well on offense, so they flipped it to Mike Irwin who ended up going 7/7 passing with a TD & 34 rush yards and a ground score in relief of Erickson. I still can’t wrap my brain around this conundrum they continue to find themselves in, but they got the much needed win to get one step closer to making the playoffs.
PJ Vander (# FEEDVANDER) had 31 rushing yards & 3 TDs and led the team in receiving with 6 catches for 62 yards. He continues to be the most valuable player on this offense and Quad City needs to keep getting him the ball as often as possible. I don’t love their chances if/when they make the playoffs, but they have shown the ability to compete with the best teams in the East, but they have to make sure they can get into the dance first.
On the other side, we saw a bit of a coming out party for QB Jiya Wright. He went 8/19 for 116 yards passing with 3 TDs & an INT, but where he really shined was on the ground: 20 carries for 113 yards. It seemed like every time Sioux Falls need short or medium yardage, he was able to get it on the ground with ease. I didn’t expect for him to have such a presence on the ground, but he looked great out there.
If they can clean up his passing and get a bit more efficient with that, Sioux Falls might have something to work with in the future.
WR Draysean Hudson also had a solid day, snagging 4 catches for 55 yards & 2 TDs — including this nasty catch and juke in overtime to answer Quad City back. How fitting is it that these two teams opened the season in an OT game in Moline, IL and had another towards the end of the season to wrap up the home slate for Quad City?
Jacksonville Sharks @ Iowa Barnstormers
Result: 69-43 Jacksonville
What We Learned: Iowa played a rerun of an earlier game & Jacksonville is an offensive juggernaut…wait what
Who the hell was this Sharks team that we saw?
Jacksonville came into this game averaging 35.2 PPG and EXPLODED for nearly double that, posting 69 on the scoreboard (nice) and being an unnecessary blindside block away from it being 75+. Sharks QB Kaleb Barker was SCORCHING hot to start this game, going 9/9 for 150 yards & 5 TDs and was the reason this Sharks offense started scoring points in bunches from the jump.
The 2022 IFL Champion QB was the spark that this Sharks team needed heading into the final weeks of the season. While their playoff hopes faded, this gives the team and the fanbase something to hang their hat on going into year 2 of their IFL tenure. RB Tyler King had himself quite a day as well, rushing for 70 yards & 3 TDs and giving the Sharks a well balance attack — a phrase I think I only typed once the entire season so far.
Big shoutout to Sharks K Kevin DiDio Weber, who hit 3 Deuces on the day & 9/9 on PATs. Jacksonville could seemingly do no wrong in this game. Now the question is, can they do it again?!
On the other side…. oh, Iowa. QB Brandon Alt put a familiar stat line for Barnstormer fans:
19/36 for 234 yards 5 TDs & 2 INTs.
It feels like Iowa has played this same game on offense many, many times this season. Explosive plays that sometimes result in turnovers, low completion percentage and a rushing attack that is seemingly an after thought. Iowa has dealt with a ton of injuries this season and are on QB number four on the year, so the expectations weren’t high to begin with but to give up 69 to the worst offense in the league and barely be able to fight back is a brutal blow to end their season.
Before the season started, I compared the Iowa Barnstormers to the New York Giants and that seems to have been a spot on comparison. Historically significant franchise who can’t seem to find their way on offense over the past couple of seasons.
We’ll have to see what happens in the offseason, but I would expect to see a complete overhaul in Des Moines, Iowa.
Vegas Knight Hawks @ San Diego Strike Force
Result: 60-59 San Diego
What We Learned: Vegas is falling apart as we approach the finish line & San Diego has figured out the whole close game thing…kind of.
What a game. This was a very high scoring affair between two teams that know each other well and had an absolute shootout earlier in the season that ended on some questionable penalties. Starting with San Diego, they played a very strong game despite putting themselves in a bit of a hole early — going down 21-7 halfway through the first quarter. But this Strike Force team found a way to keep pounding and keep going — eventually flipping it to a 16 point lead late. QB Nate Davis had 203 yards & 5 TDs on the day, with RB/WR Rudy Johnson getting 2 TDs on the ground and catching 10 passes out of the backfield as Davis’ primary checkdown option. Davis hit a different receiver for each touchdown pass in this one and this offense looked locked in and ready for a playoff run.
Strike Force Head Coach Taylor Genuser said after the game that this team was “the most resilient team I’ve ever been around, and I don’t say that lightly” and you can see it. They fight until the very end and were on the positive end of a close game — but they very nearly lost it. There was a situation late in the game where they could have kneeled on the ball and drained the entire clock, but ended up scoring a touchdown and putting the ball back in Vegas’ hands with less than a minute left.
Lucky for San Diego, the defense held on and got a stop on the attempted GW 2 point conversion, but this could have been a demoralizing blow to San Diego, as with this win they clinched a spot in the playoffs.
On the other side, Vegas started 7-0 but has gone just 2-5 in their last 7 games and are still fighting for their playoff chances. Heading into this one, I was worried about the effect of losing WR Caleb Holley for the rest of the season to injury would have on the offense and it didn’t have much of an impact, but it also did? Walk with me here.
QB Ja’Rome Johnson had 6 total TDs on the day (3 pass, 3 rush), which in itself is great, but he ended up going 8/18 passing for 131 yards. That completion percentage was low, but featured lots of big passes, which has been a staple of the Vegas offense this season (deep pass opens up the run and the run opens up the deep pass). So Vegas was able to resume their big play passing attack without Holley, but at a less efficient rate. WR Reggie Henderson looked pretty good stepping in for Holley, but had some boneheaded penalty moments that Vegas simply can not afford to have.
Vegas was looking like an early runaway favorite early in the season, but defensively they aren’t getting the same types of performances that they were getting in the first half of the season and aren’t playing that same brand of complimentary football that was seeing them beat teams by 20+. It’s gonna be a tough road ahead for Vegas and it would not surprise me to see them on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoffs.
Frisco Fighters @ Duke City Gladiators
Result: 81-55 Frisco
What We Learned: Frisco absolutely refuses to stop scoring TDs & I need more Hasan Rogers in Duke City
A few weeks back, Frisco was establishing the run and just being an absolute menace on the ground. We’re talking 7 rushing TDs per game, 4.8-4.9 yards per carry — just playing bully ball.
So naturally this week they went out and threw 9 PASSING touchdowns on the way to scoring the most points in franchise history and the most in the IFL so far this season.
Reigning MVP TJ Edwards went 15/19 for 226 yards and 9 TDs, finding 5 different receivers for touchdowns all day long. Add another TD on the ground and he had himself a 10 pack of tuds on the day. Just an unbelievable offensive explosion that has Frisco primed and looking DANGEROUS with one regular season game left.
On the other side, it’s not great that Duke City gave up 81 — I’ll go ahead and say that part out loud. But the offense showed a lot of life and fight, especially at the QB position. They made a couple mistakes early that got them in a hole, but QB Hasan Rogers went 9/14 for 136 yards & 3 TDs, adding 52 yards & 3 more TDs on the ground.
Rogers is so nimble with the ball, whether it be scrambling or on designed runs, and he just gives the Duke City offense life and something to build on into next year.
WR Tamorrion Terry also caught 3 TDs on the day, but it just wasn’t enough to overtake Frisco’s historical offensive outburst. Duke City is a very entertaining team each week and gets Bay Area & Northern Arizona -- both fighting for playoff position — in their final two games.
Godspeed Gladiators.
Tucson Sugar Skulls @ Arizona Rattlers
Result: 44-37 Arizona
What We Learned: Quincy Patterson is going to be very good in 2025 & Arizona showed they are resilient
Let’s be frank here, this game should not have been a 7 point game. This was supposed to be a runaway blowout by Arizona as they continue their fight towards the playoffs in the GAUNTLET that is the Western Conference.
In the first half, the Rattlers had three straight drives that ended in zero points:
Turnover on Downs, Missed FG, Interception
They got themselves in a hole early against a Tucson team that surprisingly looked efficient on the ground, but the Rattlers fought and clawed back to take the win and stay alive in the playoff chase. Dalton Sneed ended the day with 4 Passing TDs & 170 yards on just 15 completions, splitting the TDs between Jamal Miles & Corey Reed Jr for 2 a piece. They got knocked down, but they got up again. You are never gonna keep them down.
The win, combined with the Vegas loss, moves Arizona into the 3rd playoff spot, where they control their own destiny from here on out.
But on the other side, Tucson looked really great running the ball with QB Quincy Patterson & RB Devonte Sapp-Lynch, especially in the first half. But they folded completely in the second half and let Arizona come back and take the game over. New QB Quincy Patterson had spent some time with the Massahusetts Pirates earlier in the season, getting some playing time in goal line situations being a big bodied, athletic QB — but found his way to Tucson after just a few weeks.
Patterson had an unreal run in the first half, where he absorbed a huge hit in the pocket and ran 39 yards down the field for a TD, but there wasn’t much else to show for the day. Passing the ball, he went 5/18 for 75 yards & a TD, and the rest of his runs on the day went 4 carries for 20 yards.
He flashes the potential to be a really fun player to watch in this league, but just needs more time to develop a rapport with his offense in order to get there. Whether that is with Coach Back & Tucson, I don’t know. But I’d love to see him somewhere in the IFL next year!
Northern Arizona Wranglers @ Bay Area Panthers
Result: 47-46 Northern Arizona
What We Learned: Northern Arizona has team of destiny vibes & Bay Area is still a powerhouse… and this may be a wake up call for a run
Last week, the Wranglers had a very emotional week after their Defensive Coordinator Dave Moran suffered a heart attack prior to their Week 16 game and passed away a couple days later. I could not even imagine what the players and staff went through dealing with that grief, while also preparing to play the defending champion Bay Area Panthers.
This game was UNREAL. Off The Wall Certified Banger. Masterpiece. So good.
Northern Arizona was down 15-40 with a little over a minute left in the 3rd quarter, but stayed with it and chipped away at the deficit.
Touchdown, dropkick XP
Gave up a touchdown
Touchdown
Onside kick
Touchdown
Onside kick
Touchdown, dropkick XP
Deuce
What a sequence! Game winning Deuce with 4 seconds left to take a one point lead to keep the Wranglers in the playoff hunt. QB Joshua Jones had quite a day, going 27/51 for 251 yards & 3 TDs, with 2 more TDs on the ground. The team could not get much going on the ground all game and needs to be something that they focus on over their final two games. If they make the playoffs, it’s likely they get Bay Area again.
On the other side, Bay Area had this game in the bag. Up 25 late in the 3rd, top notch defense, QB throwing 6 TDs — it looked like it was gonna be another Bay Area walk over.
But they just could not get possession of the ball in the final 9 minutes of the game. The Panthers offense touched the ball with 9:21 left in the 4th up 46-23.
The next time the offense touched the ball they were down 46-47 with 4 seconds left.
Just demoralizing for an offense. QB Daquan Neal went 14/19 for 177 yards & 6 TDs, with 45 rushing yards tacked on as well. They spread the ball out nicely on offense and probably would have been able to ice the game with another score if they got the ball.
The Bay Area special teams needed to get a recovery on the onside kicks but just couldn’t. Northern Arizona just seemed like they had a higher power assisting them. An unreal game and could not recommend it high enough if you have not seen it.
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