IFL 2025 Week 4: What We Learned
- offthewallfbpod
- 2 minutes ago
- 12 min read
What a week of football we had in the Indoor Football League in Week 4!
We had the first full slate of games where every team in the league played, we had 140+ point games, we had games that didn't even break 50 points, we had back and forth action and we had blowouts -- literally something for everybody!
What did we learn in IFL Week 4?
Tulsa Oilers @ Green Bay Blizzard
Result: 74-68 (OT) Green Bay
What We Learned: Tulsa's in an identity crisis & Green Bay flipped the script!
You want to talk about one hell of a game to kick off the weekend of football -- how about a game where 142 points are scored and both QBs put on an absolute clinic?
This is the type of score that gives Arena Football oldheads proper nostalgia, just don't tell them that this high scoring game came from INDOOR FOOTBALL!
We talked last week about how Green Bay just couldn't find a way to close out close games and you couldn't help but wonder when they would be able to turn the corner and make it happen.
Well, the answer apparently was one week.
Green Bay trailed by 9 late in this one, but kept trading blows with Tulsa, before eventually scoring a TD, getting the XP & then hitting a DEUCE to tie it in the 4th quarter.
This was such a fun game to watch and featured really great QB play from both sides. Max Meylor had 183 yards through the air & 4 passing TDs, with 3 more on the ground, while RB Kimo Clarke tacked on 57 yards on the ground and 4 total TDs as well. The Meylor-Clarke connection was cooking in this one and Green Bay battled back to steal the win in what will surely be a game of the year candidate.
For Tulsa, it felt like it was only a matter of time before the offense woke up and BOY DID THEY. The Oilers were seemingly marching down the field and scoring at will in this one and QB TJ Edwards had quite a day with 134 yards passing & 6 TDs through the air, and another 110 rushing yards & 3 TDs on the ground.
Three different WRs caught multiple TDs in this one (McClurge, Blackman, Augustine) and they just seemed to be humming along -- which makes it puzzling how they lost this game.
Tulsa has been known for their defense the past couple of seasons and had put together a couple of strong performances this year, but just seemed to come unglued against the Blizzard. The usual big stops and big plays we had grown accustom to with this Oilers team just wasn't there. They had a big stop on 4th down early in the game to flip the momentum, but just couldn't get the Blizz off the field the rest of the way.
In their previous game against Fishers, the offense couldn't get going and the defense was hanging on the best they could. In this one, the offense was cooking early and often but the defense just couldn't put together their usual performance.
It's shocking to see Tulsa have a 1-2 record, but they have another big test in front of them in a early season rematch with the San Antonio Gunslingers.
San Diego Strike Force @ Vegas Knight Hawks
Result: 35-27 San Diego
What We Learned: Vegas has a broken offense & San Diego might've finally woken up?
It's no secret that San Diego was going through a bit of a rough patch heading into this game. After the first quarter, San Diego had scored 28 points in their last 7 quarters of football -- and that is just nowhere near good enough to compete in the IFL.
They eventually got going on offense with Nate Davis connecting for 3 TDs through the air to Rudy Johnson, Dallas Daniels, & new weapon John Maldonado. They tried to get the ground game going, but weren't able to replicate some of their success from the first half of their first clash with Vegas earlier this season.
San Diego's defense was able to step up and finally get some interceptions to tilt the game in their favor, and while it looks like things are trending in the right direction for the Strike Force, they are a ways away from where their potential with the talent they have on this roster.
For Vegas, they just seem disjointed and broken on offense. They don't have the same ability to finish drives like they did last season and really lack the big play explosiveness that made them such a fun team to watch last year.
Reigning IFL MVP Ja'Rome Johnson had a better game on paper than he did via the eye test, where he had 201 passing yards & 2 TDs, but also 2 backbreaking INTs as well. Vegas was able to jump out to a 14-0 lead early, but couldn't keep their boots on San Diego's throats to really end it on their terms.
Vegas has the weapons on offense to pick up where they left off last season, but they need to get their big explosive plays lined up and be able to finish drives in the end zone. The Vegas defense has been playing well over the past 2 games, but the offense has to step up.
Fishers Freight @ Massachusetts Pirates
Result: 50-47 Massachusetts
What We Learned: The Pirates new OC is already paying dividends & Fishers' Special Teams is both great and terrible
Ever since the season started, the Pirates offense has been mediocre at best despite the talent they have across the board. They started the season with Anthony Payton at OC, then quickly shifted over to interim OC Mark Stoute, but against Fishers they were able to debut new OC Martin Theus and the offense immediately looked refreshed and improved.
Kenji Bahar had his best game of the season BY FAR with 7 total TDs, with 3 through the air and 4 coming by way of 1-yard line tush push. They were able to march down the field consistently and punch it in in the red zone. The defense was able to rise up and get big stops in the second half, and the Pirates offense was able to march down the field, run the clock in the final minute and score a walk off FG with returning veteran kicker Josh Gable.
For Fishers, this was a tough test against a talented Pirates team. They were able to get some points on the board and keep up with Massachusetts early on, but eventually stumbled in the 3rd quarter while the Pirates were able to pull ahead. QB Jiya Wright started off hot, but had a rough 3rd quarter and the Fishers eventually threw in QB Keegan Shoemaker to switch things up and he looked really good out there slinging the ball around -- and got Fishers back in this one!
Shoemaker has the better arm talent, but Wright is a more gifted scrambler and a more prototypical QB you see in the IFL. The direction Coach Wooten takes at QB will be an interesting one to monitor.
They also had kicking woes in this game that really came back to haunt them. Recently released K Michael Baloga missed numerous extra points & field goals in this one, which would have come in clutch considering the game was tied 47-47 with a minute to go.
But as painful as the kicking was for Fishers, the special teams return unit was on FIRE. DB Devin Hafford had not one, but TWO kickoff return TDs & DB Aaron Jackson nearly busted a couple of returns himself for points.
The return team made this game winnable for Fishers, but they'll need to get more consistency from their QB & K to continue their hot start to the season.
Iowa Barnstormers @ Quad City Steamwheelers
Result: 53-35 Quad City
What We Learned: Quad City is off to the races & Iowa is playing shockingly bad
Quad City is such a fun team to watch. Their offense, specifically their rushing attack led by QB Daquan Neal, gets so many people involved and really moves the ball downfield methodically.
The Steamwheelers had 7 different ball carriers in this one and had over 100 yards on the ground, averaging 4.4 yards per carry and made the Barnstormers defense cover every square inch of the line of scrimmage.
WR Deion McShane had a breakout game in this one, accounting for 2 TDs on the ground and 2 TDs receiving -- and he looked FAST as hell out there. Quad City has a burner in McShane and they gotta get him the ball more. Defensively, the Quad City defense was able to put a lot pressure on the Iowa QB for the second straight week -- and as a result were able to walk away with multiple interceptions and defensive stops yet again. Quad City is off to the best start in franchise history and they are looking like a prime time contender in the East a quarter of the way through the season.
For Iowa, this was more of the same. Live and die by the pass, but lately there has been a lot more dyin' than livin'. After QB Joaquin Collazo had a strong start to the season, we are in the midst of a QB mid-off between him and Nile McLaughlin. They split time in this one, and oddly enough each had 20 passing attempts on the day:
Collazo - 10/20 95 yds, 1 TD, 2 INTs
McLaughlin - 13/20 102 yds, 2 TDs, 1 INT
The turnovers are rough and were the result of some desperation -- but a lot of the positive production came in garbage time with the game already in hand for Quad City, so it was even worse than this.
The rushing attack was already stagnant, but somehow regressed -- totaling NEGATIVE yardage on the day as a team (6 carries, -10 yards & 1 TD). This Iowa team is a mess and needs a reboot badly. They need to spend this upcoming bye week re-evaluating everything.
Jacksonville Sharks @ Tucson Sugar Skulls
Result: 28-21 Jacksonville
What We Learned: Jacksonville's defense is legit & Tucson is on pace to break a record from last year
This was one of the more shocking results of the weekend, for me. Jacksonville should have absolutely steamrolled Tucson in this one. They have a better roster with a ton of experience and should have been able to handle business against a team that was starting a QB that was signed 48 hours prior to kickoff, but Tucson seems to have a couple of these games each year where they just drag a team into the mud with them and have a fist fight until the very end.
Tucson busted out some trickery in this one throughout the game, including a nifty little high motion handoff just kidding it's a RB pass play right before halftime. But they inexperience and limited time to mesh on offense was evident with QB E'mond Caldwell throwing 4 picks on the day on 7/24 passing, and it is just difficult to win games like that -- but they were in it until the end!
The Sugar Skulls defense stood tall and kept the talented Sharks offense in check for the most of the game. Tucson's defense is going to have to keep them in games as they begin to get things figured out on offense assuming they can find a QB to stick.
Tucson started their 2nd QB in 2 games, and the play by play crew alluded to a possible 3rd starting the next game -- meaning they are on pace to surpass their total of 8 starting QBs in 16 games from the 2024 season. They need to find a guy and stick with him to have any chance of success, and Caldwell has the running tools to get the job done, but just needs time.
For Jacksonville, a win is a win and they all count the same, but I'm starting to have some concerns with this team. The defense has been playing incredible and coming up with a ton of stops and turnovers over the first 3 games of the season, but the offense isn't capitalizing on them and executing like I thought they would.
This is a very talented offensive roster that was only able to post 28 on Tucson, despite getting 4 interceptions (granted one was to seal it with under a minute to go). Something is off and they aren't able to finish drives like you would think an offense with Jimmie Robinson, Ed Vander, Tyler King & Kaleb Barker would be able to do.
But the road might get tougher for Jacksonville -- as Jimmie Robinson came up hobbled on an early touchdown untouched, which is never a great sign. With one of your key playmakers potentially out (don't know the exact extent of the injury), the offense has gotta find a way to get clicking here soon.
The points scored have trended in the wrong direction for Jacksonville (46 -> 38 -> 28) over the past three games, and I'll be interested to see if they can get it corrected when the Pirates come to town this week.
San Antonio Gunslingers @ Arizona Rattlers
Result: 63-55 Arizona
What We Learned: The Arizona train keeps on chugging along & San Antonio's offense exploded with 2 key injury returns
The Arizona Rattlers are a run away freight train. They simply over power teams and can flip their identity in an instant to win games. The passing attack not working the way it usually does? No worries, they'll just rush for 9 TDs in the game.
San Antonio got off to a hot start in this one and were up 14-0, but Arizona never wavered and fought back and took control of this game -- turning that 14 point hole into an 18 point lead in the 4th quarter. RB Ron Brown Jr had 63 rushing yards and 4 TDs on the ground, with QB Dalton Sneed adding another 54 yards on the ground and a 4 pack of TDs himself.
This game really flexed Arizona's versatility on offense to shift their point of attack to what is working and what the defense gives them. San Antonio has a strong secondary, so they pivoted to dominating on the ground. Great game from the Rattlers and they keep rolling.
For San Antonio, this offense ERUPTED in their first game in the post-Tom Menas era, as they scored more points in this game (55) than their previous 2 games COMBINED (20+28). QB Malik Henry was letting it rip out there, throwing for 201 yards & 5 TDs, but with 2 INTs as well.
There's a couple of reasons why the offense was able to burst in this one, but the main one was the season debut WR Nyqwan Murray. The All-IFL WR started the season on the Short Term IR but blew up for 7 catches for 130 yards and 3 TDs in this one. RB/WR Kali Rashad also made his season debut, and ripped a long kickoff return for a TD during the comeback attempt in the 4th.
Defensively, San Antonio came into this one sharp as a tack but just got shredded on the ground. LB Jordan Jones earned a quick ejection in the 1st half after two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, and it kind of all unraveled from there. He was the stalwart of the middle of that defense and made plays from wall to wall, and his presence was sorely missed in the second half.
San Antonio started to look like 2024 San Antonio -- for better and worse -- so we'll see how they continue to adjust from here.
Northern Arizona Wranglers @ Bay Area Panthers
Result: 50-28 Bay Area
What We Learned: Bay Area defense is so back & NAZ is in for a long year
Going into this game, I expected the much more experienced Bay Area team to dominate and they definitely delivered. They really held this NAZ offense in check and created multiple turnovers, including a Pick Six late in the game by DB Joe Foucha to really ice it (and give Under bettors a reallll sweat).
This Bay Area defense returns 7 out of 8 starters from last year's team and that continuity jumps off the screen when you watch this team play. They are so well connected with each other and you rarely see a blown assignment. QB Josh Jones put up good numbers and didn't have to do a ton to really control this game. They did finally have another player on the team get more carries than him, which is exciting if you've been reading this blog each week. This Bay Area team is looking dangerous and they are playing their brand of football really, really well.
For Northern Arizona, this was a tough assignment. Young team with a rookie QB going into the home arena of one of the best and most experienced defenses in the league, but they did show some promise.
QB CJ Fowler looked pretty good running the ball (15 carries for 66 yards) and started to get things going passing, but just had a couple of bad throws that cost them dearly. It seems like NAZ wants to really be able to run the ball, but when they are constantly putting themselves in these positions where they are playing catch up -- it makes it difficult.
I like the pieces in Marvin Kinsey & David Elder and how they get them involved in the running game, but I really want to see this passing game continue to develop and evolve. NAZ is in for a long season against some really tough opponents, but if they can get things soon they can give teams a fright and play spoiler for some folks down the line.
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