IFL Week 6: What We Learned

Week 6 is in the books! We had some really good games this week that came down to the wire, but we also had quite a few that got ugly quick and were never really in doubt.

We had 3 teams put 60+ points, 2 teams post 50 on each other and another team that is simply trying their best (but are they?). Sorry Duke City

Here’s what we learned in Week 6: 

Tucson Sugar Skulls @ San Antonio Gunslingers

Result: 60-36 San Antonio 

What We Learned: San Antonio might be getting their defense figured out & Tucson is regressing. 

San Antonio’s leading scoring offense came to play AGAIN this week, but that was never in question — what was in question was how the defense would adjust to give them a fighting chance. They responded in a big way by holding Tucson to 36 points, but with a HEAVY asterisk in that QB Mylik Mitchell did not play due to a minor injury and facing a team with a new QB on 4 days rest. 

Besides that little tidbit, they were great! Sam Castronova lit it up again with SEVEN passing TDs to FIVE different receivers, and the Gunslingers even got a little bit of a running game going with Keyshawn Harper. Would still like to see a little better efficiency on the ground, but overall this was a much better outing for San Antonio. 

On the other side, you can’t beat up on Tucson too much given the circumstances — new QB for the game on short rest is a tough spot for any team in the league. But what IS troubling was the balance on offense — 23 total rushing attempts, with 17 of them being from interim starting QB Torrance Gibson. When you have a RB the caliber of Mike Jones on the team, there is no reason why he should only be getting 4 carries in a game without your starting QB. He should be the bell cow that you feed to keep your offense on track. 

Tucson faced an uphill battle from the start, but they could have helped themselves a little more to stay in this game. Hopefully QB Mylik Mitchell will be back soon to get the Sugar Skulls back on track. 

Sioux Falls Storm @ Green Bay Blizzard

Result: 48-35 Green Bay 

What We Learned: Sioux Falls is their own worst enemy & Green Bay’s defense is as ferocious as ever

That Sioux Falls offensive line (specifically at Center) — woof Buzz. Taking on this Blizzard defense is tough enough as it is, then you mix in a Center not being able to consistently get the ball back to the QB and it becomes impossible. Right before half time (where we mentioned that Sioux Falls struggles), the Center snaps the ball as if the QB is under Center — essentially hitting himself in the crotch with the ball, which Green Bay recovers for a turnover. 

Sioux Falls’ greatest enemy right now is who they see in the mirror. They were IN THIS GAME even after these costly mistakes, and could very easily be sitting at 2-2 if they could get the simplest things dialed in — but instead they are 0-4 for the first time in team history. 

On the other side, Green Bay keeps doing Green Bay things! That Blizzard defense is ferocious, delivering huge hits all game and capitalizing on the Storm’s mistakes. Their D-line had another great game, with pressure from every angle and overwhelming the Sioux Falls o-line and making plays late in the game to hold the lead. 

Max Meylor was back in the lineup and had 6 total TDs through the air and ground combined, so he got right back into form. I’m still not totally bought into Green Bay until I see them do this against a team like Frisco or Tulsa, but they continue to pick up the wins that they need to get to stay in the Top 4 of the Eastern Conference. 

Massachusetts Pirates @ Quad City Steamwheelers

Result: 54-43 Quad City

What We Learned: Quad City got out of their own way &. Massachusetts finally looked human 

Quad City came into today being a very good team on paper, but couldn’t get out of their own way. Against the Pirates, Quad City looked smooth, had minimal self inflicted wounds and were putting together efficient drives on offense to score over 50 (and over 40!) for the first time this season. 

QB Judd Erickson looked MUCH better in this game — both through the air and on the ground — and they were able to spread the ball amongst their playmakers on offense: with Jarrod Harrington getting 9 total touches & PJ Vander popping off for 92 yards and 3 TDs on the ground.

THIS is the Quad City that we expected early on, and they could be turning a corner.

On the other side, Massachusetts came crashing back to earth after a 4-0 start. They hadn’t played a ‘perfect game’ thus far, and their mistakes finally caught up to them today. In a couple of their games this year, the Pirates started slow on offense and their defense kept them in the game and gave them time to get back into it. Today, they started slow and Quad City got off to a quick start and kept their foot on the gas. 

Getting off to a quicker start has to be a priority for Massachusetts going forward to avoid any other letdown games like this one. 

Vegas Knight Hawks @ Jacksonville Sharks

Result: 61-35 Vegas

What We Learned: Ja’Rome Johnson is inevitable & Jacksonville might be trending in the right direction 

First things first, this game was CHIPPY. These teams played each other in Vegas in Week 3, and apparently some bad blood boiled over to this matchup. There multiple ejections, plenty of Unsportsmanlike Conduct calls and 19 combined penalties, with Jacksonville accounting for 11 of them for 124 yards. As a result, Jacksonville felt the consequences a lot more and it eventually tipped the scales in favor of Vegas late in the game. 

But the good news is Jacksonville looked MUCH better on offense with the new blood in the lineup at QB (Fred Payton Jr) & RB (Boom Williams). Payton Jr looked a little green (as expected with an IFL debut), but he brought a much needed element of a dual threat to the quarterback position and was pretty efficient in the first half. The more reps that he gets, the better he’ll be — and for the first time this season there is reason to be optimistic about this Sharks offense. 

On the other side, Ja’Rome Johnson did the thing again. How do you follow up a 7 TD performance in Week 5? Simply by doing it again in Week 6! (More players should try do this little hack.) 

The Vegas offense looked even better than last week, with Antonio Wimbush getting involved on the ground with 9 carries for 73 yards and 2 TDs, and Johnson being very efficient all day (12/14 for 184 & 5 TDs), but especially on the deep ball! This kept Jacksonville on their toes and created the running lanes up front all game. 

If Vegas maintains this pace, we are in for some classic matchups over the next couple of weeks. 

Arizona Rattlers @ Iowa Barnstormers

Result: 49-47 Arizona

What We Learned: The Kyle King era is here in Iowa & Arizona is in trouble in the Western Conference

Thankfully the Iowa Barnstormers thought with their head and not with their heart when it came to the QB decision this week, because QB Kyle King looked pretty good and nearly pulled off the comeback win in this one. He had a rough completion percentage on paper (13/30), but if they can find more ways to get the ball out of his hands quicker on things like screens or short slants, it should help the offense as a whole get off to a better start. 

They came roaring back in the 2nd half, but Arizona had enough of a lead to weather the storm and hang on. 

On the other side, Arizona got the win but they are in trouble in the Western Conference. They had a chance to bounce back to form against the last place team in the Eastern Conference, and they let them back in the game. They have had a rough go of injuries with QB Dalton Sneed, DB Dillion Winfrey & WR Isaiah Huston all missing time this year, so optimistically if they are able to get back in the lineup they might be able to get back on track. 

But as it stands now, with the way the rest of the West has been playing they could be a in a lottttttt of trouble. 

Frisco Fighters @ Tulsa Oilers

Result: 60-32 Frisco

What We Learned: Frisco is the real deal & Tulsa has some growing up to do

The past couple weeks, I’ve been giving Frisco their flowers but have been doing so with an asterisk — hoping to see them come out and win a game by impactful passing the ball, and they did just that against Tulsa. TJ Edwards was exceptional this week — 14/17 for 153 yards & 4 passing TDs, paired with 57 rushing yards & 3 rushing TDs. THIS was the game I was waiting for from Frisco and they delivered. 

WRs Devon McCoy & Cole Blackman have grown into one hell of a WR duo for the Fighters and they are making their case for being the very best team in the league through the first 5 weeks of the season. 

On the other side, Tulsa has growing up to do. They absolutely melted down on defense in the third quarter — drawing multiple unsportsmanlike penalties to basically push Frisco into the red zone. The Fighters don’t need help moving the ball, guys. The Oilers also had multiple ejections — one for a flagrant personal foul and another for multiple unsportsmanlike penalties. They had a chance to claw their way back in the game down 15 in the 3rd, but the emotional meltdown we saw from the team put the final nail in their own coffin and blew it wide open. 

We’ve seen what Tulsa can be this year at their best this year, but this game they showed what they can be at their worst mentally and emotionally. They’ll look to bounce back next week vs Quad City. 

San Diego Strike Force @ Bay Area Panthers

Result: 53-50 Bay Area

What We Learned: Bay Area always finds a way & a fully healthy San Diego is the most dangerous team in the league 

Heading into this game, on paper this was going to be 2 of the premier QBs in the entire league going against each other — San Diego’s Nate Davis vs Bay Area’s Daquan Neal. Two former All-IFL First Team players who are some of the premier playmakers in the league. But we had a minor problem — they are both injured. (Davis with broken ribs (per the broadcast vs Arizona) & Neal with a quad contusion (per the broadcast vs San Diego).)

We ended up getting Rudy Johnson at QB for San Diego, and Felix Harper for Bay Area, and the game was honestly very sloppy at the beginning of the game, but things began to escalate when Nate Davis came in in relief of Johnson. With Davis at the helm, San Diego stormed back and had the lead until the final moments and VERY NEARLY completed a Hail Mary to set up a potential win in the dying seconds of the game. When fully healthy, San Diego is one of the most dangerous teams in the league and can beat anybody on any given day. 

And honestly, the same can be said about Bay Area. They have had injury issues of their own they have been dealing with, but they reach into their repertoire and get the next man up to step in and ball out. Starting RB Shane Simpson couldn’t go, so rookie Stafford Anderson got the start next to his former Alcorn State teammate Felix Harper. The duo combined for 32 rush attempts for 76 yards 4 TDs, and Bay Area did just enough to hold on during a furious San Diego comeback attempt. 

This game earned the Off The Wall Certified Banger badge, making it the 3rd of the year so far - and the 2nd that involved San Diego. Hmm. 

Duke City Gladiators @ Northern Arizona Wranglers

Result: 39-23 Northern Arizona 

What We Learned: A win is a win for Northern Arizona & Duke City’s offense has bottomed out

In hindsight, I feel bad for this game. On one channel, you had our cinema in San Diego-Bay Area going back and forth and putting up 100+ points in a nail biter to the end — then you change the channel to this game and it looked like you were watching your cousins, uncles & nephews play turkey bowl football at Thanksgiving. 

This was a super low scoring game for 2 reasons: Duke City’s offense & Duke City’s defense. I really feel for Duke City’s defense because they are truly doing everything they can to keep their team in the game and they are just getting no support from their offensive counterparts. They went with a new QB(s) this game and they went a combine 4/15 with 3 INTs. 

Duke City has to get things figured out very, very quickly the Western Conference isn’t going anywhere — and looking at the schedule, I’m not sure where Duke City is going to get a win. 

On the other side, Northern Arizona pulled off the win but it never really felt like it was in doubt at any point. It was a very physical game and featured a lot of rushing attempts from the Wranglers, but they really did get much on them. They relied on QB Joshua Jones’ passing and he ended up winning them the game but not without a couple turnovers that could have cost them if they were playing a team with a competent offense. 

This was a good gut check game for Northern Arizona and should get them ready for the road ahead.