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IFL Indoor Football League

Round One 2024 IFL Playoffs Preview

July 26, 2024 - Indoor Football League (IFL) News Release


Win or go home. Those are the stakes starting now. After 19 weeks of football, eight teams are set to battle for Indoor War supremacy. The 2024 IFL Playoffs begin tonight.

The first round features four games with one on Friday, two on Saturday, and one on Sunday. Second-round games will take place the following weekend with dates and times to be announced. All this, with the goal of competing in the 2024 IFL National Championship on Saturday, Aug. 17, in Henderson, NV.

The 2024 IFL postseason officially begins tonight at 7:05 p.m. CT with the No. 4 seed Quad City Steamwheelers (8-8) traveling to face off against the No. 1 seed Green Bay Blizzard (13-3) at the Resch Center.

In their first playoff appearance since 2019, the Blizzard enter the playoffs as the one seed with home-field advantage throughout. This season against the Steamwheelers, the Blizzard hold a 2-1 record, outscoring them 123-97. Green Bay's defense has been the story in 2024. They are number one in the league in points (33.7) and yards (194.2) allowed per game. They also lead the IFL in sacks (24), fumbles forced (9) and fumbles recovered (9). Against a Quad City offense that's scored fewer than 40 points per game in five of their last six games, Green Bay matches up favorably against the Steamwheelers heading into Round One of the playoffs.

As the No. 4 seed, The Steamwheelers will need to win solely on the road on their path to the 2024 IFL National Championship. The Steamwheelers, similarly to Green Bay, are looking for their first IFL National Championship. Coming into this week, Quad City's offense scores slightly less than Green Bay, averaging approximately five points fewer per week. On defense, they come in allowing approximately 15 more points per week. In a format when just one win sends you home, the Steamwheelers look to start a Cinderella run tonight in Green Bay.

Saturday features a playoff doubleheader. The No. 3 seed Massachusetts Pirates (8-8) head to Texas to take on the No. 2 seed Frisco Fighters (13-3) at the Comerica Center to wrap up the Eastern Conference action in Round One. This marks Frisco's fourth straight playoff appearance as they look to claim their first IFL National Championship. On the other hand, the Pirates won a league championship in 2021, making the playoffs in each of their seasons as members of the IFL. These teams have faced off just once this season, as Frisco won a close battle in Week 12.

Frisco's offense is coming in hot. In their last four games heading into the playoffs, the Fighters have outscored their opponents 253-199, including an 81-point performance against the Gladiators. However, in that same four-game span, Frisco has allowed an average of nearly 50 points, making them one of the most-scored-on units in the league.

Massachusetts ended their regular season with back-to-back losses. Before last week's loss, the Pirates saw an increase in offensive production, scoring almost 50 points in four straight games. However, last week the Pirates only put up 24 points in Tulsa.

Wrapping up Saturday's playoff action, the Western Conference No. 3 seed Arizona Rattlers (11-5) travel to Lee's Family Forum to face off against the No. 2 seed Vegas Knight Hawks (11-5). Vegas has claimed two wins over the Rattlers in their two meetings this season, looking to claim their third on Saturday night, while Arizona looks to come away with the upset.

Leading the Vegas offense to nearly 55 points on average in their last three games, Ja'Rome Johnson ended the regular season on a string of phenomenal performances. Following back-to-back Offensive Player of the Week performances from Johnson, Vegas faces an Arizona defense that allows 44.6 points per week. The Knight Hawks defense is one of the better units in the league, allowing just 43.9 points per game, trailing only San Diego (26) in interceptions with 21 on the season.

Coming into this game as underdogs, the Arizona Rattlers enter the playoffs on a three-game winning streak. In those three games, Arizona outscored their opponents 140-97. Through 16 games, the Rattlers average nearly 50 points per game on offense, while their defense allows approximately 45 points. The Rattlers haven't won an IFL National Championship since their first season in the IFL in 2017.

Round one of the IFL Playoffs wraps up on Sunday as the No. 1 seed Bay Area Panthers (13-3) host the No. 4 seed San Diego Strike Force (10-6). This marks the fifth time these teams have faced off this season, with Bay Area holding a 3-1 record.

Bay Area averages 44.2 points per game, coming in as an offense that ranks near the middle of the league. However, on defense, the Panthers rank as one of the best defensive units, allowing just 37.6 points and 216.6 yards per game. The season series between Bay Area and San Diego has been tight. The first three matchups had a total point differential of five. Two games separated by only a point. Looking to win back-to-back IFL National Championships, the Panthers must begin with a win on Sunday.

Behind one of the league's top passers in Nate Davis, the Strike Force scores an average of 47.4 points per game. Defensively, the Strike Force come in behind Bay Area, averaging 43.2 points per game. However, San Diego ended the season with the league's top secondary with a league-leading 26 interceptions for 307 yards and three touchdowns. In their first playoff run in franchise history, San Diego looks to kick it off with an upset of a familiar foe.

Let the fun begin. Round One of the IFL starts tonight. Don't miss a minute of this weekend's action. All the Round One action can be streamed live through the Stadium Network.

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Indoor Football League Stories from July 26, 2024


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