Sports stats



IFL Indoor Football League

Week 17 Preview

July 5, 2024 - Indoor Football League (IFL) News Release


Week 17 of the 2024 IFL is here, with just two weeks following to wrap up the regular season. This week sees a seven-game slate, giving Green Bay and Tulsa a late-season bye week. Week 17 kicks off on Saturday evening, wrapping up on Sunday. Heading into this week of action, Bay Area looks to clinch home-field advantage with a win and can even clinch the top seed this week with a win and a Vegas loss. Vegas and San Diego both need a win and an Arizona or NAZ loss to clinch a playoff berth. In the Western Conference, Massachusetts looks to claim the third spot in the East with a win on Saturday. The stage is set for an exciting week of action.

Kicking off Saturday's four-game slate, the Massachusetts Pirates (8-6) face off against the San Antonio Gunslingers, with both teams having some added motivation to win on Saturday. If the Pirates win, they claim the No. 3 spot in the Eastern Conference, following Green Bay and Frisco. However, if the Gunslingers lose, they miss out on the 2024 IFL Playoffs.

Facing the possibility of clinching third place in the Eastern Conference, the Massachusetts Pirates follow back-to-back wins, securing both wins by double digits. The middle of the season for Massachusetts was bumpy, but the Pirates are heating up at the right time. In the last two games preceding this matchup, Alejandro Bennifield has been on a roll, completing nearly 75% of his passes for 245 yards and eight passing touchdowns, adding a pair of touchdowns on the ground. The Pirates' defense has been top-notch this season, allowing fewer than 200 yards per game. This week, they take on the highest-scoring offense in the league, powered by one of the top quarterbacks. To clinch the No. 3 spot in the Eastern Conference, Massachusetts' defense must come up strong against a strong offense this weekend.

To avoid elimination on Saturday, the Gunslingers must beat Massachusetts. If they can do that, they face two other challenges. In order to remain in playoff contention, both Northern Arizona and Arizona must lose. Even if the Gunslingers win, a win by the Wranglers or Rattlers would snuff San Antonio's chances of a playoff run. The Gunslingers face one of the league's top defenses this week, but San Antonio comes into this game with the highest-scoring offense in the league. In their last three games alone, the Gunslingers averaged just under 60 points per game. However, their defense is on the opposite side of league rankings, coming in as the most-scored-on defense in the league. To remain in playoff contention, San Antonio must bolster up defensively.

Kicking off an hour later, the Sioux Falls Storm take on the Quad City Steamwheelers, as Quad City currently sits in fourth place in the Eastern Conference. Sioux Falls was eliminated from the postseason last week. The Steamwheelers sit in fourth in the East but haven't clinched a playof berth so every game is crucial.

After their loss last week against the Pirates, Quad City comes into this week with victory on their mind. Losing doesn't eliminate them here, but a loss makes staying in the top four of the conference much harder. On offense, Quad City has been below their season average (43.5) in their last three games. They've shown to have the talent to score 50-plus points consistently, and this would be the time to return to midseason form.

After being eliminated last week, the Storm's remaining games serve as a way to evaluate for next season and continue playing competitive football. With three games left on the schedule, Sioux Falls takes on Quad City this week. Coming into this game following three straight losses, the Storm plan to avoid losing a fourth. Last week was the lowest-scoring performance from Sioux Falls all season as they look to return to a team averaging over 41 points per game. With the defenses coming in similarly on paper, the main difference in this matchup appears to be offense. Whichever offense comes in more prepared should come away with the win.

Wrapping up the evening slate on Saturday, the Jacksonville Sharks (3-10) match up against the Iowa Barnstormers (4-9). Both teams face similar fates in this game regarding the playoffs. If Iowa wins, Jacksonville gets eliminated immediately. However, if Jacksonville wins, Iowa is only defeated if Quad City also wins.

Looking to stay alive in the Eastern Conference, the Iowa Barnstormers sit in sixth place. To get into the playoffs, Iowa must jump two spots to join the playoffs, with a best-possible record of 7-9. Trailing Quad City and Tulsa, wins are a premium need for the Barnstormers with just three games left on their schedule. The Barnstormers come into this week following two losses, as they hope to end the season on a high note, starting with a win against Jacksonville.

Needing a win to stay in playoff contention, the Jacksonville Sharks have a slightly less complex pathway to the playoffs, needing either a win or a Quad City loss. The Sharks escaped elimination last week, defeating the Sioux Falls Storm in a game with just 64 points scored. With an offense ranking 16th in the league in scoring and a defense allowing the second-most points in the league, the Sharks require a strong end of the season to make their way to the 2024 IFL Playoffs.

The Saturday slate ends with a game ripe with playoff implications, as the Vegas Knight Hawks (9-4) take on the San Diego Strike Force (9-5) in a contested Western Conference battle. Vegas can clinch a playoff berth with a win, along with either Northern Arizona or Arizona losing. On the same note, San Diego requires a win plus a Northern Arizona or Arizona loss. With a playoff berth on the line, both teams will be bringing the heat.

As one of the top offensive units in the league, averaging 51.4 points per game, the Knight Hawks look to punch their ticket to the playoffs on Saturday. Coming into this week as the No. 2 team in the Western Conference, Vegas is one of three nine-win teams, with the Wranglers following close behind with eight wins. After losing last week to the Panthers, Vegas has a shot this weekend to earn a playoff berth, claiming one of the three spots remaining in the West.

Sitting right below Vegas, the San Diego Strike Force comes into this week No. 3 in the Western Conference. The Strike Force enters this week on a three-game winning streak, looking to make it four. With an offense that scores nearly three points less than the Knight Hawks and a defense that allows 0.8 points fewer, San Diego matches up well with Vegas.

Sunday begins with Frisco traveling to Duke City at 4:05 pm CT. Coming into this game, these opponents are on opposite sides of the final season push. Frisco comes into the week having clinched both a playoff berth and home-field advantage, while the Gladiators were eliminated a couple of weeks ago. With a postseason coming, Frisco must find a way to end the season strong and healthy. For the Gladiators, their goal transitions into getting ready for the next season.

As the No. 2 team in the Eastern Conference entering this week, the Fighters are all set for their upcoming playoff run. The focus for these next two games for Frisco is to stay healthy and keep winning. The Fighters have been heating up these past two weeks, averaging 56.5 points scored per game. In this matchup, Frisco will hope to avoid an upset this Sunday.

While they come into Week 17 eliminated from playoff contention, the Gladiators look to remain competitive to close the season out. While their offense ranks near the bottom of the league in points per game (37.7), the Duke City defense allows the fifth-least points per week in the league, trailing only teams slotted to make the playoffs. If that unit can keep Frisco's offense in check, the Gladiators could play spoiler on Sunday.

At 5:05 pm CT on Sunday, the Northern Arizona Wranglers (8-5) make the trip to face off against the Bay Area Panthers (11-2) in a Western Conference battle with playoff implications. If Bay Area wins, the Panthers clinch a home game. If the Panthers win and Vegas loses, the Panthers clinch the top spot in the Western Conference. Other teams will be tuned into this game, as the result impacts more teams than just the two directly involved.

Following back-to-back wins, the Bay Area Panthers return home, looking to clinch home-field advantage in the playoffs. While they're finding ways to win, the Panthers have a point-differential in these last two wins of two points each time. Scoring an average of just 44.7 points per game, Bay Area's defense comes into this week as one of the top units in the league. Bay Area allows just 37.2 points and 199.8 yards per game through 13 games.

Northern Arizona currently sits just outside the playoff bubble, positioned at No. 5 in the Eastern Conference. With three games remaining on their plate, the Wranglers are looking to go on a run. NAZ looks to keep their playoff hopes alive. The outcome of this game also impacts Vegas and San Diego. Big game with many implications.

Wrapping up Week 17, the Tucson Sugar Skulls (2-11) travel to the Desert Diamond Arena, matching up against the Arizona Rattlers (9-5). The Sugar Skulls enter the week eliminated from the playoffs, while the Rattlers sit in fourth place in the Western Conference.

The Rattlers share almost an identical record with two other teams in their conference, making these last few games that much more important. Every game carries more weight than ever. Following their lopsided victory last week against Iowa, the Rattlers come into this week with momentum, hoping it carries into this important matchup against Tucson.

Tucson comes into this week looking to end the season strong, building momentum that can hopefully roll into next season. They would also love to play spoiler against their in-state rivals. As one of the lowest-scoring offenses in the league per game (35.4), a lot of attention will be spent figuring out how to make this offensive machine work best. Their defensive unit comes into the week allowing just 44.9 points per game defensively, ranking them among the middle-of-the league.

Week 17 features a seven-game slate from Saturday to Sunday, with the playoff action another week closer. The Western Conference is heating up as the regular season comes to an end, making for an entertaining final few games. The action begins at 6:05 p.m. CT on Saturday, finishing up on Sunday evening. All of the Week 17 action can be streamed live on the IFL YouTube Channel.

• Discuss this story on the Indoor Football League message board...

Indoor Football League Stories from July 5, 2024


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.


Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central