IFL Indoor Football League

Week Seven Preview

Published on April 26, 2024 under Indoor Football League (IFL) News Release


Week Seven has arrived, with a full slate of eight games spanning from Friday night until Sunday. Competition is heating up as three teams remain undefeated across the league.

To kick off Week Seven, the Iowa Barnstormers (0-4) take on the Green Bay Blizzard (3-1) in an Eastern Conference matchup. Both teams enter the week on different sides of the fence, as Green Bay comes in on a three-game winning streak, while the Barnstormers are still in search of that first win of the season.

In Week Six the Blizzard took down Sioux Falls 48-35, as Max Meylor was an offensive juggernaut, scoring six touchdowns on the night. As a defensive unit, they smothered Sioux Falls, coming away with four sacks, three interceptions, and two fumble recoveries. As a team from top-to-bottom, Green Bay enters the week firing on all cylinders.

For Iowa, their closest attempt at grasping victory came last week, as they fell short in a 49-47 loss to Arizona. In a battle with the Rattlers, Iowa fell short to an offense that relied heavily on the run game. The Barnstormers defense allowed 126 yards on the ground, including four rushing touchdowns. Iowa's offense rides the momentum of their best performance of the season, putting up 47 points. Quarterback Kyle King found the end zone six times, leading the Barnstormers to offensive success. While it wasn't enough to come away with the victory, it shows Iowa is trending in the right direction.

In the second and final game of Friday night, the San Antonio Gunslingers (1-3) take on the Frisco Fighters (4-0), as the Fighters remain the final undefeated team in the Eastern Conference. San Antonio comes into the week, having claimed their first-ever IFL win against the Tucson Sugar Skulls convincingly at home.

As their undefeated record indicates, the Fighters have been red-hot this season. TJ Edwards has made a case for being the best-rushing quarterback in the league, leading the IFL with 14 rushing touchdowns. Along with his knack for getting into the end zone with his legs, he's completed nearly 75% of his passes for 385 yards and eight touchdowns through four games. Defensively, the Frisco Fighters rank among the best, allowing the fewest yards (184.8) and second-fewest touchdowns (18) per game.

San Antonio is battle-tested, having played the Strike Force (3-1), Wranglers (3-1), and Knight Hawks (4-0) up to this point. This week, another strong opponent stands in their way, as the Gunslingers take on another 4-0 team in the Frisco Fighters. Even with a record of 1-3, San Antonio remains the highest-scoring offense through four games. The Gunslingers average 53.8 points per game, while totaling just under 250 yards of offense per game. One of the reasons wins might not follow their high-powered offense is due to their porous defense. Not only do they score the most points in the league, but they're scored on just as frequently. This season, the Gunslingers have allowed nearly 60 points per game, allowing an average of over 250 yards of offense to opponents. To beat Edwards and the Fighters, San Antonio will need a strong defensive performance.

To begin a weekend of IFL action, the Duke City Gladiators (0-4) take on the Vegas Knight Hawks (4-0) in an attempt to earn their first victory of the year.

Ja'Rome Johnson and the Knight Hawks offense enter the week following back-to-back 60-point performances, as Vegas returns home to take on the Gladiators. Johnson has had a phenomenal start to his 2024 season. Through four games, he's thrown for over 600 yards and 14 touchdowns, while rushing for over 200 yards and nine touchdowns. Vegas averages over 50 points per game while allowing just 38.8 points to opposing offenses. Averaging an interception per week, along with seven sacks through four games makes the Knight Hawks defense a difficult defense to succeed against.

Duke City comes into the week looking for answers, as they search for their first victory of the season. The Gladiators haven't been able to find consistency on either side of the ball, scoring an average of 36 points per game while allowing 44.3 points per game.

After facing the biggest upset of the season so far, the Massachusetts Pirates (4-1) take the field against the Sioux Falls Storm (0-4) in a Week Three rematch. The Pirates were victorious last time around, defeating the Storm 49-41. Sioux Falls enters the week looking to upset the Pirates and even the series.

The Pirates come into Week Seven with revenge on their mind after a disappointing loss to Quad City. Their slow start last week played a part in being upset on the road, as Massachusetts didn't light up the scoreboard until the second quarter. Quarterback Alejandro Bennifield struggled early, ending the night 14/23 for 147 yards and two touchdowns, adding three more scores on the ground. With a lackluster performance from running back duo Jimmie Robinson and Tavion Thomas, the Pirates' rushing attack was non-existent outside of Bennifield. However, the Massachusetts defense continues forcing turnovers, nabbing an interception thrown by Judd Erickson.

Sioux Falls is searching for their first win of the season. Outside of their game against Tulsa, the Storm have kept it close with their opponents. The Storm offense is led by Billy Hall, featuring a strong rush attack. On the season, the Storm average 91 yards on the ground per game, as Hall has found the end zone six times with his legs, adding 231 rushing yards. As a team that allows almost 50 points per game, their defense will need to put the clamps on Alejandro Bennifield to claim their first win of the season.

Wrapping up the Saturday night action, the Northern Arizona Wranglers (3-1) take on the Tucson Sugar Skulls (1-3) in a Western Conference battle. The Wranglers come into Week Seven following a win against Duke City, while the Sugar Skulls face the possibility of losing three straight games.

Following a loss in Week One, the Wranglers have won three straight games, as they climb the Western Conference standings. Quarterback Joshua Jones has been a pillar of this offense, throwing for 12 touchdowns and rushing for five. Along with Jones, IFL rising star Arsiah McCorker is one of the league's best offensive and kick return weapons. McCorker has scored 60 points himself, only trailing TJ Edwards for the most points scored so far this season. Defensively, the Wranglers have no problem getting to the quarterback, totaling a league-best nine sacks through four games. On top of their ability to come away with sacks, this defense flies to the football. As a unit, this team has come away with seven turnovers this season. Off to a hot start, the Wranglers look to make it four straight victories on Saturday night.

After a start to the season that featured strong offensive play, the Sugar Skulls have cooled down the last two games. Quarterback Mylik Mitchell missed the last game, as backup Torrance Gibson got his first start of the season. Gibson, like Mitchell, found success with his legs, as he ended the game with 80 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. Tucson wasn't as effective passing the ball, finding the end zone just once through the air. The Sugar Skulls defense, however, were chaotic in San Antonio's backfield, finding the night with seven tackles for a loss. It didn't result in a winning effort, but the Tucson Sugar Skulls look to get back on track this week.

In Sunday's matinee game, the Tulsa Oilers (2-2) face off against the Quad City Steamwheelers (2-2) in a battle within Vibrant Arena at the MARK. Both teams come into the week with 2-2 records in the Eastern Conference, making this an important game for future seeding purposes.

As the away team in Week Seven, the Tulsa Oilers head to Moline, IL, with aspirations of surpassing the .500 mark once again. Last week was a tough showing for the Oilers, as they dropped Week Six to the Fighters 60-32. In this season, quarterback Daniel Smith has shown flashes, as he's thrown for over 500 yards and 10 touchdowns, however, averaging 38 points scored per game and surrendering 40.5 points defensively per game is not a recipe for winning football. The Oilers come into Week Seven averaging the most penalty yards per game, averaging nearly 80 yards of penalties per contest.

The Quad City Steamwheelers come into Week Seven as home favorites after defeating the undefeated Pirates a week ago. Quarterback Judd Erickson had a strong performance a week ago, completing 8/12 passes for three touchdowns and adding a score on the ground. Coming into the week strong, as well, is Quad City's defense, ending the night with two turnovers against a powerful Pirates offense.

Both teams look to climb the Eastern Conference standings with a win on Sunday afternoon.

Kicking off a Sunday night double-header, the Jacksonville Sharks (0-4) take on the Arizona Rattlers (2-3). The Sharks remain on a quest for their first victory in the IFL, while the Rattlers hope to build on their momentum from last week's victory.

Arizona enters the week following a narrow victory against the Iowa Barnstormers. Quarterback Garrett Kettle returned to action, having a strong performance on the road. Kettle completed 15/19 passes for 140 yards and two touchdowns, adding a touchdown with his legs. However, the legs of Shannon Brooks were what played a large part in Arizona's Week Six victory. Brooks ended the night with 121 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns, including a 46-yard highlight reel rushing touchdown to ultimately seal the game for Arizona. An area the Rattlers struggle with, however, is keeping their opponents out of the end zone. In five appearances, the Rattlers' defense has allowed 232 points, averaging 46.8 points per game,

On the flip side of this coin, the Jacksonville Sharks come into this game looking for their first win of both their season and of their time in the IFL. However, it's difficult to win with an offense that scores fewer than 30 points per game, while allowing 43.5 from opponents. Week Six featured a new quarterback from Jacksonville, as Fred Payton Jr. got his first start with the Sharks. Payton found the end zone five times, three through the air and twice on the ground. There wasn't much production outside of Payton Jr., as the rest of the Sharks offense combined for 33 yards. While they're winless to start the season, this will be their first opponent of the season who doesn't enter the week undefeated, as the Sharks have faced tough competition to start the year.

In the second of two games kicking off at 5:05 p.m. CT, the Bay Area Panthers (4-0) and San Diego Strike Force (3-1) meet, once again, in a quick turnaround from last week's matchup.

Bay Area comes into this game having won last week's thriller with a Felix Harper four-yard rushing touchdown with 13 seconds remaining in the game. Harper finished the night 9/15 for 76 yards and a passing touchdown, adding a pair of touchdowns on the ground. Amid a winning performance, Harper was intercepted twice, however neither turnover resulted in a score. Bay Area's defense was stellar, including a performance worthy of Defensive Player of the Week from Antwon Kincade. He finished the night with eight tackles and two fumble recoveries for the Panthers. In a game that came down to the wire, Kincade's performance was crucial.

In front of a home crowd this time, the San Diego Strike Force looks to bounce back after losing their winning streak in Week Six. Once Nate Davis entered the game, the Strike Force offense gained a boost to the passing attack, as Davis completed 13/17 for 141 yards and four touchdowns. The Strike Force defense continued being a nuisance for opposing quarterbacks, coming away with two interceptions on the night.

Eight games over three straight days, starting Friday at 6:05 p.m. CT, Week Seven can be streamed live on the IFL YouTube Channel or Caffeine TV.

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Indoor Football League Stories from April 26, 2024


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