WEEK 13 PREVIEW/PREDICTIONS

With a win in Week 13 the Blizzard will head to the playoffs for the first time since 2012.
PHOTO CREDIT: Green Bay Blizzard

The playoff push is officially upon us. Three playoff spots remain up for grabs and every team is in action in a week 13 slate spread out over three days. Here’s a preview of all five games this weekend.

RIVER KINGS (1-9)@ STEAMWHEELERS (3-7)

Friday May 17th 7:05 PM

The playoffs may not officially begin for another few weeks but this game has all the importance of a playoff game with none of the excitement. With a loss the River Kings season is mathematically over. With a loss the Steamwheelers are on the verge of elimination. We all know that isn’t going to happen. EJ Hillard is going to have a huge day while Ben Wilkerson and the Cedar Rapids River Kings will yet again struggle to do ANYTHING offensively, and in turn be eliminated from IFL playoff contention.

PICK: Steamwheelers: 63 River Kings 25

SUGAR SKULLS (5-5) @ BUCKS (2-7)

Saturday May 18th 6:05 P.M.

This is a game with a lot of intrigue to it and a lot of the importance for Tucson will be based on how things go down the night before in Moline, Illinois. Tucson controls their own destiny for a playoff spot in their first season, keep winning, and you’ll be in the playoffs. Jake Medlock and Matt Behrendt split time under center last week, yet again opening up a Quarterback controversy out West. Behrendt was the more impressive of the two and would be my pick to start for the ‘Skulls in week 13. Neither team sports an overly impressive record and neither team has managed to defeat a team with a record at .500 or above yet this season. The Bucks are a team on a mission, they defeat a team with a .500 record in front of the home crowd and keep their momentum moving. They’ll pull the upset to stay alive in the playoff hunt.

PICK: Bucks: 48 Sugar Skulls: 45

DANGER (5-5) @ STORM (8-2)

Saturday May 18th 7:05 P.M.

The Nebraska Danger are an interesting case. They have all the talent in the world and have for the most part, managed to piece it together nicely. A rough schedule has done them no favors and this week will be no different. This should be a back and forth contest but the Sioux Falls Storm are in playoff mode now, I expect a big night from Davonte Sapp-Lynch but I also expect some Tommy Armstrong Jr. interceptions, 2 to be exact. Lorenzo Brown will tear up the Danger secondary (a solid one at that) and the Storm will get it done sending Nebraska back below .500.

PICK: Storm: 66 Danger: 56

BARNSTORMERS (9-1) @ BLIZZARD (6-4)

Sunday May 19th 3:05 P.M.

If you follow the page you know by now that I’ve beaten to death the fact that if the Blizzard win this weekend they’ll make the playoffs for the first time since 2012. The only problem, they have to beat the defending IFL champions. Sorry Green Bay, but we’ll have to wait at least one more week before we punch your ticket to the big dance. The Barnstormers I think finally found their mojo with a last second win over the Steamwheelers last week. This could also be the game where Daquan Neal locks up MVP honors. Green Bay hangs tough thanks to their defense, but Iowa will pull away at the end.

PICK: Barnstormers: 49 Blizzard: 34

RATTLERS (9-0) @ STRIKE FORCE (1-9)

Sunday May 19th 7:05 P.M.

Why waste space? It’s the end of the article and my fingers are cramping. Arizona won this game 5 weeks ago. Taylor Genuser has done a fantastic job with this Strike Force offense this season so they’ll put up some points but Drew Powell is going to tear San Diego’s defense apart. Hopefully with the game being on a weekend the Strike Force can improve attendance which has struggled all season.

PICK: Rattlers: 77 Strike Force: 35

WEEK 13 PLAYOFF SCENARIOS

Green Bay Blizzard can lock up a playoff berth this weekend for the first time since 2012
PHOTO CREDIT: OurSports Central

For the majority of teams in the Indoor Football League only 4 games remain for them to try and improve their playoff standing. The exceptions are the Arizona Rattlers and Bismarck Bucks who each have 5 games left on their schedule. For the remainder of the season until the playoffs come around we will be giving you scenarios to look for in each week of action which will set the 2019 IFL playoff bracket. 6 teams will make the playoffs.

TICKETS PUNCHED

The Arizona Rattlers, Iowa Barnstormers, and Sioux Falls Storm have clinched spots in the IFL playoffs leaving three spots still open.

TEAMS ON THE CUTTING BLOCK

Both the San Diego Strike Force and Cedar Rapids River Kings are on the verge of becoming the first two teams eliminated from playoff contention. If the River Kings lose to the Steamwheelers they will be eliminated from playoff contention. If the Strike Force fall to the Rattlers they will be eliminated. Even if both teams win they’ll need some help to stay alive. A win by the Sugar Skulls against the Bismarck Bucks and a win by the Nebraska Danger over the Sioux Falls Storm would eliminate both teams immediately.

CLINCHING SPOTS

The Green Bay Blizzard will have their opportunity to clinch a playoff spot for the first time since 2012 this weekend. The Blizzard who currently sit at 4th in the standings can lock up a playoff berth with a win over the Iowa Barnstormers or a Quad City Steamwheeler loss to the Cedar Rapids River Kings.

5 SEED UP FOR GRABS

While there is no question who the more talented team is, the Nebraska Danger and Tucson Sugar Skulls are tied in the standings sharing the 5th and 6th spot. If Nebraska wins against Sioux Falls they will hang on to the 5 spot no matter the outcome of Tucson’s game. However, if the Sugar Skulls knock off Bismarck and the Danger lose to the Storm the Danger would fall back to the 6th spot and the Sugar Skulls would move up to number 5.

MOST IMPORTANT GAME OF THE WEEK

Who would’ve thought the Tucson Sugar Skulls and Bismarck Bucks would be playing in a game with playoff implications. A win for the Sugar Skulls all but eliminates Bismarck from postseason play as the Sugar Skulls will have then swept the season series. With a win Bismarck would put themselves 1.5 games behind Tucson for the sixth and final playoff spot, and with a Storm victory over the Danger the Bucks would be 1.5 behind Nebraska. The Danger do own the tiebreaker over the Bucks.

WEEK 12 REALLY GOOD PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Daquan Neal continued his MVP Caliber season in Week 12.
PHOTO CREDIT: pictureiowa.com

REALLY GOOD OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

IOWA BARNSTORMERS QB DAQUAN NEAL: Neal had a memorable performance in week 12. One of the greatest single-game performances in IFL history. The play everyone will remember is the IFL Rookie’s game winning touchdown as time expired to give his team a berth in the 2019 IFL playoffs. (you can watch the play by clicking the link.) Neal scored 10 total touchdowns, 6 of which came on the ground which is tied for 3rd all-time for a single game. He also threw 4 through the air to go along with 199 yards.

REALLY GOOD DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

GREEN BAY BLIZZARD LB DAYSHAWN TAYLOR: Despite the effort coming in a loss, Taylor had a breakout game against the Sioux Falls Storm. Taylor tallied a team high 11 tackles to go a long with a sack. The total is the highest which Taylor has tallied this season and was also his first sack of 2019.

REALLY GOOD SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK

SIOUX FALLS STORM DL MALCOLM GOINES: In a seven point game every play is obviously important. It would be interesting how this 44-37 victory could’ve turned out differently for Sioux Falls if not for an effort from Defensive Lineman Malcolm Goines. In the late stages of the first quarter Green Bay Blizzard kicker Ed Ruhnke lined up in his own endzone for a 61 yard attempt. Goines burst through the Blizzard line, blocking the kick and then fell on it himself for a touchdown.

WEEK 12 RECAP

The Iowa Barnstormers have clinched a spot in the 2019 IFL playoffs.
PHOTO CREDIT Iowa Barnstormers Facebook

BARNSTORMERS 59 STEAMWHEELERS 56

This is going to be the game of the year in the IFL and if it isn’t it’s going to take one of the all-time classics to top it. The Barnstormers continued their flare for the dramatic, using a Daquan Neal touchdown scamper to give them their second last second victory of the season, clinching the defending champs their fourth straight playoff apearence. This is probably going to be the game that ends up winning Neal MVP honors, among others. The first year IFL signal caller threw only 3 incompletions on 17 attempts, 199 yards and 4 touchdowns to go along with a staggering 6 on the ground. The Steamwheelers most likely have run out of time because of this loss. The team sits at 3-7 and are 2 games behind Tucson for the 6th and final playoff spot. With that being said, this is an incredibly fun team to watch. EJ Hilliard, tossed another 4 TD strikes, and still has only thrown 1 interception this season. No QB in IFL history has thrown less than 2 in a season. Quinton Pedroza hauled in 2 of Hilliard’s 4 touchdowns bringing his league high total to 21. This connection is arguably the best in the league and they’ll have a must win game against Cedar Rapids this weekend to keep their hopes alive.

STORM 44 BLIZZARD 37

The final score was only a 7 point margin but the ending of the IFL’s battle for third place ended a bit anti-climatically. With 2:13 left the Blizzard opted to kick the ball deep instead of trying for an onside kick. The Blizzard never got the ball back and fell to 6-4. Despite the loss Lenorris Footman continued to improve as a passer, throwing for 160 yards and 3 TD’s. His 1 interception proved to be costly though as Lorenzo White picked Footman off, in what would turn out to be the deciding possession of the ball game. As for Sioux Falls, Lorenzo Brown was held to under 100 yards passing for the evening, and no player rushed for more than 65 yards. The defense won this game for Sioux Falls, and clinched the IFL’s greatest franchise yet another playoff berth.

SUGAR SKULLS 65 STRIKE FORCE 48

The good news for the Strike Force is they went into the fourth quarter against the Sugar Skulls down 44-41. The bad news, they allowed their expansion counterparts to outscore them 21-7 in the fourth, and the momentum the Strike Force had after a win against Cedar Rapids on April 14th is now a distant memory. Jihad Vercher was solid, throwing for 3 touchdowns. The Achilles heel for San Diego continued to be turnovers as Vercher threw a pick and the normally reliable George Moreira coughed up the ball on a pivotal fourth quarter drive. As for Tucson nothing they did was overly impressive against San Diego. Jake Medlock and Matt Behrendt combined to throw five touchdowns, but most importantly the Sugar Skulls never turned the ball over. Kick returner Jeremiah Harris was impressive yet again as he continues to make his case as a late runner at an all-IFL returner spot, totaling 181 yards on 8 attempts for a 22.6 YPR average with a long of 44 yards.

WEEK 11 RECAP

Lorenzo Brown carried the Storm to Victory in Week 11 in Record Setting Fashion.
Photo Credit: siouxfallsstorm.com

STORM 59 STEAMWHEELERS 46

Lorenzo Brown tossed a season high 7 touchdown passes in the win for Sioux Falls which moves him into 4th all-time, passing Willie Copeland. Kent Shelby and Brandon Shepard were the main targets for Brown, hauling in three touchdowns a piece. For Quad City their toughest stretch of schedule could not be coming at a worse time. The ‘Wheelers now sit a game back of Tucson for the sixth and final playoff spot with a date against the Barnstormers awaiting them this weekend.

RATTLERS 56 DANGER 46

The first taste we got to see of reigning MVP Drew Powell wasn’t overly impressive, but it got the job done. Powell was efficient, completing 8 of 10 passes for 96 yards and 2 touchdowns against 1 interception. The Rattlers also got a lot of help defensively as Dillion Winfrey added an interception and veteran Bubba Chapman added two more.The Danger tried a new approach against the unbeaten Rattlers, focusing on a ground heavy attack with Tommy Armstrong, Davonte Sapp-Lynch and converted wide receiver Quincy Walden. The Rattler defense slowed down Walden and Sapp-Lynch, limiting them to just 66 yards and a touchdown combined. Armstrong had a strong night on the ground with 73 yards and 2 touchdowns, but his 3 interceptions were too much for Nebraska to overcome.

BARNSTORMERS 43 RIVER KINGS 18

If you have watched a Barnstormer or River Kings game this season, you can guess what went down in Des Moines Saturday night. Daquan Neal continued his MVP caliber season, throwing for 186 yards and 4 touchdowns to go along with 1 on the ground. Wide receiver Ryan Balentine continued to climb the record ladder, moving into 3rd place all-time in receiving yards as he earned 109 against Cedar Rapids, while also catching a touchdown. 4 different Barnstormers caught touchdown passes. Tyrell Pearson also added an interception which gives him a league-leading 6 for the season. As for the River Kings, we haven’t minced words on how we feel about the situation for Cedar Rapids. Ben Wilkerson struggled again. He went 8-20 passing for 93 yards a touchdown and 3 picks. Mark Stoute should probably receiving his walking papers sooner rather than later, and the River Kings will be playing in Oakland next season if things don’t change.

SUGAR SKULLS 54 STRIKE FORCE 34

Good for the Sugar Skulls here, they took an opportunity and made the most of it. despite losing four straight coming into the ball game Tucson did a fantastic job finishing on Saturday, earning the victory behind 3 Rico Brown touchdown catches and moving back into the sixth and final playoff spot. All hope is not lost for San Diego, there are times where this team looks like it’s heading in the right direction. This was the first time they looked like they took a step back in a few weeks. A late season surge is still in the cards for a playoff push but performances like the one seen in Week 11 must be avoided.

BLIZZARD 48 BUCKS 39

Unfortunately the YouTube stream of this game never posted so we have not seen the entirety of this game. With that being said the Bucks are dangerous. They were down 2 points with 3 minutes to go and are going to be the most formidable challenger to Quad City and Tucson for the sixth and final playoff spot. The Blizzard keep doing what they need to do to set themselves up for a home playoff game. At 6-3 they are 1.5 games up on Nebraska for the fourth spot and own the tiebreaker. Lenorris Footman had arguably his best game throwing the football, going 8-14 for 135 yards, 3 touchdowns and most importantly no interceptions.

IFL NETWORK WEEK 10 REALLY GOOD PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Sugar Skulls RB Mike Jones and Danger KR Eric Thomas
Photo Credit:
Instagram: @thekickodilehunter and Jimmy Rash of the Grand Island Independent

OFFENSE

SUGAR SKULLS RB MIKE JONES JR: Despite his team failing to protect a 17 point lead in the first half and a 10 point lead with under 5 minutes remaining Saturday, Tucson running back Mike Jones Jr. was impressive again. Jones carried the ball 21 times for a season high 109 yards and 3 touchdowns. He also caught 3 passes for 13 yards. Despite this, Tucson surprisingly kept the ball out of Jones’ hands in crunch time which could be the reason Tucson failed to protect their lead en route to a fourth straight loss. Jones now is the IFL’s leader in rushing yards per game with 61.4, and is third in the league in rushing yards with 430 and rushing touchdowns with 14.

DEFENSE

DANGER DL D’VONN BROWN: The Danger found their way to the quarterback 5 times in their week 10 victory. Leading the way was Defensive Lineman D’Vonn Brown who registered a season high 2 sacks to go along with 7 tackles, 4 of which were for a loss. Brown now ranks 6th in the league in sacks and tackles for loss with 3.5 and 7.5.

SPECIAL TEAMS

DANGER KR ERIC THOMAS: The Nebraska wide receiver had a night to remember on Friday against the team he called his own in 2016 without catching a single pass. Thomas returned the opening kickoff 52 yards for his 2nd kickoff return touchdown of 2019 before following that up with a missed field goal return for a score at the end of the first half from 58 yards. On the night Thomas had 3 returns, totaling 104 yards. Thomas joins Marquel Wade as the only players with multiple kickoff return touchdowns in a single game this season.

Controversial No-Call Completes Barnstormer Comeback Over Upset-Minded Sugar Skulls

Iowa Barnstormers Head Coach Dixie Wooten celebrates with Quarterback Daquan Neal as Tucson Quarterback Jake Medlock looks on.
Photo credit to Kelly Presnell of the Arizona Daily Star

BARNSTORMERS: 61 SUGAR SKULLS: 58

From the opening kickoff everything pointed towards the Sugar Skulls pulling off an upset which would have serious playoff implications. A win would put Tucson back into the top six and an Iowa loss most likely meant no first round bye for the defending champions in this year’s playoffs. The homestanding ‘Skulls held an 11 point lead thanks to a fantastic first half offensively led by quarterback Jake Medlock and running back Mike Jones. When the second half came around the bounce the Barnstormers have gotten all season never seemed to come, every bounce went the Sugar Skulls way. Tucson led by a 10 point margin with 4:11 remaining in the ball game. That’s when things, like they have at every point since the Skulls 3-1 start, went wrong. Ryan Balentine hauled in a Daquan Neal TD pass making the score 51-47. Tucson then went nowhere offensively and right on que had a Josh Gable field goal blocked and returned for a touchdown giving Iowa their first lead of the game. Tucson fought back as Shaq Curenton hauled in a 28 yard toss from Jake Medlock with 54 seconds left. Those 54 seconds were too much for the defending champions. Iowa drove down the field and Daquan Neal scrambled to his left, diving into the endzone for the deciding score. On the play a blatant holding call which spring Neal to paydirt was missed.

The Sugar Skulls would have one more crack, as Josh Gable lined up for a game tying field goal. The strong legged kicker picked the wrong time to come up short as his attempt didn’t have enough strength behind it, giving the Barnstormers the comeback win.

PLAYERS OF THE GAME

Iowa: Daquan Neal (QB): 19-26 265 Yards, 5 TD, 0 INT.

Tucson: Mike Jones (RB): 21 Carries, 109 Yards, 3 TD.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I don’t know how the Sugar Skulls managed to blow this one. I kept waiting for them to make a mistake or for Iowa to show why they are the defending champions. That moment looked like it would never come. I thought the game was over when Mike Jones took a carry 28 yards to the house with 5:10 left to give Tucson a ten point lead. The Sugar Skulls have a legitimate gripe on the no call for the hold on the Daquan Neal go ahead touchdown. That call is the worst no-call this season and maybe in the last few seasons. Tucson could possibly miss out on playoff football because of this, and that’s unacceptable. However, they don’t get put on that position if they could figure out how to close out a game. That 3-1 start feels like a distant memory now. As for Iowa, there are some serious problems the Barnstormers need to figure out before the playoffs hit. Iowa deserved to lose this game but they got lucky. They should’ve lost to the Danger earlier this season. This could very well be a three loss team. Don’t be surprised if they lose again this season and wind up playing a first round playoff game.

Danger Control Struggling River Kings 66-42

Eric Thomas returns the opening kickoff for a Touchdown in the Nebraska Danger’s victory over the Cedar Rapids in Week 10.
Photo credit to Jimmy Rash of The Grand Island Independent

DOMINANT FROM THE START

From the opening kickoff Eric Thomas was a thorn in the side of the River Kings as the Danger handed the Cedar Rapids squad their sixth consecutive loss. Thomas returned the opening kickoff 52 yards for a touchdown before returning a missed Philip Nwosu field goal 58 yards for a touchdown. The Danger held Cedar Rapids out of the endzone the entire first half, heading into the break up 31-9.

RIVER KINGS MISS PALANDECH

In a season where there haven’t been many bright spots for the River Kings Quarterback Kurt Palandech has been a rare reason for optimism. Unfortunately for CR fans Palandech was not with the team in Grand Island tending to a family emergency. This meant Ben Wilkerson would earn his first career start. Wilkerson did not impress, going 7-14 for 65 yards with 2 touchdowns to go along with 2 interceptions. The IFL rookie was also sacked 5 times.

SECOND HALF FIREWORKS

Both teams woke up offensively in the final thirty minutes. The River Kings had their best offensive half of the season, putting 32 points on the scoreboard. Unfortunately the Danger outscored their visitors scoring 35 points.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Things are bad in Cedar Rapids. Really bad. You can’t help but feel bad for a player like Marquel Wade who most likely will one day enter the IFL Hall of Fame. Wade caught just 3 passes for 29 yards Friday. The River Kings have somehow gotten worse every week, 9 weeks after losing by 3 points to the Sioux Falls Storm they have gone from a dark-horse United Bowl contender to a difficult spectacle to watch. Ben Wilkerson was miserable, he sported the awareness of a dead fish in the pocket and looked visibly uncomfortable from the opening kickoff. I don’t think any team in the league wants to play the Danger. Tommy Armstrong Jr. is a top 3 or 4 Quarterback in the league when he is playing well and Davonte Sapp-Lynch is at times unstoppable. This team is getting hot at the right time and could surge to earn themselves a home playoff date. The Danger head to the desert next week to take on the Arizona Rattlers while the River Kings head to Des Moines to battle the in-state rival Barnstormers.