The first round of the 2024 IFL playoffs was full of exciting games, upsets, and frustrating live-streaming efforts. In the first week of the post-season, several teams carried the momentum of successful regular-season performances into the playoffs with high expectations and homefield advantage. Unfortunately, for three out of four of the top seeds in the IFL, homefield advantage was not enough for them to overcome critical mistakes that led to an early exit in the playoffs.
In a remarkable display of homefield determination, the Green Bay Blizzard successfully defended their home field and secured their first playoff win since 2012. They were the only high-seed team to achieve this feat, as the Arizona Rattlers, San Diego Strike Force, and Massachusetts Pirates all managed to pull off upset road wins. These unexpected victories have set the stage for a weekend of conference championship games that promise to be as thrilling as the first round of the playoffs.
Eastern Conference Final
#3 Massachusetts Pirates @ #1 Green Bay Blizzard, Friday, August 2nd, 8:05 pm EST
Western Conference Final
#4 San Diego Strike Force @ #3 Arizona Rattlers, Monday, August 5th, 10:05 pm EST
Both conference finals matchups feature games that could go either way based on which team can make the most breaks for themselves. In the Eastern Conference, the Blizzard is one game away from finishing one of their best seasons in years by playing in the IFL National Championship game. Still, they must overcome the formidable challenge of stopping the Pirate’s powerful and balanced offensive attack and simultaneously be aggressive on offense so that they can put up enough points to win the game. In the Western Conference, the Rattlers have historically dominated the Strike Force until this season, and this game features an exciting matchup between the pass-heavy offense of San Diego and the strong defense and running game of the Rattlers.
Despite a successful week of playoff games, the IFL faced challenges in expanding their game coverage. Their partnership with the Stadium Network on YouTube resulted in familiar issues-buffering time, late starts, poor sound quality, and other difficulties. These technical hiccups led to a less-than-ideal viewing experience for IFL fans, prompting Commissioner Todd Tryon to issue an apology and a promise to rectify the issues for the upcoming week.
Let’s look at how each game in the 1st round of the 2024 IFL playoffs developed into a memorable weekend of indoor football.
Green Bay Blizzard (14-3) 34, Quad City Steamwheelers (8-9) 23
The Green Bay Blizzard fought their way to their first playoff win since 2012 with a solid offensive effort by quarterback Max Meylor and running back EJ Burgess. Meylor completed 13 out of 20 passes for 161 yards, two touchdowns for the Blizzard, and 24 rushing yards, and running back EJ Burgess ran the ball nine times for 38 yards and two touchdowns. In addition to playing well offensively, the Blizzard defensive backfield intercepted two Quad City passes from Steamwheelers quarterbacks Judd Erickson and Mike Irwin. Those two interceptions and the consistency of the Green Bay offense helped the Blizzard earn the right to host the Eastern Conference final this week.
Massachusetts Pirates (9-8) 53, Frisco Fighters (13-4) 50
The Frisco Fighters might confuse the IFL playoffs with the movie “Groundhog Day” because, for a third year in a row, the Fighters followed up an outstanding regular season with a surprising home playoff loss. The most recent playoff loss came after the Fighters held the lead over the Pirates for the first three-quarters of the game, including an interception for a touchdown that gave them a two-score lead. Despite the Fighter’s efforts, the Pirates worked to overcome early mistakes and stayed close with Frisco until the Fighters stumbled on offense in the 4th quarter. Those stumbles were enough for the Pirates to take the lead in the game and steal a road win from the Fighters to make it to the Eastern Conference final. An outstanding performance led the Pirates offense by quarterback Alejandro Bennifield after he passed for 152 yards, five touchdown passes, and ran for another touchdown. Massachusetts running back Jimmie Robinson also played well, rushing for 94 yards and adding another touchdown for the Pirates.
Arizona Rattlers (12-5) 39, Vegas Knight Hawks (11-6) 38
After a challenging start to the 2024 season, the Arizona Rattlers journeyed to Vegas to face a Knight Hawks team that had a breakout season in 2024. The game showcased two of the IFL quarterbacks, with Dalton Sneed leading the Arizona offense and Ja’Rome Johnson leading the Knight Hawks. Sneed’s performance was exceptional, completing 16 out of 25 passes for 149 yards, scoring a touchdown, and adding two rushing touchdowns. On the other side, Johnson struggled to connect with his receivers, completing only 7 out of 1 passes for 104 yards. Despite his two touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns, his two interceptions were enough for the Rattlers to secure a road win in Vegas.
San Diego Strike Force (11-6) 49, Bay Area Panthers (12-5) 40
The San Diego Strike Force came into the playoffs with all the odds stacked against them. This game marked the first opportunity to play in the post-season in team history, and they found themselves on the road against the defending IFL National Champion Panthers. Unfortunately for the Bay Area, the Strike Force did not let their history control their presence as the Strike Force played outstanding football on offense and defense to upset the Panthers. Strike Force quarterback Nate Davis completed 15 out of 32 passes for 216 yards and six touchdowns, with four touchdowns being to wide receiver Arthur Jackson III. San Diego running back Rudy Johnson added 29 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground. The Panther’s offense failed to establish their passing game against the Strike Force, with quarterback Daquan Neal only completing two out of eight passes for 29 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions. Bay Area displayed a one-dimensional run-heavy offense that prevented them from keeping pace with the explosive Strike Force offense.
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