By RJ “The Bullish Brahma” Reid
Introduction
It is Week 17 of the Indoor Football League (IFL), and the 6-7 San Antonio Gunslingers finish their two-game home stand when they host the 8-6 Massachusetts Pirates. Here’s what you need to know:
When?
Saturday, July 6, 2024 at 6:05pm CT.
Where?
Freeman Coliseum, San Antonio, Texas.
Gameday Weather
The forecast calls for 78 degrees, partly cloudy skies with a 16% chance of rain and 10 mile per hour winds. Not bad weather for those looking at hanging outside prior to the game.
History
The Gunslingers lead the series 1-0.
Keys to Victory
-The Gunslingers need to keep focus and forget about what happened last week. After coming off such a devastating loss last week to the Fighters, it’s easy for the Gunslingers to feel deflated and disheartened. We will discuss San Antonio’s playoff picture later in this article, but the Gunslingers need to keep themselves from being distracted by outside noise and focus on the task at hand.
-Much like the previous matchup between these two teams, this is a classic scenario of an unstoppable offense in the Gunslingers versus a formable defense in the Pirates. The Gunslingers have scored more touchdowns than any other team in the IFL, while the Pirates have given up the 7th least number of touchdowns. San Antonio averages the most yards per game in the league while the Pirates give up the second least number of yards per game.
-The Pirates’ offense is 11th in the IFL in scoring and the Gunslingers’ defense continues to dwell at the bottom in defensive scoring. The Gunslingers need to make a couple of stops on defense to win this game. In the previous matchup against the Pirates, Massachusetts lead as many as 10 points at one time before San Antonio rallied back. San Antonio cannot afford to fall behind like that again, especially with their season hanging by a thread.
Predictions
Let’s look at how my predictions from last week fared:
-Kahli Rashaad will catch at least 5 passes.
Incorrect, he had 2 catches.
-The Gunslingers will hold TJ Edwards to under 4 rushing touchdowns.
Correct. TJ Edwards ran for 2 touchdowns.
-The Gunslingers will score on their first possession in the 2nd half.
Correct, they scored a touchdown.
-TC Stevens will kick a deuce.
Correct, he kicked three deuces.
Week 16 results: 3-1.
Overall results: 21-41.
And now my predictions for this week, hopefully I’ll be a “straightshooter”:
-The Gunslingers will rush for more than 50 yards.
-DJ Myers will have at least 5 catches.
-Clifton Duck will lead the team in tackles.
-The Gunslingers will force at least one turnover.
Playoff Picture
The Gunslingers currently sit in the 6th spot in the Western Conference. To make the playoffs, the Gunslingers need to win out AND Arizona needs to lose out. San Antonio cannot catchup to either San Diego or Northern Arizona as both teams have the tiebreaker over the Gunslingers.
Final Thoughts
The Gunslingers are coming off a heartbreaking loss to the Frisco Fighters as they surrendered a touchdown with no time on the clock. Not only was it heartbreaking in that they lost in the way they did, but, as seen in the previous section, the Gunslingers’ playoff hopes are hanging on by the thinnest of threads. Arizona needs to lose to the Tucson Sugar Skulls this week, which looks to be a long shot as Tucson has only two victories on the season. Meanwhile, the Pirates are coming off a blowout victory over the Quad City Steamwheelers on Monday night football. Also, the Pirates are looking for revenge for their last second defeat at the hands of the Gunslingers just a couple weeks ago. The Pirates will be coming off a short week, and will be on the road, so this bodes well for San Antonio. This matchup is extremely important for the Gunslingers, but they cannot be distracted. Fans can scoreboard watch, and they will become huge Tucson Sugar Skull fans this weekend. The theme for this game is “First Responder’s Night” and any first responders who show valid identification can attend the game for free. The Gunslingers will need all the support they can get from the crowd to win this critical game. Let’s show up and show out and support our Gunslingers!