ECC Preview: Quad City vs. Green Bay

sQUAD City, this is a huge one. It is game week once again, and this one decides who heads to Tucson for the Indoor Football League (IFL) National Championship. In the Eastern Conference Finals, your one-seed Quad City Steamwheelers will take on their rivals from up north, the two-seed Green Bay Blizzard. This will be the fourth matchup between these two teams, as the Steamwheelers defeated the Blizzard on opening night. Still, the Blizzard took the next two matchups in the regular season and gave themselves a 2-1 record against the Wheelers this season.
 

Get ready to pack the Wheelhouse, Wheeler Nation, don't forget your rally towels, and bring the noise! Let's turn up the volume and make Vibrant Arena the toughest place to play in the IFL and remind the nation why the Steamwheelers have some of the best fans in the league!

Kick-off is at 7:05 p.m. on Saturday, August 9, at Vibrant Arena at The MARK in Moline, IL. To watch online, head over to the IFL Network. 

About the Steamwheelers

Last week in the first round, the Steamwheelers delivered a thrilling 57-41 win over the Jacksonville Sharks behind a dominant showing from quarterback Daquan Neal. Neal threw for a season-high 195 yards and six touchdowns while adding 46 rushing yards and a score. Jordan Vesey led the receivers with 102 yards and three touchdowns, and running back Jarrod Ware Jr. contributed 96 total yards and two touchdowns, extending his scoring streak to nine games. Receivers Deion McShane and Tamorrion Terry also made key contributions, with McShane reeling in the first touchdown of the game. The Quad City defense made timely stops, including a crucial fourth-down tackle by JaQuan Artis and a blocked PAT by Malik Duncan on a kick that would have given the Sharks the lead. Linebacker Bubba Arslanian returned from injury to lead with nine tackles, and kicker Kyle Kaplan added two deuces and five PATs. In the win, Quad City showed off their rising offensive firepower, and despite having the seventh highest scoring offense in the league just last week, their 57 points against Jacksonville have boosted their season average to 45.9 points per game, third highest in the league. In seven out of their last eight games, the Wheelers have scored 45 or more points and have averaged 49.3 points in that same stretch of games. Since returning from injury, Neal has turned on a new gear in the passing game and in the nine games since coming back, Neal has thrown for 1,277 yards and has averaged 141.9 passing yards per game, compared to just 642 passing yards in seven games with an average of 91.7 passing yards in that time frame. On defense, a notable statistic is that in the Wheelers' week 14 loss in Jacksonville, Sharks' quarterback Tyler Huff totalled 144 rushing yards and four touchdowns, but in the Wheelers' round one victory against the Sharks, the defense only held Huff to 55 rushing yards and one touchdown. Despite still allowing the second most yards per game on average, the Wheelers' ability to lock down Tyler Huff's rushing ability and the hope they can do the same with Blizzard quarterback Max Meylor is something to monitor during the game.

QC - Players to Watch

Tamorrion Terry / WR - In the last matchup against the Blizzard, Terry hauled in four passes for 95 yards and two touchdowns. Besides making a direct impact with his height and route running ability, Terry also creates a threat to opposing defenses that creates space for other Wheelers' receivers like Jordan Vesey and Keyvan Rudd, which will be crucial for the success of the Quad City offense.

Camron Harrell / DB - The only interception Meylor has thrown against the Steamwheelers this season so far was snagged by Harrell in the Wheelers' week 17 loss against the Blizzard. Along with that, Harrell has shown his knack for getting the ball throughout the whole season, recording six interceptions, which is tied for the second most by an individual player this season, and recovering two fumbles so far. 

About the Blizzard

Last week in the first round, the two-seed Blizzard destroyed the three-seed Tulsa Oilers with the help of a relentless offensive attack, 58-26. Quarterback Max Meylor threw multiple touchdown passes, including two each to Andre Williams and TJ Davis, and 211 passing yards on the day. Running back Kymani "Kimo" Clarke was unstoppable, scoring three total touchdowns, two rushing and one receiving. Lowell Patron Jr. made multiple highlight-reel catches, including a one-handed grab and a leaping reception into the stands. The defense shone as well, with four takeaways: interceptions by Cail Jackson Jr, who caught two, Damari Roberson, and Kevin Ransom II. Defensive lineman Tramond Lofton added a sack, and Scean Mustin also recovered a fumble. Athlete Jazeric Peterson contributed two rushing touchdowns, capping off a complete team effort in Green Bay's most dominant win of the season. This Green Bay team is led by the league's best offense, averaging the most points per game out of any team in the league this season with 52.7, most total yards per game with 249.6 yards and has scored more touchdowns this season on offense than any other team. Though their defense gives up an average of 44.4 points per game, which is fifth most in the league, and the third most yards per game with 243.7 per game, they have recorded the third most total sacks with 18 and have caught the fifth most interceptions, 15 total so far.

Green Bay - Players to Watch

Max Meylor  / QB - Meylor has put up some monster numbers this season and has proved to be one of the most dangerous weapons on offense in the entire league. In three games this season against Quad City, Meylor has thrown for 460 yards, eight touchdowns and only one interception while also rushing for 149 yards and five touchdowns on the ground. To slow down this Green Bay offense, the Wheelers will need to slow Meylor down and limit his ability to run.

Allen Henry  / DL - Despite having a relatively quiet last game in the first round against Tulsa, Henry, a rookie, has had a strong first year in the IFL. In 16 games, Henry has racked up 32 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss and four sacks, which ranks ninth best in the league in that category. The rookie will face off against the Wheelers' offensive line, which allows the fifth fewest sacks in the league, for the fourth time.

Last Time Around….

The Steamwheelers and Blizzard last met on 7/12/25 in Moline, Illinois, which resulted in a 58-52 Steamwheelers defeat in a high-scoring matchup. Quarterback Daquan Neal led the offense with 193 passing yards, three touchdowns, and a rushing score, while running back Jarrod Ware Jr. extended his touchdown streak to six games, tallying two rushing scores and 52 receiving yards. Receiver Tamorrion Terry shined again with 95 yards and two touchdowns, while Deion McShane and DeQuan Dudley also contributed key plays, with McShane snagging a touchdown. Camron Harrell was a spark on both sides of the ball, returning an onside kick for a touchdown and grabbing an interception before halftime. Chris Chukwuneke led the defense with 10 tackles, and David Cagle added a sack and two tackles for loss. Despite a strong offensive outing, Quad City couldn't overcome Green Bay's explosive attack.

Additional Fan Experience

For every home game, fans are invited to participate in the Hayman's Ace Post-game Autograph Session, where they can meet their favorite players and coaches on the field!