The Arizona Rattlers enter the bye week teetering on an edge. One misstep in the final three games for the reigning IFL champions, and any hope of a repeat could tumble off the cliff.
The Rattlers (8-5) sit in fourth place in the Western division ahead of their playoff push after Saturday’s 48-28 victory against the Green Bay Blizzard. Two games against the second-place San Diego Strike Force and one against the San Antonio Gunslingers (3-9) await when the regular season resumes.
It wasn’t like this six weeks ago.
The team started strong, going 7-1 and averaging 53.7 points per game. Everything seemed to be going in the right direction until their 52-37 loss to the Vegas Knight Hawks in Week 9. From there, the losses stacked up.
The Rattlers endured a four-game losing streak with the last three losses by one possession, including a triple-overtime shootout to the Tucson Sugar Skulls which Arizona lost on a game-winning field goal. While the Rattlers’ postseason outlook changed, the goal is still the same: winning a championship.
Last season, the Rattlers dominated the Massachusetts Pirates to become IFL National Champions. The team had high expectations going into 2025 to repeat as champions. However, the last four weeks have been filled with potholes.
“We’ve had some bumpy roads along the ride,” Rattlers rookie running back Ron Brown Jr. said. “We’ve been staying together. We have to execute, do our jobs and stay on the same page as a unit. You’re going to have your wins and losses, but you’ve got to take them to the championship and keep pushing.”
Brown signed with the team this offseason. He played four years at Shepherd University, using his talents on offense and special teams to amass over 5,600 total yards and 42 touchdowns. He was also an undrafted free agent for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2023, playing in three preseason games.
Entering Saturday’s matchup against the Green Bay Blizzard, he had 394 rushing yards, 194 receiving yards and 21 total touchdowns (17 rushing and four receiving) on the season.
In an early-season win over the Blizzard, he had 126 total yards (53 rushing and 73 receiving) and a receiving touchdown. When asked about his role for the rematch against Green Bay, Brown said he would stick with the game plan no matter what as long as the Rattlers got the win.
The first drive of the game depicted how the game might play out for the Blizzard defense: overmatched and out of sync.
But eventually the Rattlers got back into the win column with a dominating 48-28 victory. The offense took over with quarterback Dalton Snead going 12 of 17 for 131 passing yards and three total touchdowns (one passing and two rushing).
On top of that, Brown honed his inner Gale Sayers and padded his season stats. He scored a career-high five touchdowns against the Blizzard, three on the ground and two in the air. He finished with 200 total yards, 96 receiving on six receptions and 104 on the ground with 11 carries.
Touchdown NUMBER 5 🖐️ for Ron Brown Jr. 🤯🤯
The Rattlers yet again make the lead 20 points on lengthy rushing TD pic.twitter.com/TsL8cn6mRI
— Arizona Rattlers (@ArizonaRattlers) June 29, 2025
The Rattlers’ aggressiveness on defense also shined in Saturday’s win. Despite allowing 28 points, Arizona forced two critical turnovers, both caused by an unsung hero who signed with the team this offseason along with Brown: Ethan Caselberry.
Caselberry has been in the league for two years. He played for Virginia Military Institute for four years and Austin Peay State for one season before joining the IFL.
Entering the matchup against the Blizzard, he had 51 total tackles, a fumble recovery, and four interceptions on the season. This year hasn’t been what he hoped, but Caselberry understands there is always room to improve.
“It’s been an up-and-down season for me,” Caselberry said. “New team. New defense. There’s a lot of new stuff, but as the season’s been going along, I’ve been getting more comfortable. One game at a time.”
Caselberry went into the game feeling confident and let the pads do the talking. In the second quarter, Caselberry intercepted quarterback Maxwell Meylor at the back of the end zone. He then sealed the game by ripping the ball out of Meylor’s hands to force a turnover.
THE DAGGER 🗡️
Ethan Caselberry (@ethancaselberry) rips it out and the Rattlers recover to seel the game. Rattlers are gonna win! pic.twitter.com/etFw3jMCnY
— Arizona Rattlers (@ArizonaRattlers) June 29, 2025
The Rattlers will use the two-week break to recover and prepare for their last three games of the season, starting with a home game against the San Diego Strike Force on July 12.
“Overall, we’re heading in the right direction and doing what we need to do,” Brown said. “Just have to tweak a few things and we’ll be running smooth.”