This was quite possibly the worst weekend of football for three teams we have seen all season. We all saw the obvious mismatches, but nothing could have prepared us for the absolute beatings that came with them. We cover all three of the the beatings, a semi-close rivalry game and how the playoffs may look, as we enter the final stretch only in NAL Review Week 10, only from Shady Sports!
Table of Contents
NAL Week 10 Game Reviews
Omaha 54 Louisiana 6
The Beef made waves this week by releasing both quarterbacks (Lauenstein, Sanders) and immediately signing Ivan Corbin and Vincent Espinoza. With Espinoza getting the start against Louisiana, the offense would have its best all-around game. He would complete 10 of his 18 pass attempts for 177 yards and 5 passing touchdowns. Dequan Dudley would haul in 3 of them, newly signed Corbin, known for his dual-threat ability lined up at wide receiver, caught a touchdown from Espinoza as well.
The ground game was electric all night, David Ross averaged 10 yards per carry (10 for 49 yards) and scored a touchdown while Espinoza added 37 yards on 3 scrambles. The defense set the tone for the night early and often, only allowing one touchdown and forcing 4 interceptions.
The Rouxgaroux had a night that may not even be worth reviewing the game film. Quarterback Larry Moton completed more passes to Omaha (4 interceptions) than to his own team. With no passing attack to fear the run game suffered as well with Moton being the leading rusher for Louisiana. Both running backs, Antoine and Richard, combined for just 31 yards on 10 attempts. While left wondering what could have been, they do have to maintain focus and try to finish the season strong as every game from here on out has to be a win in order to sneak into the playoffs.
While the game would get out of hand by halftime, the first quarter shaped up for a potentially close finish. Omaha would score the only touchdown of the quarter and lead 6-0 going into the second. This would be the period that would ultimately doom the Rouxgaroux as the Beef would outscore them 23-6 and take a 29-6 lead into the second half.
Ultimately the game could have ended there as the Beef defense pitched a second-half shutout in what ballooned into a 52-6 final score. What was built up to be a matchup of two teams looking for direction in a rough first half of the season turned into a reminder that not all teams with matching/close records are equal.
Written by: TJ Bartholomew
Sioux City 64 Amarillo 18
While it wasn’t the worst blowout of the weekend, it was an absolute throttling. Coming into this game Amarillo had been through a tough stretch, but had made it very competitive against SWK. That momentum didn’t seem to carry, as they would go down quickly, and trail 28-6 at the half. The other side of this lopsided competition saw a hot Bandits squad carry its steam and play one of the most complete games we have seen all year.
Just glancing at the stats was mind-boggling, Lorenzo Brown tossed six touchdowns in this one, even running one in. If you’re going to compliment Brown on his performance, you have to highlight who caught the majority of those touchdowns: Brandon Shephard. The 6’3” Oklahoma State grad nabbed five of the six, complemented by 141 receiving yards. That pair, combined with a stiff defense, sent this one off the rails early. When you consider that Craft and Powell combined for more interceptions (3) , than TDs you quickly discover why things never got off the ground
We saw a single player for Sioux City, Shepard, outgain all of Amarillo’s offense, and the Amarillo run game was just as bad. It was a classic case of out coaching, out-preparing, just flat-out being better than your opponent. Coach Erb and company are hot heading into the final quarter of the season, and it doesn’t feel like they will slow up now. As for Amarillo? Well, it’s time to play out your schedule and retool for 2027.
Pueblo 44 Colorado 57
Sloppy.. It’s the only way you can describe Pueblo’s play. Yes, the score in the end showed just a two-score loss, but it was way worse than that would indicate. The Offensive stats read like that of a close game, but penalties killed drives especially bad in the fourth as they tried to mount a full comeback. We all had to witness a five-play stretch of four penalties that killed an otherwise productive march down the feild.
Then you pair that with the poor timing of both of Hollins interceptions, it starts to collapse. In both situations, it would completely shift the momentum of the game. We have said it before, and it is something we will reiterate: Pueblo is on a slow, steady decline. This week only proved us right, the overall talent has lowered, but it’s no excuse for the undisciplined play.
If we are going to drag the Punishers for their decline, you also have to highlight the bounce back from Colorado. Kilgo only completed 14 passes, but you don’t have to complete many when literally half go for six. Yes, your math is right, SEVEN touch-down passes. Woodley grabbed four of those, Lex Rosario two, and Brean Michel with one. It’s not often you see a late-season surge like this, especially not one with this complete a game. If this, and the OL play we saw is any indicator of where they are at, it may signal a late-season run! Overall, it was a blah kind of game, a game of third-quarter catch-up that never saw it get that close.
Salina 41 SWK 55
It doesn’t matter what league these two play in, it’s always a classic. As the announcers called it during the game the “Sun Flower Classic” never disappoints. The score shows a fourteen-point gap, but it never felt like this one was ever quite over. The overall grit shown by both was something you just don’t see anywhere else in the arena game, the hits, the body on the line plays… It’s something to absolutely cherish. It felt like watching two old-school college teams battle it out until they were told to go home.
Per usual with either… Defensive strangleholds kicked off the game, especially for Salina. The first saw stalling and sticky Secondaries hold the Storm to just 6 points. SWK did strike first, but after swapping touchdowns, they would turn it over on downs. This intern would give Salina its biggest lead of the day after a Duke Williams snag on the back of the endzone. What followed in the second was the complete opposite.
In a show of Defensive mite, the Storm would hold Salina to exactly zero second quarter points. It seemed like Salina couldn’t get out of their own way. The bad penalties for Salina and the stone wall DL play the Storm lead to multiple fourth and long situations that they couldn’t overcome.
While they struggled the Self-Washington combo emerged, the two would end up with four total connections in the endzone, two of which came in the second quarter. We can’t forget the run game, with both Pierce and Sutton breaking away long runs and touchdowns, one usually setting the other up for success.
The second half however was much more balanced, both would swap touchdowns, back and forth, but the 27-13 deficit at halftime proved to be too much to overcome. The Liberty got back within a score on multiple occasions, but the painful lack of production on the ground stunted several drives. In the end, Self would run one in for a late TD to seal away any chance of a comeback. It was a great game decided by one major difference maker.
The most glaring difference maker? The Storm Offensive line! If you haven’t watched this game we think you should, if your a fan of great OL play this was a master class. At various points, it seemed as if Self had 10+ seconds to throw, and Sutton had gaps as wide as the hash marks.
NAL Playoff Picture
Instead of individual team outlooks, we decided to go with an overall outlook. Truthfully the playoff field is set and the remaining games only decide seeding. We start with the worst of the worst and go up from there:
All but Eliminated
As you have read above both of these squads were absolutely throttled this past weekend. The only win for either franchise comes against the other. Mathematically they aren’t out of it, but both have little to no shot:
Amarillo (1-7)
Remaining Schedule: Salina & Pueblo
Outlook:
It has been an abysmal year for the reboot, they have had more blowouts than highlights. The late coaching change alongside the roster turnover has combined for a season no one has wanted to watch. The final two are both pushing for home playoff games and first-round byes. Expect more of the same and a 1-9 finish
Louisiana (1-6)
Remaining Schedule: SWK & Omaha
Outlook:
In theory, Louisiana has a chance if they beat the remaining two teams on the schedule, but the chance of that is next to zero. As we saw against Omaha this team has little to no organization and is just buying time until they can roll up the turf and try again next year. Omaha and SWK will throttle the Rouxgaroux. Especially after seeing the departures shortly after the 46-point loss last weekend. Horrible season, under underqualified leadership, that will end at 1-8.
Disappointing but in
This section is devoted to the teams that in the four or five-team bracket most likely wouldn’t be in, and in reality don’t deserve anything besides sitting at home after week 13. After much thought, this only came down to one fallen giant, and a floundering franchise with falling fan attraction:
Omaha (2-5)
Remaining Schedule: Sioux City Colorado & Louisiana
Our Prediction:
You see 2-5 and can see a path where Louisiana can beat them and be in, but it won’t matter if they can manage and upset this coming week. Every game matters for Omaha at this point. A win over Sioux City, and then Colorado would see them elevate to fifth, while that doesn’t seem like a huge difference it will give them a much easier road schedule.
Those three wins wouldn’t completely leave them out of a chance to overtake Salina (and a home playoff game) if the Liberty had a complete collapse and finished on a three-game losing streak. While anything is possible, we don’t see it; instead, a loss to the Bandits, followed by a two-game winning streak to finish 4-6, and on the road in round one.
Colorado (4-4)
Remaining Schedule: Omaha & Salina
Outlook:
This has been on course with most Colorado seasons, ups, downs, and a .500 record. While it has had its positives the coaching has been very up and down. This season was hyped to be one of the best in franchise history, but Fred Shaw’s squad hasn’t lived up to expectations.
We don’t see it happening but ending the season on a three-game win streak would land them a home playoff game. We see them finishing 4-6 after losing to both Omaha and Salina, taking the 6th seed and hoping they can regroup and not get blown out by one of the next two on this list.
Home Sweet Home:
These are the two teams we see getting that coveted first-round playoff game. These two have taken a couple of losses and had outstanding seasons thus far, but as it stands (and as we see it going) will be hosting a well-deserved first round, and most likely moving on to the semis!
Salina Liberty (4-3)
Remaining Schedule:: Amarillo Sioux City & Colorado
Outlook:
The 4-3 record for Salina can be a little deceiving when you consider two of the losses have come from the best team in the league. All losses are by a combined 16 points. Though the Bandits game will be tough, and probably a loss. A 6-4 record with wins over Colorado and Amarillo will be enough to be at home.
In a perfect situation, they could go as high as a first-round bye at the second seed, but that would require Pueblo to lose to Amarillo, and the Liberty to win out, as unlikely as that is. We fully expect them to be 6-4 with the fourth seed! Though a loss to a hot Sioux City is more likely, ending with the aforementioned 6-4 record.
Pueblo Punishers (6-3)
Remaining Schedule: Amarillo
Outlook:
If this situation were playing out with three more games on the Punishers schedule, it would be an entirely different story, after the strong 4-0 start they gave limped to where they currently sit. The schedule has matched a win with a loss ever since that hot start. The Amarillo game should be a good bounce-back blowout, ending them out at 7-3, and mathematically the third seed despite a rough game stretch.
Lying in Wait:
These two are, by all accounts having a fantastic season, one more than the other. They without a doubt deserve the week of rest and an extra week of preparation. SWK has had one of the best seasons that you could ask for out of a post-COVID NAL team. While coach Erb has had a bounce back year not many saw coming
Sioux City (5-2)
Remaining Schedule: Omaha Salina & SWK
Outlook:
This three-game stretch decides a lot when it comes to the postseason, not only for the bandits but the entire league. This also happens to be the toughest final stretch for anyone. In reality, Omaha is going to be tough, but the Beef are most likely to get swept by the Bandits, something that to our knowledge has never happened before.
That leads into the final two, a win over either most likely sends Sioux City to the second seed, but we are going to boldly say they win all three. After the performance we saw against the warbirds, the confidence will be up, They are a more than capable team, and if all other arguments fail, SWK has to lose at some point right? No matter the case we see an 8-2 record on a red-hot streak that should carry into the Semi-finals.
SWK (8-0)
Remaining Schedule: Louisiana & Sioux City
Outlook:
What a season for Gary Thomas and the boy from Dodge City. It’s far from over but this has been nothing short of record-breaking. The resilience it takes to lose your lead leading starting QB Matt Struck, and never miss a beat with Self is nothing short of amazing. We could list off every impact player for the Storm, but it would read more like a team roster. We do have them down for a loss, but it could and would be the fuel that drives a dominant playoff run. We see them finishing 9-1 after a beatdown and heartbreaker at 9-1
The 2026 NAL playoffs are set to be everything the end of the regular season won’t be, full of drama and heart-stopping finishes. Week 10 will be a bit of a light weekend with only two games, though two that could really shake things up. If you want the entire scoop on the NAL and all the different scenarios, and what your team’s outlook looks like in detail, check out Around the Indoor Football World at 7 AM central only on Shady Sports!
Need to Catch up?
National Arena League (NAL): Week 9 Review
National Arena League (NAL): Week 8 Review
National Arena League (NAL): Week 7 Review
Also check out our other content:
- NAL: National Arena League Week 12 Review
- Everything AAL Week 7
- National Arena League (NAL): Week 11 Review
- IFL Cup: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the First 2 Games
- Everything AAL Week 5
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