How the Arizona Rattlers can win their first Indoor football championship since 2017

Since capturing the title in their first year playing in the Indoor Football League in 2017, it's been a series of stumbling blocks that have stood in the way of another championship for the Arizona Rattlers.

There's been heartbreak and blown chances, turnovers, blown coverages and agony, games that got away at the end, leaving coach Kevin Guy searching for offseason answers.

It started with the 69-68 IFL semifinal loss in overtime to the Sioux Falls Storm in 2018. There was the 56-53 loss to the same team at Desert Diamond Arena in the 2019 United Bowl played before 14,635 fans.

After the 2020 season was canceled two games in because of the pandemic, there was a 37-34 loss on a last-second field goal at home to the Massachusetts Pirates in the United Bowl in 2021. There was the 52-51 loss at home to the Northern Arizona Wranglers in the Western Conference championship game in 2022.

And, last year, there was the shocking 62-53 first-round loss at home to Northern Arizona. It was quarterback Drew Powell's last game with the Rattlers, and the first time in Guy's 15 years leading the franchise that they lost in the first round.

Now comes Saturday's first-round game in Henderson, Nevada, at Lee's Family Forum against the Vegas Knight Hawks, who beat the Rattlers there on June 22, 55-50 and in Glendale on March 24, 45-43.

How can the Rattlers avoid a second-straight first-round exit and make a run to the IIFL title on Aug. 17 at Vegas?

Let's break it down:

Continuity, communication

This 11-5 season has been as stressful as any the Rattlers have had under Guy. They started 1-3, as injuries racked up, including losing their starting center, quarterback, running back and safety for a part of the season. They're still dealing with injuries but this is the healthiest they've been since the first month of the season.

Communication and playing together, being a family, is important coming back to Nevada to play a Vegas team that has the kind of quarterback who gave the Rattlers problems all year. Teammates need to be there for each other. And the defense needs to find a way to slow down Ja'Rome Johnson, who is the fastest quarterback they've seen.

Johnson, who has a big arm, accounted for all of the Knight Hawks' TDs, including a late 45-yard run, in the 55-50 win. Johnson has run for 37 TDs and passed for 43 scores this year.

The defenders all need to get on the same page to derail Johnson.

"You just have to be ready, for real," said cornerback Jarmaine Doubs, who had an interception and a key fourth-quarter, fourth-down pass breakup in a win at San Antonio last week. "He's fast. He's going to run. He's going to make you miss."

Receiving corps taking big steps

The Rattlers recently released wide receiver/kick returner Isaiah Huston, who was slowed early in the season by an injury. There wasn't any room for him, with the development of Corey Reed, Jr., and Nih-Jer Jackson during the second half of the season, making it hard for Glen Gibbons Jr. to get back on the field.

Gibbons had a great start, but had to miss a couple of games due to an injury. Jamal Miles has been Mr. Consistency for the Rattlers since the 2017 championship season, so the Rattlers can't afford to take him off the field.

This gives quarterback Dalton Sneed enough good options with the offensive line meshing together to give him time to make his reads.

Shannon Brooks' passion

The Rattlers need running back Shannon Brooks on the field. During the times he's been out this season, the Rattlers' offense struggled, especially in the red zone. Brooks has second, third and fourth gears, where he's not going to be denied the end zone when he gets close.

When Brooks played in Canada last year, the Rattlers relied too much on Powell to be both pass and run, and they became predictable. They badly missed Brooks, a punishing runner, who had a breakout 2022 season for the Rattlers, scoring 27 TDs, 18 rushing and nine receiving. Brooks has run for 28 TDs in 13 games this year.

Brooks also becomes a favorite target for Sneed out of the backfield when his receivers are covered. He has caught six TD passes.

Closing games

The Rattlers' playoff problems since 2018 has been their inability to close out games. Whether it was a fumble, an interception or a missed assignment on defense, the Rattlers have been haunted by late-game miscues that have kept them from raising the championship trophy.

They got spoiled by Guy in the Arena Football League, when the Rattlers won three ArenaBowls in a row from 2012-14. Parity in the IFL has made it so much harder for the Rattlers to win in this league.

For them to win out the rest of the way, they'll have to play their best in the final quarter, and work the clock in the final minute to perfection.

It starts with Sneed at quarterback and ends with Dillion Winfrey at safety.

More than anybody else, those two players need to step up. And everybody around them needs to increase the intensity and play with a physicality that they're saving for now.

"In the past few years, we've turned the ball over," Guy said. "We've got to take care of the ball. We've had a couple of playoff games where our defense didn't play well. We have to make sure we address these issues.

"It's not, 'Who is the best team in the regular season?' It's, 'Who's the best team on this day?' And that's what we're focused on right now."

Richard Obert has been covering high school sports since the 1980s for The Arizona Republic. He also covers Grand Canyon University athletics and the Arizona Rattlers. To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at richard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @azc_obert

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: How the Arizona Rattlers can win their first Indoor football championship since 2017