[MIJB#19]

General Manager Notes: The choking has begun
... or how the easy games turn into the worst.

It would have been something to report here and now that we'd improved to second place in the division and vividly in the wild card race. We could have, but we failed to get there. Turnovers kept us from victory in both of our last two games.

The visit to the North Plainfield Plague turned into a sage of a game. Drama was all over the place as we struggled in the snow that tortured the field. Our running game was, well, it simply wasn't. And with a an almost equally struggling QB Winfred England (3 interceptions in regulation), it was an uphill battle. And we still got our chances...

With 10 seconds to play, we forced the Plague to punt and blocked it. On the next play, we went for the Hail Mary and, lo and behold, WR Calvin Maxwell got down with the ball and dove it in for the game tying touchdown. Overtime it became. And the drama wasn't quite over just yet. The Plague missed a (for a snow game) not so easy field goal on their first possession, defenses ruled, then we blocked another punt and from the 10-yard line, rather than just kicking it for the win, we tried to go for it and Winfred England's pass got picked off. The defense gave us one more possession, we got downfield, but Oscar Harrington missed a short kick, which under normal circumstances would have been a walk in the park for him. So, end result: 17-17 tie.

We followed up with a should win game against the Arizona Miners in our own Oranje Haven. "Should" as, you guessed it, we didn't. Fumbles and yet another dreadful running performance hampered not just enough to fail to take a big lead, we actually saw a defensive touchdown put them back within a field goal and in the fourth quarter they got their go ahead touchdown, while we were completely hopeless offensively. WR Vinny Buysse was held to 23 yard on 11 targets. At least the best receiver in football Calvin Maxwell made the best of his 7 receptions, gaining 157 yards and scoring a touchdown. But all was too little, we lost 20-17 despite that we kept Arizona to 121 yards passing on 27 passing plays.

European Division:
1. Bordeaux 9-4
2. Gothenburg 7-6
3. Paris 7-6
4. Maassluis 6-6-1

The rest of the division is freefallin' as well. Bordeaux has gone 3-3 over their last 6 games. Gothenburg is on a 4-game losing streak, which starter with our visit to them and which they hope to snap in our Oranje Haven in the next game. And Paris has bounced back today after losing back-to-back home games. The division has lost grip on the top wild card and is actually in pursuit now for the second one. We're 1.5 wins behind now, knowing the two 8-5 Southeast division leaders will play head to head in week 17. But really, if we keep playing terribly so often, we're not worthy of post-season football. But if we beat Gothenburg fair and square in our next game, then, yes, I do believe we belong. So, team, go out there and prove you're worthy!