[MIJB#19]

General Manager Notes: I'm afraid to jinx us
We're comfortable division leaders at mid-season!

Let's start with a scorerboard update first, specifically the European Division standings:
1. Maassluis 5-3
2. Paris 3-5
3. Gothenburg 3-5
4. Bordeaux 1-7

That's right, we're at the top of the division and have beaten all three rivals already. Surely we were overdo by about 3 seasons, but we're here after all. But, since we're just halfway through the regular season, there's so much that could still happen...

We've played 3 more games since my previous writing. The good news was the sweep of both French teams, both in France. In Paris we needed to come back from behind to win 20-17, but we were the better team on the day and deserved to travel home with the W in the bag. We held Mercury Pierce (yes, the greatest quarterback in the history of the Gothenburg Giants joined the Paris Musketeers this season) and The Lost Cause Ken Torphy both in check, although the latter mostly by seeing Paris barely giving him the ball.

The victory over the Bordeaux Vineyards was quite possibly our worst game of the season. The biggest difference with the games we lost was QB Evan Drake's (lack of) interceptions. Offensively worst, as our defense seriously limited the Bordeaux offense into their only solid drive coming late in the fourth quarter. We piled on into the 21-7 score because Bordeaux had to go for it deep inside their territory and we saw Evan Drake connect with WR Vinny Buysse on a long pass to wrap it up.

In between, we hosted the Snapfinger Jazz, currently sitting atop the AOC with a 7-1 record. We outgained them in raw yardage, but lost the turnover battle and aside from finding too little room to beat their defense, we were way too far down by the time we scored our face saving touchdown in a 34-13 drubbing.

Result of all things, we're in a good spot to have our bounce back season after more than a decade of Merchantmen unworthy results. We failed to have one of the best rosters in the league to even sniff at an 8-8 record, but that thing of beauty (kind of) is part of the past now. A bunch of young defenders in the backbone of our defense (DT Gabriel Morris, MLB Gus Coleman, FS Craig Clancy), combined with the veterans DT Ben Courcy, SS Blaine Wright and DE Robbie Dobreski, these guys are exceeding expectations and giving the offense a fighting chance.

And that offense in turn still has a lot to learn. Although, TE Garrett Alcala is slowly coming into his own by already matching his receptions total of last season, whist RB Bennett Holmes has progressed into a 5.5 yards per carry back. And the arrival of QB Evan Drake, combined with the revamped game plan, has built some sort of state of mind that we're not too rush things, spread the ball and we'll get there. Throw to 10 different players and had of to 3 different running backs, that's what different from the Thing One and Thing Two failure.

And then, two words continue to go through my mind, time and time again: "sample size, sample size, sample size". So be it, maybe we should remember to sometimes enjoy the moment and see the positive side of things going forward.