[MIJB#19]

General Manager Notes: Curse words can't describe this
We're choking everything we built...

1. Gothenburg 8-5
2. Maassluis 8-5
3. Paris 4-9
4. Bordeaux 4-9

In what should have been a stretch to advance to 10-3 at worst, we, the Maassluis Merchantmen, have stumbled into an unexpected and incomprehensible 5-game losing streak after one of the best 8-game stretches this franchise has ever had. The loss of QB Evan Drake to a wrist injury is a lame excuse, we were atrocious against Bordeaux, never stood a chance against Gothenburg, nor did it make sense to rely on our kick holder against Oakland.

The home game against the Harlem Apollos saw the first action of our rookie QB Monty Truitt. My confidence in him wasn't a completely unwarranted as he threw for 253 yards and his first career touchdown (to Calvin Maxwell - who else?), while scrambling for 40 yards as his running backs failed to help him out. As did TE Garrett Alcala, letting Truitt down on crucial red zone targets. The inevitable was a game where we scored 5 field goals, but gave up 3 touchdowns, including a late game 46-yard throw that put the 24-21 final score on the score board. We dominated the game, but failed to get enough points on the board.

Domination wasn't there in our road game at the Fairbanks Northstars. Whilst the hosting opponents have basically nothing to play for anymore, we had a division lead to regain. QB Monty Truitt fell back to earth, throwing for 211 yards, but also 2 interceptions. Truitt did run for our only offensive touchdown on the day, being our leading rusher for the second time in as many games, but it was way too little as the defense let him down as well, although they did force them to kick 5 times, as we gave up the second most points in a single game this season. Our punt returner Dennis Finley scored his 3rd touchdown of the season, but all that was far too little to even sniff at a chance to win. We lost 29-19, our worst performance of the season, aside from the not-to-be-spoken-about non-sense that happened in Gothenburg.

Next stop? The home game against the Gothenburg Giants. With a big game day decision to be made as QB Evan Drake is listed as "questionable". There's a huge risk he will be unable to play well with his broken wrist, which makes it quite the risk to let him play, but at the same time we know that Truitt isn't playing up to Drake's level quite yet. Honestly, I'm not sure yet what to do here, Truitt looks promising and Drake is still ailing and will be for the remainder of the regular season. And it might not matter at all against Gothenburg, because of all the teams in the league, they clearly have our number.