[MIJB#19]

Maassluis At Chesapeake Preview
Comparing this game to David versus Goliath is a bit far fetched, but the difference in talent and scores is nevertheless big. The Chesapeake Chitterlings only lost two of twelve games this season and those losses came to two other NAC division leaders (Columbus and Fairbanks). It's simple, it takes a top team to beat the Chitterlings and, face it, the Merchantmen aren't exactly in that class.

But there's more on the David and Goliath theme. When Justin McDavid ( what's in a name) was starting, the Merchantmen upset Frederick, Conyers and Orlando, and they were very unlucky against Bordeaux and Tucker. That's a list of playoff teams from last year and/or locks for this year. McDavid is sadly out for a long time, but rookie Leonard Lyon's recent play soften the pain. Ready or not, the road game at Chesapeake is on the schedule, it's time for "The Lion".

Question: what's the strength of the Chitterlings? A better question is: what's not? This team has an experienced and talented quarterback in Jamie Canter, who is lucky to have two great receivers with All League David Marquis and rising star Jeffrey Banta. Running back Phillip Hough is interesting, he makes touchdowns rather then long runs. Hough scored 12 times in 12 games, yet averages just 67 yards per game. And then you'll easily overlook the solid leader at tight end, Denver Ortega.

The Chitterlings deploy a so-so offensive line. That is if you only look at their talent, because they play better then rated. Key element, they have specialists in all areas who cancel out eachother's weaknesses. This offensive line is a team and allows 2 sacks per game, which is below the league average of 2.5 to 3 sacks. Part of that is credited to fullback Aaron Napier, an excellent pass protection specialist.

On defense, the Chitterlings rank number one in rushing yards allowed. A general assumption is that stopping the run goes along very well with winning games, it shows here. On passing plays, they are amongst the best teams in avoiding pass completions and simultaneously keep the least yards per attempt allowed figure in the top 10 of the league. The Chitterlings defense is good and the only way to beat them is converting long passes on third downs.

The Merchantmen are mediocre at best, the only thing they seem to do well this season is stopping the run. That's a big improvement because that's were they lost games last season, the upgrade from 1-15 to 5-7 is easily explained. But Chesapeake are a passing team, which makes the run stopping quality pretty worthless, until you understand the Chitterlings offense. They move the chains with passes, but score on runs. The Merchantmen's fourth ranked red zone defense could be crucial.

For the Merchantmen, all the usual defensive starters are completly healthy, except defensive end Deon Chapa. But Chapa is replaced by veteran Albert Bernardo, who seems to improve the pass rush when he's playing. Cohesion on the front seven is a key to success for the Merchantmen run stopping and fearsome pass rush. And that's very well needed when you play with three new players in your secondary.

Good news in Maassluis is the return of Harold Hurtado on the offensive line. The left tackle is considered to be the anchorman, despite his limited skills, but he makes up with his leadership. Flanker Gregory Monti is also fit once again, so Leonard Lyon's favorite target is back to make plays. And if he's not open, guys like Jim Reiser and Randy Harris will make the plays, like they did in other recent games.

The Vegas point spread is set at ten points. For the gamblers, picking Maassluis is popular after their earlier stunts, but Chesapeake is on fire after their 41-3 victory over Miami. Even though it came on crucial opponent turnovers early in the game that set up all their scores. "David" misses McDavid, but with their Lyon quickly learning, the Chitterlings are expected to win by a narrow margin. Or will the Merchantmen pull just one more stunt this year?