[MIJB#19]

General Manager Notes: We did it again
The better team lost, the trend continues.

Okay, "better" can be a subjective term, sometimes you try to look at the raw numbers and see numbers like 351 total yards of offense (5.66 per play), 238 total yards of defense (4.33 per play).

We were up to a big test, playing at home against the Oakland Black Panthers. This season, they're thriving, visiting us with a league best 8-1-1 record. They beat the Gothenburg Giants (yes, those guys) two seasons ago in the IHOF Bowl, and this season after the 8-3 loss against the Fairbanks Northstars (what a weird score line), they haven't lost a game.

To spare you all the details, we had our chances, took a 6-0 lead on field goals, missed a third field goal, scored a touchdown to get back within 2 points (failing the two-point conversion), and in the fourth quarter saw our coaching staff make an unforgivable blunder, punting on 4th and 3 with 1:06 remaining, but only 2 time outs left. You can see how that cost us the game as Oakland simply went into victory formation to end it.

My decision for today was to go back to last season's first round pick and starting quarterback Brandon Bell. Yes, Moe Sheldon played better last season and started strong this season, but after the 10 games, there was simply no excuse anymore to keep him in. Bell did kind of okay in an already lost game at the Giants, it was only fair to give him another shot. Bell completed 27 of 35 passes for 262 yards, 1 score, but also 2 interceptions. There was no need for him to scramble (a good sign?), he got 111 yards out of Branden Sandlin and 86 yards out of Harris Wilkerson. Sure, he struggled to connect with Theodore Bondy (8 catches of 14 targets for 50 yards), but Oakland was the kind of defense where Bondy could get in trouble against an almost as good as our secondary.

Our running backs struggled, although they did combined for 100 yards on the ground at a 4.0 per carry average. At the same time, our defense had much less of an answer to their running game, which was not inflated by one big run, although the ran for the first down only 5 times (and threw for it 7 times). They were ripe for the upset, but it wasn't to be.

Elsewhere in the league, Gothenburg extended their winning streak to 7 games, while Paris failed miserably in their tanking efforts and Bordeaux lost.

Division standings
1. Gothenburg 9-2
2. Paris 5-6
3. Maassluis 4-7
4. Bordeaux 4-7

Playoffs? Mathematically we're still in the race, being 2 wins and tie-breakers behind the last wild card. Theoretically, we can actually still get the tie-breakers on all the other other hopefuls as well, but it's clearly a longshot. Besides, with the ways we're finding to lose games. Have the players the right to talk about it? Some would say no, but I think they actually need to. We're in it to win it, as long as the scenario writers claim we're still in the race, I fully expect this team to go for it. One game at a time, but with the ultimate goal in mind.

We have to keep believing in making it happen. Looking at the teams that beat us, their records are 9-1-1, 9-2, 8-3, 8-3, 6-5, and then there's the two fuckups against a 5-6 and a 2-8-1 team. Only Gothenburg really crushed us, I think we can claim to be better than a 4-7 team.

And then you look at the schedule and see our historical toughest opponent coming to town: the Tucker Tigers, 7-4 division leaders. Admittedly, 18 other franchises also have Tucker as their toughest opponents, including heritage (only the Williamsburg Colonials have a winning record), but we've played the Tigers the most of all our non-divisional opponents and it's actually to my surprise to see we won the last two meetings.

Tucker runs well (7th in yards, 5th in per carry) and passes well (6th in yardage, 3rd in per attempt). Their defense seemingly is far below average. I'm skeptic on that second part though, having a tough schedule and leading a lot can inflate those numbers. We'll have to see, believe in ourselves and go out there with the thought that we can beat them.