[MIJB#19]

General Manager Notes: I don't get this team
One day we suck, the next we beat the champions. Huh?

The rollercoaster that the 2096 season so far has been reached a new low and high. A visit to the Fort Wayne Fury turned from quick 7-0 lead into a 30-7 pummeling, we had no answer at all to quarterback Max Dillon, but in particular were really dreadful offensively. Earnest Ashley was heled to below 200 yards passing, with Ed Schulz making just 2 catches for 16 yards. Meh...

Much less meh-worthy was the home game against the reigning IHOF champions the Texas Sharks. It wasn't like we really outplayed them, I think we didn't, but we got the job done just enough, both in forcing them to kick, while we saw a defense heavy second half result in our go ahead touchdown with just under 3 minutes remaining, while we somehow held them to just a missed field goal to give us an 18-15 victory.

Defensive end Richie Piotte has continued his quest for leading the league in sacks. He reached the 16.0 mark after 13 games, he's second half a sack behind. With that number he's already the second best Merchantmen player in this category, ever, with only Hall of Famer Daquan "Da Machine" Strugielski three times capable to do better than 15.5 in a season. Da Machine's record is 19.5, so if Piotte keeps this pace, he'll get there. The sad part is that his productivity isn't resulting in the whole team racking up the numbers, the guys around him are mindboggling disappointing. I mean, second best is Darien Fletcher with 4.0 sacks. That's unacceptable bad. 29 sacks as a team is below the ability of our defensive line, no, this entire defense. Sure, it's not league worst by all means, but I have greater expectations from a unit like this one.

European Division:
1. Gothenburg 10-3
2. Paris 8-5
3. Maassluis 7-6
4. Bordeaux 4-9

Our next stop? Paris. Yup. The team that we dominated earlier this season but an unprecedented distribution of penalties between the teams handed us a loss. Served us right for our discipline that day, I suppose? I can only hope we avenge that stupidity, as it has made a difference in being in the middle of the playoffs race and hanging on by a last thread.

So, Paris next. We're going to play spoiler from here on. If we luck into the playoffs? So be it, but at this point I just want to regain our pride with a winning record, preferably with wins over Paris and Gothenburg. Paris first. Do it, Merchantmen.