[MIJB#19]

General Manager Notes: Don't give up just yet
Two losses in a row, that doesn't mean the season is over!

With Earnest Ashley in the sidelines wearing his casual suit, the keys to the offense were handed to veteran Efrain Batcheck. I remember signing him, in hopes to not really need him, just to be there to step in, in case an injury to Ashley would happen last season. I also considered him as a relatively cheap insurance policy in case we would have to part ways with Ashley. This past off-season we signed Ashley for franchise quarterback money, which sealed the faith for Effin' Efrain: the backup role. Against the Gothenburg Giants he was rushed onto the field, played well, but ill timed turnovers limited the chances to beat them. Today another big test against the division title bound Brooklyn Fightin' Bums.

Those Bums got the ball first and leaning heavily on two big runs from their running back, they took a 7-0 lead. Batcheck looked under pressure, but delivered on a crucial third and long with a 19-yard toss to Clay Gayner to get into field goal range. Smooth tosses to Clarence Gore and Malachi Pierson made it 7-7 as the latter leaped into the end zone. A 45-yard run for a touchdown quickly put Brooklyn back in the lead at 14-7. The pressure was on Batcheck again, this time we had to settle for pinning them deep on the punt. The defense forced three and out and field position seemed to go in our favor.

In the second quarter the Brooklyn quarterback saw his tight end turn a short pass into a 27-yarder and then a screen pass to his fullback became a 37-yarder. They key stop there was insufficient to avoid the 21-7 lead taking touchdown on the next play. We tried to respond on our next possession, Efrain Batcheck found Clarence Gore for 27 yards, but Bert Ta'Amu was struggling and we were forced to punt. The Brooklyn quarterback responded with 21-yard and 16-yard throws, followed by unneccessary roughness called against us and the next play turned into a 24-yard touchdown pass for Brooklyn, seeing them take a 28-7 lead halfway thought the second quarter. Goodness, where has that Merchantmen defense gone from the month and a half of the season? We failed to get deep enough to get into scoring position on our next drive, but pinning them at their own 3-yard line might help, no? The defense stepped it up and after a typical Mark Perkins punt return, we might have something. Batcheck found Clay Gaynor for 12 yards, but his next throw was picked off in their red zone. We needed a penalty and a sack to make their completed pass on third and 19 come short of a first down, but they took enough time off the clock, while our staff completely failed to see that calling a time out or two could have given us a scoring opportunity here. So, we went into the big break trailing 28-7, with the crowd clearly showing their disapproval of our lack of courage.

On the third play from scrimmage of the second half, Efrain Batcheck saw Ed Schulz open deep and the receiver turns it into a 44-yard gain. Bert Ta'Amu and Ed Schulz moved the chains, but deep inside their red zone we got stopped and settled for a 22-yard field goal: 28-10. The next three drives were defense heavy, with Brooklyn pinning us at our own two-yard line. After they stopped us quickly, we finally saw change as Ernie Grant promoted his interception into a 42-yard touchdown. With Bert Ta'Amu running the two-pointer in, it got us back to a more respectable 28-18 deficit. But just as we thought we had them, they complete a deep throw for 33 yards to end the third quarter.

We started the fourth quarter with stout enough defense to force them to punt again, this time getting pinned at our 3-yard line. Efrain Batcheck took the challenge, completing a 15-yarder to George Stuckey, running for 8 yards and a couple of plays finding Ed Schulz for 18 yards on third and long. A sack on third down at midfield then stopped our drive, meaning all the effort just turned into a bit of field position improvement. Our run defense was abysmal on the next drive, giving up 9-yard, 17-yard and 13-yard runs, eventually leading up to a 53-yard field goal that their kicker (lucky for us) missed.

So, with 3 minutes to go, 10 points down, we might still have a chance. But that chance ended pretty quickly. Despite a 13-yard toss to George Stuckey and a 13-yader to Bert Ta'Amu, a sack and false start penalty in between lead up to a fourth and seven situation. Instead of going for a short throw to move the chains (we still have time outs as well), Batcheck is asked to go for it and his deep throw to Malachi Pierson got defended. Brooklyn runs our or time outs and they need just one more 13-yard run to make that worthless. Brooklyn 28, Maassluis 18.

Such a let down. The first half was a disaster, we failed to take some risks when it was warranted and we took a bigger risk than needed when we didn't have to. A bigger let down is seeing us lose two big tests at home, after we went 4-1 on the road to get to that 8-1 record. At 8-3, we're still in a very good spot to go place, but, with 3 of those 5 games on the road, I can't feel confident at all. Our next home game will be against the 8-2-1 Orlando Talons, I feel like we really have to lock somebody in the film room to work out a game plan to stop the #2 offense in the league. They have scored 20+ in every single game so far, no other team has achieved that.

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

Yeah, the eliminated French teams all of a sudden start winning games, albeit against NAC Mid-Atlantic teams that are 3-win teams as well.

So, Orlando next. Earnest Ashley is still out, and in all honestly, we can't even blame Batcheck as he's been playing up to par with Ashley. It's really all up to the defense to step it up in the big games. Sure, Houston and San Antonio were big tests, which they passed, but we're going to need them to show up every game, not just every other week. I know this team can do it, dropping to 10-6 and first team outside the playoffs would be anticlimactic after such a tremendous start. Game by game, drive by drive, play by play. Reset the focus, we can do this, Merchantmen!