[MIJB#19]

2078 GM Notes, week 13-17
We're limping, but we're still in the race for IHOF Bowl LXXV. We've lost three of the last five games, two of those losses came in our own Oranje Haven. Bennett Morris was having an MVP worthy season, but Walt Blair may have made an even stronger case in his absence. These last five games haven't been cut and dry though, it's been quite the rollercoaster.

Week 13, at home versus Tucker Tigers
We lead 21-10 at half time and improved to 28-10 on our first possession after the break. Then a couple of interceptions help Tucker back into the game, setting them up for a 32-28 lead. In the last 4 minutes, we drive all the way to the Tucker 6-yard line and get stopped on fourth and goal from the 2-yard line. Tucker 32, Maassluis 28

Week 14, at home versus Fairbanks Northstars
We trail 16-7 at the break as Morris tossed an early pick and we missed a 49-yard field goal in the first quarter. Fairbanks improved to 23-7, but on the touchdown pass we take down their quarterback Logan Bradford. Our defense finally shows up, forces and recovers 2 fumbles to help us into a 24-23 lead. With only 9 second left, they go for the hail mary from our 49-yard line and succeed (the 2-point conversion was moot as time had ran out). Fairbanks 31, Maassluis 24

Week 15, on the road at the Paris Musketeers
In the crucial game for the division title, we storm to a 9-0 lead. Paris scored on an 80-yard pass play from Neil Poling to Raul Marsh, but we quickly reply with a 47-yarder from Bennett Morris to J.R. Mills. Paris gets the ball back and manages to go into the half time break leading 21-15. On their first possession after the break they improve to 28-15 and we reply with a 34-yard field goal. An interception in our red zone keeps Paris from scoring and the comeback is initiated. Dave Eiermann finally converts a crucial kick after several bad misses in back to back games and a fumble recovery in Paris' red zone sets us up to tie it at 28-28 early in the fourth quarter. Paris goes ahead 35-28 on their next drive, we both get stopped and in the last two minutes we somehow manage to advance just enough to see Morris connect with Mills (who had a career day with 265 yards receiving) for 36 yards and the game tying touchdown as regulation expires. In the overtime, Paris stops us early, but linebacker Antonio Battle saves the day with a pick at our 33-yard line, which eventually is followed up with Morris finding Dennis Nadell for the game winning 23-yard touchdown pass. Maassluis 41, Paris 35 (OT)

Week 16 on the road at Colorado Cutthroats
After the rollercoaster games, confidence was supposed to be back, but instead we have a complete meltdown in Colorado. We allow three touchdown passes from Benjamin Kolodziej to Emmett Schwartz for 58 or more yards to put us down 21-3 after just 19 minutes. A characteristic, yet in this game rare, Bennett Morris to J.R. Mills long touchdown pass, followed by a pick six for both teams put us 28-17 down at half time. The second half was hideous, with Morris throwing two more interceptions and Colorado converting a field goal more to hand us our only loss by more than 1 score. Colorado 34, Maassluis 20

Week 17 at home against Gothenburg Giants
With the offense somewhat back in swing, even a couple of Morris interceptions couldn't stop them, we go ahead 24-3 quickly enough to make Gothenburg pull their star quarterback Tre Lynn halfway the third quarter. We actually struggle to keep up, but do stumble into the victory. Maassluis 26, Gothenburg 14

European division
1. Maassluis 11-5
2. Paris 10-6
3. Gothenburg 9-7
4. Bordeaux 5-10-1

Next up: Paris at Maassluis in the wild card round. Elsewhere in the AOC, Tucker (12-3-1) will visit Atlanta (9-6-1). Toronto (14-2) and Augusta (13-3) picked up the byes.
The NAC saw Moontown (14-2) and Hanalei (12-3-1) pick up the byes. Capital City (9-7) will visit Williamsburg (12-4), while Outer Banks (8-8) will visit Iowa (12-4).

After the late struggles, we finished the regular season with 490 points scored (2nd in the league) keeping us from the magical, but cursed 500-point mark. We gained 420 yards per game (3rd in the league) on offense, defensively we ranked 11th with 346 yards per game and 349 points allowed.

Looking across the league, we should be considered amongst the second tier teams. Eight teams outscored their opponents by 100+ points: Augusta +210, Williamsburg +158, Toronto +152, Maassluis +141, Iowa +140, Moontown +138, Tucker +130 and Hanalei +124. Remaining playoffs teams: Atlanta +70, Capital City +44, Paris +41 and Outer Banks -9. Gothenburg at +47 is the only team that really deserved to be here, but will miss the party.





Bennett Morris' bad form in the last 6 games dropped him to 3rd in passer rating at 101.9, far away from the 110-mark he was on pace for. He completed 335 of 535 passes for 4,459 yards and 37 touchdowns versus 13 interceptions. The 37 touchdowns is 2 behind the franchise record of 39 by Lester Lowe.

Walt Blair finished 11th in rushing yards with a 1,213 figure, despite playing 6 1/2 games less than everybody in the top 10. Blair will likely lose Offensive Rookie of the Year to Atlanta quarterback Santiago Lester. Blair had 8 100-yard games, only 4 other players managed to have 8 or more, all being at 9 or 10 centuries.

J.R. Mills scored 17 receiving touchdowns, making him 1st in the league ahead of a duo with 15. He finished 3rd in the league in total touchdown, behind a couple of dual threat running backs. Mills finished at 98 catches for 1,756 yards (4th in the league). The 17 receiving touchdowns is 1 behind the franchise record of 18 set by Terry Haskell.

Brody Stevens behind Mills had 78 catches for 1,037 yards and 8 touchdowns.

Dave Eiermann missed a league high 5 extra points. Combined with the 4 missed field goals, with 138 points scored, he came short of the franchise record of 150.

Linebackers Antonio Battle and Glenn Brewer, defensive tackle Glen Stiegler and cornerback Alonzo Hitchcock collected enough numbers to be potential All-IHOF selections.

But enough about the individual stuff already, it isn't worth a thing without a ring. The loss of Walt Blair felt like a disaster and I'm worried it was the crucial element in these last 6 games where we stumbled in all kinds of weird results. Before losing him, we shockingly stopped Toronto and rolled up Paris in back to back games, ran into a freak loss at North Plainfield, lost a nail biter at Hanalei but otherwise played solid football. It isn't the same thing with Raul Curie and Ronald Graham sharing the carries.