[revrew]

Dragons Quarterly Review
Dick Grayson, sports reporter, Des Moines Register

Going into an early bye week, the Des Moines Dragons are in a clear transition moment.

Sitting at 0-4 with a rookie quarterback who just hasn't looked as good against NFL competition as he has on the practice field, the Dragons are nonetheless sticking to their guns. Coach Kevin O'Dea has repeatedly told reporters he has no interest in revisiting his starting QB decision, and he's going to let his fifth-round draft pick take his lumps.

And QB Dakota Corriveau has definitely taken some lumps. The Dragons have allowed 18 sacks over the first four games, the third worst in that category. They only rush for 84.5 yards per game, the fifth worst in that category (Corriveau actually leads the team with 96 rushing yards). And the team overall has coughed up nine fumbles, dead last in that category.

Meanwhile, the defense the Dragons have come to rely on has faltered. The secondary is allowing a grossly uncharacteristic 7.28 yards per attempt, eighth worst in the NFL, while a total of 10 passes defensed is just pathetic at this point in the season. And don't even get me started on the pass rush. DE Ricardo Heuring had 7 sacks in the preseason, but has exactly zero in the first four games of the regular season. And now he's out with a separated shoulder for at least three games.

Simply put, without "The Captain" in at QB, the magic is gone.

But there's a bright side to this gloomy outlook. The Dragons have finished 8-8 and 9-7 in the last two years. That's not good enough to hope for playoff success, but too good to hope for significant draft capital. It's profoundly mediocre. And the doldrums of being average in the NFL may be the quickest way to stay average.

Coach O'Day has said his eyes are on building for the future. He's not content to hover around .500. But if we're going to have a better future than .500, it looks like the Dragons may have to settle for a subpar year or two – at least until Corriveau can get on his feet.