[MIJB#19]

General Manager Notes: False start or sign of things to come?
So did we start last season. Well, kind of...

Two games in and we're already clearly in for a challenge and quite possibly not the contender I expected us to be. Gothenburg on the road: 41-20 loss. Kansas at home: 29-3 loss. Indeed, the least points we scored in a home game since week 8 of the 2070 season, when the Musketeers from Paris beat us 31-3. 41 points allowed isn't all that usual either, although we did have that 56-13 drubbing in Gothenburg last season, so basically we made 22 points progress. Yay?

European division
1. Bordeaux 1-1
2. Gothenburg 1-1
3. Paris 1-1
4. Maassluis 0-2

Wait, hold on, two terrible showings and I'm not even going to pinpoint what exactly went wrong? Earnest Ashley was dreadful, completing just 10 of 31 passes for 93 yards against the Creationists from Kansas. obviously pulling him didn't make things better, our kick kolder and nothing but a kick holder completed 0 of 4 passes, not counting his interception towards those 'completions'. Do I wish we actually ran the ball a bit more? Of course I do, but what can you do when the situation calls for other calls. We ran the ball 20 times per game, not counting Ashley's scrambles, while we tried to complete a pass 36 times per game, not counting the 2 sacks per game allowed.

Was the defense bad? Yes, yes it was. 6.29 and 5.55 yards per play allowed may not sound like a couple of disasters, but we gave up a league second worst 177 yards rushing per game (yeah, the caretakers in Kansas actually made that offense run the ball 31 times) and a league second worst passer rating of 112.8. Who cares about that passer rating? Not me, but it's mostly a result of allowing a second worst pass completion percentage.

Anything to be proud of right now? No, not really. Glass half full? There's room for improvement, quite a bit of that even! But to see that happen, we do need to see Ashley improve on his (in)ability to connect with the receivers that we got for him. For now, I give him the benefit of the doubt, because our OC really has no freakin' clue how good a young quarterback can become, plus, neither mentor Moe Sheldon or kick holder, kick holder and nothing else but a kick holder Jon Giles will be able to improve on this, unless they catch lightning in a bottle Harry Osborne style. Which isn't going to happen.

Our season will continue with a home game against the equally underwhelming Harlem Apollos, followed by the inevitable way too early bye week and a home game against the Tucker Tigers. Always fun to play them, but preferably with a team that can actually put up a fight. But that's week 5, week 3 will come first. A chance to redeem ourselves, let's take that opportunity, team.