[MIJB#19]

General Manager Notes: Tic-tac-toe, four in a row!

Wait, that didn't sound right. But it is the truth though: we've started the season with four wins in just as many games.

We kicked off with a 19-13 victory at the Paris Musketeers. The score was closer than it should have been, we clearly were the better team on the field, but with just 1 touchdown in 4 red zone visits, it remained a close game throughout. QB Evan Drake threw for 276 yards, with WR Rick Emerson the main receiver at 9 catches for 97 yards. Emerson jumped in as WR Vinny Buysse dropped out very earl with a separated shoulder. TE Wesley Martin caught our sole touchdown, while Oscar Harrington converted 4 field goals.

We followed up with an exciting game, beating the Hanalei Dragons 33-27 in overtime. Both offenses scored a lot early on, but shortly after we took a 17-14 lead, defensive domination ensued. We yanked it up to 24-14 just before half time, but a 77-yard punt return was crucial in the Dragons' comeback to force overtime with a 45-yard field goal. The defenses dominated the fifth quarter, until CB Dennis Finley returned a punt for 92 yards and the game ending touchdown. QB Evan Drake threw for 276 yards, with touchdowns to TE Garrett Alcala and WR Rick Emerson (still stepping in for the absent Vinny Buysse). RB Broderick Levine added a running touchdown.

We continued strong with a convincing 26-19 victory at the Orlando Talons. Both offenses knew their ways with the opposing defenses, except that we combined for 1 touchdown in 5 red zone visits. A field goal fest was the result, including misses on both sides. We intercepted the Orlando quarterback 3 times, but a couple of lost fumbles almost evened it out. A 55-yard bomb from QB Evan Drake to WR Calvin Maxwell turned out to be the game decider, going up by 10. Orlando kicked a field goal as time expired. Drake threw for 280 yards with touchdown passes to TE Garrett Alcala and aforementioned one to Maxwell. RB Bennett Holmes ran for 122 yards.

Our final game before the inevitable early bye week resulted in a 27-22 victory over the San Antonio Tidal Force. A classic case of scoring touchdowns versus kicking (long-ish) field goals made us slowly gain a decent lead, but also saw that lead come in danger when our offense dried out. San Antonio finished the game inside our red zone, where it finished in style as DE Robbie Dobreski sacked their quarterback to make time run out. It completed a quartet for Dobreski, as he anchored a pass rush that amassed 9 sacks. QB Evan Drake threw for 295 yards with touchdown passes to TE Garrett Alcala and WR Calvin Maxwell, a duo to the latter. Maxwell had a fantastic game, gaining 205 yards on just 6 catches (7 targets), scoring on 75-yard and 60-yard receptions.

So, 5 weeks in the books and things look somewhat as to be expected, with us doing slightly better than we could wish for and the division rivals all doing slightly worse than was to be expected:
1. Maassluis 4-0
2. Gothenburg 3-2
3. Paris 1-4
4. Bordeaux 0-4

We've been here before, as recently as last season at the midway point, thinking we're back on top, but we can't underestimate our opponents, ever. QB Evan Drake is playing well, WR Calvin Maxwell has struggled but bounced back against San Antonio and WR Rick Emerson played like a top10 receiver as the replacement for WR Vinny Buysse. TE Garrett Alcala continues his touchdown scoring. The running game looks sound. The run defense is doing better than we're used to and I'm afraid we'll drop back to mediocrity, despite having a very solid defense in terms of players talent. The pass defense is having a classic case of giving up yardage while forcing opponents to throw long a lot. The pass rush is finally playing up to ability, but 4 games is just too small a sample size to draw sound conclusions.

We go forward to week 6, with a home game against the Atlanta Vipers and welcoming WR Vinny Buysse back. Hopefully he'll improve the offense.