[MIJB#19]

General Manager Notes: Last Men Standing?
One team remains unbeaten...

Week 8 of the 2106 IHOF Season is in the books and of all 32 teams, one has managed to win all their games: the Maassluis Merchantmen. I'll have to check our history books, but I can't really remember the last team we started a season 7-0. I do know for sure we've managed a longer winning streak, because going 15-1 means you have to have won at least 8 straight. Anyway, what did we do in the most recent 3 games?

After the bye we continued with a convincing 38-22 victory over the Atlanta Vipers. Sure, the Vipers gained 405 yards against our 313 yards, but we really didn't get much opportunity to gain much more, starting our drives on average at our 45-yard line. QB Evan Drake threw for 200 yards and 2 touchdowns, both thrown in to the hands of back after injury WR Vinny Buysse. RB Broderick Levine and RB Bennett Holmes shared the touchdown runs 1 each, while WR Calvin Maxwell for a change scored on a kickoff return.

We followed up with an overwhelming 36-6 bashing of the Fort Wayne Fury. We got outgained once again and the main culprit was our lack of ground to gain, starting our drives from our own 45-yard line. QB Evan Drake was held to 196 yards, but did throw a touchdown to TE Wesley Martin, while RB Broderick Levine added a score on the ground. DT Ben Courcy opened the score with a sensational 82 yard fumble return - how's that for our 340 pounds stalwart? CB Dennis Finlay scored his second punt return touchdown of the season.

And today we completed the sweep of the Paris Musketeers with a sound 34-16 win at home. Paris played along in the first half, but after missing a field goal on their first possession in the second half, our defense completely shut them down. We yanked up the score with S Daniel Shapiro's pick six. QB Evan Drake threw for 240 yards with 2 touchdown passes to RB Broderick Levine and 1 to WR Vinny Buysse.

European Division standings
1. Maassluis 7-0
2. Gothenburg 3-4
3. Paris 2-5
4. Bordeaux 2-5

So, how about that. Mind you, without any intent to diss our opponents, we did play the second easiest schedule so far, our opponents went 18-27 against the rest of the league. Interestingly Gothenburg tops the list at 17-29.

Are we doing things right? Sure, Evan Drake is throwing for 250 yards per game, with 14 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. Calvin Maxwell isn't living up to the hype of best in business, but he's in the middle of the top10 receivers. Bennett Holmes is high on the yards per carry list. The run defense is second in yards per carry allowed, the pass defense is slightly better than average, the pass rush on par with the league leading Tucker Tigers.

And then, I raise my shoulders. We are level on wins with last season, the wheels can still come falling off. It's way too early to get overexcited. We're playing well and winning games. The people that only look at yards gained and yards given up, let them keep believing in that's what football is about. We know better, we make up 240 yards per game elsewhere, that too is football. Keep this up, team!

Wait! Stop!

Winning streaks and good starts, that was something to look up. In 2097 we started 5-0, but we missed the playoffs with a 10-6 record. In 2072 Houston made us go one-and-done as we lost 27-17 at them after we had a 7-win streak in the middle of the regular season. In 2071 we started the season 6-0, finished it 12-4 and going one and done with a 23-7 loss to Houston in the wild card round. In 2065 we won 9 straight between week 5 and 13, but 12-4 wasn't enough for a bye week and we lost in the conference semi finals at Houston. In 2064 we won the last 7 regular season games, but came tie-breakers to Houston short to make the playoffs. In 2061 Tucker crushed our hopes in the conference semi's after our bye week mostly earned by an 8-win streak from week 4 onwards. In 2058 we started 8-0, finished the season 13-3, but went one-and-done by losing 17-14 at home against San Antonio. In 2040 we started 8-0, finished the regular season 13-3, yet went one-and-done in the divisional round we lost 24-0 at home against Atlanta. In 2037 Atlanta snapped our 9-game winning streak by beating us 38-20 in our own house in the conference semifinals. In 2031 we won 7 straight from week 9 onwards, but that was late in a struggling 9-7 playoffs missing campaign. In 2025 we started the season 9-0-1, with a 7-win streak from week 3 onwards, but we went one-and-done in the wild card round, losing 27-24 at home against Tucker.

Worst of all, in 2059 we started the season with 10 straight wins, but in spite of our 15-1 #1 seed, Atlanta silenced Oranje Haven in the conference semi's with their 31-17 victory.

So yeah, it comes up once again, we have bad memories with winning streaks early in the season or long ones in particular. But sometimes, good things do happen or almost come true. In 2027 we won 7 straight late in the season and reached the conference final. In 2047 we won 11 straight after a 1-4 start and got halted by San Antonio in the conference final. In 2078 we had a memorable season, it included a 7-game winning streak and we eventually saw our season end in the conference final at Toronto. And in 2057 we reached the IHOF Bowl after an 8-win streak late in the regular season.

So, wouldn't it be nice to... No. We're getting way ahead of our selves. We haven't even played our eighth regular season game yet. Get back to me on this curse or whatever it is after the season is over.