[MIJB#19]

2078 Regular season, week 8
Maassluis ise on fire. With a convincing 57-25 victory, the Merchantmen crushed the Paris Musketeers to take the lead in the European division. The Merchantmen offense had a records breaking day, setting new franchise records in passing yards (473), total yards on offense (650) and seeing J.R. Mills tie the league record singe game receiving touchdowns with 5 scores.

The pieces are quickly falling together in Maassluis. The additions of Bennett Morris and Walt Blair to the offense are becoming more than just a good move. Veteran quarterback Morris has improved the passing game from respectable to impressive and so far is exceeding his own previous bests. Rookie running back Walt Blair notched his sixth 100-yard game takes advantage of a cohesive line and a balanced game plan. J.R. Mills today came back from the shadows of the two off-season acquisitions and needed just 9 catches to tie the legendary Terry Haskell (and a quartet of players without Merchantmen ties) with a 5-touchdown game.

European division:
1 Maassluis 5-2
2 Paris 5-2
3 Gothenburg 4-4
4 Bordeaux 2-4-1

The Merchantmen season now continues with trio of road games. Despite their 1-5-1 record, the Harlem Apollos are not to underestimated. Especially their ability to force turnovers is something to be wary about...