IHOF: Maassluis Merchantmen

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by wade moore

On the QB situation... If McDavid plays well, he could really provide value on the trade market to a team with a weak offensive line if you are confidant this line will hold up..

If I can keep Causey (which will be really hard to accomplish), I think I have 6 startable players for 5 positions. Only thing is that LT Hurtado looks irreplacable, even by the superieur ratings that Grimaldo has.

Trade value? We'll see in the offseason. Both Lyon and McDavid will be very cheap guys for a starter role.

I really wish that McDavid can be a bit like Thad Pilkington, not very highly rated in skills, but he does win games.

[MIJB#19]

Maassluis Versus Conyers Recap
Last season, these two teams played eachother in Maassluis and the Conyers Condors walked away victorious in a game where their offense was completly shutdown. The game was marked by four fumbles from Justin McDavid, the then starting quarterback for the Maassluis Merchantmen.

Today, Justin McDavid was rehabilitated as the Merchantmen starting playcaller. The first round draft pick Leonard Lyon was intercepted and sacked four times each in a terrible 3-31 beatin at the Paris Musketeers, currently the lowly rated team in the Atlantic Ocean Conference.

In the first quarter, the Merchantmen had first possession but where stopped with ease. On the punt return, the Condors returner John Perkins fumbled and handed the Merchantmen the ball at the Conyers 38-yard line. McDavid completed 3 of 4 passes to set up his own 22 yard tocuhdown to Bryce Ewald.

What followed was the start of the Everett Glenn show. Glenn started with an incomplete pass, but then completed the next 5 for 75 yards, including a 21-yard touchdown pass to Jess Grant. As different as the two teams scored, it became an early signal of how the game would turn out.

In the next drives, the Merchantmen failed, but the Condors didn't. Going into the second quarter they were stopped at the Maassluis 33. Geoffrey Trinidad attempted the 50-yard field goal, but saw the ball fall short to be worth three points and the 7-7 score remained as it was.

In the following drives, neither team got close to a scoring position. The Merchantmen got the ball back and McDavid got in his usual mood. McDavid saw many passes fall incomplete, but on third downs, he myseriously succeeded. Three passes to Vincent Lopez and one to Randy Harris got the Merchantmen moving up field. On second and three for for goal, Randy Harris pulled his trick and scored.

That ment that the Condors got the ball back, with two minutes and one play left in the first half, trailing 7-14. Glenn found Frederick Cabe and Taylor Kitchen for 26- and 18-yard receptions, but his teams was forced to punt. The Merchantmen tried to advance but failed. On the last play, McDavid fumbled, but David Burdett saved his passer to end the half.

In the second half, Glenn got his team moving again, resulting in a 10-yard touchdown pass to Boyd Callahan. The score was tied again and the Merchantmen looked ready for being slaughtered. Especially after the offense was held to a classic three and out.

Glenn got really into it and kept throwing first down passes. 13 yards here, 10 yards there; the Condors were getting into steamroll mode. One a first and goal at the Maassluis seven, Glenn was ready to take the lead. Glenn stepped back, threw, but Dennis Preciado intercepted, started running to never get tackled, a 96-yard interception return.

On the next drive, Glenn looked stunned, his passes looked fine, but the team was forced to punt. With the third quarter almost ending, the McDavid-led Merchantmen failed to get it done and unlike usual, a third and ten pass to Ewald came inches short to keep possession.

Glenn found Cabe twice for 19 yards to go into the fourth quarter. Runs from the running backs hardly helped, but through the air, Glenn looked good. Until the got into the red zone. The defense stood up and kept te touchdown out of sight. Trinidad scored a 21-yard field goal, but the lead was still not turned over.

In their own red zone, the Merchantmen got their shot at moving forward and finishing off the game. Harris advanced three yards and the team looked moving again. McDavid then tossed an interception on a long pass. As much a character man as he is, he ran for 50 yards and tackled the interceptior himself.

The Merchantmen defense stood up and let the Condors not escape. Maassluis got the ball back, but now, McDavid saw another third down pass fall inches short for a first down. But Glenn already looked done, couldn't get the chains moving at all and with four minutes left, the Condors punted the ball away, still trailing 17-21.

What followed, was a fine example of McDavid's fourth quarter passing. This time, he did get his men for the first downs and the two minute warning was there. The Merchantmen tried to run the clock out, but three time outs from the Condors got yhe visitors the ball back.

Everett Glenn talked to his men, made them aware of the 86 seconds left and no times outs. A 33-yard pass to Cabe got them going. A fourth down conversion to, again, Cabe got the Condors into Maassluis territoty. Then, on the last play, Glenn stepped back for the hail mary, but got sacked and the game was over.

After the game, it turned out that Glenn had passed for a league high 411 yards for the season and set an all time league record with 55 pass attempts. Glenn was given the MVP Award, despite the stunning 17-21 loss. Dennis Preciado, who was the Merchantmen candidate to be awarded, joked that Glenn did pass that winning touchdown. A nice 96-yarder to him, Preciado.

As undeserved as last season's victory was for the Condors, today they were robbed after a great showing of passing skills. In their head-to-head, both teams have now won in an ugly way at Oranje Haven. Maybe these happenings get a great tradition started of upset victories between the two. At least Justin McDavid got revenge for his four fumbles day, ironically on the day that he fumbled for the first time since training camp.

[MIJB#19]

[quote=MIJB#19]General Manager Notes
Well, after we lost twice where we shouldn't have, today we beat Conyers. They must be really happy that our stupid losses came to their divisional rivals. The victory was ugly and looking through the game stats only starts you wonder how on earth the Condors managed to lose (rather then how the Merchantmen won). With Conyers, I think we're level now with robberies, but winning this season is so much better then last season.

McDavid looked like he did in the previous victories, 160 yards and not passing more scores then interceptions. He actually had his first fumble of the year, yet fill in guard David Burdett saved his ass on the last play of the first half. McDavid's passing stats are horrible, but somehow, with him the team gets things done when needed. When Lyon played, we had an average score of 13-27, not counting the overtime fieldgoal. With McDavid, we are on a 19-16 average.

Looking to our injuries, we can now play with a completly playable but injured offensive line. LT Hurtado, LG Causey, C Heinrich, RG McDaniel and RT Malave, all have injuries. The most threatening injury is Gregory Monti's sprained neck. He is ok-ed by the doctors, but I think Lonnie O'Reilley will have his shot at starting in stead. Sadly, Mike Kershner suffers his third injury of the season. And with his little progress in development, I start to wonder whether he's really a worthy started compared to the others.

Next up will be Bordeaux. We have had our bad luck at home against them last season, but our victories over Frederick and Conyers should warn any team we face. Even though we play like a contender for the top draft pick on offense, our defense and RB Randy Harris are keeping us in the game time after time. I'd almost start to think that we indeed are contenders for the division. This road game at Bordeaux is the ultimate test to show whether we are. I'll keep you all updated.


Week 8 European Division In Action
Bordeaux hardly got things going, yet did beat lowly ranked Georgia witha narrow 13-6 margin.

Maassluis pulled out the upset of the week, beating Offensive Player of the Week 'Aces' Glenn and his Condors 21-17.

Paris looked closer then they were, a late touchdown pass from Mario Hudson got the Musketeers to a 17-24 loss.

Gothenburg tried to relax, but felt not so happy seeing their main rivals writing a "W" down in their results list.


European Division Standings
5-2 Bordeaux
3-4 Gothenburg
3-4 Maassluis
1-6 Paris


Upcoming Games
Bordeaux vs Maassluis - In Bordeaux, the two divisional foes meet again. Last season, the Vineyards dominated and won 28-7, but Maassluis almost pulled the upset at home later on (7-10).

Gothenburg - A home game against Georgia looks easier then it is. Ther Giants should be winners, but are they ready to stop their losing streak?

Paris - A road game at Conyers looks like suicide. However, Paris beat Maassluis and Maassluis beat Conyers; Any given Monday?


Projected Standings After Week 9
6-2 Bordeaux
4-4 Gothenburg
3-5 Maassluis
1-7 Paris

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen GM Top Merchantmen Award

I have decided to make my own team MVP player award this season. Every game we win I will hand out 15 points (5, 4, 3, 2 and 1) to the five best players. In losing games, the top three best will get points (3, 2 and 1). In case of a tied game, I will hand out 10 points (4, 3, 2 and 1) to the top four players.

Week eight stars
5 CB Dennis Preciado - 1 interception for a touchdown, 3 tackles, 3 assists, 2 passes defended, 1 catch allowed
4 RB Randy Harris - 56 yards rushing, 1 touchdown, 41 yards receiving
3 SS Wiley McGhee - 5 tackles, 5 assists, 2 passes defended, 3 catches allowed
2 FS John Cole - 1 forced fumble, 3 tackles, 1 pass defended, 0 catches allowed
1 DT Charles Gomez - 1 pass defended, 0.5 sack, 1 hurry, 2 tackles, 2 assists
0 DE Harold Wells - 1 sacks, 2 hurries, 1 tackle, 1 assist
0 LG David Burdett - 2 key run blocks (100%), 0 sacks allowed, 1 fumble recovery

Overall standings
12 RB Randy Harris
9 DT Charles Gomez
8 CB Dennis Preciado
7 DE Harold Wells
5 LB Cody Cluff
4 K Cary Coles
4 WR/RS Lonnie O'Reilley
4 LB Ellsworth Thelen
3 DE Albert Bernardo
3 SS Wiley McGhee
3 FS Richard Muller
2 CB John Cole
2 QB Leonard Lyon
1 OT Wilson Grimaldo
1 OT Russell Malave
1 CB Tai Wayne

[wade moore]

So the big question looms again...

who starts against Bordeaux?

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by wade moore

So the big question looms again...

who starts against Bordeaux?

I think that is really obivous now.
Two quarterbacks with QB ratings between 45 and 50. One with a 3-1 record and one with an 0-3 record.

I think I should start lobbying the trade of the other QB pretty soon now...

[MIJB#19]

General Manager Notes
I know I've been pretty fond on Lonnie O'Reilley so far. O'Reilley's scouting report looks like one of an instant cut after traning camp, but he's quietly becoming my favorite rookie. With the help of the always active to improve the IHOF website commishioner, I noticed that Lonnie ranks 35th in the league in all purpose yards per game with just over 80 yard. That is with 226 yards receiving, 232 yards on kickoff returns and 108 yards on punt returns in seven games.

What's even more interesting on the issue is that with Gregory Monti suffering a sprained neck injury, I am tossing with the idea to start Lonnie at Bordeaux. Just face it, No receiver is racking up yards, McDavid will be starting and the team is mainly winning because our defense steps up.

Quietly the rookie return specialists Lonnie O'Reilley (top 12 punt returner) and Devin Henson (top 12 kickoff return) are helping us out. Tai Wayne makes tackles, but doesn't stop receivers from catching balls, at least not enough in my opinion. Leonard Lyon hasn't won the QB job in my eyes. Then there is Brant Heinrich at center, who does a good job but is currently injured. Last but not least, the guy who we traded our 2006 first round pick for, Butch White, is doing pretty well at LG.

Against Bordeaux, I am not sure whether I wll let Hurtado return in the lineup. I think he's too important to risk an agrevated injury. We're 3-4, we are competiting, but only if we win this divisional game. Or we have to go 7-1 in the second half of the season, which is unlikely with games against Orlando, Chesapeake, Astoria and Bordeaux scheduled. Not to underestimate the 5-2 Rochester Lake Monsters and the Duane Davis led Gothenburg Giants. Paris is a strong team and Brooklyn should not be underestimated by a team that just recently snapped a 14-game losing streak.

Anyway, to come back on Lonnie O'Reiley, he's making plays that don't count much, but that do help out to support, to set up other plays. So far, he's not racking up stats for a rookie of the year nomination, but if Butch White would be concidered, then don't overlook Lonnie O'Reilley. Believe it or not, but he is amongst the better players to avoid drops, to have a high targeted-and-catching figure and racks up yards per catch.

No, he doesn't get past his defender, but does make the deep catches needed to keep the chains moving. I hope he can soon score his first touchdown and get the attention from other owners that. After the shipping away of two of the top 10 talented receivers, Amos Collins and Frederic Vargas, you'd think we are not valueing wide receivers high enough, but our men Monti and Ewald don't drop much and are athletic enough to catch a bad throw here or there. With Lonnie, we have a super third receiver.

Whether I want to or not, we'll have to give Lonnie the nod as starting receiver at Bordeaux. Monti suffered a serious injury last season and risking a neck injury to agrevate is not something you want as a general manager or coach. Now the obvious question should be: Is Lonnie better then third round pick Devin Henson? To be honest, we haven't tested Henson enough to know for sure, but the one game he got his opportunity as the #3 receiver, he was targeted just twice and not reached at all.

Maybe I am insane and just don't see that Lonnie is very lucky so far. But what if he is a rough diamond? He's making plays, had 72 yards receiving in one game against Georgia. Amazingly, all five were for first downs, including two by inches. McDavid is working like a lucky charm so far, but Lonnie is actually making plays.

Perhaps Vargas had the talent, but at 35 yards per game, he didn't do much better then Lonnie's 34 yards. And that was on an offense averaging 20 yards passing per game more. Compare the paychecks of Vargas last year and O'Reilley this year, noting that O'Reilley is also a returner. To me it only makes sense that we got rid of Vargas and should be very lucky to have a guy like O'Reilley make it look like that Vargas was never a factor. The only thing missing is a couple of touchdowns.

[wade moore]

This is a particularly interesting decision because he and McDavid seem to just synch for some reason... Like you said, it's hard to really HURT the passing game at this point and he could really add a spark..

[MIJB#19]

Maassluis At Bordeaux Preview
And there they were: 3-4 and tied for second in the division. 3-4, It sounds like an average team, but for a team that was the league doormat the previous season, it sounds promising. It's still early, but signs of becoming an 8-8 team are there, despite the worst losses in team history noted this season.

The Merchantmen have been surprisingly not-so-bad this season and the victory over Conyers provided the upset of the week. Especially as 'Aces' Glenn passed for 411 yards for the game and earned player of the week honors. The Merchantmen pulled the upset with a 21-16 score.

Bordeaux had their moment of fame a week earlier as they handed Conyers their first loss of the season. The Vineyards won on a 56-yard field goal in the last second of the game with 27-24. Like Maassluis, they couldn't stop 'Aces', but did manage a victory, though Bordeaux did deserve to win based on total yards.

Joe Johnson is the Vineyards highly rated quarterback. So far, he's copying his 2004 stats and hopes to copy his anti-Merchantmen play as well. Last season, in two games he averaged 24 of 33 (73%) passes completed for 203 yards and 2 touchdowns, without being intercepted.

The man of the team so far has been Rashad Burse. Espeically in weeks one and three when he had 221 and 156 rushing yard respectively. In the other four starts, he had 140 yards (2.3 per carry) and 2 scores. Knowing the Merchantmen defense, Burse could be a non-factor once again for the divisional leaders.

Yes, you'd almost forget, but this game between a 5-2 and 3-4 team is a matchup of two European teams. A Maassluis victory means they would remain in the race for the divisional title. A Bordeaux victory would mean they knock out a rival atte mid-season point.

For Maassluis, the starting lineup on offense is still a big questionmark. Causey, Heinrich, Hurtado, Malave and Monti are injured and could be benched. Second are positional question at tight end (Aubrey or Reiser), fullback (Lopez or Burger) and mainly quarterback (McDavid or Lyon).

The Vineyards come with a good pass rush, a decent run stop and a very good secondary. Key is the injury to superstar safety Cecil McIver. His knee injury is a career threatening one if he agrevates it. But, McIver is indespensible, without him, the Bordeaux defense misses their most talented guy.

Another key element in this game will be how good the Vineyards offensive line will protect Joe Johnson. The Bordeaux line is shaky to say the least and the Merchantmen field a fearsome pass rush with Harold Wells and Charles Gomez. Lucky for them, Johnson has been avoiding sacks better then last season.

Bottom line, the Vineyards are heavily favored to win. With McDavid expected to start again, the Vineyards defense has little to fear and can easily focus on stuffing Randy Harris. If Johnson avoids the sack and interception, Bordeaux will be fine for a big victory.

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by wade moore

This is a particularly interesting decision because he and McDavid seem to just synch for some reason... Like you said, it's hard to really HURT the passing game at this point and he could really add a spark..

To the public (in this case, you) it may seem so, but to me it isn't.
Monti and Ewald are my clear starting WRs. That's why I didn't worry about losing Collins, Vargas and Marshall (imagine going from 1-15 Maassluis to have more receptions for the defending champs.)
Lonnie was an easy pickup and his return skills made him our #4 receiver. Because I failed to update the personel game plan to set Henson as #3 receiver, Lonnie took that role and has been as good as (or even better than) a top 20 receiver (Vargas) so far.
O'Reiiley gets his shot as Monti has a neck injury, which doesn't sound like something you want to see getting worse. And with 4 starting OL players injured, I bet that Bordeaux will be focussing on areas where they need some extra energy, like the pass defense. Their #1 safety McIver is a super stud (but has a serious injury), but the rest are just average pass defenders.

In the McDavid/Lyon case, I want Lyon to do well, like McDavid more and think I should keep him starting as long as we win games (or lose by a missed freakin' extra point and 29-yd field goal...)

Actually, for this game, I have a big surprise set up, but won't go into detail as I suspect that the Bordeaux management is reading this dynasty on a regular base... If you're interested, ask for a PM and I might share the plan.

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen Bench All IHOF Tight End Jerry Aubrey
The Maassluis Merchantmen announce the benching of All IHOF first team selection Jerry Aubrey. Despite a dissapointing season with a 1-15 record, the Maassluis Merchantmen saw their best receiver awarded with All IHOF fame. Today, the day has come to give the younger and talented Jim Reiser his opportunity against the Bordeaux Vineyards.

In other roster news, the management want to let known that unlike in the team policy, the normal starters on the offensive line will be starting. That means that the injured men Harold Hurtado, Brant Heinrich and Russell Malave will all be starting.

Last, but not least, the neck injury for Gregory Monti worries the management. That means that today, Lonnie O'Reilley is promoted to the starting flanker position and Monti will be playing as the #3 wide receiver.

[wade moore]

*gasp*

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by wade moore

*gasp*

You look so surprised.

Anyway, it was after the deadline.
Plus, I kept the Vineyards GM busy with other things, though not on purpose.

[Alf]

yeah, evil plan of yours Matthijs ! But it didn't pan out. My kicker is too good.

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by Alf

yeah, evil plan of yours Matthijs ! But it didn't pan out. My kicker is too good.

Argh, now you made my game review that I still have to write worthless...

Oh well, what has to be done, must be done.
Review will be up in less then 60 mins (unless a disaster strikes me :o).

[MIJB#19]

Maassluis At Bordeaux Recap
In a game dominated by the Bordeaux offense, the score was closer then the statistics would presume. Last second field goals in both the first and second half helped the Bordeaux Vineyards to stay in pole-position for the European title. The Merchantmen look back on just another bad game, where only the turnover margin called for improvement over last season. Bordeaux walked away victorious with a 16-13 score.

For Bordeaux, Joe Johnson wasn't his normal self. The reliable quarterback struggled a bit against the strong pass rush coming from the Merchantmen defensive line. Granted, he completed 58 percent of his passed for 270 yards and a score, but he did lose a fumble in the game. Additionally, the Merchantmen's fearsome four ruined 7 of 37 passing plays, that is almost 1 of 5.

Martin Mathias, an off season additional, had his moment of fame. Mathias received 7 passes for 115 yards and the only Bordeaux touchdown of the game. He made up for a little dissapointing showing from Rashad Burse. Burse was held to 52 yards and a 2.9 average. But, it didn't make much of a difference, the Vineyards defense saved the day.

Look at the Merchantmen offensive stats and you start wondering why they keep Justin McDavid as playcaller. Against Bordeaux, he completed just 52 percent of his passes for a dissapointing 141 yards. The single touchdown pass doesn't make up for the interception and his old habit turning up again. McDavid fumbled twice, but was twice saved by his own linemen.

The scoring pass was passed to Randy Harris, who scored for the sixth time this season, already doubling his 2004 scoring total. With 54 yards rushing, Harris couldn't shake a leg for the Merchantmen, but kept things going a little bit. More then last year, Harris looks like the only threat on the Merchantmen offense. Especially with Jerry Aubrey losing his starting role.

Aubrey watched this game rather then lived through it. His replacement Jim Reiser had 4 receptions for 37 yards, not really what people would have expected from a Merchantmen tight end. Aubrey commented: "Give him some slack, it was a last second decission. I think Jimmy just wasn't ready yet." The almost total absence of Gregory Monti didn't help either.

Talking of Monti, his replacement at flanker, Lonnie O'Reilley had a game of bad luck. McDavid passed four times to the rookie, but only twice they connected. On those receptions, O'Reilley advances just 6 yards. Monti: "Lonnie is more of a deep threat, even more then Vargas was last year." A good point, but with Monti complaining about his neck, who else should play at flanker?

A bright light on the Merchantmen roster is the former Astoria Hero playing strong-side linebacker. Ellsworth Thelen sparkled with 10 tackles and 2 defended passes. Thelen has quietly been outperforming the 2004 Defensive Rookie of the Year, Cody Cluff, in tackles. Some people believe that the improve rushing defense completly relies on the addition of Thelen.

Looking back, the Merchantmen experiment to start the balck-and-blue offensive linemen didn't pay off. Russell Malave had a good game, but Harold Hurtado wasn't the All IHOF second teamer of last season and hot porspect Brant Heinrich is a bit too inconsistent as of now. Big plays are followed by unnecessary mistakes.

Overall, the Vineyards were the better team and deserved to win this game. The victory means that the Merchantmen are more then likely out of the race for the European title and should fear to lose the second place battle to the maturing Duane Davis and his Gothenburg Giants. The Merchantmen's next stop is at another playoff contender, the Orlando Knights. A good showing there looks impossible, but the Knights offensive line misses their tackles and the fearsome four keep making plays on a weekly base. Another stunt is possible.

[MIJB#19]

General Manager Notes
We stayed in the game, we did, but we gave it away by not making big plays on offense. One touchdown with 30 minutes of ball possession is too little. Especially if your opponent relies more on their offense then their defense.

Perhaps the experiments all failed, but two of those had to be made. Our OL looks like a strainer when Hurtado doesn't play. Now I know that Hurtado has to be 100% healthy to be able to lead his men well. Reiser did okay with 37 yards receiving and O'Reilley just had no chance against better opposition to get open.


Week 9 European Division In Action
Bordeaux did what they had to, Fernando Ramsey kept his nerves in control and with two last second field goals handed Bordeaux a 16-13 victory over Maassluis.

Gothenburg came back strong after a week of wounds healing and watching football rather then playing. The Georgia Gridlock were an easy victim and Jerry McGee rumbled for 142 yards to inspire the Giants to a big 30-13 victory.

Paris faced the highly touted Conyers Condors. For the third time in three weeks, the birds struggled against a European team, yet snapped their losing streak with two last second field goals (in both halves). They Musketeers gave away a 13-0 lead to lose 13-16.



European Division Standings
6-2 Bordeaux
4-4 Gothenburg
3-5 Maassluis
1-7 Paris


Upcoming Games
Bordeaux - Going to Tucker means they will face a team that rushes more then passes. The Tigers had a similar escape against the Merchantmen, but didn't outgain them i yardage at a 3 to 2 ratio. The Merchantmen management expect to see the Vineyards to improve their "W" figure.

Paris vs. Gothenburg - A game between two teams led by young quarterbacks. Duane Davis looks more mature, but Mario Hudson's showing so far is impressive for a rookie. With their latest showing, Paris looks ready for their second win, but Gothenburg looks strong enough to have a 6-2 second half of the season.

Maassluis - Play on the the road in the All-Dutch derby. Why the name, is Orlando a former Dutch colony? No, the name comes from the Knights' general manager's nickname as Dutch. The Dutch team are clear underdogs in a game where Israel Mars hopes to surpass Huey Gervais in rushing yards.

Projected Standings After Week 10
7-2 Bordeaux
5-4 Gothenburg
3-6 Maassluis
1-8 Paris

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen GM Top Merchantmen Award

I have decided to make my own team MVP player award this season. Every game we win I will hand out 15 points (5, 4, 3, 2 and 1) to the five best players. In losing games, the top three best will get points (3, 2 and 1). In case of a tied game, I will hand out 10 points (4, 3, 2 and 1) to the top four players.

Week nine stars
3 LB Ellsworth Thelen - 10 tackles, 2 passes defended, 1 forced fumble
2 DE Harold Wells - 1 sack, 1 pass blocked, 1 hurry, 4 tackles, 3 assists, 1 fumble recovered
1 DT Charles Gomez - 2 hurries, 5 tackles, 2 assists
0 OT Russell Malave - 1 key run block (33%), 1 fumble recovered, 0 sacks allowed
0 SS Wiley McGhee - 8 tackles, 3 assists, 1 catch allowed
0 RB Randy Harris - 54 yards rushing, 2 receptions for 6 yards including a 3-yard touchdown

Overall standings
12 RB Randy Harris
10 DT Charles Gomez
9 DE Harold Wells
8 CB Dennis Preciado
7 LB Ellsworth Thelen
5 LB Cody Cluff
4 K Cary Coles
4 WR/RS Lonnie O'Reilley
3 DE Albert Bernardo
3 SS Wiley McGhee
3 FS Richard Muller
2 CB John Cole
2 QB Leonard Lyon
1 OT Wilson Grimaldo
1 OT Russell Malave
1 CB Tai Wayne

Stats of Notice:
Randy Harris has 6 touchdown in 8 games and ranks in the league's top 10 in total touchdowns
Harold Wells has 7.5 sacks in 8 games, making him a top 5 sacker in the league
Devin Henson ranks in the top10 kickoff returners
Our team has by far the least penalties in all games 30 penalties in 8 games (3.8 average) with the number two at 42 penalties in 9 games (4.7 average)
Our offensive line protects our quarterbacks enough to rank us in the top 10 in least sacks allowed
Our rushing defense currently ranks 11th in yards per game allowed

[MIJB#19]

General Manager Notes
Against Orlando we will miss our secondary leader Dennis Preciado. Concidering his talent, he's no super star, but compared to our backups, he's by far the best we have to team up with Tai Wayne. A terrible timing I'd say, because Dutch's Orlando Knights field the strongest WR unit in the league, maybe only tied by the "Snow Bombs" from Fairbanks Northstars.

Our offensive line is still black-and-blue, Hurtado, Heinrich and Malave have not fully recovered. Also, I hoped to be able to play Alvin Causey in this game. Causey was supposed to be a major addition to our team and came from Orlando. I might acivate him to play a backup role, but I have not decided yet.

I do am planning to do another step in replacing our veterans, fullback Vincent Lopez is a very good player, but we have a more talented guy in Mark Burger, who deserves more playing time. The replacement of Lopez and tight end Jerry Aubrey is setting in now.

I also have some experiment going concidering player development. I noticed something about depth chart preferences that seem to go hand-in-hand with which players are developing and which are not. I think I will have more proof after a few games of experimenting.

Experimenting, I hear you think, aren't the Merchantmen still in a mathematical race for the playoffs? Yes, we are. But these are no experiments, these are important things for the future of this franchise. The only real issue I have is that McDavid seems to develop twice as fast as Lyon does. My guess is that by the end of the season, if he remains as our starter, McDavid will be scouted as the better quarterback.

At the mid-season point, do I have other things to note? Well, maybe that in a discussion between owners and journalists, some people mentioned me as a candidate for GM of the season at the mid-way point. As flattering as it is, I recon that I did much to improve this team, but this honor would be far-fetched if we don't end up as a 6-10 or better team.

Further, I have once again tossed with the idea to give Alvin Causey a contract offer. Our other option is to make him our franchise player. Otherwise, I might opt to convert Russell Malave into a RG from his RT position.

Last, but not least, we're of course looking to the future. The days for some players are counted, a couple of players are up for trade next offseason and I'll try to sign cheaper replacement in the free agency period. Plus, I have another idea set up for the free agency period, something that will be new to the IHOF. What it is will be my secret for now. What I can say is that I had it set up for the last free agency period, but at the last second I opted against it. I have a go-ahead letter from the league commisioner and I worked out the options of how to do it. Stay tuned and you'll find out what the plan is.

[MIJB#19]

Maassluis At Orlando Preview
The season is at the midway point for most of the teams and the playoff contenders are shaping up. The Orlando Knights are one of the top contenders in the Georgian Division. They are favored to beat the Merchantmen, but they know what they can do.

In recent weeks, the Knights were handing out a "thank you" message after the Merchantmen upset the Conyers Condors. The Condors are divisional rivals for the Knigts and that result helped the Knights to come back in a two way tie for first place. Earlier on, the Tucker Tigers narrowly escaped against the Merchantmen.

Last week, the highly ranked Bordeaux Vineyards needed some luck to beat the Merchantmen after giving it almost away. Their offense and defense may rank as highly as the record they have (3-5), but the Merchantmen have been competitive all season, except a terrible showing at the Paris Musketeers, when they lost 3-31.

Orlando's proud is their offense. The team has invested most on the offense and it does pay out. Running back Israel Mars is battling for the rushing title, while the Knight's receivers Reggie Norris and Albert Moses are the best duo in the league, even outdoing the Fairbanks' ball catchers.

Additionally, the Knights field the best duo of offensive tackles. Sadly for them, both Chris Gallaher and Alphonso Gant are injured and not available against Maassluis. That's not a good sign for quarterback Wayne Christopherson. Especially as Maassluis field one of the most talented defensive lines in the league.

Harold Wells is averaging one sack per game, Deon Chapa is finally starting to grow and Charles Gomez is a do it all in the middle. Add the pass rush threat coming from linebacker Ellsworth Thelen and there is reason to suspect that Israel Mars will be running even more then he ususally does.

Lucky for the Knight, the Merchantmen miss their best cornerback, which makes their pass offense a bigger threat. Dennis Preciado is a key player in the secondary and the experience of safeties Wiley McGhee and Richard Muller can't nullify the absence. Also, Tai Wayne looks far from capable of shutting down his man.

The Knights defense faces a shaky offense, to say the least. The quarterback situation is a coin toss away from a new starter, the offensive line is suffering injuries and the best and most experienced players just heard they are in their last season here. Add Gregory Monti's bad form and there is little left to score.

All relies on the Merchantmen running back, Randy Harris. More then ever, he's becoming a double threat as rusher and receiver. With blockers like Burger and Reiser, he's hard to be stopped. Plus, Maassluis is still hoping that Bryce Ewald returns to his early 2004 form, when he had a 96 and 123 yards in consecutive weeks.

The Knights defense is not to be underestimated. The secondary is not one of the best and so isn't the defensive line. But, most players shine in one area and usually the sparkle like big stars in those areas. Josiah Ahrens already made 9 interceptions in 8 games, the Merchantmen quarterback should be warned.

Linebacker Andreas Liddell has 7 sacks in 8 games and provides a strong pass rush threat. Together with Frank Judson and Jesse Davis, the linebackers average 17 tackles per game. Add Marty Stoffel's pass rush threat (6 sacks, 11 hurries) and you know that the Maassluis blockers will have their hands full all day.

The Knights have a strong offense that should not fear the Merchantmen defense much. Stay away from mistakes like losing three fumbles and a victory should be in the bags. One thing to note is that the Merchantmen have been at their best against strong opponents in 24 games of IHOF action. Will history repeat, or will Israel rewrite it?

[MIJB#19]

Maassluis At Orlando Recap
At the start of the season, the two owners knew this game would be Dutch Bowl I. This time, as the home team, the Orlando Knights were clear favorites as they were tied for number one in the AOC with a 6-2 record. The Merchantmen were underdogs at 3-5, yet had upset the other top ranked team, Conyers Condors, and were unlucky against the Bordeaux Vineyards. They managed it again, winning 17-10 at Orlando after having defended a 14-0 lead until very late in the third quarter.

The game was supposed to be Israel Mars', yet another Knight got the leading role on offense. Rookie quarterback Scottie Hanson got the surprising opportunity to start and showed glimpses of a good quarterback. Hanson completed 68 percent of hiss passes for 212 yards and 1 touchdown, without interceptions.

Mars had a tough game, trying to show he's the best rusher in the league, but today he wasn't even the best of the game. Mars totalled 82 yards on 21 carries, but he lost out to the Merchantmen rusher. Randy Harris got more carries then ever before, and it showed off as he had his first 100-yard outing, edging just over it at 103 yards.

Harris was a nice chains mover, doing very well with the Merchantmen quarterback. Justin McDavid passed for just 149 yards, yet had 2 touchdowns and no turnovers. McDavid got MVP honors in the victory and paid off the confidence he's been given for the past three weeks. McDavid had a key role in the victory and paid back with his fourth victory this season.

Looking at te game stats, you'd think this had been a close game with Orlando as the better team, but the Merchantmen are doing great things on special teams. For example, the first Maassluis touchdown was set up by a bad punt from the Orlando punter and Lonnie O'Reilley had a 16-yard return to set up a short scoring drive. New tight end Jim Reiser was the lucky guy to make the six points on a pass from McDavid.

The story of the game, however, has to be the sotry of the offensive tackles. The Knights have one of the best tandems in the league, with Chris Gallaher and Alphonso Gant. But as lucky as Orlando is with injuries, only two men were not available in this game, the two star tackles. To make it even better a story, next Monday, both could be playing again as they're recovering very quickly.

In return the Merchantmen tackles Wilson Grimaldo and Harold Hurtado showed whythey were first round picks and both made the weekly top performers list. Neither allowed a sack against the Knights and both stood out on rushing plays. Grimaldo had 4 key run blocks and Hurtado had 3 of those. Young center Brant Heinrich added another triplet of key blocks and the 100-yard game from Harris has three more faces. All day, only one sack was allowed by the line.

Now, the story of the Merchantmen becomes more amazing then ever before. This season, they struggled in games against the recordwise weaker teams. Georgia and Paris were victorious, while Fort Worth gave away a 14-0 lead. Against the stronger opponents, Bordeaux, Conyers, Frederick, Orlando and Tucker, the Merchantmen are 3-2 and should have beaten Tucker and possibly Bordeaux.

The only other game was against Gothenburg. At home, Maassluis choked with Leonard Lyon quarterbacking. The once called starter is now demoted to just kick holding duties and sees McDavid winning games with 148 yards per start, where Lyon has 195 yard passing per start. Crucial is that McDavid makes good decissions and completes passes on crucial moments. Lyon racks up yards to move forward, but follows is with a bad decission and loss of possession.

In the next round of games, the Merchantmen go to Gothenburg. The Giants have a one-win lead in the division and the teams are up for another close game in their series. The head-to-head is in Gothenburg's favor, having won at home last year and on the road this year. Duane Davis is quarterbacking his team very well now and the Giants are in-form. Lately, the Merchantmen have turned into giant killers. But what's in a name?

[MIJB#19]

General Manager Notes
Is this for real? We beat another one of the tough AOC Southeast Division teams. I am not understanding a thing about how we can be 4-5 at this point. We've beaten two division winners from last year and the only 7-2 team in the Atlantic Ocean Conference.

For you interest, in other action this coming week, the best team in the league, the 9-0 Fairbanks Northstars are playing at home against the worst team in the league, the 1-8 Boulder Blizzard, who saw their best players all go out with injuries early in the season. Since the Merchantmen's recent run, the Blizzard are now the all-time worst team at 4-21, far behind the 25-3 Northstars.


Week 10 European Division In Action
Bordeaux went to Tucker and got totally dominated. The Tigers saw Gardy Handy pass for two and run for another touchdown in a serious 30-7 beating. For what it's worth, te Vineyards had an early 7-0 lead. Rashad Burse was held to 37 yards, ending his hopes of ending up leading rusher in the IHOF.

Paris and Gothenburg played a close game, where the Muskeeters took the lead, but gave it away afterall in the final quarter of the game. In their 14-13 victory, the Giants struggled to score, but had the better stats on offense at 356 versus Paris' 215. That includes just 94 netto passing yards from Mario Hudson.

Maassluis pulled the upset of the week for the second time in three weeks. In Dutch Bowl I, the Merchantmen won 17-10 not ever giving the Knights hopes of being in the game, despite the better stats on offense. Once again, special teams pulled a special trick to make Justin McDavid's two touchdown passes count.


European Division Standings
6-3 Bordeaux
5-4 Gothenburg
4-5 Maassluis
1-8 Paris


Upcoming Games
It's divisional rivalries time!

Bordeaux at Paris - After three straight losses, the Musketeers hope to get their first French victory. The Vineyards are still in pole-position for their second European title, yet the progress of the two other rivals from the north make this a must-win scenario to keep in control of the division. Lucky for Mario Hudson, safety Cecil McIver finally fainted and the Vineyards' best player will miss the derby. Hudson hasn't thrown an interception in his last 94 pass attempts. Bordeaux are the favorites, but a Paris upset is very much possible.

Gothenburg vs. Maassluis - The battle for the second place heats up. The Merchantmen have been upsetting better teams lately, but choked against the slightly weaker teams. Gothenburg are getting things done and are the clear favorites. Maybe the rain will be crucial, because Maassluis' both recent upset victories came in the rain, Gothenburg are 1-2 in the rain this season...


Projected Standings After Week 11
7-3 Bordeaux
6-4 Gothenburg
4-6 Maassluis
1-9 Paris

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen GM Top Merchantmen Award

I have decided to make my own team MVP player award this season. Every game we win I will hand out 15 points (5, 4, 3, 2 and 1) to the five best players. In losing games, the top three best will get points (3, 2 and 1). In case of a tied game, I will hand out 10 points (4, 3, 2 and 1) to the top four players.

Week ten stars
5 OT Harold Hurtado - 3 key run blocks (43%), 0 sacks allowed
4 OT Wilson Grimaldo - 4 key run blocks (40%), 0 sacks allowed
3 QB Justin McDavid - 56% completed, 149 yards, 2 touchdowns, 0 turnovers
2 RB Randy Harris - 103 yards rushing (first 100 ever), 1 reception for 9 yards, 1 fumble
1 OC Brant Heinrich - 3 key run blocks (50%), 0 sacks allowed
0 TE Jim Reiser - 60 yards receiving, 1 touchdown, 2 fumbles recovered (including his own)
0 LB Cody Cluff - 9 tackles, 1 assist, 2 catches allowed
0 DT John Bryant - 1 sack, 3 tackles
0 FS Richard Muller - 1 pass defended, 0 catches allowed, 1 tackle, 1 assist

Overall standings
14 RB Randy Harris
10 DT Charles Gomez
9 DE Harold Wells
8 CB Dennis Preciado
7 LB Ellsworth Thelen
5 LB Cody Cluff
5 OT Wilson Grimaldo
5 OT Harold Hurtado
4 K Cary Coles
4 WR/RS Lonnie O'Reilley
3 DE Albert Bernardo
3 QB Justin McDavid
3 SS Wiley McGhee
3 FS Richard Muller
2 CB John Cole
2 QB Leonard Lyon
1 OC Brant Heinrich
1 OT Russell Malave
1 CB Tai Wayne

[3ric]

It's going to be an exciting game for sure! Will the Merchantmen tie the Giants in both head-to-head record and the divisional record?

[MIJB#19]

Question From The Dynasty Writer
I've been writing about the Maassluis Merchantmen for almost half a year now and I am still not completly satisfied about what I write and don't write. Are there any request of what I should/could write about?

For example, I have plenty of time to look at the game-by-game fumbling stats for my backup outside linebackers, but it is no fun to post those, is it?

Looking on how it's going now, or to correct myself, to what this report has turned into is:
* Game Review
* Game Recap
* Division Update
* MIJ players of the game
* sometimes something between the games
* Game Review
* Game Recap
* Division Update
* MIJ players of the game

In between it's mostly McDavid vs. Lyon talk with or without Wade_moore commenting and occasionaly some of my thoughts about the team in other areas. For me, the QB situation is one of the biggest stories of the team (if not the #1 story about this team.) Perhaps it's been too much focused on that?

The thing is, with this speed, I have about one article a day, but completly focused on game days. Are there readers with special requests for things they want to see? Or have some ideas of what I can add to the dynasty to make it easier/more fun to follow?

Another thing to note, when the league started there were five IHOF dynasty report, after one season, this is the only one still alive. I know that's due to my own interest to write about it, but I feel that I don't get enough out of it as there could be written.
Maybe I'm just wrong and this dynasty is fun to read. Both for IHOF owners and non-owners.

[3ric]

I love to read the analysis of players, games and teams, don't sell yourself short. This is a very engaging and interesting dynasty, even compared with most efforts.

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by 3ric

I love to read the analysis of players, games and teams, don't sell yourself short. This is a very engaging and interesting dynasty, even compared with most efforts.

Thanks.

I guess it's one of those moments in my life where I start questioning of what I'm doing. I am writing a lot lately, enjoy doing it and just try to find ways to make it better step-by-step. :o

Right now, I think I found the right balance between general happenings (from the team) and what my own comments are. Still, I am wondering is what I can do to add a little bit more to the reports.
My own concern is that with the speed of simulation, nothing happens on a couple of days, I don't know what will be going on in a couple of months, but until mid November, I should have more then enough time to write an article on the other days.

Sunday/Monday - preview
Monday/Tuesday - recap, division overview, Mij Player of the Week
Wednesday/Thursday - preview
Thursday/Friday - recap, division overview, Mij Player of the Week
Saturday/Sunday - ???


I've been doing other stories/reports in the past, but they all died at some point, I don't think it will happen with this until I step out of the IHOF, or when the board "dies". (that makes me think, I should start backing up the whole storyline. :o)

[Dutch]

Very nice write-up of the Orlando game. I, of course, read it with much enthusiasm even though we lost.

One minor note. It's not the "Georgian Division". It was renamed the "Southeast Division" at the beginning of the year and I have promised that if I win the Division again (as the lone non-Georgia team) that it will be renamed again as the "Florida Division".

[wade moore]

As you know, i LOVE this dynasty... I have found less time to add to it because of my busy schedule... but I like what you do... the only thing I would add is something that I have been lacking... that is a periodic review (Every 4 games? every 8 games?) of how your players are doing statistically against everyone else in the league... if I read this I know how your team is doing.. I know how your division is doing (something I'm missing in my dynasty).. I don't know on a season basis how your players are really performing compared to the rest of the league..

But keep up the work.. I definately know how frustrating it can seem when you think no one is reading... that is why I try to add to yours when I can.. sometimes it feels like no one reads mine except every now and then my opponent for that week will read...

[MIJB#19]

Alvin Causey Ready To Play Against Gothenburg?
The Merchantmen management looked like morons. They gambled on getting an injured player for three furute draft picks in third and fourth rounds. Today, the word is that the once Orlando Knights star guard and strongest man in the league has recovered well enough to be concidered an upgrade to the current starters in Maassluis. Questions arising are when will he play and who will be benched?

First of all, the Merchantmen management have been clear on wanting six startable linemen and with Causey returning, they seem to have their six for five. At first, people were sceptic about the Merchantmen line, but recently the line produced it's first 100-yard rusher and the number of sacks has been low for league standards. Mind you, this offensive line has been upgraded with four new players in the offseason. You'd expect problems in cohesion and such. Let's recap who the six players are.

Harold Hurtado - left tackle - the leader of the gang
2005 stats : 7 games, 14 key run blocks, 31%, 2 sacks in 222 plays
Last season Hurtado earned All IHOF second team honors after making 31 key run blocks in 16 starts, with a succes percentage of 37 and in between allowing just 5 sacks. Hurtado was drafted in the first round of the league draft and was traded by the Rochester Lake Monsters for a wide receiver. He's never been known as a top talent, especially as a pass protector, but Hurtado proves otherwide in games. This season,

Wilson Grimaldo - right tackle - the mentor
2005 stats : 9 games, 13 key run blocks, 26%, 2 sacks in 307 plays
Acquired in a trade from Paris, Grimaldo was probably the biggest surprise to come to town. In Paris, Grimaldo was getting paid as an elite player but didn't play like one. The Merchantmen staff noted that Grimaldo can't play at the left, but should do very well on his own side, the right. Grimaldo is the oldest player of the group and has found a role as mentor of the younger tackles on the team.

Brant Heinrich - center - "I'm not J. J. Burroughs"
2005 stats : 7 games, 12 key run blocks, 38%, 2 sacks in 228 plays
When the Merchantmen picked Heinrich at #32 overall, they were open about their desire to get J. J. Burroughs in the draft. Several teams were contacted to trade up in the draft, but without luck. Maassluis eventually acquired the #28 pick overall, but Burroughs was selected at #27. Burroughs was scouted to go much higher, but Heinrich has to live with not being him. Today, the Merchantmen are not regretting to get him, Heinrich has been a pleasant surprise.

Butch White - left guard - 2006 #1 pick overall
2005 stats : 9 games, 11 key run blocks, 24%, 3 sacks in 300 plays
The story on White is one of being the third best option. At the early picks in the 2005 draft, Maassluis did what they could to get either Luke Hayes or all league guard Gene Simmons, but had no such luck. Hayes was picked one spot early and Simmons was too expensive in contract and tradeware. Eventually, Maassluis traded their 2006 first round pick to get the #28 pick overall and used it to get Butch White. Shortly after, that 2006 selection was tagged as the 2006 #1 pick. The pick now looks more like a #10 to #15, which is what White can live up to be worth.

Russell Malave - right tackle - the substitute
2005 stats : 9 games, 11 key run blocks, 37%, 5 sacks in 302 plays
With the addition of Wilson Grimaldo, the days for Malave as Merchantman looked over. Then, at the late stages of the pre season, the management knew that Devin McDaniel and David Burdett would not be the best options to play right guard during Alvin Causey's recovery period and last season's starter moved one position to the centre. As long as Causey is out, the management could start Malave in stead and now Malave seriously threatens Butch White's playing time. Statistics are not quite like 2004, but Malave keeps his head up and should be able to play both right side positions when he's needed.

Alvin Causey - left guard - the strongest man
2005 stats : 0 games, 0 key run blocks, no %, 0 sacks in 0 plays
In preseason, te Merchantmen contacted the Orlando Knights in hopes to get a top talent guard. They knew they'd get an injured player, but didn't realise the lenght of the injury and his one-year contract. When Causey had recovered enough to get back to training, it became apparant that he lost much of his power and skills as a football player. His endurance took a big hit as well and the man who once was a top 10 player in the league is now a top 20 at guard at best.

The day that Alvin Causey will be starting again in the IHOF is coming. A few days before the crucial game against Gothenburg, Causey is activated to play a backup role. The move is risky to say the least, but Causey seems to have been worth the draft picks if he can play to the level he's projected to have now. The Orlando Knights got value for a player that had an asterix next to his name.

Sadly for him, he couldn't play against the team that dealt him away like a piece of junk, yet odds are that Maassluis will not have much fun from Causey either. Player and team have to agree on a new contract before the end of the season or else Causey is forced to walk out the door as a free agent in the next offseason. The Merchantmen don't have the cap space to keep him around and Causey's agent wants to see super star money.

General manager M.IJ.B. already announced renegotiations with the defensive line studs Harold Wells and Charles Gomez at the start of the next offseason to get under the cap, but cap experts fear it won't be enough to help Causey to stay around. M.IJ.B.: "It's pretty simple, really. If we can give Causey a longer deal now, we'll have something to work with in the offseason. We fear we need to get rid of about 10 million in salaries, yet with Causey, we'll have the complete 2005 roster signed, except David Burdett and Andrew King."

Well, that won't be a big deal then, would it? David Burdett is currently unhappy about his playing time and the 28-year old should know that the Merchantmen will not resign him. Andrew King's story is just as crystal clear. The Merchantmen already acquired Albert Bernardo to become the new leader of the front seven group, although Bernardo has been putting up unhappy faces as well recently.

Alvin Causey, the strongest man in the IHOF. He was signed to play at a guard position, but it seems that Maassluis could move on without him. Russell Malave is putting up decent stats for a player not playing his own position and Butch White could become a better guard. Yet, Causey is seen as an upgrade for now and he could be starting as early as against the Chesapeake Chitterlings in a few weeks. It's either White or Malave who should get the other guy injured to keep playing himself.

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by Dutch

Very nice write-up of the Orlando game. I, of course, read it with much enthusiasm even though we lost.

One minor note. It's not the "Georgian Division". It was renamed the "Southeast Division" at the beginning of the year and I have promised that if I win the Division again (as the lone non-Georgia team) that it will be renamed again as the "Florida Division".

I knew about the division name, but didn't take the time to look up the new name and I came up with the old name...
[slap in the face]
Won't happen again.

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by wade moore

As you know, i LOVE this dynasty... I have found less time to add to it because of my busy schedule... but I like what you do... the only thing I would add is something that I have been lacking... that is a periodic review (Every 4 games? every 8 games?) of how your players are doing statistically against everyone else in the league... if I read this I know how your team is doing.. I know how your division is doing (something I'm missing in my dynasty).. I don't know on a season basis how your players are really performing compared to the rest of the league..

But keep up the work.. I definately know how frustrating it can seem when you think no one is reading... that is why I try to add to yours when I can.. sometimes it feels like no one reads mine except every now and then my opponent for that week will read...

I know that.

Still, I thought the report is still a bit too much of just a story without the cold hard facts: stats. That's what US sports are about, stats. I should have known that, but in the past I never felt that just summing up stats would seem to show what really seems to be going on.

About your idea, I had been thinking about a mid-season report, but the fact that it fell right in the middle of the week and that not all teams played the same amount of games made me not do it.

I am thinking of doing a report after the coming games when all teams have played 10 games. And really, as good as my team's record looks, there are so little bright light statistics wise, I am a bit scared to show how bad we seem to be, despite being 4-5 (2-2 against 2004 playoff teams, 2-2 against current AOC top6 teams.)

A form guide (looking at the last x games for my team) could be fun (and useful for my own team) to do. Now I only hope that opponents won't use it to change their game plans...

[MIJB#19]

Maassluis At Gothenburg Preview
The days of avoiding eachoter are over, today will be the final showdown. The Merchantmen get their chance to show they are for real and contenders for the division title. For Gothenburg it's time to prove the same thing, a loss today clearly drops their chances.

The Giants field the promising quaterback Duane Davis. The Giants' success is personified by Davis. When Davis struggles, the Giants lose, if he's having his day, the team wins. There's been a clear relationship between the playcaller and his team's results.

Except in one game this season, the road game at Maassluis. Duane Davis completed just 10 passes all day for 105 yards, yet the Giants managed to win pretty big with 27-12. Question is, why should they fear to play Maassluis then, if they win when Davis has an offday?

Things have changed big in Maassluis since week one. Then, the Merchantmen were concidered the league doormat. New quarterback Leonard Lyon stepped in and fitted well in this scenario so far. But the team has matured and Justin McDavid has taken over the quarterback job.

In the last three games, the Merchantmen beat Conyers and Orlando, while Bordeaux escaped on last second field goals. The management doesn't believe in it yet, but the players do, they think they're getting things done. Especially with McDavid on field, they went 4-2.

McDavid has found a new target. Jerry Aubrey seems done and Jim Reiser is emerging as the new star receiver at tight end. Reiser will have a tough game against the Giants strong linebackers. But, he's got to do it, the Giants have super star Harley Gowan, who can shutdown any wide reicever.

Another bright light in Maassluis is Randy Harris. He's finally living up to expectations, is a top player in the league in touchdowns and finally marked his first 100-yard rushing game. But, he's no Jerry McGee. The 37-year old rusher is still producing and the inspiration of the Giants.

The Merchantmen line has turned into the opposite of what it was. The weakest line in the league has three new faces and with Hurtado healty, this line can make things happen. The Giants pass rush has great potential, yet their 30 sacks quality line so far recorded just 9 in 9 games.

Harold Wells and Charles Gomez are finally producing for the Merchantmen and will face a struggling line. The Giants offensive line used to be better then it is today. Luke Hayes is already tagged as a bust, Lionel Casillas is out for the year and the team lacks a real left tackle.

Does it matter? Probably not, the Giants have been winning despite it. They have a great set of receivers and when the Merchantmen miss their best cornerback, they field rookies as their top three cornerbacks. Safety McGhee is also injured, this just screams for Davis first 300-yard game.

Still, as much as this game favors a Giants victory, stranger things have happened in the IHOF. For example, of today's five 4-5 teams in the league, just Fredrick were better then 6-10 last season. Today, two surprise teams hope to see their hopes stay alive. Even when they are a year early...

[3ric]

Nice preview! BTW, McGee is three years older than me - he's 35 and will be 36 on Dec. 7th. I'm going to post a story about him on the IHOF website soon!

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by 3ric

Nice preview! BTW, McGee is three years older than me - he's 35 and will be 36 on Dec. 7th. I'm going to post a story about him on the IHOF website soon!

Thanks.
I called McGee a 37-year old, knowing that in the IHOF we are "officially" in 2005, but I failed to see that he's from December 7th in stead of July 12th.
Got to pay some respect to such a classy player at that age.

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen Quarterback McDavid Career In Danger
In today's exciting game against the Gothenburg Giants, Maassluis Merchantmen starting quarterback Justin McDavid tore the ACL in his knee and the medical staff had bad news. McDavid needs immediate surgery and will be out for a year and will be expected to also miss the 2006 season.

The bad luck comes after a good string of games by the Merchantmen, especially in those were McDavid was making the calls. The Merchantmen went 4-2 with McDavid at the helm and only lost two nailbiters against Tucker and Bordeaux on a missed extra point and a last second field goal respectively.

The injury came late in the second quarter on a handoff to Mark Burger for a rushing play on third down. McDavid was carried from the field and left the stadium in an ambulance. The first analysis in the hospital in Sweden was that McDavid tore the ACL in his right knee and should fear for his career.

McDavid is a popular player due to his admirable style of play and recently turned into a winning quarterback. As of yet, the Merchantmen management want McDavid to play out the contract he signed this offseason that should keep him signed through the 2009 season.

The Maassluis Merchantmen management hope to see Justin McDavid continue his career after surgery and wish him the best of luck in his long period of recuparation.

[MIJB#19]

Maassluis At Gothenburg Recap
Sometimes, games can make or break a season. Today, the Giants won 19-9 in and it must have felt like any other victory. For the Merchantmen the loss was more emotional and the players had something else to talk about after the game then the bad result.

Justin McDavid was the talk of the day, like he has been more then not recently. McDavid left the game at Gothenburg on a stretcher. The post game analysis was cold and hard, McDavid's knee is severly damaged and could mena the end of his football career.

McDavid went down to the ground very late in the second quarter. He handed of the fullback Mark Burger and immediatly knew something was wrong. What happened next was that Cary Coles missed a field goal and Damien Deming got the same opportunity and scorred for a 6-3 lead at half time.

In the first half McDavid had passed for a 146 yards, yet was haunted by two turnovers, a lost fumble and an interception. As heroic as always, McDavid tried to run at times and helped his led his team to a 3-3 score when he was carried from the pitch.

Rookie Leonard Lyon relieved McDavid, but stepping in his showed hasn't been easy in earlier attepmts. Like before, Lyon did his best, passed for 95 yards and a touchdown. Lyon didn't commit turnovers, but in his time, the Giants defense produced 4 three-and-outs in 5 drives.

One drive, Lyon showed what he's capable of. On a two-minute trill fourth quarter drive and 3-19 down, Lyon finally got the team moving. After 10 plays, he connected with Randy Harris, who had his worst rushing showing ever. It couldn't save the day at all, but the score looked a bit better.

In between, the Merchantmen defense stepped up and allowed just own touchdown and forced two turnovers, but did allowed too many yards at 369 for the game. Of all the defensive players, only cornerback Sammie Hernandez recorded notable stats, as did Albert Bernardo and Harold Wells.

No, the game itself wasn't one of the best, but the loss of McDavid basically ended the hopes for the visitors to keep track with Gothenburg. The Giants move up to 6-4, Maassluis is 4-6 and can put their playoff dreams back in the freezer for next season.

Then, there has to go some respect to the Gothenburg stars who made the day. Jerry McGee had 100 yards rushing, 53 receiving. Duane Davis passed for 243 yards. Fernando Bass recorded 91 yards receiving. Chris Nagel had 3 sack, 6 tackles, 2 assists and 2 quarterback hurries.

The real man of the game was a rookie that the Merchantmen projected to get, yet the Giants pulled away one pick earlier. Guard Luke Hayes, tagged as a bust by some, had 7 key run blocks and protected his quarterback with success. One could see the avenging sentiments come from his face.

Anyway, in Maassluis this game will be remembered for a long time. The career of the idolized Justin McDavid saw another moving chapter written in just his second year as pro football player. This time, it could be more then ever the story of his life, the one that could force him stop playing the game he loves.

[MIJB#19]

General Manager Notes
Well, I think the story of the Merchantmen has become more of a soap then wanted. First of all, there is Justin McDavid. He's out for the year after ACL Knee Surgery. Consulting some fellow owners told me that I have to fear retirement from our idolized quarterback.

It strikes me, really. This offense was built around McDavid and this season, his stats were not there, but the team won four games with him (4) and lost two where missed kicks cost us the game. Now, I pretty much feel that we could have gone 6-0 with McDavid starting and after 10 games be pretty much in the playoff race at 6-4 or 7-3. Especially since we seemed to be doing what we have been in the past weeks at Gothenburg until McDavid left the field (we were tied 3-3, but a missed field goal and them scoring a last second FG put them 6-3 up at half time.)

Second, Albert Bernardo, mainly acquired to be a DE mentor, is complaining about playing time. Lucky for him, Deon Chapa has a mysterious injury and will be a backup a couple of games. Bernardo immediatly paid back with 2 recovered fumbles from Giants players.

Another bad news story is Harold Hurtado. He's having severe headaches and it smells like concussions. We will be inactivating him until he's fully recovered. Same will be true for Alvin Causey, who saw limited action, but I think he had a little set back.

Last, but not least, as well as Justin McDavid, we put conrerback Gus Alston (starter in 2004) on injured reserve. Alston broke his hand, should be recovered by the end of the season, but with Dennis Preciado also injured, we need fresh meat now. Expect us to sign a new backup quarterback and cornerback today.

Last but not least, this all means that, barring injuries, Leonard Lyon will get his shot at running this offense. He will have a good set of games with a couple of strong teams (Chesapeake, Bordeaux) and a couple of lower ranked teams (Paris, Brooklyn) and then two teams fighting to remain in thew wild card race (Astoria, Rochester). This means he'll have some great tests to show he's better then McDavid.


Week 11 European Division In Action
Bordeaux beat Paris 31-20. But it wasn't that much of a big win. The Vieyards lost their star quarterback with a shoulder injury after completing 10 of 11 for 114 yards and a score.

Gothenburg took the profit from the injury that pulled McDavid from the field, winning 19-9 and dominating the second half of the game as if the Merchantmen are weaker then last season. Their three biggest name players, Duane Davis, Jerry McGee and Chris Nagel put up big stat lines.


European Division Standings
7-3 Bordeaux
6-4 Gothenburg
4-6 Maassluis
1-9 Paris


Upcoming Games
Bordeaux at Frederick - The Vineyards are still winning, but now things could get ugly. The Vineyards will be without star quarterback Joe Johnson and already missed two other stars in safety Cecil McIver and tackle Daniel Ouellette. Don't be surprised if Frederick pull the upset and win.

Gothenburg at Astoria - The Giants versus the Heroes, that calls for a great headline. The Heroes have been losing lately, dropping 3 of their last 4. The Giants won their last 3 after a terrible beating by Orlando. The favorites are Gothenburg and don't be suprised if they top the European Divsion next Thursday.

Maassluis vs. Brooklyn - A game between two of the most losing teams in the league since it's start. Brooklyn have been winning lately, winning 2 of thir last 3 and last week losing in overtime to Chesapeake. Maassluis just lost their #1 quarterback, though McDavid doesn't quite have the profile of a star quarterback. Maassluis are the favorites, but after this game the Bums could be just as good as the Merchantmen at 4-7, especially since Lyon has yet to win a game as starter.

Paris vs. Chesapeake - Talking of missmatches, the 8-2 juggernaut Chitterlings visits the 1-9 bad luck Musketeers. Chesapeake won their last 4, Paris lost their last 4. Don't expect the top2 rookie quarterbacks to both start. Hudson is the Musketeers #1, but Ron Lyle is still the #2 in Chesapeake. Chespeake will win, but not as easy as expected.


Projected Standings After Week 12
7-4 Gothenburg
7-4 Bordeaux
4-7 Maassluis
1-10 Paris

[MIJB#19]

Merchantmen GM Top Merchantmen Award

I have decided to make my own team MVP player award this season. Every game we win I will hand out 15 points (5, 4, 3, 2 and 1) to the five best players. In losing games, the top three best will get points (3, 2 and 1). In case of a tied game, I will hand out 10 points (4, 3, 2 and 1) to the top four players.

Week eleven stars

3 TE Jim Reiser - 7 catches for 109 yards, 2 dropped passes
2 DE Alberto Bernardo - 2 opponent fumbles recovered, 1 tackle, 2 assists
1 QB Justin McDavid - 9 of 19 for 146 yards, 2 turnovers, 17 yards rushing (in one half)
0 WR Gregory Monti - 4 catches for 81 yards
0 OT Russell Malave - 1 key run block (100%), no sacks allowed
0 CB Sammie Hernandez - 1 pass defended, 0 catches allowed, 1 tackle, 1 assists
0 DE Harold Wells - 1 tackle, 1 assist, 0.5 sacks, 1 quarterback hurry

Overall standings
14 RB Randy Harris
10 DT Charles Gomez
9 DE Harold Wells
8 CB Dennis Preciado
7 LB Ellsworth Thelen
5 DE Albert Bernardo
5 LB Cody Cluff
5 OT Wilson Grimaldo
5 OT Harold Hurtado
4 K Cary Coles
4 QB Justin McDavid
4 WR/RS Lonnie O'Reilley
3 SS Wiley McGhee
3 FS Richard Muller
3 TE Jim Reiser
2 CB John Cole
2 QB Leonard Lyon
1 OC Brant Heinrich
1 OT Russell Malave
1 CB Tai Wayne

[MIJB#19]

Statistical analysis
With the season at the 10 games point, all teams have played the same number of games. It makes a good time to have some sort of mid-season report if what's been going on in Maassluis so far. I have gone through the list of stats and picked out what I thought could be intersting to note, as well as giving all the team stats that prove that our 4-6 record is even better then we really have been.


Passing Game
McDavid 51%, 160yd/game, 0.8 td, 1.3 int
Lyon 53%, 194yd/game, 1.1 td, 2.3 int
24th with 52% of passes completed (avg 55%)
22nd with 172 yards per game (avg 198)
26th with 5.3 yards per attempt (avg (6.2)
26th with 10.2 yards per catch (avg (11.3)
11th with 13.9 yards lost by sacks (avg 15.6)
32nd with 16 interceptions (avg 10)

The passing game is weaker then last season. It's clear that the stats do not correlate with results. Lyon has been passing more and further away, but McDavid won games. Individually, Lyon completes 2% more of his passes for 34 more yards per game, 0.3 more touchdowns, but sadly also 1 interception more comapred to McDavid.

From our receivers, none excel in the league, except that Bryce Ewald had 4 touchdownsm which only 17 others have done so far. Harris' 3 scores are also decent. Reiser already performs better then Aubrey. Less catches, but 5 yards per catch more. O'Reilley still hasn't dropped a pass and Monti's 13.5 yards per catch are good.

Fullback Vincent Lopez is the worst pass protector, but the guards Malave and White allow 5 each. The other linemen are doing well, allowing less then the average. Especially OTs Grimaldo and Hurtado do their job well.


Rushing Game
Harris 65yd/game, 3.3yd/carry, 0.4 td, 95 tackles/fumble
McDavid 22yd/game, 4.6yd/carry, 0.0 td, 12 tackles/fumble
21st with 108 yards per game (avg 117)
26th with 3.6 yards per carry (avg 4.0)
7th with 3 fumbles lost (avg 6)

Harris had his forts 100-yard game followed with his worst showing ever at 23 yards. In 2004 he never fell below the 3.0 average per carry, he did twice this season, both against Gothenburg.

All five starting linemen have started 8 or 10 games to make 11 to 14 key run blocks. None really jump out, though the percentages for RT/RG Malave and C Heinrich are 38% with others' below 30%.


Pass Defense
26th with 58% of passes completed (avg 55%)
28th with 233 yards per game (avg 198)
27th with 6.9 yards per attempt (avg 6.2)
23rd with 11.8 yards per catch (avg 11.3)
22nd with 13.4 yards won by sacks (avg 15.6)
29th with 7 interceptions (avg 10)

CB Wayne and LB Thelen allow 35 and 33 catches, which are two of the worst four showings. Thet do make 8 and 7 defended passes, but it doesn't make up for too many catches. FS Muller has 2 interceptions and 5 defended versus 17 catches, which loss much better. CB Preciado has 1 interception and 5 defended passes versus 17 catches. S McGhee, CB Wayne and LB Thelen are all amongst the league's 30 worst pass defenders so far.

DE Wells has 8 sacks to rank him 6th in the league, 3rd amongst DEs. So far he's having an All IHOF season with also 12 hurries. DT Gomez' 15 hurries and 5 sacks make him All IHOF material as well.


Run Defense
9th with 111 yards per game (avg 117)
15th with 3.9 yards per carry (avg 4.0)
2nd with 10 fumbles recovered (avg 6)

LB Thelen has 64 tackles, LB Cluff 60. Especially DT Gomez and DE Wells are on pace for a big number of tackles to support their pass rush numbers as All IHOF candidates. S McGhee and S Muller make a lot of tackles, as does CB Wayne, but they are not speciafically associated with rushing plays. LB Kershner is a problem child, who hardly plays, despite his starting role.

Special Teams
On punt returns, O'Reilley averages 6.6 yards, which is good and totals 126, which both account for top 10 performances in the league. In kick returns, henson averages 22.8 yards, which is a top10 average. O'Reilley's 21.8 rank him 13th overall, making them a scary tandem.

Punter Roscoe Corrales is not producing the goods at all. His punt hang time allows the gunners Cluff, Reiser and Burger to haunt almost every returner. Kicker Coles started as a reliable kicker, but has cost the team two or three victories. Especially a missed PAT was at 9-10 down was a big miss for him and the team.


Overall Stats
17th with 38% succes on third downs (avg 38%)
14th with 37% on third downs allowed (avg 38%)
1st with 303 yards penalised (avg 460)
21st with 4.6 points in red zone offense (avg 4.8)
11th with 4.6 points in red zone defense (avg 4.8)
17th with -2 in turnover margin (avg 0)

Overall, there are not many bright lights on the Merchantmen team. DE Harold Wells and DT Charles Gomez do what they can and with their sacks and tackles are both on pace for All IHOF conciderations. RB Randy Harris has scored 7 touchdowns in 10 stars, making him rank in the IHOF's 10 most scoring non-kickers. OTs Harold Hurtado and Wilson Grimaldo have played good games and bad games, but especially Hurtado is still irreplacable on the line.

Amazingly, with Justin McDavid starting, the team has won 4 games, lost 2 they shouldn't have lost and he went down for the year just before Coles missed a kick at 3-3 tied. The top rookies all showed some skill, but are also all too inconsistent to be concidered as doing very well.

Dissapointments so far? TE Jerry Aubrey looks worse then we hoped. The All IHOF selection is far from the 2004 star. LB Kershner is too much injured and missed too many plays.

[wade moore]

I have tons of comments, and no time to post them... will do so at some point..

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by wade moore

I have tons of comments, and no time to post them... will do so at some point..

The dynasty is not going anywhere and if you wait a week, there won't be much changed.
Well, except the number of losses having increased to 8. Go Brooklyn (3-7) and Rochester (6-4!)...

[Dutch]

You will be better off having Lyon take the snaps. I know Fumblin Justin was winning games, but the rookie can only get better by playing now.

(Unless Jim's coded in some "clipboard" bonus points for benching rookie QB's!)

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by Dutch

You will be better off having Lyon take the snaps. I know Fumblin Justin was winning games, but the rookie can only get better by playing now.

(Unless Jim's coded in some "clipboard" bonus points for benching rookie QB's!)

McDavid was maturing almost twice as fast as Lyon actually.
I am still not too sold on Lyon, but now that McDavid will be out for 1½ season and possibly will never be as good as projected, Lyon will have enough opportunity to get playing time and get in shape for the 2006 and 2007 season (when I have planned to be GM of a winning team).

Oh well, the next six games will form an excellent set of tests against very strong teams, one or two little weaker teams and teams with different styles of defenses.

I am concerned about LT Harold Hurtado and WR Gregory Monti. Both are key players for Lyon's success, they are the obvious leader of the OL and Lyon's favorite target (Lyon has affinity with Monti).
I've been lucky with injuries so far, I think, until the injury of McDavid.
But then, I start to realize that both my starting WRs had a hit on their potentials by injuries, by OL leader is a bit too much injured and my secondary leader won't play until we meet Chesapeake.

(BTW, time to write the "Why Leonard Lyon is called The Lion" story? Somehow I think it doesn't need explanation with his first and last names...)

[wade moore]

I think I would definately consider getting a better backup LT for your squad.. Hurtado appears like he could be "injury prone" and if you rely on him too much the squad will be in trouble with Lyon back there..

You seem to have similar thing to me on my CFL team... the QB has tons of potential, decent actual skills, but just can't put up good numbers on the field.... It seems that I need a better understanding of the importance of some of the specific attributes at the QB position... as in which ones actually affect performance the most..

[MIJB#19]

Maassluis Versus Brooklyn Preview
In a football season, teams can see things happen that turn around their play around 180 degrees. It doesn't happen for all the teams, but the teams playing eachother tomorrow have turned around big time. The Brooklyn Fightin' Bums and Maassluis Merchantmen both had key moments to see things happen.

The season was three weeks old and the Fightin' Bums were written off by some people. The Bums lost three games with an average score of 3-36. People already picuted the New York based team as having clinched the first overall draft pick. After roting between quarterbacks, the Bums discovered Keith Willey.

Willey lead the Bums to two victories. The Anaheim Matterhorns were beaten 14-10, against the Blizzard he led his men to a 13-7 victory. Last week came the ultimate opportunity to show he's for real, but Willey's men lost in overtime to 8-2 Chesapeake. Willey's interception set up the game winning field goal.

Their opponents from Maassluis have had their own quarterback struggles. There the issue is resolved, Justin McDavid is out for the season and longer, the Merchantmen have to go back to Leonard Lyon. Not much of a turnaround, until you know that McDavid was 4-2 as starter, Lyon has been 0-3 so far this year.

The Bums defense is pretty allround with young potential stars and some excellent stars to insire the rest. The Merchantmen offense is missing their quarterback, left tackle and benched their star receiver. The Bums defense will not allow 300 yards and 20 points. Keep your eyes on linebacker Johnnie Braithwaite.

The Bums offense comes with a good offensive line and very good skill players. If you look closer, all that Brooklyn really lacks is a great quarterback. 3-7 punchbags? open your eyes, these are your NAC championship candidates for 2007, 2008 and 2009. Of course, if they upgrade their quarterback situation.

Against the Merchantmen, Keith Willey si expected to start once again where Bradley Keil seems to better fit playing against Maassluis. Rookie Joseph Manzo seems to have lost the confidence from the management early in his career and the 36th draft pick overall should fear becoming a career backup.

Good quarterback or not, don't be surprised of the Bums go back over the ocean victorious. The Merchantmen have lost all faith in a good season and with four victories in hand, they only need two more to reach the goal of a 6-10 season. However, the loss of McDavid discouraged them last week, are they over it?

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by wade moore

I think I would definately consider getting a better backup LT for your squad.. Hurtado appears like he could be "injury prone" and if you rely on him too much the squad will be in trouble with Lyon back there..

You seem to have similar thing to me on my CFL team... the QB has tons of potential, decent actual skills, but just can't put up good numbers on the field.... It seems that I need a better understanding of the importance of some of the specific attributes at the QB position... as in which ones actually affect performance the most..

Getting a backup LT is one of several plans I have.
I obviously can't go ahead and tell what, looking back is a better option.


EDITTED IN:
On the QB issue, I have similair sentiments.
I think I'll go create some test career to figure out what the meaning of "Reading defense", "Sense rush" and "Timing" is.

[wade moore]

Originally Posted by MIJB#19

Getting a backup LT is one of several plans I have.
I obviously can't go ahead and tell what, looking back is a better option.


EDITTED IN:
On the QB issue, I have similair sentiments.
I think I'll go create some test career to figure out what the meaning of "Reading defense", "Sense rush" and "Timing" is.

Obviously you don't want to give away your trade secrets ... The ramblings of an onlooker are one thing, your plans are another...

Exactly.. And how important is accuracy? How important are the individual pass length ratings? That is the big one that baffles me.. how does short passes correlate with accuracy? What if long passes is really low, but accuracy is really high? Or vice versa? etc, etc..

[jfbbis]

If it can help, I read somewhere on this board, and my personal experiences tend to confirm that timing and accuracy for a QB are directly related to route running and adjust to ball for a receiver. If your QB has awful accuracy, you need your receivers to have great "adjust to ball" skill. If your receivers are poor route runners, a Qb with great timing can more or less compensate.

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by jfbbis

If it can help, I read somewhere on this board, and my personal experiences tend to confirm that timing and accuracy for a QB are directly related to route running and adjust to ball for a receiver. If your QB has awful accuracy, you need your receivers to have great "adjust to ball" skill. If your receivers are poor route runners, a Qb with great timing can more or less compensate.

Thanks, that's really helpfull information.

Of course, every FOF player is interested in the secrets behind ratings, but i the multiplayer era, there's no such luck, I think, of people sharing all their findings. Well, at least I wouldn't share with all the fellow IHOF owners...

Having little FOF2k4 (and FOF4) experience seems to break up at times.