[MIJB#19]

General Manager Notes: And then we missed the playoffs
Quite the letdown, to say the least...

Week 12 vs Brooklyn: 31-23 loss
It started as a shootout and shortly before half time we scored a late touchdown to trail 21-20. But the fair observation that we were one notch less impressive overall. Brooklyn gained 448 total yards without turnovers, that's hard to beat. QB Harrison Singleton threw for 243 yards with a touchdown to TE Garrett Alcala, while Singelton also scored our only ground game touchdown.

Week 13 at Harlem: 20-7 loss
The overall score makes you think we got manhandled, the reality was that we ran into the best team in the conference this season that was more capable of making something of their drives and proved to be a more elite defense. Our staff got really annoying here and took off QB Harrison Singelton way too soon. In return, QB Billy Russell threw for 153 yards and a touchdown to WR Preston Gray, while Singelton was held to 59 yards passing.

Week 14 at Chesapeake: 26-23 loss
Every season has a game or two where a team misses opportunities and ends up losing a close contest. This was one of those. The defending league champions sent it to overtime with 30 seconds to go and finished it in overtime with 33 seconds to go. QB Harrison Singelton threw for 242 yards and 2 touchdowns to rookie WR Jessie Vertelney.

Week 15 at Gothenburg: 34-9 loss
The only thing missing this season was a fair and square total beatdown as all but the loss at Harlem were would-have-could-have games. The Giants had a score to settle with us, apparently, and they broke our spirit and hopes to make the playoffs this season, clinching the division title in the process. QB Harrison Singleton threw for 134 yards and was pulled for the 4th time this season. QB Billy Russell threw for 62 yards as the replacement. RB Cary Delgado ran for our only touchdown.

Week 16 vs Williamsburg: 28-20 win
Mathematically still alive, we pulled one of those outplayed yet scoring more type of games, something we also hadn't endured this season. Field position ruled the day for us, as we scored 2 touchdowns shortly after interceptions in the opponents' red zone. QB Harrison Singelton threw for 156 yards with touchdowns to TE Garrett Alcala, WR Calvin Maxwell and WR Jessie Vertelney, his first perfect trio to his top 3 receivers. RB Cary Delgado scored a rushing touchdown.

Week 17 at Bordeaux: 30-10 win
Still mathematically alive, we had vengeance after the Vineyards beat us in our place earlier this season. The yardage figures suggest a close contest, but the reality is that 3 interceptions thrown by a quarterback under pressure can completely turn such a game into a blowout score. The pinnacle play was CB Eduardo Cowdrick's 99-yard interception return for a touchdown to put us 17-0 up late in the first half. RB Bennett Holmes ran for a touchdown, QB Harrison Singelton threw for 238 yards and a touchdown to WR Jessie Vertelney.

European Division
1. Gothenburg 11-5
2. Maassluis 9-7
3. Bordeaux 6-10
4. Paris 3-13

Paris 'earned' the #1 overall draft pick in 2110 with the worst record in the league. Gothenburg goes into the post season as the #2 seeds. And we failed, as there were 6 teams in the AOC with a 10-6 or better record, earning their spots in the post-season. We're in good company though, 3 more AOC hopefuls finished the season at 9-7, most shockingly the #10 'seeded' Augusta Greenjackets and their top scoring offense with 502 points scored and 365 allowed. We were the second team with a +100 points differential to miss the playoffs. League records show that it had happened 23 times before, most recently in 2091.


We played well and yet the season turned into a total letdown. 4th highest scoring team, 11th highest in least points allowed, but no playoffs.


QB Harrison Singelton finished the season with 3,230 yards passing (roughly 202 per game) and 25 touchdowns versus 6 interceptions, the 2nd lowest amongst all starting quarterbacks, crucial in making him rank 6th in passer rating. QB Billy Russell threw for 2 touchdowns.

RB Bennett Holmes ran for 924 yards with 5.08 per carry and 4 touchdowns. QB Singleton ran for a league best 5.71 yards per carry, gaining 640 yards and scoring 4 touchdowns. RB Cary Delgado ran for 4 touchdowns, but RB Marcus Jorg topped the team with 5 rushing touchdowns.

WR Calvin Maxwell had 72 receptions for 1,035 yards and 8 touchdowns. He returned to the 1,000-yard club after a down season. TE Garrett Alcala had 95 receptions for 900 yards and 6 touchdowns. WR Jessie Vertelney ended up with 60 receptions for 886 yards and 8 touchdowns. Other receiving touchdowns were scored by WR Preston Gray (2), TE Wesley Martin, FB Randy Julian and RB Cary Delgado.

G Andres Uwaezuoke led the team with 32 key run blocks, followed by G Brett Stickney (28), C Zane Chaplain (24) and RT Ivan Dole (21). Our LT Earl McBirney allowed only 3 sacks in 574 pass plays.

We finished the season as the #1 defense in interceptions. LB Gus Coleman and CB Joel Delgado co-lead the team with 4 each. S John Aponte had 3. CB Eduardo Cowdrick, S Johnatan White, CB Skip Horner and CB Byron Sokol had 2 each. CB Logan Wallace, S Craig Clancy, LB Caiden Hastings and S Noah Matthews were in the letdown group with just 1 pick each. LB Gus Coleman tied for 3rd in the league with 118 tackles, LB Caiden Hastings was also above 100 tackles. Our pass rush was extremely disappointing, we were just 31st in sacks (both gross and average numbers). LB Avery Distel lead the team with 6.5, whilst playing out of the RDE slot on our passing downs packages.

We finished the season without punt return or kickoff return touchdowns, our punt returner CB Dennis Finley finished the season with a mediocre 12.5 per punt return. our kickoff returner WR Calvin Maxwell lead all 'qualifiers' with a 29.8 average. WR Calvin Maxwell lead the team with 3 forced fumbles, all earned on special teams plays. He did have to share that 'lead' with LB Gus Coleman, our leading tackler.


Bla, individual stats, bla. It's meaningful to determine where we stand, but in the end the 9 wins and 7 losses are the crucial numbers that really count. The season ended ater week 17. That's all that matters now. We're shifting our focus to 2110.