You'd have to be an optimist of the highest degree to suggest that the 2-4 Colonials might make the championship this year, but damn if it don't feel good to win, and after a long string of losses and a tense 27-26 win, you allow yourself some hope once again. So I'm not saying that Hartford will make it, but 2-4 feels much, much better than, say, 1-5.
Playing against type, the Colonials started the game looking shaky and seemed to build confidence as the game wound on. Red zone woes are to blame for the score, which could easily have been much higher on Hartford's part. They proved that they're capable of sustaining long drives in addition to putting up quick scores.
Were they perfect? Of course not, but the most important thing to take away from this game is that they're capable of improving even within games. Markee White stepped up as the #1 receiver last night, and Booker was his usual self, averaging and astounding 8.6 yards per carry. The offensive line was terrible in the first quarter, and while McCown (and Perriloux in his limited time) was still getting pressured, I think that it's evident that they're starting to figure things out.
Doug Flutie commented last night that we might be seeing the "maturation" of the lines in the UFL. I'd extend that to every position. I'll be negative here and say that, yes, play has been sloppy in some games. But is that so surprising with so many players never having played for any length of time together? And without four preseason games to give them a chance to gel? This is not an indictment of the level of play in the UFL (and not a suggestion that the league needs a preseason). It's a reality that a league with about twelve weeks of games in its history has not previously had units with long relationships, but these are now beginning to crystallize. Quarterbacks now have a good idea who their go-to guy is. Lines are getting better at picking up who is blocking who. Defensive backfields are figuring out where their teammates are going to be on a given play. It's a rush to see it all come together.
That being said, there's still room for improvement. Colonials defenders were frequently rushing in for the big hit and missing completely, which suggests to me that they either need a bit more schooling on how to wrap up, or need to quit trying to make the highlight reel. The "D" is still playing too soft and giving up moderate yardage on some plays, though this could be more of a problem with scheme than with any individual Colonial defender.
And, of course, there's the elephant in the room in Tyler Mehlhaff. Mehlhaff's accuracy issues seem to stem more from jitters than anything else. You can argue that one of last night's field goals (the 22-yarder) was ruined by an awkward snap, but the others? Any decent kicker should be able to make those, and Mehlhaff has in the past, making me think that his recent troubles are entirely mental. There are only two games left in the Colonial's season. I think it's too late to think of cutting him, but it wouldn't surprise me if he didn't have a job in Hartford next year.
Too sad a point to end on, so I'll leave you with this: We won! We won!
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