MONARCHS NEWS WIRE
LONDON LIMPS ACROSS FINISH LINE, LOSING 11 STRAIGHT
Crump promises revamp, quick improvement
“The team is a mess. We started with a bad team. No question. We've got a few players that are good. Not many. I'm going to make a good team quickly. Nobody is a better general manager than me. Nobody knows what it takes to build a team like me.” Ronald Crump tweeted minutes after the London Monarchs wrapped up their season with a 24-3 loss against the Chiefs.
Season Results
London managed just one win in a season plagued by turnovers, injuries, a terrible offensive line and no running game to speak of.
We'll pick things up in game ten. A road meeting with a tough Seattle team. London led 14-10 at halftime with scores coming on Rosen TD passes to Blond and Gesicki. Seattle scored on a Wilson pass to Metcalf and a Myers field goal. A pair of Rosen picks in the second half helped Seattle hold the Monarchs to a scoreless half. Seattle added a Penny rushing touchdown and a two point conversion in the fourth. Rosen's second interception came after that score with a chance to tie or take a lead still on the table.
After the tough loss at Seattle the Monarchs traveled to Houston where they faced a relentless pass rush. Rosen was sacked nine times before being replaced by Fitzpatrick. Needless to say it was not a close game. After the beating Rosen went on a tirade, blaming the offensive line, the coaching staff, team owner Crump and also the league. Rosen demanded his release but Crump would not comply, stating that Rosen would have to wait until the offseason for a possible trade.
Fitzpatrick started as the Monarchs hosted the Jets. Fitzpatrick played well, throwing for nearly 400 yards with three touchdowns. However, a late interception ended the Monarchs chances for a win. A pair of lost fumbles by Thomas also hurt the Monarch's offense at key moments. Crump noted Fitzpatrick's performance and how much better the offense moved with him in the lineup as opposed to Rosen who Crump said “was never our guy”. Crump also expressed disappointment with Thomas.
Up next was another divisional battle in Buffalo. Things started off well for the Monarchs with Jordan Howard, finally healthy, running for a 37 yard score. Things went downhill from there as Fitzpatrick was picked off three times and London was unable to score again until the fourth quarter.
Week 15 saw one of the closest games of the season, a 21-24 loss to the Broncos. London actually led late in the fourth quarter following a Fitzpatrick to Parker TD pass but Prescott and the Denver offense answered with a 44 yard TD pass to Winfree just before the two minute warning. London was not able to put together a successful drive after that.
Week 16 against the Raiders was a back and forth game where a few mishaps at inopportune times cost London, starting with a blocked field goal that the Raiders returned for a touchdown in the first quarter. The Raiders led 13-0 before the Monarchs got on the board with a 42 yard Howard TD run in the second quarter. After Carr connected with Brown to make it 20-7 Fitzpatrick and Sanders hooked up for a 31 yard score to make it 20-14 Raiders at halftime. Oakland scored on a Bailey field goal and a Williams punt return touchdown that they added a two point conversion to, giving them a 31-14 lead. London wasn't going away. Fitzpatrick to Parker for a 10 yard score before the end of the third quarter made it 31-27 Raiders. Bailey added another field goal late in the fourth quarter after a London turnover. Fitzpatrick and Parker connected for another score with 20 second left but Oakland recovered the onside kick.
In week 17 against the playoff bound Chiefs the Monarchs looked like a team that was ready for the season to be over. They lost 24-3.
While no one sane expected a great season from the Monarchs a 1-15 disaster is certainly a disappointment. Crump has stated that the roster will receive a major overhaul and has not yet said that the coaching staff is safe, despite being so high on Garrett when he was hired before the season.
