*London Royals - Rookie Pass Catchers

Z-Whiz · (This post was last modified: 06-26-2020, 03:24 PM by Fordhammer.)

Week 1 Summary:
London Royals embarrassed by Kansas City Coyotes, 6-19. Oh boy was this a tough one to watch on the live stream. The Royals forced two turnovers and had a franchise long 75-yard kickoff return and somehow only netted 6 points. Obviously, this made for a disastrous performance for the 3 rookie debuts. Gunner Thorbjornsson lead the team in both reception (3) and yards (28). Yikes! Next on the list was Tre’Darius J’Vathon. He hauled in 1 catch for 15 yards. Frank Mitchell laid a double goose egg with no catches and zero yards. The three rookies combined for 4 drops, which did not help the struggling QBs who combined for 7 of 27 and 61 yards. It was about as bad a debut as the rookie receiving core could have hoped for. Penalties haunted the Royals as did a pitiful 1/12 on 3rd down conversions.

Week 1 Drive Recap

1st Drive, 1Q 14:57 – Early clipping penalty put London in a hole, but they were bailed out after an unnecessary roughness penalty after a drop from J’Vathon. A run up the middle on first was negated by a sack on 2nd. An incomplete pass to Michell ended the drive with a punt from their own 24. Score 0-0.
2nd Drive, 1Q 9:32 – Greedy Sly sets up the Royals’ offense up with a 75-yard return to the KC 19. Incomplete pass to Cash Jr, followed by a drop by Michell, and then another incompletion to Michell stalled the drive for a converted field goal.
3rd Drive, 1Q 1:08 – Crooks sets the offense up with an interception returned to the KC 44. Another three and out as the Royals go incomplete to Cash Jr, sack, incomplete to Thorbjornsson.
4th Drive, 2Q 9:53 – Royals keep the trend going with another three and out. An incompletion to Cash Jr and a drop by Michell on 1st and 2nd. Thorbjornsson hauls in his first reception but is 3 yards short of a first.
5th Drive, 2Q 5:22 – What’s one more three and out amongst friends? Royals get three straight incompletions to Michell, Cash, and J’Vathon.
6th Drive, 2Q 1:02 – Not much time left with the ball on their own 12, London finally run the ball for a short gain. They take a timeout and complete one pass toe Thorbjornsson for 9 yards. Cortez takes a sack and the half ends. Royals down 9-3
7th Drive, 3Q 13:47 – London gains a first down after a couple runs by Batista. A sack puts them behind the sticks and two incompletions to Thorbjornsson and Cash Jr on 2nd and 3rd end the drive.
8th Drive, 3Q 6:31 – KC extended it’s lead to 16-3 and the Royals finally put together a long drive. A pass to J’Vathon for 15 and another to Thorbjornsson for 12 have the offense moving. A few runs and another pass to Cash Jr have the gunner inside the red zone. However, the drive stalls after Batista is stuffed on a 3rd and short. London cuts the lead to 16-6, but they really needed a TD here.
9th Drive, 4Q 13:08 – A holding penalty on 1st down puts the Royals in trouble. Two runs lead to a 3rd and 11, where Cash Jr hauls in a catch for 8 yards. London punts, down 19-6.
10th Drive, 4Q 10:03 – Chalk up another three and out on the board. London goes for a short run, incompletion to Cash Jr, and a sack.
11th Drive, 4Q 7:17 – In serious need of some points, London gets a couple of good runs for a first down, put a penalty puts them in a long yardage territory. Two short runs and an incompletion to J’Vathon end the drive.
12th Drive, 4Q 2:41 – With the came done and dusted, London runs out the clock on themselves with a short run, sack, and incompletion to Thorbjornsson. Kansas City wins 19-6.

Week 2 Summary:
London’s 4th quarter comeback comes up short, Minnesota Grey Ducks win, 20-14. Another defeat, this time as a result of untimely turnovers in the red zone. However, the Royals rookie pass catchers had a better showing. Michell lead the team in receptions with 6, but only managed to take them for 36 yards. J’Vathon was next in receptions with 5 for a total of 38 yards. Thorbjornsson lead all rookies in yards with 48 on 4 grabs.

Week 2 Drive Recap

1st Drive, 1Q 15:00 – after a nice return by Sly, a long catch by Cash Jr, and a few short runs the Royals were inside the red zone. Jack completed a 7 yard pass to Thorbjornsson setting up a 3rd and 1 from the MN 7. Batista fumbles on the 2 as he’s headed for the end zone. No points.
2nd Drive, 1Q 5:46 – Minnesota drove 98 yards after recovering the fumble. Big momentum swing. A short run, followed by a sack left the Royals in a 3rd and very long. Short pass completed for 6 yards to Cash Jr, well short of the 1st down.
3rd Drive, 1Q 1:40 – Crooks intercepts the pass setting up the Royals on their own 44. Five straight runs set the team up for a 53-yard FG, which is no good.
4th Drive, 2Q 14:06 – after forcing a three and out the Royals have one of their own. 2-yard pass to Michell, incompletion to Cash Jr, and a big drop by Thorbjornsson on 3rd down result in a punt.
5th Drive, 2Q 8:34 – After a decent run by Batista, Thorbjornsson drops a pass on 2nd down, but makes up for it on 3rd down with a nice 16-yard reception. Three straight runs, a sack, and two short gains later, the Royals punt.
6th Drive, 2Q 2:47 – Jack gets sacked for a 2nd and long. J’Vathon hauls in a catch for 9, making it 3rd and manageable, however the proceeding pass to J’Vathon falls incomplete.
7th Drive, 2Q 0:57 – On their own 18, the Royals have a long way to go. Two completions to J’Vathon for 4-yards and Michell for 3-yards are deemed irrelevant as Jack gets sacked again on 3rd down. London enters halftime down 14-0.
8th Drive, 3Q 12:36 – Michell hauls in two catches for 14-yards and a few short runs have the ball moving. However, on 3rd and short, the pass to Thorbjornsson falls incomplete. Royals punt, now down 17-0.
9th Drive, 3Q 8:28 – pinned deep on their own 1-yard line, Thorbjornsson drops a pass on 1st. Cash Jr bails the team out with an important 12-yard reception to give the offense some breathing room. Two incompletions, one to Cash Jr and the other dropped by Thorbjornsson leave the team in the 3rd and long. Michell’s 6-yard snatch is not enough.
10th Drive, 3Q 6:30 – Another interception, this time by Domine, puts the Royals in great position on the MN 32. A big 19-yard catch by Thorbjornsson sets the plate for Batista to slam home for an important touchdown. Royals down 17-7.
11th Drive, 3Q 1:47 – Domine’s at it again picking off another pass and setting up the offense on the MN 24 after a 36-yard return. A long completion to J’Vathon on 3rd down places the ball at the 4-yard line. Unfortunately, Jack throws an interception on the next play to a pass intended for J’Vathon.
12th Drive, 4Q 10:44 – Again pinned deep in their own territory, a couple of good runs give the offense room to work on their own 25. An incompletion to Michell on 2nd down leads to an interception by Cortez. Fortunately, the Royals defense steps up again and forces a FG. Royals down 20-7.
13th Drive, 4Q 7:51 – London goes three and out at a crucial time in the game. Pass dropped by Cash Jr, a sack, and a short completion to King.
14th Drive, 4Q 5:56 – Ball forces a huge fumble and the Royals recover on the MN 39. A completion to J’Vathon for 6 yards is negated by a clipping penalty resulting in another 3rd and long. Pass falls incomplete to Cash Jr. Royals punt, down 20-7.
15th Drive, 4Q 3:47 – The Royals are able to get out of a 1st and long due to a block below the waist. Thorbjornsson catches one for 6, Cash Jr for another 14, J’Vathon for 8 more, and Michell finishes up with an 11 yarder. This leaves King an easy 1-yard TD run. Too little, too late as the ensuing onside kick sees the clock strike triple zero. Royals lose 20-14.

Week 3 Summary:
London again falls short, this time at the hands of the Norfolk Seawolves, 29-24. Not much to write home about for two of the rookies. Thorbjornsson and Michell both end up with 2 catches, for 14 and 10 yards, respectively. J’Vathon had the best game amongst the rookies. He hauled in 4 balls for 30-yards and the first touchdown for the rookie pass catchers. Congrats Tre’Darius! May the next one come in a win!

Week 3 Drive Recap:

1st Drive, 1Q 9:09 – Down 3-0 before even touching the ball, London starts with the ball on their own 31. A nice pass to Cash Jr for 25 puts the ball in NOR territory. Two runs for no gain and a short completion see the drive putter out.
2nd Drive, 1Q 4:51 – After a punt and penalty by Norfolk, the Royals have the ball on the NOR 49. A short completion to Thorbjornsson for 6 yards proceeds 7 straight running plays as the Royals take their first lead of the season, 7-3.
3rd Drive, 1Q 0:06 – After forcing another three and out, London continues to pound the rock with 8 rushes on the drive. The only two pass attempts are also to the running backs. Jacoby Batista slams it in from the 1-yard line for an early 14-3 lead.
4th Drive, 2Q 9:34 – Despite the success with the run game, London attempts 4 passes before punting. A nice 16-yarder to Cash Jr, an incompletion to J’Vathon and Cash Jr, followed by a 9-yard completion to J’Vathon who falls one yard short before the Royals punt.
5th Drive, 2Q 3:34 – King rushes for 7-yards, then fumbles after a 10-yard scamper. Seawolves take it down the field and score, 14-10. Tough turnover before the half.
6th Drive, 2Q 1:52 – London rushes the ball 6 times in row to take us to halftime with a small lead.
7th Drive, 3Q 14:53 – Four rushes on the first five plays, the only non-rush an incompletion to Michell. Cash hauls in another one for 9-yards on 3rd down to keep the drive going. Two more rushes and a 6-yard pass to J’Vathon keep the ball mall moving. Three more rushes and a throw to Thorbjornsson for 8-yards have the Royals in positive territory. The drive, however, stalls from a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty on J’Vathon. Drive ends in a field goal, 17-10.
8th Drive, 3Q 5:02 – A drop by J’Vathon and a 2-yarder by Michell see the Royals in 3rd and long, but their bailed out by a 27-yard pass interference call. Four straight runs followed by an incompletion to Thorbjornsson and a drop by Michell see the drive stall out near midfield.
9th Drive, 4Q 13:05 – A short run and an incompletion intended for Michell see the Royals in another 3rd and long. Colby Jack tries to force one to Cash Jr, but gets intercepted inside his own 30. Norfolk takes the lead 23-17.
10th Drive, 4Q 9:21 – Trying to make up for his mistake, Jack throws a deep one to Thorbjornsson that gets intercepted and returned the LDN 14. One play later and the Royals are now down 29-17. Two big turnovers have put London in a late hole.
11th Drive, 4Q 8:34 – Two completions to Cash for 13 and King for 9 are followed by three straight runs. Another pass, this time to Michell for 8-yards sees the ball in LDN territory. Three more runs and a pass to King for 14-yards have the ball inside the red zone. Batista runs for no gain, Michell drops a pass, but J’Vathon comes up huge on 3rd down with his first career TD grab! London down 29-24. Unfortunately, the defense is unable to get off the field and after six straight rushes, the game ends in another loss.

Week 4 Summary:
London Royals pick up their first win in a dominating fashion over the Dallas Birddogs, 29-13. Tre’Darius J’Vathon had the best game out of all the receivers with 4 catches and 53 yards. Frank Michell pitched in with 4 catches himself, and while only gather 16-yards, he did find pay dirt for his first career TD. Congrats Frank! Gunner Thorbjornsson was mostly quiet except for his big 22-yard gain late in the game. He finished with 2 grabs and 36 yards.

Week 4 Drive Recap:

1st Drive, 1Q 14:30 – A 7-yard catch by Michell and a penalty by Dallas put the Royals in positive territory. A nice 14-yard reception by Thorbjornsson gets the team in field goal range after the drive stalls. London up 3-0 early.
2nd Drive, 1Q 7:53 – Cash Jr gets 8 yards and after a run for no gain, Michell has a big drop on 3rd and short to stall the drive.
3rd Drive, 1Q 5:43 – J’Vathon dominates this drive with two receptions for 17-yards and 20-yards. A few short runs mixed in and the Royals get into the end zone on a Danny King run. Royals 9, Dallas 0.
4th Drive, 1Q 1:58 – London shoots themselves in the foot with a sack and 15-yard penalty by J’Vathon. It gets worse as Thorbjorsson drops a pass on 3rd and long. Perhaps it was a strategy to get all the bad plays out on one drive.
5th Drive, 2Q 14:46 – Perhaps still hungover from the previous drive, the Royals go 3 and out. Two shorts runs lead to a 3rd and short that is not converted as the pass falls incomplete to Michell.
6th Drive, 2Q 6:22 – After giving up a field goal to Dallas, London looks to answer. Dallas helps them out with two quick 15-yard penalties. A short gain to Michell, followed by a nice 9-yarder to J’Vathon sees the ball inside the red zone. Batista picks up 18 on the ground and King ends the drive with a 7-yard TD reception. London leads 15-3.
7th Drive, 2Q 0:35 – London sees out the half with a few runs. Confident in their 15-6 halftime lead.
8th Drive, 3Q 14:56 – The Royals pick up right where the left off with a long, time consuming drive. Batista busts off for 23 yards on three runs, while Michell grabs one for 5. Thorbjornsson streaks down the field for his career long 22-yard reception from Colby Jack. One penalty and three runs later and London is on the goal line. Jack hits an open Michell for his first career TD. London extends the lead, 22-6.
9th Drive, 3Q 8:28 – Looking to run some clock, London hands it off to their running backs three times. A couple penalties and a drop by Thorbjornsson see the drive end with a punt.
10th Drive, 3Q 1:45 – A big run by King and 7-yard grab by J’Vathon is wasted as King drops a pass and Thorbjornsson can’t haul his target in.
11th Drive, 4Q 12:53 – Three straight passes and a clipping penalty see the Royals go three and out. Two incompletions to Cash Jr and another drop by Thorbjornsson end the drive.
12th Drive, 4Q 9:11 – London puts on a running clinic seven runs on the drive and Dallas can’t get out of their own way with four penalties. The drive ends in a Batista rushing TD putting the Royals in a comfortable lead, 29-6.
13th Drive 4Q 0:25 – After giving up a pointless TD to Dallas, London recovers the onside kick and runs the clock out. The Royals have their first victory of the year by the score of 29-13.

Look Ahead:
Before the next column, London will play at Tijuana (1-3), at Portland (0-4), before returning home to face Myrtle Beach (3-1). The Royal will hope to pick up momentum and would be in great shape if they could come out of these three games with a 3-4 record.

Team Stats through Week 4:
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