Monarchs saw off Pirates 17-10 in the NFL regular-season on Saturday night. The result came after two straight defeats for the visitors, who had lost 24-27 to Mountaineers and 10-48 to Crimson Tide. Monarchs, by contrast, had bounced back from a 21-44 hammering by Hawks with a 31-10 victory over Spartans.
and here's the thing about this scoreline — it wasn't a runaway. Ten points for Pirates suggests they stayed in contention for stretches, but Monarchs held firm when it mattered. The hosts have now turned a corner after that heavy loss to Hawks, though they won't pretend it was easy.
Pirates were struggling before kick-off, and the result didn't help. Two losses in as many weeks, conceding 71 points in the process. They'll need to regroup quickly if they want to avoid sliding further. The old head on the coaching staff will have to settle things down.
Monarchs' recent run now reads loss, win, win. To be fair, that 21-44 defeat to Hawks was a wake-up call, and you could see the response coming. The Spartans game was comfortable, and Saturday night they didn't let up against Pirates. The wheels came off for visitors in the second half, though the data doesn't show exactly when.
What this means for the season is still unclear. Neither side has enough history in the standings to draw firm conclusions. Monarchs have found their footing after a rocky start, while Pirates are staring at a difficult patch. The goal difference tells part of the story — Monarchs are averaging more than two points per game over their last three, Pirates barely one.