The Austin Desperados have had the most cliche season a pro football team can have.  You know what I'm talking about, we have all seen the movie... team plans on winning it all, an unfortunate event derails that plan and they start losing, nobody knows why this is happening!  Then out of nowhere there is an emotional speech at a really awkward time that turns everything around and they start winning.  Usually a hit classic rock song plays in the background as they show highlights of their latest victory. 

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Give or take a few things and this is exactly what it's been like for the Desperados this season.  When Will Hooks took over this team during the offseason there was a lot of promise around the facility, rookie QB Eric Fisher had a great rookie season and things were moving in the right direction.  Expectations were even higher this season as they were coming off of a 9-7 season with a young, promising quarterback leading the way.  Nobody expected what came next as season 4 kicked off, a 5 game losing streak filled with blowout losses, final minute meltdowns and overtime heartbreak.  The first win did not come until week 6 in a defensive showdown against their division rival Chicago Tigers.  At this point everyone was already giving the Desperados the first overall selection for the Season 5 draft and most were already speculating what they would do in the offseason to right the ship. 

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Will Hooks was not one of them by any means, he knew that his team was talented and that the current product was not what represented his players or the great city of Austin, Texas.  Hooks headed back to the drawing board and drew up a new game plan heading towards the second half of the season, things were already looking rough so why not experiment a little and see if you can find something you wouldn't have thought of before? Whatever that something was changed the complexion of the team almost instantly.  QB Eric Fisher said a week after the changes that he finally felt comfortable in this new offense and didn't feel like he was guessing on each play.  Adrian Spicer found his groove as well, now with over 1100 yards and 9 touchdowns on the season.  Since the change to the playcalling the Desperados are 6-0, taking them from 1-6 to 7-6 to now be squarely in the playoff hunt with the rest of the conference.  

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The rest of the season is up in the air for the Desperados, they need major help to get to the playoffs but it is not exactly out of reach at this point.  While the season itself may not be a deep playoff run which most fans will deem a wasted season, this season means something to the people in Austin.  It shows that whatever they changed and whatever they are doing now is working, now its time to build off of it. 

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Written By: Bill Nicholson

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5/7/19

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