(S19) - PT2 - Back to Reality

[terriblehippo]

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306 words

Quenton Bode had a busy offseason, but like every offseason, he continued to train and to work and push hard. He knows that he's a leader on this team and an integral part of the defense, and he takes that responsibility very seriously. With the disappointment of last season, he wanted to start Season 19 strong, and to show the rest of the league that he and the Second Line are serious contenders.

New Orleans had a tough Week 1 matchup, playing the defending champion Orange County Otters on their home turf, but Bode wasn't intimidated. He was as prepared for that game as he could be. But for some reason, he couldn't get into his rhythm. He couldn't make tackles, his instincts seemed to be wrong on nearly every play, and for some reason he just felt off. The Second Line left Orange County with a quality loss (if such a thing exists), but Bode ended the game with nothing more than four tackles. He was quiet on the trip home, a departure from his usual post-game attitude. Back in New Orleans, he went into self-imposed isolation, and seriously considered what had gone wrong.

No one is quite sure what realization Bode came to, but they can see the results. New Orleans won in Weeks 2 and 3, both games coming against tough divisional opponents, and Bode seems to be back to his normal self. He was named Defensive Player of the Game after the Arizona game, and the team voted to give him the defensive game ball for that week. It's clear that Bode has gotten past his poor season debut, but he certainly hasn't forgotten it. And you can be sure that he has Week 8--a home game against OCO--circled on his calendar.