BY ERIC GIACOMETTI
Staff Writer, RBNY

Well, maybe not quite like this …

Two games into 2013 and things are looking tenuous for the boys in white. They’ve already succumbed to late game collapses twice with their latest blunder costing them all three points.

So what, or who, is to blame here? The large roster turnover? Short preseason? Travel woes? A shaky backline? Mike Petke? Roy Miller?

Well, there’s no one right answer, no one factor that’s lead to such a poor start, but rather the culmination of all the above that’s plagued New York thus far.

That’s right folks, this isn’t all Roy Miller’s fault.

Now don’t get me wrong, he had a howler of a match (and that may be putting it lightly), but let’s not let his poor performance mask what’s really wrong with this team. Two games into the season and the ever-moody RBNY fan base is in panic mode. Granted, I was on the ledge after that last performance, but after letting my rational side get the best of me, things don’t seem all that bad.

Far be it for me to go all “Optimist” on you, but let’s step back from the ledge for a moment. This is a team that has undeniable talent on its roster. Will it take time for them to settle in and find themselves? Without a doubt. New York still seems very much in preseason mode and clearly have yet to gel, but it’s a long season, and there are still plenty of points up for grabs throughout the year. Lest we forget, we’re one point better than we were last year at this point in 2012, but things took a turn for the better.

Of course, I’m just as concerned as all of you are with New York’s latest defensive woes. 2012 was the year of conceding early, and it appears in 2013 the boys like to leave it late. Hopefully, a shift in tactics and personnel will take care of that (how about Pearce to LB, no?), but let’s not turn on Petke and his team. Not now. Last BEV, I wondered just how long Petke’s legend status with organization would afford him. Just two games into 2013, it appears that leeway is being put to the test.

It’s hard to call a game in mid-March a must-win, but this may be as close as it gets. The home opener against the hated Scum seems to take on a much bigger importance given the current situation. Will the season be lost if the boys in white don’t pick up three points on Saturday? Of course not. But I wouldn’t want to be in Petke’s shoes should another late-game collapse befall New York.

So let’s just exercise a bit of patience. After all, a bit of home cooking may be what gets the Bulls back on track.

So please, if you care about this team’s success, get off the MF boards and get out to Harrison on Saturday. The season is young; let’s not jump ship just yet.