It'll take another one of those.

Reggie Ball against the Wolfpack:

2004: 9-27 (33.3%), 91 yds, 2 TD, 3 INT
2005: 21-53 (39.6%), 279 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT

Ball's 2005 numbers aren't that bad when you consider that he was 6-25 in the first half. If he struggles to complete 40% of his passes again, we should be able to stay in the game. We're not likely to put as much pressure on Ball as we have in the past, but there is always the chance that he'll just be off.

A pair of comforting but ultimately meaningless trends:

1.) Ball has only thrown for 200+ yards in one game this season.
2.) Ball is a combined 23-52 (44.2%) passing over his last two games.

For these reasons, I hold out hope. It's not a lot of hope, but at least it's there.