The All-Important Meaningless Pre-season

[swede]

I am on a mission to remain calm as we get ready to embark upon another pre-season.

We know that the pre-season itself is valuable to the coaching staff and to new players trying to grab one of the last roster spots, and it can even be helpful to veterans learning new schemes. But the wins and losses in pre-season mean very, very little as you already know.

You already know it. I already know it. The team already knows it. And yet we get a little nervous when we can’t seem to win a pre-season game. And we get a little puffy when we win three of four. We can’t get any puffier than that because the Packers haven’t gone 4-0 in the pre-season anytime in this last decade. We haven’t gone winless either, so there you go.

I was left alone today for six hours without a “honeydo” list. I decided to employ that time by preparing Chicken a la Riesling and researching NFL pre-season statisitics while my breasts were marinating.

Well…while the chicken breasts were marinating.

Super Bowl Champions over the last five years have a combined pre-season record of 12-8. Super Bowl runner-ups have a combined preseason record of 9-11. Significant? Probably not.

Five of the most successful NFL teams in the last ten years are anything but dominant in the pre-season The Colts, with 115 wins in the last decade, are an underwhelming 19-21 in pre-season contests. The Patriots with 113 regular season wins are doing a bit better in the early contests with a record of 22-18, probably due to superior reconnaissance and a well-organized department of clandestine operations. The Steelers also have 22 pre-season wins, the Packers have 19, and the Eagles, with the third best regular season record in football over the last ten years have only won a pathetic 15 pre-season contests.

Looking inside the numbers a bit we find some interesting regressions to the mean. The Patriots went 4-0 in the pre-season of 2003 and went on to win a Super Bowl. Then they only managed to win one pre-season game in 2004…and went on to win the Super Bowl.

The Colts went winless in the pre-season of 2005 and sucked so bad that won 14 regular season games and then lost in the post-season to the Steelers…who went on to win the Super Bowl. Then the Colts DID win 4 pre-season games in 2006…and went on to win the Super Bowl over the Bears. Did I mention that the team that got beat in the Super Bowl that year was the Bears? The Bears went 2-2 in the pre-season the year that they lost to the Colts in the Super Bowl.

But what about the perennial doormats? The Cleveland Browns and the Detroit Lions, like the Packers and Colts, are 19-21 in the pre-season over the last ten years, The Lions have the unique distinction of having won five more pre-season games in 2008 and 2009 than they did regular season games. You may remember that the Kitties followed up a blistering 4-0 march through the pre-season of 2008 with an unprecedented winless slog through 16 games. They did not go on to win the Super Bowl.

So fellow rats, let us be prepared to win somewhere between one and three preseason games this year. Whatever. Somebody is going to win the Super Bowl this year and that team’s pre-season record will be absolutely meaningless in the big picture.

If you’ll pardon me I have some breasts to rub down with oil and wine. And I need to take the chicken out of the oven, too.

[RashanGary]

I'm hoping to see some key young players (both in backup roles and starting roles) play well.


Burnett
Underwood
Any RB
backup OL
other backup CB's


I'm also hoping to see some signs from our pass rush with Raji, Jones, Chillar, Jenkins and Matthews hopefully all showing some flashes. . .

Oh, and then ST's. . .

If we see those types of things and last years strengths still seem strong, I'm going to be prone to getting very puffy indeed.

[swede]

I think that is absolutely the right mindset. Look for specific players or schemes.

Once a young player gets his chance at some game experience those precious reps and the film of him in those plays represent the truly valuable part of the pre-season game for him and for his coaches. The coaching staff is not considering final scores in final roster decisions.

And yet I will be sitting on the couch rooting for a Packer pre-season win. I can't help myself.

[Iron Mike]

Two words. Sam Shields. :wink:

[Brandon494]

Two words. Sam Shields. :wink:

Im rooting for him and Quinn Porter to make the team

[swede]

The Lions have the unique distinction of having won five more pre-season games in 2008 and 2009 than they did regular season games. You may remember that the Kitties followed up a blistering 4-0 march through the pre-season of 2008 with an unprecedented winless slog through 16 games.

Of the stuff I dug up this was my favorite little gem. Imagine the inflated hopes of the Lions fans going into Week One.

[mission]

Two words. Sam Shields. :wink:

Im rooting for him and Quinn Porter to make the team

Those are the only borderline guys I'd like to see make it too.

[HowardRoark]

I like the way y'all think Swedee...PANTS ON THE GROUND, PANTS ON THE GROUND!!!!!!
http://bittenandbound.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/brett-favre-traded-to-the-jets.jpg

[CaliforniaCheez]

You cannot get too crazy about preseason games unless you realize what you are viewing. The Packers have always been giving fair competition and finding positions for players. The Packers have been always trying something new for years.

This is the first season in the last 5 years where there is NOT a lot of experimentation on the O-line.

Stop and think how many defensive coodinators Nick Barnett has gone through!

This year however is one of the most stable offseasons in a very long time so there is little anxiety.

I think most Packer fans will be experiencing impatience.

[Iron Mike]

Two words. Sam Shields. :wink:

Im rooting for him and Quinn Porter to make the team

I can't wait to see the Quinns line up in the backfield together. :shock:

[Brandon494]

For that to happen Quinn Johnson needs to get his shit together because so far he hasnt been having a good camp from what Ive read.

[Fritz]

The Lions have the unique distinction of having won five more pre-season games in 2008 and 2009 than they did regular season games. You may remember that the Kitties followed up a blistering 4-0 march through the pre-season of 2008 with an unprecedented winless slog through 16 games.

Of the stuff I dug up this was my favorite little gem. Imagine the inflated hopes of the Lions fans going into Week One.

Many a boner was sported by adoring Leos' fans after that last preseason game, yessir.

By the by, those same fans are feeling pretty optimistic about the direction this team is taking. It does look to be a better team this year. How much better? Who knows. I've heard fans calling in to sports talk radio saying everything from 4-12 to 12-4 (yes, 12-4).

[Tarlam!]

I've heard fans calling in to sports talk radio saying everything from 4-12 to 12-4 (yes, 12-4).

I see them in the playoffs, TBH. I think they have a star QB and a star WR. If that #1 draft pick is any good, they'll be a decent team.

9-10 wins is possible. I bet the beat the teddies on opening day.

[swede]

Okay...we got beat by the Browns because they tried really, really hard to win the game in order to set the proper starting tone for yet another new football administration in Cleveland.

Now we play the Seahawks, who have already won their first pre-season game.

I like the Packers in this one. The pre-season gods don't like to get to far away from .500 ball.

I also look forward to watching David Whitehurst's kid play.

I liked Whitehurst. He wasn't too damn bad of a quarterback.

[Fritz]

I'm always fretting about injuries in pre-season.

[BlueBrewer]

I've heard fans calling in to sports talk radio saying everything from 4-12 to 12-4 (yes, 12-4).

I see them in the playoffs, TBH. I think they have a star QB and a star WR. If that #1 draft pick is any good, they'll be a decent team.

9-10 wins is possible. I bet the beat the teddies on opening day.

It takes more than 3 stars and 19 just a guys to make the playoffs.

[swede]

I'm always fretting about injuries in pre-season.

Be proactive. Make sure the floor is picked up around your recliner so you can't trip over something when you get up between quarters to take a leak.

[mraynrand]

I'm always fretting about injuries in pre-season.

Be proactive. Make sure the floor is picked up around your recliner so you can't trip over something when you get up between quarters to take a leak.

You need to be even more proactive to avoid these kind of injuries:

http://www.biggybank.com/images/toiletchair.jpg

[Fritz]

I'm . . . hurt by what you wrote. :lol: