Winning Is A Habit

[Guiness]

Jim Schwartz 14-5

On a related note, Rod Marinelli was 4-0 in 2008...the only games he won that year. Rex Ryan might have a new opinion on doing whatever it takes to win as well, although he's pretty thick headed.

[George Cumby]

I don't think this is one of the most important games of the season. The most important games are the ones which ensure the postseason berth and then games thereafter.

What is important is that the team plays well and isn't humiliated again. If they are blown out and humiliated, then there is a problem.

[mraynrand]

Here's a good read about Les Steckel, with references to preseason philosophy.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vau...ne/MAG1122483/

Classic quotes:

After six straight safety blitzes in preseason loss to Eagles:

"You don't change your game plan just because the enemy sneaks up on you in the middle of a river"

When Keith Millard signed with the USFL:

"When I was in Vietnam and the colonel told us to take the hill, we knew we would lose some guys, but by God, we;d take the hill"

They lost to the Cardinals 31-0

[Maxie the Taxi]

Things are a bit different these days. most NFL Athletes come into camp fantastically conditioned and don't need training camp to get into shape, just football shape. A lot of Lombardi guys were coming in from their insurance sales routes or other off season jobs and were flabby and weaker.
Also, the focus in the offseason by the coaching staff to formulate team specific game plans that they then tweak during the individual weeks is much more advanced. It seems that teams like the Packers show very little of that except the most generic aspects of their play books, accentuated by the missing starters. Moreover, the playbooks are absurdly huge and there is a winnowing for each week. Starr could call all the plays in the huddle because they only had six or seven (I'm exaggerating ). Practice plays to perfection? Sure, but do that in closed practices. Why give the other teams preseason film to know what you're doing.

I understand what you're saying and know you're right about the way things work nowadays. I guess I'm just an incurable throwback. Sometimes I wish the team nowadays would concentrate on six or seven plays and get them down pat rather than throw in all the different angles each week and out think themselves.

Especially on defense. When "communication" becomes the most important aspect of playing DB, the game has become too complicated. But then maybe youth nowadays are smarter than us old guys were in our day.

[mraynrand]

A note discovered in research: Jim Ringo coached the Bills for around two seasons, 76-77 to a sterling record of 3-20. I did not know that.

[mraynrand]

On a related note, Rod Marinelli was 4-0 in 2008...the only games he won that year.

...

You're in this dark tunnel and you've got no way out, you're waiting for light, and you see that light, what do you do? What do you do? You start digging and getting out. … It's dark and I'm going to dig through. My shovel is sharp and my pick is sharp and my will is outstanding.

[run pMc]

By contrast, McCarthy's Packers went 1 and 3 in the preseason. His team was embarrassed by the Chiefs 30-8. The Packers offense was unproductive all preseason. No reason for any confidence in Green Bay.

I would have liked better production/execution this preseason, but consider Rodgers didn't play all that much. He's one of the longest tenured guys on the roster, the QB and frankly the franchise...as he goes, so goes the team. If you don't play him it's no surprise the team floundered a little. Kaepernick is still learning the game (scary thought) and can use the preseason reps more than Rodgers.

I don't have a problem in theory with using preseason to help make roster decisions. I get frustrated seeing some of those potential backups screw up...probably why people have trouble watching exhibition football.

[mraynrand]

I understand what you're saying and know you're right about the way things work nowadays. I guess I'm just an incurable throwback. Sometimes I wish the team nowadays would concentrate on six or seven plays and get them down pat rather than throw in all the different angles each week and out think themselves.

Especially on defense. When "communication" becomes the most important aspect of playing DB, the game has become too complicated. But then maybe youth nowadays are smarter than us old guys were in our day.

well, smarts and wisdom are very different things, and more often than not, they don't travel together. Lombardi had both, and he was perfect for his era.

[Maxie the Taxi]

Here's a good read about Les Steckel, with references to preseason philosophy.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vau...ne/MAG1122483/

Classic quotes:

After six straight safety blitzes in preseason loss to Eagles:

"You don't change your game plan just because the enemy sneaks up on you in the middle of a river"

When Keith Millard signed with the USFL:

"When I was in Vietnam and the colonel told us to take the hill, we knew we would lose some guys, but by God, we;d take the hill"

They lost to the Cardinals 31-0

Steckel was one and done. What an idiot. He reminds me of Kirk Douglas in "Seven Days in May."

[HarveyWallbangers]

Since 2005, the eventual Super Bowl champion went 14-14 in the preseason. The team with the worst record went 21-7 in the preseason.

Teams with good backup QBs generally have an advantage in the preseason. We don't have a good backup QB. Young could be eventually, but he doesn't know the offense.

I don't care at all about preseason record. Completely meaningless. I do look for questions to get answered. I think we've had a mixed bag in that respect. The OL is still a question mark. The DL looks legit.

[denverYooper]

Since 2005, the eventual Super Bowl champion went 14-14 in the preseason. The team with the worst record went 21-7 in the preseason.

Teams with good backup QBs generally have an advantage in the preseason. We don't have a good backup QB. Young could be eventually, but he doesn't know the offense.

I don't care at all about preseason record. Completely meaningless. I do look for questions to get answered. I think we've had a mixed bag in that respect. The OL is still a question mark. The DL looks legit.

\thread

[Maxie the Taxi]

In the SI article Ayn posted, it's interesting that 30 years ago "conventional wisdom" in the NFL was to use first team players in the last preseason game "as a tune-up." Steckel called himself "unconventional" and started rookies and free agents in hopes of finding "one good player."

Steckel's team went 3-13 in the regular season.

All I'm saying is if it were me I'd play a little harder to win cause I do believe winning becomes a habit.

Then again, I'm the guy who believed in Santa Claus until my second year in High School.

[pittstang5]

I like winning and I want the Packers to win, even in the preseason. However, I have changed that attitude a little toward preseason the last couple years. I pay closer attention to the first stringers than anything else. If they look good - I'm fine.

My concerns are like everyone else - that first string O-line is the weakest we have seen since McCarthy has taken over. YES, weaker than playing Adrian Klemm and Will Whitticker. We're stuck with it, I just hope Rogers doesn't get killed week 1. That 49ers D scares me more than Kaeper-what's his face running all over the Packers. Gameplan should be to run the ball. Who cares if we get one yard, no yards or negative yards. Keep the D honest. And then short - dink and dunk stuff. Forget going deep altogether, Rogers will not have time. IIRC, wasn't Rogers throwing deep at least once every series (or so it would seem) during that game. Save that for another day.

[denverYooper]

San Fran gets a lot of well-deserved praise right now, and rightly so. They've got a lot of talent and are tightly run. But Harbaugh hasn't won anything yet, and he squandered a great opportunity last year. He had a healthy team, with a lot of high picks hitting their window. He had Kaepernick bust onto the scene and tear into the playoffs without a lot of film. Now he has to do it all again. I'm not so sure that the 9ers don't start to decline at least a little this year. As we know, it doesn't take much to get knocked from the top and teams don't usually stay up there for very long before they drop and need to regroup a bit. They're now thin in the secondary, Justin Smith got injured last year and is getting up there a bit, and they don't have a lot at backup QB. They have their share of flaws that will stick out when they struggle.

Look, I think Harbaugh runs a tight ship out there and they have a great front 7 and starting OL. They'll win their share of games. But it was not so long ago that GB's hot rod offense was king and they won many many games in a row. A key injury (Collins), enough film, and time caught up to find a major weakness that could be used to reign in the Pack's ace in the hole (Rodgers raining thunderbolts from the sky). M3 was widely hailed as one of the best head coaches and an offensive guru. Now Smugbaugh sits there, ready to get knocked off, just as our own porcine commander was.

It's a good bet that the 9ers won't be the kings by the year's end. Shoot, maybe KC will be. They've got a lot of high picks that have struggled through several years of bad coaching and terrible QB play. They were -24 on TO margin last year. Maybe Reid will come in and bolt a passable offense onto a pretty good roster and they'll take off. The Rams are another interesting team right now that could take off. The Saints might be good for another run.

So it goes.

[Maxie the Taxi]

If someone's going to take the 9ers down a peg, I predict it will be the Seahawks. Much as I dislike the Peter Carroll, he has put together a fine team, offense and defense.