2 Pre-Season Games Mean Nothing
By Corey Behnke on Aug 24, 2009 with 28 Comments
Let’s be clear. These games are evaluation periods. The Bills and the Browns are NOT trying to win a game here…they are trying to evaluate players. Mike McCarthy said it best in his Bills post-game press conference:
there’s no reason to strike up the band or anything like that.
But yet – take a look around the Packer Blogosphere and it’s as if the Packer’s are 2-0 in the regular season. The Browns are not a good team and the Bills have Dick Jauron as a coach and Bob Sanders as an assistant (Col. Sanders to die-hards). You would think all of us in the business of writing on the Packers would be a little more hesitant to raise the expectations of Packer fans unnecessarily over 2 games that mean absolutely nothing. No. That won’t help get traffic on websites or sell more dead trees in Wisconsin.
I think it’s easy to get excited over the Packer’s starters performance so far. I also think that the Bills and the Browns are trying to see what they have which is not the same as game planning and trying to beat the Packers. Does anyone consider the Browns or the Bills to be good teams? Until the Offensive line shows they can sustain blocks for the running game and prevent sacks against playoff caliber teams in games that actually mean something there is a big question about whether the Packer’s have truly plugged a weakness that has been nagging them for the last 3 years.
The Jury is still out.
Programming Note: Join us for a Live Blog of Packer’s practice which starts at 6:30 CDT tonight.
Filed Under: Offensive Line • Wisconsin Media
I think the ‘casual’ fan is likely getting a bit too excited by simple statistics and the final score, I agree.
Count me amoung the excited after two preseason games when it comes to the shift in philosophy and execution. I remember how absolutely IRATE I was during first series of the first game during Mike Sherman’s 4-12 season. He went three and out on three consecutive passing plays. I hated the philosophy of ‘rocking the line back on their heals’ and not letting them explode of the ball and set the tone/temperment for the season. The offense is attacking down the field and executing.
Same with the defense. I wanted to vomit during every game, including the 13-3 season when the rubber band of ‘bend but don’t break’ was constantly flexed. Luckily, a solid secoondary or sub package allowed for a pressure.
I’m excited about the apparent clean execution of a new PHILOSOPHY. There will be risks, occassional we will get burned, but this is an attacking team on both sides of the ball.
As a quick aside, Corey, I think definitive statements like two preseason games mean ‘nothing’ is equally as silly as those feeling they define everything. We knew this roster was deeper than the Bills and Browns and it executed as such. So yes, there is meaning in a well executed preseason game when your 1′s dominate as they likely should have. Also, it’s comforting to see the linebacker depth on this team even without seeing Thompson or Matthews on the field as of yet.
I’m mostly excited about how happy players are lately with the way things are going and the outlook on the new season. It may be due in large part to the intimacy with which we can now communicate with the players (Twitter, Cheesehead TV interviews, etc), but I’m encouraged. It seems like the guys, especially on defense, are excited and eager to get out on the field and blow people up. Their anticipation is a big part of my looking forward to this season. Football is always the most fun to watch when you know the guys are dancing on the sidelines.
Actually CSS- they don’t mean anything. that’s a fact- that’s not hyperbole.
Then why are they played, Corey?
CSS- I believe I said why. To evaluate players. To learn what your team has. Not to win games. If you don’t care about the outcome then it matters not.
Correct, winning games in the preseason means NOTHING – but, I’d rather be winning 24-0 at halftime rather than losing 24-0. Right?
Imagine if we lost last week 17-0 and then went into half down 24-0 against Buffalo. Holy cow…everybody (including this fine blog) would be trashing player/coach/GM in site.
By Peter King “j. Best team in the first two weeks, to me, looks like Green Bay. Aaron Rodgers is playing as if these games actually matter. The defensive line keeps shutting good players; unsung players, like Johnny Jolly in and out, and they keep making plays.” http://sportsillustrated.cnn.c.....mqb/3.html
It’s not just that we’re winning. It’s the way we’re winning.
actually LMB – most avid readers of this site also happen to be podcast listeners and one thing we tend to lead our podcast pre-season episodes with is the pre-season means nothing- good or bad. People who personally know me will know that I have had that mantra since my Grandpa Behnke basically always said the same thing to me growing up- it’s a way for the NFL to make more money- not a way to gauge your teams success or unsuccess in that season…
Many years we have won playoff games we did very poorly in the pre-season..why– because it doesnt matter…
PackersRS- do a study of pre-season records for the packers compared to that season’s record- they don’t always compare…most times they dont- thats my point- “way they win” whatever…I hope Peter King is right – I really do. That doesn’t dispute my point.
You know what excites me? our defensive players have been in the right positions for the first two weeks we have had a chance to play. Winning or not who cares, but we have been in the right spots and that is a testimate to dom capers. Bob sanders didnt have them in the right spots and that 4-3 was 5 years in the making. That is cause for excitment sorry to those who dont see that.
Corey, I think everybody agrees with your premise that pre-season recrods are meaningless. I think there’s disagreement on how you’re parsing the, means ‘nothing’, as stated in your title. Yes, records mean nothing and I doubt fans would argue that it’s a prediction of regular season success.
However, the excitement is around the execution, movement on both sides of the ball, and roster depth in various areas. The way this piece is written and how you parse out a few of the comments makes it a bit confusing. It can easily be inferred in one response that it all means nothing, and in the next (and one I agree with) that the record means nothing. No offense, but your writting on this is a bit confusing. There’s a lot of meaning and value in the pre-season, just not in the game outcome or scoreboard.
yeah, the preseason means nothing. tell it to the 30 guys on every team that lose their job in a few weeks.
I could care less if it matters or not, you could argue both ways until you’re blue in the face. The fact is, after seven months of no football, it’s fun as hell to watch.
I accept that preseason wins or losses mean nothing. I could have cared less if we had lost 35-31 with the Bills scoring an additional 2 TDs against our practice squad players. What mattters to me is seeing the relative strength and execution of the first 2 units. And seeing how the new defensive scheme is working. And seeing if Rodgers is on the same page as his receivers. Things look good so far and I see the foundations being built for a successful 2009.
Dennis Green said the preseason game meant something when they played the Bear earlier in the season.The Bears are who we thought they were
Corey, winning or losing doesn’t matter at all. But you said it yourself it’s used to evaluate players. And that’s why I’m so happy. Sitton didn’t play well. Brohm didn’t play well (but improved). Some 3rd stringers didn’t play well. Bush didn’t play well (Bush sucks so bad, the only big play we gave in both games was because of his fucked up angle). The majority of players did very well. Sutton, Jolly and Bishop played awesomely well. Hawk played well. We have GREAT team chemistry. Bills aren’t good. Well, they beat the Bears. Browns aren’t good. That I agree. But it’s not that we won, we DOMINATED. Don’t matter how much Vanilla the opponent play, how bad they team are, when your 1st stringers DOMINATE the way they did against an NFL team, it’s a show that things are going well.
So far, I don’t know that we’ve learned a whole lot about our team, except that they have executed well. That said, most teams aren’t gameplanning against each other, but rather to see how their players react to different plays in different situations. While I would disagree that the preseason is totally meaningless, I would definitely agree that fans should temper their enthusiasm before anointing the team SB champs.
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I think the preseason game that will really show us what we need to know about our defense is coming up soon. If the Packers can handle Fitz and Boldin reasonably well, then that will really get me excited and vice versa. That’s what I’m really looking forward to watching. If they hold either of those guys out, I’ll be quite disappointed.
The first test for the defense will be Friday night. The Cardinal offense will be around for two quarters. The corners will be tested and the Dline will go up against a veteran unit. The Bills had two rookie guards starting.
Pre-season games are practice. The first two are player evaluation. The last two, working on the game plans and schemes. So they certtainly have value, but don’t plan on that level of play, either good or bad, to carry over. We’ll get our first look at that against the Bears.
Pre-season is a drag.
Don’t count on Arizona to provide any great competition…. They’ve managed a paltry 16 points (total) in their two preseason losses…. Fans in the desert are already worried that 2008 was a one-time event.
I like what I see but in reality I’ll reserve any grandiose judgements starting with game 1 versus the Bears.
But you have to be happy that we are showing good execution. That, more than anything else, is what you are looking for in the preseason. Especially with a new defense and an O-line that is in constant flux. Is everyone doing the job they are supposed to be doing. The Packers have shown great execution. That’s what I’m excited about. Well, that and watching Sutton run in the 3rd and 4th quarter. That little bastard can run. I’d like to see him a little with the starters to see if he can do the same thing against #1′s.
I could care less if it matters or not, you could argue both ways until you’re blue in the face. The fact is, after seven months of no football, it’s fun as hell to watch.
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Well said Franklin! This helps us Wisconsinites since the Brewers tanked their season.
pre season games are for personnel evaluation and The goal is not necessarily winning the game. that’s true.
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That said, what the coaches ARE looking for in part while they evaluate the players is winning one-on-one match-ups as well as continuity in certain phases of the game. Win or not, what we’ve been seeing more often than not in these pre-season games so far is players winning their individual match ups, as well as seemingly solid communication (last week vs. no huddle in a new defense showed they are pretty far ahead of the curve, IMO).
I understand there’s little to no gameplanning in these outings, and that will be a major factor in determining outcomes of regular season games. That said, To win games, players need to win their individual battles regardless of the play calling or personnel on the field, and we’re seeing that. That’s a great sign.
The offense executed well. The defense executed well.
I’m excited.
“the Bills and the Browns are trying to see what they have which is not the same as game planning and trying to beat the Packers”.
I agree, mostly. Preseason or not, EVERY team wants to come away with and is trying to win, believe that.
And the GBP aren’t “game planning” for the Bills and Browns either. I mean sure both teams watch a little film, try to get a bit of a feel for the other and what they might be bringing, but nothing like when they count. So that being the case, both teams are preparing (or not) about the same for each other. So with it being a level playing field… I’m sorry, but I’M EXCITED. The Bills were supposed to be competitve this year, and well, the Browns suck.
I’m staying grounded, yes I remember Detroit last year. But If you can’t get excited about the way our starters look, after last year… WHAT’S THE POINT?
GBP 4 LIFE
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