Do Not Overreact to Preseason Results

Reminder: Winning March and winning August get you nothing in the NFL. All that matters for the Packers are the results of the games from September 13th to February 7th. 

After getting destroyed by the Eagles' first team offense last Saturday, I think this is a good time to remember that those results do not matter. You're best to forget that it never happened and move on. 

Would it be nice to see the starting defense not get picked apart by Sam Bradford? Yes, yes it would. However bad games happen and games in which there was minimal preparation are games that results do not matter. Defensive players were checked out, of that I'm sure. That's not excusable, but I will take a ugly loss in the preseason due to Clay Matthews not giving full effort over a big injury any day.

If you were to take the results of these games seriously, you can take away that a few of the defensive players that need to show something, have. 

Jayrone Elliott is having his second straight solid preseason with two sacks, a QB hit, and three QB hurries to go along with seven stops.

Ladarius Gunter, a player who was not drafted, has shown impressive skills since he landed in Green Bay and now has a very legitimite chance to start opposite another Hurricane who was not drafted-Sam Shields.

Mike Pennel could be the run-stopping force on the defensive line that this team has been missing.

Quinten Rollins and Damarious Randall have both shown their potential and while neither has had an amazing preseason, neither have had any bad games yet and Rollins looked fantastic against New England. The Packers look stacked with young cornerback talent right now.

Not to mention the first team offense has looked wonderful in spite of awful play from Bakhtiari and Barclay. Bakhtiari played injured in the New England game and I have full confidence that if he is healthy now, he can return to at least the level of play he was been at the last two seasons.

Scott Tolzien looks like he has taken a big step forward from where he had been in his career up until this point and could be the lifelong backup the Packers can depend on. 

Brett Hundley threw for 300 yards, two scores, and only one pick in three quarters of a preseason game without his top two receivers. Do you know what would be happening in Minnesota if Teddy Bridgewater had that same performance? In Green Bay, it's brushed aside.

Everything is fine, as long as no one gets hurt tonight, the Packers are still in very good shape to do well this season and we can look forward to completely overreacting to whatever happens week one in Chicago.

Pay no attention to the season before the opening curtain and if you must react, there's still plenty of positives.

0 points
 

Comments (43)

Fan-Friendly This filter will hide comments which have ratio of 5 to 1 down-vote to up-vote.
TKWorldWide's picture

September 03, 2015 at 06:10 am

Wait...there's a game tonight?

0 points
0
0
croatpackfan's picture

September 03, 2015 at 06:30 am

Thank you MIke. You are the voice of calming down those fans who thinks Packers are doomed... When game against Eagles finished, I felt like Packers were winners. It takes me some time to understand that feeling. Brett Hundley played at the level of Mark Sanchez (Tim Tebow - you are bust!), our second and further stringers won 3 quarters of theat match by result 26-14... Only 1st quarter was ugly. To say more, the second half result was 12-0... FIrst quarter I saw D playing to avoid injuries, not to stop Eagles.... Later, I saw Eagles stopped... So, this was (and still is!) preseason - evaluation time. Nothing more. And the last - beautiful tape for coaches to evaluate! It was Packers win. Thank you, Chip Kelly!

0 points
0
0
EdsLaces's picture

September 03, 2015 at 06:39 am

They were playing yo avoid injury ...except 21 ..he was cracking heads.

0 points
0
0
vj_ostrowski's picture

September 03, 2015 at 06:38 am

Yes, I agree that there is little you can take from team performance in the preseason. Perhaps nothing at all.

I will say that it is difficult to watch bad-looking defense with your own eyes and then tell yourself it doesn't matter. It's like some weird form of denial or telling yourself that it's an optical illusion, but that's literally what you have to do.

I struggle with it too, but at the end of the day, that Eagles performance has nothing to do with the games we'll be playing in a couple weeks. You can't go off the ledge.

0 points
0
0
Christopher Gennaro's picture

September 03, 2015 at 06:44 pm

I have the same problem as you vj when it comes to watching the defence in that game. I understand they were playing not to get any sort of injury, it just was awful to have anyone come in and slap you around like that, in your own house. Still as you and others have said, it doesn't matter, that same defence will a lot different in chicago.

0 points
0
0
MarkinMadison's picture

September 03, 2015 at 07:10 am

I haven't seen a whole lot of doom and gloom on this site. Sure, the usual suspects showed up (Aunt Imma, etc), but fans here are sophisticated enough to put this thing in perspective. The Bears are just around the corner, looking just as banged up as the Packers. Then Seattle and the Chief come to town - two teams that have given the Packers fits over the years. Between injuries, suspensions and the way the schedule fell, don't be completely shocked if you see another MM patented 2-2 start. Then sit back and watch the show, because it is going to be a fun ride.

0 points
0
0
dobber's picture

September 03, 2015 at 10:18 am

"...Then Seattle and the Chief come to town"

Who own da Chief?

0 points
0
0
PaulRosik's picture

September 03, 2015 at 10:57 am

Owns owns!

0 points
0
0
RCPackerFan's picture

September 03, 2015 at 07:13 am

'Do Not Overreact to Preseason Results'

Wait what? Your telling us that teams can't win the Super Bowl in August?

This is a great article and honestly you probably should save it for next years preseason games.

i always have viewed preseason as games to see the players of our future. To watch individuals. Not to see the team win.
Hopefully others take this article to heart and realize preseason is the time to watch players fight for positions on the roster.

0 points
0
0
TarynsEyes's picture

September 03, 2015 at 07:18 am

"Never judge a book by its cover"....but after reading the preface,it will take some solid writing via the early chapters to refrain from putting it down,not as a closed book but on its open pages leaving hope to continue.

0 points
0
0
zeke's picture

September 03, 2015 at 07:25 am

Time is a flat circle.

0 points
0
0
TarynsEyes's picture

September 03, 2015 at 07:54 am

0 points
0
0
Handsback's picture

September 03, 2015 at 09:04 am

John Titor might disagree with that.

0 points
0
0
zeke's picture

September 03, 2015 at 09:13 am

He was right about the Iraq war. And Justin Harrell (probably).

0 points
0
0
TKWorldWide's picture

September 03, 2015 at 10:07 am

And it keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin', into the future.

0 points
0
0
Ibleedgreenmore's picture

September 03, 2015 at 07:21 am

We will see a lot of 2nd and 3rd stringers, the fringe players if you will. I just want a game where we come out with no injuries at this point its just get out and get a few questions asked as to who the last few they keep.

0 points
0
0
Imma Fubared's picture

September 03, 2015 at 09:17 am

You don't think Mike will want to run Lacy left run Lacy right for the first half to get the lead. Obviously he wants to win these games and will risk injuries to our guys to do so. That's his brilliant mind at work.

0 points
0
0
4thand1's picture

September 03, 2015 at 02:10 pm

you suck

0 points
0
0
NickPerry's picture

September 03, 2015 at 07:46 am

I won't be able to watch the game until Saturday or Sunday, whenever the NFL Network is rebroadcasting it. I'll be really interested in what several of you guys have to say about the performance of the players that play tonight. I'm really interested to see how Abby performs tonight. I still think he can play and be a effective Slot Receiver in this league. Great hands, great route runner, just needs to stay on the field. Good luck to all the Players tonight and Stay Healthy!!!

0 points
0
0
RCPackerFan's picture

September 03, 2015 at 08:25 am

Abbrederis is the player I'm most looking forward to seeing tonight. Tonight will be the first time we get to watch him in a Packers uniform in a game.

I agree with you on him being a good slot WR. He runs great routes and is assignment sure. Rodgers was very high on him last year. I think he needs to have a very good night to make the 53, other wise he will likely go on the PS.

0 points
0
0
EdsLaces's picture

September 03, 2015 at 09:09 am

Me to man West Virginia isn't exactly on top of broadcasting Packer games haha.

0 points
0
0
Icebowler's picture

September 03, 2015 at 05:11 pm

Myles White's excellent preseason has hurt Abby's chances to make the final 53. Even if Abby does really well tonight (I hope he does), I think he will end up on the practice squad, until he overtakes White in future practices.

0 points
0
0
porupack's picture

September 03, 2015 at 08:29 am

Well done on your finest line,. Itself was the article worth every byte:

Brett Hundley threw for 300 yards, two scores, and only one pick in three quarters of a preseason game without his top two receivers. Do you know what would be happening in Minnesota if Teddy Bridgewater had that same performance? In Green Bay, it's brushed aside.

Seriously though, I think all fans on this site pretty much have been saying the same thing as your article. The somber, or gloom and doom fans would say it has more to do with starter vs starter match ups and we didn't see GB on top of many of those. We all appreciate the evaluation reps for 2nd-3rd string, so that probably doesn't need further mentioning. No one mentioned the score pissed them off.

0 points
0
0
Imma Fubared's picture

September 03, 2015 at 09:15 am

I agree. Pre season means nothing. Just because the Vikes won all their games with solid victories not playing their best running back and letting their very young gifted QB sit out most of the games means nothing.
We should easily handle those guys. Especially our special teams.

0 points
0
0
zeke's picture

September 03, 2015 at 09:19 am

Death, taxes, and Imma snacking on paste and paint chips.

0 points
0
0
NickPerry's picture

September 03, 2015 at 04:57 pm

Hmmmm.... Didn't the Queens win all their preseason games last year too?

0 points
0
0
Gianich's picture

September 03, 2015 at 09:20 am

"Do you know what would be happening in Minnesota if Teddy Bridgewater had that same performance?"

Dishwater is having this performance every week minus the pick and with a few more percentage points. All moxy no "ponder yips" That kids is going to be great if he stays healthy. ... And that sucks.

0 points
0
0
Bearmeat's picture

September 03, 2015 at 02:01 pm

Go away Queen fan. We're still going to kill you for the forseeable future.

0 points
0
0
hobbes's picture

September 03, 2015 at 10:12 am

I demand to be able to overreact to games where everything is made up and the points don't matter!

0 points
0
0
PaulRosik's picture

September 03, 2015 at 10:54 am

yeah who's game is it anyway?

0 points
0
0
sonomaca's picture

September 03, 2015 at 10:54 am

An NFL re-draft: Hundley's up to the 2nd round, I would think. He's clearly got NFL skills, and is progressing much faster than most people expected.

The plan was to develop and trade him, but if he could be the next great Packer's QB, maybe they should think twice.

0 points
0
0
NewNikeShoes's picture

September 03, 2015 at 11:04 am

I got something stupid, why don't we trade A-Rod after 2-3 years and make Hundley our starter? Just throwing out suggestions.

0 points
0
0
Bearmeat's picture

September 03, 2015 at 02:03 pm

Yeah. That's pretty stupid.

0 points
0
0
4thand1's picture

September 03, 2015 at 02:14 pm

Calling that stupid is an insult to stupidity.

0 points
0
0
sonomaca's picture

September 03, 2015 at 02:28 pm

Hard to really predict what will happen 3 years from now. Maybe injuries will have taken a toll on Rodgers. Maybe he'll have lost his mobility. Maybe the Packers won't be good. Hard to say what the future holds.

0 points
0
0
WKUPackFan's picture

September 03, 2015 at 11:04 am

Off topic: the judge has overturned Brady's suspension. Justice does exist! The best part of the opinion I've seen so far is where the judge questions Wells "independence".

It's very unbecoming to compliment one's self but, from the beginning, a certain poster has maintained this deflate stuff was garbage.

0 points
0
0
John Galt III's picture

September 03, 2015 at 01:59 pm

For one player this game matters: Tim Masthay

Another game like last week and if Zook is not brain dead he asks TT to bring somebody for a look. He's number 32 of 32 in punt yardage in preseason - the only player under 40.0 yds per game. Fortunately his punts are so short there have been no net yards on runbacks, so maybe that is what Zook wants.

http://www.nfl.com/stats/categorystats?tabSeq=0&season=2015&seasonType=P...

0 points
0
0
4thand1's picture

September 03, 2015 at 02:16 pm

He's playing possum. 1st game he'll boom it over the returners head when he's playing to shallow.

0 points
0
0
4thand1's picture

September 03, 2015 at 02:18 pm

Maybe its on purpose to test the coverage team.

0 points
0
0
Icebowler's picture

September 03, 2015 at 05:24 pm

I just hope the Packers have been seriously scouting the other NFL teams that still have two punters in camp.

0 points
0
0
FITZCORE1252's picture

September 03, 2015 at 04:02 pm

I'm just glad we have that 5th preseason game in Chicago next week. Let the team gel, get the easy W, and on to real football week 2.

Speaking of week 2, I will be there if anybody wants to meet up and buy me a beer. :-)

0 points
0
0
Icebowler's picture

September 03, 2015 at 05:27 pm

Just remember that the Lions went 4-0 in preseason, the year they went 0-16 in the regular season.

0 points
0
0