The Lass Word: Did Last Year Prove Preseason Games Are Unnecessary?

Quality of play was surprisingly high.

Football is back.  The Green Bay Packers open the 2021 preseason by hosting the Houston Texans Saturday night at Lambeau Field.  The start of the preseason is always exciting, but you know what is even more exciting?  The start of the regular season.  We have to wait a month for that.  A month of games that don’t matter in the standings, featuring players who may never see the field when it counts, or who may not even be on the team.  A month of games where key players could get hurt and their seasons end or at least become delayed. 

 

It begs the question:  Are these preseason games really necessary?  Is it time the NFL dumps preseason games and expands the regular season to 18 games, maybe even more down the road?  Do coaches and general managers really need three preseason games to evaluate their young and new players? 

 

The issue is not new, but until last year, there was no motivation to experiment.  When the Covid pandemic forced all OTAs to be virtual, and all preseason games to be canceled, the league was forced to confront the prospect.   

 

As the 2020 regular season was about to begin, with no preseason games taking place, predictions about the quality of play were dire.  Expect the first few games to be incredibly sloppy, they all said.  Offenses will be sluggish.  Tackling will be terrible.  Turnovers will abound.   

 

But a strange thing happened.  Despite the lack of preseason games, most observers were stunned by the overall quality of play.  Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers came out of the blocks on fire, throwing for 364 yards and four touchdowns, in a thrilling 43-34 victory over the Vikings.  The offense looked like a well-oiled machine. 

 

The biggest argument for preseason games is that young players need game experience to prepare for their NFL careers.  For the Packers, quarterback Jordan Love would be the poster child.  He needs to play extensively in these three practice games to grow as a signal caller.  There is no way he would be ready to take the field under center in a real game if he doesn’t get these August contests under his belt, right? 

 

Not necessarily.  Cincinnati rookie Joe Burrow started week one without a single preseason game on his resume’.  In his first four games, he threw for 1.121 yards and six touchdowns, with just two interceptions.  That’s an average of over 280 passing yards per game.  Chargers’ rookie Justin Herbert was forced into starting in week two.  Again, with no preseason games in which to get experience, he responded with 311 passing yards and a touchdown against defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City.  Herbert followed that up with a 330 yard performance in his second start versus Carolina. 

 

In Miami, rookie Tua Tagovailoa did not play in the Dolphins’ first five games, then went on to start nine of the last ten.  He led the team to a 6-3 record down the stretch, throwing for 1,814 yards and 11 touchdowns.  He also ran for 109 yards and three more scores.  All this without ever taking a snap in a preseason game. 

 

We can debate whether Jordan Love is as talented as players such as Burrow, Herbert and Tagovailoa, but Love even had an entire season to observe, learn, and practice in the NFL, whereas the aforementioned trio were rookies.   

 

The coaching staffs should be able to arrange their practice formats to allow them to get a good enough reading on their borderline players.  Also, controlled scrimmages against other teams, such as when the New York Jets come to Green Bay this summer, should tell them much about what they need to know.  The Packers already schedule additional sessions for rookies after the regular practice is over.  

 

Coach Matt LaFleur indicated this week Love would play well into the second half Saturday night.  Will LaFleur play the number one offensive line that long?  Doubtful.  That means Love will be taking snaps protected by reserves and that makes me nervous.  What if Jordan Love, playing in a meaningless preseason game, behind some reserve offensive lineman who misses his block, is sacked hard and suffers a season-ending injury?  What would that do to his path of becoming the starting quarterback next season? (Yes, I'’m assuming Rodgers will be gone.) 

 

The reality is, preseason games are already an endangered species.  It seems clear the NFL is headed toward the eventual elimination of the preseason, and further expansion of the regular campaign.  This year’s reduction to three practice games, and expansion to 17 regular season contests, seems but a prelude of things to come.  The only reason the games still exist is because of the money they bring in.  The instant NFL owners can convince the players union to further enlarge the regular season, preseason games will quickly get the axe.     

 

Back in the 1960’s, NFL players used training camp and preseason games to get back into shape.  That luxury is long gone.  So, it would seem, is the need for games that don’t count. 

 

  

 

 

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Ken Lass is a former Green Bay television sports anchor and 43 year media veteran, a lifelong Packers fan, and a shareholder.

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Comments (22)

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

August 12, 2021 at 03:17 pm

I totally disagree. With preseason games last year, we'd have a much better idea of where Love is now. Had Rodgers continued his idiotic "I don't want to play there anymore" stance, management would have had a much better idea of what to do. And how would teams be able to do a good job evaluating who to cut down going from 90 to 53? We need at least 2 preseason games, and I'd be surprised if the NFL cut them out.

10 points
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Horrible4's picture

August 12, 2021 at 03:22 pm

Preseason games are essential, yes, but can we stop with the Rodgers slander already? It's been debunked a million times now: Rodgers never said he didn't want to play for Green Bay.

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Alberta_Packer's picture

August 12, 2021 at 03:54 pm

check "beautiful mystery."

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PeteK's picture

August 12, 2021 at 06:54 pm

However, he implied it through leaks , interview, and not showing up to practice.

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Horrible4's picture

August 14, 2021 at 11:06 pm

None of the leaks can be cooberated and most of them have been proven to be falsified. This has been the worst take of the offseason. Do you just believe hearsay?

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LambeauPlain's picture

August 13, 2021 at 11:28 am

He only said that to several top teammates. Adams said as much that Rodgers disgruntlement added to his negotiation stance.

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jannes bjornson's picture

August 12, 2021 at 07:26 pm

They watch them every day in Practice. Pre-season games are a chance for Fans to watch the squad at a fair price w/out getting gouged in the regular season when the car salesmen scalp their assigned seats to the fan base of the opposition.

5 points
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Bearmeat's picture

August 12, 2021 at 03:55 pm

2 is enough. But the owners should stop charging season ticket holders full price for them. 25% to 50%.

9 points
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PeteK's picture

August 12, 2021 at 06:55 pm

Yes, but when they started to charge full price fans still bought season tkts, so why should they stop.

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canadapacker's picture

August 12, 2021 at 03:58 pm

Preseason games of some sort or another are necessary. Now maybe they do not have to be the "real" preseason games that teams use to get money from their fans. Maybe there could be more "joint practices" or formalized "joint practices" . Unfortunately the NFLPA has negotiated limited amount and types of practices ( padded versus non). But knowing how rookies especially are going to react to other teams - rather than just going head to head with teammates is important. The biggest issue last year and why the Pack looked much better was because of familiarity with everything - coaches, schemes and the high number of veterans - really showed versus teams who had new coaching staffs and a lot of turnover.

6 points
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Minniman's picture

August 12, 2021 at 04:00 pm

They fall into the same bucket as the pro-ball game.

The reasons FOR are common, but I’ll post them anyway.

These games are possibly less essential for teams as they are for bubble players (like the current GB WR crew who will be jettisoning at least 2 starter types).

Also, with the collective bargaining agreement limiting padded practice they are 3 extra opportunities to get players ready for the collisions - not sure on the actual stats but I do remember hearing anecdotally that a larger proportion of players got injured early last season and some attributed this to the lack of contact (luckily the Packers dodged that bullet).

7 points
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Alberta_Packer's picture

August 12, 2021 at 04:23 pm

Absolutely - preseason games are valuable (see NBA Summer League). Not so much for veteran players but for aspiring rookies, practice squad and UDFA players. For the Packers - this preseason will be particularly germane - not only being the main audition for Jordan Love but also for a handful of other young (and inexpensive) players who, in actuality, are also trying-out for next year's team - which probably will be significantly younger, cheaper (and less experienced).

5 points
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Ferrari-Driver's picture

August 12, 2021 at 04:23 pm

I'm a season ticket holder and would like to see NFL teams hold two preseason games per year and perhaps another workout with an NFL team. However, I think those preseason games should be an opportunity for those Packer fans who do not hold season tickets to have an inexpensive opportunity to take their kids to a game. I used to see dad's take their family to games decades ago when I was a kid, but regular season tickets were in the $20's or $30's.

I don't recall the exact price I pay for preseason tickets, but it's a reduced amount and I give those tickets to places like the boy's club or friends who don't have much of a chance to get inside of Lambeau Field for a game.

What I would like to see is the Packer sell these preseason tickets themselves at a reduced price to people who wouldn't have to buy them on the secondary market and have the price be economical enough so we could once again see youngsters get the opportunity I had to see Packer games in person in Lambeau. Those times I got to go to games with my dad were some of the greatest times of my life.

15 points
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Coldworld's picture

August 12, 2021 at 05:39 pm

This year seems to be showing why they are for 2/3 of the roster.

4 points
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MarkinMadison's picture

August 12, 2021 at 05:42 pm

As a fan I like seeing the new players. Also as a fan, I think adding more regular season games to the schedule is a bad idea. I loved basketball when I was a kid, but I don't even think about it until the playoffs start. I like baseball, but as an adult I only even tried to watch most of the games one season. And football is just so hard on guys' bodies. So everything Ken says is true. And unless the coaches speak up in favor of preseason games I suspect that Ken's prediction is correct. But I think football will be worse off for it.

3 points
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Leatherhead's picture

August 12, 2021 at 07:35 pm

If I was trying to make the team, I’d want as much game time as I could get.

They’re useful for evaluating guys, but it’s probably a bad idea to expose the core of the team to injuries during the preseason.

8 points
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Packers0808's picture

August 12, 2021 at 08:18 pm

Obviously is important on the evaluation end, especially for those players on the cusp of either in or out on the final 53!

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Since'61's picture

August 12, 2021 at 09:52 pm

2 exhibition games and a practice with another team should be enough to evaluate the players. I would prefer the league go down to 2 exhibition and allow more practice than allowed under the current CBA.

The coaches know which 40-45 players will make the team before TC even begins. It shouldn’t take more than 2 exhibition games plus TC to determine who will fill the remaining 8-10 spots on the 53.

Exhibition games are important for evaluation but since the starters play a very limited number of snaps they should only be played for evaluation purposes and 2 should be enough for that.

The next move will be an 18 game season with only 2 exhibition games. I doubt that the owners will ever give up the free money from exhibition games. Thanks, Since ‘61

3 points
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croatpackfan's picture

August 13, 2021 at 06:27 am

There is no better evaluation tool for GMs and coaches than live action against "unknown" opponent. The only question I can understand is how many those "practice" games (or preseason games) should be.

I believe that is something people who are doing players evaluations should agree and come to the league with proposal. Maybe it will be the best idea to put 2 official preseason games and allowed during training camp to every team to find opponent by itself for the 3rd preseason game if there will be interested parties (no obligation!). That is how you can help teams in rebuilding or with new coaching staff to settle down for the season.

I understand why teams are reluctant to play starters in those games. Starters are probably in no need for the games, they can do everything in TC. But young players needs to be evaluate and to adapt themselves to the speed and strength (hardness) of the NFL.
Of course there is always larger opportunity for substantial injuries in every game. Some injuries are connected with game hitting, grabbing , pulling, tackling but some injuries (especially with older players) are there as the result of the "material fatigue" and if they are not happen through preseason it will happen in the 1st or 2nd game of the regular season. If the last happens, I prefer to happen before the season, because you'll have the time to accommodate your team and find either replacement or keep player who was almost on final 53, but you cut him, and other team snagged him from you or from your PS. In that case you are in double loss.

So, I would suggest 2 mandatory preseason games and one which are not obligatory!

I know this is just mind games. Nobody will listen neither me nor any of you!

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Packers0808's picture

August 13, 2021 at 01:12 pm

You are right about one thing, nobody will listen to you!

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LambeauPlain's picture

August 13, 2021 at 11:39 am

I appreciate Ken's view...but he is mostly positioning top draft choices not necessarily needing Preseason games. But most teams churn about 1/3 of the roster every year for depth needs. And practice is not the same as a game. Anyone who played football knows this.

How many solid depth players on the 53 were selected based on Preseason games over the years? Would Patrick have made the team year one? What about Lazard or even MVS? Would Williams have made it...how about the Shields experiment?

Preseason remains a valuable tool for depth evaluations. Coach Matt has even stated the preseason game film is essential to evaluate the guys they need to round out the 53.

1 points
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Savage57's picture

August 14, 2021 at 06:05 am

I have an idea. Whether it's any good, who knows?

Declare 25 starters (O, D, ST) prior to each game. They can't play.

The roster for the game is made up of the remaining 65 players for both teams.

Change the rosters before each of the three games as needed or warranted.

Benefits?
1) Insulate starters from injury
2) Provide in-game experience for aspirants
3) NFL owns these are glorified practices for low-roster players and can't justify gouging fans for them.

0 points
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