PFT: NFL Cuts Preseason to Two Games in 2020

[Plankton]

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2020/07/01/nfl-cuts-2020-preseason-in-half/

It’s been rumored and expected. It’s now official: The 2020 preseason will be trimmed from four games to two.

Specifically, Week One and Week Four have been scrapped. The league is expected to announce the move on Thursday.

The move was driven by two primary factors. First, teams who will be playing preseason games on the road won’t want to move that many people. Second, given that no teams had on-field practice sessions in the offseason, coaches would rather have the extra time to work with their teams, and that will happen if they don’t have to worry about two extra preseason games.

Already, the Week Four preseason game is worthless (or, more accurately, less worthless than the other preseason games). So it’s really only the loss of one preseason game. And the first preseason game doesn’t typically involve much work from starters, anyway.

 

[KingintheNorth]

Good.

I'd do it permanently. Change it from 4 games to 2 games plus 1 controlled scrimmage.

 

[CouchCoach]

Good, only two more to go to get it to the necessary 0.

 

[Kaiser]

This is going to cut back dramatically on the evaluation time for back of the roster players to make an impression. Fortunately 6 of our 7 draft picks are guys we had a 3rd round grade on or higher so it won't impact us.

But in the past those early preseason games were where guys like Anthony Brown, Donovan Wilson, Kavon Frazier and Jeff Heath made enough of an impression to make the roster.

 

[Rockport]

This is going to cut back dramatically on the evaluation time for back of the roster players to make an impression. Fortunately 6 of our 7 draft picks are guys we had a 3rd round grade on or higher so it won't impact us.

But in the past those early preseason games were where guys like Anthony Brown, Donovan Wilson, Kavon Frazier and Jeff Heath made enough of an impression to make the roster.

Yes but it's the same for every team.

 

[Oz-of-Cowboy-Country]

But how can I root for my pet cats if I can't see them very much? Dangit.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

Heard many coaches say they pretty much knew the players they were keeping BEFORE the final preseason game. So yea, it was/is useless.......

 

[cern]

Both players and coaches will have to be at their best. On the bright side, less time for overthinking.

 

[JoeKing]

So, the Week 1 and Week 4 preseason games have been scrubbed. Those were both road games for the Cowboys. Now they have the Ravens and Chiefs coming to them.

 

[cowboyblue22]

glad to see this glad the team is not going to california cowboys had five now its two wonder how long before its none

 

[Ranched]

 

[dcstar]

Never to go back to 4 again.

Go Cowboys!

 

[CouchCoach]

Heard many coaches say they pretty much knew the players they were keeping BEFORE the final preseason game. So yea, it was/is useless.......

They know before preseason games who's on the short list and players don't make the team playing against other players not making their teams.

There is not a coach in the NFL that needs preseason games to finalize his roster, not one of them. If there is, he needs another job. They run plays in practice that they do not run in preseason games and those are the plays they're evaluating players on.

What they need are controlled scrimmages with 2 other teams during the preseason that they will not face in the real season.

Preseason games were first formed as exhibition games for additional money and exposure to ancillary markets. I saw the Cowboys in Memphis and Shreveport and even then the starters only made an appearance to please those fans. They evolved into home games when they discovered they could get full price for a preseason game without paying full game checks and the fans didn't balk at 10 games instead of 8.

I had the chance to talk to Lilly about this and he said the vets and those that knew they were going to make it didn't go all out in preseason games because they knew they were being evaluated in camp and at practice in controlled situations. He was asked many times to really work out an OL to give them a better view just as he had been when he first started out. They would ask him to make a specific move to better evaluate and they couldn't necessarily get that in a game situation.

 

[Kaiser]

Will we see fans in stadiums this year? I doubt it.

Don't tell Jerry.

 

[Cowboy4ever]

Will we see fans in stadiums this year? I doubt it.

I will be shocked if there isn't fans in the seats this year. They may be smaller (like half) capacity crowds and those in attendance will have rules to follow, like wear a mask, but there will be fans at the games.

 

[blueblood70]

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2020/07/01/nfl-cuts-2020-preseason-in-half/

It’s been rumored and expected. It’s now official: The 2020 preseason will be trimmed from four games to two.

Specifically, Week One and Week Four have been scrapped. The league is expected to announce the move on Thursday.

The move was driven by two primary factors. First, teams who will be playing preseason games on the road won’t want to move that many people. Second, given that no teams had on-field practice sessions in the offseason, coaches would rather have the extra time to work with their teams, and that will happen if they don’t have to worry about two extra preseason games.

Already, the Week Four preseason game is worthless (or, more accurately, less worthless than the other preseason games). So it’s really only the loss of one preseason game. And the first preseason game doesn’t typically involve much work from starters, anyway.

its an experiment before the full 18 game kicks in..

 

[MichaelWinicki]

I expect the on-field product to be lousy.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

I will be shocked if there isn't fans in the seats this year. They may be smaller (like half) capacity crowds and those in attendance will have rules to follow, like wear a mask, but there will be fans at the games.

50% full?


Yeah... Sure.

 

[blueblood70]

So, the Week 1 and Week 4 preseason games have been scrubbed. Those were both road games for the Cowboys. Now they have the Ravens and Chiefs coming to them.

one heck of tune up against the last 2 MVPs at QB, dak can see what real élite guys do..jk

I bet they play a lot of starters and they play hard given the opponent and only 2 games..at least they are against good opponents..

 

[Bowdown27]

Good.

I'd do it permanently. Change it from 4 games to 2 games plus 1 controlled scrimmage.

Couldn’t have said it any better. It’s not needed. 2 is perfect.