CFZ Why Practice is more important than pre-season games

[Bobhaze]

I’ve always found it interesting that neither college nor high school football requires pre-season games to prepare for their regular season start. In fact, on college and HS campuses right now all across our country, teams are preparing for their first regular season game the old fashioned way- in regular practices. Some HS’s will have one controlled scrimmage. But College football starts in 3 weeks without a single ps game.

Let me make clear, I don’t have a problem with our fans who love PS games. I get it- it’s football and we’ve all waited a half a year to see some kind of pigskin play. if you enjoy PS games, keep enjoying them because the owners fight tooth and nail to keep them for cash purposes. They aren’t going anywhere.

But I have evolved to the point where I would never play a single starter even one down in a meaningless pre-season game. Here are my reasons:

• Practices, not PS games are where teams really prepare for the games that matter. New offensive and defensive wrinkles and systems are not perfected in a PS game. It’s in practice.
  • PS games have no game planning, the absolute most vanilla of offensive plays and defensive alignments are called. Nothing big from the playbook is rolled out in PS games.
  • Opponents in PS games also usually only use their most vanilla play calls and don’t care who wins.
• PS games should be used to decide roster spots.
• PS games can showcase the potential of rookies or backups and how they handle competitive situations.
• PS games can decide kicker, punter, backup QB and many other (mostly backup) positions.
• Practice is where teams prepare for the real regular season games each week. That’s where the coaches game plan, learn about players strengths and weaknesses, etc.
• In today’s NFL with the veterans who are on big contracts in the cap era, it makes zero sense to risk a huge portion of your cap space in a meaningless pre-season game.

As I said at the beginning- IMO if college and HS football don’t need pre-season games to get ready for the regular season, NFL starters can get ready for the games that matter in practice too.

I would never risk a big portion of cap space in a meaningless game. I know that’s not a popular opinion with fans, but it makes the most sense the way the game is structured these days.

 

[big dog cowboy]

I 100% agree with everything you said.

I just hate the way it's turned into Camp Cupcake in the NFL.

 

[Bobhaze]

I 100% agree with everything you said.

I just hate the way it's turned into Camp Cupcake in the NFL.

The way the league is structured now has made PS games not worth the risk to your best players. It’s just the way it is in the cap era.

 

[KJJ]

There’s such an emphasis on keeping players healthy that you really don’t know what you have until players begin to tackle and hit in games. Training camps have become glorified walk-throughs and you need live game situations to make an accurate evaluation of a player. Some players aren’t good practice players, but show up in games. Some players look great in practice but disappear when the lights come on.

 

[plymkr]

The way the league is structured now has made PS games not worth the risk to your best players. It’s just the way it is in the cap era.

If someone like Diggs, DLaw or Dak would get hurt in a PS game then you got a large percentage of your salary cap on IR. I feel the league should change the rules with the salary cap where if you have a 2nd contract or higher (so basically anyone not on a rookie contract) and they get a season ending injury in a preseason game then their salary doesn’t count against the cap. This would give teams the flexibility to sign someone as a replacement.

But let’s pretend Dak and Pollard play in the preseason and both got hurt. That’s 50 million of dead cap space for the Cowboys. It’s just not worth the risk IMO.

 

[America's Cowboy]

I’ve always found it interesting that neither college nor high school football requires pre-season games to prepare for their regular season start. In fact, on college and HS campuses right now all across our country, teams are preparing for their first regular season game the old fashioned way- in regular practices. Some HS’s will have one controlled scrimmage. But College football starts in 3 weeks without a single ps game.

Let me make clear, I don’t have a problem with our fans who love PS games. I get it- it’s football and we’ve all waited a half a year to see some kind of pigskin play. if you enjoy PS games, keep enjoying them because the owners fight tooth and nail to keep them for cash purposes. They aren’t going anywhere.

But I have evolved to the point where I would never play a single starter even one down in a meaningless pre-season game. Here are my reasons:

• Practices, not PS games are where teams really prepare for the games that matter.New offensive and defensive wrinkles and systems are not perfected in a PS game. It’s in practice.
  • PS games have no game planning, the absolute most vanilla of offensive plays and defensive alignments are called. Nothing big from the playbook is rolled out in PS games.
  • Opponents in PS games also usually only use their most vanilla play calls and don’t care who wins.
• PS games should be used to decide roster spots.
• PS games can showcase the potential of rookies or backups and how they handle competitive situations.
• PS games can decide kicker, punter, backup QB and many other (mostly backup) positions.
• Practice is where teams prepare for the real regular season games each week. That’s where the coaches game plan, learn about players strengths and weaknesses, etc.
• In today’s NFL with the veterans who are on big contracts in the cap era, it makes zero sense to risk a huge portion of your cap space in a meaningless pre-season game.

As I said at the beginning- IMO if college and HS football don’t need pre-season games to get ready for the regular season, NFL starters can get ready for the games that matter in practice too.

I would never risk a big portion of cap space in a meaningless game. I know that’s not a popular opinion with fans, but it makes the most sense the way the game is structured these days.

I don't know how you were taught or played high school football, BH, but preseason games were always important for all 1st teamers to get one's feet wet, adjust to a new playbook or new tweaks added, plus get our legs under us and our bodies in "game shape" before the games that count start. Preseason games are so important in my book.

 

[noshame]

Of course practice reps are key.
But you cannot come close simulating game conditions in these Uber structured practices. Sure a veteran QB with a familiar cast around him in a system he's run for seasons does not need pre season game time.
But that's not us. 10 plays or so per game could be beneficial, even for the new play caller.

 

[Flamma]

If someone like Diggs, DLaw or Dak would get hurt in a PS game then you got a large percentage of your salary cap on IR. I feel the league should change the rules with the salary cap where if you have a 2nd contract or higher (so basically anyone not on a rookie contract) and they get a season ending injury in a preseason game then their salary doesn’t count against the cap. This would give teams the flexibility to sign someone as a replacement.

But let’s pretend Dak and Pollard play in the preseason and both got hurt. That’s 50 million of dead cap space for the Cowboys. It’s just not worth the risk IMO.

I understand your point, but I just have one question. If Dak and Pollard get hurt in week 1, does that make it any better? At some point before week 1 they have to get to game speed. In practice I guess? You can't wait for week one to do that. That's how you get injured.

But I do like your suggestion.

 

[CouchCoach]

The real issue is that some think these coaches need pretend games to assess talent. If they do, what the hell were they doing at practice? They control the scrimmage and variables and get to watch their players up close.

 

[maryquality]

I can see both sides of this issue. It doesn't matter to me one way or the other. I just pray for no injuries. Slightly off topic, but since the pre-season games are "meaningless", why do teams charge full price for tickets? I know, I know....NFL is all about the benjamins!!

 

[CouchCoach]

If someone like Diggs, DLaw or Dak would get hurt in a PS game then you got a large percentage of your salary cap on IR. I feel the league should change the rules with the salary cap where if you have a 2nd contract or higher (so basically anyone not on a rookie contract) and they get a season ending injury in a preseason game then their salary doesn’t count against the cap. This would give teams the flexibility to sign someone as a replacement.

But let’s pretend Dak and Pollard play in the preseason and both got hurt. That’s 50 million of dead cap space for the Cowboys. It’s just not worth the risk IMO.

Is that player receiving their contract money? Then they should count. Managing injuries/depth is part of the cap challenge.

 

[CouchCoach]

I can see both sides of this issue. It doesn't matter to me one way or the other. I just pray for no injuries. Slightly off topic, but since the pre-season game are "meaningless", why do teams charge full price for tickets? I know, I know....NFL is all about the benjamins!!

They discovered they could get away with that in season ticket packages. Some people don't care they are not watching the best players.

 

[stilltheguru]

No. It's the reason why Dennis Houston was exposed as a fraud. Camp isn't preseason at all.

 

[CouchCoach]

College used to play powder puffs to sharpen up but the TV money changed that for a lot of them.

 

[Bobhaze]

I don't know how you were taught or played high school football, BH, but preseason games were always important for all 1st teamers to get one's feet wet, adjust to a new playbook or new tweaks added, plus get our legs under us and our bodies in "game shape" before the games that count start. Preseason games are so important in my book.

When I was in HS, there were no ps games. I worked in public schools in Tx nearly 40 years- they still don’t have any. They may occasionally have a scrimmage. But ps games in HS? Never saw one.

In the the NFL ps games used to be important to get in game shape. Not in today’s game. Because players work year round on being in shape. In the old days, players worked off season jobs to make ends meet. Today’s players don’t have to do that so they are already in great shape.

Once the reg season starts, what do the coaches use to get players ready for the upcoming game? Practice.

 

[john van brocklin]

I’ve always found it interesting that neither college nor high school football requires pre-season games to prepare for their regular season start. In fact, on college and HS campuses right now all across our country, teams are preparing for their first regular season game the old fashioned way- in regular practices. Some HS’s will have one controlled scrimmage. But College football starts in 3 weeks without a single ps game.

Let me make clear, I don’t have a problem with our fans who love PS games. I get it- it’s football and we’ve all waited a half a year to see some kind of pigskin play. if you enjoy PS games, keep enjoying them because the owners fight tooth and nail to keep them for cash purposes. They aren’t going anywhere.

But I have evolved to the point where I would never play a single starter even one down in a meaningless pre-season game. Here are my reasons:

• Practices, not PS games are where teams really prepare for the games that matter.New offensive and defensive wrinkles and systems are not perfected in a PS game. It’s in practice.
  • PS games have no game planning, the absolute most vanilla of offensive plays and defensive alignments are called. Nothing big from the playbook is rolled out in PS games.
  • Opponents in PS games also usually only use their most vanilla play calls and don’t care who wins.
• PS games should be used to decide roster spots.
• PS games can showcase the potential of rookies or backups and how they handle competitive situations.
• PS games can decide kicker, punter, backup QB and many other (mostly backup) positions.
• Practice is where teams prepare for the real regular season games each week. That’s where the coaches game plan, learn about players strengths and weaknesses, etc.
• In today’s NFL with the veterans who are on big contracts in the cap era, it makes zero sense to risk a huge portion of your cap space in a meaningless pre-season game.

As I said at the beginning- IMO if college and HS football don’t need pre-season games to get ready for the regular season, NFL starters can get ready for the games that matter in practice too.

I would never risk a big portion of cap space in a meaningless game. I know that’s not a popular opinion with fans, but it makes the most sense the way the game is structured these days.

1000% agree

Play the scrubs in preseason and protect the starters.


Especially with a 17 game season.

 

[Bobhaze]

Here are some interesting articles on why ps games are almost completely unnecessary:

“Time to Stop Pretending that PS Games are not Pointless”
https://fivethirtyeight.com/feature...ending-that-the-nfl-preseason-isnt-pointless/

“You don’t need PS games”
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id...ur-preseason-games-why-shortening-makes-sense

 

[America's Cowboy]

When I was in HS, there were no ps games. I worked in public schools in Tx nearly 40 years- they still don’t have any. They may occasionally have a scrimmage. But ps games in HS? Never saw one.

In the the NFL ps games used to be important to get in game shape. Not in today’s game. Because players work year round on being in shape. In the old days, players worked off season jobs to make ends meet. Today’s players don’t have to do that so they are already in great shape.

Once the reg season starts, what do the coaches use to get players ready for the upcoming game? Practice.

Sorry, BH, my dear old friend, but down here in South Texas, we've always had 2-3 non-district games we would play every season to prepare us for the regular season (district) games. It's always been that way. Call it "preseason games" or "non-district games", they all meant the same thing...actual full live games against non-district opponents to prepare teams for the regular season district games. Makes me wonder what part of Texas you were from?

 

[stilltheguru]

Here are some interesting articles on why ps games are almost completely unnecessary:

“Time to Stop Pretending that PS Games are not Pointless”
https://fivethirtyeight.com/feature...ending-that-the-nfl-preseason-isnt-pointless/

“You don’t need PS games”
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id...ur-preseason-games-why-shortening-makes-sense

Donovan Wilson wasn't a lock to make the team based on 2019 training camp. He made the team in preseason. And he's one of many players. This is really a ridiculous stance.

 

[SoBlue128]

When I was in HS, there were no ps games. I worked in public schools in Tx nearly 40 years- they still don’t have any. They may occasionally have a scrimmage. But ps games in HS? Never saw one.

In the the NFL ps games used to be important to get in game shape. Not in today’s game. Because players work year round on being in shape. In the old days, players worked off season jobs to make ends meet. Today’s players don’t have to do that so they are already in great shape.

Once the reg season starts, what do the coaches use to get players ready for the upcoming game? Practice.

They have non district games in high school which are in a sense preseason games because they do not have any impact on playoff seeding. It’s not called preseason but it’s very similar to what we call preseason in the NFL. Most high schools also have a controlled scrimmage the week before non district play begins. @Ranching can verify what I’m saying.