GumboBC

Here's an article by Judge from 2002. And I think it still rings true today. But you be the JUDGE.... ;)



The Washington Redskins score 75 points in their first two preseason games — 29 more than they managed in four exhibitions a year ago — and jubilant Redskins fans want to know what it all means. I think I can answer that in one word.

Nothing.

Yep, preseason results have as much impact on the regular season as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays have on the World Series, and I offer last year's San Diego Chargers as Exhibit A. They won three of their four preseason games, losing only to Arizona, then plunged confidently into the season.

They lost their last nine.

While that's an achievement, it can't surpass the Bolts' performance of the year before.

That team won all four preseason games — including a 31-7 laugher over Minnesota — then proceeded to drop its first 11 en route to a 1-15 finish. Minnesota won 11 and wound up in the NFC championship game.

I think you get my drift: Preseason games don't mean squat.

If they did, Mike Riley would still be in San Diego, Ryan Leaf would be in the Pro Bowl and there would be no question where the Chargers would be next. Try a new stadium, approved by a giddy electorate.

It'll be tough for Shane Matthews and the Redskins to repeat their preseason success during the regular season.

I bring this up not because of what didn't happen in San Diego but because of what's going on in Washington, where the Redskins have the attention of local travel agents booking round-trip airfares to San Diego for January. The temptation is to buy into what's happened the past two weeks and believe that Washington can be first in war, first in peace and first in the NFC East.

The Redskins are hotter than July in Great Falls, with Shane Matthews and Danny Wuerffel treating opponents the way they used to treat Vanderbilt. It's not supposed to be that way — Matthews and Wuerrfel were other people's rejects, remember? — but Spurrier's pulling down $5 million per, so he must know something others don't, right? Maybe.

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[Edited on 16/8/2004 by GumboBC]

ScottyRo

I read that article and agreed with it then as I do now.

Judge said, \"Preseason games don\'t mean squat.\" But all he was referring to was the final scores. I don\'t give one cent about the final scores of preseason games.

All I care about is how certain units did agains their counterpart units.

GumboBC

No, Scotty, that\'s not all Judge was saying.

He went on to talk about things like:

\"The Redskins are hotter than July in Great Falls, with Shane Matthews and Danny Wuerffel treating opponents the way they used to treat Vanderbilt. It\'s not supposed to be that way — Matthews and Wuerrfel were other people\'s rejects, remember? — but Spurrier\'s pulling down $5 million per, so he must know something others don\'t, right? Maybe.\"

That has NOTHING to do with winning or losing. He\'s talking about how players can be great in preseason and be terrible in the regular season. Happens quite often, which is why it doesn\'t mean much.

BlackandBlue

I do use the preseason to evaluate some things. Like: tackling, execution, dropped passes, and penalties.

GumboBC

Hello, BlackandBlue!!

Yes, I do use preseason to evaluate tackling. I do think poor tackling CAN indicate those particular player might do that in the regular season. And yes we did miss SOME tackles. Nothing alarming.

Execution: What I mean by that is players lining up in the correct spot, running the correct routes, going on the correct snap count, etc, etc.. It happens to a lot of teams early on in preseason and especially to the back-ups. I didn\'t see this is a problem in the game.

dropped passes -- It\'s a bad sign to see receivers dropping passes in the preseason and I DO believe that can carry over in the regular season.

penalties -- Not a good sign even if it is preseason. We didn\'t have a lot of player turnover and this shouldn\'t be a big problem. And it wasn\'t. Unlike last year in preseason.


The thing I don\'t pay a lot of attention to, at least not early on, is if all the guys are playing together as a unit. This takes times and it\'s dependent on all 11-guys. And coaches are trying to do different things out on the filed that doesn\'t put the \"unit\" in the best situation to be effective.

That\'s my take anyway.

Now, I do pay a lot more attention to the 3rd preseason game than the rest of \'em. That\'s the tune-up game for the regular season MOST of the time.

CheramieIII

True Dat, True Dat, True dat say dey goin beat dem Saint\'s!!!