Preseason Football 101
 

It seems sad, but it has become very apparent that a number of the members here at Black & Gold are quite inadequate at their understanding of what exactly is preseason football and what is its purpose. I am going to do my best to point out a few key points.

First, this is a football. Given the nonsensical posts referring to the Saints first two preseason games of 2016 I felt some around here may need to approach the subject at a very remedial level.

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Second, this is an NFL head coach. An NFL head coach has a lifetime of in-depth NFL knowledge behind him. His responsibilities include major organizational tasks and minute decisions concerning individual players. The average fan has no idea what steps the head coach undertakes to salve these dilemmas.

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Third, this is a somewhat below average fan that cannot seem to grasp the duties of a head coach.

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Now we move on to the meat of this short course. What is the purpose of preseason football to the NFL head coach? The answer is it is a vehicle used to evaluate a handful of players to determine their ability to produce on the final 53 man roster and be subject to the practice squad.

Some erroneous beliefs held by the uneducated fan includes the following.

- The defensive scheme is being tested.
- The offensive scheme is being tested.
- The final roster is totally undetermined.
- The key players on both side of the ball need an opportunity to show their stuff.
- Winning the game is important.
- Moving the ball on offense at all cost is vital.
- Stopping the opponent's offense at all costs is vital.

Nope. None of these are vaguely important to the head coach at this time. In fact, the head coach will routinely run the RB with little chance of toting the ball in a real game on a play that he knows has no chance of success just to evaluate how the RB and other very possible final cuts react to the play. And if head coach hasn't seen enough he may very likely call the same doomed play again to see if any of the endangered players show any sense of improvement.

The same is true on the defensive side of the ball. The preseason is the time to try players in a variety of positions without the support of real starters, just to see how they handle the adversity.

The fact is that by the time training cap begins the head coach has a pretty good idea of around 45 players that will be making that final roster. That leaves around eighteen openings including the practice squad. These eighteen players may only play a very minor role in the overall scheme of things if the head coaches plans are successful. But, the determination has to be made.

That is the main purpose of preseason football. The average, or below average fan will not be given the opportunity to see anything resembling the eventual offense or defense. They will not see all of the eventual starters on the field at the same time on either side of the ball on either side. They will not see anything resembling what end-product the head coach and his staff produces until the regular season begins.

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Re: Preseason Football 101
 

Do you watch Hard Knocks?

Re: Preseason Football 101
 

No, but I have heard all of this from multiple GM's over the years. By the time mini camps are over most coaches have a very good idea who will be the starters and where they will be playing. Of course, there are exceptions, but the decisions left to be made are on the deep depth and special teams.

As for the games, games one and two are strictly evaluation of those final eight to ten. No matter what they say about wanting to win, it is the evaluation that drives the play. Then they say that game four is where they finalize the practice squad. Once again, there are exceptions, but that is pretty much the process according to ex-GM's like Gil Brandt, Bill Pollian and Charley Casserly. I'm pretty sure they know what they are talking about.

Re: Preseason Football 101
 

I would provide you with more 'likes' if that were possible.

Great use of illustration as well.

However, I have to object to one item. Winning is actually rather important, particularly with young teams (like ours). We need to get a few wins and establish moral and motivation, creating that winning culture is important; although not as critical as some would lead on.

*Yes, I read your post above mine and do agree that the evaluation process drives the play.

Re: Preseason Football 101
 

Re: Preseason Football 101
 

I may be just a fan but pre-season or regular season even I know finishing with a losing record don't cut the mustard. I guess thats why there is a big turnover rate for losing coaches and GM's.

Re: Preseason Football 101
 

I do agree that even the coaches want to win, but as you said, that is not the driving force. We shouldn't forget that the Saints practiced against both of their first two "opponents" for two days prior to the game. I doubt they showed much, if anything, that hadn't already been seen.

Re: Preseason Football 101
 

There is no equivalence between the preseason and the regular season because no preseason game counts towards the record for getting to the playoffs. Every team starts 0-0 at the first game of the regular season.

Now it's possible to see some trends in the preseason. Some I've seen this preseason:

1. The defense that will hit the field in September is improved from the last two years. Better rush, better coverage, less penalties, better communication, less mental errors.

2. Most of the starting offensive skill players are showing promise.

3. The O-line needs work. There have been not so good plays from starters such as Peat, Strief, and Lelito. Also there have been some blitz pickup issues with Spiller.

4. The team has been sloppy with the ball from 1st team to 4th team. Too many turnovers. Period. This more than anything else is worrysome.

So what I'd really like to see is 3 and 4 cleaned up in the first half of the next game. If Brees comes out of the half clean and there are no turnovers, then things will be looking up in terms of the regular season.

SFIAH

Re: Preseason Football 101
 

All that being said: coaches can evaluate trash till the cows come home, it's still trash.

You're right, it IS about evaluation, but you can't evaluate the cement off Peats ankles, or evaluate yourself into bigger holes in the run game, or evaluate yourself into a reliable kicker, or evaluate the turnovers to go away.

They either exist on your roster, or they do not. If coaching knowledge played the game, I'm sure we'd have more rings than fingers. But call a spade a spade, when one exists.

You don't think the patriots or texans are doing the same thing?? Why can't our base talent beat their base talent, if that were the case? If their talent whips your talent with no schemes, just imagine WITH. You have to admit, there's valid comcerns. ESPECIALLY when a head coach acknowledges that he wants to win these games.

Just 2 cents from a mentally challenged fan. I don't really have much grasp of all the complex and nuanced data that you and all the NFL coaches and staff do.

Re: Preseason Football 101
 

Everyone says preseason doesn't mean anything. Every year you have teams that look great in preseason and when it comes time to play for real their fans find out that they got all hyped for nothing. Their team stinks. The same is not true for teams who look like crap in preseason. If your team looks like crap in preseason it will probably suck in the regular season. I'm not talking about preseason wins, I'm talking about how they look. Shoddy offensive line play and turnovers will definitely carry into the regular season. Looking flat and vanilla on the other hand won't.
We look like the kind of bad that will carry into the regular season. Our offense does anyway.

There were threads labeled "it's just preseason" each of the last two years and we know how that turned out.

Re: Preseason Football 101
 

It's very possible some of us just refuse to be the Manchurian candidate of fans. We actually see through our eyes and see this team isn't good at anything except QB. Yes going on record to say this team will not have a winning year. I highly doubt they reach what they did last year. My prediction 6-10 is the best I can see us being. So go ahead and say he is a idiot but come Jan. I'll be here and let's just say guys like you Asylumquido and others will have excuse after excuse and defend the coach and front office til your blue in the face.

Besides it's my opinion we suck I'm entitled to it just like you are entitled to yours. but to say people are idiots ,buffoons,non football educated is just wrong and as a so called ambassador you should be ashamed to have that moniker and how dare you in my opinion cause excuse me sir who the hell are you i dont see your name on the teams website as anyone connected to the organization. Your just another Tom Dick And Harry with a opinion just like the rest of us

Re: Preseason Football 101
 

You know what really sucks? Loosing the first game of the season at home.
Should that happen it will set the tone, once again, as it did in the last 2 seasons. On the positive side it would be a confidence booster to win that first game. This is where the focus should be for coach & the team.

Re: Preseason Football 101
 

good stuff here

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I agree about the continuous sloppy play and the shat play of the oline. That can be fixed when it happens once, when it becomes the norm it is the norm

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I can't disagree with you because the oline looks so bad that I don't think we can fix that in the next 2 weeks. To be honest I don't think we are a bad team minus our oline..we need help or this is going to be a long season

Re: Preseason Football 101
 

Per SP:

Sean Payton some of the Saints' run game problems can be attributed to just running the "training camp offense" instead of game-planning. But he stressed that "it needs to be better."

New Orleans Saints Football - Saints News, Scores, Stats, Rumors & More - ESPN

Re: Preseason Football 101
 

blame it on who he wants but the O still sucks. Moving Peat around not only hurts Peat but it hurts the entire unit. These guys take more time to gel than any other position and by moving around so much it just means the whole line will be difficult to bring together to play as one.

Re: Preseason Football 101
 

Funny how every year we all go through this starting with the Draft,
Off-Season Trades, Coaching Changes and Training Camp.
Also wondering which Benson family member is getting the shaft
and whether we should keep Drew and for some reason we keep
talking about Jimmy. But in the end the seasons under SP have
been competitive and I never feel that we have lost our integrity
at any game. (except for the Redskins Game). For those of us that
have been around from the earlier days of this Franchise it's hard to
forget that old sinking feeling game after game.

Re: Preseason Football 101
 

Good OR bad - it's just preseason.

Re: Preseason Football 101
 

And he states exactly what the people I base my input upon. And I stick to my guns. It is idiotic to base any real judgement upon two totally useless preseason games. Once again, it is downright stupid to attempt to project into the regular season what backups and players destined to be cut do in a faux game void of any meaningful game planning on either side of the ball.

Re: Preseason Football 101
 

Get the plays over with the starters with NO INJURIES and then test the backups for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th positions. Who ever turns the ball over the most is GONE and who ever lets the defenders create the most turnovers against is GONE.

And get rid of dumb players and people who are easily injured.

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Re: Preseason Football 101
 

Got it written down here smart guy. I'm sure you know exactly what you are talking about. Can't wait to see how this failure of a season pans out for you.

Re: Preseason Football 101
 

The concept seems so simple, but some can't handle simple.

Re: Preseason Football 101
 

I have my eye on the individuals knowing that the puzzle pieces are still scrambled.
Watching Peat get manhandled and hoodwinked.
Watching Coleman unable to prevent himself from reverting back to the gutt-trap catch thing.
Seeing if Ingram's vision has improved (that one I cant even tell...I don't see a hole either).
Wondering if corner's are assessed fines for looking back and making a play on the ball???
Individual play should still show up in pre-season.
Sure they are rusty and winded.
But all the players are trying to break a sweat without pulling a muscle.
I like some of the new faces - especially on defense.
Aside from the couple of big plays, they have done pretty well - much improved.
Fairly looks hungry - making a mess in the middle. That will be BIG.
Laranitis (I bet I killed his name) gets to the ball.
Young corners look promising, especially if the front 7 can take some pressure off of them.
Our trouble for years has been defense.
Barring injury, they look like they will help our cause this year.
We should see more of the 1st unit offense this week than we have seen so far.
Hanging on to the ball might give us 15-20 more snaps this week to see who's who.

Re: Preseason Football 101
 

There are a lot of things that look bad so far in the preseason, and that is where I like them to look bad and get fixed before the regular season starts. Preseason is definitely no predictor of regular season success.

Re: Preseason Football 101
 

the saints go into the off season wishing and dreaming about fixing what is wrong with the team

the shopping spree starts and the trash is thrown to the curb. selling off good stuff to buy is a nasty fact of life

They dream a dream and come into camp with desires to make that dream come true

In four games 90% of those dreams are dashed on the rocks.

when the season starts you always have the same system as before just with a few tweaks that all pray will get them a few more wins instead of a few more losses.

That is the course of events between each season.

Its the media job to lead us down the avenue of broken dreams each and every year.

Re: Preseason Football 101
 

Yep, that's it. Fold up the uni's, pack away the pads, give'em all a few million dollars and send'em home. Season's already done.

Sigh.....

Re: Preseason Football 101
 

Thats how some around here feel.


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Re: Preseason Football 101
 

Now Shrimp, I'm really not trying to pick a fight or anything, but I'm just not able to wrap my brain around this Manchurian Candidate of fans thing.

Are you saying something like Arthur Banks kidnaps somebody that looks like Gregory Peck and Denzel Washington's child, wearing black and gold? Who is then whisked off to Atlanta and tortured by having Matty Ice's used pants being rubbed in his face and such until he breaks and is given a secret phrase like, "Ryan is sacked again!"? Then is tortured some more like being put in the middle of a Falcon's fan club (providing they can find enough members to actually surround him) into forgetting he's been brainwashed? Then is sent back to the Dome where, on a critical play he stands, rips the high tech latex black and gold face paint off, exposing a Falcon's tattoo on his forehead thus dismaying the crowd to silence, allowing Matty to audiblize...?