how important is it that we win preseason games?

[CRA]

1 minute ago, rayzor said:

But a lot of people do look at that and put a lot of stock in it. I just want to know why they think it actually matters.

I mean, I really just care about watching new young QBs in preseason.  The rest doesn't do it for me. 

So Bryce will be fun.  And frankly, I'm really looking forward to Corral getting a lot of reps.  I would we actually learn the most about him this preseason than anyone just because of volume.  

[csx]

17 minutes ago, rayzor said:

But why/how would it matter?

I honestly can't think of anything more irrelevant than a win or a loss in preseason except maybe a pro bowl game.

Why/how does a preseason record carry weight into the regular season?

I'd propose it depends on your situation. If you are an established team with established QB and constant coach and coordinators you probably don't play your QB much if at all and are only filling out the depth on your roster. Wins dont mean much.

 

New QB and coaches and systems? You are probably playing your starters more. You want to see some wins.

[Cam Lawter]

Not important at all. Most preseason points come in the 2nd half from 3rd 4th stringers or from people that won't even be on the team. 

[Panther53521]

As long they are playing good football, I could care less for win/loses in preseason. If it looks like a dumpers fire, then yes, I care

[HardcoreHokie]

4 minutes ago, Panther53521 said:

As long they are playing good football, I could care less for win/loses in preseason. If it looks like a dumpers fire, then yes, I care

This is exactly why Aaron Rodgers is a headline today.  He *REALLY* didn’t like their OL play against us in practice yesterday.  Wowzers.

[Castavar]

Well, according to history, you just don't want to go winless. Stats wise, no title team this millennium has gone winless in the preseason. But that was when there was 4 preseason games, so how true that will still hold remains to be seen.

[CPcavedweller]

1 hour ago, Slum_dweller said:

I don't see how it helps make the playoffs if they lose tomorrow 

Chances are slim to none that you make the playoffs if you don't win a preseason game. Chances are very bad that you'll have a good offense if you can't score in preseason. Chances are very bad that you'll have a good defense if you can't stop anyone in preseason. 

Now going 3-0 in preseason doesn't mean Super Bowl, but going 0-3 almost certainly means you won't be sniffing the playoffs. 

So I'd say it's important. 

Source: I don't remember nor do I have the time but only a handful, if that, of teams have gone on to make the playoffs after losing every game in preseason

[Donald LaFell]

1 hour ago, therealmjl said:

Man I remember that preseason game versus Baltimore before the 2015 (I think?) run. Luke Kuechly you absolute monster you.

That was 2013 

[Donald LaFell]

In all my years every time we suck in the preseason we suck in the regular season. 
 

IIRC we looked good in preseason 2006 but totally sucked in the regular season. That was the biggest surprise I think. 
 

I think they need to look invigorated and make some progress week over week. Mistakes are fine but I’d like to see them look motivated and make some plays. 

[UnluckyforSome]

It really does not matter what the record ends up being for preseason. Record aside, when we have looked bad in preseason, we have been bad in the regular season. 

--No season-breaking injuries

--Team appears competitive in all 3 phases.

--No overtimes

Not much else to really ask for from preseason games.

 

[Leeroy Jenkins Ph.D.]

Everyone gets mad at tankers. Yelling about building a winning culture, and all that jazz. These same people want to sit here and say preseason wins and loses don't matter. That just doesn't make sense to me.

[Leeroy Jenkins Ph.D.]

If winning meaningless games at the end of the season and hurting our draft capital is important for building team culture, winning preseason games is important too.

[Sgt Schultz]

The preseason record is pretty meaningless, especially since they whittled it down to three games.  To that point, unless NFL.com is wrong, here were the 2022 extremes in the preseason:

3-0 Teams: Ravens, Bears, Texans, Jets, Steelers, and Raiders (actually 4-0).

0-3 Teams: Jags (0-4), Chargers, Vikings, Seahawks, Bucs, and Foreskins.

Of the 3-0 teams, none won their division and only the Ravens made the playoffs.  Three (Jets, Bears, and Texans) finished last in their division.

Of the 0-3 teams, three won their division (Jags, Vikings, Bucs), two more made the playoffs (Chargers and Seahawks). 

Going back to 2021, there were more goose eggs on both sides of the equation:

3-0 Teams: Ravens, Bills, Browns, Broncos, Colts, Chiefs, Pats, and Jets (2-0-1)

0-3 Teams: Eagles (0-2-1), Falcons, Cowboys (0-4), Lions, Packers, Rams, Vikings, and Giants

Of the 3-0 teams, the Bills and Chiefs won their divisions.  The Pats made the playoffs.  The Ravens and Browns tied for last in the AFCC, while the Broncos and Jets were at the bottom of their division.

Of the 0-3 teams, three won their divisions (Cowboys, Packers, and Rams) while the Eagles joined them in the playoffs.  Only the Lions finished last in their division.  The Rams won the Owl.

We can go back further, but there was no preseason in 2020 and before that they played four preseason games, so I stopped in 2021.  That is only two years, but any apparent relationship between going winless or undefeated since they went to three games is random thus far.  Three times as many teams won their divisions after going winless as did going undefeated. 

What I found odd in all that was in the 2021 preseason, all the undefeated teams were in the AFC, while all the winless teams were in the NFC.

 

 

[Gerry Green]

2 hours ago, rayzor said:

But why/how would it matter?

I honestly can't think of anything more irrelevant than a win or a loss in preseason except maybe a pro bowl game.

Why/how does a preseason record carry weight into the regular season?

 

Years ago, before FA and football wasn't a full-time job. Preseason was basically for getting guys in shape, and maybe installing new plays.

 

Then FA hit, and football became a full-time job. Preseason became more for evaluation. With roster turnover, and new Coaches every other year. Preseason has become more important.

 

You want to see quality play, no stupid mistakes, and no injuries in todays' NFL. But it is still mostly for evaluations and installs more than anything else.

 

If you have a young team, you may want to win a game or two. However, if you have an older, not old just established I guess is a better way to put it, team like ours has become, you want to see quality play.

 

The Lions went 4-0 in preseason. Then proceeded to go winless. So, winning or losing isn't the main goal.

 

Edited August 11, 2023 by Gerry Green