FanPost

If Just One More Person Says "It's Pre-Season, It Doesn't Matter"....

How many times have we heard this said or seen it posted? How many folks say "I hate pre-season" or worse, "None of this matters" ? While not exactly in the same foolish comments zone as "yes, that dress does make you look heavy" or "her breast augmentation really came out well", it still falls into poorly thought out and naive commentary.

First, let's not blow past, that the pre-season has, at a minimum, four huge functions that are critical to a team's success:

1) getting the team ready to play - veterans, trades, free-agents, UDFAs and rookies

2) determining who will make the team

3) implementing new coaching staffs and/or schemes

4) adjusting to new rules

It seems that the fact that the actual score doesn't matter and the games don't count toward end of season standings has been weirdly morphed by some into the vision that players and teams are just going through warm ups or doing calisthenics, "look at how our new DT can stretch his calves!!".

***The fact is that most plays in a pre-season game matter. Even the boring ones, like PATs.

How can that be? Let's start with the obvious: from game 1 where the starters play Q1, you are seeing how the team is matching up against other teams. It doesn't matter that not all blitz schemes are being called, when a DT lines up across from a Guard, they are trying mightily to beat each other especially since their jobs are on the line. A veteran All-Pro who gets destroyed in pre-season games, puts himself under scrutiny and questioning. Nobody wants that and no Offensive Lineman worth his salt wants to give up a sack or WR to drop a ball. They are professionals.

Beyond the fact that starters play against starters in these games, there is more action than not that is extremely relevant and no different than regular season, no matter who is doing what. Don't believe that? Here's just a small sample: kicker attempts field goal, DB covers WR in press man coverage, linebacker vs. running back in open field, QB throws to open or tightly covered receiver, punter attempts inside 20...or punts for distance, tight end stays in to block rushing LB, RB tries to get around the corner and on and on.

In every single one of the situations, do we think the players are saying "it's only pre-season, and even though the outcome right now will directly reflect on my ability, I'm not really trying here because we might not have called this play in regular season and this game doesn't count in the standings"? They are trying to execute their jobs to the best of their ability. This is not a writer creating a draft copy or an actor at dress rehearsals.

Henery's deep kicks matter. He worked on leg strength and he's kicking deeper. That is very real and that is good. Curtis Marsh not being able to stay with receivers or know what to do when the ball comes in, is very real and very bad. For him and the Eagles. Because it's one less player that can get them to anywhere near Seahawks caliber. Ertz catching is very real and very good, etc.

If you think the Eagles coaches aren't watching a ton of tape and aren't very concerned about several aspects of this team even though "it's only the first 2 games of pre-season", you don't understand how NFL teams work 365 days a year to become champions. They are busting their asses in practice and are already tired of playing against each other.

These are the only games they have AND the only time they can unleash their full power - no whistles before the ball is down, no players wearing red jerseys, no touch tackles because their other guy is one of your own. They look forward to these more than you know and they are not playing at less than full speed.

Of course, the score doesn't matter - Tom Brady makes a better attempt to tackle Williams if it did. That's why i could care less about being 0-2. If you want to have more fun with this since you can't just lazily watch the scoreboard, give this a try: record the games, watch plays in slo-mo and focus on certain players like our first round pick or groups of players like the secondary. ***Don't follow the ball as we all do in regular season.

Here's an example of something very real and very important - on inside runs, the Eagles defensive line is holding the line of scrimmage, they are standing up the opponent offensive lines, allowing them or the backers to make tackles within 2-3 yards which is great BUT that same standing them up is what is allowing their opponents to both set the edge on outside runs and to hold the pocket on pass rush. Thus far the D line can stand their opponents up but they can't move them. And that's bad.

And yes, things like that matter a great deal...right now...even when the scores and outcome don't.