How Many Preseason Games Should There Be?

[mjd1001]

3 hours ago, nucci said:

0....these guys practice enough...a couple of controlled scrimmages in camp and start the season...

I agree.  I'd be OK with 2, but I would really prefer zero.

 

Player evaluation and getting the new players into the system in regular season games just becomes another point of coaching/strategy.

[Figster]

2 hours ago, row_33 said:

 

let a few 6-10 teams in ?

 

yee-haw....

 

 

vs watching two 3 - 13 teams battle it out,

 

seems like a no brainer to me.

 

Does 10 - 6 teams not making the playoffs seem fair to you?

 

Note: 18 game season is much more likely to be giving us 6 - 10 team matchups IMO.

 

Edited August 14, 2018 by Figster

[BobbyC81]

3 hours ago, cd1 said:

Ask those player's who are playing their hearts out trying to make a childhood dream come true.

 

Four seems to be just right.

 

It's a conundrum.  With the CBA limiting practices and those with pads, the players aren't getting enough hitting in before these preseason games.  Then you have the injury concerns so coaches aren't playing starters enough.  The last couple years this has resulted, in my opinion, in a lot of sloppy play in the 1st couple weeks of the season.  Starters rarely play in the 4th preseason game but I bet if they reduced to 3 preseason games, the coaches would treat the 3rd one the same.

[CodeMonkey]

Perhaps a follow on question  ... how many of the preseason games should season ticket holders be forced to purchase at regular season prices

[Bob in STL]

I remember when there were 6 ... talk about overkill.

 

You need at least 2 to evaluate players and 1 to get the starters used to contact and in rhythm. 

 

2 or 3, but add at least 1 more game to the regular season.

 

 

[That's No Moon]

Negative 2.  Start the regular season in the 3rd week of August

[row_33]

2 hours ago, Jay_Fixit said:

2 as long as the regular season stays at 16.

 

i like it, they can't extend the regular season, nobody will be walking by the end of January

 

[Soda Popinski]

3.  One to get the rust off, one to get all the 3s and 4s a chance, and one to hone everyone's skills for the season.    

 

And there should be one week where there is no preseason game, like a bye.  

[The Real Buffalo Joe]

7 minutes ago, Soda Popinski said:

3.  One to get the rust off, one to get all the 3s and 4s a chance, and one to hone everyone's skills for the season.    

 

And there should be one week where there is no preseason game, like a bye.  

They still have this. 

[T&C]

36 minutes ago, CodeMonkey said:

Perhaps a follow on question  ... how many of the preseason games should season ticket holders be forced to purchase at regular season prices

Best bet is to donate them to the boys club or scouts and write them off on your taxes.

[reddogblitz]

Four is fine.

[cba fan]

24 minutes ago, The Real Buffalo Joe said:

They still have this. 

No bye in preseason. They do have extra days between last preseason game and start of the season but no bye week.

[SoCal Deek]

Watching the replay of the Bills/Panthers game the other day it appears that many fans came dressed as empty seats!  The NFL cannot be happy with it.  Players are sitting out. Fans are staying home. Coaches are admitting there's no real game planning.  The sport has evolved away from Pre-Season as it's always been.  It may be time to rethink the venues and like the NBA and European Soccer, start playing the preseason games in stadiums that wouldn't typically get an NFL game.  There are quite a few middle size markets that don't have a 'home team'.

[Bills Fan of St Augustine]

2 - one home and one away, then go play.

 

Edited August 15, 2018 by Bills Fan of Maryland

[mjd1001]

Are Sabres season ticket holders forced to buy the NHL preseason games?  Just wondering...I never hear the same conversation about hockey preseason games.

[Doc Brown]

I'm fine with four as the bubble players should get every opportunity they can to make the team.  I'd lower the ticket prices to under 20 bucks though.  Especially for that 4th game.

[Punching Bag]

5 hours ago, CodeMonkey said:

Perhaps a follow on question  ... how many of the preseason games should season ticket holders be forced to purchase at regular season prices

 

Twice as many since they are worth half as much?

[Augie]

9 hours ago, nucci said:

0....these guys practice enough...a couple of controlled scrimmages in camp and start the season...

 

The CBA prevents any actual “football”, so they need some preseason to see who can actually play. Four is too many. Two may not be enough, but for some reason I like an even number. One home, one away. Pick your guys then play for real. 

4 hours ago, reddogblitz said:

Four is fine.

 

Well, maybe for you on the couch. Who plays 25% of their season as a preseason? Do you want to see 40 MLB preseason games? The only defense of 4 games I can see is the CBA won’t let them hit, so how do you know who can or can’t play (especially on the lines)?  Put some hitting back in practice, maybe add a scrimmage or two and cut preseason in half. Oh! Wait! That would generate less money. Sorry to present such a silly idea.....

[row_33]

Hope all this is on a pipeline to NFLHQ for immediate action.

 

 

[Dadonkadonk]

McBeane knew 48 of the 53 to make the roster before camp even started. Hell we could probably guess 45 of the 53 without too much trouble.  Preseason games are pointless and just a chance for injury.  Starting QBs will be lucky to throw 30 passes in 4 games and none of those plays will be in the playbook.  Then they will start game 1 and pass for 300+ with ease.  

I voted 2 but as i type this post I've talked myself into 0 or at most 1 preseason game.

[billsfan89]

4 is perfect, keep in mind if they only have 2 that doesn't mean you will be getting 2 more regular season games. In games 1 and 4 of the pre-season the starters either barely play (game 1) or they simply don't play (game 4.) 

 

To me the pre-season is paced perfectly. 

 

Game 1 - Is a warm up in the truest sense. The starters play 2-3 drives to shake the rust off while the rest of the game goes to the depth players who get their chance to establish the depth chart for the rest of the pre-season.

 

Game 2 - The first big rehearsal for the regular season. The starters play all or most of the first half and get it into gear for the regular season. The depth players get the second half to shine and the coaches get to get a look at who makes the roster. 

 

Game 3- The big gear up for the regular season. The starters play 2-3 drives into the second half and the rest of the game goes to the bench. This get the starters in gear for the season. 

 

Game 4- The starters don't do anything, but the depth players get the last chance to shine. This basically serves the purpose of giving the coaches one last chance to set their practice squads and the back end of the depth charts. 

 

While games 1 and 4 seem like filler they seem necessary for the coaching staff. I don't see anything wrong with the current structure of the pre-season. 

[nucci]

9 hours ago, Augie said:

 

The CBA prevents any actual “football”, so they need some preseason to see who can actually play. Four is too many. Two may not be enough, but for some reason I like an even number. One home, one away. Pick your guys then play for real. 

 

 

That would probably be negotiated in new CBA....something has to change...4 games is too much....rosters are pretty much set by the time OTAs are finished

[RobH063]

I voted for 5+. The actual number of Pre-Season games there should be is 9. By then everyone knows what kind of team you have. the Regular Season consists of 3 games. If a team wins 1, 2 or all 3 games, they make the playoffs. If you win all 3 Regular Season games you get a month off and then home field advantage for the first half of your first game which starts at 6AM EST. Then you go to your opponents field and play the 2nd half at 8PM EST. If you tie, then you go to London and play until there's a winner. All teams that lost all 3 Regular Season games have their own playoffs with the winner playing the most recent CFL champion utilizing a field that is 145 meters long and 57 Yards 7 inches wide. The End zone will be 11.2 feet in depth. The ball will be Lime Green with one Blue stripe along its length.

[GunnerBill]

I think 3 but still have games 1, 2 and 3 the same weeks. Leave a bye week between week 3 and the start of the regular season. I think that way coaches would continue to treat the 3 games pretty much as they do now but you would get rid of the meaningless "scrubs game" between folks whose future is working at WalMart and Burger King.