Time to end all-preseason games

[Buffalo Barbarian]

2 hours ago, Dadonkadonk said:

Dallas and the NFL just lost a true star player even if he is a guard.  Bills may have lost their heart on defense and a team leader.  

It is time to end all pre-season games.  Don't tell me about timing and figuring out roster spots.  Week 1 of college is played at just as high level as week 4.  The plays run in pre-season are not the same ones they would run or face in week 1.  All teams would be equal in terms of preparation.  They knew their top 45 guys after OTAs and their top 50 before the first preseason game.

There is no reason to risk injury in meaningless games.  If a guy gets hurt in practice so be it.  

 

 

As long as they add 2 regular season games. Dnt want to wait till September to watch football.

 

 

[CowboyBill]

The preseason will go away as soon as colleges have to trim down to a 53 man roster. There are a lot of 6th-7th rounders and UDFA who need those games to prove they can play. 

[Buffalo Barbarian]

Should srimage  other teams in training camp for reps.against other teams.

 

 

[Paulus]

2 hours ago, Dadonkadonk said:

They thought the sun revolved around the earth.  College has no pre-season and you could argue each individual game means more in college for the playoff.  And yes most college first games are mismathches but many are not any longer.  

Time for the NFL to evolve.  

Cutting to two would be a start and they will find those games are unnecessary too.  The product will be fine.  These guys are professionals and have been playing for years. 

Mismatches... The cause of more injuries than preseason.

[Dadonkadonk]

1 hour ago, billsfan89 said:

If you shorten pre-season to 2 weeks that doesn't solve the issue. The starters don't play much in game 1 and they don't play at all in game 4. So trimming it to 2 weeks doesn't lessen the playing time of the starters by much. I don't see an issue with the current pre-season format. Game 1 the starters get a few practice swings while the rest of the depth chart is set for games 2 and 3. Games 2 and 3 are the tune ups for the season. Game 4 is a last shot for the reserves and bubble players to make the roster. 

 

For the starters it basically is a 2 week pre-season. I find it funny that fans will call for an end to pre-season because of injuries but then when injuries happen during training camp they don't call for an end to training camp. 

 

I don't think there is a solution. Teams do need live game simulation to get ready for the season. If you just allowed teams to do more intersquad scrimmages you would just see more injuries happen during those scrimmages. 

No they don't. That is the point.  College doesn't.  NFL does not need them.  They only exist because in 1960 these guys had second jobs and showed up to camp to actually get in shape.  It hasn't been like that since the late 70's.  It is a relic of a bygone era just like the wing-T.  They are not needed.  One day soon you are going to see a star refuse to play.  Go ahead and say I'm crazy.  But there will come a day when a star player is going to refuse to play in a game he doesn't get paid to play.  

[Buffalo Barbarian]

13 minutes ago, Dadonkadonk said:

No they don't. That is the point.  College doesn't.  NFL does not need them.  They only exist because in 1960 these guys had second jobs and showed up to camp to actually get in shape.  It hasn't been like that since the late 70's.  It is a relic of a bygone era just like the wing-T.  They are not needed.  One day soon you are going to see a star refuse to play.  Go ahead and say I'm crazy.  But there will come a day when a star player is going to refuse to play in a game he doesn't get paid to play.  

 

College has a preseason, it's big teams scheduling bums early to get ready for the season.

 

 

[machine gun kelly]

The answer is three games, and 17 regular season games.  I’d also like to see 7 playoff teams in each conference.  It would increase tv revenue significantly and even though players will gripe, they will make more money as the revenue splitting.  We only need 3 pre-season games to assess talent, and could have a fun season for fans.  I would increase the bye to two weeks , one in the first half, and one in the second half of the season.

 

you can’t do anything about Kyle as he could have done that week 1 in Baltimore.  Players get hurt and nothing can be done about that as they have made the game about as safe as possible.  Besides not the Dallas Guard, but with Kyle, he is 35.  There is a reason why most lineman can’t make it into their late 30’s.  They are beaten up on every play of the game.

 

we can only hope he is ok and can make it back by week 1.  Harrison Phillips can fill in for a week or two if needed.

[JoPar_v2]

Every major sport has some sort of exhibition season though. Spring training in baseball, summer league and preseason in basketball, preseason hockey, etc. Now I agree though since football carries a higher injury risk, the preseason should be cut down. One or two preseason games is enough. 

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

3 hours ago, Dadonkadonk said:

No they don't. That is the point.  College doesn't.  NFL does not need them.  They only exist because in 1960 these guys had second jobs and showed up to camp to actually get in shape.  It hasn't been like that since the late 70's.  It is a relic of a bygone era just like the wing-T.  They are not needed.  One day soon you are going to see a star refuse to play.  Go ahead and say I'm crazy.  But there will come a day when a star player is going to refuse to play in a game he doesn't get paid to play.  

 

College teams play division 2 teams for weeks typically.

[CommonCents]

I think they have it right, 4 games seems like a lot but everyone knows the starters really only see action in two of the games. It’s a gradual process and that’s probably the best way to get guys into game shape.

 

The product has deteriorated enough, we don’t need the first month of the season being an extension of the offseason.

 

20 ACLs blown out approximately 3,000 beasts moving like bodies have never moved before. Why is that such an outrage? That rate doesn’t seem abnormally high.

[MAJBobby]

9 hours ago, Dadonkadonk said:

Dallas and the NFL just lost a true star player even if he is a guard.  Bills may have lost their heart on defense and a team leader.  

It is time to end all pre-season games.  Don't tell me about timing and figuring out roster spots.  Week 1 of college is played at just as high level as week 4.  The plays run in pre-season are not the same ones they would run or face in week 1.  All teams would be equal in terms of preparation.  They knew their top 45 guys after OTAs and their top 50 before the first preseason game.

There is no reason to risk injury in meaningless games.  If a guy gets hurt in practice so be it.  

 

 

Preseason games are practice. However lets play the game. If preason games get cancelled. How many teams then schedule full on scrimmages?  And yes it is timing. Week one in college is essentially a joke. Typically it is a top school vs some FCS school. 

 

Now that said the NFL does want to eliminate (or reduce the number of PS games) it will just take NFLPA to agree to an 18 or higher real game schedule. 

5 hours ago, Dadonkadonk said:

No they don't. That is the point.  College doesn't.  NFL does not need them.  They only exist because in 1960 these guys had second jobs and showed up to camp to actually get in shape.  It hasn't been like that since the late 70's.  It is a relic of a bygone era just like the wing-T.  They are not needed.  One day soon you are going to see a star refuse to play.  Go ahead and say I'm crazy.  But there will come a day when a star player is going to refuse to play in a game he doesn't get paid to play.  

 

College does. What is  the spring game?  What are all the scrimmages?  That is their version of Preseason. Not to mention the week 1 slots of a Power 5 school vs a Division 2 school. 

5 hours ago, Dadonkadonk said:

No they don't. That is the point.  College doesn't.  NFL does not need them.  They only exist because in 1960 these guys had second jobs and showed up to camp to actually get in shape.  It hasn't been like that since the late 70's.  It is a relic of a bygone era just like the wing-T.  They are not needed.  One day soon you are going to see a star refuse to play.  Go ahead and say I'm crazy.  But there will come a day when a star player is going to refuse to play in a game he doesn't get paid to play.  

 

And he does get paid for preseason activities. 

[zow2]

Some guys like Chad Kelly need a preseason game or two to shine, and show what they can do under the bright lights. Conversely, his teammate and high pick- Paxton Lynch, need some games to show he can’t cut it.  

But i agree for the most part,  have 2 preseason games and the rest of evaluations can be done through joint scrimmages and camp.  

[peterpan]

I'm fine with the games but I will never understand why vets like Kyle Williams or McCoy get more than 3-4 snaps a game

[jethro_tull]

i would certainly think about shifting more playing time to guys playing to make the team and much less (if any) for the vets.  

[eee1776]

 

I think 3 pre-season games would be enough considering no one that will probably be on the team plays in the fourth game.

[26CornerBlitz]

9 minutes ago, zow2 said:

Some guys like Chad Kelly need a preseason game or two to shine, and show what they can do under the bright lights. Conversely, his teammate and high pick- Paxton Lynch, need some games to show he can’t cut it.  

But i agree for the most part,  have 2 preseason games and the rest of evaluations can be done through joint scrimmages and camp.  

 

Owners aren't giving up the money they make from 4 weeks of preseason football. 

[Mr. WEO]

38 minutes ago, Commonsense said:

I think they have it right, 4 games seems like a lot but everyone knows the starters really only see action in two of the games. It’s a gradual process and that’s probably the best way to get guys into game shape.

 

 

 

This is correct.  The ultimate starters hardly play, so the "4 games" is not the problem.

 

I've said it before--it seems there are more injuries in training camp than in preseason games--or even the season itself.  To me, that is evidence that most of these guys aren't arriving to camp in proper shape.  How many guys tear their ACL's making cuts in practice in November?

 

The NFL, if they are going to concede things in the next CBA, should in return demand mandatory conditioning after a month or so after the season ends, at the team facility, with the team staff. Why should a team have to pay a player who can't play because he isn't in proper shape? 

 

Someone suggested that players refuse to play in these games.  If playing isn't mandatory, then it should be that players injured in practice before Week 1 don't get paid for missed games.

[OldTimeAFLGuy]

39 minutes ago, 26CornerBlitz said:

 

Owners aren't giving up the money they make from 4 weeks of preseason football. 

 

 

...not to mention that if it was an 18 game schedule (2 wks of pre-season), think perhaps players may want a salary adjustment?.....uh oh...

[26CornerBlitz]

17 minutes ago, OldTimeAFLGuy said:

 

 

...not to mention that if it was an 18 game schedule (2 wks of pre-season), think perhaps players may want a salary adjustment?.....uh oh...

 

As I said earlier in this thread, four preseason games will be around until the current CBA expires.  The players don't want more games with an additional physical toll. 

Edited August 19, 2018 by 26CornerBlitz

[OldTimeAFLGuy]

Just now, 26CornerBlitz said:

 

As I said earlier in this thread, four preseason games will be around until current CBA expires.  The players don't want more games with an additional physical toll. 

 

 

...tumultuous times ahead with the CBA..........