The myth that preseason games don't matter.

[iueyedoc]

What doesn't matter:

1) the win or loss
2) execution by/playing time of known quality star players
3) 3rd string execution.

What does matter:
1) execution by the non-elite starters. #1 OL vs #1 DL, cohesion as a unit, WR's vs DB's, QB mechanics from huddle to play execution.
2) Coaches executing the rudimentary skills requisite of the job. ( getting plays in, calling appropriate plays for situation and personnel, executing clock management properly)
3) Finding and identifying the fringe guys that show up on game day and the camp heros that wilt under the spotlight.

What is myth:

Established players aren't trying during their limited play reps. No player wants to be beat individually whether it be practice, preseason, or regular season.

When like yesterday, an almost complete starting defensive unit gets pants by a 2nd string QB and the back up WR's and your starting offense has 55 yards, a fumble and an INT, outside a single great catch TD vs an almost completely back up defense in a half you need to take notice.

 

[PrideisBears]

Out of pure curiosity if the defense does play better in the next preseason game than does this one not matter or does it ?

 

[Mighty Joe Young]

I don't want to 100% agree with your statements only because you do not know what each individual coach around the league is trying to get out of the preseason.

Yes, we can all agree that individual evaluations are important.

But let's take the lovie Smith tenure for the Chicago Bears for instance. Every preseason, even back in the 05-06 seasons, the defense never quite looked sharp during preseason.

People with panic and lose their shit and freak out.

But what came out for those who were paying attention, was that lovie you would use the preseason to put his defense in bad positions intentionally to see how they would react and to also keep them humble and let them know they still had things to work on no matter how well they performed as a unit the year before.

Preseason is incredibly individualized by each individual coach around the league. Every single one uses it differently, even if there are some commonalities among all of them.

That's what makes preseason such a wash. It can be valuable for checking out any individuals' talent, but it can be completely useless in just about everything else.

The only thing that I would put an asterisk towards that lends itself towards your cohesion argument is the offensive line. It's incredibly important for the offensive line to get practice together and unfortunately we can't do that because of the injuries.

But an offensive line that can start to gel in the preseason will often have that carry over into the regular season. We just haven't had our starters out in the field before preseason so that makes this something we can't predict...

 

[NCChiFan]

What doesn't matter:

1) the win or loss
2) execution by/playing time of known quality star players
3) 3rd string execution.

What does matter:
1) execution by the non-elite starters. #1 OL vs #1 DL, cohesion as a unit, WR's vs DB's, QB mechanics from huddle to play execution.
2) Coaches executing the rudimentary skills requisite of the job. ( getting plays in, calling appropriate plays for situation and personnel, executing clock management properly)
3) Finding and identifying the fringe guys that show up on game day and the camp heros that wilt under the spotlight.

What is myth:

Established players aren't trying during their limited play reps. No player wants to be beat individually whether it be practice, preseason, or regular season.

When like yesterday, an almost complete starting defensive unit gets pants by a 2nd string QB and the back up WR's and your starting offense has 55 yards, a fumble and an INT, outside a single great catch TD vs an almost completely back up defense in a half you need to take notice.

It would appear #3 is more or less Nagy's motis operandi. He seems to be more interested in judging individual players than anything else. Bills did much the same, think they wanted to test Mitch, so Mitch drop back 75 % or better to start the game.

 

[PrideisBears]

I don't want to 100% agree with your statements only because you do not know what each individual coach around the league is trying to get out of the preseason.

Yes, we can all agree that individual evaluations are important.

But let's take the lovie Smith tenure for the Chicago Bears for instance. Every preseason, even back in the 05-06 seasons, the defense never quite looked sharp during preseason.

People with panic and lose their shit and freak out.

But what came out for those who were paying attention, was that lovie you would use the preseason to put his defense in bad positions intentionally to see how they would react and to also keep them humble and let them know they still had things to work on no matter how well they performed as a unit the year before.

Preseason is incredibly individualized by each individual coach around the league. Every single one uses it differently, even if there are some commonalities among all of them.

That's what makes preseason such a wash. It can be valuable for checking out any individuals' talent, but it can be completely useless in just about everything else.

The only thing that I would put an asterisk towards that lends itself towards your cohesion argument is the offensive line. It's incredibly important for the offensive line to get practice together and unfortunately we can't do that because of the injuries.

But an offensive line that can start to gel in the preseason will often have that carry over into the regular season. We just haven't had our starters out in the field before preseason so that makes this something we can't predict...

This. I have no fucking clue what Nagy is looking for, desai either but can understand those who are calm and those who are not. As I’ve said before I’m not that concerned about the defense but the offense I assume will be shit

 

[iueyedoc]

Out of pure curiosity if the defense does play better in the next preseason game than does this one not matter or does it ?

What would matter is that they are showing improvement., but likely only a select few starters play very little the next game so, the next action they will see will be against the Rams with the starting units preseason amounting to 5 defensive possessions 3 TD's , 1 FG and 1 3 and out.

If they all can flip a switch from looking like complete ass to great come regular season, great, but I am not counting on the mastermind vegan school superintendent DC getting that done.

 

[PrideisBears]

What would matter is that they are showing improvement., but likely only a select few starters play very little the next game so, the next action they will see will be against the Rams with the starting units preseason amounting to 5 defensive possessions 3 TD's , 1 FG and 1 3 and out.

If they all can flip a switch from looking like complete ass to great come regular season, great, but I am not counting on the mastermind vegan school superintendent DC getting that done.

So you lack faith in Desai? I’m mean that’s fair. I just find it hard to believe that the defense or even the scheme would regress that badly, well at least I hope it wouldn’t

 

[dennehy]

They did almost nothing on defense that wasn't completely boilerplate.

 

[DaaBears]

So you lack faith in Desai? I’m mean that’s fair. I just find it hard to believe that the defense or even the scheme would regress that badly, well at least I hope it wouldn’t

It regressed really badly last year. Even in the playoff game against the Saints, the Saints QB could not throw the ball 20 yards in the air yet the Bears defense just could not get off the field. One 7 yard pass after the other.

 

[westcoast bear fanatic]

Preseason means nothing once the real games begin in Sept. Until then it gives fans something to talk about, not a whole lot more. Case in point, if the Bears get blown out in the next preseason game some fans will jump off a bridge. But all will be forgotten if the Bears beat the Rams in the opener. Hence preseason football means jack.

 

[ZOMBIE@CTESPN]

It regressed really badly last year. Even in the playoff game against the Saints, the Saints QB could not throw the ball 20 yards in the air yet the Bears defense just could not get off the field. One 7 yard pass after the other.

What sucks for desai he is handed older players than fangio, less depth thanks to bad cap management, and far less talent at key positions again thanks to bad cap management and squandering picks in too many trades. We wasted two years of this defense on pagano

 

[DaaBears]

What sucks for desai he is handed older players than fangio, less depth thanks to bad cap management, and far less talent at key positions again thanks to bad cap management and squandering picks in too many trades. We wasted two years of this defense on pagano

True, and unless they draft defense extremely well next year it will get much worse. Thus, my bearish outlook for this team.

 

[PrideisBears]

It regressed really badly last year. Even in the playoff game against the Saints, the Saints QB could not throw the ball 20 yards in the air yet the Bears defense just could not get off the field. One 7 yard pass after the other.

Last year was a Pagano defense, I’m praying this isn’t the case

 

[Visionman]

They did almost nothing on defense that wasn't completely boilerplate.

Seemed like they were playing pretty exclusively man coverage, seeing just what our back 7 could do and couldn’t do. It was ugly, but we definitely weren’t even attempting to run a real scheme.

BTW…what defense has Mitch always done well against?

 

[airtime143]

What doesn't matter:

1) the win or loss
2) execution by/playing time of known quality star players
3) 3rd string execution.

What does matter:
1) execution by the non-elite starters. #1 OL vs #1 DL, cohesion as a unit, WR's vs DB's, QB mechanics from huddle to play execution.
2) Coaches executing the rudimentary skills requisite of the job. ( getting plays in, calling appropriate plays for situation and personnel, executing clock management properly)
3) Finding and identifying the fringe guys that show up on game day and the camp heros that wilt under the spotlight.

What is myth:

Established players aren't trying during their limited play reps. No player wants to be beat individually whether it be practice, preseason, or regular season.

When like yesterday, an almost complete starting defensive unit gets pants by a 2nd string QB and the back up WR's and your starting offense has 55 yards, a fumble and an INT, outside a single great catch TD vs an almost completely back up defense in a half you need to take notice.

All solid points.

After the bills slapped the shit out of the defense in a spectacular fashion, I thought about digging through preseason games to see what happens in the regular season to teams who's 1's get so soundly trounced in 2 quarters.

Then I decided I dont care to waste the time.
They gave up some long drives week one, they got their asses completely handed to them yesterday, and the eye test says they are thin and bad.

This team is going to make opposing offenses look good, especially if they suffer an injury or two.

 

[legendxofxlink]

It regressed really badly last year. Even in the playoff game against the Saints, the Saints QB could not throw the ball 20 yards in the air yet the Bears defense just could not get off the field. One 7 yard pass after the other.

Saints have been doing this for years.. They could’ve beaten Fangios defense on screens alone a few years ago they were working so well.

Defense regressed due to scheme, lack of pass rush, lack of a true NT. Pagano got pantsed so many times last season. McVay made him look like an idiot, like he knew every call the defense made.

 

[iueyedoc]

So you lack faith in Desai? I’m mean that’s fair. I just find it hard to believe that the defense or even the scheme would regress that badly, well at least I hope it wouldn’t

I think the combination of banking on a guy that just 2 season ago was breaking down game film and charting team tendencies as your DC, relying on J.Johnson to have a break out year that equates to a #1CB, finding a complimentary CB in the trash seemingly they have, hoping EJ plays to his contract, that Gipson plays well as a #2 S, that Danny T doesn't suck ass, that Hicks doesn't break down, that Quinn does anything, and Eddie Goldman returns from witness protection is a tall order.

So more or less what I thought the #1 defense may look like has been on display, if some simple scheming turns them into a top 10 unit, I will be pleasantly shocked.

I think we know that the offense is straight up ass, short Justin Fields rushing for 1000 + yrds on the 15+ broken pass plays per game.

I am seriously hoping Nagy rides AD to the end of his coaching career.

 

[SlickWilly]

This. I have no fucking clue what Nagy is looking for, desai either but can understand those who are calm and those who are not. As I’ve said before I’m not that concerned about the defense but the offense I assume will be shit

With Dalton for sure. You'll see more of the same from the last 2 years. Fields is our only hope.

 

[ThatGuyRyan]

For established players and rosters with very little turnover, i agree they’re meaningless.

For teams like the bears who cycle quarterbacks every year, have zero consistency up front on offense and zero consistency in the coaching staff, I would say pretty important.

 

[Probie2429]

You evaluate your depth during camp not preseason games. There are simply more reps in camp than 2 or 3 games. Preseason to me is to see if the coaching staff can prepare non-roster players to execute a scheme even if vanilla. What Nagy has shown is that he can’t even do that which tells you everything you need to know about why the Bears are dysfunctional in the regular season.