0-5 in the last 5 preseason games ??

Ever!

 

ZERO correlation of the W/L column in preseason to regular season success. Absolutely none. If it appears to be, then it's only a coincidence. The last 10 seasons of all 32 teams details this nicely in this little chart:

[TABLE="class: statsTable, align: center"]
[TR="bgcolor: #f1f1f1"]
[TD="class: xl66"]Pre-season Record of[/TD]
[TD="class: xl66, width: 169"]Average Regular Season Record[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: xl65"]1.000[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]0.495[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]0.750-1.000[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]0.508[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: xl65"]0.500[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]0.535[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]0.400-0.625[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]0.533[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: xl65"]0.250[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]0.442[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]0.000-0.250[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]0.450[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: xl65"]0.000[/TD]
[TD="class: xl64, align: right"]0.473[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

 

So then how do you evaluate individuals and make roster decisions? From practice? Seems to me in game performance, even in the preseason, is a more valuable measure of a player's potential. Who cares if they are practice all-stars if they can't do it in a game against another team? Maybe in your perspective, the key players didn't see much playing time, but key players aren't just your starting 11 on O and D anymore. It's the whole 53 man roster.

 

Interesting to see that, niterider.

Obviously, the reason people are concerned about the preseason losses is how slowly we started last year, and there was a tendency to overemphasise the preseason record at the expense of the other issues that were there. As I said in the other thread, I want to see the team ready to go in Game 3, but the first 2 games are, for me, much more about evaluating the younger talent. That's not to say wins and losses don't matter, of course - if you're evaluating talent, then you want to see if they can win or not.

 

it's different with a highly veteran team that we used to field every year. now we are so young at every position, it's not a bad thing to instill a winning formula into these kids. I think that's why MT is pushing that fact more this year than in the past. you want to get them not thinking losing is OK in Pittsburgh. that's not what we do here. it's not alright. no it doesn't count and the coaches will take care of the evaluation, but the win is the goal for the team. that's what the players need to be trained to do.

 

Hmmm...I dont think this is that far off. The 73 yard run against our starting D didnt thrill me. The failure to get into the endzone from our own ten yard line with our starting O didnt thrill me either. Im not saying that what happens in the preseason is EXACTLY how its going to go in the season, but I cant imagine that winning some games in the preseason doesnt have some kind of positive affect on a team.