Preseason results

[BornOrange]

I'm not going to worry about a thing until the season starts. This staff has proven the last two years that they don't really give a flip about preseason games. I'm sure that with improved talent and with more experience working together that this season's preseason games will be more competitive, but remember that Palmer and Fangio will both hold back a lot of the game plan until the regular season starts. The coaches will be looking for players to execute the simple plays and give maximum effort, but they really couldn't care less about the final score of preseason games.

They really drove home this point with me last year. I have never considered preseason games to be important, but I was a little discouraged last year. Remember, the scores were:

Denver L, 20-12
@Dallas L, 34-6
San Diego L, 19-17
@Tampa Bay L, 34-3

The Denver score didn't matter because the starters hardly played. The Dallas score mattered a little more because they are Dallas and the starters played a little more. The San Diego score was better, but we knew they weren't going to be good and we still lost at home, even though the starters played more than they would in any preseason game. The final game against Tampa Bay was kinda disturbing, but really showed that the defending champs were a lot deeper than a second year team. However, it was still disappointing because you want to be competitive.

After a pretty disappointing preseason, the Texans came out and pretty much dominated the Dolphins. The Miami Dolphins. The undefeatable at home in September Dolphins. At the end of the game, the Texans were the ones pushing the Dolphins around. Carr wasn't sacked all day and had a passer rating of 94.3 Stacey Mack had 89 rushing yards and Ricky Williams only had 69. The Texans outgained Miami 393-301. A team that was supposed to compete for the Super Bowl ended up missing the playoffs by one game. A team that looked horrible in the preseason played like champions for one game, and who knows what would have happened if Carr, Payne, Walker, and Glenn had stayed healthy for the entire season?

The point I am trying to make is that we shouldn't put very much importance on preseason results. Have faith in the coaching staff and the team, because they have shown the last couple of years that they have a little extra something ready for the first game.

[JustBonee]

Yes, how soon we forget ... Great post BO!
Reminder to give the team/season time to develop.
Thanks for driving the point home to us (ME!) the virtue of patience.
Training camp and preseason are all part of a long process.

[Speedy]

I put no meaning into pre-season records. It's a different game.

[Texans Longhorns]

I disagree.

I think that on average, playoff teams have better preseason records than the bottom teams. That is not to say that a 0-4 preseason is a lock for a bad season, but I bet on average 0-4 teams go one to have sub .500 regular season records. Any stat gurus wish to verify? It is a guess of mine.

I did a quick search of the preseason records for last year's playoff teams
Patriots 4-0
Titans 4-0
Colts 3-1
Broncos 3-1
Chiefs 3-2
Ravens 1-3

Panthers 4-0
Eagles 2-2
Cowboys 2-2
Seahawks 2-2
Green Bay 2-3
Rams 1-3

Preseason records for the bottom 10.
Chargers 2-2
Raiders 1-3
Cardinals 4-0
Giants 1-3
Redskins 1-3
Browns 1-3
Lions 2-2
Falcons 0-4
Jags 3-1
Texans 0-4

Last year the combined preseason record of playoff teams was 31-19
Last year the combined preseason record of the bottom ten was 15-25

[Hervoyel]

Yes, those figures do mean something. Not everything in either direction but they do mean something. On average I'd say that the teams that make it to the playoffs are probably going to be deeper than the ones that don't. They're going to have better players lining up once the starters step off the field and those better, more experienced players are going to push around the less established guys on the other side of the line.
I think that you also have to take into account the mentality of some coaches. Are they trying to get something started early (I believe Parcells was excorcising some demons in Dallas last year when he beat the stuffing out of us while at the same time Capers was trying to evaluate talent and not much more. For whatever reason some coaches at certain times are going to want to win preseason games more than others.

Glanville always had good preseasons but never went anywhere in the regular season. He was always trying to squeak into a wild card spot there at the end so what did his emphasis on winning preseason games get him?

In short I think on average better teams win more often then not (blinding flash of the obvious) but in a preseason situation a lesser team might place more emphasis on winning and do so if they're capable of it but it means nothing once the games start to count.

It just depends on what they're trying to accomplish in the preseason game. It varies from team to team and from year to year depending on need.

[LiveForTheGame]

So far the Texans have undoubtingly been at the bottom of the NFL...only because of them being a fresh expansion team, but it's still a fact. So as fans we say- DON'T PAY ATTENTION TO PRESEASON...I do it all the time, but I wonder what Patriot fans think about the Preseason process...

[Speedy]

Originally Posted by Texans Longhorns

I disagree.

I think that on average, playoff teams have better preseason records than the bottom teams. That is not to say that a 0-4 preseason is a lock for a bad season, but I bet on average 0-4 teams go one to have sub .500 regular season records. Any stat gurus wish to verify? It is a guess of mine.

I did a quick search of the preseason records for last year's playoff teams
Patriots 4-0
Titans 4-0
Colts 3-1
Broncos 3-1
Ravens 1-3

Panthers 4-0
Eagles 2-2
Cowboys 2-2
Seahawks 2-2
Green Bay 2-3

Preseason records for the bottom 10.
Chargers 2-2
Raiders 1-3
Cardinals 4-0
Giants 1-3
Redskins 1-3
Browns 1-3
Lions 2-2
Falcons 0-4
Jags 3-1
Texans 0-4

Last year the combined preseason record of playoff teams was 27-14
Last year the combined preseason record of the bottom ten was 15-25

And in 2002, only 5 of 12 playoff teams had winning records in the pre-season, and the same is true in 2001. In 2000, the Giants were 0-4, the Vikings were 1-3 and St. Louis was 2-2 in the pre-season and all 3 teams won their respective divisions.

The records in pre-season don't mean anything. They don't play the same game. 2nd string and 3rd string players take most of the snaps. You don't have the same game plan. You don't show your playbook in the pre-season. Pre-season is practice, evaluating players, nothing more.

[rittenhouserobz]

Originally Posted by caddy

In my scearch to find out what caused the money line change on the
Texans, I found out that next Sat. game against the cowboys the betting
is Cowboys 38.46% , where Houston is 61.54% . I've always told my sons,
and friends not to bet the Texans on pre-season games as they use it to
see the new talent. Another thing was the huge turn out at the scrimmage.
Now that's just a practice. I think most of us here at the M/B are looking
for the Texans to have a break-out year, and haven't noticed that the
Texans Fans are already showing their Break-out year.

Why does betting on the preseason games seem a little carzy?

[WWJD]

The owners love the preseason! They can charge full price for tickets to a game that doesn't mean anything and all they have to worry about is hoping one of their star players doesn't get hurt.

[Blake]

Preseason "wins" to me, means you have good depth. Your starters come out, and your backups go in and finish the job. The texans last 2 years, they had no depth. This year you can expect a 1-3 record or a 2-2. preseason.

[JustBonee]

Originally Posted by WWJD

The owners love the preseason! They can charge full price for tickets to a game that doesn't mean anything and all they have to worry about is hoping one of their star players doesn't get hurt.

Guess that's why the *stars* see so little playing time in preseason, especially at the start.

[V Man]

Originally Posted by DC_ROCK

Preseason "wins" to me, means you have good depth. Your starters come out, and your backups go in and finish the job. The texans last 2 years, they had no depth. This year you can expect a 1-3 record or a 2-2. preseason.

That is a great point DC. I also think winning is a mind set, those who expect to win, usually do. I think the only preseason game that a win should matter is the last one, try to get on a good note to start the season.

[Lucky]

Originally Posted by V Man

I think the only preseason game that a win should matter is the last one, try to get on a good note to start the season.

Usually, the 3rd preseason game is the one in which the starters see the most action. I think the Texans played their starting offense into the 3rd quarter last year against San Diego. In the last preseason game, most teams pull the starters after 1 or 2 series.

[V Man]

Originally Posted by Lucky

Usually, the 3rd preseason game is the one in which the starters see the most action. I think the Texans played their starting offense into the 3rd quarter last year against San Diego. In the last preseason game, most teams pull the starters after 1 or 2 series.

I know, but the last game most of the players left will be on the team in some fashion whether active roster or practice squad and I like to see the team end the preseason and start the regular season on a good note. Does it mean if they don't win, it will be a losing season, no. It is just my opinion.

[El Tejano]

Pre season just helps you get your fix for football.

[texasguy346]

Originally Posted by El Tejano

Pre season just helps you get your fix for football.

Agreed. Preseason football in relation to regular season football for the football fans is essientially the same as second hand smoke is to an actual ciggerette for a smoker. Just gives you enough of a taste to make you want more.