To play your starters in the preseason or not

[Joe W. Namath]

I think it is a huge mistake if we do not give the starters playing time in the preseason.  I know they will not play vs the Redskins or Panthers, but I think its a must that they play vs the Giants.

https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/chiefs-plan-for-patrick-mahomes-other-starters-to-play-a-quarter-this-week

Even Patrick Mahomes needs reps in the preseason.

Coach Saleh, you know I am a big fan.  Do not disappoint me here.  Play the starters 2 or 3 series in the Giants game!!!!!!!!

[Larz]

Not

 

 

[Bronx]

Yes Nancy.

 

 

[The Crusher]

Bubble Wrap 

[Joe W. Namath]

1 minute ago, Larz said:

Not

 

 

Brutal.  But nowadays, no qb would go and make that tackle.

The starting units needs to play together before week 1.

Get them in there vs the Giants, Coach!!!!!!!!!!!

[neckdemon]

6 minutes ago, Larz said:

Not

 

 

i mean namath was an idiot to be trying to make tackles like that in the preseason

[varjet]

With the joint practices, and the iron sharpening iron, our starters should not need to play in games against other teams scrubs who, although not good, could hurt a player we need.  Every live real play in the NFL is an injury risk.  I don’t think we take anymore.  

[Gaffneycatch81]

We’re going to barely play — or not play at all — our starters in the preseason, and the reason given will be because every play is an injury risk.

Yet in game after game in the regular season, we will leave our starters on the field well beyond the time that the outcome of the game has been determined. 

Ditto every NFL team.

How does this make sense? 

(I know it’s about contracts and percentage of snaps played … but really, this is one of the big travesties in the NFL … and that’s saying something.)

[Rhg1084]

Just get these guys healthy for week 1, can you imagine if one of these guys suffers a major injury in preseason?

[TuscanyTile2]

4 hours ago, Joe W. Namath said:

I think it is a huge mistake if we do not give the starters playing time in the preseason.  I know they will not play vs the Redskins or Panthers, but I think its a must that they play vs the Giants.

https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/chiefs-plan-for-patrick-mahomes-other-starters-to-play-a-quarter-this-week

Even Patrick Mahomes needs reps in the preseason.

Coach Saleh, you know I am a big fan.  Do not disappoint me here.  Play the starters 2 or 3 series in the Giants game!!!!!!!!

With our luck this will be the year he plays them in preseason and key personnel will get hurt.  

[Joe W. Namath]

3 minutes ago, Rhg1084 said:

Just get these guys healthy for week 1, can you imagine if one of these guys suffers a major injury in preseason?

Patrick Mahomes, Jordan Love, Joe Burrow etc are all playing this week.  Cant be a p#ssy.  Get the starters out there for a series or 2 vs the Giants.

[Barry McCockinner]

Remember last season when everyone was so worried about Aaron Rodgers playing in the preseason. Yea

[jeremy2020]

No.

[Warfish]

Football is a contact sport.  

I liked the old ways:  1-2 drives PS Wk 1., 1 Quarter PS Week 2 and 1 full half or more PS Week 3, then rest.

You cannot stop injuries by sitting people, as Rogers last year proved, but you can sure make them ineffective the first few weeks of the season doing so.

[Dunnie]

No.

Abolish preseason football ... Make it count or get rid of it .. there is no real point. It hasn't been useful for about 5-10 years. Evaluations are being made during practice and combined practices.

Sent from my Pixel 7 using Tapatalk

[neckdemon]

5 hours ago, Warfish said:

Football is a contact sport.  

I liked the old ways:  1-2 drives PS Wk 1., 1 Quarter PS Week 2 and 1 full half or more PS Week 3, then rest.

You cannot stop injuries by sitting people, as Rogers last year proved, but you can sure make them ineffective the first few weeks of the season doing so.

[rtnelson]

10 hours ago, Joe W. Namath said:

Patrick Mahomes, Jordan Love, Joe Burrow etc are all playing this week.  Cant be a p#ssy.  Get the starters out there for a series or 2 vs the Giants.

So if patty mahomes blows his acl during his action in pre-season would you still say go for it?

[Sperm Edwards]

1 minute ago, rtnelson said:

So if patty mahomes blows his acl during his action in pre-season would you still say go for it?

Depends if he spits or swallows

[Jethead]

9 hours ago, Warfish said:

Football is a contact sport.  

I liked the old ways:  1-2 drives PS Wk 1., 1 Quarter PS Week 2 and 1 full half or more PS Week 3, then rest.

You cannot stop injuries by sitting people, as Rogers last year proved, but you can sure make them ineffective the first few weeks of the season doing so.

The old way did not include joint practices which managed properly reduce the injury risk while allowing the pre-season physical contact and teamwork. 

I think this is a good innovation. Especially for players working there way back from injuries. Also, reduces the risk of some jackass trying to make a name for himself.

I would not play Rodgers, Smith, Williams, Clark more than a cameo in game 3.

 

[slimjasi]

We’ll see the starters at most for a few series against the Giants.

 

[Bobby816]

Depends on the player IMO. Will Mac is a starter right now for us. I'd start him bc he's young and need reps.

Rodgers doesn't need any game time. Would I like to see him in a game situation? Of course. But no need to risk it bc he's proven.

Guys like Hall, GW, Sauce JJ for example are young but have gotten there reps. So they don't need to be risked either bc of their value to us.

 

Guys I'd like to see get reps are guys like Olu, Mitchell, Warren, Allen, Davis, Corley, Gipson, Ruckert, Kuntz, McDonald, Barnes, Davis, Stiggers to name a few.

[Joe W. Namath]

2 hours ago, rtnelson said:

So if patty mahomes blows his acl during his action in pre-season would you still say go for it?

If Patty Mahomes doesnt blow out his acl, do we then 100% play the starters?

Works both ways my friend.

[Warfish]

2 hours ago, Jethead said:

The old way did not include joint practices which managed properly reduce the injury risk while allowing the pre-season physical contact and teamwork. 

I think this is a good innovation. Especially for players working there way back from injuries. Also, reduces the risk of some jackass trying to make a name for himself.

I would not play Rodgers, Smith, Williams, Clark more than a cameo in game 3.

 

The old way included training camp and practice that was vastly more intense than today's club med NFL camps.

Again, like all things, it's a managerial choice to play or not play your players.

But choosing not to play them does not protect them from injury, plain and simple.  It just ensures if/when that injury occurs, it'll be in a regular season game or in practice, not in a preseason game.  Rodgers after 4 plays is the perfect example of that.  No amount of coddling stopped his Achilles from exploding the second he took a live field in a real game.

And in many cases, the lack of real playing results in sloppy, undisciplined, confused team play in the first 1-3 weeks of the regular season, potentially costing your team wins it may otherwise have won if they had really been well drilled and ready to play.

Personally, I think the entire idea is illogical, it makes no real difference if a player gets hurt in practice, in a preseason game or in week 1.  The result in each case is 100% the same, a hurt player.  Presuming you can treat a player like a china doll is just silly in a sport like football.

[Joe W. Namath]

14 hours ago, Joe W. Namath said:

Patrick Mahomes, Jordan Love, Joe Burrow etc are all playing this week.  Cant be a p#ssy.  Get the starters out there for a series or 2 vs the Giants.

Josh Allen, Bills starters will play about a quarter vs. Bears on Saturday.

Play the starters coach!!!!!

[GangGreened]

18 minutes ago, Joe W. Namath said:

Josh Allen, Bills starters will play about a quarter vs. Bears on Saturday.

Play the starters coach!!!!!

Why are you so worried about this? He’s the best young HC in the league, trust his decisions.

[THE BARON]

Yes.... I know it wont happen because they are foolish and chicken-sh*t, but I would insist that Rodgers gets a belly full of football in the preseason.  I'd have him playing a full quarter in the first game with all the starters, a full half in the second preseason game and one or two series with the starters in the final preseason game.  

They kept him out of the preseason last year and how did that end up ???

They are football players.  If you're mindset is to be afraid of trouble, you'll probably find it.

Get the starters asses on the field and let them go at it.

I want them to act and feel like they have balls. 

[ARodJetsFan]

13 hours ago, Warfish said:

Football is a contact sport.  

I liked the old ways:  1-2 drives PS Wk 1., 1 Quarter PS Week 2 and 1 full half or more PS Week 3, then rest.

You cannot stop injuries by sitting people, as Rogers last year proved, but you can sure make them ineffective the first few weeks of the season doing so.

It's called getting your starters in game-shape.

I think more starters are getting hurt now, because they're not playing enough in the pre-season.

[THE BARON]

15 hours ago, Joe W. Namath said:

Patrick Mahomes, Jordan Love, Joe Burrow etc are all playing this week.  Cant be a p#ssy.  Get the starters out there for a series or 2 vs the Giants.

Fukin'-A right, bubba.  

[THE BARON]

3 minutes ago, ARodJetsFan said:

It's called getting in game-shape.

I think more starters are getting hurt now, because they're not playing enough, prior to the start of the season.

yes 

[bicketybam]

1 hour ago, Warfish said:

The old way included training camp and practice that was vastly more intense than today's club med NFL camps.

Again, like all things, it's a managerial choice to play or not play your players.

But choosing not to play them does not protect them from injury, plain and simple.  It just ensures if/when that injury occurs, it'll be in a regular season game or in practice, not in a preseason game.  Rodgers after 4 plays is the perfect example of that.  No amount of coddling stopped his Achilles from exploding the second he took a live field in a real game.

And in many cases, the lack of real playing results in sloppy, undisciplined, confused team play in the first 1-3 weeks of the regular season, potentially costing your team wins it may otherwise have won if they had really been well drilled and ready to play.

Personally, I think the entire idea is illogical, it makes no real difference if a player gets hurt in practice, in a preseason game or in week 1.  The result in each case is 100% the same, a hurt player.  Presuming you can treat a player like a china doll is just silly in a sport like football.

If you were given a choice of playing Russian Roulette 20 times or 17 times, which option are you picking? 

[BUM-KNEE]

Gotta have the majority of starters in game mode before it counts.   Why would we want the team to be any less ready?  Camps are already soft enough as it is

 

[Warfish]

46 minutes ago, bicketybam said:

If you were given a choice of playing Russian Roulette 20 times or 17 times, which option are you picking? 

I've already said what I would do:

1-2 Drives in PS Game #1

1 Quarter in PS Game #2

1 Half in PS Game #3

 

[bicketybam]

5 minutes ago, Warfish said:

I've already said what I would do:

1-2 Drives in PS Game #1

1 Quarter in PS Game #2

1 Half in PS Game #3

 

Thanks, Chief 👍

[bicketybam]

41 minutes ago, Warfish said:

I've already said what I would do:

1-2 Drives in PS Game #1

1 Quarter in PS Game #2

1 Half in PS Game #3

 

Would you say you have a greater chance of getting injured in a preseason game or a regular season game? I personally think the odds of an injury are most likely equal. It's definitely not less in a preseason game.

So if you have to take that injury chance for 20 games or 17 games, what do you think gives you best chance of not being injured? I'm honestly surprised that 2 posters couldn't figure that out. 

[Warfish]

19 minutes ago, bicketybam said:

Would you say you have a greater chance of getting injured in a preseason game or a regular season game? I personally think the odds of an injury are most likely equal. It's definitely not less in a preseason game.

Depends. 

Starters vs. Starters or top tier backups, I think the risk is equal to regular season or other similar 1's vs. 1's.

I agree, it's definitely not less 1's v. 1's.

Now, 1's vs. 4's, 5's or Future Meat Cutters?  That may carry a minor additional risk for some positions.

But a counter-question:  What are we (hypothetically, since "we" don't manage anything, lol) managing for exactly?

Maximum injury risk avoidance?  Or winning Week 1 and every week possible after that?  

And it's not 20 vs. 17.  Injury risk exists every time a player is on a field playing football.  Practice, intersquad, joint practice, preseason or games.  So it's more like 100 vs. 97 if all you skip are the three PS games.

19 minutes ago, bicketybam said:

So if you have to take that injury chance for 20 games or 17 games, what do you think gives you best chance of not being injured? I'm honestly surprised that 2 posters couldn't figure that out. 

I think the best chance of not getting injured is to be physically game-ready via a camp that requires/gets players in game-day shape before the first pre-season game.  Even then injuries will happen, in preseason, in practice and in week 1.  That's simply how a brutal contact sport like football works.  Every play is a possible injury, so more plays = more chances (not necessarily more likelihood per chance) of injury.

With that said, there is a cost too to playing it safe.  Less plays against real, mean, not your teammate opponents means less ready week 1, more sloppy, more penalties, more miscues, and less likely to compete at your best.  Practice can only do so much.  We see it every year, and it seems worse every year too.  And that injury risk rises when you've been coddled or kept like a china doll, because no one will treat you that way week 1 and beyond.  Rodgers broke the second he faced a real, legit, have to scramble hard, not 2-hand-touch rush in Week 1 last year.

And lets take this mindset to the ridiculous:  If we are this terrified of injuries, why play guys in the regular season so much?  Jets winning 21-3 in the third, should we take Rodgers out?  Our D can handle it, there is increased risk vs. an angry losing team looking to fight, and the odds of winning are like 85-90%.  So we sit Rodgers then, right, because we're about maximum injury avoidance management?

Sounds silly, doesn't it.  So does sitting starters until week 1, to me.  Rodgers got hurt after 4 plays last year.  Had we lost him in the third PS game, would that have in some meaningful way been "better" somehow?  Not IMO, but maybe it is in yours.  

Maybe the problem is signing so many huge injury risk players.  Because few of us would care in say, Tipp plays some in preseason.  But much of the key players on our roster are big risks, so yeah.