John Martinez Pavliga-Flickr
On Friday Night, the Chicago Bears were steam rolled by the defending Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks. The Bears offense couldn’t pull the trigger and the defense was stymied on 3rd down, while the Seahawks were just the opposite. Fans on both sides were quick to take notice of the 34-6 debacle and make their predictions of what it means for the upcoming season. In Washington, talk of another Championship run were rampant. Meanwhile, in the Windy City there was talk of impending doom lingering in the air. Similar expressions of future glory and imminent demise were heard earlier in the week by fans of the Denver Broncos and San Francisco 49er’s, respectively, as Peyton Manning and company trounced their opponents in a 34-0 shutout. However, something for all to remember is this is preseason so what does it matter?
Preseason games are not about their outcomes. Their value is in finding depth for the bench, getting experience for rookies, and testing out plays. For the starters it is about exposing their weaknesses, learning where they are falling short, getting back to game speed, and being as ready as they can for that first week in September. No one pushes themselves through pain in the preseason; they sit and rest nagging injuries that would never keep them out of a regular season game. Sure, some may see these games as a dress rehearsal for the regular season, but no coach in his right mind is going out there and giving up every trick in their book during what amounts to a televised scrimmage. No, these games are not true determinants of the regular season to come.
Want proof? Here’s some notable examples: The 2000 Baltimore Ravens were undefeated in exhibition and, in Super Bowl XXXV, they beat the New York Giants who were 0-4. The 2007 New England Patriots went 2-2 in the preseason before going on an unbelievable undefeated run to the Super Bowl where they lost to the Giants who were 1-3 in the preseason. The 2006 Bears run to the championship had them at 2-2 in the preseason while their victorious opponents, the Indianapolis Colts, were 1-3. Even the legendary ‘85 Bears shuffled on down to Super Bowl XX after posting a miserable 1-3 in the preseason. The Patriots, their opponents in that game, also posted an uninspiring 1-3 record. Excepting the Ravens in 2000 none of these teams would be expected to get higher than middle of the pack based solely on their performance in exhibition, but they all ended up as the best the NFC and AFC had.
I’m not saying the current Seahawks are the 2000 Ravens, or the latest incarnation of the Bears are the second coming of the 2007 Patriots. What I am saying is, fans of these and all other teams need to relax. Sure, a good performance in exhibition is fine to be happy with and a poor one is fine to be a little upset about but don’t get carried away with yourselves. The pollen count at the time of the coin toss during that season opener likely has a greater influence on how well the Bears or any other NFL team will do than almost anything you see on an August evening. In 2 weeks you’ll have something to cheer for when the games count and the points matter.
Chris Kazmierczak is a Writer for Couch Rider Report. Follow us on twitter or Facebook.
