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A Guide to Preseason Game Viewing

Zod

By Zod,
in Carolina Panthers

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jtm Rising Star

jtm

Posted
Posted

Preseason is about watching our rookies and guys playing for back-up roles, which can be very important. The O and D will run very vanilla plays with our starters so you can't gauge anything one way or another.

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MHS831 Grand Master

MHS831

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I like to watch the third and fourth quarters to see the roster battles.  There are some players on this team who could make it or could go to the PS until they are ready.  Names I am interested in:  DE Roh,  Chandler at T, CB White (I would LOVE to see them look at him at FS), Lester, Gettis, Adams, Kugbila (who will be ugly if he plays), Cameron, Fua at UT, etc.

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panthers55 Grand Master

panthers55

Posted
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Do you guys love to throw SC under the bus? Don't put that poo on my state man. There are very loyal panther fans here that "migrate" up to put their ass in those seats. NC not filling them alone. Ever been to a bobcats game?

Who said that South Carolina fans aren't loyal?

 

And yes I have been to plenty of bobcat games including the playoff games.  

 

Lighten up Francis!!!

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panthers55 Grand Master

panthers55

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Im cool just seems that SC stuff gets thrown around a lot. They have trailer parks in NC as well.

Tons of them.  Can I help that both times the pittsburgh fans were from SC and they did live in trailer parks?  I guess that is what happens when your seats are in the upper deck.

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Growl Grand Master

Growl

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Alright. So here's the real truth of preseason. Every year the self-appointed "rational" guys do this, and no doubt, there is merit to the notion that you shouldn't take preseason games too seriously, and that wins or losses don't matter. But here's the part that goes ignored every year- you don't want the team to come out looking like crap.

 

How the team plays in these games has proven to be a rather telling indicator how they will perform overall in the regular season. In what has become a yearly tradition, we see the team come out looking flat, or unprepared emotionally or fundamentally, or some players who shouldn't even be trying out for a roster and just flat out suck are awarded key starting positions regardless of how terrible they've been throughout the preseason, and every year, people say, "hey, this seems to be a problem" to which the aforementioned "rational" people proclaim "HARHAR LOOK @ U NEWB ITS PRESEASON THESE GAMES DONT MEEN NOTHIN!!"

 

Then the irony comes in, as those same people are befuddled and stunned when the team comes out a mere six days later looking flat, or unprepared emotionally or fundamentally, or some players who shouldn't have even been on our roster and flat out suck were awarded starting positions.

 

This is followed by rage and outcry, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE MAGICAL GENIE JELOSPHIN DIDNT DESCEND WHEN PRESEASON ENDED AND BESTOW THE MAGICAL PROPHESIED IN ANCIENT TIMES "REGULAR SEASON POWERS" UPON US??? THE INTERNET SAID THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN!! WHY IS SIONE FUA STILL AN AWFUL PLAYER?!"

 

No, the preseason doesn't mean much. What you do want to see however, is good football, top to bottom. You want to see your starters look pumped, focused, prepared, equipped, and ready for an NFL season. You want to see your backups look mentally prepared and as if they actually understand the sport that is being played. You want your team to look good.

 

 

 

 

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YourManInAmsterdam Newbie

YourManInAmsterdam

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<snip>

 

4. Individual player performance is open to praise or criticism. There are very valid things to get excited or upset about in preseason, and individual player performance is one of them. This is especially true for the second and third string. These guys are playing for a roster spot, you are seeing them at their very best.

5. Special Teams can be fully evaluated. In the preseason the Special Teams unit are pretty much what you see is what you get. Feel free to fully judge.

</snip>

 

I'd only like to add that sometimes, people's evaluations, particularly praise for 2nd and 3rd string potentials can go way, way overboard.  They'll see a 3rd string player make a couple of really impressive plays against other guys lower down the depth chart and all of a sudden he's the saviour of the franchise.

 

It's one thing to evaluate and say, "Hey, this guy could help us on game day when we need him."  It's another to be all, "OMFG this guy should be starting!  He's going the be the destroyer of worlds!  Pro Bowl or GTFO!!!1"

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Achilles Apprentice

Achilles

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The first preseason game I think can be very telling.  It sets the tone for the rest of the practice season and that can snowball into the regular season.  The offense usually comes out looking to score on that first drive.  I remember how the offense came out in 2011 and just lit up the Giants, Clausen and Cam looked solid.  I was so excited because when Cam came in, it was just immediately clear that he would be the franchise QB for years to come.  It became clear over the next couple of preseason and regular season games that this team would struggle to get Ws.  But after that 1st preseason game I was so stoked.

 

What I'm saying is that the preseason can be full of surprises and that first drive in game 1 sets the tone.  I think players play harder in that game, honestly.  Plus, as mentioned, you get to see the kick return game in action and that will be very telling because they are going to do the same thing in reg season.

 

Game 1 is also a lot better if the opponent is a rival and we do kind of have a grudge thing going on with the Bears.  We gutted them in that 2005 playoff game and they have had our number ever since.  Plus, there's last year's heartbreaker which we lost after leading comfortably.  Its a good match, because the Bears are a good team that will provide a good measure of our abilities.

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Raskle Contributor

Raskle

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Yeah I was at a bar last season (or year before that) and had to try to explain to one of my friends why we didn't have Smitty in the game in the 4th quarter only down one touchdown.

 

Of course, he was a Cowboys fan first, so that may explain part of the brain damage.

 

The question is, who has the larger amount of brain damage? The Cowboys fan for being a Cowboys fan.... or the guy who hangs around with said Cowboys fan? Hmmmmmmmm..??

 

 

 

:P

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bigjohn Proficient

bigjohn

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Posted

The question is, who has the larger amount of brain damage? The Cowboys fan for being a Cowboys fan.... or the guy who hangs around with said Cowboys fan? Hmmmmmmmm..??

 

 

 

:P

 

 

The good thing is he can't count past 6, so when the beers start piling up I can put most of mine on his tab.

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