SPECTATOR'S GUIDE
Fred Faour: 5 things to look for in the NFL preseason games
Aug 6, 2018, 7:16 am
The Texans offensive line bears watching. Frederick Breedon/Getty Images
Football returns this week -- sort of -- with a full slate of exhibition games (the NFL likes to call it “preseason games.”). It is where you pay full price to see a lot of players who will be working in non-football jobs in a few months.
But there are some things you can look for in these games that might give you an indication of what to expect when real football starts for your team. Obviously in Houston, all eyes are on the Texans, but this really applies to almost any team:
1. Vanilla is the flavor of the day
Most teams will play basic packages on both offense and defense. With some exceptions, there will be little blitzing on defense and little in the way of trick plays on offense. Mostly because teams do not want to give much away, but also because many of the players you will see are trying to make the team, and coaches will keep it simple to see what they can do. In addition, many teams do not have their full programs in yet, and there is little to no game-planning. Some players who have little chance of becoming anything can look really good in these situations, so it is important to take it all with a grain of salt.
2. How to watch the quarterbacks
Almost every starter should look good, go 7 for 10 for 102 yards in a couple drives then take a seat. They are playing with the 1s, and the defenses they will be seeing are a step above 7 on 7. Conversely, don’t judge young quarterbacks too harshly. High picks who are not starters yet might be playing with the 2s or 3s. A lackluster effort might be as much because of that than a lack of ability..
3. New rules
It will be interesting to see how many additional penalties are called because of the new helmet rule, and what impact the changes on kickoffs will actually have. Players and coaches will use these games to alter techniques and strategies. Most likely, tons of penalties will be called in the preseason and then the officials will back off when real football begins.
4. Troubled position groups
Almost every team has at least one weak spot (hey Texans, we are looking at your offensive line and running backs). Preseason is a chance to work on improving, and hopefully a place where some new faces can make an impact. No matter what your team’s weakness, keep an eye out for that surprise player who steps up and earns a role.
5. Watch for potential cuts from other teams who could help yours
Every team will have some players who look good, but simply can’t find a spot on a roster that is strong at one position group. The last cuts can often find jobs quickly on teams that have specific needs, and the preseason is a chance to earn not just a roster spot on the team they are playing for, but also to catch someone else’s eye.
Enjoy the “games,” such as they are. The score is completely meaningless (unless you are betting, and that is a different story), but there are at least a few things to watch for in the exhibition season.
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There was a conversation Cleveland guard Donovan Mitchell had during training camp, the topic being all the teams that were generating the most preseason buzz in the Eastern Conference. Boston was coming off an NBA championship. New York got Karl-Anthony Towns. Philadelphia added Paul George.
The Cavs? Not a big topic in early October. And Mitchell fully understood why.
“What have we done?” Mitchell asked. “They don't talk about us. That's fine. We'll just hold ourselves to our standard.”
That approach seems to be working.
For the first time in 36 seasons — yes, even before the LeBron James eras in Cleveland — the Cavaliers are atop the NBA at the 25-game mark. They're 21-4, having come back to earth a bit following a 15-0 start but still better than anyone in the league at this point.
“We've kept our standards pretty high,” Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said. “And we keep it going.”
The Cavs are just one of the surprise stories that have emerged as the season nears the one-third-done mark. Orlando — the only team still unbeaten at home — is off to its best start in 16 years at 17-9 and having done most of that without All-Star forward Paolo Banchero. And Houston is 16-8, behind only the Cavs, Boston, Oklahoma City and Memphis so far in the race for the league's best record.
Cleveland was a playoff team a year ago, as was Orlando. And the Rockets planted seeds for improvement last year as well; an 11-game winning streak late in the season fueled a push where they finished 41-41 in a major step forward after a few years of rebuilding.
“We kind of set that foundation last year to compete with everybody,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. “Obviously, we had some ups and downs with winning and losing streaks at times, but to finish the season the way we did, getting to .500, 11-game winning streak and some close losses against high-level playoff teams, I think we kind of proved that to ourselves last year that that's who we're going to be.”
A sign of the respect the Rockets are getting: Oddsmakers at BetMGM Scorebook have made them a favorite in 17 of 24 games so far this season, after favoring them only 30 times in 82 games last season.
“Based on coaches, players, GMs, people that we all know what they're saying, it seems like everybody else is taking notice as well,” Udoka said.
They're taking notice of Orlando as well. The Magic lost their best player and haven't skipped a beat.
Banchero's injury after five games figured to doom Orlando for a while, and the Magic went 0-4 immediately after he tore his oblique. Entering Tuesday, they're 14-3 since — and now have to regroup yet again. Franz Wagner stepped into the best-player-on-team role when Banchero got hurt, and now Wagner is going to miss several weeks with the exact same injury.
Ask Magic coach Jamahl Mosley how the team has persevered, and he'll quickly credit everyone but himself. Around the league, it's Mosley getting a ton of the credit — and rightly so — for what Orlando is doing.
“I think that has to do a lot with Mose. ... I have known him a long time,” Phoenix guard Bradley Beal said. “A huge fan of his and what he is doing. It is a testament to him and the way they’ve built this team.”
The Magic know better than most how good Cleveland is, and vice versa. The teams went seven games in an Eastern Conference first-round series last spring, the Cavs winning the finale at home to advance to Round 2.
Atkinson was brought in by Cleveland to try and turn good into great. The job isn't anywhere near finished — nobody is raising any banners for “best record after 25 games” — but Atkinson realized fairly early that this Cavs team has serious potential.
“We’re so caught up in like the process of improve, improve, improve each game, improve each practice," Atkinson said. “That’s kind of my philosophy. But then you hit 10-0, and obviously the media starts talking and all that, and you’re like, ‘Man, this could be something special brewing here.’”