Patriots - Eagles Game May Be True Tune-Up

[supafly]

and there it is, Gwedd...three games in under 10 days??? you're just begging to have all kinds of injuries from bumps and bruises to season ending IR visits...I had a real close friend who played for the Pats in the 80's and I saw what he went through as a matter of routine...the day after a game you just lay up and recover, usually Mondays...Tuesdays you're in for the whirlpool, therapy,whatever...Wednesday, you start to feel relatively back to normal, Thursday and Friday you work on the gameplan....with THIS idiotic schedule you can be sure there will be ZERO laying up,no recovery time...you get a bruise and it's right back out there getting a bruise on top of that bruise...and then again.,...who agreed to this insanity??????

I hope that nothing too bad occurs from this catastrophe, Joker.

I definitely agree that it seems awfully strange, but I imagine that 2 of the 32 teams (PHI and NE this year) have to deal with it if they're playing the MNF game in the second week. I'd be interested to see what the situation has been in the past couple/few yrs, but I'll have to leave that until tomorrow.

The only thing that may be in our favor is the fact that Belichick will definitely be very aware of how to handle the players. Not only that, but there's also the fact that no one should see too much extended time in all 3 games if they're going to be on the 53 man roster (with the exception of some backup and specialty positions). I'm assuming that we see a lot of action from potential cuts, backups, and PS players for the majority of those 12 upcoming quarters---besides some managed reps to accustomate the starters.

My guess is that anyone who will play 1/2 of Monday night's game vs PHI will probably not see too much extended action in the 3rd game, thus allowing them 9 days between games #2 and #4. Of course there will be plenty of players who will be playing in all 3, but one would have to expect Belichick to handle their game reps accordingly, unless they aren't going to be a part of the 53 man roster.

 

[Joker]

again, it's not Bill I worry about...in fact, I learned early to trust his judgement on all things affecting the Pats...he'll manage this three game stretch with his usual thoroughness and attention to every possibility. What bothers me is why is it always the Patriots that seem to end up on the short end of the stick with these azzbrained schedule quirks?...and...as a Patriot fan and a fan of the NFL that contributes with my hard earned money to the success of the league, why does this commissioner continue to wave his red cape in my face? I want what the other teams get...play my third exhibition game like I've played my third exhibition game the last FORTY YEARS. Everybody else gets to play THEIR third game and prep for the season, AS USUAL,why are NE and Philly singled out for this preseason marathon? If I am the head coach, I DETEST this schedule strictly from a competitive angle. Why are there even ANY of these ridiculous quirks at all? Yeah, I know, it's the money angle, and the "Goodell is the saviour of the league" hero worship because he's pushing all these weirdo unbalanced schedules...on Thursday, off ten days, then a Monday followed by a Sunday ,a 5000 mile trip midseason...just a non stop "we want the bucks at any cost!!!!" orgy. The level of play HAS to suffer with all this going on...perhaps Goodell just doesn't care...perhaps it HAS become the WWE already and we just don't know it yet...this ref thing is a gigantic red flag, for example...just what kind of football are we getting if these scabs take to the field during the regular season? We have to pay full price, now matter how shoddy and rag tag the games are...man, I just don't like it

 

[Salva135]

Monday night is fine... but then Friday... and then WEDNESDAY? Who on the planet thinks it's a great idea for us to play our usual 4th preseason game in the swamp on a WEDNESDAY?

The 1s will be fine and rested, but there is a ton of competition in camp this year and the guys at the bottom are supposed to keep up with this? This is complete bull****, whoever designed this schedule.

A few players are going to get hurt because of this schedule... and we're all going to ***** about it.

 

[TruthSeeker]

does every team play 3 games in ten days?

was this kind of preseason schedule a necessity per Rogered Goodell?

does three games in ten days really acclimate the rookies, hell even the veterans, to the NORMAL week to week NFL regular season schedule?

why the penny ante carnival barker type snake oil sales jobs on these games squeezed into this narrow time frame?

with this idiotic, totally unnecessary labor dispute with the regular refs totally ignored by Rogered until this deadline doomsday, just exactly what CAN we expect to see from the new and improved NFL blubbered up by Rogered months ago, now that it looks like these replacement hacks will be handling all the remaining preseason games and IF there's a settlement, the regular refs get to refine their play calling as the regular season unfolds??

Really, can't say enough about the Rogered that saved our league (isn't that how it goes??? HE did all the work and the scenes of the union reps with Kraft and other owners were just window dressing there at the settlement table???".Rogered is just a tremendous leader isn't he??...dodges a HUGE bullet through no skill of his own and defecates all over the post settlement glow and promise of stability with THIS moronic, short sighted, fumbling, amateurish and totally unnecessary crapfest with the regular refs.

Here's the good news...what can possibly go wrong NOW???...I mean, THIS crap HAS TO BE THE END OF IT...right???...FWIW I'm watching the replay from last week for like the fifth time and these refs $UCKED...it's worse every time I watch it again...call after non call after non call....if THESE clowns are going to continue into the regular season working games, the entire schedule is reduced to a gigantic laughing stock...all that's missing is the Rock and the Undertaker in a cage match at half time.

Let's calm down a little bit. Just acknowledge that there is indeed Monday night football during the pre-season and that the fourth pre-season games are all before the weekend. This means that some teams are going to play 3 games in a week and a half.

But that's what football players do - play football. And in this case, no one's even playing a full game; a lot of them are lucky to play half a game in each game. It isn't' a conspiracy against the Patriots or anyone else. It's just football.

 

[Reckedtrek]

It's an 80 man roster right now.
Play game 2 as a normal game 3.
Game 3, play the "bottom" 45 (IE rest/preserve the 35 top players).
(The first cut down date comes after the 3rd game.)
Make game 4 a mix, favoring the remaining bubble players in the second half.

By not playing your key 35 in game 3, they have a 9 day period between games (Aug 20 and 29). I agree the biggest challenge is to keep the team as healthy as possible with this joke of a schedule. Effectively skipping a game does that.

 

[BTTA]

It's an 80 man roster right now.
Play game 2 as a normal game 3. Game 3, play the "bottom" 45 (IE rest/preserve the 35 top players). (The first cut down date comes after the 3rd game.) Make game 4 a mix, favoring the remaining bubble players in the second half.

By not playing your key 35 in game 3, they have a 9 day period between games (Aug 20 and 29). I agree the biggest challenge is to keep the team as healthy as possible with this joke of a schedule. Effectively skipping a game does that.

Yes, this is the thing to do. Still, it raises the risk on injury to the "bottom" of the roster, and given what's being said about the team this year, particularly the defense, the gap between the bottom and top of the roster is narrow.

 

[Kontradiction]

The Eagles going 9 technique should pose a good challenge for the foot speed of both tackles.

I wonder if McDaniels is going to choose to leave both tackles on islands with the DE's of the Eagles or if he's going to give them significant TE help...

 

[MoLewisrocks]

does every team play 3 games in ten days?

was this kind of preseason schedule a necessity per Rogered Goodell?

does three games in ten days really acclimate the rookies, hell even the veterans, to the NORMAL week to week NFL regular season schedule?

why the penny ante carnival barker type snake oil sales jobs on these games squeezed into this narrow time frame?

with this idiotic, totally unnecessary labor dispute with the regular refs totally ignored by Rogered until this deadline doomsday, just exactly what CAN we expect to see from the new and improved NFL blubbered up by Rogered months ago, now that it looks like these replacement hacks will be handling all the remaining preseason games and IF there's a settlement, the regular refs get to refine their play calling as the regular season unfolds??

Really, can't say enough about the Rogered that saved our league (isn't that how it goes??? HE did all the work and the scenes of the union reps with Kraft and other owners were just window dressing there at the settlement table???".Rogered is just a tremendous leader isn't he??...dodges a HUGE bullet through no skill of his own and defecates all over the post settlement glow and promise of stability with THIS moronic, short sighted, fumbling, amateurish and totally unnecessary crapfest with the regular refs.

Here's the good news...what can possibly go wrong NOW???...I mean, THIS crap HAS TO BE THE END OF IT...right???...FWIW I'm watching the replay from last week for like the fifth time and these refs $UCKED...it's worse every time I watch it again...call after non call after non call....if THESE clowns are going to continue into the regular season working games, the entire schedule is reduced to a gigantic laughing stock...all that's missing is the Rock and the Undertaker in a cage match at half time.

There was never any post settlement glow because after the NFLPA caved as usual it immediately went into buyers remorse mode. Agreed to HgH testing, just won't agree to established, standardized testing methods. Wanted commissioner discipline restricted, just wanted a certain % split and revenue definition more so opted to take the money and resort to guerrilla warfare when their numbers didn't pan out. The league got the deal it wanted and needed. Shame on Roger for not doing what Tagliabue did in his dotage to keep the peace... Caving is never the answer. They've been dealing with these officials who were determined to take the same waste of time approach as the player who cost themselves an off season since March. On some level you have to know all this, but I get it doesn't fit the all about Roger the jetfan hyperbole fueled conspiracy tack you consistently choose to inject into every thread. He doesn't have anything to do with scheduling... That's about computer programming and the network partners and ratings strategy. Growth may mean squat to existing fans, but it means a lot to Roger's employers and even his disgruntled constituents who always have their collective hands out. Not to mention to a football fanbase that seems to have a nearly insatiable appetite for televised games past the old standard any given Sunday.

And FWIW just a cursory look at the schedule shows a number of teams playing 3 games in 11 days including the two (Giants and Dallas) who will then open the season on a Wednesday with just a week to recoup and prep. NE has the luxury of 11 days.

 

[Reckedtrek]

Yes, this is the thing to do. Still, it raises the risk on injury to the "bottom" of the roster, and given what's being said about the team this year, particularly the defense, the gap between the bottom and top of the roster is narrow.

It's probably the best solution available to a bad situation, but I agree- it's far from ideal.