NFL Preseason Week 4 - A Necessary Evil



Steelers vs. Panthers - Preseason Gm 4

 -Mason Noland (@m_noland386)

I hate the last preseason game. I hate it with an absolute passion. If I threw down my hard earned money to watch a game, and you told me that it was going to be Charlie Batch taking on Derek Anderson instead of Ben Roethlisberger verses Cam Newton, I would not be very appreciative. I, however, was not forced to drop money on the game. I am able to watch this atrocity from the comfort of my home. This game is the absolute reason why they should discount preseason games for season ticket holders. Preseason games are meaningless as far as how you finish in the regular season, but they allow coaches and General Mangers to evaluate which players will make the team. I equate preseason games to glorified scrimmages. These games can be played on practice fields with no one in attendance, but the owners couldn't make money off of it.

 The first preseason game is generally the game where players are shaking off the rust and knocking heads with someone besides their own co-workers. They generally just want to go at game speed and crack some pads. Starters might even play a couple of series The second preseason game is a bit of an extension of the first preseason game. Sometimes starters might play an entire half! Its the third preseason game that mostly resembles what a regular season will look like. Starters play into the third quarter.

This leaves the fourth preseason game. This leaves us with Batch versus Anderson. This is what I like to call the Necessary Evil game. If a starter is playing in this game, its not usually for very long. Some people don't even think it should be played, but its usual purpose is to evaluate the final roster cuts. Teams must go from 75 to 53 men tomorrow evening and more than a few bubble players are fighting for their professional lives. Game four is where aging veterans are clinging to one more year, or where the undrafted free agent is clawing his way into the league. If you don't think this game is important, ask players like James Harrison, Willie Parker or Antonio Brown how important it is. These were low round draft picks and undrafted players who earned their spots because of this game. I remember a bubble player named Stefan Logan making the team as the primary kick and punt returner because of the fourth preseason game.

Nothing Earth shattering is generally going to happen in the fourth preseason games. The guys who are playing are going to play hard because they are trying to make the team.  For the most part teams are not going to allow their stars to play long, if even at all. The biggest thing everyone is looking for is everyone comes out of the game unscathed. I hate this fourth preseason game, but I am reluctantly watching and probably will enjoy it, just like every year.