Preseason: The Importance of Depth
As we saw in the Hall of Fame game NFL opener, preseason games aren't always meaningless. The Steelers were fired up for the new head coach, Mike Tomlin, and pushed around the disinterested Saints, 20-7. And that's the thing about exhibition football: There are edges to find against the spread.
Sometimes it's in the matchups, such as a team with tons of running back depth going against a team depleted by injuries on the defensive front. Other times the edge is on the sidelines, with a better coaching staff than the opponent, or as in the case with Pittsburgh, the team wants to get a win for their new coach.
One other point that stood out about the Hall of Fame game was that even though it was at a neutral site, easily three-fourths of the roughly 22,302 patrons inside Fawcett Stadium came dressed in black and gold to watch their favored Steelers. They were intrigued to see the new approach and the new coach.
Home field is a factor, but preseason football is mainly about depth. Coaches are using everybody on the roster to evaluate personnel and decide what to do with young talent. Use them somewhere else? Cut them? Keep them and cut the veterans? The Steelers are a team with excellent depth all over the field.
As good as the Saints were in 2006, however, the defense was always a problem. They made it to the NFC Championship game, but struggled against the run (29th in the league), allowing a whopping 5.0 yards per carry. The secondary also gave up a lot of big plays. The same problems have surfaced already in the exhibition season: In the first half against Pittsburgh, the Saints allowed eight plays of more than 10 yards.
The Colts are going to be interesting defensively to watch in August. Which defense is going to show up: The one that was outstanding in the postseason? Or the one that was a sieve all season, ranking last against the run?
That should be an area of concern already. They just released Corey Simon and defensive tackle Anthony McFarland was lost for the season over the weekend. Even with the 300-pound McFarland anchoring the middle of the defense, the Colts allowed 173 rushing yards per game and 5.3 yards per attempt. Coach Tony Dungy said, "I think we're going to be a fast team. We're going to be an explosive team on offense." But what about on defense? Note that Dungy has a history of taking it easy on his veterans in preseason, and the Colts are 1-8 SU, 2-7 ATS the last two preseasons.
Another team thin on the defensive depth up front is Cincinnati. The Bengals have not had a defensive lineman earn a Pro Bowl berth since Tim Krumrie was voted in as a nose tackle in the 1988 season. The release of Sam Adams in the offseason means a promotion to starter for second-year DT Domata Peko, but he's unknown, just like the guys behind him.
Finally, since winning football is about the quarterback spot, two teams that are going to be interesting to watch in preseason are the Falcons and Vikings. Both have a lot of new looks behind center. The Vikings dumped veteran Rob Johnson and are stuck with the kids: Tarvaris Jackson and nerwcomer Brooks Bollinger.
The Falcons traded away talented backup Matt Schaub in the offseason, then lost No. 1 QB Michael Vick to legal troubles. So Atlanta has a new coach in Bobby Petrino and new QBs in Joey Harrington and Chris Redman, alongside No. 3 holdover D.J. Shockley. Depth is a big key in August, and a team needs backups and starters who can play, or they'll be as cooked in preseason as they will be when the games count!
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