Preseason Pointers
The pro football preseason kicked off this past weekend in the Hall of Fame game as the Steelers topped the Saints, 20-7. Steeler fans got a look at their new coach, 35-year old Mike Tomlin. Remember that each season is different, with players changing teams, new coaches and assistants coming aboard, and star college players joining the pros as highly touted rookies. August football offers fans their first peak at all the new additions.
This weekend, the Jets and Falcons meet. The Jets stole RB Thomas Jones from the Bears to add some balance to the offense. They also have been busy renovating their defensive line, signing defensive ends Eric Hicks, David Bowens, Kenyon Coleman, Andre Wadsworth and Michael Haynes. In addition, the offense is in the second year of offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer's high-tech scheme that features an array of shifts and motions.
The Falcons have even more changes. New coach Bobby Petrino takes over, the former Louisville coach, who is an offensive wizard. His offenses couldn't be more different than former coach Jim Mora, who favored a conservative ground attack. The bigger story is QB Michael Vick's legal problems, which means Joey Harrington is the top signal caller, with Chris Redman and D.J. Shockley battling for the No. 2 spot.
It's also worth noting that Petrino has not been hesitant to put his stamp on the team, by promoting or demoting players, opening competition, or moving players. The release of WR Fred Gibson three days into training camp sent a warning that there is no tolerance for not doing things the right way. That's another thing to keep an eye on in August: a different attitude, either from coaches or certain players.
Of course, starters won't see a lot of time just yet, and for good reason. Who can forget four years ago when Vick suffered a serious injury in August, wrecking his season. No coach wants to jeopardize his job and no owner wants to risk his investment by losing a key player to a devastating exhibition injury.
Still, with coaches rotating players, examining depth, testing new game plans, and individual athletes battling for roster spots, there's plenty of competition in August. Another thing to keep an eye on is subtle strategic adjustments. The Buccaneers host the Patriots this weekend and Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden has made all kinds of changes.
Newcomer QB Jeff Garcia is No. 1, giving Gruden the veteran presence they haven't had since Rob Johnson left town. Chris Simms is battling for the backup job with second-year pro Bruce Gradkowski and Luke McCown. Garcia's presence has prompted Gruden to consider the shotgun as a legitimate option for his version of the West Coast attack. Gruden is eager to expand his playbook in terms of rollouts and bootlegs to capitalize on Garcia's mobility.
Defensively, the Bucs are considering new packages in an effort to disrupt timing and generate more heat on opposing quarterbacks. Last season, QBs feasted against Tampa Bay's defense, posting a cumulative 91.0 rating. All of which means past preseason stats can be rendered meaningless if coaching staffs revamp.
The Broncos and the 49ers hook up in their first preseason game. A year ago there was a QB controversy between veteran Jake Plummer and rookie Jay Cutler. There is no such controversy this season, as Plummer retired and Cutler, with his rocket arm, is No. 1. The 49ers have lost star RB Frank Gore for the preseason. Note that Denver coach Mike Shanahan is 38-22 SU, 33-23-2 ATS in preseason, including 12-5 SU/10-7 ATS the last four Augusts.
Also, keep and eye on home field play. In August of 2004, the home teams went 21-10-1 against the spread the first two weeks of preseason. Two years ago, the home team went 10-5 SU/ATS the first week of exhibition play, and last season went 11-5 SU, 8-7-1 ATS. Sometimes coaches are disappointed with their team's first game, particularly if it's a road loss, and they want to see a more determined effort in Game 2, especially if it's in front of the home fans. This happened a year ago when Denver looked sloppy in a 20-13 loss at Arizona as a favorite. A week later, at home, Shanahan demanded a better effort and the Broncos destroyed Tennessee, 35-10.
It's not uncommon for new coaches to want to prove something early on, even in preseason, while veteran coaches might take a different approach. Buffalo coach Marv Levy had veteran teams and rarely cared about preseason. Indy's Tony Dungy is similar, more interested in health while taking it easy on veterans. Dungy's Colts are 1-8 SU/2-7 ATS the last two preseasons.
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