Can we garner any insights from the preseason records of teams with how they are performing now?
A lot don’t like the strategy to sit starters. I don’t know what teams did but there is probably data around it and maybe the bad teams played starters more thinking they needed it.
Just on a quick glance, these teams had great preseason records and suck:
NYJ
JAX
TEN
These had poor records but are doing very well now:
ATL
KC
WSH
PIT
Buff
Interesting that the NFC North did exceptionally well in preseason and the current season so far. That said the bears were 4-0, Vikings 3-0, and those two are at the bottom of a very good North.
When we had a 16 game season, I always had a running joke where I equated each preseason win, comes with 4 losses during the regular season. I did that after in 2008 we went 4-0, then went 0-16. Then we would watch teams like the Patriots or Indy not give any care to preseason and win 12-16 games every season. The 2011 Lions did defy this, they went 4-0 during the preseason and then won 5 in a row to open the season and finish 10-6.
I just think it ultimately comes down to bad teams want to see what they have, and try hard in preseason. Good teams say " just don’t get hurt".
