Exhibition perspective

Don't be overly impressed or depressed by preseason games

By Kirk "Dr.Football" Bouyelas, Special to SI.com

The drought of "real" football on television is finally over. For many football fans, Arena football has only fueled their appetite for the "real" deal. Now that the NFL preseason is here, football fans can again feast on an assortment of games. While the preseason treat may not fully satisfy the ferocious hunger of hardcore fans, it should certainly serve as a tasty appetizer to the rest of us.

With the start of the season close at hand, many fantasy football enthusiasts will be eagerly watching the preseason games on television. Veteran fantasy owners will find themselves scouting teams, coaches and players alike. They want to learn which teams have improved and chart player performance. In general, owners will be relying heavily on preseason games to prepare for their fantasy draft.

While owners can't be faulted for employing this strategy, some caution should be exercised. In the case of preseason games, statistics do lie. Clear cut starters will have pathetic stats, while perennial backups will rack up the yardage. When dealing with preseason, don't get overly impressed or overly depressed. Let's see what I mean by that statement.

Don't Be Overly Impressed

In offices all across the country, the small talk now shifts to football.

"Wow, did you see that guy last night? Some guy for Oakland scampered for a 40-yard score. Yeah, and some receiver for Jacksonville caught a 50-yard touchdown strike. By the way, what was his name again?"

The conversation is great, because it gets the football juices flowing again. However, don't become overly impressed with these unknown preseason stars. The chances are that the "star" third-string running back or sixth-string receiver will remain buried on the depth chart. It doesn't matter how well he performs in preseason, there is almost no chance that he will supplant the starters. Remember, he's playing against the third-string linebackers, corners and safeties. This guy may have problems making the team, much less break into the starting lineup. It's just the reality of the situation.

NFL coaches view the preseason as an opportunity to see how backup players perform in game conditions. Some guys look great in practice, but fall apart under the stress of a real game. As such, the backup players are featured in preseason games to see if they can cut it. The third- and fourth-string players are not fighting for a starting job, they're just fighting for a job. The vast majority will not even make the roster.

Don't become overly impressed with these pre-season wonders. Unless catastrophe hits, they won't unseat the McNabbs, Tomlinsons and Harrisons of the league.

Don't Get Overly Depressed

Let's switch back to the football talk around the office cooler for a moment.

"Man, I'm bummed out. I was going to draft Ricky Williams, but he didn't play well in last night's game. He was only in for two possessions and really didn't impress me at all. Yeah, I know what you mean. Maybe he's hurt or he's lost a step. What do you think?"

This conversation is potentially dangerous and very foolish and I hear it all the time. The Dolphins and Dave Wannstedt know what Ricky Williams is capable of doing because he did it already. He's not playing for a roster spot or a starting job. Ricky does not need to prove himself or show his wares. The fact that he may have played poorly or was used sparingly should not concern anyone who understands the dynamics of preseason football.

If you were to query every coach in the league, you would find that the vast majority would just rather skip the preseason. Because fans are paying top dollar for game tickets, there is pressure to play the starters. Many coaches cave to these pressures, but only allow the starters to play about one quarter. Coaches don't want to endanger their starters. They will use every trick in the book to keep them from playing. Just look at some of the injuries keeping players out of the preseason games -- tweaked hamstring, stiff shoulder, cramps. Come on, these aren't injuries.

For the most part, coaches don't care if they lose a preseason game. It doesn't count, so why should it matter? The fact is that coaches do not want to risk injury to their starters. Moreover, the players themselves don't want to risk their careers for a game that means nothing.

Don't become depressed about the stats or performance of a known commodity like Peyton Manning, Tiki Barber or Joe Horn. Use their past performance to guide you with your draft preparation. It really doesn't matter if Manning throws for a combined 50 yards in all of his preseason appearances. Who cares if Tiki Barber only had 20 rushing attempts in four preseason games? Manning will be under center for the first game of the regular season, while Barber will be racking up the yards. Who do you think is going to unseat them -- Jim Kubiak and Delvin Joyce? Get real and remember ... Don't get overly impressed or overly depressed.

Kirk "Dr.Football" Bouyelas is the co-owner of FantasyAsylum.com. Kirk originally founded Dr.Football about five years ago. This offseason, FantasyAsylum.com merged with Komments.com, DrFootball.com and David Grey's Fantasy Football Report.