I don’t think we realized how important the preseason is.
From a fan’s perspective the preseason is pretty “meh.” You only see the starters for a few series and then it’s time for the backups to ball. But a lot of times, it’s not the best on field product. You see errant throws, poor blocking, missed tackles, blown coverages, and frankly, the game doesn’t move as fast as it normally does when the starters are on the field. But that’s the point of the preseason. It’s not for the fans. It’s for coaches to evaluate how their up and coming players will perform in live game situations. Some players are monsters in practice, but mice when the bright lights come on. Without a preseason, this can’t really be evaluated.
The unreadiness of both veterans and rookies was evident during this first week of play. Tom Brady, who many consider the greatest football player of all time, threw 2 interceptions due to miscommunications with his receivers, as he still hasn’t gotten acclimated to his new offense and new team. No rookie receiver had more than 5 catches, and no second-year receiver had more than 6 catches. No running back ran for 100 yards on Sunday. Saquon Barkley, a top 5 running back in the NFL last season only ran for for six (SIX!!!) yards on 15 carries. To further illustrate the rustiness that was on display there was a total of 19 missed field goals and five missed extra points. And on top of that, there have been a plethora of major injuries (Von Miller, Marlon Mack, Le’Veon Bell, Miles Sanders Leighton Vander Esch, etc.)
These first few weeks of the season will no doubt be tough. There will be plenty drops, missed kicks, and mishaps. With no preseason, this’ll probably continue for at least the next two or three weeks. Rust will need to be worked off, players will need to play themselves into game shape, and on field chemistry will need to be established. But once that happens: it’s game time.