🏈 Lack Of NFL Preseason Sparks Curiosity

The NFL preseason has always been part of the waiting game, but its value shouldn’t be underestimated. [View in browser]( [FOX SPORTS INSIDER WITH MARTIN ROGERS] In today’s FOX Sports Insider: The NFL preseason often gave a telling peek as to how things were shaping up for teams thought to be serious contenders... we take a look at what goes into the decision to opt out, and why several athletes across professional sports are sitting out their seasons in favor of a higher cause ... and we are treated to a wildly entertaining video featuring a trick-shot obstacle course. Welcome to guesswork season in the National Football League, the window of time in this upturned year when we know we want pro football to begin again, but don’t have any real idea of what to expect when it does. The slate of exhibition games that were scrapped as the NFL came to terms with the necessary modifications caused by COVID-19 have been neither greatly missed nor sadly lamented. However, they did provide at least one valuable purpose to the expectant fan. Preseason was rarely an accurate predictor of how the campaign would play out, yet it often gave a telling peek as to how things were shaping up for the teams thought to be serious contenders and the players who made them tick. Without the four glimpses that are customary, we are left to wonder about it all, while parsing the various bits of regional information that come in from around the country. Under normal circumstances, the appearances of Tom Brady in exhibition games for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would be used as the primary method for “seeing how he looks.” Now, reported glimpses of Brady’s arm strength and mood from the Bucs’ training camp must suffice. [STORY IMAGE 1] In New England, the quarterback competition to replace Brady would have revolved heavily around the preseason slate, with Cam Newton, Jarrett Stidham (before his injury) and Brian Hoyer set to duke it out. Bill Belichick must now figure it out behind closed doors, which is probably how he likes it anyway, but it should be noted that Stidham rose heavily in the coach’s favor last season precisely by playing well during the August schedule. There are positional situations all over the field to be figured out, but the most interesting are at the most important spot. Tua Tagovailoa would have had a far greater shot at being a Week 1 starter had he been able to prove his durability and worth during preseason action rather than just on the training field. As things stand, Ryan Fitzpatrick is considered likely to get the nod to begin under center for the Miami Dolphins. While preseason has always been part of the waiting game for supporters, FOX NFL analyst and former New York Jets head coach Eric Mangini insisted its value to teams should not be underestimated. “Each one of those games serves a function,” [Mangini said on FS1’s The Herd](. “Especially with the offseason we've had, if you put a new head coach and new coordinators into a situation where they are expected to make good decisions with shortened experiences and limited exposure, it is hard. They are already behind the eight ball.” [STORY IMAGE 2] There was a time, believe it or not, when the preamble was nearly half as long as the main event, with six initial games followed by a 14-game regular campaign from 1970 to 1977. The Miami Dolphins’ perfect season in 1972 actually featured three defeats … in preseason. Six games was way too long and it seems that four will soon be tightened to three, assuming the owners activate a provision in the collective bargaining agreement to extend the regular season to 17 games. Fans won’t be too saddened because exhibition games are a definitive return to football each year, but no one is pretending that they mean anything much, nor that they are close to being equivalent to the real thing. One of the greatest appealing factors that the NFL has is that, due to a season far shorter than most major sports, every game matters so much that they are played with incessant and unforgiving intensity. [STORY IMAGE 3] However, for many players, preseason was when they were able to come out and show what they could do, especially for those who had previously flown under the radar. “Preseason games were huge,” [Brad Seely, a now-retired NFL assistant coach for eight different teams, told ESPN.com](. “Especially as the years went on, the contact phase of it became so limited in practice. You just don't want to get anybody hurt. There were times where other than practicing against another team, those opportunities and then the game were the only time you got to see guys do things.” Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen has admitted there would be “no story for me” if this was the year he came into the league as an unheralded undrafted free agent. For players like him, fortune is against them this time around. If it feels like this whole season is a bit of a dice roll, you may be onto something. A greater array of factors and an altered preparation almost certainly will lead to greater unpredictability. [STORY IMAGE 4] The FOX Bet odds for the campaign place the Kansas City Chiefs as Super Bowl favorites at +600, with the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers just behind them. In truth, it would take a brave bettor to plunk down a sizable sum on a team right now. But remember that the oddsmakers are operating from limited information too, meaning this could be where the true profiteers shine. Perhaps the same thing goes for the most enterprising and industrious of coaches and coordinators. Those who can glean the most from limited information, who can read how a player will handle the heat of competition despite not having seen him do it first hand recently, may have a telling edge. It is a time when X-factors and intangibles come into play, when yes, sometimes a bit of fortunate guesswork can have a serious impact on the future of a franchise. It’s not long before we see who made the right calls as this, the empty preseason, is almost done. [STORY IMAGE 5] Here’s what others have said ... Patrick Walker, CBS Sports: “With no preseason games on the menu, the league will have no true way of knowing if their newly-installed safety protocols will curb or halt any potential outbreak of COVID-19. They'll get a rough idea from padded training camp practices, yes, but that's light years behind the experiment of entire teams traveling across state lines weekly to then have players knock each other around without the protection of a bubble. One need look no further than the NBA and NHL to see how effective a bubble can be, and to the MLB to see the challenges of playing without one. And considering football carries the added challenge of being a contact sport, without preseason games as a test drive for how teams the league will handle potential outbreaks, the 2020 season could be wild right from the very start.” Adam Gase, New York Jets Head Coach: “Once we get going in practice, we'll have to see how everything falls into place. It's not easy to predict how guys will handle getting thrown in the fire, but that's football. I went through it in 2011 when we had the lockout year. We never had any meeting time. Basically, a deal got done and we got thrown on the field the next day. Football players figure out a way to get it done. They figure out a way to adjust the situation that's at hand. That's what I expect our guys to be able to do." Bruce Arians, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach: “It's definitely hurting the younger players, especially undrafted free agents. All the rookies missed over 400 snaps in the spring. We'll try to catch back up and do two fields of practice when we're in limited 90-minute to 125-minute practices. It's going to be very hard for them, and I don't have anybody penciled in as starters until I see them play and not make mistakes.” [IN OTHER WORDS] - Chase Young starred at Ohio State before he was selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft by Washington. [ESPN Staff Writer John Keim]( takes us through Young’s journey to Washington, which included mind games, sacrifices and constant comparisons to the Bosas. - The NCAA is currently zeroing in on four potential start dates for the 2020-21 college basketball season. [Matt Norlander of CBS Sports]( has the story. - What goes into the decision to opt out? Athletes from the WNBA, NBA and NFL explain to [Bleacher Report’s Mirin Fader]( why they are sitting out their seasons in favor of a higher cause. [THE INTERNET IS UNDEFEATED] [THE INTERNET IS UNDEFEATED]( It is no secret that day-to-day life has changed in many ways during quarantine. It has led many of us to come up with new, innovative forms of entertainment, which is exactly what you see in this video. Check out this young boy, who created an unbelievable trick-shot obstacle course in his home. Make sure to watch the video in it’s entirety as the closing scene consists of him running up the stairs, grabbing a roll of toilet paper, and stating “even with coronavirus, you still have fun,” before swishing the roll into the Little Tikes basketball hoop. Smart, creative, and wildly entertaining. Well played! [VIEWER'S GUIDE] Utah Jazz vs. Denver Nuggets (TNT, 6:30 p.m. ET) Donovan Mitchell and the Utah Jazz take on Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets in Game 5 of an opening round Western Conference playoff matchup. Baltimore Orioles at Tampa Bay Rays (FS1, 6:30 p.m. ET) Tyler Glasnow takes the mound for the Tampa Bay Rays, who go up against the Baltimore Orioles at Tropicana Field. Dallas Mavericks vs. Los Angeles Clippers (TNT, 9 p.m. ET) Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks battle Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 5 of this Western Conference playoff matchup. Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco Giants (FS1, 9:30 p.m. ET) Mookie Betts and the Los Angeles Dodgers travel to San Francisco to face Johnny Cueto and the Giants. [BET OF THE DAY] [BET OF THE DAY] Odds provided by FOX Bet Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco Giants Over 9.5 Total Runs and Los Angeles Dodgers to Win: +195 Johnny Cueto will take the mound for the Giants as they host the red-hot Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night. Mookie Betts and co. have won 11 of their last 12 games and currently hold a four-game lead in the NL West standings. These two teams have already played seven times this season, with the Dodgers holding a 4-3 edge. FOX Bet is offering 1.95-to-1 odds on the Dodgers winning and over 9.5 total runs scored. These two teams have combined to score nine-or-more runs in five of their seven matchups, and Cueto has only lasted past the fifth inning in one start this season. Take all of those factors into account, and taking the over of 9.5 runs and a Dodgers victory could lead to a nice, little Tuesday night win. [WHAT THEY SAID] “When people throw stones at you, turn them into milestones." — Sachin Tendulkar [FOLLOW FOX SPORTS] [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [YouTube]( [Instagram]( Download FOX Sports App: [Fire TV]( [Roku]( [Google Play]( [App Store]( [Fire TV]( [Roku]( [App Store]( [Google Play]( Also available on these devices: [fireTV | AppleTV | ROKU | Google Chromecast | XBOX ONE | SAMSUNG Smart TV] [fireTV | AppleTV | ROKU | Google Chromecast | XBOX ONE | SAMSUNG Smart TV] Trademark & Copyright Notice: ™ and © 2020 Fox Media LLC and FOX Sports Interactive Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Please do not reply to this message. If you do not wish to receive emails like this in the future, please [unsubscribe](. FOX Sports respects your privacy. Click [here]( to view our Privacy Policy. Fox.com Business & Legal Affairs - Manager Digital Media P.O. Box 900 Beverly Hills, California 90213-0900