Training Camp 2018

Cant go wrong here, I'd rather get our ass kicked in a scrimmage than lose starters for week 1

Agreed... but I sure hope Alex Smith is on synch with his receiving corps on September 9th. Because if he's not, the wooping 12 snaps he played in preseason will seem like too few...

Agreed... but I sure hope Alex Smith is on synch with his receiving corps on September 9th. Because if he's not, the wooping 12 snaps he played in preseason will seem like too few...

Would he be better prepared with 20 more snaps? 30 more? Kirk took over 80 last preseason and we still lost in week 1.

All in all I don't think it matters much. They get in plenty of more meaningful work in practice. During the middle of a season nobody is reflecting back on August saying damn, if we only had 10 more preseason snaps we'd be so much better right now.

Would he be better prepared with 20 more snaps? 30 more? Kirk took over 80 last preseason and we still lost in week 1.

All in all I don't think it matters much. They get in plenty of more meaningful work in practice. During the middle of a season nobody is reflecting back on August saying damn, if we only had 10 more preseason snaps we'd be so much better right now.

Alex is is a new QB with new WRs, he needs more game time practice.

Alex is is a new QB with new WRs, he needs more game time practice.


It’s debatable, how meaningful is the work if you’re not playing all of your starters and little to no game planning? The league in general is dialing back on playing starters in the preseason.

People need to remember, we scrimmage with the jets 3 days straight....that’s a lot of good work.

Would he be better prepared with 20 more snaps? 30 more? Kirk took over 80 last preseason and we still lost in week 1.

All in all I don't think it matters much. They get in plenty of more meaningful work in practice. During the middle of a season nobody is reflecting back on August saying damn, if we only had 10 more preseason snaps we'd be so much better right now.

That bolded part is 100% right... but I'm not worried about the middle of the season, I'm worried about the very beginning of the season: we can't afford to drop the first two games of the season to bad prep, because then the schedule gets brutal.

Now I understand preseason games are not the only preparation they get, and it's not like Alex Smith and his receiving corps were rookies, Alex is not going to be surprised by the speed of the game.

I don't know what solution is better, I just hope they win those first 2 games.

Agreed... but I sure hope Alex Smith is on synch with his receiving corps on September 9th. Because if he's not, the wooping 12 snaps he played in preseason will seem like too few...

When you see someone as accomplished as Brady tossing it around with his guys in a pre season game, and then we have a new Qb and all his weapons not doing anything, combined with the slow starts, I'm sorry but it just seems like Gruden has zero urgency. And yeah McVay isn't playing his guys but they made the playoffs last year.

That bolded part is 100% right... but I'm not worried about the middle of the season, I'm worried about the very beginning of the season: we can't afford to drop the first two games of the season to bad prep, because then the schedule gets brutal.

Now I understand preseason games are not the only preparation they get, and it's not like Alex Smith and his receiving corps were rookies, Alex is not going to be surprised by the speed of the game.

I don't know what solution is better, I just hope they win those first 2 games.

To add to this, guys need to get used to hitting and being hit.
Week 1 they are expected to play fullspeed for the first time and they aren't going to last 4 quarters.

Look at the scoring in the second half of week 1 games under Gruden:
2014: 0
2015: 0
2016: 10* In a blowout against a Steelers team that put up 24 points in the second half
2017: 3 in a 14-16 game at the half against Philly

This team is worn out by half time and players are vulnerable to injuries because they aren't physically prepared.

To add to this, guys need to get used to hitting and being hit.
Week 1 they are expected to play fullspeed for the first time and they aren't going to last 4 quarters.

Look at the scoring in the second half of week 1 games under Gruden:
2014: 0
2015: 0
2016: 10* In a blowout against a Steelers team that put up 24 points in the second half
2017: 3 in a 14-16 game at the half against Philly

This team is worn out by half time and players are vulnerable to injuries because they aren't physically prepared.

In this sense Gruden was ahead of his time then, because the rest of the teams are going to less and less starter reps in the preseason. Last week in the dress rehearsal, Dallas didn't play any main offensive stars, not sure about defense. Likewise I saw several other teams rest their starters earlier than expected.

I imagine some statistician out there is running the numbers to compare preseason snaps to 1st game production.

(I think the slow start has always been more about Gruden not gameplanning for it as intensely as the opponents do. I know the Steelers said they were gameplanning our game all offseason. I don't believe Gruden does that - no link no proof just an opinion)

When you see someone as accomplished as Brady tossing it around with his guys in a pre season game, and then we have a new Qb and all his weapons not doing anything, combined with the slow starts, I'm sorry but it just seems like Gruden has zero urgency. And yeah McVay isn't playing his guys but they made the playoffs last year.

It's more than just preseason games.
The Press has said many times that Gruden runs a soft training camp.

At some point you gotta play football right?

Jordan Reed is going to get killed week 1.