Lessons Learned from Bad Preseason Football

It's really a good thing these games don't count, right?  Yesterday's 24-17 loss to the Jaguars wasn't nearly as close as that score indicated.

It was 21-0 at halftime before the ragtag bunch of stiffs came alive late in the fourth quarter, tightening up the score.  In the end, a loss.  That's three of 'em versus just one measly win.  Maybe Danny Snyder's going to sue his players for breach of contract?

What did we learn by watching a boring football game?  Not much.

Chase Daniel can't really play against a first-team defense.  Playing behind a second-unit offensive line, Daniel ran for his life to and fro, looking poor in the process.  But when he came on late in the game against the Jacksonville 14th-stringers, he looked like a pro. 

Lesson: Chase is the canary in the coal mine.  If you see him thrashing around the field, you're dead.

Colt Brennan can really tear up backups.  Facing the pressure of real job competition for the first time, Colt did well -- though it was against the backups to the backups.  And 10-of-14 looks nice, though the zero in the TD column doesn't.  The performance was probably enough to win him the third-string job.

Lesson: Colt is a white flag.  If he's waving his arms on the field, it's time to head to the parking lot.

Rock Cartwright proved, by not doing a damn thing, how valuable he is to the team.  Anthony Aldridge's first-quarter fumble of a J-Ville kickoff, which was returned for a touchdown, emphasized how important and underrated that Rock's quiet skills are.

Lesson: Not allowing the other team to score TDs on your kickoff returns is probably more important than you being able to take it to the house.

Mike Williams, former sloppy fat guy, struggled mightily in blocking defenders.  The reserve, who hasn't played in the NFL in a few seasons, gave up a huge sack/fumble that led directly to a Jaguars TD.

Lesson: If you were 500 pounds and playing Madden last season, you're probably not quite ready for the NFL.

Most Important Lesson: Pre-season stinks.  Bring on the real games!