Former NFL head coach Dick Vermeil, who was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame last weekend in Canton, Ohio, had a favorite way of describing NFL preseason games when someone would say to him they were meaningless.
Vermeil would smile and say, “They might be meaningless, but they matter.”
At times, they surely can be tedious and seem to last forever. And as we watch, we realize we can’t wait for the regular season to begin.
However, the reality is despite having 90 players currently on NFL rosters, 37 won’t be around when August turns to September (although 16 will be added to practice squads and others will begin the season on different reserve lists).
For those on the roster bubble, these games absolutely matter. Many times, there isn’t that much of a difference between those that make the final spots on the roster and perhaps 10 players that didn’t.
That’s why there is so much churn in the league, especially at the bottom of the roster and on practice squads.
In Friday night’s Cardinals victory over Cincinnati, several players staked their claims to those precious jobs. Depth is always a commodity in the NFL and the more players that open eyes can make it tough for the decision-makers especially when there might not be a spot for, say, that fifth running back, but getting them on the practice squad isn’t a guarantee because younger players can be claimed on waivers by other teams.
Friday night mattered for wide receiver Greg Dortch, who simply makes plays every time he steps on the field. It mattered for rookie cornerback Christian Matthew, who played at three colleges. It mattered for linebacker Victor Dimukeje, whose name has been rarely mentioned when edge-rusher candidates are mentioned, but might have a leg up because of his year of experience in the defense.
It mattered for rookie defensive lineman Manny Jones, who showed he can do more than only offer up an impression of quarterback Kyler Murray. Jones looks undersized, but he plays big and had five tackles (four solo) and one for loss against the Bengals.
It mattered to rookie running back Keaontay Ingram, who scored a touchdown and had a nice 11-yard run.
We almost need not mention quarterbacks Trace McSorley (13-for-22, 163 yards, one touchdown, 97.3 passer rating) and Jarret Guarantano (7-for-10, 54 yards, one touchdown, 116.2 rating). Those numbers combined are 20-for-32, 217 yards, two touchdowns and a 103.3 passer rating.
There’s no way the Cardinals will keep four quarterbacks, but if McSorley is the third, certainly other teams will see the tape of Guarantano. Friday night mattered a lot to him.
There is one word of caution when attempting to evaluate players in these games. The game also matters to players wearing the opposing uniforms, but what do we really learn when many of the Cardinals backups are playing against Bengals backups?
Of course, that’s for the coaches to decide, and there’s no more excruciating a task than telling players that have worked hard it’s time to move on.
After all, don’t ever tell a player as he walks to his car with his duffel bag and pink slip that these games, of which there are now only three, don’t matter.
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