LA Rams: 4 positive takeaways from Raiders preseason game
By Bret Stuter
The LA Rams preseason status right now is two games down, one more to go. So far, the LA Rams have taken a rather extreme approach to the preseason games by sitting starters, key backups, and other valued players. The result? Up to 35 players on the roster have not taken a single snap in a preseason game so far this season.
What does the NFL preseason mean to you? Well, based upon the spectrum of comments so far, opinions about the importance of the preseason run the gamut from some who place significant emphasis on the entire affair, to those who find it less intriguing than a local high school football game.
While you may or may not take stock in the preseason games, many NFL careers are altered by the way a player performs as they take the field against the opposition. Whenever competitors meet, whether on the practice field, scrimmages, or preseason games, there is an automatic and obvious comparison that takes place. The question of who’s better is immediately resolved with tangible and concrete proof.
It is thanks to that simplistic but definite proof that keeps the preseason in the portfolio for the NFL. And it’s that same proof that fills the pages of articles before, during, and after preseason games to inform and to intrigue NFL fans about the performance of their favorite team in the competition against another team.
Of course, there is a bit of excitement the morning after a later game, so much of the first reports are partially driven by the emotions, good or bad, that linger after the game. A great play can be misconstrued as a great season. A poor play can be misinterpreted as a reason to be waived by the team. So after a 24-hour cooldown period before compiling any takeaways only serves to sterilize the kneejerk reactions, and instead set the stage for a more grounded set of observations.