Preseason football — now that’s a form of fake news
COMMENTARY
Because I’m sure your mental archive of Patriots memories is crammed with satisfying and relevant highlights from so many regular-season and playoff victories, allow me to provide you with flashbacks to their recent preseason openers, excluding the 2017 junior varsity’s 31-24 loss to the Jaguars Thursday night, since that one is fresh in mind.
Then we can get around to answering the question that is at the root of this exercise: Why do we always put so much stock in what we see in the preseason — especially in the first game, when most starters never leave the sideline — since we know it’s not going to tell us much, if anything, about what the new season will bring?
A little preseason opener refresher: Last August, the Patriots opened the preseason with a 34-22 win over the Saints. Tyler Gaffney ran for 64 yards. Ramon Humber led the defense with six tackles. Two years ago, Chris Harper had seven catches and Jonas Gray ran for 74 yards in a 22-11 loss to the Packers.
And in the 2014 preseason premiere, the Patriots dropped the Redskins, 23-6. Brian Tyms collected 119 receiving yards and a touchdown. Roy Finch, a 5-foot-7-inch running back out of Oklahoma, rushed for a team-high 15 yards. Wilson Van Hooser (a name that must be an alias) had a reception for 15 yards.
Now, there are a few guys there who stuck around long enough to have a moment of note or notoriety in an actual NFL game. Harper, unfortunately for him, is best remembered for botching a punt during a Broncos comeback victory over the Patriots in 2015. The fumble played a major role in the loss, and the loss played a major role in having to play the AFC Championship game in Denver rather than Foxborough that season. Tough legacy, kid.
Then there’s Gray, who became an overnight sensation after running for 201 yards and four touchdowns in a November 2014 thumping of the Colts. He even got a Sports Illustrated cover out of the deal. But he found his way into Bill Belichick’s doghouse even faster than he ran though the Indianapolis defense. He hasn’t had an NFL carry since 2015.
Who was that tight end a few years ago who had a couple of nice catches and convinced some among us that he was going to be a dangerous complement to Rob Gronkowski? Right, right . . . Zach Sudfeld. He played three games for the Patriots back in 2013, never making a catch. He does have 10 career receptions, but for the Jets. I think that still counts as playing in the NFL, right?
Every year, some undrafted free agent no-name has a big preseason performance, and many fans and media folks go into overkill mode about the expectations of what he might actually be. Call them the Bam Childress All-Stars.
Thursday night, it was receiver Austin Carr, who had five catches for 44 yards and a touchdown. Nice performance, with one highlight-reel grab. He looks like he belongs.
But it was downright bizarre to see the photos of reporters swarming him in the locker room. The scrum was the size you might expect if Tom Brady had suddenly started chatting candidly about his concussions through the years, not for a receiver who is at best sixth on the depth chart, a player whose presence on the field for meaningful moments during the regular season would indicate something had gone horribly wrong.
I understand why this happens, I do. Fans are just excited to have football back, even in facsimile form when compared with the regular season. The desire for Patriots information and conversation is pretty much insatiable year-round now, which is also why the absurdity of charting passes and keeping stats during practices has become a thing. If fans want it, it should be provided, so long as it is accompanied by context.
It gets out of hand, though, when the value we attempt to ascribe to the first preseason game is tipped to the absurd. There are scattered clues here and there of relevant information, sure. Cyrus Jones, last season’s thus-far-underwhelming second-round pick, still looks lost. Dion Lewis played a lot for a veteran, which sometimes is a harbinger regarding the player’s job security. Jimmy Garoppolo was sharp, which quiets the chatter about his reportedly underwhelming practice performance.
But let’s not go putting Austin Carr in Canton just yet, fellas. He’s not the next Julian Edelman. Until he proves otherwise, he’s the next Brian Tyms. The Patriots are so deep in quality prime-of-career talent across the roster this season that it’s going to be virtually impossible for any of these unknowns to make a name without catastrophe striking the depth chart.
It would have been nice to have the Patriots back Thursday night for the first time since February. Just remind yourself, if necessary, that for the most part these aren’t the same Patriots were expecting to see in Minnesota next February. What we saw Thursday night was mostly irrelevant.
How irrelevant? When Roger Goodell is in attendance and does not get pelted with various substances by Patriots fans, you know it’s not the real thing yet.
