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The SB winners didn't play their star vets the entire preseason. McVay thinks it's not worth the risk for those players.
You're the Steelers HC. Do you play any vets? Who are you letting sit out those games??
My vote for sitting; Heyward, Najee, Fitz, Edmunds, Alualu, DJ, TJ, Highsmith
Old article below but the Rams followed the same approach last preseason.
Rams proved last year that preseason isn't worth the risk for star veterans
Jonathan Mathis
August 9, 2019 8:24 pm PT
Who needs preseason football? The Los Angeles Rams certainly don’t. Sean McVay takes caution and would rather preserve the health of his players.
Last year, the Rams’ notable players were held out of the entire preseason to avoid injury, causing the high-flying offense to come out rusty in the first half of Week 1. Against the Oakland Raiders, the Rams got off to a slow start in, but very quickly they turned it around and looked like the explosive offense we saw in 2017.
That night, they managed to beat the Raiders 33-13. But out of the gates, quarterback Jared Goff looked every bit as flat and sluggish. The offense as a whole was stagnant, but it established some rhythm as the night got older. By the end of the season opener, the Rams were clearly the best team in the NFC West.
They proved once and for all that you can ride your potent offense to the Super Bowl, even after their key players sat out all of the preseason. It was perfectly evident from McVay’s strategy of holding out his starters that it was a good idea after all. By not participating in exhibition games, it could noticeably have a positive effect on players’ health.
Because, as we’ve seen too often, star players have sustained season-altering injuries that would change the narrative and jeopardize a team’s Super Bowl chances. It will be mostly more of the same this year as well, and rather than run the risk of letting his players take the field to participate in meaningless games, McVay is going to take the same approach as last season.
A day before the Rams’ first preseason game, McVay could sit the notable names on the bench and make sure they stay healthy and well-rested for the start of the regular season. Although McVay hasn’t declared that he plans on keeping them out of action, one can suspect that Jared Goff, Todd Gurley, Brandin Cooks and Aaron Donald won’t see any playing time.
Why not? It worked in their favor last season. None of those guys mentioned above saw the field during the preseason last year and all of them are the same established starters who showed up to make a significant impact.
The offense was predicated on the Rams’ solid running game, thanks in large part to Gurley, who had a monster season until he saw a massive drop off in production due to a knee injury. The receiving corps looked strong, with Cooper Kupp (before his season-ending injury), Robert Woods and Cooks leading the charge. On defense, Aaron Donald was his typical self and made the kind of plays it takes to force turnovers and come up with big stops.
The Rams reached the Super Bowl, despite falling short to the New England Patriots. With the current state of this team, skipping preseason games won’t present problems for these Rams later on. They’ve been there, and done that.
This is McVay’s grand design for his players and it has indeed paid dividends.
You're the Steelers HC. Do you play any vets? Who are you letting sit out those games??
My vote for sitting; Heyward, Najee, Fitz, Edmunds, Alualu, DJ, TJ, Highsmith
Old article below but the Rams followed the same approach last preseason.
Rams proved last year that preseason isn't worth the risk for star veterans
Jonathan Mathis
August 9, 2019 8:24 pm PT
Who needs preseason football? The Los Angeles Rams certainly don’t. Sean McVay takes caution and would rather preserve the health of his players.
Last year, the Rams’ notable players were held out of the entire preseason to avoid injury, causing the high-flying offense to come out rusty in the first half of Week 1. Against the Oakland Raiders, the Rams got off to a slow start in, but very quickly they turned it around and looked like the explosive offense we saw in 2017.
That night, they managed to beat the Raiders 33-13. But out of the gates, quarterback Jared Goff looked every bit as flat and sluggish. The offense as a whole was stagnant, but it established some rhythm as the night got older. By the end of the season opener, the Rams were clearly the best team in the NFC West.
They proved once and for all that you can ride your potent offense to the Super Bowl, even after their key players sat out all of the preseason. It was perfectly evident from McVay’s strategy of holding out his starters that it was a good idea after all. By not participating in exhibition games, it could noticeably have a positive effect on players’ health.
Because, as we’ve seen too often, star players have sustained season-altering injuries that would change the narrative and jeopardize a team’s Super Bowl chances. It will be mostly more of the same this year as well, and rather than run the risk of letting his players take the field to participate in meaningless games, McVay is going to take the same approach as last season.
A day before the Rams’ first preseason game, McVay could sit the notable names on the bench and make sure they stay healthy and well-rested for the start of the regular season. Although McVay hasn’t declared that he plans on keeping them out of action, one can suspect that Jared Goff, Todd Gurley, Brandin Cooks and Aaron Donald won’t see any playing time.
Why not? It worked in their favor last season. None of those guys mentioned above saw the field during the preseason last year and all of them are the same established starters who showed up to make a significant impact.
The offense was predicated on the Rams’ solid running game, thanks in large part to Gurley, who had a monster season until he saw a massive drop off in production due to a knee injury. The receiving corps looked strong, with Cooper Kupp (before his season-ending injury), Robert Woods and Cooks leading the charge. On defense, Aaron Donald was his typical self and made the kind of plays it takes to force turnovers and come up with big stops.
The Rams reached the Super Bowl, despite falling short to the New England Patriots. With the current state of this team, skipping preseason games won’t present problems for these Rams later on. They’ve been there, and done that.
This is McVay’s grand design for his players and it has indeed paid dividends.
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