What's next in the preseason progression?

These games are not about the big picture

Rob from Hull, England

Vic, looking at the rushing defensive stats for the Patriots game, we allowed one big play of 55 yards for a TD, but then had 16 other rush attempts, allowing only 39 yards. Is this a sign of improvement or is it a sign we faced second- and third-choice backs? Or is it simply because preseason is pass happy?

Again, nothing about the preseason is an indication of the big picture. Everything about the preseason is an indication of how individual players are performing. In many cases, the deck has been stacked to expose a player for evaluation. You have to look at every play and evaluate the people individually that were on the…