07-13-2021, 12:53 PM
(07-13-2021, 11:51 AM)TJ528 Wrote: Wes, normally you and I agree and pretty much think along the same lines.
However, I think Burrow needs to play at least in the 2nd or 3 game of the season.
He needs to go against defense he doesn't see in practice every day. He needs to trust he isnt going to get injured if he gets hit or hit low again.
If the Bengals hold him out and allow him to get accustomed to the game in practice and scrimmage there is NO WAY IN HELL that Zac Taylor is going to let his defense ever come within 3 foot of Burrow.
Burrow needs to get hit. He needs live action. He needs to play against a "real" defense and not something Lou's drawn up lol
However, I do not believe the Bengals will allow Burrow to play in the pre-season. The soonest you'll see him is Week 1 of the NFL season.
Fwiw, I am not a fan of the preseason at all. It could be that I'm permanently scarred from Kijana Carter, but I just don't think it does that much for a lot of the players. If I had my way, I wouldn't let 75% of the starters even see the field in preseason. I'd rather sacrifice them possibly having to shake off the rust for a few plays in Week 1 then risk a terrible injury in completely meaningless game that could potentially derail the entire season. And that goes for all types of players, not just guys who are coming off knee injuries.
So, that plays into it a lot for me with Joe. So when you add in his recovery time being so close I'd prefer to be safe. If they want him to take some hits I think they can expose him to that in practices and intrasquad scrimmages. And I think in a controlled environment they can simulate a lot of things (ex: pocket collapsing, guys bearing down on him, etc.)
I often look to college football (or even high school) as an example of not needing exhibition games. That's what scrimmages are for Sure, some teams open up with some cupcakes but there's always a few really good ranked games to open the season. And it's not like they don't have guys coming off injury or who haven't played yet. I just don't see why NFL guys need exhibitions to get ready. It's alway seemed like a money grab to me, just to throw on two extra home games to ticket packages and to make a little bit extra TV revenue.
So that's kind of where I'm coming from. It's not just Joe coming off an injury, it's that I hate the preseason in general. But when you combine the two (serious injury + preseason) I just don't think it's worth it. But I do get the other side too, that's why I thought it would make a good thread.
