# NFL Training camps and preseason **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [August 2, 2009, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-training-camps-and-preseason/505059 "2009-08-02T14:55:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-training-camps-and-preseason/505059/141 "2009-08-10T00:24:19Z")
Is it just me, or did that fake punt work a little too well? Isn’t that now going to be part of the game prep for every team Tennessee plays this season, thus making it much harder to execute successfully? It only seems like a good thing if you’re pretty sure you’re not going to want to run any fake punts, in which case this might just take the edge off the punt rush a little this season. Or am I over-thinking the whole thing? It could just be a cheap way to get the team to have fun and loosen up. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-training-camps-and-preseason/505059/142 "2009-08-10T00:32:48Z")
> [@VarlosZ](#): > > Is it just me, or did that fake punt work a little too well? Isn’t that now going to be part of the game prep for every team Tennessee plays this season, thus making it much harder to execute successfully? It only seems like a good thing if you’re pretty sure you’re not going to want to run any fake punts, in which case this might just take the edge off the punt rush a little this season. > > Or am I over-thinking the whole thing? It could just be a cheap way to get the team to have fun and loosen up. I think you’re overthinking it. Fisher is a coach who likes the trick play, and it worked like a charm. I doubt we’ll see it again this year, but I’m also sure they have at least a couple other fake punts to pull out of their hat. Not that I’m desperately watching a stupid preseason game between a couple teams I couldn’t care less about. Not that. ---
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-training-camps-and-preseason/505059/143 "2009-08-10T01:22:22Z")
> [@Al Michaels](#): > > . . . a show that gives new meaning to the words “B.S. degree.” [sarcastically] Interesting copy. That’s “Community,” this Fall, on NBC. I love Al Michaels. ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f08c70/32.png) [@Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Brother_Walker)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-training-camps-and-preseason/505059/144 "2009-08-10T01:47:36Z")
PRAISE TO THE NFL GODS!!! Yes, I’m watching the HOF game. My life has meaning again! Okay, so I have no life. I’ll take what I can get. Can the NHL be far behind? I also liked the Madden halftime tribute. Man, he will be missed. He used to say the whackiest stuff. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-training-camps-and-preseason/505059/145 "2009-08-10T01:49:25Z")
That fake punt was one of the most interesting trick plays I’ve ever seen. Interestingly it only worked because of the (IMO too strong) rules in the NFL where essentially touching the kicker is a penalty. There were 2 or 3 guys who had a straight line to the punter, but they knew that (if he actually punted the ball) they so much as tapped his foot they’d get a penalty, so they overran him. That was the only thing that allowed him to break free. ---
**Author:** ![dgrdfd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@dgrdfd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dgrdfd)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-training-camps-and-preseason/505059/146 "2009-08-10T04:31:21Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > This story says [2010](http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/sports/Raiders-Finally-Trade-Burgess-to-Pats-52675607.html), not 2011… but also says the fourth-rounder becomes a fifth-rounder if the Pats acquire one before the draft. I don’t understand what the hell the Raiders are thinking here- they gave a few marginal defenders _huge_ contracts last year. Now their best defensive player (other than Asomugha) is up for a new contract, and they… trade him for peanuts. > > Oh, Al Davis. Burgess wasn’t going to be here after next year anyway and his production has fallen off since his pro bowl year a few years ago. He hasn’t played a full season since 2006. The Raiders obviously have no SB aspirations this year so why get a couple of draft picks? > **[Derrick Burgess Career Stats - NFL - ESPN](https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/stats/_/id/2611/derrick-burgess)** > > Complete career NFL stats for Philadelphia Eagles Defensive End Derrick Burgess on ESPN. Includes scoring, rushing, defensive and receiving stats. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-training-camps-and-preseason/505059/147 "2009-08-10T07:30:05Z")
> [@VarlosZ](#): > > Is it just me, or did that fake punt work a little too well? Isn’t that now going to be part of the game prep for every team Tennessee plays this season, thus making it much harder to execute successfully? It only seems like a good thing if you’re pretty sure you’re not going to want to run any fake punts, in which case this might just take the edge off the punt rush a little this season. > > Or am I over-thinking the whole thing? It could just be a cheap way to get the team to have fun and loosen up. I think that’s exactly the point. Teams will have to expend valuable prep time preparing for the play. I’m not sure Fisher ever intends the play to be run in a regular season game and by revealing it now he at least gains something. If he drew it up, deemed it too risky or unlikely to succeed, and then never used it it’s completely fruitless. I think that’s where his head was at, he conjured up the play but didn’t totally believe in it. He probably has 5 other trick punts in his playbook that he likes better and by running this now he increases the likelihood that one of those succeeds because teams will have to respect this one. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-training-camps-and-preseason/505059/148 "2009-08-10T13:01:24Z")
> [@dgrdfd](#): > > Burgess wasn’t going to be here after next year anyway and his production has fallen off since his pro bowl year a few years ago. He hasn’t played a full season since 2006. The Raiders obviously have no SB aspirations this year so why get a couple of draft picks? > > [Derrick Burgess Career Stats - NFL - ESPN](http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/stats?playerId=2611) The Raiders haven’t had SB aspirations in eight seasons. You can’t use that excuse forever, you know. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-training-camps-and-preseason/505059/149 "2009-08-10T13:14:16Z")
I doubt AJ Trapasso will be a Titan–don’t they already have a veteran punter? This just got him some looks from other teams, though. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-training-camps-and-preseason/505059/150 "2009-08-10T13:54:47Z")
> [@Drain\_Bead](#): > > I doubt AJ Trapasso will be a Titan–don’t they already have a veteran punter? This just got him some looks from other teams, though. I think it was Al, but one of the commentators said that Fisher himself had drawn up the fake punt, but wouldn’t run it in a game because he didn’t want to risk Hentrich, the regular punter. So AJ got a chance to shine. ---
**Author:** ![HoboStew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f17d59/32.png) [@HoboStew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoboStew)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-training-camps-and-preseason/505059/151 "2009-08-11T17:54:39Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > This story says [2010](http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/sports/Raiders-Finally-Trade-Burgess-to-Pats-52675607.html), not 2011… but also says the fourth-rounder becomes a fifth-rounder if the Pats acquire one before the draft. I don’t understand what the hell the Raiders are thinking here- they gave a few marginal defenders _huge_ contracts last year. Now their best defensive player (other than Asomugha) is up for a new contract, and they… trade him for peanuts. > > Oh, Al Davis. This just drives me insane. Being a raiders fan is depressing enough but just HANDING the pats burgess!!! Didn’t we learn our lesson with moss!!! Go ahead and mark down 15 sacks for burgess and a pro-bowl nod. I understand trading him but ANY TEAM BUT THE PATS. ANY of them. There’s 30 other teams, just close your eyes and pick one!!! You mean no one else could cough up 2 worthless picks!!! Utterly, unbelievably, totally incompetent. Stupid. Insane. Dumb. I can’t come up with enough pejoratives to describe it. If I were an AFC east team I would be furious that davis just handed the division title to the pats. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-training-camps-and-preseason/505059/152 "2009-08-11T17:56:37Z")
> [@HoboStew](#): > > This just drives me insane. Being a raiders fan is depressing enough but just HANDING the pats burgess!!! Didn’t we learn our lesson with moss!!! Go ahead and mark down 15 sacks for burgess and a pro-bowl nod. I understand trading him but ANY TEAM BUT THE PATS. ANY of them. There’s 30 other teams, just close your eyes and pick one!!! You mean no one else could cough up 2 worthless picks!!! Utterly, unbelievably, totally incompetent. Stupid. Insane. Dumb. I can’t come up with enough pejoratives to describe it. If I were an AFC east team I would be furious that davis just handed the division title to the pats. I doubt very much whether the other AFC East teams could have done much to stop the Pats winning the division even without Burgess. ---
**Author:** ![HoboStew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f17d59/32.png) [@HoboStew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoboStew)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-training-camps-and-preseason/505059/153 "2009-08-11T18:24:39Z")
True, but the only hole on their team (assuming brady is back to full health as it appears) was their general lack of pass rush. Burgess hasn’t played his best recently, but playing for the raiders will do that to people. He is going to be a beast this year, mark my words. ---
**Author:** ![packattack\_goTT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b782af/32.png) [@packattack\_goTT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/packattack_goTT)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-training-camps-and-preseason/505059/154 "2009-08-12T23:31:47Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > I’m here running my carwash by myself today (saving precious labor dollars), and these two guys pull up, both wearing Packers t-shirts, they have Green Bay stuff on their car, etc, so I’m thinking these are a couple hardcore fans, right? > > So I ring up the driver’s sale and as I’m giving him his change, an inspired bit of lame jokiness comes over me and I blurted out “I was just reading on [ESPN.com](http://ESPN.com) that Brett Farve just signed with the Packers, and Aaron Rodgers committed suicide!” > > The guys just stared at me blankly for an awkward moment, and the passenger goes “Again?” > > I was all “Ah, nevermind”. WOWWWW. What dumbasses ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2009, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-training-camps-and-preseason/505059/155 "2009-08-13T05:19:53Z")
> [@VarlosZ](#): > > Is it just me, or did that fake punt work a little too well? Isn’t that now going to be part of the game prep for every team Tennessee plays this season, thus making it much harder to execute successfully? It only seems like a good thing if you’re pretty sure you’re not going to want to run any fake punts, in which case this might just take the edge off the punt rush a little this season. > > Or am I over-thinking the whole thing? It could just be a cheap way to get the team to have fun and loosen up. The way I looked at it was that the play worked off a fake handoff to the wing coming around; next time, you could actually make the handoff. ---
**Author:** ![Death\_of\_Rats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@Death\_of\_Rats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_of_Rats)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2009, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-training-camps-and-preseason/505059/156 "2009-08-13T21:27:34Z")
That and the Titans have the added benefit that for at least part of the year teams will hesitate just a bit when trying to block punts, giving the punter an extra second or two to get the punt off. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2009, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-training-camps-and-preseason/505059/157 "2009-08-13T21:37:44Z")
Did anyone watch Hard Knocks last night? If you did, what was your view of the program as well as how the Bengals camp looked? ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-training-camps-and-preseason/505059/158 "2009-08-14T01:18:40Z")
About as inept as the Chiefs last year. I wouldn’t be filled with confidence if I were a Bengals fan. Still, it was only the first episode; give it two or three more weeks and who knows. Personally I think Carson Palmer is basically done, though I’d be happy to be proven wrong. Without TJ their passing attack will take a major hit, especially with their TE situation in shambles. I’ve never been impressed with Roy Williams; he can’t cover anybody and Tiki broke his ankles every time the Giants and Cowboys played. Even with that said, I couldn’t believe how badly he got owned by that rook, especially since tackling the runner is his only strength. Mostly I just kept wondering what was wrong with that one guy’s face. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-training-camps-and-preseason/505059/159 "2009-08-14T09:12:05Z")
So, that Tom Brady guy’s looking pretty good… ---
**Author:** ![PatriotGrrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9dc877/32.png) [@PatriotGrrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotGrrrl)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-training-camps-and-preseason/505059/160 "2009-08-14T11:11:09Z")
…and so’s that Julian Edelman. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-training-camps-and-preseason/505059.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-training-camps-and-preseason/505059.md?page=9)