Preseason Help

[rdomico]

After 2 preseason games, my starting QB, RB, and SE got injured.

Should I not play my starters very much in preseason to avoid injury? Does it hurt them to not play in a game?

How do you guys do it? Play them a lot, play some or sit them down?

Bob

[MizzouRah]

I do something similar to the NFL.

Game 1: Starting QB, RB, and WR(s) play 1 quarter.
Game 2: Same
Game 3: total of 2 quarters (first half)
Game 4: Same

My backup gets the most playing time, then my third string usually plays the 4th quarter unless he's a rookie I just drafted, then I give him even more playing time in the preseason.


Todd

[Vikings13]

Mizzourah,
How do you regulate that? Do you playcall yourself? I've never been able to manage such control with just the depth chart alone...

[Honolulu Blue]

Originally posted by rdomico
Should I not play my starters very much in preseason to avoid injury? Does it hurt them to not play in a game?

How do you guys do it? Play them a lot, play some or sit them down?

Whether I play my starters depends on how good they are and how much potential they have:

Lots of potential - play (no matter how good they are)
Mediocre player - play
Good to superstar player - don't play (unless they have significant potential)
Injury prone player - don't play

The guys I don't play I stick on the inactive roster until I'm ready for them, and sign cheap scrubs to fill in their roster spots. They usually get cut at the end of the exhibition season.

If a player doesn't have any green bars (potential), it will not hurt them to not play.

One thing I will do sometimes is, if I want to evaluate how good a team I have, is put all the starters in for a one game "dress rehearsal".

P.S. I'm pretty sure MizzouRah is calling his own plays. It's hard, if not impossible, to regulate playing time in preseason by just using the depth chart (as I do).

[MizzouRah]

Actually, at the end of a quarter, I check the "call plays" box and put my backups in that way, then uncheck and sim some more.

Granted, your recievers are sometimes used, but for the most part it works ok. At least my QB and star RB gets only a minimal amount of playing time.


Todd