Saints Pregame Take

I believe in the following maxim that I heard recently: the NFL preseason may not count, but it matters.

In recent years, the preseason has told us a lot about the Raiders. In 2008 and 2009, it became increasingly evident during the preseason that the Raiders were flailing. In both preseasons, they lost three out of four games. Last year, they won three out of four, and subsequently played their best season in ages.

Exactly two years ago (August 29, 2009), the Raiders played the Saints and produced a jaw-dropping debacle. At the time, folks tried to convince me that it didn't matter. It did matter. The Raiders were unprepared, outpaced and outclassed, words that could easily describe the season that followed.

So here we are again, playing the Saints in the third week of the preseason. I suggest that we all watch very carefully, because there will likely be plenty of tea leaves to read. The game might not count, but it will probably matter.