For coaches, preseason football is a valuable tool for evaluating players. For the rest of us, it can be like walking through a roomful of mirrors at the fun house.
What we think we see isn't always what it appears to be. Context in terms of detailed assignments is key, but NFL people aren't always the sharing type when it comes to providing context.
Monday, Vikings coach Mike Zimmer shared some context when asked to elaborate on second-year cornerback Trae Waynes' performance in Friday's preseason opener at Cincinnati. Getting the opportunity to start ahead of the injured Terence Newman, Waynes was up and down with four tackles, a pass defense that was nearly an intercepted deep ball, and some well-talked-about soft coverages that led to short uncontested completions.
While explaining Waynes' assignments in that particular game, Zimmer touched on a point that the rest of us all know but often overlook or can't understand because we aren't given key context: The preseason is real in terms of contact, but not when it comes to winning being the only focus.
When asked to elaborate on comments he'd made about Waynes having the freedom to play press coverage or off the ball, Zimmer said, "There are some rules. But there's also times when I give him flexibility. One time [on Friday], his guy just ran deep. The next play [Waynes] came up and played off.
"They have the flexibility to do that. In real games, I give him, I guess, regulations on when they have to be up [in press coverage] and when they have to be back and things like that."
Had it been a game that counted, Waynes might have been in a different coverage. He was targeted six times and gave up four catches for 46 yards.
The problem wasn't with Waynes' decision to play off coverage. The problem was his depth didn't match Zimmer's guideline for off coverage.