It’s Not a Rematch-It’s a Preseason Game

If you are a Green Bay Packers fan, odds are you did not sleep well on September 24, 2012.

Why would this have been the case? Because you just watched the worst officiating blunder in the history of the NFL-the Fail Mary:

It is still difficult to find the words to express just how piss poor of a call this was, as well as accurately describe the emotions Packers fans were feeling after watching victory literally intercepted by the officials.

For a league which prides itself on precision, this was the low point of the official’s lockout. This game did serve as the impetus to resolve the labor issues but only after the NFL brand was embarrassed on a nationally televised audience.

When the Packers preseason schedule was announced in May, fans of the green and gold circled one game on their schedules: Friday, August 23. 7pm. Lambeau Field.

Very seldom-as in never before-was a preseason game being met with such excitement.

Of course, not every preseason game would feature a “rematch” against an opponent who the Packers had lost to in dramatic fashion eight months earlier.

When the Packers face off against the Seahawks this coming Friday, it will have added significance than being just another preseason game.

The important thing to remember is that the game is not a rematch. Far from it. It is nothing more than another preseason game.

The third preseasaon game is the “trial run” for the regular season. It is the closest to regular season action they will face prior to facing the 49ers in Week 1. The starters for the Packers will play approximately one half, as will the Seahawks starters.

The offense will be opened up slightly. The defense will be unleashed slightly. The hitting will be real. The drama intense.

And at the end of the evening, the result will mean…nothing. Because it’s only a preseason game.

The purpose of preseason is to determine the roster for the upcoming season. By getting starters playing time to get back in game shape, and weed out the rest of the roster to determine who will make up the 2013 Packers.

Winning the games during the preseason is a nice plus, but not necessarily the end all be all of playing the games. The final results do not mean anything-just ask the 2008 Lions.

Adding anymore value to the game against the Seahawks is not necessary. The game should be exactly what it is intended to be-a chance to watch every healthy player in game action and continue to determine their NFL futures.

The fact the Seahawks just happen to be rolling into Green Bay on the heels of the Fail Mary game last year may be coincidence, may be the NFL trying to up their preseason viewing audience, or a mix of both.

But this should not matter. Not one bit.

Because it’s not a rematch-it’s a preseason game.

Don’t fool yourselves into thinking it is more than it really is.

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John Rehor is a writer at PackersTalk.com.

He can also be heard as one of the Co-Hosts of Cheesehead Radio.