‘We Need a Real Preseason,’ ‘This Is On Coaches’ — Super Bowl Champions Debate NFL’s ‘Sloppy Play’ in Week 1, Potential Solutions

Priyanshu Choudhary Wed, September 16, 2026 at 3:07 PM UTC

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Sep 13, 2026; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; A general view of the NFL Kickoff logo in the third quarter between Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium. © Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The first week of the 2026 NFL season was one for the ages. From nail-biting thrillers to dominant blowouts, shocking upsets, and even an overtime game, the slate had it all for the fans.

However, a few former champions were unimpressed with some of the things that were in action in week 1.

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The weekend saw the NFL pour in 791 points in total, which tied the 2012 season as the highest in league history. While it could have been a result of some stellar offensive outbursts, some champions pinned the blame on defenses not being fully ready.

Tony Dungy, who won a Super Bowl both as a player and as a coach, believed it was the lack of true preseason reps that led teams to be extremely sloppy to begin the year.

“After watching Week 1 of the NFL season, I believe we need a real preseason. I saw many players and teams who were not ready for the speed or contact of a real game. Tackling, penalties, and mental errors turned games around. Defenses especially can’t get ready without some contact.”

Moreover, due to that pitfall, he wasn’t willing to put a ton of stock into the week’s results either, adding, “I think we’ll see much better play and have a different impression of many of these teams in October. So don’t get too high or too low on your team just yet.”

Ed McCaffrey, who preached patience after the Denver Broncos were blown out 31-10 on Monday Night Football, had a different tune. Understanding the expanding regular season, he posed a different question towards Dungy.

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“Coach, mad respect. I agree, the sloppy play went beyond defense. But with 17 games likely headed to 18, the days of a real preseason seem over. Some teams looked much better prepared than others,” theformer champion argued.

Then, he asked, “So what’s the answer? How do you protect players while still getting them the work they need?” On his end, the legendary head coach argued that some of the practice rules needed to be tweaked for better results.

He claimed, “I agree, Ed. Very long season. But even the practice rules, limited time, limited pads, limited contact, it’s hard to prepare for real speed and real contact without simulating that SOMETIME.”

The comments from Dungy, though, sparked a conversation across social media that saw multiple legends and former champions chip in with their opinions. Some, like Mitchell Schwartz, weren’t fully on board with his ideas.

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“There’s nothing stopping coaches from going in pads as many days as they are allowed, and using the full 2:30, once camp gets past the acclimation period. You can still go live in practice if you want,” Schwartz argued.

Moreover, he pinned the blame on the coaches rather than the players. “They also have 3 preseason games; there’s no rule that says starters can’t play or need to come out after a drive or two. This is on coaches for not being physical enough, not fully utilizing the allotment and length of padded practices, and not playing starters in the preseason. The rules aren’t what they used to be, but there’s plenty of time to prepare your team.”

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Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap was confused by the debate in the first place, arguing that teams valued starters’ health over the course of the season more than Week 1 performances.

Schwartz replied, “Wish I knew. Probably because a defensive coach saw an almost record number of points and thinks practices are the reason for it. Seems like the offenses learned how to practice and be physical! Everyone usually [expletive] that OLs are the ones most affected by practice rules.”

Ed Werder, too, provided a similar argument to Fitzgerald, pointing to the coaches and executives deciding what is more valuable to them.

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“The coaches and owners have decided having their most important players being healthy in Week 1 is more valuable than taking any preseason reps together. Thirteen starting QBs didn’t play in preseason at all. There’s very clearly a consequence for that philosophy.”

However, he believed the results from Week 1 could impact certain teams to go in one direction or another. He claimed, “I saw Jim Harbaugh quoted that he regrets not playing starters at least minimally.”

On the other hand, he believed that the Dallas Cowboys wouldn’t change their style despite losing 28-20 to the New York Giants. “I know Brian Schottenheimer and Jerry Jones continue to believe their current is correct.”

It remains to be seen if these conversations spark a league-wide change. But the drastic nature of the first week of the season has opened some eyes and could lead to major changes in how the NFL operates moving forward.

This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.

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Source: “AOL Sports”