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Every August, NFL fans transform into amateur scouts, armed with grainy broadcast angles and one eye on the stat sheet, ready to declare their team’s third-string QB the next Tom Brady because he completed a slant route against a guy who’ll be selling insurance by October. Preseason football is the sport’s version of a movie trailer, flashy enough to stir emotions, misleading enough to get you hurt.

The problem is we know better, but we don’t care. We want the rookies to pop, the free agents to justify their contracts, and the practice squad wideout who’s been torching DBs in shells to magically translate that to Sundays in December. But the preseason is a mirage. The playbooks are watered down, starters are in bubble wrap, and defensive coordinators are treating it like a casual jog in the park.

Sure, it’s fun to see the flashes. A rookie linebacker reading a screen like he’s been studying it since kindergarten? Exciting. That second-year QB hitting a deep ball in stride? Hopeful. But context matters. The cornerback he beat might not make the 53. That offensive line “dominance” you saw could have been against the bottom five of the depth chart. And that’s before you remember that most of the league is just trying to avoid an injury before the games actually count.

The smart move? Temper the expectations. Enjoy the little moments without building an entire season’s worth of hope on them. Because preseason is not predictive, it’s performative. It’s a testing ground, a chemistry lab, a showcase for guys fighting for roster spots.

The truth is, the teams that “win” preseason rarely win in January. The 2017 Browns went undefeated in the preseason. They also went 0-16 when it mattered. So yes, soak in the highlights, argue about the bubble players, and enjoy football’s return. Just remember that the scoreboard, the stat lines, and the preseason MVP buzz mean absolutely nothing once the real season starts.

The preseason isn’t lying to you. It’s just not telling you the whole truth. And if you keep that in mind, you won’t be the fan in Week 3 asking why your “can’t-miss” August hero is suddenly inactive on Sundays.