Marc Bertrand’s plan to fix the preseason
The Patriots will hold joint practices this week with the Packers in Green Bay. The week will culminate with a second Patriots preseason game on Saturday at 8pm. While some people may find value in the preseason, our own Marc Bertrand can’t stand it. And he has a plan to fix it!

Aug 10, 2023; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe (4) looks to throw a pass during the first half against the Houston Texans at Gillette Stadium. Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
Beetle’s plan to fix the preseason!
So I have to admit something. No, I did not watch the Patriots preseason game live as it happened for more than about ten minutes. Why? Because quite frankly, I can’t stand the preseason anymore. I watched it back when I was able to make the remake the fast forward sound of the old tape, you know, whatever that is.
I can watch it condensed form, no problem, to see what happened, see how players looked, all of that. I can’t sit through 3 hours of a preseason game, even when it’s the team I care most about or care about most because it is insufferable.
I think it blows. I think the product is so wretched across the league. It is a bad product. And there is one root cause that the league needs to take a hard look at. And that is joint practices. Joint practices have gutted the preseason product in the NFL and it’s gotten out of control. The Patriots are away the next two weeks. They’re going to spend a week at Green Bay. They’re going to spend a week with the Titans. And those practices that they hold with those teams will be where the best reps are had for Patriots players.
I’ve provided plans for the NFL on several occasions. I provided them a plan to fix their Pro Bowl. They’ve now done it. You’re welcome. I’ve got a plan for them. I’ve got something for them. Go to 18 games. You’re going to eliminate two pre-season games is the trade off.
You’re going to have one pre-season game and you are going to be limited to one joint practice session with another team each year. One joint practice. One week of that one preseason game. And you want to know the caveat to that?
The joint practice cannot be against the team that you’re about to play the pre-season game with. You don’t get to go to New England and spend two days with them and then play them on Thursday night.