Arizona Cardinals could go winless in preseason and still make playoffs

The 2008 Detroit Lions must have been feeling pretty good about themselves after finishing the 2008 preseason 4-0.

16 consecutive losses and being the only team to finish winless in a 16 game season probably sent most of them to their nearest psychologist.

Conversely, the 2004 New England Patriots went 1-3 in exhibition games and finished 14-2. The 2005 Indianapolis Colts went zero for five (HOF game) and matched the 14-2 record.

Sometimes, the numbers mean nothing other than an inflated/deflated value that can't portend future success. The NFL is a crapshoot where on one hand you can probably count on a handful of the number of "expected" teams to make the playoffs. Then the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing and a "surprise" team makes it and it's usually the middle finger pointing it out.

It's what the NFL calls "parity". And I currently think the Cardinals could be dishing the third digit to the league this year, though they'll have to buck certain trends - or then again maybe not:

2007 was an 0 fer with Ken Whisenhunt - 0-4. Yet the team finished 8-8.

2008- Hello, Super Bowl year. Not a prerequisite for greatness, though. 2-2 in preseason.

2009 - Postseason for second year in a row, yet a pitiful 0-4 exhibition season. Go figure.

2010 - The Max Hall year brought 3-1 practice annual games accolades with 5-11 sorrows.Most people figured beforehand that this year would not end pretty. Derek Anderson didn't think anything was funny.

2011 - 2-2, respectable. The season ended at .500, too.

Last season, the team played in the HOF game and finished 1-4 in preseason and concluded with the omnipresent 5-11 record and bottom of the division.

The bottom line? It doesn't matter, IMO, if you win or lose the preseason. It's how you make decisions/evaluations on players and scheme and how they fit in. If you win.. great, the whole team gets treated to snowcones and rookie haircuts. You lose and the team gets snide comments and rookie haircuts. It's a win-win either way.

Unless, of course, you're the 2008 Detroit Lions.