Profit from August NFL action.

1) Coaching Attitudes regarding the Pre-Season overall.

A brief look at history proves this to be factual. Marv Levy, in his tenure with the Buffalo Bills, was notorious for not caring about Pre-Season games and recorded a won/loss ATS percentage of less than .333. At the other end of the spectrum was Bill Parcels, an intense mentor of more than one NFL team who's propensity for winning carried over from season to season regardless of the status of his team the previous year. There is little doubt that most coaches have a Pre-Season mind set about their goals toward winning in August . Determining each coach's philosophy can go a long way toward an overall perspective of the Pre-Season.

Also new head coaches tend to do very well in the NFL Pre-Season as they like to establish winning early in their tenure.

Only 4 this year.

Miami Dolphins- Tony Sprano

Washington Redskins- Jim Zorn

Atlanta Falcons- Mike Smith

Baltimore Ravens- John Harbaugh These teams will probably struggle in the reg season but the Preseason is a whole different cup of tea.

a) Quarterback rotations and 1st team playing time.

These two factors go hand in hand as seldom does a coach play his 1st team quarterback without the benefit of at least the 1st team offensive line to protect him. Identifying quarterback depth and the quarterback rotation for each game will give the handicapper a solid overview of the potential offensive performance for each team. In that regard, it can be helpful to know the offensive competence of the 2nd and 3rd teams as in many of the early season games, they get the majority of the playing time.

The above are some general rules to help you be successful in the Pre-Season. However, if you don't have the time or the inclination to do the work necessary to isolate winning selections in August.

Tony K.