I think a lot of coaches would disagree with you.

Team performance rises and falls over the course of a season.

Despite flagging performance levels, teams that get hot can sometimes win a series of games with razor thin margins of error. They can begin to trust the streak rather than disciplined intensity of effort. Such teams sometimes stop listening to coaches, and performance levels continue to drop. Coaches know that there are times when it takes a loss to refocus the team's attention.

Of course, it is true that the small number of games in a football season, Ws and Ls mean more than they do in baseball, hockey or basketball. One loss can make a big difference, especially facing a rival for dominance in the conference.

Still, it is entirely possible that a loss Sunday could lead to reinvigorated performance and actual team improvement.