Resting the starters in the NFL

[The Paragon of Virtue]

Re: Resting the starters in the NFL

That kept out the defending champs (which you know the media and the NFL don't like)

Actually, the stuff with the Jets kept Houston out. The Steelers finished 8th.

[French Rage]

Re: Resting the starters in the NFL

Ya think? Have you seen anything anywhere that would tend to support that? I'm not sure I buy it. The season ticket holders are in general terms the more dedicated and educated fans. It would seem to me that those type of fans would want and expect the starters to take a break in the second half of the week 17 game to prevent risking injury when the #1 seed was buttoned up two weeks ago, ya know?

Just sayin....

To me, this is just a media-created backlash for the Colts not pulling out all the stops to go for a perfect season.

Fans of the team would ultimately support the team doing what it took (or felt it took, based on how well resting starters actually has worked) to win the championship. People complaining are more fans of themselves getting to see a good game, regardless of how it affects the team's overall season.

Actually Colts fans were quite ****ed about it. I think it's more of an issue this year because the Colts were unbeaten until they pulled their players. Their fans wanted the perfect season. One other side note is the fact that the Jets were basically dead for the playoffs, and then they beat the Colts backups and poof they are alive again. I think if they Colts had one loss already, and it happened against a team not rescued from the dead, we wouldn't be hearing much about it.

True, but what's more important, going undefeated or winning the Super Bowl? If the team's ultimate goals conflict with what the fans want, the fans should stop supporting that team.


And for complaints about, say, the Texans getting screwed because the Jets had a gimme, no team battling for a wild card spot has done so crazy well that they deserve a playoff spot. Any of those teams probably had a few games they could have won earlier in the season that would have made it all moot. So it doesn't make sense for one team to complain about some quirk in scheduling.

[Kepler]

Re: Resting the starters in the NFL

I'm sorry, but I don't buy into the whole "We payed $xxxx for our tickets, so we deserve a better on field performance" argument at all in sports...

Me neither. Vote with your feet.

[gregg729]

Re: Resting the starters in the NFL

Colts have rested before and lost 3 times in their next playoff game. So obviously rest isn't working for them.

The question I have is, how much "rest" are you actually getting sitting out for a half of a game? I get not wanting to get injured, but you could of been injured in week 14 before you rested also, so the risk isn't any greater in the last 2 weeks.

Also, as a QB you aren't exactly exerting yourself physically the same way as the linemen, running backs and wide receivers. That position is much more mental. So a QB resting just seems like a farce to me.

Ultimately you should just play your games. If you want to take guys out in a blow out win or loss, go ahead. But I don't think games are meaningless just because they don't effect your playoff position. They still mean something to the chemistry and timing of your team.

It's completely about protecting from injury, not resting. The risk of a week 14 injury entering week 17 is exactly 0%, whereas there is still a real risk of injury in the last 30 minutes of the season. I don't think any coach in halftime of the last game is thinking, "Well we dodged a bullet with the injuries in week 14 so we probably can do it again."

It's late in the first quarter and the Saints scored their third touchdown - their chemistry and timing seem to be fine.

[mookie1995]

Re: Resting the starters in the NFL

do away with wild cards... you need to win your division to make the playoffs. if you still want 6 teams in, expand to 36 teams and have 6 3-team divisions in each conference.

don't award home field by w-l record. award by "winning streak", and if tied, "point differential". ....now teams will want to win and want to WIN

[JF_Gophers]

Re: Resting the starters in the NFL

It's late in the first quarter and the Saints scored their third touchdown - their chemistry and timing seem to be fine.

One team doing well does not negate the fact that not playing/resting for 2-3 weeks can/will cause your team problems. Since there is plenty of times when the resting team has lost.

Plus, who cares if you didn't get hurt in week 17 if you aren't playing after the first playoff game?

[gregg729]

Re: Resting the starters in the NFL

One team doing well does not negate the fact that not playing/resting for 2-3 weeks can/will cause your team problems. Since there is plenty of times when the resting team has lost.

Plus, who cares if you didn't get hurt in week 17 if you aren't playing after the first playoff game?

Well I think you should notify the NFL's head coaches and tell them what they're doing wrong.

do away with wild cards... you need to win your division to make the playoffs. if you still want 6 teams in, expand to 36 teams and have 6 3-team divisions in each conference.

don't award home field by w-l record. award by "winning streak", and if tied, "point differential". ....now teams will want to win and want to WIN

Lumbergh voice: Yeah.... I'm just gonna go ahead and rank this idea right up there with Smykowski's "Jump to Conclusions Mat," mmmmkay?

[mookie1995]

Re: Resting the starters in the NFL

Lumbergh voice: Yeah.... I'm just gonna go ahead and rank this idea right up there with Smykowski's "Jump to Conclusions Mat," mmmmkay?

well, then expand the season to 18 games, but cut it from the postseason instead of the exhibition season. everyone plays the extra two games (revenue) and only 4 teams make the playoffs - the two division winners (8 team divisions) from each conference. bring back some of the excitement that baseball blew off by eliminating inter-conference games outside the super bowl.

[gregg729]

Re: Resting the starters in the NFL

well, then expand the season to 18 games, but cut it from the postseason instead of the exhibition season. everyone plays the extra two games (revenue) and only 4 teams make the playoffs - the two division winners (8 team divisions) from each conference. bring back some of the excitement that baseball blew off by eliminating inter-conference games outside the super bowl.

Only 4 teams in the playoffs? That's even worse, IMO. One thing that bugs the hell out of me in baseball is that, with 25 or 30 games left (or 15-20% of the season), only 1/3 to 1/4 of the teams have any hope of making the playoffs. I'd like to see MLB cut the regular season by 10 or 15 games and add another playoff round to get more teams into the postseason, but that's another matter entirely. The NFL regular season/postseason format about as good as you can ask for.

Changing the entire playoff structure just to induce Manning and Brees back into the field for the second have of week 17 is way, way over the top.

Anyway.... so are you playing devil's advocate, or are you saying you're in favor of taking action to force the starters onto the field in games where a loss doesn't affect the team in any way? What about you, JF?

One of the reasons for starting this post was to see if anyone at all thinks this is a good idea?

[mookie1995]

Re: Resting the starters in the NFL

it's iffy...

it hurts other teams (stillers this year) to let certain teams get free passes to wins and a playoff spot (jets). but if the stillers didn't lose the the freaking browns/chiefs/raiders, they wouldn't have been in that spot.

suxs to have bought tickets to see peyton if youre a bills fan. but then again it suxs to live in buffalo (sorry shrader ). so you're screwed to begin with.

fantasy playoffs.... don't give a rats azz.

vegas? they make lines accordingly. so if peeps need to bet they still can.

the goal is to win the SB. not a division, nor go 16-0. each team needs to do what they think is best and live with the consequences. --having the league now try and jump in and award bonus draft picks to teams that play all their starters or disallow FA signings to teams that dont is just plain stupid.

rules shouldn't change from week 1 to week 17. if a team wants to tank, they can tank.

[gregg729]

Re: Resting the starters in the NFL

it's iffy...

it hurts other teams (stillers this year) to let certain teams get free passes to wins and a playoff spot (jets). but if the stillers didn't lose the the freaking browns/chiefs/raiders, they wouldn't have been in that spot.

suxs to have bought tickets to see peyton if youre a bills fan. but then again it suxs to live in buffalo (sorry shrader ). so you're screwed to begin with.

fantasy playoffs.... don't give a rats azz.

vegas? they make lines accordingly. so if peeps need to bet they still can.

the goal is to win the SB. not a division, nor go 16-0. each team needs to do what they think is best and live with the consequences. --having the league now try and jump in and award bonus draft picks to teams that play all their starters or disallow FA signings to teams that dont is just plain stupid.

rules shouldn't change from week 1 to week 17. if a team wants to tank, they can tank.

A Jets loss would have lifted Houston to the playoffs, not the Steelers. Regardless, Houston and the Steelers missed the playoffs because they lost too many games, not because some other teams QB was on the bench in the last 30 minutes of the season.

And it's the job of the fan to look out for their wallets - any Bills fan should have probably been aware way back in week 1 that there was a strong likelihood Peyton was gonna be on the bench for half of the Bills game, anyway.

Anyway, is this horse dead yet? lol

[Priceless]

Re: Resting the starters in the NFL

A Jets loss would have lifted Houston to the playoffs, not the Steelers. Regardless, Houston and the Steelers missed the playoffs because they lost too many games, not because some other teams QB was on the bench in the last 30 minutes of the season.

And it's the job of the fan to look out for their wallets - any Bills fan should have probably been aware way back in week 1 that there was a strong likelihood Peyton was gonna be on the bench for half of the Bills game, anyway.

Anyway, is this horse dead yet? lol

The Buffalo fan may have known that, but they still get railroaded into buying season tickets and PSLs etc anyway. Plus they have to shell out regular season prices for two exhibition games.

And if they don't, the NFL blacks out the game and the fan doesn't get to see it anyway.

[mookie1995]

Re: Resting the starters in the NFL

A Jets loss would have lifted Houston to the playoffs, not the Steelers. Regardless, Houston and the Steelers missed the playoffs because they lost too many games, not because some other teams QB was on the bench in the last 30 minutes of the season.

And it's the job of the fan to look out for their wallets - any Bills fan should have probably been aware way back in week 1 that there was a strong likelihood Peyton was gonna be on the bench for half of the Bills game, anyway.

Anyway, is this horse dead yet? lol

jets had two gift games. colts then bungals. plus the patsies pulled tommy and let the texans win (woodley did say they were afraid of the stillers )

[LynahFan]

Re: Resting the starters in the NFL

I can't quite tell - is there anyone left in this thread who thinks that teams should be penalized for pulling their starters? If so, I'm really curious how you would word such a rule so that it would be objective and enforceable. Any takers?

[Priceless]

Re: Resting the starters in the NFL

I can't quite tell - is there anyone left in this thread who thinks that teams should be penalized for pulling their starters? If so, I'm really curious how you would word such a rule so that it would be objective and enforceable. Any takers?

I think it's a nice idea, but don't see any way to make it work. Are you going to give the best teams more draft picks? What about a team like the Browns, who could have packed it in for draft position, but instead finished with 4 wins?

I don't see a way to make it work.