Thread: To Rest or Play Starters that is the Question

To Rest or Start, That is the $64,000 Question

To start or sit is the question. The answer lies only with the coaches Wade Phillips, Tony Dungy, Jon Gruden, Bill Bellichek and Tom Coughlin. This is the time of the year that can be very frustrating to a lot of fans. When some teams seem to take the last game as a preseason contest and some others take it like they need it to make the playoffs. Haven’t coaches learned from the past years of mistakes and mishaps. The Broncos in 1996 clinched home field advantage with 3 weeks left in the regular season and then proceed to basically “rest up” for the playoffs by getting slaughtered at GB with no Elway playing, squeaking by an average Oakland team and then losing to an average Charger team to limp in at 2 out of 3 losses. Then the Broncos lost their edge and a huge game vs Jacksonville at Mile High when IMHO they were not in game mode for a long enough period of time in the last month of the season. You can not just turn intensity on when you want to.

The 2005 Indy Colts were undefeated at 13-0 and were cruising along and then all of a sudden lost to the Chargers but still had homefield advantage in the playoffs. They rested starters at Seattle, especially Peyton Manning, and got smoked. They barely beat a bad Arizona team 17-13 and then proceeded to lose at home to an upstart Pittsburgh team that had been in playoff mode since being 7-5.

The 2003 NE Patriots had nothing to play for the last week of the season at Home vs the Buffalo Bills. They played their starters into the 3rd Qtr and smoked the Bills 31-0 and in 2004 the same situation they had nothing to play for and beat SF 21-7. I think Bellichek handles these situations better than most coaches do. He plays the starters into the 2nd half and then pulls them in the 3rd Qtr, usually with the game in hand etc.

If I am the NY Giants I would want to potentially be a huge part of history and go hard vs NE this whole game. People are always going to remember who was the 16th victim in an undefeated season. I am not saying that the Giants can beat NE but they should at least try by letting Eli Manning go into the 3rd Qtr and not palying a very mediocre Jared Lorenzen, who looks more like a MLB than a QB. Go for a win Tom Coughlin and show guts, not turtle and give up history without even a fight. IF the Giants lose this game and then lose in the first round at Tampa, what will the point be in resting up, so you can lose when it counts. I thought the object is to win games, not "rest up". Just my personal feeling, it does not make it correct.

I feel that the Cowboys, Bucs, Colts, Pats and Giants should play their regulars at least a half and we all know that will not be the case for all of them. The Colts should learn from Denver and their own previous mishaps and at least play Manning a half and not mail it in like they did in 05 and 04 when at Denver, Manning played one series before departing for Jim Sorgi. Keep your team sharp and hope for no injury. Some will say that is not smart and I will counter that you can get injured at practice and not play scared

I say you have to play your starters for atleast one half.

You need to keep the players match fit, that means giving them time on the field. If your players don't play for say, 2 weeks, they lose that match fitness and they will be rusty when they play in the playoffs. Just my opinion.

Good article Med!

Do we have anyone that can rest up the starters?

Given our injuries this year I thought we were already playing our 2nd and 3rd stringers

Play the starters (at least the healthy ones) into the second half...

Unless its against the Chefs, then play whoever you want cause you know you'll win anyway...

You simply do what is in the best interest of your team, period.

Play them.

Originally Posted by Bronco9798

You simply do what is in the best interest of your team, period.

when you play like one series, as Indy did in 05
and Denver did in 96 you seem to lose your edge.

I am not saying play injured players, like TO for Dallas.
but when coaches take the last game like a preseason game, they usually fail when it counts

just my humble opinion.

this is a tough call for anyone

Tom Coughlin gets and A for tonight

he played to win, not like a wuss would

I hope they beat Tampa now. They earned my respect tonight

good effort Big Blue

Originally Posted by Medford Bronco

Tom Coughlin gets and A for tonight

he played to win, not like a wuss would

I hope they beat Tampa now. They earned my respect tonight

good effort Big Blue

I'm impressed with both teams, but the Giants really didn't have to do it and had nothing to gain, but played to the very end. Both teams gave America what they wanted to see, and that was great.

Originally Posted by tnedator

I'm impressed with both teams, but the Giants really didn't have to do it and had nothing to gain, but played to the very end. Both teams gave America what they wanted to see, and that was great.

GP...well said.

Originally Posted by tnedator

I'm impressed with both teams, but the Giants really didn't have to do it and had nothing to gain, but played to the very end. Both teams gave America what they wanted to see, and that was great.

Tony Dungy should take notes. The colts have been burned over the years
"resting" players like in 05 vs Pitt. They lost their edge.

I am not saying play injured guys like TO for Dallas but to treat a game like preseason is absurd IMO.

play at least into the 3rd Qtr. show balls


I still believe Denver in 96 lost becuase of the resting players in 3 games.

they would have killed Bledsoe and NE at home back then. They might not have beaten GB who was better in 96 than 97.. just my take

Originally Posted by Broncolingus

GP...well said.

Ditto! They made the decision to play their starters and I for one enjoyed the heck out of the game. My motto, go out and play your heart out every game. That's how you will be remembered.

Dungy wussed it up as usual..

no shock there.

Maybe I am not so dumb.

the teams that rested players lost (Colts and Cowboys)
and the teams that actually played hard won their games, (Pats and Giants)

maybe coaches will wake up someday and know that momentum is huge in football, you cant just turn it off and on, on a week to week basis