The funny thing is that if the Texans beat the Patriots, we're actually doing ourselves a slight disservice in the grand master plan of DEN/NE as the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds. Remember, the Ravens have the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Patriots. (Yes, of course I still want us to win, since it would effectively clinch home-field advantage. Just pointing it out.) That said, the Ravens have a pretty tough closing schedule. At Washington and Cincinnati, home for the Broncos and Giants. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if they end up 10-6, and it'd be very tough for the Pats/Broncos not to be 11-5 or better.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p><a class="hashtag" action="hash" title="#Texans">#Texans</a> would clinch the top seed in the AFC next week if they win & BAL (at WAS), DEN (at OAK) & IND (vs TEN) all lose</p>— Nick Scurfield (@NickScurfield) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickScurfield/status/275414433445072898" data-datetime="2012-12-03T01:41:32+00:00">December 3, 2012</a></blockquote> <script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Imagine if this happened, we would not play another meaningful game until Jan 12
Holy crap, what are the temptations to rest all significant players. We would quite literally be playing for nothing for the rest of the season. Just the fact that this is possible is amazing.
They're more a formality than anything else. From an odds standpoint, we would basically be 99% one seed if we beat the Patriots. Regardless of what else happens.
Denver won't be losing at Oakland and I don't see the Titans beating the Colts. Now RGIII might light up the Ravens. It would be nice if they all lost and we won, but I don't like finishing the season on a losing streak because we are playing third stringers. I am a proponent of the momentum theory. Just keep winning. Rested can also mean rusty.
I agree to an extent. Don't just automatically sit everyone for the last 3 weeks should that happen. They'll get the bye so that's an extra weeks rest. I would simply limit the touches from there on out. Keep Foster to 15 or fewer carries. Keep AJ in for less than 50 plays. Let Yates get some time in the 2nd half. Enough to keep them playing but not getting beat up. Those last 3 games should be like the 3rd preseason game.
Interesting, I just thought about this over the weekend. I want us to win, but I'm not going to slit my wrists if we don't. Like you said, ideally the seedings would be 1 Houston 2 Denver or NE 3 Denver or NE 4 Baltimore As long as we keep on winning, we should actually be pulling for Denver and NE to keep on winning too. Very strange feeling.
HOU 11-1 @NE, Colts, Vikes, @IND remain Own tiebreakers over BAL and DEN Tiebreakers TBD against NE and IND NE 9-3 Texans, 49ers, @JAX, Fins remain Own Tiebreaker against DEN and IND Lose Tiebreaker against BAL Tiebreaker TBD against HOU BAL 9-3 @Was, Broncos, Giants, @CIN remain Own Tiebreaker against NE Lose Tiebreaker against HOU Tiebreaker TBD against DEN Split series against PIT* DEN 9-3 @OAK, @BAL, Browns, Chiefs remain Own Tiebreaker against PIT Lose Tiebreakers to NE, HOU Tiebreaker TBD against BAL IND 8-4 Titans, @HOU, @KC, Texans remain Lose Tiebreaker to NE Tiebreaker TBD against HOU PIT 7-5 Chargers, @DAL, Bengals, Browns remain Lose Tiebreaker to DEN Split Series against BAL* *Next tiebreaker for AFC-N is division record: BAL takes it with win @CIN or a PIT loss to either Bengals or Browns. Steelers can still win out right (magic number 7). Personally, I think it's most likely that Texans finish 13-3 Pats finish 12-4 BAL finishes 11-5 DEN finishes 12-4 IND finishes 11-5 PIT finishes 10-6 HOU, NE byes DEN hosts PIT BAL hosts IND ** It would be awesome if the WC games were flip flopped.
so there you have it. it's about momentum and no rest so we should be cheering that we lose these next three games and win the last game so we can play during wildcard weekend with a one game winning streak!!! =/ To me, it's the Nfl and anything goes. That's what makes the league so fun. We can go into N.E next week and decimate them by 10 touchdowns that still doesn't mean we will beat them in the playoffs. In the same manner, we can get bombed by 50 touchdowns and that doesn't mean NE will handle us come January. Enjoy every game. I can't believe we're entering the final month of the season.
It's more those on-the-bubble decisions about whether a guy should go or not. Now you can be conservative and hold them out till they are 100% rather than 90%. Or as someone said, can play guys half the game to keep them sharp.
If the Pats do what the Texans did last year after winning the Division "championship", make Cam Newton look like Johnny Unitas, Schaub will look like Terry Bradshaw and the Texans will win. Bradshaw might be a goofy TV personality now, but he had a bionic arm. Amazingly accurate passer. Seriously, I expect the beat up Pats to have a mild letdown, and I expect the Texans will come ready to play.
It's crazy to think that the Ravens are more likely to go 0-4 down the stretch than 4-0, but that's the state that team is in now. Flacco looks downright terrible more often than not, Cam Cameron is an absolute moron for having him throw 30+ times every single game, and that defense is completely beat up. The Ravens could very possibly go 10-6, and allow the Steelers to take that division. I wouldn't sleep on the Bengals if I was Baltimore, either.
Agreed. Baltimore has been extremely lucky just to get to nine wins. The Steelers should have beaten them in Pittsburgh if Leftwich didn't try to play hurt, and the Chargers had them in San Diego if not for going braindead and giving up a 4th and 29 on a dumpoff to Ray Rice. I'd be very surprised if they win more than one of the last four.
