By starting the season 14-0, the Colts earned the right to do whatever they wanted yesterday, even if it was the wrong decision for themselves and negatively affected teams competing with the Jets.
Worse yet, Big Ben suffered a concussion in that game, which put their season in jeopardy. He was lucky to not be hurt seriously, but he had to be carted off the field.
Certainly true - and I think that's why the Patriots, Saints, Cardinals and some others probably need to go full speed next week. If I were the Colts and I really didn't care about 16-0, I would have rested everyone in week 14 and 15 (or whenever they clinched), played them for a half in week 16, and then gone full speed week 17. It seems that would be the best way to rest and still get sharp for the playoffs. I assume they'll come out in the first half again and play all-out and then bench everyone for the second half, but who knows.
In baseball, when teams clinch their playoff position, they almost always adjust their rotation for the playoffs and play whatever other scrub pitchers they have the last several games, rather than playing their regular rotation to try their best to win those games. That seems to be about the equivalent of the Colts playing their starters for a half.
The Vikings. This game tonight is critical for the Vikings because they could potentially get the #1 seed if the Saints lose next week, and because they could still fall down to the #3 seed with a couple of losses.
I understand that, and I want to see history, and I wanted to see the pats finish off that superbowl and was disappointed that they did not. that being said, its not that big a deal to the individual team I believe. I liked Troy Aikman's take on it on his show two weeks ago before the Saint's loss. in NO, it was a bigger deal to that city, and franchise, given both histories, recently with Katrina and just the Saints history as losers. with the colts, its really not that big a deal, they are the second best team this decade regardless of what happens.
I agree with what you're saying I'm just saying I would have liked to see them attempt to go for history. Like you I was disappointed that the Pats did not win the Super Bowl against the Giants.
i don't recall that happening in games where there were playoff implications for the opponents. baseball is the sport where they all talk quite a bit about the importance of playing through the season...particularly so in games where there are playoff implications.
The last time the situation came up was 2008, with a wildcard battle between the Mets, Milwaukee, and maybe the Astros. Last series of the year was Cubs (who had clinched the division) vs Milwaukee, and the Cubs rested all sorts of starting position players in the last weekend. On the final day, with the wildcard still up for grabs between the Mets and Milwaukee, the Cubs just ran out a bunch of relievers instead of a starting pitcher. (Milwaukee won and eventually won the wild card)
The year before, it also occurred between Colorado and Arizona. On the final day, Arizona had clinched the NL West, but Colorado and San Diego were still competing for the wildcard. Arizona benched most of their team and started a reliever in the final game of the season. Colorado won and eventually won a tiebreaker with San Diego to make the playoffs.
http://www.stampedeblue.com/2009/12/28/1222925/bill-polian-called-out-by-colts this wasnt a bunch of angry texans fans was it?
Jaworski asks who do you want with the ball in his hands with the game on line more than Brett Favre.. Umm Peyton Manning or Tom Brady ?
