Belichick Correct in Not Resting Starters in Week 17, See Green Bay - New England Patriots Forums

PatsFans.com Article · 01-16-2012, 07:50 AM

Belichick Correct in Not Resting Starters in Week 17, See Green Bay
By: Steve Balestrieri

Rodgers sat out Week 17 as the Packers didn't have anything to play for as far as seeding in the playoffs was concerned.But did the two week layoff hurt him and the Packers?...

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ivanvamp · 01-16-2012, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PatsFans.com Article

Belichick Correct in Not Resting Starters in Week 17, See Green Bay
By: Steve Balestrieri

Rodgers sat out Week 17 as the Packers didn't have anything to play for as far as seeding in the playoffs was concerned.But did the two week layoff hurt him and the Packers?...

CLICK HERE TO READ THIS STORY

Sorry....but this is dumb. The Patriots were still fighting for the #1 seed in the AFC, which is a HUGE deal. If everything was sewn up, would Brady have played? Probably some, but it's an apples-to-oranges comparison.

Ice_Ice_Brady · 01-16-2012, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ivanvamp

Sorry....but this is dumb. The Patriots were still fighting for the #1 seed in the AFC, which is a HUGE deal. If everything was sewn up, would Brady have played? Probably some, but it's an apples-to-oranges comparison.

Exactly. Not to mention not many were praising BB when Wes Welker blew out his knee, Week 17 2009.

I don't think the Packers loss had anything to do with resting starters. It had to do with nerves and pressure, and drawing the worst possible opponent who truly had confidence and knew that by playing loose, they could beat a much better team.

PatsGirl2011 · 01-16-2012, 03:14 PM

No the Packers D sucked before and after bye..plain and simple! The Giants didn't allow alot of big plays either.

LivinLovin&Breathin_Brady · 01-16-2012, 03:39 PM

^ Agree. Packers D played no differently. The pressures of a big game caused Aaron Rodgers to choke up like never before. All the drops and overthrown passes had a whole lot to do with the loss. I can hardly give the Giants any credit for this one.

TheComeback · 01-16-2012, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ice_Ice_Brady

Exactly. Not to mention not many were praising BB when Wes Welker blew out his knee, Week 17 2009.

I don't think the Packers loss had anything to do with resting starters. It had to do with nerves and pressure, and drawing the worst possible opponent who truly had confidence and knew that by playing loose, they could beat a much better team.

I'm sure Belichick regrets playing Welker, but playing to win in that game was the right thing to do. That team was terrible, and the Texans were their last chance to gain some confidence in a challenging situation (playing on the road). They failed, and I'm convinced they would have lost to the Ravens even if Welker had played. They didn't deserve to win a playoff game.

TheComeback · 01-16-2012, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LivinLovin&Breathin_Brady

^ Agree. Packers D played no differently. The pressures of a big game caused Aaron Rodgers to choke up like never before. All the drops and overthrown passes had a whole lot to do with the loss. I can hardly give the Giants any credit for this one.

The Giants defense played a very solid game. That said, I think the extent to which they played well has been exaggerated. They got pressure on Rodgers, but it wasn't exceptional pressure. There were spans of that game where he had more than enough time to throw. The Packers came out flat, their timing was off, and the Giants took full advantage of it.