2 Meaningless Games For New England

[QuiGon]

If we are indeed meant to pursue a perfect 19-0 season, we are now faced with the reality that there will be at least 2 meaningless games to finish out the regular season (maybe more, depending on how Indy does from here). Fortunately, it is Miami at home that we will be facing on the 2nd-to-last week of the year.

 

[PatsFaninAZ]

If we are indeed meant to pursue a perfect 19-0 season, we are now faced with the reality that there will be at least 2 meaningless games to finish out the regular season (maybe more, depending on how Indy does from here). Fortunately, it is Miami at home that we will be facing on the 2nd-to-last week of the year.

Not if we don't beat Pittsburgh. If Pittsburgh wins and remains at 2 losses, they would hold the tie breaker and there would be zero meaningless games unless and until they lose. No game is meaningless until we play them or until they lose, and there is a decent chance that every game will remain meaningfull unless we win that game.

 

[QuiGon]

Not if we don't beat Pittsburgh. If Pittsburgh wins and remains at 2 losses, they would hold the tie breaker and there would be zero meaningless games unless and until they lose. No game is meaningless until we play them or until they lose, and there is a decent chance that every game will remain meaningfull unless we win that game.

That's why I wrote in my very first sentence "If we are indeed meant to pursue a perfect 19-0 season..." Fact is that right now if the Patriots maintain an undefeated season it will mean at the very least 2 "meaningless" games to finish up the season. If Indy loses again then that will mean 3 meaningless games to finish the season.

 

[PatsFaninAZ]

That's why I wrote in my very first sentence "If we are indeed meant to pursue a perfect 19-0 season..." Fact is that right now if the Patriots maintain an undefeated season it will mean 2 "meaningless" games to finish up the season. If Indy loses again then that will mean 3 meaningless games to finish the season.

Ok, I guess. I hear you explain it and I still don't understand it.

"Meant" by whom? I don't even understand what the first sentence means.

You mean, "if we get to 15-0 the last two games will be meaningless"?

 

[satz]

I do not agree with the 2 Meaningless games.From last night gaints vs cowboys and with the nfc state it would not suprise if they meet again.

what if gaints win and goto the SB...if so would you not like to see how we match up?

also , week 16 with the bye i have a feeling they will play 4 quaters it is game 15 that i would worry about.

 

[bradmahn]

Ok, I guess. I hear you explain it and I still don't understand it.

"Meant" by whom? I don't even understand what the first sentence means.

You mean, "if we get to 15-0 the last two games will be meaningless"?

If the Patriots beat the Steelers and go to 14-0, they will have locked homefield advantage throughout and the last two games will be "meaningless."

 

[ironwasp]

That's why I wrote in my very first sentence "If we are indeed meant to pursue a perfect 19-0 season..." Fact is that right now if the Patriots maintain an undefeated season it will mean 2 "meaningless" games to finish up the season. If Indy loses again then that will mean 3 meaningless games to finish the season.

If we do get to that point, I'd like to have seen two things happen by then: a Miami win, so they're not out there playing like lunatics trying to do anything to prevent 16-0; and the Giants to be cemented into a wild card berth. The division has all but gone for them but they currently have a two game lead over a host of teams for the final slot in the NFC wild card race. With any luck the NFC will have shaken out nicely by then and they'll be sat comfortably in the number 5 slot, and it will be them needing to go easy on key players with the wildcard weekend coming up.

 

[PatsFaninAZ]

If the Patriots beat the Steelers and go to 14-0, they will have locked homefield advantage throughout and the last two games will be "meaningless."

Right -- I meant 14.

Meaningless for the Pats, you mean -- not necessarily for the Giants.

Ok. I'm on board now. What does all this mean, though? The games will be meaningful if the team covets going undefeated but not if it doesn't.

 

[QuiGon]

Ok, I guess. I hear you explain it and I still don't understand it.

"Meant" by whom? I don't even understand what the first sentence means.

You mean, "if we get to 15-0 the last two games will be meaningless"?

To rephrase: If the Patriots continue to play undefeated, they will finish the season with at least 2 meaningless* games (maybe more). This statement implies a victory over Pittsburgh on the 9th because it would be difficult to lose to Pittsburgh but still pursue a 19-0 season.

Over the past few weeks, there has been much talk in this forum that if the Pats go 15-0, that final game against the Giants is a meaningless* one and there has been subsequent speculation about whether or not BB would rest starters.

Now we can say with absolute certainty that if the Pats go 14-0, the 2nd to last game against Miami becomes meaningless* as well.

*The term "meaningless" is meant to be defined in the typical sports fan usage, i.e. "any game that has absolutely zero bearing on our playoff seeding." To clarify further, "meaningless" means "meaningless to us with regards to our seeding".

 

[QuiGon]

If we do get to that point, I'd like to have seen two things happen by then: a Miami win, so they're not out there playing like lunatics trying to do anything to prevent 16-0; and the Giants to be cemented into a wild card berth.

I agree with this and was actually rooting for Dallas yesterday. Now the Giants are quite the longshot to be contending for the division by week 17... so I am hoping things work out that they have cemented either a #5 or #6 seed... because then they will be resting all their starters knowing they have to play a game the following weekend on the road. We won't see Strahan, Umenyoura or Burress. If the stars align, that game could easily turn into Tom Brady versus Jared Lorenzen. I like our chances there.

 

[bradmahn]

Right -- I meant 14.

Meaningless for the Pats, you mean -- not necessarily for the Giants.

Ok. I'm on board now. What does all this mean, though? The games will be meaningful if the team covets going undefeated but not if it doesn't.

Yes, I don't think the the Patriots will approach either of the games as being meaningless. We've never seen a Patriots team in that position, though, so it's hard to say.

All in Week 17:

In '01, they had an opportunity to get a bye.
In '03, they had an opportunity to get HFA.
In '04, they were locked in as the second seed.
In '05, they could have improved their seeding, but felt a Jags match up was optimal.
Last year they had the opportunity to gain better seeding, but it was a wait-and-see situation with Indy and played starters deep.

Still lots of football left, though, so let's not get too concerned with this sort of speculation.

 

[ironwasp]

If the stars align, that game could easily turn into Tom Brady versus Jared Lorenzen. I like our chances there.

I don't like the idea of Lorenzen being on a field near any of our players. He's a scary behemoth of a man, and while I'm sure he probably can't play QB for sh*t I don't want to see him running at or falling on any of our guys. I'll stick with Eli and the delay of game nonsense.

 

[PatsFaninAZ]

To rephrase: If the Patriots continue to play undefeated, they will finish the season with at least 2 meaningless* games (maybe more). This statement implies a victory over Pittsburgh on the 9th because it would be difficult to lose to Pittsburgh but still pursue a 19-0 season.

Over the past few weeks, there has been much talk in this forum that if the Pats go 15-0, that final game against the Giants is a meaningless* one and there has been subsequent speculation about whether or not BB would rest starters.

Now we can say with absolute certainty that if the Pats go 14-0, the 2nd to last game against Miami becomes meaningless* as well.

*The term "meaningless" is meant to be defined in the typical sports fan usage, i.e. "any game that has absolutely zero bearing on our playoff seeding." To clarify further, "meaningless" means "meaningless to us with regards to our seeding".

Ok, I have it now. Truly didn't understand.

I guess the issue is kind of whether the number of meaningless games at the end of the season will impact the team's ability or inclination to go undefeated.

Since the question whether the team will go undefeated is an obsession on this board and in the press that I don't care about in even the slightest, it's not really a debate I've followed. I don't care if the team goes undefeated, so long as it goes undefeated in its final game of the year in Arizona.

With respect to predicting whether we will or won't, to me it seems a bit like thinking about a no hitter in the fifth inning at this point.

 

[Patriotic Fervor]

If the Patriots beat the Steelers and go to 14-0, they will have locked homefield advantage throughout and the last two games will be "meaningless."

When you are 14 - 0 and Desmond Destiny is staring you in the face, there are no meaningless games!

 

[bradmahn]

When you are 14 - 0 and Desmond Destiny is staring you in the face, there are no meaningless games!

"Meaningless."

 

[ironwasp]

When you are 14 - 0 and Desmond Destiny is staring you in the face, there are no meaningless games!

Isn't Desmond Destiny related to Hubert Hubris?

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

what if gaints win and goto the SB...

Yeah, right after this...

 

[hambone1818]

It really comes down to: what is Belichick's mentality at this point? Is he, in fact, mad at ___ (the NFL, Goodell, Mangini, the media, etc, etc) and wants to prove a point? Is he merely preparing the team as best as possible and it just so happens that, more often than not, they're a much better team than their opposition and wind up with blowout victories?

I think it really comes down to Belichick's mindset. If he's simply playing this week-to-week, trying to give his team the best possible chance to win a 4th SB, then I say he calls off the dogs a bit early in those last two games. However, if he's reading all this crap--spy-gate, Shula, Dungy, etc, etc--and getting more and more pissed off at the absurdity of it all, then there's no way he prepares for those games as though they're meaningless.

And personally, I hope he IS mad, and takes it out on the rest of the league. I want to see the perfect record, I want to see Brady destroy Manning's record, I want this team to be the most dominant force the NFL has ever seen.

 

[QuiGon]

And personally, I hope he IS mad, and takes it out on the rest of the league. I want to see the perfect record, I want to see Brady destroy Manning's record, I want this team to be the most dominant force the NFL has ever seen.

Belichick doesn't coach mad. He does what is in the best interests of the team with neither passion nor prejudice.

But, having said that, I do not believe he will rest starters if the team is on the verge of history.