Any word on Chung and Amendola?

[Wordsmyth]

Double-secret probation!

 

[venecol]

After reading what BB said about injured players, I feel good. This guy puts a lot of thought into everything. He can't control everything but he'll make the best choice on who to play and for how long against the Jets and Miami:

“We do the best we can to manage all those things (nagging injuries, more serious injuries and players coming back to action),” Belichick explained. “They’re all somewhat of a consideration. We just gotta try to balance it. Each part of the question requires some thought and every decision impacts other things as well. You can’t act independently. When one thing happens, there’s a residual effect to it one way or another. We’ll just have to do the best we can to balance all those things out. It’s something we’ll have to give some thought to and get as much information as possible because there are some guys that are in various states of physical health.”

“Depending on what his position is, you can maybe narrow down what the role would be and what you’d ask him to do. How long (can he play) is another question. How many (snaps) and how long? Can a player go out and play two or three plays? Probably. Can he play 60 plays? No, you wouldn’t do that. So you talk about what’s the right number in there. Maybe you talk about that during the game or try to talk about it before the game. But you still have to play the game and there are circumstances that happen within the game that you can’t plan for. So once you get into the game you have to be able to utilize the players available in a competitive way during the game. It’s a long complicated discussion.

Once a player’s cleared to play, he’s able to play, he feels confident he can play. Until that point, there’s nothing to talk about.“

Belichick: Pats 'have to give thought' to resting players

 

[n6249c]

Agreed, play everyone who's healthy enough to get on the field against the jests. After we win that one we sit everyone against the Dolphins

Disagree. Dolphins will not be as tough to beat as the Jets. If you're going to sit dinged up players sit them for the Jets game, play everybody against the 'Phins for HFA if we have to. With luck we will get help, or beat the Jets anyway, and can rest the wounded against Miami as well.

 

[rochrist]

I've never seen the movie and I don't intend to.

How unfortunate for you.

 

[Joey007]

To get the #1 seed NE needs any of these scenarios to happen:

• NE wins either of its remaining games
• Winner of DEN-CIN loses the following week

Denver plays San Diego, and Cincy plays Baltimore.

So let's just won one of our next two so we're good to go

 

[Joey007]

So are we out of the woods yet in avoiding serious injuries from our guys this week?

 

[QuantumMechanic]

One other scenario is if NE loses the next two, they can still get homefield if Cincy loses their remaining games and Denver loses at San Diego in week 17.

Which is covered by "winner of DEN-CIN loses the following week".

 

[Froob]

Disagree. Dolphins will not be as tough to beat as the Jets. If you're going to sit dinged up players sit them for the Jets game, play everybody against the 'Phins for HFA if we have to. With luck we will get help, or beat the Jets anyway, and can rest the wounded against Miami as well.

I disagree, there's no guarantees. Get the win against the Jets.

 

[Rhodey]

"Patriots wide receiver Danny Amendola is still getting tests on his knee, but the belief is he suffered a sprain that won't cause him to miss playoff time, Rapoport reported, per a source informed of his injury."

Link -> Injuries: LeSean McCoy in doubt for Bills vs. Cowboys - NFL.com

 

[Bill Lee]

This is all true, but I really don't want the Pats to waltz into Week 17 as a must win. I want them to get the W this weekend, seal homefield, and rest as many bodies that need it in Week 17.

I'm wondering when locking up HFA became a "must win" scenario...

 

[SHOWTIME15]

Which is covered by "winner of DEN-CIN loses the following week".

Ok, but your statement is a bit confusing since if Denver beats Cin what they do the following week has no bearing on the 1 seed. In that case NE would automatically get the 1 seed (assuming they beat the jets) regardless of denver's week 17 result. Your statement has more to do with Cincy beating Denver and losing the following week (assuming 2 NE losses). Basically, NE is the 1 seed (which is what I believe you were saying) if:

1. NE beats NYJ and Miami; or

2. NE beats NYJ or Miami AND Cincy loses one more game; or

3. NE loses to NYJ and Miami and Cin loses both remaining games.

 

[QuantumMechanic]

Ok, but your statement is a bit confusing since if Denver beats Cin what they do the following week has no bearing on the 1 seed.

Incorrect.

If NE loses out they will be 12-4.

If DEN beats CIN and then wins the following week there are two scenarios:

• CIN loses final game and we end up with NE 12-4, DEN 12-4, CIN 11-5. Then DEN gets the #1 seed by virtue of H2H over NE.
• CIN wins final game and we end up with a 3-way 12-4 tie. DEN will again get the #1 seed because DEN would have beaten both NE and CIN.

 

[QuantumMechanic]

And to finish it out, if DEN loses to CIN then that gives DEN 5 losses, knocking them out of contention for the #1 seed.

Again, if NE loses out they will be 12-4.

If CIN beats DEN then there are two scenarios:

• CIN wins final game. Then CIN is 13-3 and NE is 12-4 and CIN obviously gets #1.
• CIN loses final game. NE and CIN tie at 12-4 and NE gets #1 by common opponents.

So putting those two posts together we get that if NE loses out we indeed need whoever wins CIN-DEN to lose the following week.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

Incorrect.

If NE loses out they will be 12-4.

If DEN beats CIN and then wins the following week there are two scenarios:

• CIN loses final game and we end up with NE 12-4, DEN 12-4, CIN 11-5. Then DEN gets the #1 seed by virtue of H2H over NE.
• CIN wins final game and we end up with a 3-way 12-4 tie. DEN will again get the #1 seed because DEN would have beaten both NE and CIN.

yeah you're right. for some reason I thought Denver was out of the running for the 1 seed. There is a possibility if NE loses both games and Denver wins both remaining games.

 

[brownj12]

Basically, NE is the 1 seed (which is what I believe you were saying) if:

1. NE beats NYJ and Miami; or

2. NE beats NYJ or Miami AND Cincy loses one more game; or

3. NE loses to NYJ and Miami and Cin loses both remaining games.

NE is the number 1 seed if they win either remaining game regardless of what else happens.

 

[supafly]

yeah you're right. for some reason I thought Denver was out of the running for the 1 seed. There is a possibility if NE loses both games and Denver wins both remaining games.

It's not a "possibility," but a guarantee.

If NE drops their final 2 games and DEN wins their final 2 games, the Broncos earn the #1 seed since they'd have the same record and hold the head-to-head tie breaker.

NE is the number 1 seed if they win either remaining game regardless of what else happens.

Exactly. We don't have to do anything or worry about anyone else. By simply winning a game, NE locks up the #1 seed. In an absolute worst case scenario, we still get the #2 seed, since it was locked up yesterday.

 

[Kontradiction]

I'm wondering when locking up HFA became a "must win" scenario...

Hopefully the team is looking at it that way. You don't ever want to rely on other teams failing in order for something like that to happen. Get the job done against the Jets (while ending their season at the same time) and rest everyone that needs to be rested in Week 17.

 

[n6249c]

Hopefully the team is looking at it that way. You don't ever want to rely on other teams failing in order for something like that to happen. Get the job done against the Jets (while ending their season at the same time) and rest everyone that needs to be rested in Week 17.

I'll contradict you. It's not a must-win. At this point the only must-win games are the playoffs.

Question is, what gives the best chance of winning in the playoffs? Playing at home, or being healthy?

If the former, it's worth risking re-injury by playing dinged up starters. If the latter, better to rest them.

I think it's the latter.

 

[Tunescribe]

Hopefully the team is looking at it that way. You don't ever want to rely on other teams failing in order for something like that to happen. Get the job done against the Jets (while ending their season at the same time) and rest everyone that needs to be rested in Week 17.

Basically I agree with this, but on another level I keep going back and forth over the idea of making health the primary consideration over first seed. In other words, consider shutting down EVERYONE who is injured for the next four weeks -- Hightower, Chung, Amendola, Edelman, McCourty, Chandler, etc. Play Gronk and a couple others sparingly. Consider giving Brady some rest vs. Miami. There are multiple ways to approach this, another being resting people vs. Jersey, hope for the best, and going all-out vs. the Dolphins if the Green Beans win. My guess is that BB will push things to the limit to come out of the swamp with a win.

 

[aluminum seats]

Basically I agree with this, but on another level I keep going back and forth over the idea of making health the primary consideration over first seed. In other words, consider shutting down EVERYONE who is injured for the next four weeks -- Hightower, Chung, Amendola, Edelman, McCourty, Chandler, etc. Play Gronk and a couple others sparingly. Consider giving Brady some rest vs. Miami. There are multiple ways to approach this, another being resting people vs. Jersey, hope for the best, and going all-out vs. the Dolphins if the Green Beans win. My guess is that BB will push things to the limit to come out of the swamp with a win.

Agreed...I think the Pats want to win this and just wrap it up already.

If they win, on the afternoon of December 27 they can mentally and physically start resting, and prepare for a home game January 17th to get into the AFC Championship game. Sounds pretty good to me.