OT: Yahoo: Colts throw in the towel on perfection

[SVN]

Colts throw in the towel on perfection - NFL - Yahoo! Sports

If you step back and think about it, a game like this flies in the face of what the NFL promotes with its brand. It goes against the grain of what its own players so often preach: that you don’t give up in the NFL. You don’t roll over. No matter the circumstances. Didn’t we just have this whole debate about Randy Moss(notes)? Why is it abominable that a player would coast late in an unwinnable game, but it’s totally fine that the Colts pull their starters in the third quarter of a game that absolutely could have been won? Don’t they both violate the same spirit – that this isn’t a league that tolerates a white-flag mentality?

If we criticize players for saving their bodies and taking plays off, then we should criticize teams that essentially do the same thing. A team doing it for strategic purposes should be no more acceptable than a player who does it for selfish reasons. Think of all the AFC teams that needed the Jets to lose on Sunday. How do you think they feel knowing that the Jets’ opponent basically rolled over? Think they might feel a little cheated?

Well, they should. We all should. Not because we won’t see a 16-0 season, but because whenever we think about why, we’ll remember the Colts throwing in the towel. And I bet someone like Peyton Manning will remember it that way, too.

 

[102 Pat]

Re: Yahoo:Colts throw in the towel on perfection

It's like a post Christmas gift to us Pats fans, for once another team other than us will be scrutinized all week in the media!

 

[ausbacker]

Re: Yahoo:Colts throw in the towel on perfection

Belichick was crucified in the Saints games for pulling the starters with 5 mins to go in the final quarter. Despite being in front, I hope Caldwell is given the same courtesy by the media.

 

[lostjumper]

Re: Yahoo:Colts throw in the towel on perfection

Wow, I think thats some excellent analysis. He's absolutely right. People criticize players for coasting down the stretch, but what about when teams do it?

 

[SoCalPatsfan90]

Re: Yahoo:Colts throw in the towel on perfection

But the colts do this every year they cinch everything up early. Think about it a couple years back, when the titans needed a win against indy to make the playoffs, and indy had already cinched it all up a week or 2 earlier... I don't know if they even played their starters that game, and I know that TEN got their win...

But this resting of the players serves only to rust them up for the playoffs... It's worked out that way, everytime in the playoffs, except for the weird year where they actually won a SB...

 

[SVN]

someone else asked king that if a bad team threw a game to get a higher draft pick then would they be treated the same? it was a great question

 

[JoeShmoe]

Gotta say I think this is a real smart move by the Colts. Caldwell impresses me as a HC way more thaDungy ever did

Now they have no pressue on the unbeaten season that (maybe) destroyed our SB chances back in 07- they just go out to win the in the Playoffs with the starters getting a good rest

 

[SVN]

Gotta say I think this is a real smart move by the Colts. Caldwell impresses me as a HC way more thaDungy ever did

Now they have no pressue on the unbeaten season that (maybe) destroyed our SB chances back in 07- they just go out to win the in the Playoffs with the starters getting a good rest

if you cant handle the pressure and dont want the pressure of something great then you shouldnt be playing IMO. If 16-0 is not a goal then why do starters care about their starting streaks? just rest them all.

 

[CMcCartney]

Yup, Peyton sure looks like he agrees with the coach on this one..

 

[Pat the Pats Fan]

This is ironically funny. The media crush on not pursuing perfection might be worse than actually pursuing it.

How the Geldings (that's a colt that has been castrated - No Nuts) respond will be interesting. At what point will they pull their starters in Buffalo?

 

[DisgruntledTunaFan]

Like I mentioned in another thread, the Eagles lost their starting center and the anchor of their OL, Jamaal Jackson last week.

Yeah, I know, the Eagles still have alot to play for(a win in Dallas next week and they'll clinch the #2 seed), but why should the Colts even bother playing their key starters when these games are meaningless? What if they lose Jeff Saturday, Dwight Freeney, Robert Mathis, Kelvin Hayden, Joseph Addai, etc?