Will BBs philosophy change this year if the team clinches #1 seed this week?

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Last year the Pats knew by the beginning of the last regular season game of 2009,that they were going to be the # 4 seed and would play the next week at home in the wild card game.

BB wanted to keep those guys ready to play and not to take a week off and unfortunately the starters played in a meaningless game in Houston and ended Welker's season prematurely.

Now if the Pats clinch #1 seed this week and knowingly know they will automatically have a week off instead of playing the next weekend, will BB have a different plan and keep most of the starters out this time? or will he still use the same game plan as last season's regular game finale?

 

[sbpatfan]

I imagine they'd give guys like Wilfork, Warren, Branch, Welker, and Brady the start but eventually rest them.

Put the game on the shoulders of guys like Hoyer, Mayo, Chung, etc. See how they respond.

 

[DarrylS]

This comes up all the time, first of all.. tough to get Brady out of a game, he wants to play.. and secondly it sounds nice, but do not have a big enough roster to rest everyone that could benefit...

Do not see BB changing all that much, it is also about momentum and keeping an edge...

 

[RobertWeathers]

I see nothing to be gained by playing Brady or anyone else who is nursing in injury to play in that game.

I understand his philosophy and such, but I completely disagree with it.

 

[PatsFan24]

With it being a home game I hope they win it, but then again they might have something to play for. Who knows they could lose to the bills.





I don't like to get over confident.

 

[convertedpatsfan]

I think you play your guys. If they're nursing injuries, then obviously not those guys. But if they're starters or valuable contributors, they should play at least a half and you should keep trying to win the game.

What happened to Welker is obviously exhibit A in what could go wrong. It's also the worst-case scenario. But I think the benefits outweigh those risks. It's hard to quantify this type of thing since each year changes, but if we look at one team that regularly rests their starters to the point of giving up on a perfect season, we can measure this a bit more consistently.

For 5 of the past 6 seasons, the Colts have started Manning for a series or two and then pulled everyone in the last week of the season. The only year they didn't was 2006 when they were trying to win the game for home-field in the event they met up with the Patriots (which they did). No surprise, that was the only year they won the Super Bowl.

In 3 of the 5 seasons they rested the last week, they lost their first play-off game, despite hosting 2 of them. In one other, they won 1 game before losing to the Patriots. The other game was last season when they went all the way to the Super Bowl, but that was also a bit unusual in that they rested almost a full month by waving the white flag two weeks early instead of one.

On the other hand, Brady hasn't rested much in that last week during his career. The only time he really got a chance to rest was 2005, when he threw just 8 passes against Miami before being removed from the game. We beat Jacksonville in the wild card before losing to Denver.

In his 8 seasons, he played most of the game to try and win 7 times, and his record in those games is 6-1. Last year was his first loss in the last week of the season when he played the majority of the game. Coincidentally, it was also the first time in his career he was one-and-done. That had more to do with Welker's loss though.

And as much as I hate to bring up the 2007 Giants, give credit to them for playing hard in week 17 when that game meant nothing to them, and they lost a few guys to injury. But it gave that team confidence going into the post-season. People forget how streaky that team was. They lost their first 2 games, won 6 in a row, then went 4-4 down the stretch, alternating between wins and losses (L,W,L,W,W,L,W,L). They were a team filled with questions, but that last week seemed to bring them together for their play-off run.

Losing Welker really sucked. But a lot of signs point to playing to win that last week.

 

[ahmed]

Anyone that's healthy should play. With a bye week, you don't need to rest week 17.

 

[Froob]

Giving wilfork some rest if that d-line is healthy would be a good idea.

 

[Triumph]

No, BBs philosophy wont change.

The Starters will start like always (unless they are really banged up or sick) and gradually come out of the game. One of my fondest memories is Bruschi cheering Izzo on when he was playing MLB to preserve a shutout.

IIRC, that game was vs Miami or Buffalo.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

No, BBs philosophy wont change.

The Starters will start like always (unless they are really banged up or sick) and gradually come out of the game. One of my fondest memories is Bruschi cheering Izzo on when he was playing MLB to preserve a shutout.

IIRC, that game was vs Miami or Buffalo.

It was Buffalo as we ended the season winning 31-0, a reversal of the opening day rout @ Buffalo. Izzo made a score saving pick in the EZ.

 

[N.Eman]

I imagine they'd give guys like Wilfork, Warren, Branch, Welker, and Brady the start but eventually rest them.

Put the game on the shoulders of guys like Hoyer, Mayo, Chung, etc. See how they respond.

I agree, its preseason again after this week!

 

[tatepatsfan]

I have been to games at the end of the season where we had already locked up the #1 seed. The starters played, but only for a half at best. I recall specifically a game against Miami a few years back where Cassel came in and led us down the field at the end of the game for a TD, but we went for 2 to win and missed. I think that might have been the game Flutie nailed the dropkick.

Point is, I think if we beat Buffalo this weekend, the top guys start but don't play more than a half.

 

[Pessimistic Pete]

Dolphins are ranked 31st in the NFL for PPG, their offense is trash.

If we can have a lead at the half, we'll be in good position to win, backups or not.

I'd like to see the second half be focused on Hoyer, Taylor and Tate.

 

[GostkowSKI]

I'd imagine they'd play well into the 2nd half, if I recall correctly they had meaningless games in 2003, 2004 and 2007 when the first round bye was already locked up and they played all out.

My guess is that BB doesn't like the idea the starters going from Week 16 until the 2nd round of the playoffs without playing a full game.

 

[jaychamp]

Keep (healthy)players sharp and don't worry about fluke Welker like injuries. I think it's even more important with a young team to do that. Unless you're playing a dirty team like the Titans.

 

[Betterthanmost]

I am not sure he really has this philosophy. I think this perception is just the effect of what he does.
I think at every moment he and his group decides what is best for the team. If he thinks resting guys for that game is best for the team he will do that.
Have these young players on both sides of the team learned to close out games? Not to take any games lightly? etc.... It is answers to questions like this that will determine what he will do in that last game

 

[NovaScotiaPatsFan]

Yeah, last game is @ home so we don't have to worry about the crappy Texans' turf.

 

[patsfan13]

Rest anyone who is banged up to have them ready for the playoffs.

I don't think BB wants the team taking off the last week AND getting the bye week 3 weeks between games is too much to keep your edge. Young team keep the momentum going.

 

[Kontradiction]

I think we should be resting Pryor, Wright, Cunningham, Hernandez, Branch, and anybody else who is dinged up from the get-go in the Dolphins game. Unlike last season, where we were going to be playing again the week after, I would start Brady, Welker, Gronk, and the like for the first half of the Dolphins game just so they're no completely rusty on a week's rest and then take them out of the game in the second half and let the back-ups have at it.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Since "Probable, Ankle" on a BB injury report can mean anything from dry skin to a compound fracture, we have no idea what the real health status of any Patriot is until he either starts a game or goes on IR. So, it's hard to say.

It's my recollection that in the SB years he played Brady and other key guys for about a half, so I don't see why he'd change that this year, unless of course those folks could benefit from a full two-week rest, which, as above, we won't know until game time.

So, to answer the question, "No, I don't think his philosophy will change," but we will still have no idea who will or won't play until the last minute.