If there are no meaningless games, you need to:
1.) Explain that to upstater1.
2.) Explain the absence of Faulk, Bodden, Wilfork, Warren and Maroney, and the decision to play musical chairs with the offensive line.
3.) Explain Cassel playing against Miami a few years back.
Nitpicking semantics is your gig, not mine. It's one of the reasons you're so popular not just here but at the Planet where at least they've seemingly learned to just ignore you...
Winning or losing a game can be meaningless in context, like when nothing but seeding which may be preordained is at stake, while the way starters execute in any game is never meaningless. Let alone heading into the playoffs facing a road path when you've struggled on the road all season...
Kinda like what transpires in preseason when your trying to determine what you have.
Faulk and Maroney were likely out because Belichick needed to know if Taylor and Morris give him reason to start or rely on them. You know Taylor needed the work and Maroney has performed better than Morris so Bill needed to figure out who his go to guys would be. Wilfork and Warren are injured to the extent they only play must win games, if that. This week wasn't that. Bodden has been the #1 CB all season and he may have needed a rest or Bill may have wanted to give the youngsters one more shot to show him they're ready to step up and fill a role in that secondary if needed. We saw that's a mixed bag, particularly with Butler who shows more talent than Wilhite but still makes rookie mistakes like not turning for the ball...
The offense was expected to carry a transitioning defense this season. Hasn't happened. Looked like they finally made some progress on that front last week, Moss was engaged. I believe (because it makes common sense which is my forte) that Bill wanted to see them build on that. Realize as a unit they have to be engaged every week... Subbing Edleman as the #2 would have changed the makeup of the unit since while he resembles Wes as an effort player he is not in Wes league nor on a par with him in reading coverages and making route adjustments. Don't want Brady practicing with a go to guy whose reads and timing are quite different. That also would have made Aiken the #3 instead of Edleman...
Cassel against Miami was another team, one Brady had played multiple successive seasons with. Still, Brady started the game as did his starting WR's. Inconsistent offensive execution wasn't a nagging season long issue for that team, a decimated defense was. Although Brady played two series in that game throwing a pick to end the first series and a TD to Branch to end the second. Cassel took over on the first series in the second quarter... If I recall Branch went in later to attempt to get to 1000 yards although he failed to. We found out Brady was playing thru nagging injuries that season too. Most starting QB's do or they don't hold the job long. In fact most starting players play thru injuries throughout seasons or they don't start long, either.
But I know I'm wasting keystrokes attempting to explain any of this to you because you determined you were right and Bill is wrong some time ago...when Seymour was traded I believe...
