Pursuit of the Bye (1st Seed)

[upstater1]

Chargers-Broncos: Denver has huge incentive to win, it's at home, Chargers have little to gain by winning and are resting their QB. Chargers definitely losing that one.

Jets-Bills: Neither team has a huge incentive to win, but the game is in Buffalo, the Jets are a far worse team, and they have an incentive to tank. Jets definitely losing that one.

Thus: LAC at NE in round 1. Go to ESPN playoff machine, enter your winners this weekend, and it spits out the WC matchups.

Yes, I agree.

BTW, I live in Buffalo, and it is a massive deal for the Bills to win the last game at Highmark.

It is being hyped up as something huge.

None of the radio stations are talking about the playoffs etc. Caller after caller is talking about weird, funny, memorable moments for them and their families at Highmark. That stadium has been in use since 1972 when the Bills left the Rockpile in the City of Buffalo. 53 years.

As an aside, the film the Natural with Robert Redford had all of its home baseball games filmed at the Rockpile, as hard as that is to believe. From Oj Simpson to Robert Redford, that place was iconic in Buffalo, and now they are tearing down the stadium that replaced it.

This kind of sentiment and nostalgia is why the Bills want to go out with a win.

 

[mgteich]

@ Denver in back to back weeks or @ New England.

ROFL
So, with an injured QB playing the top seed at altitude, it is the chargers who decide?
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The chargers need to prepare for the playoffs and give themselves the best chance of winning in the first round of the playoffs. It is all about the chargers having players more ready (and more rested and more nearly healthy). That is much more important that doing their best this weekend.

And, yes, the chargers will be and should be a long-shot against the patriots.

 

[Ring 6]

ROFL
So, with an injured QB playing the top seed at altitude, it is the chargers who decide?
========
The chargers need to prepare for the playoffs and give themselves the best chance of winning in the first round of the playoffs. It is all about the chargers having players more ready (and more rested and more nearly healthy). That is much more important that doing their best this weekend.

And, yes, the chargers will be and should be a long-shot against the patriots.

There is a well supported argument that playing to win in the final game with playoffs clinched is better for your team that getting spanked and having players goof off for a week.

 

[upstater1]

ROFL
So, with an injured QB playing the top seed at altitude, it is the chargers who decide?
========
The chargers need to prepare for the playoffs and give themselves the best chance of winning in the first round of the playoffs. It is all about the chargers having players more ready (and more rested and more nearly healthy). That is much more important that doing their best this weekend.

And, yes, the chargers will be and should be a long-shot against the patriots.

Yes, the Chargers decide whether they want to contest the game or not.

 

[mgteich]

Yes, the Chargers decide whether they want to contest the game or not.

yes, but they do NOT decide who they play in the playoffs.


Just, BTW, I have a different view than moist about what it means to "contest a game". I don't EVER believe in trying not to win a game. That is violation of league rules.

I believe that coaches and players on the field always should be trying to win. Yes, the team can choose to rest players, but the players on the field should be trying to score and win.
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So, management has decided to rest Herbert. The next step is to see who plays in the game. I'm not sure at all that the chargers have much chance to win no matter who they play.

In a sense, the same is true of BUF. Backups will beat the jets.

It is the patriots who have the choice with regard to how much they should play key players. If we are up 13-3 at the half, should our starters be playing the second half? My answer is "no". But I understand that others would want to be sure that we win. And for many, the half-time score in DEN and BUF is relevant.

 

[upstater1]

yes, but they do NOT decide who they play in the playoffs.


Just, BTW, I have a different view than moist about what it means to "contest a game". I don't EVER believe in trying not to win a game. That is violation of league rules.

I believe that coaches and players on the field always should be trying to win. Yes, the team can choose to rest players, but the players on the field should be trying to score and win.
===========
So, management has decided to rest Herbert. The next step is to see who plays in the game. I'm not sure at all that the chargers have much chance to win no matter who they play.

In a sense, the same is true of BUF. Backups will beat the jets.

It is the patriots who have the choice with regard to how much they should play key players. If we are up 13-3 at the half, should our starters be playing the second half? My answer is "no". But I understand that others would want to be sure that we win. And for many, the half-time score in DEN and BUF is relevant.

Aye yaye yaye.

For one, yes, it goes without saying an NFL game is not a foregone conclusion. The clear implication of what I wrote is that given the choice of playing Denver in Denver in back to back weeks or playing New England, the Chargers would choose to play at New England. Which means contesting the game is not in the books.

We know NFL coaches and owners want to sink games. We can tell from the Ross-Brian Flores conversation and the ashen pallor on the faces of Bob and Jonathan Kraft in week 18 of the last NFL season.

 

[QuantumMechanic]

It is the patriots who have the choice with regard to how much they should play key players. If we are up 13-3 at the half, should our starters be playing the second half? My answer is "no". But I understand that others would want to be sure that we win. And for many, the half-time score in DEN and BUF is relevant.

Depends what happens in earlier games. If JAX wins their game (at 1pm, IIRC) and NE loses, then NE drops to the #3 seed. So if JAX wins NE should not rest anyone unless it's a total blowout. I want the #2 seed so that NE is guaranteed at least 2 home games (assuming the win the first playoff game obviously).

 

[mgteich]

Depends what happens in earlier games. If JAX wins their game (at 1pm, IIRC) and NE loses, then NE drops to the #3 seed. So if JAX wins NE should not rest anyone unless it's a total blowout. I want the #2 seed so that NE is guaranteed at least 2 home games (assuming the win the first playoff game obviously).

well, JAX isn't losing to the titans.
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And so, if we lead by 24 at the half, would that be enough, or is that not enough?