Big Win Baby!!!!!!

[Pappy13]

Well the question to me is which team would BB prefer to meet in the playoffs should it come to that, the Jets or the Dolphins?  Personally I think it would be the Dolphins because even though the Jets aren't playing well right now, I still think I would worry that defense could throw up a monster game and Sanchez could get hot and make for a tough game.  I still think the Jets defense is better than Miami's and Sanchez is more likely to have a big game than Henne.

And he doesn't necessarily have to throw the game.  If BB were to simply design a very simplistic game plan for Miami, he wouldn't be giving anything away in case there was a possible matchup in the postseason with them.  He wouldn't be giving his next opponent in the playoffs much to look at either.  It's not a bad idea even if it didn't have any playoff ramifications.

And the #1 reason to do it for me is still to keep Tom Brady off the field.  Play him a quarter or a half and then sit him down to get ready for the playoffs.  No sense in taking any chances with him getting hurt.  I would do that regardless.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Well the question to me is which team would BB prefer to meet in the playoffs should it come to that, the Jets or the Dolphins? 

For BB I think the question comes down to rest or rust.   Resting Brady in 2005 didn't get him a SB.  Resting Peyton never won the Colts a SB.  (The Colts one SB win came when they need to win week 17)  The Giants in 2007 (who were locked in the #5 seed and could not go up or down) didn't rest week 17. 

Has any team ever rested there way to the SB?  I am serious: has any team ever lost on purpose/rested week 17 and then won the SB?

[Pappy13]

I am serious: has any team ever lost on purpose/rested week 17 and then won the SB?

The corollary to that question would also be interesting.  Has anyone ever lost a star player to injury in a meaningless game in the last game of a season that potentially cost them a SB?  I can't think of any off the top of my head, but perhaps someone else can come up with one.

It's not really an issue of rest/rust for me since they're only going to do it if they are going to be sitting at home for wild-card weekend anyway.  Rest shouldn't be an issue.  Rust might be, but again you're still sitting for a week, rust could be an issue anyway.  For me it's all about the injury thing.  Do you want your star players in a meaningless game?  I don't.  The risk is greater than the reward.

[MikeO]

For BB I think the question comes down to rest or rust.   Resting Brady in 2005 didn't get him a SB.  Resting Peyton never won the Colts a SB.  (The Colts one SB win came when they need to win week 17)  The Giants in 2007 (who were locked in the #5 seed and could not go up or down) didn't rest week 17. 

Has any team ever rested there way to the SB?  I am serious: has any team ever lost on purpose/rested week 17 and then won the SB?

Arizona almost did. They were one long drive and Santonio Holmes tippy-toes away from taking the final month of the regular season off and almost winning it all. So it can be done

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

I don't think there were any actual Dolphin fans in the bar I was in.  But once the Pats-Bears game was over (half time) we (me and 3 other Pats fans) spent less and less time focusing our attention on the Pats game and more and more of our time on the Dolphins - Jets game. (which was on the largest screen and had the audio).  As one table of  Jets fans left one sourly said to us as they passed by, "well, enjoy your 7-6 record you still aren't going to the playoffs"  Oblivious of the fact that nobody was actually a Dolphin fan and two people were wearing Patriots hats and were were just rooting against the Jets.  We had a great laugh at her expense as she left.  

Update on Miss Einstein.  Tonight she was confused why a Dolphins fan would be rooting for the Patriots over the Packers.