Do we rest the starters next week?

[Buffalo_Stampede]

Some players probably sit. 

1 minute ago, ALF said:

Good game to experiment on offense to find something that works. 

That's what practice is for. They'll enter this week like the 3rd preseason game.

[peterpan]

McD doesn't strike me as a coach to rest everyone.  I think Yeldon will get action (did Gore get a single snap yesterday?). And I'm hoping Duke gets action too.  I expect that young DE we have to get more snaps, his name escapes me at the.moment.  

 

But overall I expect our starters to play

[Putin]

1 hour ago, ALF said:

Good game to experiment on offense to find something that works. 

Exactly this ^^^^ !!!

This should be like a 3rd preseason game 

GO BILLS !!!

Edited December 22, 2019 by Putin

[billsfan_34]

Play Josh for the first quarter and let him play, unshackled and see how he does. After that rest on the starters and give Barclay reps. Bring duke up also and sit Foster.

[JoshAllin]

bills have practiced vs enough bad teams, time to rest up and watch top teams film theyve played aagainst and gameplan for p/o's

Edited December 22, 2019 by motorj

[Doc]

Yes rest starters.  See what Yeldon, Sweeney and Duke can do. 

Edited December 22, 2019 by Doc

[freddyjj]

McDermott likely to do preseason reps.  1Q for starters then play the backups where possible.  Vanilla playbook

[Kmart128]

Well i never thought id imagine making this post. We are clinched into the 5 seed. Cant do better or worse... play the Jets week 17. So do we get our starters a rest and a bye week or do we try and win and carry momentum into the playoffs. Ive seen both options work in the past. Ideally Barkley leading us to a victory could be huge. Gives us confidence in our team as a whole and be able to get guys a week off.

 

Also do we even prepare for the Jets or start preparing for Houston?

Edited December 22, 2019 by Kmart128

[SoCal Deek]

Of course we do! Then Barkley lights it up against the Jets and McD decides to start him in Houston. Sound familiar?

[oldmanfan]

Absolutely

[Punching Bag]

You rest those who are dinged but make sure all get enough practice time to correct any issues.

 

The real question is do we let JEST win hurting their draft position and chances of keeping their head coach again?

[Keukasmallies]

Resting starters seems contrary to the one-game-at-a-time approach that has been in place all year.  Rest those who are dinged up, play the rest of the team selectively with the focus on winning the game.  Keep the groupings together, beat the Jets, and approach the first playoff game with momentum.

 

(Well, that, and the Jets deserve another ass-whoopin'.)

Edited December 22, 2019 by Keukasmallies

[Captain_Quint]

I think you treat it like preseason. Play the starters in the first half and mix in the backups. Play Josh for at least 3 or 4 series and let him throw a few times down the field. 

[Brianmoorman4jesus]

I can’t come up with a single reason to play anyone that matters. The game is completely meaningless. It’s just like a 4th preseason game. The only thing you can do, is get someone hurt. Do not put anyone important out there for even 1 snap. I don’t care if we lose to the jets 95-0. Just use the whole week to start game planning for Houston and KC. And get every player that matters an extra full week to get healthy and fresh. Do not play anyone even half of a quarter. It’s week 17. They have all played plenty. They do not need to play a quarter against a dirty Greg Williams team with nothing to lose. Be smart people.

[BeastMaster]

I definitely want to rest our starters on defense. They were just on the field slot.

 

I may actually lean towards keeping the starters out there on offense because they have work to do improvement wise.

[Watkins101]

1 hour ago, peterpan said:

McD doesn't strike me as a coach to rest everyone.  I think Yeldon will get action (did Gore get a single snap yesterday?). And I'm hoping Duke gets action too.  I expect that young DE we have to get more snaps, his name escapes me at the.moment.  

 

But overall I expect our starters to play

If I remember correctly, Gore was in when Dawkins caught the touchdown pass.

[die hard bills fan]

yes

 

[SoTier]

3 minutes ago, Keukasmallies said:

Resting starters seems contrary to the one-game-at-a-time approach that has been in place all year.  Rest those who are dinged up, play the rest of the team selectively with the focus on winning the game.  Keep the groupings together, beat the Jets, and approach the first playoff game with momentum.

 

(Well, that, and the Jets deserve another ass-whoopin'.)

 

Totally agree.  I think that resting starters just to rest them would undermine everything that McDermott and his staff have worked hard to instill into this team all season.  This is a very young team with virtually no playoff experience as a unit.  They need the continuity of mentally preparing and then playing to win a game, whether they're 10-5 or 5-10.  I have no problem with the Bills liberally interspersing backups into the lineup to give them game experience but I don't think the Bills should go into the game with the attitude being communicated to the players that the game is meaningless.

[Your Brown Eye]

I would play the starters and pull them is we have a big lead or down by a lot. I don't think going into the playoffs on a losing streak is the best approach for this team. I do think though, if a starter is dinged up and would be "questionable" or a game time decision, then sit them out, but if they are healthy, play them.

[Meatloaf63]

I rest Gore again, I send him to the Bahamas for the week, we need a second back option and he needs the energy he had the first part of the season. Same with Morris and any other dinged up player. I let Allen play the first half and let him throw it all over the place to get used to doing it. I put Duke out there and tell him to show me something.

[Mr. WEO]

45 minutes ago, Kmart128 said:

Well i never thought id imagine making this post. 

 

 

 

Because there are 3 others already merged into one about this?

[Sundancer]

1 hour ago, peterpan said:

I think Yeldon will get action (did Gore get a single snap yesterday?).

 

He was in the backfield for the Dawkins TD. Not sure if he played any other snaps. 

[hemma]

After the bye, we were down 14-9 to the Fins going into the 4th quarter and looked pretty sluggish.

I think you have to play non-nicked starters for at least the 1st half. 

 

I definitely don't want Allen 'resting'.  I want him learning & competing as much as possible, every week.

[JOE IN HAMPTON ROADS]

McDermott wont rest anyone unless we are blowing them out in the 4th.

[Patrick Duffy]

yes

[ProcessTruster]

Not sure.   Probably play it like a 3rd preseason game?   Be interesting to see what advice McD gets from all his confidants in the coaching ranks.   Did Carolina ever have this situation when he was there? 

[nucci]

Yes

[Jerome007]

39 minutes ago, JOE IN HAMPTON ROADS said:

McDermott wont rest anyone unless we are blowing them out in the 4th.

Why do so many people say that? In the pre-season, the starters didn't start more than the league average. He's never been in this position so I find it weird people assume what he'll do

[JOE IN HAMPTON ROADS]

7 minutes ago, Jerome007 said:

Why do so many people say that? In the pre-season, the starters didn't start more than the league average. He's never been in this position so I find it weird people assume what he'll do

Hopefully he saw how the bye week affected us.  For some reason we don't play well rested.  Our best game was the short week vs. Cowboys.

[skibum]

10 hours ago, NC Book said:

What if Barkley starts and throws for 300 yards and 4 Tds?

... With one shoe missing...

[Giuseppe Tognarelli]

Looks like Barkley's two starts for us will both be against the Jets. Let's hope this one goes like the last one! Hopefully Gase will give up like he did in the finale vs. Miami last year.

[MAJBobby]

The starters should go through the week just like they are starting, they start and then the key players get pulled after the second Drive.

 

Anyone with ANY Dings is inactive to start.

[Giuseppe Tognarelli]

Don't we potentially get a higher draft pick if we finish 10-6 and exit the playoffs at the same time as other teams with better records?

[NewEra]

Just a couple threads down you can find this

 

[chris heff]

As much as I hate the Patriots the Bills may be better off with yesterday’s loss. The likelihood of the Dolphins beating the Pats next week in Foxborough is remote. The Bills would still end up the five seed. Now the Jet game can be a bit like a buy.

[OldTimeAFLGuy]

1 hour ago, oldmanfan said:

Absolutely

 

...other than pride, no difference now at 11-5 vs 10-6........rest them for portion and/or all of the game.....many have said McD is the impediment to Daboll play calling......so take away McD's head set, handcuff and duct tape him, so we can unleash (??) Daboll.......let's see what he has or has NOT with no purported leash......sure would define the legitimacy of his resume' showing ANNUAL OC stops (except for Mangini in Cleveland) ...is he the real deal or not?...sure as hell need to know for 2020.....

 

[fansince88]

3 minutes ago, chris heff said:

As much as I hate the Patriots the Bills may be better off with yesterday’s loss. The likelihood of the Dolphins beating the Pats next week in Foxborough is remote. The Bills would still end up the five seed. Now the Jet game can be a bit like a buy.

I really think this went into the game plan. Looked vanilla to me.

[JoshAllin]

yup, treat week 17 as a first round bye

[boco357]

Smoke, Morse, Motor, Hughes, Tre, Hyde, Poyer all sit out or get few reps.

[Call_Of_Ktulu]

I think one of the main reasons that we are making the playoffs is because of our amazing injury report. We haven’t lost a key guy yet that would really create a huge hole. We need to rest our key players next week and go into the playoffs healthy.