The theory of resting/playing your starters in a quasi-meaningless game.

[Just Jack]

7 hours ago, BisonMan said:

I'm trying to think of a recent Super Bowl champion that didn’t have a week off before their first playoff game. Anybody think the Chiefs will be “rusty” before their first playoff game?

 

I looked it up, I only went as far back as the 2000 season...

 

2012 Baltimore (Division champ)

2011 Giants (Division champ)

2010 Green Bay (Wild Card)

2007 Giants (Wild Card)

2006 Indianapolis (Division champ)

2005 Pittsburgh (Wild Card)

2000 Baltimore (Wild Card)

 

Interesting how you go several years without the winner playing three playoff games, then bam! Three years in a row where a Wildcard round team made it. 

[transplantbillsfan]

Rest your starters in a meaningless game.

 

Bills vs. Dolphins on Sunday isn't meaningless.  It just became more meaningful with the announcement that fans would be allowed in the stands for playoff games.

 

McDermott should ask one of his assistants to scoreboard watch the Steelers vs. Browns and once it's clear the Browns will win, pull Josh & co.  But they need to start the game.

[ColoradoBills]

5 minutes ago, transplantbillsfan said:

Rest your starters in a meaningless game.

 

Bills vs. Dolphins on Sunday isn't meaningless.  It just became more meaningful with the announcement that fans would be allowed in the stands for playoff games.

 

McDermott should ask one of his assistants to scoreboard watch the Steelers vs. Browns and once it's clear the Browns will win, pull Josh & co.  But they need to start the game.

 

If I was still a betting man this seems to me the compromise that McDermott will choose.

[Paulus]

Start them for a drive or two, to keep em' fresh for the playoffs.

[Pokebball]

Chiefs are sitting Mahomes on Sunday

[ColoradoBills]

3 minutes ago, Pokebball said:

Chiefs are sitting Mahomes on Sunday

 

That really is not the point.

If under last years scenario (2 teams with a bye) would they sit Mahomes if they and the other team had the byes locked up BUT the

#1 seed was up in the air?

[Thurman#1]

Rest 'em. Maybe a series or two, but basically, rest 'em.

 

As for rhythm, were they out of rhythm after the bye?

[transplantbillsfan]

2 hours ago, Pokebball said:

Chiefs are sitting Mahomes on Sunday

 

That's because it's a meaningless game, obviously.

 

They have the bye locked up.

1 hour ago, Thurman#1 said:

Rest 'em. Maybe a series or two, but basically, rest 'em.

 

As for rhythm, were they out of rhythm after the bye?

 

Homefield matters. Especially in the age of Covid and even more so now that Buffalo is allowing up to 6700 fans in the stadium for playoff games.

 

You rest them only if Cleveland is obviously winning against Pittsburgh.

 

And I don't know if anyone has been paying attention to Cleveland right now, but they're a Covid mess. They legitimately might lose to Mason Rudolph.

[GunnerBill]

I would sit Josh, Stef and Tre White. They are this team's three elite difference makers. I'd likely pull Edmunds, Dawkins, Poyer and Williams early too. 

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

17 hours ago, BuffBillsForLife said:

If you rest starters, they do get slightly rusty.  But you also don't expose starters to injury in a meaningless game and give people more time to get healthy.  I support resting starters.

 

If there was a 1st round bye? I might say play them a bit. But we might play on Saturday.  It's no different than a bye week to take 1 week off.

[Ramza86]

I mean Beasley is week to week because of a dog ***** throw by Barkley

[SirAndrew]

Just now, Ramza86 said:

I mean Beasley is week to week because of a dog ***** throw by Barkley

Agree. This is why I’m not a fan of leaving starters on the field with backups by choice. McD should be coach of the year, so I don’t even like to criticize, but it reminded me of the Jets game cluster last season where Josh played like two series without other starters. It seemed like something that had bad potential. 

[NoSaint]

18 hours ago, njbuff said:

This is a topic that deserves its own thread as many of us have debated on what McDermott should do with his starters in the final week of the season.

 

Actually, we all have strong opinions on this matter.

 

I am in the camp of just playing your starters and pull some out of the game as the game progresses.

 

What is your take?

I think, much like practicing during bye weeks, it depends on your group. 
 

behind the scenes I’m not sure how beat up they are or how much they are creatures of habit. You hear about a guy like free brews going out and simulating a game routine on bye week sundays - getting up, going to the stadium, and essentially running plays in the cadence of a game for a few hours... 

 

not sure we as fans will have this answer 

[bmur66]

Play to win. Quickly sink the fangs into the neck until they stop moving. Then put in the backups

[aristocrat]

Play the starters and win the game 

[Giuseppe Tognarelli]

 

[mjt328]

Were our players "rusty" after the bye week?  Nope.  In fact, I would argue the offense has been rolling since Week 9 (after Josh Allen removed the shoulder harness) and the defense has gotten back on track since taking that week off.

 

The players will be practicing together all week, and we are really only talking about 6-7 extra days of rest time.  I can't see them suddenly losing their edge in that small amount of time.  Historically, I think the teams who occasionally fall in that trap are those who take Week 17 off AND have the extra bye for the playoffs.  It may be something to watch with Kansas City, who hasn't been playing it's best to start with.

 

My guess is that Sean McDermott is going to play his starters, hope to get an early lead, and then possibly start removing key guys as the game moves along.  Much of that may depend on how we are playing, and what the score looks like with Pittsburgh/Cleveland.  

 

 

[zow2]

7 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

I would sit Josh, Stef and Tre White. They are this team's three elite difference makers. I'd likely pull Edmunds, Dawkins, Poyer and Williams early too. 

 

Exactly.  It makes zero sense to play the critical, unreplaceable players "a series or two" to keep the rust off.  You sit them.  Why would you risk some lineman accidently rolling up on Josh Allen's lower leg after he releases a pass?  Why would you risk Tre White tweaking his knee or ankle while slipping on a wet field?

Don't be dumb McDermott.  Sit those guys. 

 

The rust thing is stupid, they play next weekend.  IF they look "rusty" it's likely because the Bills are playing an actual good team that has a plan...and we will need a scheme to overcome it.

 

[TroutDog]

Given McD’s history trusting Andy Reed’s process, I suspect he will at least lean that direction.

[TroutDog]

They’re talking about this in GMFB this morning. Going back to 2010, there has been one QB who was rested who went to the SB. All others were knocked out. Interesting stat. 
 

They also discussed practice injuries. If you’re going to rest them for the game, doesn’t it make sense to also not have them practice? They settled on play them and it was interesting dialogue. Don’t play scared was the consensus.