(12-20-2017, 04:47 PM)FBT Wrote:

(12-20-2017, 02:22 PM)americus 2.0 Wrote: This is the same mentality people here have had that says in the last quarter of the season we lose games to get a better draft position. That's crap. You play to win- always. We haven't 'arrived' yet. The season isn't over and we fight until it is. Can you imagine the foolishness that would come from the masses if we rested guys and lost otherwise winnable games? This MB alone would be in a meltdown that would intimidate Chernobyl. 

And as someone else mentioned, can you imagine going into the playoffs with a two game losing streak? We can't give anyone any reason to rail on us for being less than what we are. We get enough of that as it is. We are as good as we are and people are still not taking us seriously, we can't give them any rope with which to hang us.

Sometimes playing to win means being smart with the guys you’re leaning on the most once the tournament begins.  Seeing a critical starter go down to injury in a meaningless game would be devastating for this team, and they are simply too good to risk that.

If everything is locked up before week 17 and your seeding isn’t changing, you give your key players a much deserved bye to nurse any ailments.

From the perspective of the team/organization who is looking toward success for the future  (the tournament), that is absolutely correct. They'll do what they think is smart and necessary to prepare their key players.

From the perspective of 30,000 - 60,000 fans who have paid alot of money for tickets/travel/etc to attend a week 17 NFL divisonal matchup,, IT REALLY STINKS. 
  
When there's no way to know if the game is going to be "meaningless" until a day or two ahead of time, it stinks to go to the game only to find that most of the key players aren't out there,, and you're watching 2nd and 3rd string players. What a bummer.

Play to win the games.

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