Resting Starters???

[roasthawg]

Any info you have on which teams are or are not likely to rest their starters in this final week of the regular season would be a big help. Thanks in advance.

[CBBPhenom]

I think pitt is...Go Browns

[slacker00]

I was thinking about the Indy versus Tenn game. Dungy likes to rest people in meaningless games, look at last year's matchup against the Titans, basically anyone with a bruise sat. Fischer will also rest guys like Haynesworth & VandenBosch, but look what they did last week resting those two! Not to mention if they rest Kerry Collins for Vince Young, I like the Vince Young versis Jim Sorgi matchup. Titans -3 is a steal if I ever saw one.

[roasthawg]

So Pitt and Indy will be resting starters and maybe Tenn...any others??

[guru-t]

Take the Rams!Atlanta will most definitely be resting Ryan and Turner!

[SBR Lou]

I was thinking about the Indy versus Tenn game. Dungy likes to rest people in meaningless games, look at last year's matchup against the Titans, basically anyone with a bruise sat. Fischer will also rest guys like Haynesworth & VandenBosch, but look what they did last week resting those two! Not to mention if they rest Kerry Collins for Vince Young, I like the Vince Young versis Jim Sorgi matchup. Titans -3 is a steal if I ever saw one.

If we are talking strictly QB play, I might be inclined to roll the dice with Sorgi at home. This is the guys only chance to get a snap other than preseason, Young isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer either.

[LT Profits]

Why would Atlanta rest Ryan and Turner if they can still win the division and get a #2 seed? It is not a guarantee that Carolina will win at New Orleans.

[guru-t]

Why would Atlanta rest Ryan and Turner if they can still win the division and get a #2 seed? It is not a guarantee that Carolina will win at New Orleans.

Damn!!!!Thought they had the division sewed up.My bad.

[VegasDave]

Shouldn't the Giants be resting people? Home field throughout clinched... they are pretty beat up. Why should Jacobs touch a football Sunday?

[LT Profits]

Shouldn't the Giants be resting people? Home field throughout clinched... they are pretty beat up. Why should Jacobs touch a football Sunday?

No they won't, they will play their regulars with a bye week next week. That is Coughlin's style, he prefers to keep the regulars sharp.

[LT Profits]

"You have to be playing your best football at this time of year," Coughlin said in a Monday press conference. "Particularly when you’re not going to play for a couple of weeks."

[VegasDave]

But as bruised up as Jacobs is, you really think he'll have a ton of carries Sunday?

I understand playing Manning, but if Jacobs gets 15+ carries, thats boneheaded in my opinion.

[Sinister Cat]

From past experience, I wouldn't trust what coaches say about resting starters or not. If you believed what Gruden said at the end of last season you would have got burned.

[l7ustin]

They played everyone and had a lot of injuries against New England last year in the final game. They didnt need to play that game. They could have benched everyone they were already in playoffs. I think Jacobs will play as if it were a regular game. They want to beat the Vikings they might have to play them again in a couple weeks

[slacker00]

If we are talking strictly QB play, I might be inclined to roll the dice with Sorgi at home. This is the guys only chance to get a snap other than preseason, Young isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer either.

Vince Young versus Jim Sorgi? I'll take Vince Young all day. Sure, Vince Young had the high profile off-the-field psychological meltdown earlier this season, but he's had months to sit on the bench and think about his career. Similar to how Tavaris Jackson came in week 15 and lit it up, I can see the same thing from Vince Young. Plus, if Vince's agent is in his ear at all whatsoever, he's whispering to Vince that this will be the performance that will stick in everyone's mind for months, since Collins will likely finish out the Titan's playoff run this season. Besides, Vince Young has had a reasonable track record of winning even if the stats and headlines aren't in his favor. Vince is a gamer and will really be up for this game, if for no other reason than to silence the haters through the offseason. Jim Sorgi is a career backup and everyone including he knows it. Vince is franchise QB and a winner.

[cheesehead004]

VegasDave, sure that's the logical approach to the Jacobs situation, but all you gotta do is remember who the coach is and remember what happened last year. The Giants basically won a Super Bowl last year because they got hot towards the end of the season, and on their last game, they got as close to a "moral" victory as possible against NE, propelling them to history.

Considering all that, my money's on Coughlin starting all his non-injured players like it were any other game. Now, he may certainly come out of nowhere and do something stupid like resting his starters, but at this point, there's no reason to think he would. My best guess would be that Jacobs gets just enough carries as to be effective enough to in turn let Ward feed off of that, and the Giants will be the Giants. Not to mention no Pat Williams for MIN, so the running game for NYG will be all the more effective. There's certainly no reason to believe the Vikings will do anything through the air against the G Men, and will rely heavily on Peterson. I'm all over NYG +7 for this game.

[LT Profits]

This is just one man's opinion from another site, but its sounds right on to me:

"Jacobs will definitely receive some touches, but I have to believe Derrick Ward will get the bulk of the workload. After all, Ward needs 52 rushing yards to reach 1,000 for the season. If that happens, the Giants will have the fourth running back tandem in NFL history to eclipse the 1,000-yard plateau.

Two weeks ago, a 52-yard performance would have been questionable against the Vikings, who rank second versus the rush. But Pat Williams is out, which makes Minnesota less effective versus opposing ground attacks. Michael Turner gained 70 yards on just 19 carries against them last week.

With an effective rushing attack by his side, Eli Manning will torch a secondary ranked 21st versus the pass."

[Bread]

I wish Jim Sorgi could play every game of the year. He is a fountain of ineptitude.

[RageWizard]

I don't know about resting starters, but 1 game where they will be just resting is the Seattle at Arizona game.

Arizona has been resting since they locked up the West division, and Seattle had their swan song for Holmgren last week when they beat up on New York. Watch for both teams to play the cheerleaders in a very special season final.

[LT Profits]

I disagree, I think Arizona HAS to play their starters because they have been so damn awful, they have to find some kind of a rhythm.

[VegasDave]

I disagree, I think Arizona HAS to play their starters because they have been so damn awful, they have to find some kind of a rhythm.

Agreed.

[dcbt]

This discussion is exactly why I stay away from betting in week 17 - just too many unknowns...

[slacker00]

This discussion is exactly why I stay away from betting in week 17 - just too many unknowns...

Every part of the NFL season has it's own unique quirks. Week 16&17 certainly are unique because many teams will have been eliminated from playoff contention and some playoff teams might have nothing to gain in playoff seeding (Cardinals). Then there are the teams that are battling tooth & nail just to get into the tournament. There's still money to be won, but there are new & unique factors to consider late in the NFL season.

[Husker36]

Shouldn't the Giants be resting people? Home field throughout clinched... they are pretty beat up. Why should Jacobs touch a football Sunday?

I think the Giants WILL rest some starters. I keep hearing how Coughlin doesn't like to rest his starters but what is that based on? Last year they needed the win their final game. This game means NOTHING. Coughlin has been asked several times whether or not he will rest his starters and his answer is he will be checking with the medical people and do what is best for the team. I will be suprised if Manning plays in the 2nd half.

[Husker36]

I disagree, I think Arizona HAS to play their starters because they have been so damn awful, they have to find some kind of a rhythm.

I agree as well. Arizona got thumped at home against Min and then again on the road in NE. I think Arizona will want to give it's fans something to cheer about and Arizona will want to get back to it's winning ways before the playoffs start.

[Husker36]

Looks like Pitts will be resting their starters too. Nothing to play for here. Seeing how Pitt won 6-10 the first time these 2 teams met I'm liking Clev +10.5. The under looks good too.

[rm18]

I think the Giants WILL rest some starters. I keep hearing how Coughlin doesn't like to rest his starters but what is that based on? Last year they needed the win their final game. This game means NOTHING. Coughlin has been asked several times whether or not he will rest his starters and his answer is he will be checking with the medical people and do what is best for the team. I will be suprised if Manning plays in the 2nd half.

that game had no meaning for the Giants they were locked into the last wildcard slot. I do not get this line I think if you buy to 7.5 the Giants can cover over 80% of the time.