Thoughts on the Rams Resting Key Players?

[lancerman]

Just now, jrry32 said:

Why wouldn't we rest starters? We have nothing to gain this week. Giving our best players a week off might allow them to get healthier and avoid that much more fatigue.

There's a theory that resting starters can lead to team's coming out cold in the playoffs and being susceptible to an early exit.

[El Ramster]

Just now, lancerman said:

There's a theory that resting starters can lead to team's coming out cold in the playoffs and being susceptible to an early exit.

Lies.. But i'm curios.. Has BB always played his starters to end the season?

Or just halfs? That 2007 final game vs NY came back to bite them as it gave NY the confidence to hang in there with the big boys.

[vikingsrule]

3 minutes ago, jrry32 said:

Why wouldn't we rest starters? We have nothing to gain this week. Giving our best players a week off might allow them to get healthier and avoid that much more fatigue.

I agree with this strategy. I don't buy for a second that the Rams are intentionally trying to lose to avoid a certain matchup.

[jrry32]

Just now, vikingsrule said:

I agree with this strategy. I don't buy for a second that the Rams are intentionally trying to lose to avoid a certain matchup.

If we get an easier second round game, it's just cake. There's no reason to risk the health of our key players. Some of them are already beat up.

[stl4life07]

Rams resting players has everything to do with health. Barron, Tree, Barwin, and Quinn all have been dealing with injuries throughout the year. If you rest them it only make sense to rest Donald or else you will have your starting 3 DL guys but none of your starting LB guys. Ok so Whitworth did get dinged up 3 weeks ago against Philly and Sullivan has been banged up a lot this season. Both guys are well over 30yrs old. If you rest them it only will make sense to rest Goff because he won’t have the great protection. If you rest Goff then you will rest Gurley as the ripple effect. It’s common sense. I don’t see the issue. McVay knows what he is doing in managing his players. It’s not like the Rams can get a 1 or 2 seed. They are locked into the 3 or 4 seed so what is truly the benefit? The a Rams are 8-1 on the road (if you count the London game), the Rams already played Philly, Minnesota, and New Orleans so playing them again no matter where isn’t all that big of a deal. So it’s not like the Rams HAVE TO HAVE the 3 seed. The Rams are road warriors. They are scoring the most points per game on the road and Goff has like 18tds to 2ints on the road. Rest and staying healthy is way more important for the Rams than trying to keep the 3 seed.

[TecmoSuperJoe]

4 hours ago, J-ALL-DAY said:

Exactly. To say it doesn't matter who you face is laughable. You want to increase your chances of getting to the Super Bowl as much as possible. If you could avoid a tough match up for your particular team, you do that. Now, maybe the Rams don't view the Panthers/Saints any different than the Seahawks/Falcons so they don't care who they face. Personally, I certainly would.

Don't think I'd want the kind of blood on my hands as a champion that says I was so scared of an opponent on the path to the Super Bowl that I did everything within my power to avoid them, essentially ducking the fight. 

[vikingsrule]

Just now, jrry32 said:

If we get an easier second round game, it's just cake. There's no reason to risk the health of our key players. Some of them are already beat up.

Is there really an "easier" game at this stage? I get that Philly looks like an easy win due to Foles, however, they've still got a defense to worry about that could pose a problem for the Rams offense. Injury risk will certainly be relevant. 

[jrry32]

1 minute ago, PapaShogun said:

Don't think I'd want the kind of blood on my hands as a champion that says I was so scared of an opponent on the path to the Super Bowl that I did everything within my power to avoid them, essentially ducking the fight. 

Who cares? You're a champion. There are teams that don't match up well with each other. If someone else does the dirty work for you, that's even better.

[jrry32]

Just now, vikingsrule said:

Is there really an "easier" game at this stage? I get that Philly looks like an easy win due to Foles, however, they've still got a defense to worry about that could pose a problem for the Rams offense. Injury risk will certainly be relevant. 

Yes. The Philly game is definitely easier for us. They're certainly not a bad team, but we match up better to them.

[TecmoSuperJoe]

4 minutes ago, jrry32 said:

Who cares? You're a champion. There are teams that don't match up well with each other. If someone else does the dirty work for you, that's even better.

If someone else does the dirty work that's fine. That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about being concerned about things you basically have no control over. 

Sure some teams don't match up well with others. If you can't beat a certain team in your path, regardless of who it is, then you don't deserve to be champion. That's how I've always seen it. 

I would like to think that NFL players aren't scared of playing any other opponent in the playoffs. Regardless where it is at. 

[JaguarCrazy2832]

If they have a home game locked up I’d play it safe

[jrry32]

Just now, PapaShogun said:

If someone else does the dirty work that's fine. That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about being concerned about things you basically have no control over. 

Sure some teams don't match up well with others. If you can't beat a certain team in your path, regardless of who it is, then you don't deserve to be champion. That's how I've always seen it. 

If you're in the playoffs with your starting QB, you CAN beat any team in the playoffs. However, you may not do so. There's nothing wrong with employing strategy. That all said, I don't think that's the motivation here.

[lancerman]

Just now, El ramster said:

Lies.. But i'm curios.. Has BB always played his starters to end the season?

Or just halfs? That 2007 final game vs NY came back to bite them as it gave NY the confidence to hang in there with the big boys.

He does sometimes but not usually. The one time I remember off the top of my head was 05 and 06 and it was the first two years of playoff losses in the Belichick era. Of the Super Bowl years I'm pretty sure they didn't rest starters in 01, 03, 04. In 2014 they played the starters for half of the game. And in 2016 they didn't. They also as you pointed out didn't rest starters in 2007 and 2011 when they also went to the Super Bowl.

Disagree on he 07 point. The Giants were just a bad match up regardless and had a very real chance of winning that game either way. Also so losing a narrow game at home against the Patriots gave them confidence but being the only team to have a win over one of the greatest teams of all time wouldn't?

[El Ramster]

4 minutes ago, lancerman said:

He does sometimes but not usually. The one time I remember off the top of my head was 05 and 06 and it was the first two years of playoff losses in the Belichick era. Of the Super Bowl years I'm pretty sure they didn't rest starters in 01, 03, 04. In 2014 they played the starters for half of the game. And in 2016 they didn't. They also as you pointed out didn't rest starters in 2007 and 2011 when they also went to the Super Bowl.

Disagree on he 07 point. The Giants were just a bad match up regardless and had a very real chance of winning that game either way. Also so losing a narrow game at home against the Patriots gave them confidence but being the only team to have a win over one of the greatest teams of all time wouldn't?

Awww I forgot the Pats were undefeated in 2007.. Leading to that so no way around it i suppose.. But Mcvay is trying to instill this ME not WE culture in the team.

So individual accomplishments mean nothing compared to team goals.. Donald could rack up more sacks.. Gurley could rack up more TD's and Yards.

And Goff could have finished a great season with 4k yards and 30+TD's.. All things that could have made a magical season that much better.. This is deff a we not me type thing to do.

Not a dodge Min and go the easy route.. There are no easy games in the NFL unless it's the Browns. 

[El Ramster]

18 minutes ago, PapaShogun said:

Don't think I'd want the kind of blood on my hands as a champion that says I was so scared of an opponent on the path to the Super Bowl that I did everything within my power to avoid them, essentially ducking the fight. 

Do you think there's an asterisk in Houstons chip run because Jordan was retired? 

No one cares lol.