Season ending (December) schedule......

[lewpac]

I've listened to the two different schools of thought about the home stretch for playoff contenders:
1. It's better to have clinched early, play a soft schedule and rest your boys for the playoffs.
Or.........
2. It's better to be like Dallas and have to play balls-out against tough teams to get in, so as to stay sharp and hungry and aggressive going into the playoffs.

I'm biased of course. I think that this December schedule is just what the Doctor ordered. To win, hone the skills, tighten up, get sharp and prepared against no easy team. So I'm going with option #2. Look at the Titans and the Giants right now. Like so many times in the past, if you lock up your spot too early, you kinda' go easy in December and limp into the playoffs, first round bye or not.

We, of course, don't have a choice. But, any thoughts...........????

 

[Vintage]

I like the test.

We have to beat quality opponents to make the playoffs.

And if we don't, we miss the playoffs. And if we can't beat them, we really didn't deserve to be there anyway.

 

[Monster Heel]

It's better to have to fight your way in.

After these last few years of the NFL in general it should be abundantly clear that teams can get to a point where they can't play any better. At that point they tend to start regressing. The teams that fight their in have to stay sharp, keep playing good football and more than likely improve to get in. All the while the team that's run roughshod over the league in the early to mid season is probably turning into an overweight bully waiting to get punched in the mouth.

 

[Joe Realist]

We saw how last year worked - not so well

So we have to play all out rest of way - so we'll see

 

[The Panch]

I think for this team it's better, so they dont believe the hype like they did last year and started playing their worst football of the season. Teams like the Patriots seem to prepare well either way, cause they set such a high standard for themselves, so they never fall victim in trap games.

 

[Joe Realist]

I think for this team it's better, so they dont believe the hype like they did last year and started playing their worst football of the season. Teams like the Patriots seem to prepare well either way, cause they set such a high standard for themselves, so they never fall victim in trap games.

What will also help is that they won't have " 13 Pro Bowlers " tomorrow.

Maybe 4-5 at most

 

[RainMan]

For this group, I like the way this season has shaped up. Test your mettle now, and if you're good enough to get in, you're rolling and have all the momentum and confidence. And if you're not good enough to get in, well, then we know we wouldn't have been good enough to win a first-round game anyway.

Generally speaking, I hate the "strength of schedule" argument though. Teams fluctuate a ton from week to week. Look at the Giants. They were an easier team on paper last night than three weeks ago. And, heck, look at us. We have a ton of injuries that has to make teams rather face us now than in, say, Week 3. And you never know who gets hurt next week that impacts the Philly game (for both us and them).

 

[Idgit]

I think for this team it's better, so they dont believe the hype like they did last year and started playing their worst football of the season. Teams like the Patriots seem to prepare well either way, cause they set such a high standard for themselves, so they never fall victim in trap games.

Except last year, when they embarrassingly lost the Superbowl to an inferior team.

 

[The Panch]

Except last year, when they embarrassingly lost the Superbowl to an inferior team.

The defensive line won the game and they didnt look inferior to me. That was one of the most dominating performances up front in SB history.