NFL Teams Rest Starters

Why is it all of a sudden an “NFL sin” to rest starters in weeks 16 and 17 in preparation of a playoff run? There is no evidence that resting starters in the latter weeks of the season works or doesn’t work. It’s inconclusive to tell what if it helps or hinders a team in the playoffs. All it does is make players take less snaps and gives them less of a chance to go down with injury in the last few and often meaningless games of the season. You can get injured on any play of any game, but the less you are on the field, the less chance of being injured.

In the past, it was never as big of an issue as it is today. I understand Colts fans frustrations with Jim Caldwell’s decision to rest players and “give up” a perfect season, but I don’t understand how fans of other NFL teams can get mad unless they have always been mad about the issue. You can’t just get mad about it this year and have never had a problem with it in the past.

A lot of people use the word “integrity” when the issue is brought up. They say teams that rest starters aren’t showing “integrity” of the game and that it is unfair to teams that are still fighting for playoff spots. Well if those teams won one or two more games, they wouldn’t be in the situation where they need help to get into the playoffs. Blame your own team for not winning enough games. Don’t blame the Colts for doing something they deem as strategic.

Whether resting starters works or doesn’t work is a different issue. Teams that are head and shoulders above the rest of the NFL late in the season have the right to do what they want. They’ve earned it. Jim Caldwell’s paycheck is from the Indianapolis Colts. If he believes that resting starters is more important than a historic undefeated season than that’s his decision. His decision shows that being healthy and rested for a run at the Super Bowl is more important to him than going undefeated.

Why has this not been an issue before? Playoff locked teams have taken this approach numerous times in the past. Nobody made any noise when the 2008 AFC’s number one seeded Titans rested players in week 17 against the Colts. Nothing was brought up when in 2005 the Seahawks pulled Matt Hasselback in week 17 for Seneca Wallace. The list of players getting pulled in weeks 16 an 17 goes on and on.

It’s only a big deal this year because the Colts were undefeated and were playing against a team that is in a Wild Card hunt with a number of other teams. If you’re mad about it this year and shrugged it off in the past, then you have no right to be mad. Be consistent. Colts fans and other fans of football can be mad about losing their perfect season. They could have made history and the chances of going undefeated doesn’t come around often. But Dolphin fans, Jaguar fans, Texan fans, Steeler fans, Bronco fans, and Raven fans that are mad because the Colts “let” the Jets win should take a look at history and blame their own team for not winning games earlier in the season.

Other NFL fans think every game should be played to win. They say there’s no “integrity” in what the Colts did. If you want to play that card then a number of top seeded playoff teams over the years don’t have integrity. Again, be consistent. 

The people who want to make a big stink about this should have made a big stink about it in the past. I’m not buying it now. I feel sorry for the Colts players and fans as well as football fans in general that wanted a chance to witness history. I don’t feel sorry for anyone else that is mad because there team didn’t benefit from the decision or that they believe it’s bad for the game. Unless you hated the decision to rest starters every single game and year that it has happened in the past, you don’t make a good case this year. 

It’s a strategic move whether it works or not and whether you like it or not.