To rest the starters week 17 we need....

Hawks to win next week and the Vikes to lose right? This would lock up 5th seed? If yes to both it would be huge for this to happen as we could use the rest.

seabowl":2p713iq4 said:

Hawks to win next week and the Vikes to lose right? This would lock up 5th seed? If yes to both it would be huge for this to happen as we could use the rest.

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Yes.

I would rather they kick Arizona's teeth in.

Vikes play Sunday night vs. Giants in Minny. Go G-men!

Hawkpower":23x2lp39 said:

seabowl":23x2lp39 said:

Hawks to win next week and the Vikes to lose right? This would lock up 5th seed? If yes to both it would be huge for this to happen as we could use the rest.

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Yes.

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Only if Green Bay also wins.

If GB and Minny both lose Week 16, and in Week 17 Minny wins and Seattle loses, then GB and Seattle would both be 10-6 wild cards and GB has the tiebreaker.

I don't believe in resting the players, they prepare and get ready every week, breaking that cycle can bite you in the ass just as much as a injury. Teams come out flat and out of sync, against a team like the Panthers. Steelers and Cards or Packers getting behind in the playoffs can be a death blow. Lots of offense in this years dance.

No point in risking injury on what could be a meaningless game. This team also has had bye weeks before playoff games the last 2 years and that didn't affect them.

chris98251":xx7hor8h said:

I don't believe in resting the players, they prepare and get ready every week, breaking that cycle can bite you in the ass just as much as a injury. Teams come out flat and out of sync, against a team like the Panthers. Steelers and Cards or Packers getting behind in the playoffs can be a death blow. Lots of offense in this years dance.

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So true. Rest the players that need it.

Hawkfiend":1803tgvp said:

No point in risking injury on what could be a meaningless game. This team also has had bye weeks before playoff games the last 2 years and that didn't affect them.

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It's different then a bye, your in the middle of something, the rest of the team is preparing to play and your told your going to sit, you check out mentally and maybe go thru the motions if that, but since your sitting someone else is getting all the reps. It's natural and unavoidable, your mess up the chemistry and synchronization that got you there, getting it back isn't as easy as just showing up to work the next week.

If your going to rest players rest the dinged up ones, play the first half regularly and try to put a big lead on the team, then begin your substitutions once it is in hand.

chris98251":1pizbkiy said:

Hawkfiend":1pizbkiy said:

No point in risking injury on what could be a meaningless game. This team also has had bye weeks before playoff games the last 2 years and that didn't affect them.

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It's different then a bye, your in the middle of something, the rest of the team is preparing to play and your told your going to sit, you check out mentally and maybe go thru the motions if that, but since your sitting someone else is getting all the reps. It's natural and unavoidable, your mess up the chemistry and synchronization that got you there, getting it back isn't as easy as just showing up to work the next week.

If your going to rest players rest the dinged up ones, play the first half regularly and try to put a big lead on the team, then begin your substitutions once it is in hand.

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I don't think there is a clear cut right or wrong way to do it, hence the debating that goes on in the sports world every time the opportunity presents.

If a key player gets injured, coach gets roasted.

If the team comes out flat in the game following the "rest" coach gets roasted.

Gotta play it by feel and go with your gut as a coach.

The team is on a roll right now and it would be ridiculous to rest players and take a chance on throwing off your rhythm. I would hate to see us throw in the towel vs Arizona. I don't think Pete plays it that way. It's football, the players could get hurt in practice.

seabowl":3savfxbc said:

Hawks to win next week and the Vikes to lose right? This would lock up 5th seed? If yes to both it would be huge for this to happen as we could use the rest.

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Almost. To lock up the #5 seed (I'll leave the resting issue alone), Green Bay also has to win. We need Green Bay to win in order to lock Green Bay into the NFC North title (along with a Minny loss). Combined with a Seattle win, it clinches the #6 seed and only the #6 seed for Minny, and the #5 seed and only the #5 seed for Seattle.

In my opinion, we can't be "resting" players, it would mess up the mojo we have going now.

I don't want a rest and then attempt to ramp things back up for post season. I saw what 1 weeks rest did against the Tards this year, enough of that.

Rest Bevell!

Largent80":3l2sxqio said:

In my opinion, we can't be "resting" players, it would mess up the mojo we have going now.

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Totally disagree. Guys like Chancellor, Shead, Okung and I'm sure plenty others are banged up and would benefit hugely from a week off before the playoff run. The Hawks have played more games than any other team the last 4 years. If we lock up the #5 seed next week it would be ridiculous to risk injury in a totally meaningless game vs. Arizona in Week 17. Being healthy far outweighs the risk of injury in a game that means absolutely nothing.

And please don't tell me 'I hate the Cards we have to play all out to beat them.' The time to beat the Cards is when we meet them in the playoffs and it counts, not when the game has no impact on the season.

That being said, I think the Vikes will probably win next week vs. the Giants and the Cards will beat the Packers (to lock up a bye), so the #5 seed will most likely be up for grabs in Week 17 and the Hawks will need to play the game.

Side note - right now the Week 17 Min at GB game is scheduled for 1pm ET and the Hawks at Cards game for 4pm ET. However the NFL doesn't want meaningless games in Week 17, so in this scenario the Min at GB game will very likely be moved to 4pm so the Hawks won't know the outcome and have to play all out. Or even possible that game could go to Sunday Night with the NFC North title on the line (ANY game can be flexed to Sun. night in Week 17).

If the Cards have the #2 seed locked up going into Week 17 there is no way they are letting Carson Palmer play the whole game and risking an injury before heading into the playoffs with a chance to get to the Super Bowl. They will be resting guys as well.

chris98251":24240c7u said:

I don't believe in resting the players, they prepare and get ready every week, breaking that cycle can bite you in the ass just as much as a injury. Teams come out flat and out of sync, against a team like the Panthers. Steelers and Cards or Packers getting behind in the playoffs can be a death blow. Lots of offense in this years dance.

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This, akin to 'icing the/kicker'

We can rest when the job is done...

The good news is that even if the Vikings beat the Giants this week they play the Packers at 10AM in week 17 so we will know before our game if the 5 seed is locked up or not.

andyh64000":3ansfwbv said:

The good news is that even if the Vikings beat the Giants this week they play the Packers at 10AM in week 17 so we will know before our game if the 5 seed is locked up or not.

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If Minny beats GB then personally I would be ok with the 6th seed. Go play Minnesota in their dome would be the result vs FedEx Field.......