Rick: I wouldn’t rest the core players entirely, but I would only play them three quarters at the maximum. With the injury history of Rob Gronkowski, I would not even play him in this game knowing how valuable Gronk is to this offense. While the Patriots need to get that rhythm back on offense heading into the postseason, there is a risk to playing some of the key players. With the way Buffalo can pressure the quarterback, I wouldn’t play Brady more than three quarters depending on the outcome of the game. The Patriots don’t need the game, but they would like to have a little more offensive success before their divisional playoff matchup in about two weeks.
Kyle: There are four core players that need to be rested (other the Julian Edelman, who I’ll assume is going to be rested again with the concussion/thigh issue): Brady, Gronk, Revis, and LaFell. If any of those four play in a meaningless game and get injured then BB should be sued for malpractice. And yes, I said LaFell- he is a key to the offense, especially with his yards after catch. Think about that offense if he is hurt-Danny Ammendola becomes the second best WR. A team with that configuration is going nowhere. This game does not matter- it does not count- it is a meaningless game where these four keys players need to sit, rest, and stay healthy.
Raj: I really think they should. This game literally means nothing. Rest Brady, Edelman, Revis, Browner, McCourty, but most importantly, rest Gronkowski. Just given past experiences, he doesn’t need to be involved in this game. I think the Patriots should start most of their back ups but we should still keep some starters on the field like Wilfork and LaFell. Give Jimmy G a chance to start his first ever NFL game and he may possibly earn his first victory. It will be great entertainment and the core players get tons of rest.
Derek: We are always one snap away from having our season fall apart. That’s all it takes. One play. Last year, it was a passing play that ended with Rob Gronkowski’s ACL in two pieces. Back in 2008, the season-defining play happened seven and a half minutes into the first quarter of the first game, when Tom Brady went down with the same injury. In the NFL, your castle is built on a pillar of sand and things can come crashing down in an instant. One play, Vince Wilfork is pushing around the Atlanta offensive line. The next, he’s on the ground with a ruptured achilles. The Patriots were given a gift. Week 17 of the NFL season has been rendered irrelevant for them. While other teams continue to fight and claw for their playoff lives, there is nothing at stake for New England. So why risk everything when there is nothing to gain? One only has to look back to the Patriots “meaningless” Week 17 game against Houston in 2009 where Wes Welker tore his ACL to see that injuries don’t care whether or not you have something to play for.
We’ve sent Patriots teams missing vital pieces into the playoffs for the past three seasons. This year, the team has been fortunate enough to escape the 17-week gauntlet with only Jerod Mayo as a casualty. Rest Brady, rest Gronk, rest Revis, rest LaFell, rest Edelman, rest Wilfork, rest Browner. You can’t rest everyone, but you can rest those who are injured, those whose tires have a lot of wear on them, and those who are unquestionably vital to this team’s chances of winning the Super Bowl. To do anything less, would be foolish.
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