Indy/Jets

He's been pretty quiet since the Patriots went 16-0. He made a big deal about them not winning the SB but in the end, the record of 14-0 in a regular season was broken and he went away.

 

The Colts are 0-3 in home playoff games when they have a first round bye so rest hasn't been helping them much in the past. Now they took off part of week 16, will rest week 17 and have a 1st round bye. That's too much time off for starters.

Also, it seems almost every year a team without a bye week wins the SB, doesn't it?

 

Pittsburgh had a bye last year. It's not required but I don't think it ever hurts your chances.

One thing we know is that Indy might want to start looking for a viable back-up QB. That Painter guy looks like he just climbed out of the short bus.

 

There has been quite a few this decade. The Giants played all their starters week 17 trying to beat the Patriots then won 4 straight. NE won 2 of their 3 by winning 4 straight and I think Pittsburgh won 4 straight in their other title year. There may be more.

 

Didn't New England have a bye during all three championship years?

There's definitely a trend that suggests you can go on the road and pull it off. I just don't think the odds favor winning four in a row over winning three in a row.

 

New England (x3), Tampa Bay, and the '08 Steelers all had bye weeks. The other four SB champions this decade did not. So it's still an advantage to have the week off, just not as much as it used to be.

 

Are you sure aout the 2001 Patriots? They got a bye with an 11-5 record?

Either way 5-4 isn't really an atvantage. Again, ask thje Colts who are 0-3 in the playoffs with a bye week.

 

I had to google it. It was a bye. The Tuck Rule game was in the divisional round and it was their first playoff game.

It's not really a big advantage anymore, but the numbers don't suggest that it's a disadvantage. In the AFC, a team with a bye week has advanced to the Super Bowl 6 of the last 9 years. It's more neutral in the NFC, but that's understandable.

 

I do not think I would rest my starters before the last game of the season. If you have a first round bye then anything more than that invites rust. If you do not have a first round bye then you probably need to keep playing your starters to try to get your act together.