Now the $64K question
 

Rest them or play them???

Re: Now the $64K question
 

play them till payton sees a good solid drive with confidence

Re: Now the $64K question
 

Play the O for 3 quarters, rest the banged up players on Defense.

Give Greer enough snaps to knock the rust off.

Re: Now the $64K question
 

They need to get there MOJO back. Play them

Re: Now the $64K question
 

I can see it both ways.

If you rest them, we have the lingering taste of the loss to the Bucs and will not play a meaningful game until the weekend of Jan. 17th. Could get rusty in that time.

If you play them and win convincingly, that's great. But if we get beaten badly or even worse - have serious injuries - then we've really screwed up.


It will be interesting to see what SP decides...

Re: Now the $64K question
 

i would have loved to see a 14 win season for memories

Re: Now the $64K question
 

thats a great analogy arsaint i say a great drive or 2 and get them out

Re: Now the $64K question
 

I would love to see a super bowl win, you know, for memories. LOL

Re: Now the $64K question
 

I don't care what anyone says.
After 2005, there was a time when I didn't know if my favortie team was going to be around anymore.
I'll back in... button hook, side swipe, limp... whatever to get the no. 1 seed.
No matter what we were the best team in the NFC this season.
That's right the Aints!!!!

Re: Now the $64K question
 

I would rest them ..not worth the injury risk..its a meaningless game..Remember Brees got hurt in that last game in San Diego and the pro bowl..But i want them to stay focused..practice and more practice

Re: Now the $64K question
 

i really think childress just lost his way from minnosota

Re: Now the $64K question
 

I'm copying my post from another thread because it's appropriate here.

We all know that if the Saints of Weeks 13-16 show up in the playoffs, we are doomed. We need the Saints of Weeks 1-12. And I believe we can get back there. While I do think that a win over Carolina will greatly help them get back into it, I think it may not be absolutely necessary. Beating the Panthers will do a few things. 1) clinch HFA regardless of what the Vikings do. 2) Get the players mentally ready because a) they'll have beaten a team that was getting hot down the stretch, thus improving their confidence that they CAN still win games when they need to, and b) they'll know that they'll have the Who Dat Nation behind them throughout the playoffs, which we all know is stacking the deck when the Saints are on their game. and 3) show the rest of the league that we're still a force to be reckoned with.

Anyway, regardless of the outcome of next week, the Saints will use the bye week to mentally and physically prepare themselves for the final stretch. (If they lose to the Panthers, SP and GW will likely set the grass at the practice field on fire and tell the offense and defense to go at it.) With the rest of our big playmakers coming back into the lineup, I think the team can come out in the Divisional round and prove why they are the #1 team in the NFC.

*deep breaths.* Okay. I'm done. Sorry that got hard to follow in a few places.

Re: Now the $64K question
 

Let em play maybe one quarter. lets get some rest for the playoffs

Re: Now the $64K question
 

Play em

Re: Now the $64K question
 

Make the defense play until they can demonstrate they can tackle anything other than field turf.

Re: Now the $64K question
 

Play the horses one or two series and then activate the practice squad!

Re: Now the $64K question
 

I'm from new orleans and have been a die hard fan all my life I live in louisville ky now and I'm prolly the only saints fan so I enjoy rubbing the victories in but I really want the superbowl more than anything I've already bot plane tickets to come back home and party in the big easy so whatever they do for the last game wouldn't bother me just get to the big game

Re: Now the $64K question
 

I'd treat it like the 2nd preseason game.

Re: Now the $64K question
 

I said after the pro-bowl when Drew got hurt that I never wanted to see him in a meaningless game ever again.

Re: Now the $64K question
 

yes just let brees practice his but off till the playoffs, and let lefty play with backups against the kittens

Re: Now the $64K question
 

My feelings exactly. And let greer get some quality reps with Porter/Gay to knock the rust off.

Re: Now the $64K question
 

Play the backups. Don't expose Brees to any shots. Run, run, and run Bell, Hamilton and Bush until their tongues hang out. Players that shouldn't play; Brees, PT, Colston, Shockey, W. Smith, Ellis, Vilma, Sharper, Porter and Greer. Man up the WR's all day which Jenkins and McKenzie are best at. Put 8 or 9 in the box which Harper and Reis do best to stop the run. Come back to the Big Easy and practice HARD. It's not going to happen that way and probably shouldn't. But, this may the Saints ONE shot at the Super Bowl. It's certainly the best in 40 years. I wouldn't take any chances against the physical Panthers. The biggest reason for the Saints dropoff is the injuries to the defense. With three weeks rest and a little luck, they should be at full strength for the first playoff game.

Re: Now the $64K question
 

Play 'em!

Re: Now the $64K question
 

sit them all and send in the saintsations!!

Re: Now the $64K question
 

what happens if the starters play and they dont get their mojo back? will they get even more down on themselves?

Re: Now the $64K question
 

play healthy guys for 2 or 3 qtrs

Re: Now the $64K question
 

Play the starters the whole first half so they can get their mojo back and let the backups finish it out

Re: Now the $64K question
 

Play them for the 1st half, get in some good drives and points on offence and good stops and hard tackles on defence. Pull them out for the second half!
GEAUX SAINTS!!!!

Re: Now the $64K question
 

Kill Carolina.

Re: Now the $64K question
 

They all just look worn out to me. The defense especially. They are not flying to the ball the way they did the first half of the season. The offense just looked bored the second half of Sunday's game. Maybe a rest would help them, I don't know. I agree with the "treat it like a preseason game."

Re: Now the $64K question
 

Re: Now the $64K question
 

I would rest the injured players who aren't 100%. If the team knows that we are resting players there won't be any bad taste after a loss. Besides that we could get up early and the defense actually hold the Panthers.

Re: Now the $64K question
 

Can I open the box?


The answer is
Rest injured and play starters for the 1st half or so

Re: Now the $64K question
 

I like the Juco idea or forfeiting the game, but neither are a real option. Split up the playing time between first and second string.

IMHO, primary objective of this game is see if we can get some improvement with players and strategies, especially on defense. Winning would be a plus. This is like the last pre-season game, a final training match. Carolina, coming off those last 2 wins, is a heck of an opponent to spar against.

Re: Now the $64K question
 

Rest is over rated. Besides, they can rest during the bye week. Play it to give the team some confidence and a little of that invincable 'swagger' they had during the first 8 games of the season.

Re: Now the $64K question
 

best thing for professional athletes is rest......they get their asses kicked all season long and even before the season starts.....they all have bumps and bruises and getting them as much rest as possible is a great thing at this point

we need to have our players as fresh as possible for the post season because no matter who we play, they are going to want our spot in the super bowl

i have no doubt in my mind that the saints will want to win as much as any team.....they will play as hard as any team.....but health issues have caught up with us and i(as a fan) am not willing to risk a freak injury on the field when it is a meaningless game......you cant even use the undefeated argument anymore

rest is a good thing....thats why players cant play the entire game.....because they need to rest

Re: Now the $64K question
 

Let them sit out the first half. Send in the whole first string (those that are not injured) for the third quarter and let them play like its the last two minutes of the game. Then let them rest the forth quarter. That is something Carolina would probably not prepare for in the locker room at half time. They wouldn't know what hit them.

Re: Now the $64K question
 

I'll echo this completely.

Re: Now the $64K question
 

Im so on the fence I cant make a decision!!! I want them to play to see that they can get it together, but then again, whats the point? there is so much time before they play again, that they can build momentum for the first game by preparing as a team and having the leaders of the team that weve brought in over the last few years get them ready..IDK

Re: Now the $64K question
 

The team was injured and spent going into the Cowboys game. They were injured, spent and down against the Bucs. Rest, get healthy, GET HUNGRY, and come out firing in three weeks. WHO DAT!