The Miami Project 2010

By jawarrener | Tuesday, January 12, 2010 | ( 3 )

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To play or to rest that is the question. Whether ‘tis nobler in the canon of NFL history to be simply a champion or to take arms against a sea of opposition and attain perfection. Only one team in history has ever done it and their presence is abundant every season after the last unbeaten team loses. The former Dolphin players toast champagne and salut the fact that it is next to impossible to achieve “perfection” in the NFL. The New England Patriots came up a possession short of it in 2008. Yet who in it shall be remembere`d? The team that can go unblemished into the Super Bowl and carry home the trophy makes a more indelible impression that any single Super Bowl victory ever could. Almost half of the current franchises have at least one championship in their trophy case. When you subtract the recent expansion franchises that number swells significantly. Then you have your dynasties. The Cowboys and Niners have five, Pittsburgh has six, five other teams have three. How many of these teams can boast perfect seasons? One. I’m a bit of a Colts fan, have been ever since Manning and then Dungy sealed the deal but I think they made a bad move resting their starters and basically forfeiting the last two games of the year. My thought is that regardless of how well I’d done in the regular season I’d like to finish it on a win streak. Just look at it. Who wants to play Baltimore right now? The Jets are surging too, although they are running into the Chargers who have won eleven straight coming in. Even if you’re trying to play the good, non-greedy guy, which I respect, but, even if not for the shot at perfection, at least to keep your guys fresh and sharp for when they will have to be at their best.

The formula has foiled the Colts in the past. They did it in 2007 and the Chargers bounced them in their first round(divisional). They did it in 2005 and Pittsburgh handed them the same fate. The perpetual argument is that you don’t want a star to go down to injury during a meaningless game. Well first, I say that no game is meaningless. Did the guy that is making payments on his season tickets getting a discount because Indy is basically throwing the game? What about the guy going to his first football game, his only football game? It is a crack in that “all out, all the time, 60 minutes” mentality that makes football players and coaches so successful. It sets a dangerous precedent. It says, “Hey. You don’t have to try your hardest for this game. In two or three weeks from now, I expect you to play the best football of your life, but for now, just put it on cruise control.” I know Peyton Manning agrees with me. I saw him stewing on the sideline after he was pulled to hand Curtis Painter to the wolves. He wanted that win. Now the Colts have to face the scariest team in football this weekend. A team that just got off one of the most dominating defensive performances in playoff history, crushing a Patriot team in their own stadium where the Colts tend to struggle. The Saints did it too. They sat their stars and dropped their last few games albeit they lost squarely to the Cowboys. What is their mindset falling backward into the playoffs hosting a team that dropped fifty-one(51) on a good Packer defense?

We’ll call it the Miami Project, 2010. Both the Colts and the Saints took the “rest and lose” strategy going into the playoffs. Teams like the: Ravens, Cowboys, Chargers and Jets are riding win streaks. Let’s see how this strategy plays out for the season…Stay tuned for part two…

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	No.1 JimmyD	04:11 PM 01/12/2010

	There are ways to play your 'A' team on meaningless games and still garner a high percentage return that they will come off the...


	No.2 Big Tex	10:33 PM 01/12/2010

	The Saints started the year performing at a very high level, but they started showing some cracks in the armour as the season...


	No.3 Gucci Sneakers	02:06 AM 01/13/2010

	www.nflreplicajerseys.net Looks like Randy Moss’s real jersey – and at a great price! Reebok – the official onfield brand...