Covitz: History says Reid will rest Chiefs players
 

History says coach Andy Reid will rest Chiefs players now that playoff position is assured
By RANDY COVITZ
The Kansas City Star

With the Chiefs locked into the fifth seed in the AFC playoffs, coach Andy Reid said he has not determined whether he’ll sit some of his starting players in next Sunday’s regular-season finale at San Diego.

History suggests Reid will rest key players such as quarterback Alex Smith and running back Jamaal Charles and keep them out of harm’s way before the first round of the playoffs on Jan. 4-5.

The Chiefs, 11-4, cannot improve their position in the playoffs after losing 23-7 Sunday to Indianapolis. San Diego, 8-7, has a chance at a wild card spot by beating the Chiefs, coupled with losses by Miami and Baltimore in earlier games that day.

“I’ll evaluate all the different situations,” Reid said on Monday. “I have sat people before … quite a few times, actually, and benefited from that. But I’ll look at everything and make sure I have that part evaluated.”

Reid faced this situation four times in Philadelphia — in 2001, 2004, 2006 and 2010 — and each time he either limited his starters to a handful of snaps or sat them altogether. The Eagles won their first playoff game in three of those seasons.

In 2004, the Eagles, 13-1, had the NFC East and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs clinched with two games remaining. Reid pulled his starters after one series in a 20-7 loss to St. Louis in the penultimate game and sat quarterback Donovan McNabb, running back Brian Westbrook, wide receiver Terrell Owens, safety Brian Dawkins and defensive end Jevon Kearse in the season-ending 38-10 loss to Cincinnati.

Those players also had an extra week off when the Eagles had a bye in the playoffs before beating Minnesota and Atlanta en route to the Super Bowl.

“The one thing I did then, and I’m going to do now is take the time I have to evaluate it and make sure I do what I think is right,” Reid said. “It’s a bit of a gut feeling you go with. I’ll go off of that.”

One factor in deciding whether to rest players or play them in these situations is whether the week off will affect their timing.

In 2011, Green Bay, assured of the No. 1 seed, rested quarterback Aaron Rodgers, among others, for a regular-season finale against Detroit, and Packers backup Matt Flynn threw for a franchise-record 480 yards against Detroit, capping a 15-1 season. The Packers, whose only regular-season loss that year was to the Chiefs, would be upset in playoffs by the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants.

In Reid’s last trip the playoffs, in 2010, he sat quarterback Michael Vick, running back LeSean McCoy and wide receiver DeSean Jackson in a season-ending 14-13 loss to Dallas. Philadelphia lost its wild-card game 21-16 to eventual Super Bowl champion Green Bay.

“If you look at the history of it, it’s been a 50-50 shot over the last three or four years by people who have done it,” said Reid. “It’s what you feel most comfortable with as a coach. The obvious benefit is to rest your guys and get them back to feeling a little bit fresher than what they are at the end of the season.

“You take the risk of the timing part of it. Sometimes that’s there, sometimes it’s not. Those are things you evaluate.”

In the cases of outside linebacker Justin Houston, who may be ready after missing the last four games with an elbow injury, and offensive tackle Branden Albert, who has missed the last three with a knee injury, they may need to play on Sunday in order to get their timing back.

“I’ll look at that, too,” Reid said. “I’ll take that into consideration as I go through the process.”

Charles may be the one player who could use a week off to rest from the pounding against a physical team like the Chargers. Charles has carried 259 times — 26 short of his career most — and caught a career-most 70 passes this season.

He’s touched the ball on 36 percent of the Chiefs’ offensive plays, and that doesn’t count shots he has taken while pass-protecting, carrying out fakes, and even delivering a big hit in tackling Colts linebacker Jerrell Freeman after an interception on Sunday.

If Reid decides to rest Charles, he said he is comfortable with rookie Knile Davis, despite Davis’ critical lost fumble against the Colts and another fumble he recovered while returning a kickoff.

“We have to feel that way because until this point, that’s what we have done,” Reid said. “If Jamaal ever went down, he’s the guy who steps in and goes.

“You can’t touch the ball four times in a game and have two of them on the ground. He knows that. He’ll be the first to tell you. He’s a smart kid, a conscientious kid, I trust he’ll get that taken care of.”

Outside linebacker Tamba Hali could be another candidate to sit out this week. Reid said Hali had some swelling in his knee, but “he should be OK down the road.”

That was an indication that Hali’s next action will be in the playoffs.

it would be a damn shame if we lost next week

Who cares? Doesn't matter one bit.

LMAO

He's talking about the $250 bet he has with Marcellus.

If KC loses and SF wins out, Clay wins cash.

On with the Chase

Because teams that go 2-4 in their division make deep playoff runs all the time.

Kniles Davis definitely needs to carry the load sunday, not only does JC need the rest but Davis needs to prove to himself and everyone else he can be the man and not fumble for an entire game.

Clay better worry about tonight's game.

ROFL

Davis not fumble... that'll be the day...




... that he breaks his ankle.

Marcellus and Clay beg to differ.

JC was a chronic fumbler early on as well, i like, actually LOVE what Davis brings to the table too much to give up on him yet...

You know what would be sweet?

Rest Alex, Charles and a handful of other guys that need another "bye week" and time to prepare for Indy. imo they should already be practicing against stuff for Indy. The SD game is meaningless.

Let Bray start and play the whole game against an angry SD team. It will be a good learning experience for the kid.

The players that matter need to be finding ways to score on Indy and keep them from scoring on dumb shit. Who cares what happens next week?

You do know that Charles is still a chronic fumbler, right?

If Davis can run at an all time best level then he'll be forgiven.

But then again, Charles is fumbling about once every 60 touches. Davis is fumbling once every 14... **** him.

I think Alex could still stand to improve. Give him the first half, maybe get some confidence back, then bench him. I care about benching people to rest them, not to give our backups experience. Smith won't get any more tired. He just runs the risk of getting hurt.

If no Smith and JC then rest them all. Defense as well.

You want to go into the playoffs with some sort of momentum.. starters need to put the game away first before bringing in the backups. If that doesn't happen then they should play the whole game unless someone gets hurt.. Charles should sit most of the game though.

Yep **** it, i say get rid of BOTH those sorry pricks.

Because Charles was/is a sorry pick... herp derp.

I would really like to know if there are stats to prove this or it's just another sports cliche?

My guess is the latter.

and the dogs they rode in on...

yeah!

I would not risk injury to try for momentum. We went 2-4 and killed it. We need fresh legs and to find our intensity.

You think there are a lot of teams that finish 2 - 5 and do well in the playoffs?

Going into a road playoff game on a losing streak is right where the Chiefs want to be!

Maybe this is when we see all of those trick plays and blitzes that Reid and Sutton have been saving all season.

Probably just a hair fewer than those that finish 3-4. :thumb:

Let's leave Wendler ' s Mother out of this.

my mother is dead you asshole

Let's leave Wendler ' s Mother out of this.

Actually, I did a quick look and it doesn't look like it matters much. Ravens finished like crap and won, saints lost their last 3.

I just dont think kc is very good. Indy has been bending KC over the barrel the last 15 years, what's one more year of being a prison bitch.

I was just ****ing with you, man.

We're finishing the season shitty win or lose. Not much difference between 2-5 and 3-4.

Esto on both accounts.

Let Bray play.

Heh!!

I bet Andy starts Daniels over Bray. Just to **** with us.

didn't our players already start resting?

I'd play Daniel for a quarter then play Bray the rest of the game.

Houston was rested. I wonder if they let him play to get him used to being in the normal rotation before playoff time.

I don't care what they do as long as it helps win in the playoffs.

There's no way in hell I play Houston and risk him re-aggravating that injury.

This is a perfect game to see what Bray has but No we got to watch shitty quarterback Chase Danielson. I don't curr if someone sweeps the leg on him if it gets Bray in the game.

bray will be inactive

I heard a stat on the radio yesterday that the last seven Super Bowl champions are exactly .500 in their last four games of the season. I just confirmed this to be true.

I feel like they've already held him out longer than they had to. He could use some game day snaps. Not the entire game, but enough to get him back into the flow of the game.

Idontknow about chronic, but he fumbles once in a while. Its usually when he hits the ground that the ball pops out. He's a skinny guy though and he's tough. He thinks he's a big back sometimes. lol


Anyways, rest Poe. Alex dont need rest though, that bitch needs to play. JC and Poe need the rest Flowers and DJ too.

I doubt Poe gets more than one series

Strategically, we also move up several places in the 2014 draft...

He has pretty much taken every snap but a few I think so resting him and some of the others will be huge for the following week.

Rest poe period anyone of any significance sits hell i wouldnt fly em out if i didnt have too. Let our scrubs jenkins,hall(if hes here) deknile, gray ect. Start cooper and dunta at cb demps and abdullah at s. let nico have a shot in djs place. Its like a preseason for the post season!

Did she leave you the basement in her will? :evil:

What about teams that are 3-3 in their division? I mean, one could make the argument that the Chiefs could go 3-3 if they don't rest some starters.

Especially in arguably the 2nd best division in football.

None of this matters since the NFL is rigged anyway.

Charles has fumbled 4 times this year. Well, at least the ones that have been lost. He has carried/received the ball 329 times.

So you're saying once every 82 touches is chronic? :spock:

No, he is saying Charles fumbles chronic. That is how it ended up in Bowes car.

Only 1 RB in the league has more fumbles than Charles.

If Davis gets the start this week he might not end up with the most on the team, though.

I like the idea of resting key players, but even more the idea of getting key backups and other players meaningful playing time.

Chase Daniel/Tyler Bray
Knile Davis/Cyrus Gray
A.J. Jenkins/Junior Hemingway
Marcus Cooper
Nico Johnson
Mike Catapano
Ron Parker

There is one positive:


Maybe Danielsssssssssss will get blasted out of the game.

Well there you go then. thanks
Posted via Mobile Device

The last 10 SB champs last 6 games of regular season

Balt 2-4
NYG 3-3
GB 3-3
NO 3-3
Pitt 5-1
NYG 3-3
Ind 3-3
Pitt 4-2
NE 5-1
NE 6-0

Can Reid rest Kendrick Lewis permantently?

What about the last 10 that were 1 & done? Wonder if their records are similar?

That'd be fine by me...

@TerezPaylor: Reid says Tamba Hali will not practice. Says every other starter will practice, including Justin Houston and Branden Albert. #Chiefs

@KCChiefs_Reid: Coach Reid: Tamba won't practice today, Houston and BA will. Announcement later this week about who plays how much on Sun #Chiefs

@adamteicher: Reid said backups and starters will share first team snaps in practice. Will decide later in week who plays Sunday

@adamteicher: Reasonable interpretation of that is starters will start on Sunday but leave game early

best case scenario. Knock some rust off Houston, and Albert, let them play the first quarter, then play the back ups the rest.

Per Herbie Teope

Reid on team prep: “I’m going to have them practice just like we’re going to play the San Diego Chargers, which we are at the same time, I’m going to work some guys in. Most have already worked in … I’ll figure it out by the end of the week.

Reid, who gave that update to media before today’s locker room media session, added “every position is going to do their thing.”

No matter how well Rivers plays, no one will care. Andy is in YOUR HEAD PHILIP

The article gives the example of the 2011 Packers which I think was a very bad example because that team had a very MAJOR distraction before their first playoff game when the Packers' OC son died unexpectantly. Once that happened I knew GB was toast - in the NFL you cannot have that type of distraction during playoff time - no matter how good you are.

**** that, forfeit the game and take the team and their families to Cancun until the day before our playoff game.

Tell them that you just didn't want any officials to make any bad calls, so this is what the Chiefs are doing to avoid bad officiating..

Ugh... I'd kill to see Tyler Bray in regular season action. Sadly, it just won't happen.

This

Rest no one.

This was, by far, our worst performance of the year.

Defense, offense, Special tams, QB play, coaching all sucked.

Hell no on resting anyone. They should all (including Big Red) be doing PT in the rain.

Show up and play or ring the ****ing bell!

http://static.ddmcdn.com/gif/navy-seal-8.jpg

They clearly view him as a long term project, they will serve no wine before its time.

If only....

crazy
 

[QUOTE=Rausch;10309302]Rest no one.

This was, by far, our worst performance of the year.

Defense, offense, Special tams, QB play, coaching all sucked.

Hell no on resting anyone. They should all (including Big Red) be doing PT in the rain.

Show up and play or ring the ****ing bell!

You have lost your effing mind!

[QUOTE=Tuckdaddy;10309478]I'm crazy or believing that they'd approach it this way is crazy?...

[QUOTE=Rausch;10309480]The important starters might play, but they won't play long is my guess. A series or two. Basically like an early preseason game. The Bolts will win this game easily. Prepare yourself.

[QUOTE=Deberg_1990;10309493]If this happens we'll get face raped.

Calling it now: if Big Red benches our guys at the start of the game or early in the half this will be the biggest playoff loss (margin) in team history...

[QUOTE=Rausch;10309497]Calling it now... You are an effing moron.