Originally my third step would have been “Secure Home Field” but Peyton actually did that for us already, last Monday night.
Now today’s game vs. Buffalo is basically meaningless. Besides wanting one more win for the best record in the NFL, and besides the fact that my friend is going to the game and wants to see some of the starters play, this game is really might as well be called “The Survival Boel” because all I care about is that everybody comes out of it healthy and ready for the playoffs.
See that face in the image? That’s Patriots back-up Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. I had to look up how to spell his last name. Why is that? Because he’s the back up quarterback and you basically never want to see him in a game – unless it’s a blowout. Or it’s a game that doesn’t matter.
So today – I want to see him play. I want to see him play a lot.
Let the starters get a few series in. Maybe a quarter. At the very most a half – and get them the hell out of there. Let them rest, let them relax – and most importantly, let them stand on the sidelines where they can’t get hurt.
There are a lot of games in week 17 that mean a lot for a bunch of team. Whether it’s to determine playoff seeding, or whether it’s getting into the playoffs themselves. Today’s Patriots game against the Bills is not one of those games.
So don’t play it like it is. There’s still a lot more work to be done.
