FEATURE ROD poll: Resting starters

[Mojo Ram]

My vote is YES.

But, treat it like a preseason game and work the starters all week in practice. Work on the problems on offense.

Maybe even bring out the starters for a series or two vs Seattle and pull them early.

 

[Ram65]

I voted yes but, the offense could use some more practice.

 

[Mackeyser]

I vote no. The team hasn’t responded well to late season breaks in the past and this young D is on a roll. They’ve only given up an average of 8 points a game over the last three including 2 divisional games. I’m not one to want to slow that down.

 

[RhodyRams]

I've said this before... the Rams bye week was in week 6 this season. In years past it has been in week 8-12.

Give em a week off

 

[Merlin]

Yes of course. This team is done if they lose an OT, Stafford, Nacua, etc. We have no room for error.

And if they lose it might work in their favor in focusing everyone. These boys are tougher coming off a loss.

 

[Noregar]

To field a team they will have to play some starters but the older vets and any banged up players can sit.

Guys like Stafford, Kupp, Havnestein, Higbee, and Williams definitely need to sit. On defense which is younger as a whole and rotates players it will be harder to sit too many guys unless they are banged up.

 

[TSFH Fan]

Stafford is just about 191 passing yards away from 60,000 career passing yards.
With that in mind, yeah, rest.

Results from last year's poll:

Rest or Start key players next week?

We win and we play Detroit in the WC round (in most conceivable Wk 18 scenarios). We lose and we play Dallas or Philly (in most conc38vable wk 18 scenarios). I think we want to play in Detroit. Do we want it enought to risk starters?

ramsondemand.com

 

[rdlkgliders]

I don’t mind resting the starters
Playing WA or GB is a better draw than Min or Det though so…….

My concern is always injuries due to continuity when you start to mix 1’s, 2’s and 3’s

They know what they are doing and I will roll with the decision and only bitch if it doesn’t work
Lol

 

[dieterbrock]

Havenstein needs to be as healthy as possible in the playoffs, so he needs the week. And without him, there's no point in running Stafford out there risking him getting blown up by another missed block by Noteboom. So no Hav, no Staff, no point in having Kupp and Puka out there. Let Corum cook in KWill's abscence
And so on, and so on.....

 

[dieterbrock]

Playing WA or GB is a better draw than Min or Det though so…….

I am 100% certain that who they "may" play has absolutely zero impact on McVay's decision to sit or start

 

[Psycho_X]

Yes, lately this team has come out of bye weeks refreshed and a better team. This isn't exactly a bye week but I think the rest would be extremely beneficial for most of these guys. Especially since our bye week was so damn early this season. I consider this a great blessing for the team. Most people are worried about starting slow after having a week off but we start slow regardless every game this year so not gonna hurt anything.

 

[Kupped]

I say rest.. but I'd let Puka try to hit 1000 yards.. he's only 10 short.

 

[Boston Ram]

Dont care about seed, rest if most important. A healthy Rams team is more valuable then seeding, plus lo 4th seed my be a better place to land anyway. They lose Puka, or almost any starter to something like a non contact injury could be devastating. Plus 11 games and no bye...good time to inject a bye and hopefully come back reinvigorated

 

[Allen2McVay]

The topic has come-up before, with varying results.

In 2017 (McVay's 1st season), the Rams' final game was meaningless and McVay started Sean Mannion and an OL that included Darrell Willimas, Cornelius Lucas and Aaron Neary. On Defense, Donald, Brockers and Quinn all sat. The Rams came-out flat the following week at Home against the Falcons, and lost. Many were critical of McVay's decision. I believe he also questioned wether it was wise to sit so many veterans.

Other Final Regular Season Games ...
McVay played all of his starters in 2018, when they were 12-3. Not sure if that was a meaningful game.
In 2020, the Rams needed to win that final week, so the starters played.
In 2021, the starters all played (OT loss to S.F.) but I'm not sure whether that was a meaningful game.

If I remmember last year correctly, the playoffs were secured (certain of that) but I don't believe the playoff-seeding was established. Stafford, Kupp, Willaims and Donald rested but most of the starters were in the game, including Nacua (seeking rookie records before coming-out) and the O-Line.

Clearly, any beat-up guys, playing through something should ... and likely, WILL ... be rested.
Any exhausted players, who have seen a recent decline in performance, should get reduced snaps.
However, whether healthy guys are rested is McVay's decision.

The only certainty ... For Me ... which is why I am not expressing an opinion, is that should the Rams not play well in the Wild Card Round, or get-off to a poor start, there WILL BE Criticism for McVay's decision REGARDLESS of what that decision turned-out to be.

 

[99Balloons]

I vote No. Momentum is everything. Keep on the gas and No Brakes.

 

[baconandbread]

Rest all of our important offensive starters/old timers or anyone nursing an injury. Let the young defense play, they're winning the games lately anyways

 

[InfiniteRam]

Three seed matters. Good chance of two games at SoFi. Play them.

 

[El Chapo Jr]

My vote is YES.

But, treat it like a preseason game and work the starters all week in practice. Work on the problems on offense.

Maybe even bring out the starters for a series or two vs Seattle and pull them early.

Where was this option on the vote hahaha

 

[DzRams]

Not much nuance in this poll. Would I rest some starters? Yes. Would I rest all starters? No.

I'd sit three: Stafford, Kupp, and Hav. And of course any others who are battling injuries that we may not be aware of.

The rest are young legs who could use the reps to get kinks out (offense) or continued development (defense).

 

[dpjax]

We’re never concerned when the Rams are coming off a bye during the regular season, in fact we see it as an advantage so why should we be concerned resting some starters this week? I think where teams get in trouble is when they rest their starters for the last week of the season and then have a first round bye. Two weeks is too much time off.