The season of giving

There's been a lot of debate about how the Pats should play the "meaningless" game this weekend against Houston. Should they play their starters just a series or two? Should they play all out to get the #3 seed? Should Brady play at all? No matter what your opinion, the fact is that Belichick will do what he and the team thinks is best and whatever happens happens. My guess is they will go for the win. That's what they do. And that's the way I like my team to approach it.

The other approach was on display in Indianapolis on Sunday. The 14-0 Colts had a 15-10 lead over the Jets with about nine minutes to go in the third quarter. Another touchdown and they were in control of the game and just one road win in Buffalo from matching the Pats' 16-0 season from two years ago. And then something weird happened. The Colts took out Manning, Dallas Clark, and other starters and pretty much gift wrapped the game for the Jets. And the Jets gladly accepted the present. I watched it at my parent's house with my sister, brothers, and nephews after we got home from the Pats game. We were all surprised. And disgusted. Who gives up on the chance for a perfect season? The Colts. That's who. Just when I was starting to almost like that team they go and remind me why it's so fun not to.

The Colts' company line was that the decision to rest their starters was part of an "organizational philosophy." I guess that philosophy goes something like this ... We are on a historic 23-game regular season unbeaten streak. We are a veteran team that has been one of the top two all decade and can handle the pressure. We have won some amazing comebacks this season to keep the unbeaten record going. Our players put everything they have into getting to this point. We are on the verge of history. We're not interested. We'd rather lose, break our momentum, let the Jets beat us on our home field, and start resting for a playoff game that is almost a month away.

That's a hell of a philosophy. And from the look on Manning's face he wasn't buying into it. If they lose to the Bills this weekend then a 14-2 team will sit waiting for two weeks for the playoffs to start with a rather sour taste in their mouths. It didn't work the other times the Colts took that approach in this decade. Good luck to them this time around.

If they wanted to rest their stars and/or avoid injuries then why play them at all? You can't get hurt in the first half? Oh yes you can. Just ask Tom Brady. The fact that Manning and the other Colts played the first half and held the lead only to come out of the game sure leaves one to believe that it was more a case of "we really don't want the pressure of being unbeaten" than a desire to rest for a game a month away. Well, mission accomplished. The pressure's over. So is the unbeaten streak and a good chunk of the momentum Manning and the rest of the team busted their humps building.

If they were playing the 3-12 Bucs or the 4-11 Browns it would be slightly -- slightly -- different. It would still be lame to give up on an undefeated season but at least you wouldn't be changing the playoff chances of other teams. The Jets are in the playoff hunt. With the win they went from needing help to controlling their own destiny. Win and they are in. The Broncos, Steelers, Texans, and Dolphins all got the short end of the Colts stick. Teams playing dead against teams fighting for a playoff spot isn't good for the league. It's bad sportsmanship to say the least. It's something the NFL should look at before they expand the season to a ridiculous 18 games. Preseason games are meaningless? Well apparently so are December games if you ask the Colts.

There are two people (or groups of people in one case) that I really felt bad for watching the Colts Sunday. The first was center Jeff Saturday. While Manning, Wayne, Freeney, and others stood on the sideline watching the "philosophy" play out, Saturday was where he always is every week. Right in the middle of the war. Saturday is as key a player as the Colts have had all decade. He is their anchor. And yet there he was on the field in a game that the team's most important players were resting. Uh, you might want to rest your All-Pro center too. The fans were the other ones I felt bad for. Especially those that paid to be at the game. You think you are there to watch your beloved team take another step towards history only to watch the team say "we give." The fans were booing their 14-1 Super Bowl favorite Colts. Booing them. Yup. That's a good way to get ready for the playoffs.

But that's the way the Colts like to do things. Safely. The Pats really are their opposite. I expect most of the starters to play this weekend. Not guys with injuries like Wilfork or Warren. And of course everyone has injuries at this point. But I would think Brady would want to play. The team hasn't exactly set the league on fire so far. There's plenty they still need to improve on.