Philosophies differ in the NFL on whether to play the starters or rest them late in the season with a playoff berth already clinched. None have proven to be fail-proof.
As Week 17 unfolds Sunday, several teams are taking different tacks.
The Ravens, who have clinched the AFC’s No. 1 seed, have been anything but coy about their plan for Sunday’s game against the Steelers. They will sit their stars, beginning with Pro Bowl quarterback and certain league MVP Lamar Jackson.
“It was pretty straightforward,” Baltimore coach John Harbaugh told reporters during the week. “It’s not a hard decision really, if you sit back and think about it.