Dallas Cowboys: Why resting starters or not isn’t even a question
Since the Dallas Cowboys didn’t earn a bye week with the best record in the NFC, resting players after clinching the NFC East is the next best option.
This young Dallas Cowboys team will learn that winning has rewards. For NFL players, the first thought is usually a financial reward in the shape of contract bonuses. It didn’t take long for quarterback Dak Prescott to reap the rewards of product endorsements and commercials after his rookie season.
Another reward comes in the shape of an additional bye week at the end of the regular season. There’s one more thing to know about rewards – A reward isn’t a reward if it isn’t used.
Should the Cowboys rest players after clinching the NFC East division? After seeing former Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo get injured during a meaningless preseason football game, in my never humble opinion, Cowboy Nation shouldn’t be debating this. Everyone should agree that if an essential player doesn’t need to play – they shouldn’t.
In Prescott’s rookie year, the Cowboys had the number one seed in the playoffs. The reward for having the top seed is that the entire team is allowed to sit during the first week of the NFL playoffs. This is an opportunity to rest players, heal injuries, give minutes to players on the depth chart and use the extra time to plan for upcoming opponents.
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has a record of 16-3 in games after the bye week during the regular season. New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton helped the Saints have the NFL’s best record after bye weeks since 2009.
Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett doesn’t have a winning record following bye weeks. That doesn’t indicate flaws in the players but the coaching system. Generally, an extra week of preparation is beneficial and leads to victories.
In a recent interview with Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News, Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott had this to say about starters sitting out Week 17.
"“We can’t afford to take a week off. That’s not even an option. We’ve got to attack this week the same way we’ve been attacking … and finish this season off right.”"
Elliott must not remember his 2014 Ohio State University season and the inaugural NCAA College Football Playoff and National Championship run. The regular college football season ended December 6th, 2014.
That team defeated top ranked Alabama University by a score of 42-35 on January 1st, 2015. The NCAA championship game between Ohio State and the University of Oregon was played January 12th, 2015.
One of the things that life has taught me: If your job gives you two weeks of paid vacation, take two weeks of vacation. You won’t have to tell me twice.
Since the Cowboys didn’t finish this season with the best record in the National Football Conference and earn a bye week, resting players after clinching the NFC East is the next best option. The truth is few care if the Cowboys finish this season with a record of 10-6 or 9-7.
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The goal of every NFL season is to hoist the Lombardi Trophy awarded to the Super Bowl champion. The short term goal is to be rested and make a strong playoff run. There’s a bye week between the conference championship games on January 20th, 2019 and the Super Bowl on February 3rd, 2019. My advice – Rest now and rest later.
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