I really hate those with that mentality (suck for Luck). You never suck for anything. You play to win and put people in the seats.
Couldn't disagree more. The team is 1-13 - this win accomplishes nothing other than potentially missing out on the best QB to come out in 20+ years. When you add that their current Hall of Fame QB could possibly be done for the rest of his career, it's insane to want to win this game. And I can't imagine how you could think that winning this game could possibly put one extra fan in the seats.
I take that back, the Ravens have to beat the Bengals for the bye. The Texans will also to play to beat the Texans just incase the Ravens slip. Lets go Texans and Ravens week 17.
according to a thread i read indy winning helps with conference records in the tiebreaker with the bengals
True, but the loss also means the Ravens and Texans week 17 games against the Bengals and Titans become more important and they likely will not be resting starters then.
Wow, Come on Jets!!!!!! Beat the Giants and Dolphins and head to Houston! Then the show down everyone felt would happen, happens again: Jets-Patriots ROUND 3.
I think you're overstating Luck's value. Organizationally, maybe they secretly want the #1 pick, but intentionally tanking would show an incredible lack of integrity. More important, every player and coach is playing for a job next year in Indy or somewhere else so they have every reason to play hard. Oh, and Houston sucks.
I dont think any team can rest their starters week 17 because the Texans have tiebreaker over the Steelers. So they would need the Steelers and Ravens to slip up. I think the Texans have to play just for their own confidence, because they look horrible entering the playoffs.
As long as Indy loses to Jacksonville next week I am pretty sure they will gurantee themself the #1 overall pick anyway. However watching the game, they do need an offensive line in the worst way.
I think the Colts realize they are the #3 pick AT WORST, with Sam Bradford's Rams and Christian Ponder's Vikings the only teams who could potentially pick ahead of them. They are still pretty safe to get Luck. Only problem would be is if a team traded ahead of them.
I never said anything about the players - I was talking about the fans going crazy over winning a completely meaningless game that could hurt their draft position. Whether or not Luck turns out to be any good is not the point - at this point in the season the only thing Colts fans should care about is that no important players get seriously hurt, and the team puts itself in the best draft position it can.
Well, the Rams could probably get a tremendous haul for that pick, and they'd be pretty stupid not to take it. Minnesota is a little different in that it's much less clear (to me anyway) that Ponder is the guy.
Three reasons the Colts don't want to throw games. 1) Indy players cannot afford not to play hard, and the same for the coaches. They all need to make money, and the only way to get a contract is to play well. 2) Robert Griffin Looks like a champ, and any other season would go as #1 overall pick, so if they really want to draft a QB, he will be there. 3) By losing out and taking Andrew Luck, they are basically saying that the QB is by far the most important position, and that none of the others really matter. If they trade Peyton and have Luck, $ Million says Reggie Wayne will leave, and who is going to help that o-line protect a rookie QB with no great weapons? (Garcon is a FA too so he could go bye bye). If they keep Manning and Luck, way too much of the cap is going to be locked up at QB to have a good team. They would have no first round level player to come in and help any other position/unit, and they would have no money to get free agents. As far as the whole Luck going to Indy thing, it really seems impossible (IMO) to have Peyton and Luck for the reasons I said before, plus I really don't think Peyton would want to stay. They could trade Peyton for a ton of stuff, ideally for them a first round pick and a really good player, and some other cool jazzy stuff. But would players who are free agents stick around, or head somewhere else (think Reggie Wayne with one of two teams with a need at WR.... Brady/Wayne or probably more likely Brees/Wayne....Scary).
You referred to Luck as the best QB prospect in 20+ years in an earlier post. That seemed like a bit of an exaggeration to me. I understand where you're coming from, but don't see how the organization could direct the coaches and players to intentionally lose when their future jobs are on the line.
Again, I never suggested that the players and coaches should (or would) be trying to lose - I said that at this point the fans should not be happy winning a completely meaningless game that could set the team back years. Teams never know whether someone will pan out or not, but that certainly doesn't mean that you don't hope to get the opportunity to draft someone who is "can't miss" (or trade the pick for lots of good players). The statement about Luck being that good is hardly mine - many scouts have been saying it for at least a year. Just as one example, Mel Kiper has him as the best QB prospect since Elway. http://www.sportshoopla.com/forums/...andrew-luck-best-qb-prospect-since-elway.html
Best loss ever by the Texans. I see the Colts beating the Jaguars. The Texans will not have to deal with Luck for the next 10-15 years unless the Colts trade up. The Texans will be one and done in the playoffs anyways, so this was a loss-win for them.
