Sorry, But Andy Reid Has Every Right to Rest His Starters
Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Are the Kansas City Chiefs an overrated team that will likely to be bounced in the potseason’s opening round? Probably. Should they try their damn best to keep the pesky San Diego Chargers out of the playoffs? Absolutely.
Yet I have a news flash to the fans of Steeler Nation who are surely complaining about Andy Reid’s potential desire to rest his starters during Kansas City’s regular season finale. A move I might add which would all but seal Pittsburgh’s postseason-less fate:
SHUT YOUR TRAPS!
Heck, it might be best to direct that misguided vitriol towards people who are actually at fault for the Steelers missing the postseason for the second consecutive season:
The 2013 Pittsburgh Steelers and their coaching staff.
The Chiefs earned the right to finish their season how they see fit. The Steelers on the other hand did not. Although their schedule was loaded with cream-puffs, Kansas City took care of business against inferior foes. Pittsburgh dropped games to pathetic teams like the Tennessee Titans, Minnesota Vikings, Oakland Raiders and Miami Dolphins.
The last time I checked, teams that begin the season 9-0 have the luxury of planning the rest of their regular season according to their terms. Teams that are mismanaged, poorly coached and practice garbage execution during a 2-6 start have no business dictating how other postseason-bound teams play down the stretch.
You want to complain, Steeler Nation? How about you ask the following questions instead of making Reid look like a villain:
- Ask Mike Tomlin about his wonderful clock management skills?
- Ask Todd Haley why he is ga-ga over letting playmakers like Markus Wheaton and Derek Moye rot in favor of one-dimensional tight ends?
- In addition, ask Haley why he wouldn’t let Ben Roethlisberger go to the no-huddle during the 0-4 start?
- Ask Dick LeBeau why it took so long to let Jason Worilds take over for LaMarr Woodley?
- Moreover, ask him why he lets more athletic and competent youngsters like Shamarko Thomas get splinters on the bench for ineffective jokes like Ryan Clark?
- Ask LeBeau what his cake-easy, non-pressure and easily identifiable zone-scheme accomplishes against veterans like Tom Bray who carve it like a Thanksgiving turkey?
I could go on, readers. Sadly, that would take me all day and only incense me to an even greater degree. Questions aside, Pittsburgh’s players and fans can point all of the fingers they want at Andy Reid and the coaches and personnel on the other teams (Cincinnati Bengals and New York Jets) they need to receive help from on Sunday. The primary reason why the Steelers’ postseason fate is out of their hands is because of themselves and nobody else.
Although the Chiefs could want to carry some positive momentum into the postseason with a victory, they cannot move up or down from the number five seed. If Reid and his staff starts pulling their starters on Sunday, then I say kudos to them. They are the ones who earned a postseason berth already, and they are the ones who control their own fate.
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