Imagine you're running an NFL team that has had some lean years, and you land a quarterback who takes you to the playoffs in four out of the next five seasons (including three in a row). You finally have success, division championships, the team's first playoff victory in more than two decades and a Pro Bowl quarterback.
Do you ride that streak, or do you trade him away and start a young guy with practically no experience? Kansas City did the latter, and it's worked out pretty well for them. They didn't look backward. They went with the player they thought would bring them the most success going forward. And if you have a meaningful game coming up, you should do the same thing.
We've all heard the phrase "Dance with the one that brung ya." If you can get past the cringe-worthy grammar, the advice sounds like it makes sense. If a player got you to the playoffs, you should stick with that guy and see how they do. You can't bench someone that helped you all year, right?
Wrong. Absolutely, 100 percent wrong. If Kansas City can trade a quarterback who brought them a lot of success, you can certainly bench yours in the league championship game. And they weren't risking some prize money in a league with friends. They risked the future of a franchise, and the wrath of die-hard fans.
But they did it for a reason. Kansas City brass saw something in Patrick Mahomes. Maybe it was film, or how he conducted himself in practice. Maybe Andy Reid just knows these things. Even if you followed the team closely, and thought Mahomes would be good, you probably didn't think he'd be this good. They traded a very good quarterback and went with a generational talent. In hindsight it was a brilliant move. And really, that's why they're the defending Super Bowl champions.
If you want to be a champion, you have to at least consider doing the same thing. You should never make moves just to make them, but you also should never hesitate to start the guy who you think will score the most points this weekend. Whatever you see in this week's matchups, don't be afraid to make the bold move.
Now, I'm no expert, but I don't see a lot of troublesome matchups on the schedule for the predictable starters. I suspect there will be quite a few high-scoring contests. But it's your team. If you don't like Russell Wilson's matchup this week (I don't), feel free to bench him. Same with Dalvin Cook, or Davante Adams or whoever. It's up to you. Nobody is untouchable.
Again, don't make a change for no reason (Translation: You're going to start Adams). But if you don't like a matchup for whatever reason, and you really think another guy will get more points, go for it. Please note that I didn't write to make a change if another guy could get more points. You can make an argument for anything. I mean, if your gut tells you that you'll be forfeiting points if you keep things the same, listen to your gut.
Last week I benched Will Lutz in a playoff game. It was the first time he played in a game all season that I didn't start him. But I thought Ryan Succop was better, and I made the move. And it was the right decision.
I lost big anyway, and that's okay. The better team won. The point is that I didn't let history or inertia or anything else get in the way of making the best move for my team. It was just a kicker, but points are points. In a close game, it could have made the difference. Don't let anything get in your way of winning the biggest game of the year.
Just keep in mind that it won't always pay off. I won a title one year when my opponent bravely benched a season-long starter for a sweet matchup with a lesser player. The new guy got stopped on some goal-line carries and the benched player had his normal, impressive game. It was the difference in our contest. It was great to win, but I also respected his decision to go for the bigger payoff in what looked to be a tight matchup.
Fortunately, you might get a preview of week 16 with games on Friday and Saturday. If you find yourself way behind, you'll know that you might need to hit some home runs. If you're way ahead, maybe you go with a solid floor over a breakout game. Up to you. But whatever you choose, don't be afraid to make those bold moves. The only thing worse than losing is losing when you knew what the right lineup moves were, but you didn't make them. Go down swinging, and you might just knock out your opponent. Good luck this week.
Do you tend to stick with who got you to the playoffs, or do you bench starters regularly? Has it paid off or burned you in the past? Share your thoughts below.