Should The Colts Rest Their Players?

This has been a huge topic during a slow news week over at ESPN. There is a simple answer to the question- NO!

I understand the logic behind resting players, coaches want their stud players healthy enough to win a few games so they can win a Superbowl. However, there are so many flaws with this principle if you don't look at other factors.

1) This strategy has NEVER worked for the Colts in the past. The year the Colts won the Superbowl was the year they had a 3 seed and were still fighting and trying towards the end of the year. The years in which they locked up home field advantage were years in which Dungy rested his players. Those years the Colts never even made it to the Superbowl
2) This is a causality thing and not a correlation thing either. When players are rested towards the end of the season, they obviously don't play. This screws up the timing and chemistry when these players do come back. Historically, Peyton Manning and his offensive line have not been on the same page during playoff runs. This is because the players are rested and have gone out of sync with each other. The reason you rest players is so you can get optimal performances out of them. But you get the optimal performance out of these players by starting them every week, not by resting them
3) Recent history has pointed towards Superbowl winners still trying towards the end of the season. The Giants played the Patriots hard in Week 17 the year they won the Superbowl. The two times the Steelers have won Superbowls recently were years in which they needed to win games down the stretch.
4) Why not go for 16-0? Jesus, that's a historic fucking milestone and starting your starters will help you achieve that milestone! Plus, if you go 16-0 AND win a Superbowl, you'll be hailed as the greatest team of all time. Nobody really remembers a singular Superbowl team. Everyone would remember a 16-0 team, or even better, a 19-0 team. Even though the Patriots lost, they are still remembered for going 16-0.