carter08
01-17-2010, 04:10 PM
Aside from the obvious reasons of not wanting to get players hurt, I think another reason you see a team like Indy lose their last two is that it makes them LOOK vulnerable, both to themselves and other teams.
If Indy was 16-0 coming into the playoffs, not only would they have to deal with the pressure of being undefeated, they have to deal with their egos, their idea that they're unbeatable. An example is New England a few years ago, they were "unbeatable" but the Giants were prepared to stop them. If New England had lost a game or two in the regular season, they'd play a little harder because they would know that they could be beaten. Opponents wouldn't be hyped up as much and might play a little flatter.
So, in conclusion, you don't want to go 16-0 because it gives your team too much confidence and makes the bulls eye over your head even larger.
If Indy was 16-0 coming into the playoffs, not only would they have to deal with the pressure of being undefeated, they have to deal with their egos, their idea that they're unbeatable. An example is New England a few years ago, they were "unbeatable" but the Giants were prepared to stop them. If New England had lost a game or two in the regular season, they'd play a little harder because they would know that they could be beaten. Opponents wouldn't be hyped up as much and might play a little flatter.
So, in conclusion, you don't want to go 16-0 because it gives your team too much confidence and makes the bulls eye over your head even larger.