More fascinating speculation and subplots await this week as the Jets and Bengals ready to play the final game of the NFL regular season Sunday night.
Like Colts coach Jim Caldwell was last week leading into their game against the Jets, Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis yesterday didn’t reveal his hand regarding whether he’ll play his stars or how much they might play in a game Cincinnati doesn’t have to win.
But unlike Peyton Manning staying mum on his preference to play last week, Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer yesterday voiced his desire to play Sunday.
“We are a team that thrives on momentum,” Palmer told reporters in Cincinnati. “We want to go out and shut [the Jets] down and put up some points. We need that momentum and aggressiveness going into the playoffs. We need that indestructible feeling going into the postseason.”
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With the Bengals having already clinched their division title and a home playoff game, the only movement they can make is from the No. 4 to the No. 3 seed, which could lead Lewis to rest his starters.
“I’ll make those judgments later in the week as we go, see how we are, but we’re going to approach it as a game we need to win,” Lewis said.
Another compelling variable is the fact that, should the Jets beat the Bengals, the two are most likely to meet in the playoffs the following week. With not a lot on the line, the Bengals might not want to show the Jets a lot of their playbook Sunday night.
“We’re going to take all those things into consideration,” Lewis said.
As for the Jets, they’re expecting the Bengals to play their starters. “We’re preparing that Carson Palmer will be the quarterback and Chad Ochocinco will be a receiver,” Rex Ryan said.
“We have to prepare for every last one of them to play,” safety Jim Leonhard said. “To get to the playoffs, we have to beat that team — regardless of who they throw out there.”