ORCHARD PARK, NY (WKBW) — We've seen it done many times before.
With a playoff spot already clinched, NFL teams have used the last week of the regular season to rest their starters and keep them healthy with their most important games ahead of them. The Bills have done that in both 2017 and 2019, but what will happen in 2020?
"Those conversations have taken place and we have a plan," McDermott told reporters Monday evening. "I want to keep that plan internal, for a number of reasons. Number one, I haven't had a chance to talk to your players yet. At the end of the day, it's trying to do what's best for our football team and every team's different."
Earlier Monday, the Pittsburgh Steelers announced they would rest QB Ben Roethlisberger and coach Mike Tomlin said a few more starters could additionally sit in the team's game against the Cleveland Browns. Bills fans will most likely not get an answer until warm-ups take place Sunday.
"It comes back to making sure we're doing right by our team and the best thing for us," McDermott reiterated. "We're always trying to weigh every factor we can, every variable, put that into the equation to try and help us make a decision here."
The Bills and Steelers are currently no. 2 and no. 3 respectively in the AFC standings. If the Bills win, they would secure the no. 2 seed since they own the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Steelers. Meanwhile, the Bills opponent, the Miami Dolphins, need a win to secure a playoff spot.
