Faceoff: Pats' Giant bid? Miami's No. 1; Buc-benchers; hot 'Skins? - NFL

1. How much should the Pats use key players Saturday with home-field locked up but history on the line?
Pete Prisco	Clark Judge
I would play the starters, but if you get a lead then get them out. There's a method to the madness. If they get up by 14, get them out. If the Giants cut the lead to say a touchdown, then maybe you put them back in. You don't want to get anybody hurt. Going 16-0 and losing in the playoffs will mean nothing. But really the only two guys that truly matter are Tom Brady and Randy Moss. Keep those two healthy throughout the game, and it doesn't matter what else happens. If it were me making decisions, I'd play them. But I'd be careful. And I wouldn't play them if the game were 14 points or more by halftime.	The issue for New England here is not so much history as it is prepping for the playoffs and, ultimately, another Super Bowl. And the way the Patriots readied themselves three years ago when the season finale meant nothing was to play Brady three quarters. I expect that happens again -- at the very least. Hey, he might play into the fourth quarter, too. But that's not because an undefeated season is on the line. It's because Bill Belichick knows he has another two weeks before he plays again, so he can afford to leave guys in longer than he might if New England suited up next weekend. In 2004, Belichick's formula took the Patriots to their third Super Bowl victory in four years. So why would he deviate from the script now? I really have no strong feeling as to how little or how much the Pats should play their starters because they earned the right to do whatever they choose.

2. Who would you take right now with the No. 1 pick if you were boss in Miami?
Pete Prisco	Clark Judge
The issue is do they think John Beck is their long-term quarterback? If he is, then you take another position. If he isn't, you have to take a quarterback. Or find one. Let's say Bill Parcells thinks Beck is that guy. Well, then my choice would be Glenn Dorsey, the defensive tackle from LSU. He is a dominant player who can excel both against the run and the pass. Arkansas running back Darren McFadden is a better player, but Dorsey is more valuable. He will be in the league for 10-12 years. You never know with a runner. Look at what happened to Ronnie Brown. Plus, he is expected back. So my pick would be Dorsey. Another player I would consider would be Chris Long, the defensive end from Virginia. If Beck isn't the guy, my choice would be Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm. He's the best passer in the draft.	I'm not sure I would. Instead, I might try to auction the pick off to the highest bidder. Let's face it, these guy need help everywhere -- so do what Bill Walsh used to do with the 49ers and Jimmy Johnson did in Dallas, and accumulate draft choices as you work your way down the draft board. It will be hard for Miami to pass on Glenn Dorsey because the guy is a dominant player and because the Dolphins need interior linemen. But if the top player on your board is Darren McFadden, you must take him. I don't care that Ronnie Brown should be OK, you can never have enough good backs. If, however, your top pick is Dorsey, then do the right thing and make him yours. Still, I wouldn't be afraid to talk to prospective buyers. A lot of people are interested in these two guys, and the Dolphins should be interested in a lot of people.

3. Were the Bucs right to bench their starters -- and hence losing a shot at the No. 3 seed -- last weekend?
Pete Prisco	Clark Judge
Yes. There is really not much difference between the No. 3 and No. 4 seed in the NFC. Would you rather play the Giants or the Redskins or the Vikings? Does it really matter? Then if both the third and fourth seeds win, the four goes to Dallas the three to Green Bay. Would the Bucs rather play in the cold of Green Bay or the warmth of Dallas? I think it's the latter. So unless both the Seahawks and Bucs win in the second round, it really won't matter. I think Jon Gruden did the right thing pulling his vets in the second half last week against San Francisco.	I'd vote no, but only January will tell us. Look, I remember what Indianapolis did in 2005 when it won its first 13 games. After bowing to San Diego, the Colts coasted the next two weekends, then waited another two weeks to play again -- when they lost to a Pittsburgh team they had beaten in November. I know there were mitigating circumstances -- notably, the death of Tony Dungy's son -- but the Colts never seemed the same after they were pulled back. They looked confused, out of synch and out of rhythm until the fourth quarter of the Steelers game -- and by then it was too late. Jon Gruden doesn't have a first-round bye, so that changes things some. But I'm never a fan of going into the playoffs with starters getting more than one game off. I just believe it affects their timing, their outlook and their play.

4. What's the secret to the Redskins' recent three-game winning streak?
Pete Prisco	Clark Judge
Good defense and a quarterback not making mistakes. Todd Collins has four touchdown passes and no interceptions since taking over for Jason Campbell. He is managing the game, making timely throws and keeping teams off-balance to complement the running game. He won't win a game, but he can manage it. And the defense is playing well. They had two huge interceptions in last week's victory over the Vikings. With Shawn Springs and Fred Smoot on the field together, they have a formidable corner tandem, which allows them to play man coverage and load up to stop the run teams. That worked last week against the Vikings. They really do appear to be on a roll.	Well, if you want to know the truth, I'd say Sean Taylor. This club seems inspired in the wake of his death and is playing its best -- and most emotional -- football now. I know, it lost its first game after his passing, but the team seems to have found something the past three weeks -- I don't know, an inner reserve, a motivation, something -- that was missing previously. Now the Redskins are more focused and more intent on finishing the job, and it shows in their ball security. They have one turnover the past three games while opponents have six. That's a marked departure from the team's first 12 games when it committed 26 turnovers, or more than two a game, and helps explain why Washington is on the verge of making it to the playoffs.