re: If Saints win and Panthers lose,

Absolutely I would rest the starters. It's ridiculous to think otherwise.

For one, that whole 3 game winning streak going into the playoffs doesn't mean much. What's worse is if we play everyone and lose to Tampa...how do you think morale would be then? And Payton doesn't give a shite about that, as we saw in 2009. We lost 2 games in a row, and then he rested the starters week 17.

Also, our playoff game could be on a Saturday. You really want to play your key guys and risk injuries in a meaningless game, and then have them play a playoff game 6 days later? That's absurd! Win the division, have 13 days to prepare for your opponent (which is Arizona, if they lose Sunday night), and rest up. That rest week also puts things in perspective...what's happened to this point doesn't mean anything, and going on a 4-game win streak gets you a Super Bowl title.