Will they play -- or will they lay low?

That's the question being asked about the Denver Broncos' starters going into the regular-season finale at San Diego on Saturday. The Broncos are on a three-game win streak, and have the AFC West title and a first-round playoff bye.

So why expose the regulars against the Chargers?

Simple. Broncos coach Mike Shanahan should want to see a sharp effort from the starters before the week off. Play the healthy starters through the first half, then make substitutions where needed after the half. Remember the regular-season finale in 1998? Denver already had home-field advantage locked up, but played its starters against Seattle to get some momentum.

"People are human. You can lose that edge even when you do have home-field advantage and you have the decision sewn up," Shanahan told reporters before the regular-season finale in '98.

Good ol' momentum -- never hurts to pocket a little more of it before a bye.

NOTEWORTHY

The Broncos will prepare to host a home playoff game for the first time at Invesco Field at Mile, and their first home playoff game since the AFC Championship Game against the New York Jets on Jan. 17, 1999 at old Mile High Stadium. Talk about long waits -- how about the Cincinnati Bengals, who could host a playoff game for the first time since Jan. 6, 1991.

"We're No. . . . 6?" That could be the battle cry at the Broncos' headquarters this week. Denver ranks sixth in the NFL in most points scored (372) and sixth in least points allowed (251). The Seattle Seahawks are No. 1 in most points scored (435) and the Bears are No. 1 in least points allowed (168). In the AFC, Denver ranks No. 4 in points scored (372) and No. 3 in points allowed (251).

Last month, we put the "heat on" former Broncos running back Clinton Portis , saying he needed to step up his game as the Washington Redskins were mired in a slump. Portis has stepped up, raising his rushing yards per game average from 86 to 115. He had five rushing touchdowns through Washington's first 11 games, but has four touchdowns in the past four games.

READER COMMENTS

All of the self-labeled "Experts" on the countless nfl shows on t.v. have been insisting that the Colts rest their starters, for weeks now. The big difference in this scenario, is that the guys on t.v. who are former players, to a man, insist the starters need to play to keep their edge. And somehow the reporters shake their head in disagreement. As if they know better? I'm going with the former players turned analysts, if they say the starters need to play at least the first half, they know best.

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