Would an NFL team be allowed to intentionally lose for strategic reasons?

Bengals are still playing for the 2 seed (very important since they're 7-0 at home this season).......

Teams could incure serious fines and other penalties for intentionally losing a game, but there is no rules against resting their starters.

It's extremely difficult to prove that a team intentionally loses, especially if they have all their back-ups on the field.

Teams can start whomever they want, and it's not uncommon for teams that have clinched a playoff spot to rest their starters during the last week of the season -- Indianapolis did it all the time when Manning played there -- so there would be no repercussions if what you described happened because the teams would not be intentionally trying to lose.

Something similar to what you're describing may have happened in 2009, when James Harrison accused two clubs (ironically, the Colts and Bengals) that had already clinched playoffs spot of intentionally losing in the last two weeks of the season to allow the NY Jets to make the playoffs while shutting out Pittsburgh.

You can't instruct players to lose on purpose. However, you can construct a game plan, and follow that game plan throughout the contest that would limit your scoring. Example, Cincy is faced with 3rd and long...run the ball, come up short, and punt. Call plays that rarely work or Baltimore is especially good at defending. Show formations on offense and dont run anything tricky,...giving the Ravens a heads-up on what you are running. Also, if the Ravens have a rushing situation....put your passing defense out there. Play some sort of "prevent" defense. Create serious mismatches for your defense...maybe a slow LB trying to cover Pitta 1-on-1....and show Flacco this at the line of scrimmage.

That's why I'm hoping the Bucs lose to the Saints, while the Falcons beat the Panthers. I'm sure Falcons fans respect the Saints more.

Also, I'd like the idea... Maybe then the Lions would've beat the Giants in a game that didn't matter for them at all. Now there's a chance I'll have to see Aaron Rodgers in the playoffs, and I don't like him.

Can they do it? Yeah how would anybody know lol? Nobody would know if u were losing on purpose or not uless u literally hand the ball to the other team. Haven't u ever heard on "tanking for a player" in the nba? nba teams have lost on purpose by simply playing all backups to get a player they really really think is special. So I'm pritty sure you can in nfl as well.

goodell would fine that team. no joke. i remember the steelers or dolphins (some afc team) lost and another team on the bubble claimed that a playoff team did it to prevent a certain group of teams from making the playoffs. it was like a 4 game playoff berth scenario though.

It's theoretically possible. Just throw some bad passes or fumble the ball away on the red zone. Take some stupid penalties. Make dubious time management decisions.

By the way, the word should be ''repercussions,'' not ''reproductions.''