Author: Beka

What to Know : Week 2

What to Know: Week 2

GAME TO KNOW: I think the game of the week already happened: Bears at Packers last night. It’s a classic rivalry, but more than that, it was a litmus test for both teams. The Bears put up 41 points on the Colts last week, an abnormality for their defensive-minded team. The Packers were just awful against the 49ers in Week 1, showing little to no improvement on the defense that was ranked 32nd in the league last season. So if Week 1 is to be believed, the Bears are an offensive powerhouse and the Packers are going to be last in the Division and miss the Playoffs.

But the 23-10 victory last night by the Packers is exactly why Week 1 should never be believed.

The Bears struggled to put points on the board. Jay Cutler threw 4 interceptions. The Packers sacked him 7 times, with Clay Matthews getting a career-high 3.5 sacks. Both showings should be taken with a grain of salt – I don’t think the Bears are as bad as they looked last night or the Packers are as improved on defense as they looked last night. But it definitely showed that both teams are capable of more than they showed in Week 1 – for better or for worse.

PLAYER TO WATCH: I’m going to go with Kevin Kolb on this one. The Cardinals paid a lot of money to get Kevin Kolb last season, but he didn’t quite live up to the high expectations they had for him. Consequently, former backup John Skelton was named the starter in a training camp quarterback controversy that lasted most of the preseason. He was playing well last week…but was injured near the ed of the game and could not return. Kolb came in and led the Cardinals to a 4th quarter win. Since Skelton is still out with the ankle injury Kolb will get the start this week against the Patriots. They’ll provide more of a challenge than the Seahawks did last week, but ultimately, this QB situation is far from set in stone so it’s not inconceivable to think that Kolb could win his job back with an outstanding performance against the Pats.

STORYLINE TO KNOW: Handshake Gate: Round II. If you didn’t see last year’s handshake mishap between head coaches Jim Schwartz and Jim Harbaugh, watch this. The teams will meet again for the first time since on Sunday for what is sure to be the most-hyped postgame handshake in recent history. It promises to be uneventful but highly anticipated.

RECIPES TO MAKE:

fudgy brownies with cookie butter frosting

7 layer cookie a la mode

chocolate dipped salted nut roll bars

sweet potato skins

chick-fil-a bites with honey mustard sauce

 

Our Training Camp : Week 5 Quiz

Week 5 Quiz here we come! Woo hoo!!!

1. The Chicago Bears are often associated with football pioneer:

  1. George Halas
  2. Al Davis
  3. Vince Lombardi
  4. Lovie Smith

2. Which of the following is NOT a Packers legend?

  1. Bart Starr
  2. Jerry Kramer
  3. Barry Sanders
  4. Reggie White

3. The team that was not founded with the original NFL is:

  1. The Chicago Bears
  2. The Detroit Lions
  3. The Green Bay Packers
  4. The Minnesota Vikings

4. The rookie quarterback for the Redskins is:

  1. Griffin Robert
  2. Peyton Manning
  3. Michael Vick
  4. Robert Griffin III

5. True or False: The Jets, Bears, and Ravens have historically high-scoring offenses.

  1. True
  2. False

6. The Refs accidentally gave the Seahawks an extra time out near the end of their game on Sunday. What is the right number of time outs for each team to receive per half?

  1. 2
  2. 3
  3. 4
  4. 6

7. True or False: A touchdown is worth 7 points.

  1. True
  2. False

8. Which yard line is the extra point kicked from?

  1. The 2 yard line
  2. The 10 yard line
  3. The 20 yard line
  4. The 50 yard line

9. A safety occurs when:

  1. A player alerts a ref to a penalty on the field
  2. A player is awarded for being on the receiving end of a unnecessary roughness penalty
  3. An offensive player is tackled in his own endzone
  4. A defensive player is tackled in his own endzone

10. It’s 4th and 1. The team on offense decides to go for it. The running back is stopped behind the line of scrimmage and they do not get the yard they need to convert to a new set of downs. What happens next?

  1. The defense receives the ball upon kickoff
  2. The defense receives the ball at it’s current field position
  3. The offense punts the ball to the defense
  4. The offense attempts a field goal

The Basics : Scoring

Today’s Basics post is all scoring, which is kind of the whole point of the game. So it’s a special week here! Let’s get movin’!

Things the Offense Wants to Happen:

Touchdown = 6 points! WOOT!

A touchdown is scored when the FOOTBALL (not the player) crosses the goal line into the end zone. However, the player must maintain control of the football while in the boundaries of the end zone in order for it to count as a touchdown (this is where instant replay and endless dissection of where exactly the ball is located comes into play).

Extra Point (aka Point After Touchdown or PAT) = 1 point

Which is why touchdowns are commonly thought to be worth 7 points. Not true! The extra point is kicked after a touchdown is made. It’s kicked from really close (the 2 yard line) so it almost always goes through.

Two-Point Conversion = 2 points

(Bet you could have figured that one out on your own.)

Desperate times call for desperate measures. If a team could greatly benefit from scoring 2 points instead of the standard 1 after scoring a touchdown, they’ll line up like they would if it were running a regular play and try to run or pass the ball into the end zone for a two point conversion.

Things the Offense does NOT want to Happen:

Safety = 2 points

(Not to be confused with Safeties, who are Defensive players.)

This is when an Offensive player is tackled in his OWN end zone. The two points are then awarded to the other team. It usually happens when the Offense gets stuck way far back in their own territory after penalties or a really, really good kickoff.

Turnovers

There are three ways that the Offense can “turn the ball over” to the Defense, which results in the Defense gaining possession of the football.

Fumbles: This is when the player who is carrying the ball either drops it or has it ripped away from him. Whoever recovers the ball gains possession of the ball and, consequently, a new Offensive possession.

Interceptions: This is when the ball is thrown and someone on the Defense catches it. Safeties and Cornerbacks are good at this.

Failed 4th Down Conversions: This is when the team goes for it on 4th down and doesn’t get the yardage needed to reach 10 yards for a new set of downs. For example: a team goes for it on 4th and 2 and only gains 1 yard. Since they did not earn a new set of downs, the other team gets the ball at it’s current spot on the field.

What To Know : After Week 1

We’re adding another new feature to go hand in hand with Friday’s post: a postgame guide to what happened over the weekend. Here’s what you need to know about Week 1 in the NFL:

  • Peyton Manning: Peyton’s return to football was nothing short of glorious. Once he was given free reign of the offense and went into his classic no-huddle mode, it was the Peyton of old back in action once again. He led the Broncos to a 31-19 victory over the Steelers.
  • RGIII: AKA Robert Griffin the Third. He lit it up for the Redskins – one of the best starts ever for a rookie quarterback. It wasn’t just the fact that the Redskins won against a tough opponent in a volatile environment (Saints at home) and it wasn’t just his performance stats. It was the maturity and intuition with which he played. He made smart decision after smart decision after smart decision – completely uncharacteristic for a rookie quarterback in his first NFL game.
  • Alfred Morris: Another stand out Redskins rookie. He looks like a remarkable rookie running back so far. (If you are in a fantasy league and he’s still available: draft him. ASAP.)
  • Stephen Hill: As long as we’re talking about rookies who look like they have potential, let’s throw wide receiver Stephen Hill in the mix. He looked great in the Jets season opener.
  • Offense? Really?: Three characteristically defensive-minded teams put up 40+ points on offense over the weekend: the Bears, the Jets, and the Ravens.
  • Unfortunate Surprise #1: Michael Vick threw 4 picks against the Browns…and the Eagles still won. (Translation: the Browns are just that bad.)
  • Unfortunate Surprise #2: I should have known better. I jumped the Bills bandwagon after all of the good press and positive moves they made in the offseason…but after living in Rochester for 8 years I should have known that the Bills never fail to fail. Sorry, Buffalo. I was really rooting for you. But after a 48-28 smackdown loss against the Jets, it looks like the same old, same old, once again.
  • Unfortunate Surprise #3: This one was the most troubling for me…the Packers defense. OH, the Packers defense! Where fore art thou, 2010 Super Bowl Champion D?!?! The Packers loss to the 49ers on Sunday was just ugly…there is a lot of work to be done before the Bears come to town for the Thursday night game in 2 days.
  • Replacement Ref Grade: C+. Most egregious blunder: giving the Seahawks a 4th time out in the final two minutes of the 4th quarter by mistake.

Last but not least, as a big fan of Mike and Mike in the Morning I have to give a shout out to their new show, Mike and Mike’s Best of the NFL, which debuts at 3pm on ESPN this afternoon. If you miss it the first time you can catch the reair on ESPN2 at 6:30pm. If it’s anything like the morning show, it will be amazing!

Divisional Breakdown : NFC North Teams

We’ve arrived at my favorite divisional breakdown: the NFC North breakdown. Featuring the best team in any division, named by a completely unbiased source who has not been a fan since age 10: the Green Bay Packers.

I’m so excited.

The Chicago Bears

History: Founded in 1919 and becoming a charter member of the NFL in 1920, the Chicago Bears have one of the longest histories in the NFL. They are often identified with longtime leader and football pioneer George Halas (“Papa Bear”) and iconic player and coach Mike Ditka. The Bears are known for their defense (especially in the ’85 “Super Bowl Shuffle” season) and their historic rivalry with the Green Bay Packers.

Current Players to Know: Jay Cutler, the oft criticized quarterback, doesn’t always have the demeanor associated with the position, but has the arm for it. Brandon Marshall is a wide receiver who just relocated back to Chicago after a brief stint with the Broncos. Brian Urlacher is the leader of the defense – and really, the whole team – as an 8-time Pro Bowler at the linebacker position.

Head Coach: Lovie Smith

2011 Regular Season Record: 8-8

What to Watch For in 2012: As a Packers fan, the Bears make me nervous this year. The Cutler-Marshall connection was strong over the first weekend of NFL action…to the tune of 41 points in a 41-21 win over the Colts. Primarily known as a defensive team, this offensive explosion is really a revelation for the Bears.

The Detroit Lions

History: The Lions, originally the Spartans, were formed in 1929. Despite their long history, the Lions have never played in a Super Bowl (though they did win four NFL championships prior to the Super Bowl era), and also lay claim to the unfortunate statistic of being the only team in the NFL to go 0-16: a completely winless season. Barry Sanders, one of the best running backs of all time, played for the Lions from 1989 – 1998.

Current Players to Know: Matthew Stafford is the Lions young but experienced quarterback. If you hear the name “Megatron” on a Sunday afternoon you haven’t accidentally been switched to a showing of Transformers – that’s the nickname of the Lions incomparable wide receiver Calvin Johnson. And holding down the fort with big plays and big penalities on offense is Ndamukong Suh, who plays defensive tackle.

Head Coach: Jim Schwartz

2011 Regular Season Record: 10-6

What to Watch For in 2012: The Lions are kind of known as the punks of the league…and I’m not just saying that because I’m a Packers fan. Examples include last season’s head coach handshake debacle and Ndamukong Suh “unintentionally” stomping on a defenseless (Packers) player at the end of a play, resulting in a 2 game suspension. If they can get over themselves and be mature, they can increase the growth that has taken them from an 0-16 team to a playoff contender.

The Green Bay Packers

(Just so we’re clear, I’m going to be unapologetically biased while writing this review. I love the Packers more than almost anything.)

History: The Packers were founded in 1919 by Curly Lambeau. They were originally known as the “ACME Packers” as they were sponsored by the ACME Meat Packing Company. With 13 titles, the Packers have won more championships (not Super Bowls…yet) than any other team in NFL history, which is how Green Bay was issued the name “Titletown USA.” Eight of those titles came at the hands of legendary coach Vince Lombardi. Prolific players include Bart Starr, Jerry Kramer, Paul Hornung, Ray Nietschke, Reggie White, and Brett Favre. The Packers are the only remaining publicly owned franchise in American sports. Fans are renowned as “cheeseheads” and are often referred to as the best fans in sports (an accolade with which I wholeheartedly agree.)

Current Players to Know: Aaron Rodgers is the Packers quarterback and current league MVP. The blond beast at linebacker is Clay Matthews, who is already off to a great start with 2.5 sacks in Sunday’s game. Charles Woodson is the leader on defense; this season he’s transitioning from cornerback to safety.

Head Coach: Mike McCarthy

2011 Regular Season Record: 15-1

What to Watch For in 2012: The Packers had an unbelievable regular season last year – 15-1!!! – despite having the 32nd ranked defense in the league. Unfortunately…they’ve already matched that loss total in Week 1 and the defense doesn’t appear to have improved much. The Packers were a popular preseason pick to make it all the way to the Super Bowl but with the NFC North as good as it is they’ll have a hard time making the playoffs if the defense doesn’t improve ASAP.

The Minnesota Vikings

History: The Vikings are the only team in the NFC North that wasn’t founded with the original NFL. Their franchise was awarded in 1960 and they’ve enjoyed moderate success ever since. You may remember the Vikings from the Metrodome collapse of 2010.

Current Players to Know: Adrian Peterson is the offensive name to know on this team. He’s been one of the league’s leading running backs ever since his rookie season. Jared Allen, famous for his post-sack celebrations, is the leader of the defense at linebacker. Christian Ponder is the quarterback.

Head Coach: Leslie Frazier

2011 Regular Season Record: 3-13

What to Watch For in 2012: The Vikings were less than impressive last year…and that’s being generous. This season, AP is back with a fully rehabbed knee (torn ACL and MCL) and looks to be back in winning form. Their quarterback situation is far from rock solid, but Christian Ponder has been decent so far.

What To Know : Week 1

Here’s a new feature for the regular season: a little pregame prep we’ll call What To Know. Every Friday I’ll post the game to know, player to know, and storyline to know for the upcoming week.

And…a handful of recipes to make for your football watching pleasure.

It’s the best of all worlds! You’ll be well-educated AND well-fed!

So, off we go. Here’s the crucial information you need to know about Week 1 of the regular season:

GAME TO KNOW: Steelers vs. Broncos

This marks Peyton Manning’s return to football…and in a new uniform. Last year the Broncos ended the season with Tim Tebow as starting quarterback. They beat the Steelers in the first round of the playoffs, which means two things 1: The Broncos are a playoff-capable, if not playoff-caliber, team, and 2: The Steelers have something to prove. They had no business losing that game. The Steelers are also starting their first season without star wide receiver Hines Ward (retired in the off season) and with new offensive coordinator Todd Haley (former Chiefs head coach), so there will be plenty to watch for on the Steelers side of the ball, too.

PLAYER TO WATCH: Tim Tebow

The Jets actually did a respectable job of not talking about something: how they are planning on using Tim Tebow. Watch for Tebow to be used in unconventional ways and in 4th down situations…or in a completely different way that no one is anticipating.

STORYLINE TO KNOW: Replacement Refs

The regular refs are in a lockout with the NFL over contract disputes. So the NFL has brought in replacement refs to officiate until the regular refs return…and homeboys are struggling. I mean, you can hardly blame them. They’ve been pulled from NAIA college leagues, the ridiculous but legitimate lingerie league, and other conspicuous places. So it’s not like they have NFL experience. But still…it’s been rough. Someone called an eight yard penalty during one of the preseason games. Eight yards. Now, I know we’re all still learning here, but I think it’s pretty cut and dry that penalties come in 5 yard increments. Oh boy.

The replacement refs pose a few sizable problems.

1: Player safety. It’s kind of like the “wait until your father gets home” complex – players will try to get away with more because the replacement refs might be less confident about making harsh calls.

2. Game timing. During preseason, games felt like they took an eternity because it took an eternity for the refs to discuss the penalties and decide on the correct call.

3. Game Integrity. More often than not, it hasn’t been the correct call.

For a hilarious insider’s view on this situation, check out Vikings punter Chris Kluwe’s article on deadspin.

RECIPES TO MAKE:

3 Ingredient Mini Turtle Brownies

5 ingredient baked potato skins

grilled zucchini pizza

maple pecan popcorn

roasted garlic guacamole