Football for Normal Girls - Page 10 of 67 -

Resources : Updated Resources

Now, I know you can all wander over to the Resources page and check out the aforementioned newly updated list for yourselves, but there’s just so much goodness here that I can’t help but bring it front and center. There are SO MANY great resources available to take your football knowledge and enjoyment one step further. Here are some of my favorites:

Websites to Stalk

MMQB has the best writing in all of sports – perhaps in all of anything. Everything (everything) here is good, but Peter King’s weekly column (Monday Morning Quarterback, hence MMQB) is an absolute must-read.

Quickish, now simply “the Q“ has long been my favorite quick-hitting resource for the best news in sports…and now there is a version just for the NFL! It’s like Christmas!

You can’t beat the statistical quality of the information over at Pro Football Focus. They do a “refocus” of each game every week, breaking it down by the numbers, which is tremendously helpful, and also award a PFF team of the week and “had a bad day” team of the week, both of which are just fun (and informative!) reads.

Helpful Apps

The Football Simplified app will help you break down the basics (and then some!) in short order. (For the Western New Yorkers in the crowd, there is also a hockey version of this app!)

I know from experience that the NFL Mobile app really does cure #FOMOF (Fear Of Missing Out on Football) because I traveled for the first 8 weeks of the season and often had to rely on radio broadcasts to catch games while driving. Much to the chagrin of the other drivers on the road, who must have thought I had severe road rage. Nope…just listening to the sound of Aaron Rodgers’ collarbone breaking. Nothing to see here.

I rely on Bleacher Report to send the first push notifications about breaking NFL news (somehow they are almost always the first to break news) and Packers news with the Team Stream app.

Educational Television Programming

My personal favorite is NFL Turning Point. Beyond getting an up close and personal look at the game, you also get substantial explanations of what happened, specifically, in several games each week that led to wins or losses. Airs: Wednesdays at 10:00pm and 11:00pm (NBC Sports Network)

Similarly, NFL Matchup is one of the most insightful football shows out there, and definitely the best football programming on ESPN, in my opinion. It’s impossible to walk away from an episode without learning 87 new things about football and having an intel edge on the upcoming games that day. Airs: Sundays at 6:30am (ESPN) and 8:30am (ESPN2)

Even if you aren’t a football fan, chances are you’ll love the A Football Life documentaries. Each focuses on a prolific person in football history (even current history, with players like Michael Strahan). The stories are so well-produced and beautifully told. Airs: Wednesdays at 8:00pm (NFL Network). You can also buy Season One and Two on DVD.)

Podcasts

I’m including this section to highlight the only sports podcast I listen to (though I’m sure there are many other good ones out there): Tuesdays with Aaron. As a Packers fan, this podcast really can’t be missed. Because how often do you a) have the best quarterback in the league on your roster and b) get to listen to him talk and be a real person for a half an hour every week? Admittedly…this happens more often for the Packers than it does for other teams. Green Bay has been extremely fortunate when it comes to high caliber quarterbacks. But the Rodgers era is a golden one for sure, and this podcast is a great way to savor it.

What He Said : A Winning Season

While watching games over the weekend I noticed that no one ever really explains what having “a winning season” actually means, even though it’s a term that is thrown around fairly regularly at this time of year. Does having a winning season mean winning the Super Bowl? Or is it merely winning your division? Do moral victories count?

What exactly do you have to win to have a winning season?

As it turns out, it’s not a question of what but of how many.

To have a season count as a winning season a team needs to win more games than they lose. Had a 12-4 regular season record? Winning season. Had a 9-7 regular season record and missed the playoffs on account of divisional losses? Still a winning season. Anytime a team wins more games than they lose – no matter which games they win or which stage of the post-season they make it to, if any – it’s a winning season.

This is also called being “above .500,” which probably sounds completely unrelated when taken out of context. But really, it makes sense! A team’s winning percentage is calculated by dividing the number of wins by the total number of games. Having an equal number of wins and losses would result in an 8-8 season, and 8 (number of wins) divided by 16 (total number of games) = .500 (winning percentage). Any more wins than that would result in a winning percentage above .500. For example, our 9-7 team from the paragraph above would have a winning percentage of .563. The 12-4 team has a winning percentage of .750. Both of those teams calculate out to “above .500” because they had more wins than losses and, thus, had winning seasons.

The opposite of a winning season is, of course, a losing season, which means that a team fell “below .500” and therefore lost more games than they won.

Here’s your interesting piece of NFL trivia for the day: a team can have a losing season and still make the playoffs. True story. In fact, it happened not too long ago to the 7-9 Seattle Seahawks, who won the NFC West to make it into the playoffs in the 2010 season back when the NFC West looked something like this season’s NFC East.

Which hammers home the point all the more that losing seasons and winning seasons have nothing to do with titles and everything to do with number of wins. Just another that-kind-of-makes-sense-but-wait-does-it? aspect of football.

Video Post(!) : Football Field Fundamentals

I know that video posts in blog posts are technically supposed to be called “vlogs,” but I just can’t do it. The English language is ridiculous enough as it is without adding new ridiculous words to the mix. And is it really so hard to just say the extra word? Must we merge the two into one? How much longer does it really take to say “video blog” as opposed to “vlog,” and what, exactly, are you planning on doing with those extra 0.25 seconds?

People, join me. Resist the urge to merge.

In other, less grammatically-inclined news, I made a video post…and I survived! I’m so much better with typing words onto a screen than speaking words while looking into a screen. However, I wanted to make this one in preparation for the upcoming Influence Network class in an effort to force myself to stop being Chicken Little. Plus, I’ve wanted to feature video posts here for a long time! I think that sometimes concepts are easier to grasp when they are explained out loud and shown with a visual, so count on more video posts in the future.

This video will help you grasp the basic fundamentals of a football field. If you need to call in the reinforcements, you can always check out the Football Field Fundamentals post, too!

Two things to consider post-video:

1. If you haven’t signed up for Understanding Football, high tail it over to the Influence Network and sign up! The class is only ONE WEEK from today!

2. Is there something you’d like to see covered in a video post as opposed to a regular post? Leave your ideas in the comments!

At the Water Cooler : Week 11

Think wins and losses were pretty straightforward in Week 11 before the games even started? Think again! It was a week in which we relearned the weekly NFL lesson: you can never assume that you know what you don’t know. Anyone can win at anytime in this league.

Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans (Colts won, 30-27)

The Colts are the definition of a team that can never be counted out. They are the best in the business at the comeback win. Beyond that, they still have yet to lose back-to-back games under second-year head coach Chuck Pagano.

NY Jets at Buffalo Bills (Bills won, 37-14)

The Jets odd-numbered-week win streak came crashing to a halt on Sunday. For whatever reason the Jets seems to struggle to win in Buffalo, and Sunday was no exception. It was a long one for Gang Green.

Baltimore Ravens at Chicago Bears (Bears won, 23-20 OT)

It seems like the ultimate in irony that a game delayed nearly 2 hours by severe weather would go into overtime. Total time: 6 hours, 19 minutes.

Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals (Bengals won, 41-20)

The Browns came out with guns blazing, putting up 13 unanswered points in the 1st quarter, and then the game was played backwards in the 2nd quarter. Literally. The Bengals scored 31 unanswered points in the 2nd quarter.

Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Buccaneers won, 41-28)

This has to be the low point for Atlanta, right?

Arizona Cardinals at Jacksonville Jaguars (Cardinals won, 27-14)

The Jags scored 14 points in the first quarter…and then decided to be done for the day. And the Cardinals were ok with that!

Oakland Raiders at Houston Texans (Raiders won, 28-13)

Way to go, Rookie. Raiders rookie backup QB Matt McGloin threw three touchdowns and no interceptions to lead the Raiders to the win against the Texans – who could probably use some of that good QB fortune on their side. Keenum was benched, Schuab was booed, mayhem ensued.

Washington Redskins at Philadelphia Eagles (Eagles won, 24-16)

The losing streak is over: For the first time in over a year, the Eagles won at home. Philadelphians, rejoice! Or complain at a lower level of intensity!

Detroit Lions at Pittsburgh Steelers (Steelers won, 37-27)

When FOX switched to this game in the middle of the Redskins at Eagles game, my mom looked up at the TV, saw the Steelers throwback unis, and said, “Is this game sponsored by Honey Nut Cheerios?” It made my day. As did the Steelers handing the Lions an unlikely loss.

San Diego Chargers at Miami Dolphins (Miami won, 20-16)

Who wants the last wildcard slot in the AFC? Apparently no one in particular, since there are two 5-5 teams and seven 4-win teams who are all in the running for that last spot, Chargers and Dolphins among them.

Minnesota Vikings at Seattle Seahawks (Seahawks won, 41-20)

The last time the Seahawks lost at home it was the night before Christmas…2011. Apparently they were really, really good and Santa put nearly two years of home wins under their tree the next morning.

San Francisco 49ers at New Orleans Saints (Saints won, 23-20)

The Saints are used to winning by multiple touchdowns at home, but I think they’ll take this hard fought home win against the Niners all the same.

Green Bay Packers at NY Giants (Giants won, 27-13)

This was a game until JPP made a crazy athletic pick six in the 3rd quarter. And then it was over. I’m borrowing hope from the fact that the Giants opened the season 0-6 and still have a shot to make the playoffs (~~because they play in the NFC East~~) to help heal the pain of the Packers losing three straight for the first time since Aaron Rodgers’ first year as a starter in 2008.

Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos (Broncos won, 27-17)

Peyton Manning is a walking advertisement for athletic tape right now; his ankles were just about mummified when he took the field last night. But they didn’t take any extra beatings last night, since Manning did not get hit once in the entire game. That’s unreal. Kudos to his quick decision making and Denver’s O-line for keeping the Kansas City defense at bay. The Chiefs will be ready and waiting for a rematch at home in 2 weeks.

New England Patriots at Carolina Panthers (MNF on ESPN)

I am so excited for this Monday night matchup. The Panthers have a real shot to win this one and prove that last week’s win against the Niners wasn’t just a lucky fluke. But then again…who in their right mind would ever count the Patriots out? As Mr. T would say, I pity the fool who underestimates the tandem power of Brady and Belichick.

Bye: Dallas Cowboys, St. Louis Rams

Review and Preview : Week 10

Review

Audible: Calling an audible is what happens when someone, usually the quarterback, changes the play at the line of scrimmage. (From Tuesday’s post.)

Head Coach’s Headset: The head coach is usually talking to coordinators who are up in the box (a press box up high in the stadium). He is engaged in a constant conversation with his staff in order to collectively create the most effective game plan possible. (From Wednesday’s post.)

Live Helmets: One player from each team is allowed to have a live radio in his helmet through which he receives play calls from a coach – usually a coordinator or position coach. The “live” helmets are designated by a green dot sticker on the back of the helmet. The lines of communication aren’t always open – during the 40-second play clock, the coaches have 25-seconds to communicate with the player wearing the live helmet. It automatically shuts off in the last 15-seconds. (From Wednesday’s post.)

Most Likely To Score a Touchdown: There is no one position amongst the offensive “skill” players – wide receivers, running backs, tight ends – that is more likely to score a touchdown than any other. It is completely dependent on the team, the players, and the style of offense they play. (From Wednesday’s post.)

FootballSimplified App: An app that teaches the basics of football in just a few sentences. It’s a quick, informative tutorial that will help tremendously as you dive further into the basics and beyond. The app covers understanding offense and defense, but also covers offensive play calling, a defensive coverage, and kicking formations. (From Thursday’s post.)

Reminder!

Don’t forget to register for the upcoming Understanding Football class on November 26th on the Influence Network! There are only 50 spots, so be sure to get yours before they sell out!

Preview

Normal Girl Game of the Week

Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos, SNF on NBC

As aforementioned, this was an easy pick for game of the week – and more than that, it’s the game of the year so far this season. The undefeated Chiefs face the Broncos at home in a battle of the best in the AFC, who also happen to occupy the same division, the AFC West. Barring an unfathomable collapse, one of these teams will win the division and the other will get the top wildcard spot. These divisional games will go a long way in deciding who gets which spot. They will also be the biggest test for the perfect Chiefs thus far.

Also on the Radar:

1. The Panthers proved that they are the real deal last week against the 49ers. They’ll get another chance to prove their legitimacy this week as they face the Patriots coming off a bye. Interestingly enough, however, Bill Belichick has an 8-6 record when coming off a bye. It’s not a bad record, but it’s also not an indication that the Patriots have a better chance of winning this week coming off a bye than they do any other week. In fact, that win percentage (.571) suggests less of a chance to win than their usual win percentage under Belichick (.720).

2. As per above, the Niners were handed a tough loss at home by the Panthers last week. And this week, to get back on track, they face an even greater challenge: trying to best the Saints in New Orleans. That is one Everest-sized tall order.

3. This week’s weird-but-true fact: The Jets only win in odd weeks this season. Literally. They won in Weeks 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9, and lost in Weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, and just had their bye in Week 10. This week, Week 11, they play the Bills in Buffalo, a road location that usually proves troublesome for the Jets. Which is more powerful: the 2013 odd week streak, or the bone-chilling reality that is Buffalo in November? We shall see.

Resources : FootballSimplified App

There are lots of great places to get your football smarts (and I just did a refresh of the Resources page, which we’ll go over in a post at a later date, to put all of my favorites in one place). I was recently introduced to a new one by the guys over at SportSimplified, and I think it’s one you all will be VERY interested in!

FootballSimplified is an app that teaches the basics of football in just a few sentences. (And you all know there’s no way I can produce that kind of brevity over here. I like words way too much for that.) It’s a quick, informative tutorial that will help tremendously as you dive further into the basics and beyond. Especially beyond! The app covers understanding offense and defense, but also covers offensive play calling, a defensive coverage, and kicking formations. Plus, once you are finished with all of the lessons, you can take a quiz to test your new knowledge!

Here’s why I like the app. Let’s say you wanted to learn more about wide receivers. You can learn about their basic function in the Offense lesson:

Then, once you are set with who the wide receivers are, you can learn more about where they are on the field in the Offensive Formations lesson:

Not to leave any stone unturned, you can go one step further and learn what a wide receiver might do during a passing play in the Offensive Playcalling lesson:

Interested in giving it a whirl yourself? You can download the app for iPhone, iPad, Android, and Kindle Fire. Also worth checking out: the SportSimplified blog. And for all of you Western New Yorkers out there, I know you’ll be thrilled to hear that they also have a HockeySimplified app, so be sure to check that one out, too.

Thanks to Clayton and the team at SportSimplified for reaching out about this app! You guys are doing a great job!