Football for Normal Girls - Page 9 of 67 -

5-Minute Football : Coin Toss

It’s a simple thing: the captains from both teams gather round and a coin gets flipped. It’s one of the oldest ways to make an unbiased decision. But what actually gets decided at the coin toss?

First, the team that wins the coin toss gets to decide whether to receive or defer. If they choose to receive they will be on the receiving end of the kickoff that starts the game. The other team then gets to receive the kickoff after halftime to start the second half. If the team that wins the coin toss choses to defer they will wait to receive the kickoff until the second half and the other team will receive the kickoff that starts the game.

Quick roundup of definitions:

Receive = start on offense at the start of the game.

Defer = start on offense at the start of the second half.

Receiving team = team that receives the kickoff.

Kicking team = team that kicks the kickoff.

The team that chooses to defer gets to decide which end zone they want to defend first. It’s supposed to function as a consolation prize – if you aren’t choosing when you get the ball, you get to chose which end zone you want to defend first. (Teams switch end zones at the end of every quarter.)

I kind of wonder if the coin toss rules might change soon, because the current trend in the NFL is to defer. A team defers kickoff by choice…and then also gets their pick of the end zones. It’s a win/win for the winning team and a lose/lose for the losing team. Deferring the kickoff is advantageous for teams who believe they will have a lead at halftime and want to come back out and put points on the board asap – to “double up” on the number of scores that separates them from the other team.

However, this trend does not hold true in overtime, when the team that wins the coin toss always elects to receive. We’ll go over overtime rules in more detail soon, but it’s always advantageous to score first, so the team that wins the coin toss would want the ball first.

At the Water Cooler : Week 13

Welcome back, everyone! I hope you all had wonderful Thanksgiving weekends with family and friends!

Now, let’s be honest. All of yesterday’s games had a tough act to follow after the wonder that was college football on Saturday. Oh my word…it was all so good. But there was still plenty of decent action in the NFL this week, capped off with tonight’s incredible NFC matchup. Let’s dive into Week 13!

Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions (Lions won, 40-10)

Let’s just say I found a few other things to be grateful for this Thanksgiving.

Oakland Raiders at Dallas Cowboys (Cowboys won, 31-24)

Matt McGloin’s first half was stronger than his second half, but he held his own against the Cowboys and is giving Raider nation something to be hopeful about in the future.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens (Ravens won, 22-20)

The ramifications of Mike Tomlin’s extracurricular participation in Jacoby Jones’ return are still forthcoming. Rumor has it – emphasis on rumor, the league hasn’t confirmed anything – that a six-figure fine and a potential loss of a draft pick could be on the way.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers (Panthers won, 27-6)

No shame in this loss, Bucs. The Panthers are the real deal.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Cleveland Browns (Jags won, 32-28)

Look who’s on a win streak! The Jaguars won their third game in a row against the Browns on Sunday. Fascinating fact of the day: Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon is the first player to ever have back-to-back 200-yard games – and both of those banner days came in losses.

Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts (Colts won, 22-14)

The Colts put themselves back in a good position to win the division and secure their playoff spot, but still didn’t look quite the same on offense. It was a lot of field goals and one excellent touchdown late for the win.

Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings (Vikings won, 23-20 OT)

It’s official: no one wants to win the NFC North.

Arizona Cardinals at Philadelphia Eagles (Eagles won, 24-21)

Nick Foles stayed perfect – 3 touchdowns, no interceptions – in this battle of the birds.

New England Patriots at Houston Texans (Patriots won, 34-31)

The Texans looked less awful than they have in past weeks – they were even up 17-7 at the half! But Brady will be Brady. He will score 27 points in the second half and send you on your way not knowing what hit you.

Miami Dolphins at New York Jets (Dolphins won, 23-3)

I’ve never felt so locally-televised-football challenged as I do this year living in upstate New York. We get every Giants and Jets game…and as this score indicates, it has been an underwhelming viewing season to say the least. True story: this one got so bad by halftime that we turned it off in favor of Christmas movies. That was the depth of our desperation.

(Although I am prone to watch as many cheesy Hallmark movies as possible between now and January. I can’t help it. I love them.)

Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs (Broncos won, 35-28)

The Broncos officially swept their series with the Chiefs. That happens when Peyton throws 5 touchdowns – 4 of which went to Eric Decker.

Atlanta Falcons at Buffalo Bills (Falcons won, 34-31 OT)

Oh, Buffalo. Just another heartbreaking loss to add to the pile. And for the Falcons, their first win since October. And it came in Toronto. Of course!

St. Louis Rams at San Francisco 49ers (49ers won, 23-13)

The Niners are back in the swing of things. Or, as Jim Harbaugh said in his postgame presser, “We’re in the position we’re in.” Cool.

Cincinnati Bengals at San Diego Chargers (Bengals won, 17-10)

The Bengals have all but solidified their hold on the AFC North, and the Chargers have all but played themselves out of contention. Almost. There’s still some wiggle room for wildcard teams in both divisions.

NY Giants at Washington Redskins (Giants won, 24-17)

The Giants are showing signs of life again. They came back from an early 14-point deficit to win, shutting the Redskins out in the 4th quarter while scoring 10-point of their own.

New Orleans Saints at Seattle Seahawks (MNF on ESPN)

THIS GAME. What a fitting wrap up to such a great long weekend of football! The Saints, hot as ever, will try to best the Seahawks at home, something no team has done since 2011. As if that weren’t enough, the Seahawks also haven’t lost on Monday Night Football since 2005. Keep a close eye on this one; it could very well be an NFC Championship preview.

Thanksgiving News and Notes

I’m taking a brief hiatus for the rest of this week to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family. But not to worry; I won’t leave you high and dry! Here are a few helpful things to know during this year’s family, food, and football fest.

Thanksgiving Games

Game 1: Packers at Lions, 12:30pm

What you need to know:

The Packers are playing without their starting quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, for the fourth (practically fifth, considering he was injured early in the Bears game) game in a row. The franchise that had started three quarterbacks in the past two decades (Favre, Rodgers, and Flynn) has now started four quarterbacks in the past five games (Rodgers, Wallace, Tolzien, and Flynn). Luckily, Packers offensive guard Josh Sitton has seen fit to add fuel to the fire for a Detroit team that has plenty of angst as it is. So that’s good.

I foresee my turkey coming with a side of tears tomorrow.

In all seriousness, this is a huge NFC North matchup. The Lions were unexpectedly dismantled by the Bucs last Sunday and beaten by Pittsburgh the Sunday before. They are tied with the similarly sliding Bears for the lead in the NFC North and need this division win to gain control of the NFC North. Green Bay, despite the loss of Aaron Rodgers and the 3-game losing streak, is only one game behind in the standings, so this win is critical (critical!) to their playoff hopes.

Game 2: Raiders at Cowboys, 4:30pm

What you need to know:

Oakland will also be playing without their starting quarterback, although in this case the backup, Matt McGloin, is playing well enough to usurp the starter and keep this position for the rest of the season.

It will be a tall order for him and the rest of the Raiders to upset the Cowboys, however, who are coming off of a big divisional win against the Giants and are used to playing these Thanksgiving Day games. But on the flip side, this is by no means a sure win for Dallas. Their defense has been less-than-stellar lately. If the Raiders offense can take advantage, we just might have a game on our hands.

Game 3: Steelers at Ravens, 8:30pm

What you need to know:

This AFC North matchup looked a whole lot prettier when the schedule was originally released before the season started. Now we know that the defending Super Bowl Champion Ravens are 5-6 and third in the division…as are the Steelers, who, after a woeful start, are on a 3-game win streak and have moved up to second in the division by merit of their in-division record.

Which means that this game has huge playoff implications in the AFC North – and, really, in the AFC in general, since a good percentage of the conference has decided that it’s cool to be 5-6. They are all in a massive fight for the last wildcard spot. In the AFC North in particular, the division leading Bengals aren’t that far ahead at 7-4. Should they falter and the Steelers keep winning or the Ravens rebound, this game could go a long way in deciding who takes first place in the division.

Helpful Hints

Need to brush up on your football knowledge before kickoff on Thursday? Read these posts in between turkey basting and pie baking:

The Basics of Offense

The Basics of Defense

The Basics of Special Teams

And then test yourself with this quiz to seal the deal.

Good on the football front but wondering how these Thanksgiving Day games came about in the first place? Check out this History Lesson post.

Need a quick point of reference to go to during game day? Keep the Glossary page open on your phone or laptop!

Most of all, have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your friends and family! I hope it’s your best one yet!

Today is the day!!!

Today is the day, people!!! If you are dreading the football portion of your Thanksgiving get together in just two short days, this is your answer. You’ll learn everything you need to know to watch a football game from start to finish and can impress/freak out your friends and family members with your newly acquired football knowledge on turkey day. It will be awesome.

If you haven’t signed up for the Understanding Football class over at the Influence Network tonight at 9pm EST, there’s still time! You can sign up here, but be sure to do so before 6pm EST!

Hope to see you all there!!!

At the Water Cooler : Week 12

Week 12: In which quarterbacks play special teams and one division sees zero wins and tight ends get off the turf untouched to run for pay dirt while defensive backs stand by and watch and a team comes back from a 24-point shut out at halftime to win.

Or, just another wild week in the NFL.

New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons (Saints won, 17-13)

The Saints continue to roll; the Falcons continue to slide.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns (Steelers won, 27-11)

It’s a quarterback! It’s a bumblebee! It’s Ben Roethlisburger punting just for the heck of it! And it was a good one, too, pinning the Browns to their own 1-yard line. Who knew?

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Detroit Lions (Buccaneers won, 24-21)

Thank you, Bucs, for going on a timely 3-game win streak to take down the Lions and keep the NFC North standings as-is.

Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers (Stupid Tie, 26-26 OT)

I could (and likely will) write an entire post on why the NFL needs to do away with ties. Technically it’s a better outcome than a loss…but it’s so wholly unsatisfying. I had never personally experienced a tie as a fan before – the last one for the Packers was in ’87 – but now I feel like I understand firsthand why everyone hates ties so much. The game ends, the score is tied, and you feel…like you just ate a bucket of celery and cucumbers for lunch. It’s kind of healthy, and you’re kind of full, but you’re mostly annoyed that you just ate a bucket of celery and cucumbers for lunch. And you’re still hungry.

I don’t know when or why that would happen, but that’s what I felt like yesterday when the Packers game ended. Celery and cucumbers.

San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs (Chargers won, 41-38)

Phillip Rivers had a banner day: throwing for 392 yards and 3 touchdowns, including the game-winner in the waning seconds of the 4th quarter. The Chargers are now back amongst the legion of 5-6 teams in the AFC fighting for a wildcard spot.

Chicago Bears at St. Louis Rams (Rams won, 42-21)

The elder bested the younger in this sibling rivalry game between the Long brothers. It was a bit of a beat down.

Carolina Panthers at Miami Dolphins (Panthers won, 20-16)

Beware, NFC: the Panthers are a force to be reckoned with, and they are only continuing to gain momentum.

NY Jets at Baltimore Ravens (Ravens won, 19-3)

I think we can safely say the Ravens defense is back.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans (Jaguars, 13-6)

This is just unfathomable. What a season in Houston.

Indianapolis Colts at Arizona Cardinals (Cardinals won, 40-11)

Since beating the Broncos in Peyton’s return to Indy in Week 7, the Colts have won two games by 3-points each and have lost two games by a collective 59-points. 59-points! On the flip side, the Cardinals have quietly snuck into prime wildcard contention in the NFC West.

Tennessee Titans at Oakland Raiders (Titans won, 23-19)

The Titans made their way to the top of that 5-6 pile in the AFC with Sunday’s win over the Raiders.

Dallas Cowboys at NY Giants (Cowboys won, 24-21)

This was my favorite play of the day.

Denver Broncos at New England Patriots (Patriots won, 34-31 OT)

The 14th Brady vs. Manning game wrapped up early this morning, around 12:30am. And it was worth every minute. In a nutshell: the Patriots fumbled on their first 3 drives of the first half, scored on their first 3 drives of the second half, and kicked an easy field goal to end it after a terrible mistake by the Broncos special teams in overtime. In case you missed it: this game was 24-0, Broncos at halftime. What a classic.

San Francisco 49ers at Washington Redskins (MNF on ESPN)

Surprisingly, the Niners would fall to 6-5 and 3rd in the NFC West with a loss tonight. They could use this win. But so could the Redskins, if for nothing more than a morale boost.

Bye Week: Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Philadelphia Eagles, Seattle Seahawks

Review and Preview : Week 11

Review

On Monday we reviewed the unpredictable world that is the National Football League.

On Tuesday I became Chicken-A-Little-Less-Little and posted a video blog. (AH.)

On Wednesday we learned what having a winning season actually means.

On Thursday I sent a deluge of new resources your way from the updated Resources page (any favorites, ladies?).

Preview

Normal Girl Game of the Week

Broncos at Patriots, SNF on NBC

I know, I know. You can roll your eyes all you want at how cliche of a pick this is…but in 20 years, you’ll thank me. How many opportunities do you get to see two of the best quarterbacks in the history of football play each other? And how many more of these matchups will we get to savor before Manning retires? This is a rare and wonderful occurrence, which means I fully endorse turning off your phone, locking the front door, ordering a pizza, stocking the freezer with good ice cream, and hunkering down for the night to bask in the glory of another Manning vs. Brady battle. That’s what I’ll be doing!

Also on the Radar

1. Will the one loss of the Chiefs 2013 season turn into two this week against the Chargers? Survey says no, but then again, who knows. See: Week 11. Anything can happen. The Chiefs will need to avoid the pitfall of being too preoccupied with the Broncos rematch next week, and the Chargers could really use a divisional win to save their playoff hopes after losing three games in a row. This game, like every game, could easily go either way.

2. Far be it from me to put an NFC East matchup on the radar…but this is actually a necessary game to put on the radar. Cowboys at Giants is a classic rivalry game, but more than that, this one could go a long way in deciding who wins the division should it all come down to divisional wins and losses. Dallas has the upper hand right now – 3-0 in-division as compared to the Giants’ 1-2.

3. The Lions will need to fend off the Bucs to regain control of the NFC North on Sunday. It might not seem like a tall order, but the Bucs are coming off of a 2-game winning streak after an 8-game losing streak. They have some momentum going. With the Packers at least having a shot at getting back in the race as they play at home against Vikings, the Lions could really use this win. (And, as a Packers fan, I’ll be the first to say that we could really use this loss. Go Bucs!)