Tag: football

Surviving the Super Bowl: Test Answers

football, answersYesterday, you did the hard work. You took the test. Today, find out how awesome you did!

Here we go!

1. What’s a snap?

  1. That noise you make with your fingers and thumb
  2. The button thing on your vest
  3. The exchange of the football from the center to the quarterback
  4. The exchange of the football from the quarterback to the center

While 1 & 2 are valid answers, a snap is what happens at the beginning of every play when the center transfers the ball to the quarterback.

2. What’s a drive?

  1. A collection of plays that results in the scoring of a touchdown
  2. A team’s complete collection of plays during one possession of the football
  3. When a defensive player tackles the quarterback
  4. The way a team travels from the hotel to the stadium

Teams can expect to have about a dozen offensive possessions, or drives, per game.

3. There are 6 players on offense who stay constant, 5 who are interchangeable. Which of the following is a constant on offense?

  1. Tight End
  2. Center
  3. Wide Receiver
  4. Running Back

The right and left guards, right and left tackles, center, and quarterback are the players who remain constant on every offensive play. The tight ends, wide receivers, and running backs are interchangeable and arranged in personnel groups.

4. Which of the following is NOT an offensive lineman?

  1. Right Guard
  2. Left Tackle
  3. Center
  4. Linebacker

5. What does the phrase “3 and out” mean?

  1. A team did not convert on it’s first 3 downs and has to punt
  2. A team has 3 players out on injury
  3. A team is sending 3 wide receivers running out routes down the field
  4. A team did not convert on it’s first 3 downs and is kicking a field goal

If a team doesn’t gain 10 yards on their first 3 downs and is deep in their own territory, they’ll likely punt it away on 4th down. This process is called a “3 and out.”

6. It’s 2nd and 12 at the offenses 30 yard line. Which yard line do they need to reach to earn a first down?

  1. The 40 yard line
  2. The 42 yard line
  3. The 20 yard line
  4. The 18 yard line

2nd and 12 means that the offense needs to gain 12 yards for a first down. Since they’re at their own 30 yard line, they’ll need to reach their 42 yard line to earn a new set of downs.

7. A team has 4 chances, called downs, to gain 10 yards. So why wouldn’t most teams run a play on 4th and 1 from their own 20 yard line instead of punting it away?

  1. It’s against the rules
  2. They’re going to kick a field goal instead
  3. They have to punt at least 10 times per game
  4. They’d be risking turning the ball over to the other team and putting them in scoring position

If a team goes for it on 4th down and doesn’t convert, they have to turn the ball over on downs to the other team. That means that the other team will begin it’s drive right where the offense left off. If the offense left off at their own 20 yard line, that means the other team, now on offense, would be within 20 yards of the end zone and therefore very likely to score if the ball were turned over on downs.

8. The two sections of defense are:

  1. The defensive starters and the defensive backups
  2. The defensive front and the defensive backs
  3. The defensive offense and the defensive defense
  4. The defensive red zone and the defensive end zone

The defensive front consists of the defensive tackles, defensive ends, and linebackers. The defensive backs are the cornerbacks and safeties.

9. Which of the following players does NOT play in the defensive front?

  1. Ends
  2. Tackles
  3. Linebackers
  4. Safeties

Safeties play in the backfield with the cornerbacks.

10. The single tackle in a 3-4 system is called the:

  1. The front tackle
  2. The main tackle
  3. The nose tackle
  4. The head tackle

The one ridiculous answer in this quiz that is actually true: the sole tackle in a 3-4 system who plays in between the defensive ends is called the nose tackle.

11. The defensive backs are also known as the:

  1. Primary
  2. Secondary
  3. Tertiary
  4. Quad Unit

The DB’s are called the secondary because they are the second section of defensive players.

12. The defense brings 8 players into the box. What type of play are they anticipating?

  1. Punt
  2. Field Goal
  3. Run
  4. Pass

Lots of players up front = running play. Lots of players spread out in pass protection = passing play.

13. One linebacker goes out, one defensive back comes in. What package is the defense using?

  1. Penny
  2. Nickel
  3. Dime
  4. Quarter

If two linebackers were swapped out for two DB’s, it’d be a dime package. You’ll rarely see a quarter package (a swap of 3) and a penny package doesn’t exist.

14. Kickoffs occur:

  1. At the beginning of the first half
  2. At the beginning of the second half
  3. After scoring plays
  4. All of the above

The coin flip, however, only happens once, and determines who kicks the ball off first and who defers until the second half.

15. It’s 4th and 1. The offense is on the defense’s 20 yard line and decides to kick a field goal instead of going for it. Where will the field goal be kicked from?

  1. The 2 yard line
  2. The 20 yard line
  3. The 30 yard line
  4. The 37 yard line

10 yards of end zone + 7 yards lined up behind the tee = a kicker who is 17 yards away from the goal posts.

16. What does it mean to “go for 2”?

  1. Run a 2-pt scoring play instead of kicking for an extra point
  2. Run 2 players into the end zone and have both of them score separate touchdowns
  3. Kick a field goal for 2 points
  4. Kick an extra point for 2 points

If a team needs to even or exceed the score late in the game, they’ll likely go for 2. 

17. When can a team go for 2?

  1. After an extra point
  2. After a field goal
  3. After a touchdown
  4. After a kickoff

A team can only go for 2 after scoring a touchdown, in place of kicking a 1 point extra point.

18. If a team is down and needs to get the ball back quickly, what type of kick might they try?

  1. A kickoff
  2. An onside kick
  3. A fair catch kick
  4. All of the above

If you need more information about the thought process and execution behind onside kicks, check out this post.

19. True or False: Offensive and defensive players can also play on the special teams unit

  1. True
  2. False

True! Sometimes a few of a team’s best offensive players play on the special teams unit as punt returners, like the New England Patriots’ Wes Welker.

20. True or False: You are SO PREPARED to Survive the Super Bowl!

  1. True
  2. False

SO TRUE! You can absolutely survive the Super Bowl in fine form with all of this information under your belt. You’re going to love watching the Super Bowl this year! Have fun!

Surviving the Super Bowl: Test Your Knowledge

football, quizYou hung in there through offense. You breezed past defense. You even read the post about special teams and learned more than you ever wanted to know about kicking! But you’ll never know what you really know until you put your knowledge to the test. And that’s what this quiz is for!

The 20 questions below have all been taken from the Surviving the Super Bowl series of posts. Try to answer them on your own first, but if you need a hand, go back to the original posts for reference.

1. What’s a snap?

  1. That noise you make with your fingers and thumb
  2. The button thing on your vest
  3. The exchange of the football from the center to the quarterback
  4. The exchange of the football from the quarterback to the center

2. What’s a drive?

  1. A collection of plays that results in the scoring of a touchdown
  2. A team’s complete collection of plays during one possession of the football
  3. When a defensive player tackles the quarterback
  4. The way a team travels from the hotel to the stadium

3. There are 6 players on offense who stay constant, 5 who are interchangeable. Which of the following is a constant on offense?

  1. Tight End
  2. Center
  3. Wide Receiver
  4. Running Back

4. Which of the following is NOT an offensive lineman?

  1. Right Guard
  2. Left Tackle
  3. Center
  4. Linebacker

5. What does the phrase “3 and out” mean?

  1. A team did not convert on it’s first 3 downs and has to punt
  2. A team has 3 players out on injury
  3. A team is sending 3 wide receivers running out routes down the field
  4. A team did not convert on it’s first 3 downs and is kicking a field goal

6. It’s 2nd and 12 at the offenses 30 yard line. Which yard line do they need to reach to earn a first down?

  1. The 40 yard line
  2. The 42 yard line
  3. The 20 yard line
  4. The 18 yard line

7. A team has 4 chances, called downs, to gain 10 yards. So why wouldn’t most teams run a play on 4th and 1 from their own 20 yard line instead of punting it away?

  1. It’s against the rules
  2. They’re going to kick a field goal instead
  3. They have to punt at least 10 times per game
  4. They’d be risking turning the ball over to the other team and putting them in scoring position

8. The two sections of defense are:

  1. The defensive starters and the defensive backups
  2. The defensive front and the defensive backs
  3. The defensive offense and the defensive defense
  4. The defensive red zone and the defensive end zone

9. Which of the following players does NOT play in the defensive front?

  1. Ends
  2. Tackles
  3. Linebackers
  4. Safeties

10. The single tackle in a 3-4 system is called the:

  1. The front tackle
  2. The main tackle
  3. The nose tackle
  4. The head tackle

11. The defensive backs are also known as the:

  1. Primary
  2. Secondary
  3. Tertiary
  4. Quad Unit

12. The defense brings 8 players into the box. What type of play are they anticipating?

  1. Punt
  2. Field Goal
  3. Run
  4. Pass

13. One linebacker goes out, one defensive back comes in. What package is the defense using?

  1. Penny 
  2. Nickel
  3. Dime
  4. Quarter

14. Kickoffs occur:

  1. At the beginning of the first half
  2. At the beginning of the second half
  3. After scoring plays
  4. All of the above

15. It’s 4th and 1. The offense is on the defense’s 20 yard line and decides to kick a field goal instead of going for it. Where will the field goal be kicked from?

  1. The 2 yard line
  2. The 20 yard line
  3. The 30 yard line
  4. The 37 yard line

16. What does it mean to “go for 2”?

  1. Run a 2-pt scoring play instead of kicking for an extra point
  2. Run 2 players into the end zone and have both of them score separate touchdowns
  3. Kick a field goal for 2 points
  4. Kick an extra point for 2 points

17. When can a team go for 2?

  1. After an extra point
  2. After a field goal
  3. After a touchdown
  4. After a kickoff

18. If a team is down and needs to get the ball back quickly, what type of kick might they try?

  1. A kickoff
  2. An onside kick
  3. A fair catch kick
  4. All of the above

19. True or False: Offensive and defensive players can also play on the special teams unit

  1. True
  2. False

20. True or False: You are SO PREPARED to Survive the Super Bowl!

  1. True
  2. False

Media Day

Today is Super Bowl Media Day. It’s the day when the players and staff of both teams are available to all media outlets for questions of all kinds. Which means it’s a circus of mayhem under very loose control.

So today, we’re having our own version of Media Day. It’s bound to keep a much tighter grasp on reality. Here are some resources for more information on this year’s Super Bowl:

The Game

The Matchup

47 Reasons to Watch Super Bowl 47

Five Keys to Super Bowl 47

Super Bowl Q&A with John Clayton

The Harbaughs

Jim Harbaugh: NFL Quarterback

Pre-game sounds from the first meeting of the Harbaugh brothers last Thanksgiving

The brothers Harbaugh, mic’d.

Harbaugh Family conference call transcript

A snippet from Andrea Kramer’s HBO interview with the Harbaughs

Jack Harbaugh (Jim and John’s father) talking about Colin Kaepernick

The Ravens

Steve Sabol sits down with Ed Reed

A look back at Torrey Smith’s emotional game against the Patriots

Joe Flacco’s Delaware career (including the Albany game that almost got him benched)

A true player’s coach

The incredible story of O.J. Brigance

Ray Lewis

The Short One

The Medium One

The Long One

The 49ers

Memorable moments in 49ers Super Bowl history

…and it’s a pretty impressive history

Colin Kaepernick’s 4th grade letter predicting the future

Jim Harbaugh seeking sage advice (My favorite part? “I just know that the team that complains the most usually loses.”)

Randy Moss has another chance for a ring, but it seems like he’s already achieved redemption

Wait…What Just Happened? : The Pro Bowl

football, games, bowlThere are no real plays to break down today because yesterday was the Pro Bowl and complexity and controversy are not part of the Pro Bowl code. But that’s ok! Because we get 21 weeks of highly competitive football; we can have one week that is still competitive, but fun at the same time.

Just in case Roger Goodell decides that this is the end of the road, I want to remember this year’s game. Here were 10 of my favorite moments from yesterday’s Pro Bowl:

  1. The kids playing ukulele at the opening. Oh, my heart. 
  2. Brian McKnight should really sing the national anthem at every game for every sport. Including little league and Pop Warner. He did a phenomenal job.
  3. No Hawaiian shirts?! What’s up with that, Pro Bowl?! These people on the sidelines won’t make me laugh repeatedly for the next 3 weeks every time I remember them!
  4. One minute: scrolling through Twitter. Next minute: look up and see J.J. Watt on offense. It’s stuff like this that makes me love the Pro Bowl. When else are you going to see the (likely) Defensive Player of the Year take a snap at tight end?
  5. One minute: scrolling through Twitter. Next minute: look up and see J.J. Watt displaying some Halloween gore on his hands/face/jersey. Showing a ripped up finger to the camera as proof for the commish that this year’s Pro Bowl is being played hard? Well played, JJ. Nicely done.
  6. Getting to watch the last snap ever between legendary pair Jeff Saturday and Peyton Manning was such a special moment. That’s reason enough to keep the Pro Bowl around, in my opinion.
  7. Ed Hochuli with the calls, and the commentary: “Yes, there are penalties in the Pro Bowl.”
  8. Getting to see Larry Fitzgerald catch real passes for touchdowns (sorry, Arizona QB’s).
  9. A free play on a kicking penalty that ends with a punter chasing down and WWF tackling a safety; Phil Dawson’s backwards soccer trick kick; JJ Watt lining up for a second offensive snap which ended up getting picked: things you only see in the Pro Bowl.
  10. The wonder that is Peyton Manning, coaching players throughout the entire game, both on and off the field. He might be the best thing that’s ever happened to the Pro Bowl, and the most convincing advocate for it’s continued existence.

It’s never a bad day when the NFC puts on a dominate performance. Final Score: AFC 35, NFC 62.

Big surprise without the surprise: I really enjoyed the Pro Bowl this year. People can rip it and say it’s a joke, but it’s honestly something I look forward to every year. And it seemed like the players really made an effort this year; I’ll have my fingers crossed all offseason that it was enough!

How about you guys? Did you watch the Pro Bowl? Did you enjoy it?

What to Know : The Pro Bowl

football, games, bowl, The playoffs have ended and the Super Bowl is still a week away. Which means that on Sunday around noon, a general sense of panic will descend upon football-lovers everywhere.

What do we do?!?!

It’s a tough time in our lives.

But luckily, we know that the Super Bowl is right around the corner, and until then, we have a football-like entity to fill the void: the Pro Bowl.

Now, if you ask me, it’s the perfect buffer between life with football and life without it. The Pro Bowl eases us into understanding that we’re going to have to live without football in our lives every Sunday for the next six months (insert weeping here). It’s not a competitive game, but it’s not not a game either, so it’s kind of a slow transition into the offseason.

I’ll take whatever I can get.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the wonder that is the Pro Bowl, here are 5 things to know in advance:

1. It’s kind of a contradiction.

This is an all-star game, an honor bestowed upon players by colleagues, coaches, and fans, but it’s played like a preseason game. And often times…worse than a preseason game. The effort level over the past few years has really been wince-worthy – last year’s Pro Bowl being particularly ugly.  It’s this type of thing that has drawn the ire of fans and league officials alike, and the reason why the fate of the Pro Bowl is in jeopardy.

I can understand why players don’t give 100% after a grueling season when they are basically on vacation in Hawaii with their families and don’t want to risk getting injured. That makes sense. However, there still needs to be some measure of personal pride that makes you want to show up on the field for any game, especially one that should be an honor to play in.

Luckily, Peyton is back for his millionth Pro Bowl this year, and he wasted no time whipping this year’s crew into shape, setting high expectations, as always. So maybe this year, when the players know the future of the Pro Bowl is in their hands, it’ll be different.

2. You’re going to see a lot of screen passes. 

Like, a LOT of screen passes. It’s pretty much the only offensive play call.

3. You get to see Mike McCarthy and John Fox in Hawaiian shirts.

Likely two of the last guys (Bill Belichick might be the last guy) who would ever consider donning a Hawaiian shirt of their own volition. I don’t know why, but seeing an entire NFL staff in Hawaiian shirts never fails to bring me joy. It’s just so funny. This year’s NFC team will be led by the Packers’ Mike McCarthy and his staff while the AFC honors went to the Broncos’ crew. Fans can expect McCarthy to throw a few trick plays into the mix and Fox to not.

4. It might be an historic event.

As mentioned above, due to the fact that the level of play has been just shy of abominable over the past few years, the NFL is threatening to cancel the Pro Bowl if this year’s showing isn’t markedly better. And really, that would be a lose-lose for everyone. Fans would miss out on one more week with their favorite players, and, most of all, players would miss out on learning from the best in the biz and celebrating a huge accomplishment with their friends and families.

I understand that people get their panties in a bunch because the Pro Bowl isn’t a knock-down drag-out fight to the finish. But can’t we all take it down a notch? I love the Pro Bowl because of the atmosphere. It’s nice to see players get to relax a little bit and have fun on the field. And it’s one more week of football! What so bad about that?!

5. It’s your best bet.

Really, what else are you going to watch on Sunday night at 7pm if not the Pro Bowl? Let me give you your entertainment options: You’ve got 60 Minutes on CBS, America’s Funniest Home Videos on ABC, and Bob’s Burgers on FOX. Come on, now. Even if you don’t like football, the Pro Bowl might be the best option if only for the screen shots of Hawaii. It’s January, people. We’re desperate for this type of warm-weather programming.

Do you guys usually watch the Pro Bowl? Will you be watching this year? Why or why not?

Game Play Thursday : All About Clocks

football, advanced, clocksYou’re watching a game. There are 12 minutes left in the 4th quarter. But while the quarterback is making changes at the line before the snap, there is a little clock that is ticking down a dwindling number of seconds. The game clock says 12:00, but the other clock is counting down 5…4…3…2…before the quarterback motions for the snap and the play begins.

So, what gives?

There are two clocks running during every football game, and they each calculate different expanses of time. Just to make life more interesting.

The clock that counts down the time remaining in each quarter is the game clock. There are 15 minutes in each quarter. Once started, the game clock only stops:

  • when an incomplete pass is thrown
  • when a player with the ball runs out of bounds
  • at the end of a kicking play, a scoring play, or a quarter
  • when an official review is needed (measurement, replay, challenge, etc)
  • when a penalty is called
  • when an injury occurs
  • when a timeout is called (um, duh)

The game clock does not run during extra point attempts, even if a team decides to go for two.

*There are a few caveats to the main clock-stoppage plays as described above, but those are the primary plays in which the clock will be stopped. 

The play clock counts down the amount of time a team has to get a play started. You usually only see it (up by the scoreboard or electronically placed on the field) when time is close to running out. A team has 40 seconds from the end of a previous play to start the next play, unless it is one of the following situations, in which case the play clock is set to 25 seconds:

  • a change of possession
  • a charged team time out
  • the 2-minute warning
  • the end of a quarter
  • a penalty is called
  • an extra point attempt
  • a free kick

So unlike the game clock, the play clock does run during extra point attempts. It’s helpful to note that the game clock and the play clock are not always running at the same time.

Just in case you wanted to be thrown for another loop, here’s this: For most of the game, the play clock stops when a player goes out of bounds and is restarted once the officials spot the ball at the correct yardage marker. But during the last two minutes of the first half and the last five minutes of the second half, the play clock stops when a player goes out of bounds and doesn’t restart until the ball is snapped on the next play.

The NFL: Making Life Complicated Since 1920.

Need help remembering all of this?

  • The game clock keeps time for the game as a whole, and only starts and stops – the length of time isn’t added to or subtracted from (unless there’s an error).
  • The play clock keeps time in between plays and is almost always running – the length of time it’s set to (25 or 40 seconds) can change depending on the play.

So what’s up with the mini clock that’s counting down quickly when there’s still 12 minutes left in the game? That’s the play clock. If the offense doesn’t get the ball snapped before the time on the play clock expires, they will be charged a delay of game penalty, which is a 5-yard penalty.

Make sense?

This is where clock management comes into play. In a nutshell, clock management is using the time on the clock effectively – the game clock and the play clock – to put your team in the best position to win. The responsibility of clock management falls mainly on the quarterback, through the leadership/play calling of the head coach. If there are only 10 seconds left on the play clock, the quarterback needs to call out the play and get everyone set on the line of scrimmage immediately before the clock runs out. It’s each player’s responsibility to get the play and get lined up effectively, but the quarterback needs to orchestrate that sequence.

Have you ever heard commentators talking about a “2-minute drill”? That’s clock management as well. If a team is behind with a short amount of time left in the game – about 2 minutes or so – they usually have a set plan for how to proceed in a way that will lead to a win. That’s not to say that it will work, but the 2-minute drill is practiced every week to ensure that everyone is on the same page for clock management and play calling at the end of the game.

Clock management isn’t just for teams that are losing at the end of the game. Teams also practice 4-minute drills to run out the clock at the end of the game if they’re on top so that the other team doesn’t have a chance to get the ball back with a lot of time left to work with. Running time off the clock usually entails a lot of running plays – they take more time off of the clock because they are often short-yardage plays in which players stay in-bounds, so an effective running team can take lots of time off of the clock by slowly but surely plowing down the field.

You’ve surely also heard this at the end of almost any game: “And with that, the (insert team here) can run out the clock,” and this signals that the team will win the game without running any more plays, besides the quarterback kneeling down in victory formation several times. Why?

Two minutes = 120 seconds, right? You know what also equals 120 seconds? Three expirations of the play clock. 40 seconds x 3 downs = 120 seconds. So if the team in possession of the football at the 2-minute warning has the lead and a first down and the other team is out of time outs and therefore can’t stop the clock, the team with the ball can take a knee three times to “run out the clock” and win the game.

But let’s be clear: clock management isn’t just for the end of the game! In last week’s Ravens at Patriots Conference Championship game we saw the Patriots practice terrible clock management skills at the end of the first half. Head coach Bill Belichick and QB Tom Brady uncharacteristically mismanaged time by calling a quarterback sneak – a play that tends to stay in-bounds – with about 20 seconds left on the clock. Then, instead of using their last time out of the half, they tried to get to the line of scrimmage in time to clock the ball (taking a quick snap and downing it right at the line of scrimmage to stop the play clock and prepare for the next play) and try for a touchdown pass on the next play. But they couldn’t get everyone to the line before time expired, so they missed an opportunity for that touchdown try – or a field goal at the very least.

Clock management – though critical at the end of each half – is something that both teams manage well for the entire game, not just when it matters most.

Who knew clocks could generate such a long post? But now you should feel comfortable with the ins and outs of clock management in all its crazy glory. Questions, comments, or anything I missed? Leave ’em in the comments!