Tag: football

Wait…What Just Happened : Ties

Yesterday, something happened in the NFL that hasn’t happened in four years.

The Titans blew out an opponent.

Just kidding. Cheap Titans shot on a Monday morning. I’m writing this pre-coffee so I’m feeling a little snappy. (FYI – The Titans did blow out the Dolphins yesterday, 37-3. Perhaps their seats felt mighty hot after last week.)

But the thing that actually happened was a tie. The Niners and Rams ended the allotted 15 minutes of overtime with a score of 24-24. Which, honestly, feels less like shared victory and more like “Why does this even exist as a possibility?” It seemed like that was also the sentiment of most of the players in their post-game interviews.

Let’s put aside the fact that this was just a weird game from the get-go full of clock errors and mind-boggling penalties and missed opportunities on both sides to win the game handily. Let’s just focus on how exactly a tie happens and what it means in the long term.

OVERTIME RULES:

When the score is tied, the game goes into overtime. Captains go out to the middle of the field, a coin is flipped, and whoever wins the toss chooses to either receive (offense) or defend (defense). I’m not sure why a team would choose to defend under these conditions, but that’s neither here nor here.

Thanks to the new overtime rules, both teams get a chance to possess the ball UNLESS the team on offense scores a touchdown on their first possession, in which case they win the game. Let’s use the Rams and the 49ers as an example.

If the Rams win the toss and elect to receive and score a touchdown on their first possession, they win.

If the Rams score a field goal, the Niners have an opportunity to either win the game with a touchdown or tie with a field goal. If the 49ers do not score, the Rams win the game.

If the Ram do not score on their opening drive and the 49ers score either a field goal or a touchdown, they win the game.

If the Rams do not score on their first possession and the Niners do not score on their first possession then the ball goes back to the Rams and overtime continues until 15 minutes have elapsed.

If the score is still tied after 15 minutes, the result is a tie, which is what happened yesterday.

Make sense?

Ok, so here’s what that means:

TIEBREAKERS AND PLAYOFF IMPLICATIONS:

Tie games count as one-half win and one-half loss for both clubs (as per the NFL rule book). To get to the playoffs, the first place team from each division are automatically seeded (8 teams). The remaining 4 teams are wildcard teams, the two teams from each conference with the best record after the top seeds.

But what if there’s a tie?

This is where things get complicated. See: this.

For today, since I’m not confident that I have a firm grasp on how tiebreakers are decided in every situation, let’s just focus on yesterday’s game and what it could mean for the Niners and the Rams.

This situation is dicey because the teams both play in the NFC West. This means that they’re competing for the best record to get the NFC West playoff spot. Right now, the Niners are 6-2-1 (6 wins, 2 losses, 1 tie). The Rams are 3-5-1. It seems unlikely that their record would be the same at the end of the season unless the Niners collapse and the Rams excel, but it’s possible. If at the end of the season the Niners and the Rams led the division with a tied 10-5-1 record, here’s what would happen (again courtesy of the NFL rule book):

  1. Head-to-head (best won-lost-tied percentage in games between the clubs).
  2. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the division.
  3. Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games.
  4. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference.
  5. Strength of victory.
  6. Strength of schedule.
  7. Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points allowed.
  8. Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed.
  9. Best net points in common games.
  10. Best net points in all games.
  11. Best net touchdowns in all games.
  12. Coin toss

Isn’t it crazy that in the NFL…a multi-billion dollar industry…the end result could potentially come down to a coin toss?! Crazy. CRAZY.

Now, let’s rewind a minute and say that the Rams and Niners were tied atop the division with an 11-5 record. The same rules apply, it’s just less complicated because they’d have a clear head-to-head victory to factor into the equation, a luxury that ties do not afford.

Basically, ties are the wet blanket of the NFL. It seems odd that in every other level of football – Pop Warner, high school, college – you play until someone wins the game. Shouldn’t it be the same in the highest level of the game? In my opinion: oh my land, yes. Beyond avoiding confusion and the empty meaning of ending in a tie, overtime games are the height of intensity in the regular season. Knowing that all of the effort and anticipation and enthusiasm could ultimately lead to a no-winner…it feels like squelching the fire.

Potential future rule change? Let’s hope so.

What To Know : Week 10

Week 10 has arrived! Here’s what you need to know:

GAME OF THE WEEK: Lots of people are saying Cowboys at Eagles, and for good reason. Both teams have found their niche this season as the teams that never fail to find a way to fail. So Sunday’s battle of the 3-5’s promises not to be unlike watching a head-on collision to see which vehicle escapes with less damage. Personally, I’m excited for the Texans at Bears. It promises to be a low-scoring affair with two of the league’s best defenses on display, but a good matchup of worthy opponents. Also, be on upset alert for the Falcons at Saints game.

PLAYER TO WATCH: There are so many different directions I want to go with this one, but I think I’m settling on all of the Tennessee Titans. All of the players/coaches/personnel/secretaries were put on notice after owner Bud Adams went on the war path following the Titans humbling loss to Chicago last Sunday. Basically, everyone will be playing for their lives, which isn’t the best atmosphere for starting QB Jake Locker to come back to after being out on injury for the past few weeks.

STORYLINE TO KNOW: Charles Tillman, cornerback for the Bears, has let it be known that if his wife goes into labor on Sunday, he will miss the game to be with her. This, predictably, has the more rabid football fans and commentators up in arms, while everyone else is touched by his (completely NORMAL) commitment to his family. Would you expect anyone else to miss the birth of their child if they had a choice in the matter? Tillman is absolutely making the right call here.

RECIPES TO MAKE:

caramelitas (a personal favorite)

caramel apple brownies

gooey chocolate peanut butter cup brownies

peppermint cookies and cream popcorn

pumpkin magic bars

Game Play Thursday : Pre-Snap Penalties

You know those incredibly frustrating penalties that occur before the play even starts? You know how it’s hard to tell which penalty is going to be called because they all sound like the same thing? False start, offsides, neutral zone infractions, encroachment…say what?! Here’s the difference between each and how you can point them out before the ref does:

First things first, let’s answer a few foundational questions:

What is the Line of Scrimmage?

The line of scrimmage is the imaginary line where the players line up. You may be wondering, and rightly so, if it’s imaginary, how can players cross it illegally? Good question! See where the ball is placed on the field at the start of the play, directly in front of the Center (the offensive player who snaps the football)? Imagine a horizontal line coming out of both sides of the football and stretching to the sidellines – that’s the line of scrimmage. The players are always aware of where it lies.

What is the Neutral Zone?

Remember where the football is – right in front of the Center? That area – measured as the length of a football – is the neutral zone. It’s the buffer zone between the offensive and defensive lines, and only the Center can be inside of it.

Got it? Let’s move on! Here is the definition of each penalty:

False Start:

 

  • OFFENSIVE penalty
  • Seven players line up on the line of scrimmage for the offense. They aren’t allowed to move once they are “set” (a 2 second pause) on the line of scrimmage. If they do, it’s a false start penalty.
  • 5 yard penalty

 

Offsides:

 

  • DEFENSIVE penalty
  • This is called when a defensive player crosses the line of scrimmage
  • 5 yard penalty

 

Neutral Zone Infraction:

 

  • DEFENSIVE penalty
  • This is called when a defensive player enters the neutral zone prior to the snap
  • 5 yard penalty

 

Encroachment:

 

  • DEFENSIVE penalty
  • This is called when a defensive player makes contact with an offensive player prior to the snap
  • 5 yard penalty

 

It sounds straightforward enough, right? And for the most part it is. If an offensive player jumps across the line, it’s a false start penalty. When a defensive player crosses the line it’s an offsides penalty; if he crosses into the neutral zone, it’s a neutral zone infraction. If an offensive player gets pushed or touched before the snap, it’s an encroachment penalty.

But there are sneaky things each side does to try and get penalties called on each other. Take these examples from sporting charts:

On offense, a quarterback will use a fake snap count to try to draw defensive players into the neutral zone and get a penalty called on the defense. On the defense, the team will approach the neutral zone quickly to fake a blitz or pass rush to see if it can get the offense to jump.

Quarterbacks may use a fake cadence, sometimes referred to as a “hard count”, to lure the defensive player into coming offside prior to the snap.

During games, you will often see offensive players purposely cross the neutral zone if they believe the defender is improperly positioned, or getting a jump on the snap count.  This is because the neutral zone infraction is only called if the offensive player false starts as a result of the defender.  This gamble can backfire if the defender is properly positioned.

So…watch carefully! It may look like one penalty – like an offensive player jumping across the line – when it’s actually another – a defender being lined up in the neutral zone. But now you have a working foundation of knowledge, so try to make the call before it’s announced. You’ll get better and better the more you try!

What To Know : After Week 9

I kind of like busting out different formats for this post. This week, let’s look at the nine biggest jaw-dropping moments from Week 9:

  1. Holy Yardage, Rookie Running Back! Doug Martin put up 251 rushing yards against the Raiders in Sunday’s Bucs win. (For reference: that’s more than double what normal, human running backs average.)
  2. Holy Yardage, Rookie Quarterback! Andrew Luck threw for 433 yards against the Dolphins in the Colts victory on Sunday, thus breaking the record (set last year by Cam Newton with 432) for highest single game throwing yards by a rookie QB.
  3. We already talked about this yesterday, but Chuck Pagano’s post game speech was jaw dropping and tear inducing. If still haven’t heard it, please take the time to listen to it and read about it here.
  4. Places of Doom, Part I: Tennessee. After their 51-20 loss to the Bears on Sunday, the Titans owner let it be known that he’s basically firing everyone in the off-season. Which, even though the Titans have been less than stellar lately, is a little harsh since the Bears defense is insane right now. INSANE.
  5. Places of Doom, Part II: Philadelphia. For a city that is already intent on lambasting any and every professional sports personnel…I can’t even imagine what the Andy Reid Angstometer looks like at this point. Which is a shame. Reid has been a staple in Philly and has brought a steady stream of success to the team. He’s a hall of fame caliber coach, but unfortunately none of that matters to fans when you’re on a multiple game losing streak.
  6. I hate to harp on this, but I feel like I have to: the Eagles had four 1st-and-goal situations last night (meaning they were within 10 yards of the end zone with 4 chances to get points)…and came away with two field goals. There are no words for that.
  7. HOW ARE THEY LOSING THESE GAMES?! I am not even close to a Cowboys fan, but I still find it unnervingly frustrating to watch them lose every week. It goes against everything I know about the NFL to watch a team be poised to win at some point in the game every week…and then lose, every week. Dallas fans, I’m sorry. This must be brutal for you.
  8. For the sake of the general NY/NJ area, I really wanted to see the Giants win on Sunday. But man, what a game. The Steelers played great, but it was the first time all season that Eli Manning hasn’t looked superhuman in the 4th quarter. Tough loss.
  9. Peyton Manning. Just being Peyton Manning. Even in an ugly win he’s still unbelievable to watch.

How about you guys? What were your favorite moments from Week 9?

Wait…What Just Happened : The Tuck Rule

A controversial call was made this weekend in the Steelers at Giants game regarding the tuck rule. So let’s spend some time dissecting the various rules concerning a quarterback’s handling of a football that hits the ground and how it all relates to the tuck rule.

Ok, first things first. Let’s define what we’re talking about:

Imagine the quarterback drops back to pass. In the process, he loses the football. There are two ways he can do so:

1. A Fumble: This is when a quarterback (or any player, but for our purposes, a QB) accidentally loses control of the football. He could drop it, never get a good hold on it after it is snapped, or have it jarred/bumped/hit by another player while he is NOT in the process of making a forward pass (we’ll get to that later). If a defensive player recovers the loose ball, it’s a turnover and the defense now has possession of the football where the turnover occurred. (Fumbles in the offensive team’s endzone are considered touchbacks, in which the ball is brought out to the 20 yard line.)

2. An Incomplete Pass: This is when a quarterback’s arm is in the process moving forward to make a pass (VERY important!) and the ball hits the ground. As long as his arm was making a forward motion and the ball hits the ground, the pass is incomplete and the offense retains possession. (If a defensive player catches the pass before it hits the ground, it’s an interception.)

So when it comes to quarterbacks losing the football: fumble = bad, incomplete pass = better.

Enter: the tuck rule. As per the NFL rule book:

NFL Rule 3, Section 22, Article 2, Note 2. When [an offensive] player is holding the ball to pass it forward, any intentional forward movement of his arm starts a forward pass, even if the player loses possession of the ball as he is attempting to tuck it back toward his body. Also, if the player has tucked the ball into his body and then loses possession, it is a fumble.

So, basically, the tuck rule is every quarterbacks saving grace. The key word in the rule is “intentional.” Even if the arm isn’t fully extending forward, if it appears that the quarterback had the intent to throw a forward pass, it’ll be called an incomplete pass via the tuck rule. This is better for the quarterback because if it’s an incomplete pass, the offense retains possession. If it had been ruled a fumble and the defense recovered it, it would be a turnover and the defense would get possession.

photo credit : the sports quotient

The most famous tuck rule incident – and it’s inaugural enforcement – occurred in a divisional playoff game between the Patriots and the Raiders in 2002. It was called in the Patriots favor. They ended up winning that game…and the Super Bowl that followed. (If you aren’t familiar with the story, ESPN has a great recap with player’s perspectives a decade later.)

Keep an eye out next weekend, you’ll be sure to see a few fumbles and incomplete passes. If the tuck rule comes up, you’ll be able to explain it for everyone else!

Living In a Vision

I’m going to shamelessly plead with you to live in a vision.

Please, please, please take 1 minute and 48 seconds of your day to watch this video of Chuck Pagano’s beyond-inspiring post game speech to the Colts. It will make all of the difference in your Monday.

Here’s the transcript, from the NFL website:

“I mentioned before the game that you guys were living in a vision, and you weren’t living in circumstances. Because you know where they had us in the beginning. Every last one of them. But you refused to live in circumstances and decided consciously as a team and as a family to live in a vision.

“I’ve got circumstances. You guys understand it. I understand it. It’s already beat. It’s already beat. My vision that I’m living is to see two more daughters get married, dance at their weddings and then hoist that Lombardi (trophy) several times.”

Can he get an Amen?! What an amazing man. Let’s continue to lift Coach Pagano and his family up in prayer as he heads into his next round of cancer treatment. We wish you all the best, Coach!