Tag: football

What To Know : Week 9

Here’s what we need to know in week 9 of the NFL regular season:

GAME OF THE WEEK: I have a love/hate relationship with this pick…but I’m saying Cowboys at Falcons. The Falcons are still undefeated, and the Cowboys still find ways to make big comebacks…and then lose. It’s like bad reality tv…you know the result but you just can’t help watching the inevitable unfold. But if the Cowboys could summon all of their talent and give the Falcons a run for their money, it’ll be a great game. Second pick: the suddenly relevant Dolphins at Colts game. Who knew either team would be in the playoff conversation at this point of the season?

PLAYER TO WATCH: Michael Vick. After last week’s post-bye meltdown, he needs to have a statement game against the Saints on Monday.

STORYLINE TO KNOW: Steelers at Giants. This game has the potential to do for NYC what the first Sunday of football after 9/11 did for the country. Whether you like football or not, competitive sports do something to unite people. It’s a symbol of perseverance and teamwork, two attributes that will be much needed in the coming months of disaster relief. I can’t even begin to understand the desperation those who have been affected by Sandy are feeling, but hopefully this is a game that will inspire a little hope in the city and its surrounding areas.

RECIPES TO MAKE:

Let’s call this edition Things to Make with Leftover Candy

candy corn and pretzel bark

frozen peanut butter cup banana pops

halloween blondies

monster cookies

mounds bar cookies

Game Play Thursday : 8 in The Box

I’m in the process of trying to really learn the game. As in, I totally understand everything that is going on on the field, everything the announcers say, what the lingo and play calls mean, ALL of it. It’s an uphill climb, but I’m loving it!

So I wanted to start sharing with you all the little bits of knowledge I’m picking up throughout the week. We’ll call it Game Play Thursdays.

Today, it’s an explanation of something I kept hearing but had no idea what it meant: having “8 in the box.” Here’s the breakdown:

 

  • 8 refers to the number of defensive players who are occuying “the box”
  • The box is the defensive area directly across from the offensive line (the 5 man line consisting of the Left Tackle, Left Guard, Center, Right Guard, and Right Tackle)
  • Usually, there are 7 defensive players in the box – linemen and linebackers.
  • When a defense is trying to stop a running play or wants to blitz the QB, they might have another defensive player – usually the Strong Safety (the Safety who is playing on the same side of the field as the Tight End) – come down from his usual position upfield where he defends against the pass and “shake down” into the box. This gives the defense the advantage of having an extra man in coverage near the line of scrimmage.

 

Here’s a visual, thanks to a screen shot from FOX and a breakdown on Bleacher Report (I just added the numbers) of 8 in the box:

Roman Harper, the strong safety, is the “8th” in the box, and his path is identified by the red line in front of him.

This play ended up not going very well for the Saints. RGIII, the Redskins QB, totally sold the run. But it was a fake – he was actually going to throw it to his Wide Receiver, Pierre Garcon, down the field. And he did. And Garcon caught it. BOOM.

And thus the disadvantage of bringing 8 in the box: less protection against passing plays.

Does any of that make sense?

Player Profile : Vick Ballard

I had to look up this kid’s name before I put it in the title of this player profile. That’s how little of a splash the rookie running back made in the draft (170th pick) and in the season so far.

But on Sunday, he scored his first touchdown of the season. And it just so happened to be the winning TD in the Colts overtime victory against the Titans. And it also just so happened to be one of the most amazing touchdown plays you’ll ever see:

Here’s what Ballard had to say about his breakout performance, as per Peter King:

“I knew I was going to dive for the pylon. I did it twice in college and didn’t make it. Once, I fumbled through the end zone. The other time, I got stopped […] just an inch or two away. This time, I knew I couldn’t run to the end zone. I was going to have to dive. When I jumped, somebody hit my legs, and I rolled over in air.

“I know the rule, you hit the pylon without going out of bounds, it’s a touchdown.”

Sure is! And a beauty at that.

Ballard is currently second on the depth chart behind Donald Brown. If he keeps playing like he did in OT on Sunday, he’ll have no trouble keeping that spot or potentially moving up in the ranks.

For a Mid-Day Laugh

I love good sports writers – those who are accurate, insightful, and respectful. But an added bonus is wit…and this comment from Mike Tanier about interim Saints head coach Joe Vitt has kept me laughing for days:

Vitt is an old-fashioned motivator, not an X’s and O’s guy; Drew Brees called him “one of those guys who just loves his players” this week, while Junior Galette said that Vitt “says everything with conviction.” “He could say, ‘Hey, the sky is black,’ and he’ll get you to believe that.” Vitt is apparently even more convincing at night.

Seriously…every time I think about it I crack up all over again. Well played, Mr. Tanier.

What To Know : After Week 8

Eight thoughts on Week 8:

  1. My mind continues to be boggled at the Jets refusal to use Tim Tebow in obvious offensive situations. No matter what his starting quarterback potential is, no one can deny that he was born to play on 3rd and short and in the redzone. It’s just what he DOES. And yet they continue to leave him on the sidelines when he could make a tangible contribution to winning games, something the Jets have not done much of lately. Even if they don’t want to start him at quarterback, at least use him effectively as a football player. (?!?!?!) (Or as Herm would say, YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME. Hello?!?!?!)
  2. The Colts are looking like the comeback kids. They won another game in OT this week (against the Titans) and since the AFC is particularly awful this year, they have a legitimate shot at being a real playoff contender.
  3. Unexpected thriller of the week: Dallas’ 24 point comeback in the second half against the Giants. It wasn’t enough to win the game, but it sure was one heck of an effort.
  4. Holy throwbacks, Batman. My eyes still hurt.
  5. The Eagles collapse continues to gain momentum. They just could not hold it together against the Falcons, who are steamrolling along at 8-0. More changes are sure to come, likely at the expense of Michael Vick.
  6. San Diego…what?! A 7-6 loss to Cleveland?
  7. Denver is in full swing under the leadership of Peyton Manning. Let’s just pause for a moment to consider how amazing a Broncos-Giants Super Bowl in New Orleans would be. The Manning brothers dueling it out in their hometown?! Doesn’t get any better than that. (Unless, of course, the Packers are in the Super Bowl.)
  8. Speaking of, a win is a win is a win. But the Packers just squeaking past Jacksonville doesn’t really bode well for them as it pertains to their former offensive prowess. They are decimated by injuries at it shows. Come on, bye week! Week 10 can’t come soon enough!

Wait…What Just Happened : Throwback Jersey

Perhaps you turned on your television and saw this yesterday:

photo credit : USA Today

You may have assumed that either a) you were watching a rugby game, circa 1940, or b) something catastrophic had happened to the color resolution of your screen. Rest assured, it was just the Steelers’ version of the recently popular “throwback” jersey: a jersey from an earlier era in the team’s history worn once a season to pay homage to days gone by.

However in the Steelers case on Sunday, it was more a case of days gone awry.

Oh my land, oh my word, oh my eyes. The horror.

I originally thought that the Bucs creamsicle throwbacks were the worst in the NFL.

photo credit : ESPN

But then the Broncos showcased their ode to the days of yore, and that was clearly worse.

Denver Broncos Throwback Uniforms

photo credit : boldpost

And yet, somehow, the Steelers eclipsed the barrier for bad. I mean, the socks are bad enough. Adding a jersey to the equation takes it to a whole new level. These were just visually scarring.

photo credit : USA Today

For a complete dissertation on the Steelers throwbacks, see this Uni Watch article.

But for a short dissertation:

Wow.