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Postseason Prep : How Scoring Happens

Here’s a football fact you already know:

The team with the most points wins the game.

See! You can do this!!!

While the most publicized (and coveted) way to earn those points is by scoring touchdowns, there are other ways to pad the numbers on your side of the scoreboard. In today’s postseason prep, we’ll talk about all of the ways that scoring happens.

ON OFFENSE

Touchdowns (6 Points) (Not 7!)

A touchdown is scored when one team gets the football into the other team’s end zone. If the football is entering the end zone by a running player, the football has to cross the goal line and be inside of the pylons to count as a touchdown. (Goal Line? Pylon? Greek? Check out this post.) If the football is being caught in the end zone by a receiver, the receiver must have two feet down in-bounds and have full control of the ball for it to count as a touchdown.

Extra Points (1 Point) (You already knew that)

As an added bonus, teams get to have an extra opportunity to score points after scoring a touchdown. Most will kick the extra point: a scoring attempt kicked from the 2-yard line that counts for 1 point. (That’s why it’s usually perceived that touchdowns are worth 7 points – 6 points for the touchdown + 1 point for the extra point = 7 points.)

Going for 2 (You guessed it…2 Points!)

Going for 2 is the other thing a team can do after they score a touchdown. Instead of kicking an extra point from the 2-yard line, they can try to get the football into the end zone (by running or passing – just like a touchdown) from the 2-yard line. If they do, they earn 2 points.

Field Goals (3 Points)

If a team decides to kick a field goal (why would they? find out here), it’s kicked from the current line of scrimmage (the imaginary starting line where the ball is placed) and it’s worth 3 points. One thing to keep in mind with field goals: the actual field goal distance is the line of scrimmage + 17 yards. So if your team is at the 30-yard line and decides to kick a field goal, it’s not a 30-yard field goal. It’s a 47-yard field goal. That’s because the goal post is at the back of the end zone (10 yards deep) and the kicker lines up 7 yards behind the line of scrimmage. 30 yard line + 17 extra yards = 47 yard field goal.

ON DEFENSE

Pick Six or Fumble Returned for a Touchdown (6 points)

A “pick six” is when a defender picks off a pass intended for a receiver and runs it into the end zone for a touchdown. He picked it off and returned it for a touchdown – 6 points – hence the name pick six. Points can also be scored on recovered fumbles. If a player loses the ball and a defensive player recovers it and runs it into the end zone for a touchdown, that’s also worth 6 points. (For all things turnovers, check out this post.)

Safety (2 points)

Just to keep things interesting, a safety is both a player and a play. Because why not? To make things even more interesting, safeties can be scored in a variety of ways: 1. If an offensive player is tackled with the ball while still in his own end zone, 2. If the offense gets called for a holding or intentional grounding penalty while in their own end zone, and 3. If the offense kicks the ball out of bounds or the quarterback steps out of bounds while in his own end zone. Safeties result in 2 points for the defense, and, salt in the wound, the offense doesn’t even get the ball back immediately afterward like they would after a scoring play on a turnover. They have to kick the ball off to the defense on their own 20.

ON SPECIAL TEAMS

Kick returned for a touchdown (6 points)

As we all saw in the Auburn Alabama game, kicks – whether missed field goals or kickoffs – can be returned for touchdowns.

And that’s a wrap! Even though scoring is traditionally thought of as the offense’s thing, scoring can happen by any unit at any time.

And that’s why we love football.

5-Minute Football : Red Zone

NFL RedZone is a channel on the NFL Network. I’ve never actually seen it before but from the description I think it might be my own boiling point of brain. It just sounds so awesome.

But good news! The actual NFL red zone is a place on the field that everyone can see!

So, what is the red zone?

The red zone is the 20-yards prior to the opposing team’s end zone. (Need a refresher on end zones? Check out this post.) It’s called the red zone because it’s supposed to put you on high alert that scoring opportunities are ripe for the taking. The red zone is not actually red, which you already know, but here’s a visual to work with:

Ok, so in this “rustic” visual, the team on offense is on the other team’s 15-yard line. That means they are approaching their end zone and are in scoring range. See how close they are to the end zone? In the red zone – anywhere within 20-yards of the opposing team’s end zone – they can reasonably score, either by field goal or touchdown.

There’s nothing significant or specific that happens when a team enters the red zone. It’s not like they earn any special privileges. The just the name for a section of the field, same as “end zone” or “side lines.”

At the Water Cooler : Week 16

Denver Broncos at Houston Texans (Broncos won, 37-13)

Peyton Manning wrote another line in his legacy yesterday: most touchdowns thrown in a season. In his postgame presser he said that it’ll probably be short-lived, that Brady will break it next season. He is the consummate pro: deflecting praise, accepting responsibility. Every single time.

Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills (Bills won, 19-0)

In 8 years of living in Rochester and watching Bills games I learned to expect the unexpected. If you think the Bills have a good chance of winning, they’ll probably lose. If you think there’s no way for them to win, they just might pull it out. It’s not a complete surprise that they bested the Dolphins, but a shutout? Well done, Buffalo.

Minnesota Vikings at Cincinnati Bengals (Bengals won, 42-14)

Welcome to the playoffs, Cincinnati. For the first time in three seasons, the Bengals are guaranteed to not play the Texans in the first round.

Indianapolis Colts at Kansas City Chiefs (Colts won, 23-7)

The Colts have had some trouble ever since losing Reggie Wayne, but consider this: so far this season they’ve beaten the Broncos, Seahawks, 49ers, and Chiefs. That’s not a bad resume of work.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at St. Louis Rams (Rams won, 23-13)

When your quarterback gets sacked 7 times, you are going to have some trouble winning the game.

Cleveland Browns at NY Jets (Jets won, 24-13)

Jets with the win in what was rumored to be Rex Ryan’s last game as the head coach. It’s hard to imagine the Jets without him at the helm, and hard to see how he deserves to be fired for what he did this season.

Dallas Cowboys at Washington Redskins (Cowboys won, 24-23)

Give this win to Romo. It was his touchdown in the waning minutes of the 4th quarter that won the game and kept the ‘Boys in playoff contention.

New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers (Panthers won, 17-13)

With a win next week in Atlanta, the Panthers will win the NFC South. They’ve already clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 2008. The Saints, winners of 7 of their first 8 games, are now just trying to make sure they get a wildcard spot. It’s a crazy league.

Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars (Titans won, 20-16)

The Titans didn’t play with a lead in this game until late in the 4th quarter, but it was enough to break their three-game losing streak with a win.

New England Patriots at Baltimore Ravens (Patriots won, 41-7)

Nobody puts Brady in a corner.

(Nobody high fives Brady either, apparently.)

Oakland Raiders at San Diego Chargers (Chargers won, 26-13)

With a Chargers win, a Dolphins loss, a Steelers win, and a Ravens loss, that last AFC wildcard spot is still up for grabs. Seriously, does anybody want that spot?

Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks (Cardinals won, 17-10)

The ~~Packers~~ Cardinals did it. They found a way to beat the Seahawks at home for the first time since ~~2012~~ 2011.

NY Giants at Detroit Lions (Giants won, 23-20 OT)

I’ve never loved the Giants more. The Lions, at one time the only team in the NFC North who seemed able-bodied enough to win the NFC North, have lost three in a row and knocked themselves out of playoff contention. Time for a shakeup in Detroit, it seems.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Green Bay Packers (Steelers won, 38-31)

I’m almost positive the NFC East got together and decided to give the Packers a trip to the playoffs for Christmas. Last week, the Cowboys practically gift-wrapped a win for the Packers. As we know, the Giants took out the Lions in overtime, and spoiler alert: the Eagles demolished the Bears. The Packers couldn’t hold up their end of the bargain…but miraculously, they’re still in contention. Unbelievable.

Chicago Bears at Philadelphia Eagles (Eagles won, 54-11)

I was the biggest Eagles fan out there last night, since a Bears loss meant the Packers were still alive in the fight to win the NFC North. The Eagles did not disappoint.

Atlanta Falcons at San Francisco 49ers (MNF on ESPN)

This is kind of like a homecoming game for San Francisco. It’s an opponent that shouldn’t be difficult to beat (sorry, Falcons) and it’s a time of celebration: what could be the last game played at Candlestick Park, home field advantage in the playoffs notwithstanding.

Review and Preview : Week 15

Review

Monday: We reviewed my favorite week (almost) ever, Week 15.

Tuesday: Why a team has their “own” side of the field, and how to tell which side it is.

Wednesday: We learned what all of that waving during kickoff is all about.

Thursday: Postseason Prep, Part II! How the Playoffs Work.

Preview

Normal Girl Game of the Week

Patriots at Ravens, 4:25pm on CBS

The repeat of last year’s AFC Championship game may not have the same implications as it did a year ago, but it’s still going to be a pretty important game. The Ravens have somehow launched themselves into playoff contention, and the Patriots are still in the hunt for a first round bye. It should be a wild day in Baltimore!

Also on the Radar:

1. Once the Chiefs slipped, the Broncos all but locked up their top seed and first round bye in the AFC. Now, that spot is on precariously thin ice. The Broncos need to beat the Texans (which, let’s face it, should not be all that much of a challenge) to keep charging toward a week off in Round 1.

2. Cowboys at Redskins might seem like an easy win, but the Boys in Blue lost a heartbreaker last week (for them; for me, it was awesome) and are fighting for their lives in the NFC East. They can still realistically win the division, but they’ll need the Eagles to lose either this week (against the Bears) or next week (appropriately, against the Cowboys).

3. The Return of Rodgers?! Maybe. We should find out today. Miraculously, thanks to a LOT of help from the other teams in the NFC North (and a few in the NFC East, too), the Packers control their playoff destiny…at 7-6-1. Win and they’re in. Crazy. With games against the Steelers and the Bears rounding out the season it’s more than possible…especially if Rodgers is at the helm. However, much to the long-term benefit of himself and Packers fans everywhere, team doctor Pat McKenzie is notoriously cautious when it comes to player injuries. He won’t give the ok until Rodgers is 100% ready to be back on a football field.

Postseason Prep : How the Playoffs Work

Last week in our postseason prep we learned about how teams make it to the postseason. Now that we know how teams get there in the first place, let’s move on and talk about how they advance through the playoffs.

Since this year’s postseason groups is still being decided I’m going to use last year’s playoff picture to put some flesh on this lesson:

The teams in yellow are the division winners. The teams in green are the wildcard teams. The number next to each indicates where they are seeded based on their overall and divisional record.

Good? Ok.

Once the teams and the seed order has been determined, then we can finally get around to playing!

The playoffs are a single elimination tournament played over the course of several weeks. The playoffs are a way of determining the best team from each conference, so teams only play other teams within their conference (AFC or NFC) during the playoffs. Each week features a different matchup within the conference.

Week 1: Wildcard Round

The top two seeds from each conference earn a first round bye, which means they get the week off. After a long season, it’s a coveted luxury since all of the teams are playing hurt and greatly benefit from a week without a game. (Usually. Sometimes teams can also loose momentum from a week off, which is to their detriment. But more often than not it seems to be helpful.) In 2012, the top two seeds in the AFC were the Broncos (1) and the Patriots (2) and the top two seeds in the NFC were the Falcons (1) and the 49ers (2).

Among the remaining eight teams, the highest and lowest seeds in each conference play each other (Seeds 3 and 6) and the middle seeds play each other (Seeds 4 and 5). The higher seed gets home field advantage. So, using our little infographic up there, we know that in the AFC the Ravens (4) played the Colts (5) in Baltimore and the Texans (3) played the Bengals (6) in Houston. In the NFC, the Redskins (4) played the Seahawks (5) in Washington and the Packers (3) played the Vikings (6) in Green Bay.

We also now know that the Ravens, Texans, Seahawks, and Packers all won their games and advanced to the next round.

(And there you have an accurate portrait of parody in the NFL. There’s a good chance that more than half of the teams that played on Wildcard Weekend last year won’t even make the playoffs this year.)

Week 2: Divisional Round

The top seeds return from the bye week and get to play at home. The same schedule follows: the highest and lowest ranked seeds play each other and the middle seeds play each other. Using last year’s example, we know that in the AFC the top seeded Broncos (1) played the Ravens (4) and the Patriots (2) played the Texans (3). The Ravens and Patriots both won and advanced to the next round. In the NFC the top seeded Falcons (1) played the Seahawks (5) and the 49ers (2) played the Packers (3). The Falcons won, as did the 49ers ~~and I don’t still have nightmares about Colin Kaepernick running freely about the field or anything~~.

Week 3: Conference Championships

At this point, four teams remain, two from each conference. Last year, in the AFC, it was the Patriots (2) and the Ravens(4). The last two standing in the NFC were the Falcons (1) and the 49ers (2).

Those teams play each other at the higher seeded teams stadium and the winners are the AFC and NFC Conference Champions. In last year’s case, it was the Ravens and the 49ers. Those two teams, the last team standing from each conference, are the teams that go to the Super Bowl.

Week 4: Bye Week (Week Off)

AKA: Controlled craziness. Until media day arrives, the only day the media has access to players, at which point the craziness is completely uncontrolled.

Super Bowl!

The AFC and NFC Champions play each other in a predetermined location. Last year, the game was played in New Orleans. There were brothers and a blackout, and eventually the Ravens emerged victorious. This year’s Super Bowl is at MetLife stadium in NYC…which should be a party with Jack Frost and a million or so of his closest snowflake friends. Another Ice Bowl might be on it’s way.

Whew! And there you have it: how teams advance through the playoffs. And we only have to wait a few more weeks until this year’s games start!!!

Rules : Fair Catch

Have you ever seen the guy waving in the end zone during a kickoff? He’s not waving to welcome the defenders who are rapidly approaching; he’s signaling for a fair catch.

What’s a fair catch?

A fair catch is when a receiver signals that he is going to catch the ball only – not advance it – during a kickoff. If you would like to know the technical definition of a wave, the NFL says the receiver, “must raise one arm a full length above his head and wave it from side to side while kick is in flight.” Good to know.

When a player signals for a fair catch it means he wants to catch the ball right where he’s standing, and that’s all. He won’t try to run forward and advance the ball down the field after signaling a fair catch. (If he does, he’ll just end up further back than he was when he started thanks to a 5-yard penalty from the spot where he waved.) As a result, players on the kicking team are not allowed to tackle a player on the receiving team who signaled for a fair catch. They also aren’t allowed to interfere with the ball or the path of the ball. (Interfering in any way will cost the kicking team 15 yards!) However, if a player signals for the fair catch and then decides it isn’t so fair after all, that’s fine. He doesn’t have to catch the ball. But once he signals for the fair catch he can’t interfere with anyone on the kicking team. If he does, it’s a 15-yard penalty.

Here’s a bonus point to ponder, just because I’ve never heard of it before and think it’s hilarious:

If time expires while ball is in play and a fair catch is awarded, receiving team may choose to extend the period with one fair catch kick down. However, placekicker may not use tee.

I honestly have no idea what that would look like in an actual game. All I can picture is the ref coming over to the kicker and taking his tee away.