football Archives - Page 8 of 66 - Football for Normal Girls

Calling All Normal Girls!

The water cooler is staying in the fridge this week as I was traveling most of yesterday and was unable to write our usual weekend review. A shame, since it was such a wild weekend of football!!! The NFL fully embraced Let It Snow as the song of the day, it seemed. But, we do have something else to talk about! And it is pretty exciting!

Now that we’ve (reluctantly) arrived at the last quarter of the regular season I’m starting to think about our offseason schedule (also reluctantly). My favorite idea so far? Normal Girls. Featuring the normal girls out there who LOVE football in a weekly fan column!

If you are a fan of football – high school, college, NFL, any level! – and would like to be featured as one of our normal girls, send an email to beka@footballfornormalgirls.com. I’ll send you a brief questionnaire and ask you to send along a photo or two of yourself as a fan – at a game, in a jersey, etc – and just other basic info. It’s pretty low maintenance, but it should be fun!

So, who’s in?!

Review and Preview : Week 13

Review

Receive: to receive the kickoff at the beginning of the game and start on offense. (From Tuesday’s post.)

Defer: to receive the kickoff at the beginning of the second half of the game and start of defense. (From Tuesday’s post.)

Receiving team: the team that receives the kickoff. (From Tuesday’s post.)

Kicking team: the team that kicks the kickoff. (From Tuesday’s post.)

Coach’s challenge: when a coach throws a red flag to challenge the ruling on the field. A coach gets two challenges per game, three if he wins the first two, but loses a timeout if he loses the challenge. (From Wednesday’s post.)

Booth review: when the replay assistant in the booth signals down for the head official to take another look at a play to confirm or reverse the ruling on the field. (From Wednesday’s post.)

Going under the hood: when the head official goes under the hood of the camera to take another look at a play to confirm or reverse the ruling on the field. (From Wednesday’s post.)

Blitz: when multiple defensive players rush the quarterback in an attempt to sack him. (From Wednesday’s post.)

Sack: when a quarterback is tackled while still holding the ball prior to throwing a pass. (From Wednesday’s post.)

Illegal Forward Pass: a forward pass that is thrown a) in front of the line of scrimmage, b) after a change of possession, or c) as the second forward pass on one play. (From Thursday’s post.)

Preview

Normal Girl Game of the Week

Panthers at Saints, SNF on NBC

There are about a hundred different ways I would overstate this matchup, but in the end, it’s comes down to this: first place in the NFC South is up for grabs, as is an all-important divisional win. The 9-3 Saints did not have an easy week. After coming off of a huge loss in Seattle they got home even later than normal for a Monday nighter due to cross country travel delays. The 9-3 Panthers, on the other hand, are coming off a win, and are looking to do what no one thought they would be able to do at the start of the season: take control of the NFC South. It should be a fantastic way to end the weekend.

Also on the Radar:

1. The last AFC wildcard spot is still very much up for grabs. Two teams are 6-6 (Dolphins and Ravens) and each division has a 5-7 team (Jets, Steelers, Titans, Chargers). A quick reaction might hand that spot to the defending Super Bowl champs, but that might be hasty. Their last “easy” game is this week against the Vikings. After that, they face the Lions, Patriots, and Bengals. Yikes.

2. The NFC East is still a mystery as well. It doesn’t look quite as bad as it once did, but all three teams at the top (Eagles, Cowboys, and, somehow, Giants) have a shot to win the division. They don’t play each other this week, but they do each face a formidable foe: the Eagles play the Lions, the Cowboys play the Bears, and the Giants play the Chargers. The Cowboys might have the best chance to win and take the division lead away from the Eagles should they lose against the Lions, and if the Giants lose against the Chargers in San Diego they are almost definitely out of playoff contention.

3. It pains me to say this…but the NFC North might be worse than the NFC East at this point. Don’t let the 40 points Detroit put up on a bedraggled Green Bay team fool you: no team in this division has their act together. With the Lions and Bears both facing decent competition from the NFC East, one would think this weekend might open the door for a Packers team playing a woeful Falcons group. However, that one may not have witnessed The Massacre on Turkey Day…by the Lions. Even if Aaron Rodgers and Jay Cutler both returned to add a spark to their prospective teams, it still feels like it would be too little too late. This division will be ~~ugly~~ undecided until the end.

Zebra Talk : Illegal Forward Pass

Did you all see the A Football Life documentary on the forward pass? If you haven’t it’s definitely one to add to your watch list for a great piece of NFL history. Because really, can you even imagine what the league would be like today if the forward pass was still illegal?

It would be rugby, pretty much.

So we are all very thankful for the evolution of the forward pass. But not all forward passes are legal. There is still such a thing as an illegal forward pass.

An illegal forward pass happens when: a) a pass is thrown in front of the line of scrimmage, b) a pass is thrown after a change of possession, or c) a pass is the second forward pass thrown on one play.

Let’s unpack that a little.

A) A pass thrown in front on the line of scrimmage

This actually happened on Monday Night Football this past week. Russell Wilson, in a feat of pure ingenuity, found a way to lob a pass over to an open Marshawn Lynch for a first down. The only problem was that Wilson was in front of the line of scrimmage when he threw the pass, which resulted in some yellow laundry on the field for an illegal forward pass. The quarterback has to be behind the line of scrimmage, the imaginary starting line where the ball is placed, when he is throwing a forward pass.

b) A pass thrown after a change of possession

Let’s say a defensive back picks off a pass intended to go to the wide receiver he’s covering. That’s an interception, which is a change of possession because as soon the defensive back catches the pass for an interception he becomes an offensive player trying to score. He was once defending against the offense trying to score, now he is the offense trying to score. Change of possession. But after he picks off the pass and runs toward his opponent’s end zone he can’t find an open teammate downfield and chuck the ball to him. That’s a pass thrown after a change of possession, and that’s illegal.

c) A second forward pass thrown on one play

It’s cool for the quarterback to throw a forward pass to an eligible receiver while he’s standing behind the line of scrimmage. It’s not cool for him to throw it forward to another offensive player and then for him to throw it forward to another eligible receiver. That’s a second forward pass thrown on a single play, which constitutes an illegal forward pass.

So: a pass thrown from behind the line of scrimmage to an eligible receiver? Good. A pass thrown in front of the line of scrimmage, after a change of possession, or for a second go-round on one play? Not so good.

Ashley’s Rookie Season : Reviews and Blitzes

Our friend Ashley is back with two more phenomenal questions! Let’s get started!

Q: When a play goes “under review” who reviews it? Just the refs? Who gets the final say?

Good question! The instant replay system was used for the first time back in 1986 and, while sometimes flawed, has almost unquestionably changed the game for the better. Football happens so fast. And the refs are only human. It’s unrealistic to expect them to get the call right every time based only on what they see in the moment. That’s where instant replay comes in.

There are two ways reviews happen. First, a head coach can challenge the ruling on the field and ask for an official review. He throws a red flag out on the field to indicate he is challenging the ruling. Coaches get two challenges per game. If he is wrong about a challenge (like if he thought a catch ruled a touchdown was actually a fumble and the replay shows a valid touchdown) his team loses a timeout. If he is right about both of their challenges (like if he thought a catch ruled a touchdown was actually a fumble and the replay shows that the ball was fumbled, and if he thought a player stepped out of bounds on a return when he was ruled inside and the replay shows he did step out) his team is awarded a third challenge.

Second, in the final two-minutes of each half or in overtime, a replay assistant sitting up in the booth can call for an official review, or a “booth review.” He has the time from the end of one play to the start of the next to call for a review. He buzzes a signal down to the head official who then “goes under the hood” to watch the replay from various angles and make a decision on the play.

The head official, or referee, makes the final call on all reviews.

For a much more in-depth (and very interesting!) read on all things instant replay, check out this post from Steelers Fever.

Q: What is a blitz?

The dictionary definition of a blitz is, “an intensive or sudden military attack,” and that’s pretty much what it translates to in the NFL as well.

During a blitz, multiple defenders rush to the quarterback in an attempt to sack him. A sack is a play in which the quarterback is tackled while still holding onto the ball as a passer, not as a runner. (So tackling a quarterback who is advancing the ball forward as a runner does not count as a sack). This both a) prevents the offense from completing a play and b) results in lost yardage (since the quarterback is located behind the line of scrimmage, or starting line, and the line of scrimmage will be moved back to where the quarterback was sacked to start the next play). It’s advantageous for the defense when it works. Here’s a visual:

In this blitz, two defensive backs (the cornerbacks) and three linebackers are going to rush the quarterback in an attempt to sack him. This was a completely random designation; a blitz can happen with any combination of defensive players, although it usually does include defensive backs and linebackers, and often defensive ends, too.

The disadvantage to blitzing the quarterback comes if they don’t get the sack. If the quarterback is only pressured but still gets the ball off he will have a fairly open field to throw to. This is because a good percentage of the defenders who usually cover the middle and deep portions of the field are otherwise occupied at the front of the field trying to sack him.

Another good round, Ash! And don’t forget that you all can join in on the rookie fun and ask questions, too. Anything is fair game!

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.