Surviving the Super Bowl : Answers

football, basics

Ok people, it’s the moment of truth! How did you do on the Surviving the Super Bowl quiz yesterday? Find out below!

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. What will the total field goal distance be?

  1. 2 yards
  2. 20 yards
  3. 30 yards
  4. 37 yards

Ball at the 20 + 10 yards of end zone + 7 yards lined up behind the tee = a 37-yard kick, total.

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 wide receiver 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!

Share this:

Author: Beka

https://plus.google.com/110010310740122931625/about