Review and Preview : Week 6

football, news

Review

Turnover: When the team that has possession of the ball loses possession of the ball and the other team gains possession of the ball as a result. They are literally turning the ball over (giving it over) to the other team, hence the term “turnover.” When the running back has the ball and it comes lose and the other team recovers it, it’s a turnover. When a defensive back picks off a pass intended for a wide receiver, it’s a turnover. Any time the team that had the ball loses the ball and the other team recovers it, it’s a turnover. (From Tuesday’s post)

Fumble: When anyone who has possession (or is gaining possession) of the football mishandles it and loses it as a result. You may have heard of quarterbacks “fumbling the snap,” which is really a joint effort between the center and the quarterback to not get the snap off correctly. Fumbles can also occur when a ball carrier gets distracted or loses his grip or runs into any set of circumstances in which he loses possession of the ball after he has it. There are also forced fumbles, which occur when a defensive player causes the impetus for the fumble, usually by punching the ball out from behind. (From Tuesday’s post)

Interception: When a pass intended for an offensive player is caught by a defensive player instead. This happens most frequently when defensive backs (cornerbacks and safeties) pick off a pass intended for a wide receiver. Interceptions also happen often when a quarterback throws a bad pass, or when a receiver runs a bad route and isn’t where he was supposed to be, or when the ball gets tipped.

Interceptions always refer to passing plays (or any play in which the ball goes through the air without hitting the ground first) and are always turnovers (because the other team is catching the ball, and therefore has possession of it). (From Tuesday’s post)

Pick 6: A Pick 6 is a specific type of interception in which a pass is picked off by a defensive player (hence “pick”) and is returned for a touchdown (hence “6” – since touchdowns are worth 6 points). All Pick 6’s are both interceptions and turnovers. (From Tuesday’s post)

Touchdown: When the football crosses the plane of the goal line – the white line separating the end zone from the rest of the field. If the ball – with or without the ball-carrier – crosses that line while an offensive ball-carrier is in possession of it, it’s a touchdown. If the ball is being thrown into the end zone and is caught by a receiver, the receiver needs to have two feet down in bounds and have full control of the ball to be called a touchdown. Touchdowns are worth 6 points. (From Wednesday’s post)

Wildcard Team: The four teams (two from each conference) that did not win their division but make it into the playoffs by merit of having the best record among non-division-winners in their conference. (From Wednesday’s post)

Preview

Normal Girl Game of the Week

Denver Broncos at Indianapolis Colts, Sunday at 8:25pm EST on ESPN

It’s the game everyone has been waiting for: Peyton’s return to Indy. Those on the inside who know Peyton say that he isn’t emotional about returning to the stadium he practically built, but it’s safe to say that everyone else will be. Expect quite a welcome home party for 18 and one heck of a game from the always-up-for-a-challenge Colts.

Also on the radar:

1. It’s a weekend of AFC East matchups: Patriots at Jets and Bills at Dolphins. The Patriots are rolling…but don’t count any of the other teams out of this division.

2. If the Giants are going to win a game any time in the near future, Monday night at home against the Vikings might be their best bet.

3. I’m going to go out on a (thin, brittle, extraordinarily shaky) limb and call an upset alert on the Chargers at Jaguars game. The Chargers are coming off a short week and west coast teams rarely do well coming to the east coast for early games (game time is 1pm EST). Plus, the Jags could be riding on emotion from giving the Broncos a run for their money last week in Denver. It’s far from a sure bet, but it’s certainly something to keep an eye on.

Review and Preview : Week 5

football, news, week 5

Review

Last week was an intense week full of new review terms, so we toned it down a bit this week so that no one’s head exploded (including mine). Here’s what you need to know!

Bootleg: A play in which the quarterback runs behind the offensive line, in the same direction they are moving, before running outside of the offensive line in an attempt to break down the field and gain as many rushing yards as possible. (From Tuesday’s post)

Naked Bootleg: The same as a bootleg, only the quarterback runs in the opposite direction of the offensive line before breaking down the field for as many rushing yards as possible. (From Tuesday’s post)

Rushing: What the NFL calls “running” in all statistics and official terminology. But sometimes they also call it running (running back, running play, running the ball)…because that’s what the players are doing. (From Tuesday’s post)

Pocket: The term used to describe the distance between the furthest offensive linemen – this includes the tight end if he’s blocking with the offensive line and not running a route to catch a pass. Widthwise, the pocket is 2 yards beyond the furthest linemen and lengthwise, it’s as far back as the offense’s end zone. (From Thursday’s post)

And…that’s it! It was a light week around here, although I did really enjoy Wednesday’s post about choosing your NFL team wisely. That’s worth a read if you missed it.

Preview

Normal Girl Game of the Week

Colts at Chargers, MNF on ESPN

Andrew Luck and Phillip Rivers are two red hot quarterbacks at opposite ends of their careers. It should be a high scoring affair in San Diego on Monday night between the kid and the veteran, and definitely one worth watching.

Also on the Radar

1. The Patriots will be looking to bounce back after a close loss to the Bengals, but it’ll be a tall order to do so against an undefeated New Orleans team.

2. The battle for the NFC East rages limps on, this week in a match up between the Redskins (coming off a bye week) and the Cowboys (coming off a gut wrenching loss to the Broncos).

3. How terrible will Jacksonville’s trip to Denver be? It’s unthinkable. There are no words.

Review and Preview: Week 4

football, news, week 4

Review

False Start: A penalty that occurs when a player on the offensive line crosses the line of scrimmage or makes any sudden movement prior to the snap of the football. Penalty: 5 yards, replay down. (From Tuesday’s post)

Offsides: A penalty that occurs when a player on the defensive line crosses the line of scrimmage or makes any sudden movement prior to the snap of the football. Penalty: 5 yards, replay down. (From Tuesday’s post)

Encroachment: A penalty that occurs when a defensive player crosses the line of scrimmage prior to the snap and makes contact with an offensive player. Penalty: 5 yards, replay down. (From Tuesday’s post)

Neutral Zone Infraction: A penalty that occurs when a member of the defensive line moves offsides and causes a member (or members) of the offensive line to false start. Penalty: 5 yards, replay down. (From Tuesday’s post)

In Motion: The one offensive player who is allowed to move across the formation prior to the snap (but if he moves forward prior the the snap after arriving in his new position, it’s an illegal motion penalty). (From Tuesday’s post)

Intentional Grounding: A penalty that occurs when a quarterback is getting pressured and throws the ball a) from inside the pocket, b) short of the line of scrimmage, c) where there is no eligible receiver to catch the ball. Penalty: 10 yards, loss of down. (From Wednesday’s post)

Roughing the Passer: A penalty that occurs when a defensive player touches the quarterback after he has released the ball (either by passing or handing it off). Penalty: 15 yards, automatic first down. (From Wednesday’s post)

Roughing the Kicker: A penalty that occurs when a defensive player touches the kicker or punter without having touched the ball first (as in a blocked punt of field goal attempt). Penalty: 15 yards, automatic first down.(From Wednesday’s post)

Holding: A penalty that occurs when a player uses his hands or arms to push from behind, hang onto, or encircle an opponent. Holding can be called on the offense or the defense. (From Wednesday’s post)

Offensive Holding: Usually called on offensive linemen who are blocking defensive linemen and trying to open up holes for running backs, but offensive holding can also be called on receivers who are trying to gain an advantage over the defensive backs covering them. Penalty: 10 yards, replay down.

Defensive Holding: Defenders can legally block a receiver within the first 5 yards from the line of scrimmage. After 5 yards, they are held to the standard definition of holding. Penalty: 5 yards, automatic first down.

Pass Interference: A penalty that occurs when one player impedes another player’s ability to do his job during a passing play. Usually this takes the form of pushing, grabbing, or blocking without looking for the ball. Pass interference can be called on the offense or the defense. (From Wednesday’s post)

Offensive Pass Interference: Most frequently called when a receiver makes an obvious attempt to create space between himself and a defender, usually by shoving him out of the way. Offensive PI can also be called in a “pick play” scenario, when another offensive player intentionally runs down a defensive player in order for a teammate to get open. Penalty: 10 yards, replay down.

Defensive Pass Interference: Most frequently called when a defender illegally impedes a receiver’s ability to catch a pass – especially if he does so without looking behind him for the pass (telltale PI giveaway). Penalty: automatic first down at the spot of the foul (unless it occurs in the end zone, in which case it’s an automatic first down and the ball is placed at the 1-yard line).

Personal Foul: A personal foul isn’t a specific foul; it’s the name given to any number of undisciplined actions that endanger the health of another player.  It’s usually called in reference to unsportsmanlike conduct or unnecessary roughness, but is also called for plays like roughing the passer or kicker, face mask, excessive celebration, and others. When the offense commits a personal foul it’s a 15-yard penalty; when the defense commits a personal foul it’s a 15-yard penalty and an automatic first down. (From Wednesday’s post)

Unit: The name for the group on the field – either offense, defense, or special teams. (From Thursday’s post)

Special Teams: The unit that takes the field in any kicking situation. More often than not, most of the members of the special teams unit are members of the offensive or defensive unit as well. The main exceptions are the punter and kicker (or sometimes just one punter/kicker), who only has kicking responsibilities.

12th Man: The term fans (specifically Seattle fans) use to describe their influence on the game; their boisterous, deafening presence is like having a 12th man on the field. (Only 11 men per unit are allowed on the field.)

And just because I love you guys…I condensed the penalties posts into a quick reference printable. Check out yesterday’s post to save it, pin it, or print it out for game day!

Preview

Normal Girl Game of the Week:

Bills at Browns, Last Night

This was a true normal girl pick because it was all about love of the underdog. I was so excited to see how the resurgent Browns would far against the up-and-coming Bills. It was a good game, but different than expected, since both quarterbacks ended up getting sidelined due to injury by the end of the game. And the Browns roll on! Great home win for them.

Also on the Radar:

1. If the Giants are going to win a game before their Week 9 bye week, their best bet might be this Sunday, at home against the floundering Eagles.

2. The Lions put a beat down on the Bears last week, who had been looking pretty darn good prior to that game. If they can make a similar statement in another divisional games against the Packers on Sunday, it’ll be something to cry about talk about.

3. Last Sunday the Seahawks proved that they can come back to win on the road against a tough AFC opponent. They’ll be looking to prove the same thing against the Colts on Sunday.

Review and Preview : Week 3

football, news, review

Review

Foul: When a player or coach does something against the (lengthy) NFL Rulebook (from Tuesday’s post)

Penalty: The consequence for committing a foul, usually in the form of lost yardage and/or downs (from Tuesday’s post)

Red Zone: The 20-yards prior to each team’s end zone, named in dramatic fashion due to the high potential for scoring to occur (from Tuesday’s post)

3rd down conversion: Successfully gaining the yardage needed on 3rd down to earn a new set of downs. (From Wednesday’s post.)

4th down conversion: Successfully gaining the yardage needed on 4th down to earn a new set of downs. (From Wednesday’s post.)

Turning it over on downs: Attempting to gain the needed yardage on 4th down and failing, therefore giving the other team possession of the ball at their current position on the field. (From Wednesday’s post.)

2-point conversion: When a team elects to “go for 2” after scoring a touchdown instead of kicking the standard extra point. The ball is placed at the 2-yard line and the offense is required to get the ball into the end zone and will earn 2-points for successfully doing so. (From Wednesday’s post.)

Downs: The number of chances the offense has to gain 10-yards total. The offense gets four tries, called downs, to advance the ball 10-yards down the field. If they do, they get a new set of downs. If they don’t, they have to punt, kick a field goal, or go for it and try to get the needed yardage on 4th down (if they don’t, the other team gets the ball right where they are, which is called “turning it over on downs”). (From Thursday’s post.)

Line of scrimmage: The imaginary line where the players line up and the play begins (from Thursday’s post)

Tackling: The act of a defensive player stopping the progress of an offensive player by forcing him to the ground in a legal manner (from Thursday’s post)

Illegal Contact: A penalty called when a defensive player (usually a cornerback or safety) messes with an offensive player (usually a wide receiver) after the receiver is 5-yards away from the line of scrimmage and before the ball is in the air. (From Thursday’s post.)

Pass Interference: A penalty called when an offensive or defensive player inhibits another player’s ability to do his job after a pass has been thrown. (From Thursday’s post.)

Home Field Advantage: The unique ability for the home team to play better and have a higher win percentage at home than they do on the road. (From Thursday’s post.)

Preview

Normal Girl Game of the Week

Miami Dolphins at New Orleans Saints, Monday at 8:40pm on ESPN

Who would have guessed at the start of the season that this Monday nighter would be so compelling? Both the Dolphins and the Saints have begun 2013 in perfect form, so it’ll be a battle of the undefeated’s in New Orleans on Monday.

Also on the radar:

1. A game that already happened: The Niners at Rams game. It’s always a good matchup between these two NFC West Rivals, but this one was especially intriguing given that neither team had won since Week 1 and both were in a three-way tie for second place in the NFC West (the ‘hawks are 3-0, everyone else was 1-2). The Niners came out (decisively) on top, but the real story of the night was the surprisingly lackluster Rams. They have some work to do.

2. The 0-3 Giants are desperate for a win and have to face the 3-0 Chiefs…in Kansas City. It’s not looking so good for the G-men.

3. The Patriots face their first real competition of the season on Sunday night against the Falcons (apologies to the Bills, Jets, and Bucs). Playing the Falcons at home is always a tall order, especially since the Falcons are coming off of a last-minute loss in Miami.

Review and Preview : Week 2

football, news, week 2

Review

50’s the Mike: A method of calling out protection assignments for the offensive players by pointing out “the Mike” on defense. Usually the Mike is the middle linebacker, but during these calls the Mike is the player on defense who the offense identifies as key to their protection assignments. (From Tuesday’s post.)

Referee (or Head Official): The referee signals and announces penalties and has the final say on all rulings on the field, what the down and distance is, and how the rules are interpreted in any given situation. He’s also the guy who will go under the hood to watch replays to confirm rulings on the field, and also watches the quarterback to monitor any illegal activity by/to the quarterback. He is easily identified as the official wearing the white hat. (From Wednesday’s post.)

Umpire: The umpire monitors the offensive and defensive lineman at the line of scrimmage. The umpire also records the score, winner of the coin toss, and keeps track of timeouts, and is in charge of making sure the players are dressed according to league rules. (From Wednesday’s post.)

Head Linesman: The head linesman is the official who watches the neutral zone for false start or offsides penalties. He also rules on all out of bounds plays on his side of the field, and has the task of placing his foot wherever forward progress ended after the play is whistled dead. (From Wednesday’s post.)

Line Judge: The line judge’s most important job is supervising the timing of the game. He also assists the head linesman in several rulings and is positioned on the opposite side of the field, but along with all of those duties, he is also responsible for being the right hand man of pretty much every other official on the field. (From Wednesday’s post.)

Field Judge: The field judge stays on the same side as the line judge, but 20 yards deeper. He keeps an eye on the wide receivers on his side of the field and monitors illegal activity by/to them and also rules on whether or not catches are made or interfered with. He is also charged with determining whether or not a player is in or out of bounds during plays occurring in his section of the field. (From Wednesday’s post.)

Side Judge: The side judge is the field judge, but on the head linesman’s side (with a few slight variations). (From Wednesday’s post.)

Back Judge: The back judge and the field judge are most famous for their work at the field goal posts; they are the two officials who stand on either side of the field goal post and rule whether the kick is good or no good. The back judge also takes a position 25 yards downfield, usually on the tight end’s side, and keeps an eye on all deep mid-field action on both sides of the ball. He’s also in charge of keeping track of the time on the play clock and the time elapsed over halftime. (From Wednesday’s post.)

Ashley’s Rookie Season: A new feature for all you Normal Girls out there! Over the course of this season, Ashley will be asking any question that comes to mind while watching a football game and I’ll be answering them here on a weekly/biweekly basis. (From Thursday’s post.)

Preview

Normal Girl Game of the Week

Kansas City Chiefs at Philadelphia Eagles, Thursday at 8:25pm EST on the NFL Network

Andy Reid will be returning to Philly for the first time on Thursday night after having spent the past 13 years as the Eagles head coach. It’s a big night for Reid and Eagles fans everywhere, as former Eagles’ QB Donovan McNabb’s jersey will be retired at halftime. It’ll be one big Eagles love fest regardless, but Eagles fans will be most pleased if the night results in a win under new Eagles head coach, Chip Kelly.

Also on the radar:

1. The 0-2 Giants need a win. So do the 0-2 Panthers. They play each other in Carolina on Sunday afternoon.

2. Two perennial AFC powerhouses, the Ravens and the Texans, have looked a little less-than-powerful so far this season. They’ll meet in Baltimore on Sunday in what could be a playoff preview.

3. Keep a close eye on RGIII in the Lions at Redskins game on Sunday. He’s had a rough start thus far and it isn’t looking to get any easier against a (very) physical Detroit defense.

Review & Preview : Week 1 Edition

 

We’re really going all-out over here with new features for the 2013 Season, but this one might be my favorite: a quick review of what we’ve learned this week and a preview of the weekend action that’s about to unfold. A perfect weekend read!

Let’s dive in!

Review

Safety: A defensive score, worth 2-points. (From Monday’s post)

Offsetting Penalties: When each team gets called for certain penalties which nullify, or offset, one another. Keep in mind that not all penalties are created equal (or worth the same amount of yardage), and therefore not all penalties will offset one another. (From Tuesday’s post)

Dead Ball Fouls: Penalties that occur when the ball is not longer “live” or in play (from Tuesday’s post)

Offsetting Dead Ball Fouls: Offsetting penalties which result in the loss of a down, not replaying the down (from Tuesday’s post)

Drive: a new offensive possession (from Wednesday’s post)

Offensive Possession: the term used to describe having control of the football on offense (from Wednesday’s post)

Touchback: a ruling that occurs when the ball is downed in the end zone or outside of the end zone and results in a drive which begins at the 20-yard line (from Wednesday’s post)

Taking a Knee in the End Zone: when a receiver catches the kickoff in the end zone and kneels down for a touchback (from Wednesday’s post)

Fantasy Football: a season-long game in which a participant competes against a group of other participants by drafting and fielding a fantasy “team” each week (from Thursday’s post)

Preview

Normal Girl Game of the Week:

Broncos at Giants, 4:25 EST on CBS

The Manning Bowl is always a must-watch, especially since it will be the first time Eli will face Peyton as a Bronco, not a Colt. Peyton has the upper hand in W column: he’s won both of the past two face-offs. He’s also coming off of a game in which he threw 7 touchdowns and zero interceptions, which is essentially the opposite of the night Eli had with the Giants last Sunday.

Also On The Radar:

1. Are the Bucs really as bad as they looked last Sunday against the Jets? It will be tough to find out the true answer to that question, as they face a fierce NFC South rival this Sunday – the back-and-better-than-ever Saints.

2. How will the rookie quarterbacks in the AFC East (Geno Smith for the Jets, EJ Manuel for the Bills) fare in Week 2? Both were impressive in their debut games, but can they maintain that level of composure and confidence as the weeks wear on?

3. Who will emerge as the powerhouse in the NFC West after a veritable clash of the (non-Tennessean) titans on Sunday night: the Seahawks, or the 49ers?

And that’s a wrap! What are you all looking forward to this weekend? Any game in particular stand out?