I've got a co-worker from England that's totally lost when we start talking about American Football at lunch. I know it's late in the season, but I'd like to be able to provide a resource for him so that he can brush up on the football info and participate in discussions, even if he doesn't know what he's saying.
Peter King's MMQB is a good column to read, as is Gregg Easterbrook's TMQ. Those are my go-tos. Any other suggestions, particularly ones that come out on Sunday night? Ones that cover college ball make for an added plus.
Would love to see these suggestions for myself because I understand some of it, but being an Aussie I don't get much exposure to regular columns etc.
Tuesday Morning Quarterback (comes up usually late Tuesday morning): http://search.espn.go.com/tmq/gregg-easterbrook/
Monday Morning Quarterback (comes up early Monday morning): http://mmqb.si.com/
I was surprised to learn NFL players need to complete a college degree and played college football otherwise they can't enter the draft. The AFL here has nothing like that.
Also go the Vikings. :pub:
Talking points from the Saturday games:
What was with all those penalties? (either game, other party will generate an "I know" type of response, concur and move on)
Man, what was with Kam Chandler jumping *over* the line? (Seattle defensive player cleared the Carolina front line to block a field goal attempt. Penalties (see first line) caused the Carolina kicker to try three successive times, finally getting a play that counted on the third try.)
Carolina just wasn't ready for the playoffs. Then again, Arizona wouldn't have made it, either. (may trigger discussion of which NFC team that missed the playoffs should have been playing against Seattle... but there really weren't a lot of great contenders that stayed home in January...)
Turnovers are what really did in the Panthers. (first interception was more of an early punt, but the pick-6 in the 4th quarter sealed Carolina's fate) (a pick-6 is when a defensive player returns an interception for a touchdown)
Belichik and Brady really want another Super Bowl ring bad... that was a hungry Patriots team out there... (general agreement to this one)
Amazing how New England came from behind *3 times* to pull off a win! (first two were 14-point deficits, last one was when they were down by 3)
Looks like Harbaugh isn't living in Belichik's head anymore. (Reference to how the Ravens coach beat the Pats in playoffs twice before, but lost in their last two meetings)
Both Flacco and Brady were amazing. What a shootout! (Both quarterbacks were doing very well, kept the game close)
That should get you started.
Dallas-Green Bay notes:
Challenging Dez Bryant's catch on the 1 made the game.
Aaron Rogers showed he doesn't need to run.
Do you think that if Dallas had made that field goal earlier that they would have taken another field goal attempt? (leads to a discussion that involves math, addition and statistics, where you can geek out without needing to know much about sports.)
Colts-Broncos notes:
Wow... Denver actually booed Peyton Manning... Stay classy, Denver. (Manning had thrown six incompletions in a row, so the fans were harsh in their assessment of his future potential as he took the field)
Luck and T.Y. Hilton sure made it look easy. (Passer/receiver combo that was very productive in the game)
But can Indy stand up to New England? (Leads to a discussion of how New England seems to have a much wider and deeper range of weapons at their disposal.)
For the inspiration for the thread title, go here to 1:55 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msN7HNncHik
Quote from: Network2501 on January 08, 2015, 09:09:06 PM
I was surprised to learn NFL players need to complete a college degree and played college football otherwise they can't enter the draft. The AFL here has nothing like that.
Also go the Vikings. :pub:
Actually they don't need to complete their degree, they are however required to have completed at least 3 season in college.
http://www.nfl.com/rulebook/beginnersguidetofootball
As Packers-Seahawks goes into overtime, a few comments...
1. Packers left 8 points on the field in the first half. They had two 4th and goals. Had they made even one, they'd be up by a point now. Made both, up by 5. That could be critical.
2. Where was Seattle's offensive line? Wilson looked like Tony Romo from last year. Throwing bricks, getting sacked, constantly under pressure. That's not the kind of play you want to see in the playoffs.
3. Seattle's defense wasn't doing a lot of amazing... they even let an injured Aaron Rogers trot his way to a first down, which led to the field goal that tied up the game.
4. Good move by Seattle both on the fake kick and then, later, the 2-point conversion. For his credit, Wilson was worth more for his running game than his passing game.
OK, Seattle gets the kickoff. If they get a TD, then Green Bay is gonna wish they hadn't left those points on the field...
EDIT: Spoiler alert... Green Bay is now positively kicking themselves that they left those points on the field. The Gods of Football gave them two early turnovers and they only did 6 points with them.
Now the Pats-Colts action...
1. Indy dropped their first punt return. That is not a good thing to do when playing New England.
2. The Colt's TD drive in the second quarter coming off an interception was nice, but it was sustained by two critical Patriots penalties. That's not the way you want to be moving the ball down the field. The Colts offense had some nice moves, but the Patriots defense still looked convincingly tough and competent.
3. And for the Colts to rough the passer on the following drive? The Pats didn't need the help, but they took that help all the same. That foul put the Pats within shootin' range of the endzone, not good at all. Patriots ran that clock good and hard and got three points out of that drive.
4. The Patriots showed a very convincing offense with plenty of options. These guys are the genuine article.
5. That was one sweet interception by the Patriots towards the end of the 3rd Quarter. It was already 31-7, but that pretty much meant game over for the Colts. 38-7 just a few seconds after that pick. Game over, man, game over...
The Seahawks better get their stuff together, or the Patriots will eat them alive in the Super Bowl.
i hope the seahawks break tom brady's legs.... and I am from the NE. :developers: :developers: :developers:
I'm afraid that the Pats' front line will keep that from happening.
Those last few minutes of the Super Bowl were crazy, crazy, crazy.
1. Tom Brady got the job done. :not_worthy:
2. So THAT was a catch and Dez Bryant's wasn't? OK, then... :problem?:
3. Same miracle catch happened to Pats when they lost to the Giants in the SuperBowl... lolz... :angry:
4. So it's 4th and goal, short yardage, and you've got Marshawn Lynch... hmm... what play to call... I know, a pass! :zomgwtfbbq:
5. Seattle's fouls sealed their fates. Two penalties took the Pats from a potential safety and a kick return for a touchdown - long shot but still possible - to kneeling a good distance away from the endzone. Encroachment could have been avoided with better practice, the personal foul could have been avoided with better classiness. C:-)
Good game, much better than last year. And was it just me or did the giant puppet tiger Katy Perry was riding have a massive goiter? :o
Gravedig because I can!
Watching the Philadelphia Eagles vs. Minnesota Vikings... losing count of how many turnovers have happened in this game! Did someone coat the ball with soap or something? Fun game to watch, even if the Eagles are winning...
What UK football team does your mate support?
Quote from: Dieselboy on October 28, 2016, 06:23:08 AM
What UK football team does your mate support?
Whichever one Maurice Moss supports... Which is whatever team Roy Trenneman supports...
(https://bamsaidtheladydotcom.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/westham1acropped.gif?w=400&h=221)
Saw Green Bay - Atlanta and Dallas - Philadelphia yesterday, both great games.
Except... the No Fun League enforcement of "excessive celebration" after big plays. NFL needs to realize that people are going to celebrate after big accomplishments. Excessive celebration should mean organized choreography, live music, human sacrifice... not spiking the ball and making a few exuberant moves. I mean, if the officials STILL can't figure out exactly what a catch is, why should they waste time on excessive celebration flags?
Also, both games had 12th man penalties - one extra player on the field for a side, usually because the guy coming out for a substitution didn't get to the sideline fast enough. Coaches, a note, if you will... make your players coming out RUN, not walk or jog or prance, but RUN to the sidelines, in a direct perpendicular to the sideline. Anything less than a run or a route less direct than the perpendicular means risking five yards if the offense gets its act together and snaps the ball. I'd have players that draw that foul do wind sprints all day on Monday until they learned the importance of running in a straight line in such situations.
My last note on low football IQ... PROTIP: if you're catching the kickoff and you're in the endzone, ANYWHERE in the endzone, take a knee and the spot on the 25 yard line. Lucky Whitehead was 3 yards into the endzone, ran the ball, and fumbled it on his own 20. Dallas recovered the ball, but it was still 5 yards short of where it could have been, fumble-free. Catch the ball on the 15? Consider running it back, absolutely. In the endzone? No. Not even if the other team is sitting on the field, looking for artificial dasies in the artificial turf. Take the knee and the spot on the 25.
But great finish in Dallas in OT. Dak Prescott proved that starting him was the right decision and Ezekiel Elliot proved drafting him was the right decision. Jerry Jones is still an idiot, but I feel like I don't have to say it as often when Dallas is 6-1.
Quote from: deanwebb on October 31, 2016, 10:08:20 AM
Saw Green Bay - Atlanta and Dallas - Philadelphia yesterday, both great games.
Except... the No Fun League enforcement of "excessive celebration" after big plays. NFL needs to realize that people are going to celebrate after big accomplishments. Excessive celebration should mean organized choreography, live music, human sacrifice... not spiking the ball and making a few exuberant moves. I mean, if the officials STILL can't figure out exactly what a catch is, why should they waste time on excessive celebration flags?
Is that a direct reference to the Seahawks & S Earl Thomas????
This was actually the call on Ezekiel Elliot after a massive run. He spiked the ball, got the call.
Dallas demolished the Browns, as expected. I DVRd the game and watched it all in 37 minutes.
Raiders-Broncos was fun for a while because I like watching the Broncos go down. Then it got to a point where I needed to go to sleep and felt confident in the Raiders' ability to hold off the Broncos, which they did.
From what I saw of the Colts-Green Bay game, Green Bay is in a huge slump. Not good for them, at all.
As a Dallas fan, I am beginning to hope for a Patriots-Dallas Super Bowl in 2017.
Ignoring the ref issues with the game. Seattle had a couple pretty good one handed catches in the end zone last night.
-Otanx
... and that's a big ignore, too! Would not be surprised to see that crew get disciplined after last night. Lots and lots of blown calls.
Seattle is back to form, apparently. Wilson is healthy again, and they're going to need him to stay healthy for the next 8 games.
My dad is a Seattle fan (grew up in WA) so it is all good :problem?:
I was having dinner at BDubs, and left just before half time so I missed the field goal attempt. Kind of wish I had stayed for the full game.
-Otanx
Cowboys vs. Steelers was an edge-of-the-seat face-melter. Loved it, great play by both teams, Cowboys with Prescott and Elliott pulled it off in the clutch finish. They needed a field goal, they got a touchdown.
Eagles did a good job of shutting down the Falcons: watching Pats vs. Seahawks right now... Pats at home and everyone brought marshmallows because Brady's on fire: picking New England to win this one.
The lol's on me, since Seahawks delivered a huge upset, including an endzone interception in the last minute! I missed seeing that, since I went to bed at a decent hour.
..and that moon was pretty cool last night/this morning.
Quote from: ristau5741 on November 14, 2016, 10:47:08 AM
..and that moon was pretty cool last night/this morning.
Yeah - took a pic of it early this morning - "Night Sun" popped into my mind.
Green Bay was all over the map yesterday. The entire first half I was felt like we did not even show up. The pattern I keep seeing is that Green Bay thinks we can catch up in the fourth quarter. This year is just killing me!
Quote from: PackersPride on November 14, 2016, 03:10:39 PM
Green Bay was all over the map yesterday. The entire first half I was felt like we did not even show up. The pattern I keep seeing is that Green Bay thinks we can catch up in the fourth quarter. This year is just killing me!
So how much of it is injuries and how much is McCarthy being too conservative in his play-calling?
Quote from: deanwebb on November 14, 2016, 06:05:08 PM
Quote from: PackersPride on November 14, 2016, 03:10:39 PM
Green Bay was all over the map yesterday. The entire first half I was felt like we did not even show up. The pattern I keep seeing is that Green Bay thinks we can catch up in the fourth quarter. This year is just killing me!
So how much of it is injuries and how much is McCarthy being too conservative in his play-calling?
I think a lot of it was due to injuries. I do know fans are barking for Mike to be replaced. Only time will tell. Packers have been in this position many, many times.
Maybe everyone needs to just R-E-L-A-X... :)
Quote from: deanwebb on November 15, 2016, 11:50:50 AM
Maybe everyone needs to just R-E-L-A-X... :)
Good one! :))
Lol, true, true... And if you need a team to cheer for, go with the plucky rookie QB-RB combo in Dallas! Goodness knows how many times I've been a cheesehead when Romo was having a bad day...
I do have to give props to Dallas as they do have a great combination with Prescott and Elliott.
Cowboys beat Washington by 5 points. Yes, the two missed field goals for Washington were a factor, but I'm pretty sure that Dallas could have scored one more time in the final seconds to win by at least 2, if not 6. Washington found a way to hold Elliott in the mid-game, but Dallas found a way to route around the blockage in the last quarter.
Lions vs. Vikings started off good, with a pair of touchdowns, then became a bit of a snoozer until the last minute, when the Lions pulled together and got the winning field goal in.
Left Steelers-Colts at the half, when it was clear that the backup QB wasn't really up to the task of slaying giants. I think the biggest surprise for me was, when I checked the final score this more, was that the Steelers only got one more TD in the second half.
But, hey, it's a good year to be a Cowboys fan. I'm not exercising my option to start rooting for another team that has a hope in the playoffs. Dallas had a good crew in 2014, but the rookie wonder twins have really elevated the team. Romo fans can argue if he'd also have the team at 10-1 or 11-0 right now, but there's no question that Ezekiel Elliott has made the Dallas running game a major force. Prescott also has an embarrassment of riches in the Dallas receiver corps, and what's better is that he knows how to find a target without being read by the defense, something Carson Wentz is struggling with in Philadelphia. Dallas' secondary is busting up passes, and the front line is stopping the runs. The Cowboys are a complete team this year, and it may be their time to get that 6th Super Bowl ring.
Once again, go Cowboys. Rough game against the Minnesota D, but the 'boys found a way.
KC looked convincing vs. the Raiders last night. What say all y'all?
Quote from: deanwebb on December 09, 2016, 04:49:48 PM
KC looked convincing vs. the Raiders last night. What say all y'all?
Tonites game is the big one. Ravens at NE. should be a good game,
though Ravens have never won in NE.
there is always next year.
Lets go buffalo?!
Packers looked great vs. Seattle.
Giants and Cowboys... wow, both those QBs were tossing bricks. In the end, Giants won because of a foot on top of the guy recovering the fumble, an endpost crossbar, and Dez not mastering the art of catching a football. Close game, huge defensive battle, and now I gotta put up both with Giants fans and #TeamRomo because, somehow, if Romo was playing, Dez wouldn't have dropped that ball, the FG would have made it through, and that foot wouldn't have made the fumble recovery guy down by contact. Gimmee a break...
Agreed that Ravens-NE gonna be some sport!
Nobody mentioned the Army win over the Navy? Broke a 14 year streak. Was upset my wife was dragging me to a friends birthday party, but when we got there I found out her husband is ex-Navy so we had a good couch rivalry going on, and telling old military stories. Ending up being better than watching at home.
-Otanx
Quote from: Otanx on December 12, 2016, 09:15:01 AM
Nobody mentioned the Army win over the Navy? Broke a 14 year streak. Was upset my wife was dragging me to a friends birthday party, but when we got there I found out her husband is ex-Navy so we had a good couch rivalry going on, and telling old military stories. Ending up being better than watching at home.
-Otanx
Man, that would be sweet. And, yes, breaking the 14-year streak is newsworthy. Well done, Army!
we are going to lose to the 0-13 browns
Quote from: LynK on December 14, 2016, 01:35:47 PM
we are going to lose to the 0-13 browns
Ouch. That would be a complete, and total ouch.
HOW
DID
THE
PATRIOTS
DO
THAT
?????????
Quote from: deanwebb on February 05, 2017, 09:54:18 PM
HOW
DID
THE
PATRIOTS
DO
THAT
?????????
don't know, I'll have to watch the 2nd half today. Atlanta was looking really good in the first half.
They were looking unstoppable and the Patriots looked like they left their brains in the locker room. Right after the half, the Falcons scored another TD to put it all away, and then... maybe we should check the air pressure in those footballs, could have changed after the dome opened up and then closed...