NFL Week 2 Games to Watch

It’s Week 2 of the NFL season, and we’ve selected three must-see games out of the 16 that take place this week. Although there are several good games this week, a few stood out because of their storylines: missing players possibly turning strengths to weaknesses; a stifling run defense versus a running back who needs to prove his worth; a likely AFC Championship preview; and a highly anticipated homecoming. We think we did pretty well in our selections last week, by the way…

Chicago Bears (1-0) @ New Orleans Saints (0-1) (Sunday, 1:00 PM on FOX):

Both teams are coming off great games, although New Orleans fought a losing effort against the Green Bay Packers last week. Both teams are also coming into this week with issues facing some of its key players. Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher, the heart and soul of their defense, and possibly the entire team, will be playing after losing his mother early this week. Her funeral is Saturday; will he be less of weapon or will he be playing with an extra spark? Meanwhile, the Packers will be missing Marques Colston, their most productive wide receiver last season, with a broken collar bone; his position-mate, receiver Lance Moore, might also miss the game because of a sore groin. Will the Packers be able to adapt without its key receivers?

Baltimore Ravens (1-0) @ Tennessee Titans (0-1) (Sunday, 1:00 PM on CBS):

The Ravens defense put on a clinic last week, crushing the Steelers 35 to 7. They need to avoid a letdown this week against running back Chris Johnson and the Titans. Johnson, who has played for the Titans for three years, didn’t return to the team until a couple of weeks ago because he was holding out for a better contract. After scoring a new 4-year, $53 million deal, he failed to prove his worth last week, only rushing for 24 yards in the Titans loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. He’s got something to prove this week, though he may not get many chances against a stout Ravens defense and with receiver Kenny Britt stealing his spotlight; in Week 1 Britt had five receptions for 136 yards and two touchdowns. After Sunday, will Britt be saying “Show Me The Money”?

San Diego Chargers (1-0) @ New England Patriots (1-0) (Sunday, 4:15 PM ET on CBS):

With both teams living up to expectations in Week 1, this matchup could be a preview of the AFC Championship game. Quarterback Philip Rivers and the Chargers have not done well against the Patriot in recent years, only winning once in the last five games against them. However, Rivers is considered one of the best QBs in the league right now and had over 300 yards passing and two touchdowns in the Chargers’ win over the Minnesota Vikings last week. As nice as those numbers are, however, they are overshadowed by Tom Brady’s stunning 517 passing yards and four touchdowns in the Patriots’ win over the Miami Dolphins. Which QB will come out on top? Will this be an offensive shoot-out, or will either team’s defense make its presence known?

Philadelphia Eagles (1-0) @ Atlanta Falcons (0-1) (Sunday, 8:20 PM on NBC):

All eyes will be on the quarterbacks in this nationally-televised game. Michael Vick returns to Atlanta, where he was the star before being sent to federal prison for his role in a dogfighting operation. This is his second homecoming; he returned last year as the Eagles’ backup. He still had a significant role in the Eagles victory last year, running and throwing for two touchdowns; his effort drew cheers from the Atlanta crowd, still feeling sentimental about Vick’s time in their city. Though they may still have affection for Vick, they have also moved on, through their acceptance and adoration of Vick’s replacement, Matt Ryan (nicknamed “Matty Ice”). After just three years as the starting quarterback Ryan has already led the Falcons to the playoffs twice and is a big reason why the team should make the playoffs again this year. Not only is he looking for a win, but Ryan will also be happy to help out a certain teammate this week. Atlanta tight end Tony Gonzalez needs only four yards to pass Terrell Owens as fifth on the NFL all-time receiving yards list.

By the way, in addition to "Naptime Huddle," you can find more family-favorite recipes at the "Chef Mommy" blog. Here is a link to a recipe for a fun game-day treat: http://chefmommy-brandao.blogspot.com/2011/02/football-rice-krispie-treats.html

Enjoy Week 2!

Tight Ends

Here at "Naptime Huddle” we have been gradually introducing each position on a football team. We started with the quarterback andoffensive linemen. We then discussed the linebackers and defensive linemen, before moving on to the secondary. Today we start to learn about the so-called “skill players”; those players who, along with the quarterback, have specialized skills that they use to advance the offense. Today's skill player is the tight end.

Position on the Field:

Before the snap, the tight end lines up at the end of the offensive line, next to the tackle. Because this adds an extra man to that side of the offensive line, the side where the tight end is located is usually referred to as the “strong side” of the offense’s formation (the other side of the line being the “weak side”). Before the start of the next play, the defense has to determine which is the strong side and adjust its formation accordingly. This typically means that the strong safety will position himself to that side of the field.

Responsibilities:

The tight end has multiple responsibilities during a play. Most of the time, he joins the offensive line in protecting the quarterback and blocking the defensive linemen or any other defenders trying to put pressure on the QB. By the same token, he assists in blocking for whoever has the ball, either a running back or wide receiver.

However, the tight end can also break off the line and make himself available to catch a pass. The tight end is often referred to as the QB’s “safety valve.” The tight end doesn’t usually run a long route down the field, and is typically strong enough to distance himself from the defenders. Therefore, the QB can often rely on the tight end to be open when the receivers that are further down the field are covered well by the secondary. This tactic is especially effective when a team needs less than ten yards to get a first down.

Because the tight end has so many roles, he needs to be strong, athletic and quick. Though not as, um, hefty as the offensive linemen, he should be bigger and stronger than the wide receivers.

Now that we have talked about most of the positions on the field, below is an illustration of a basic offensive (red) formation and the defensive (blue) 4-3 formation:

Kickoff Nitty Gritty, Conclusion: Rules and Penalties

Yesterday, we learned a little bit more about kickoffs, their strategies and the critical role they can play in any given game. Today we wrap up our discussion with an explanation of rules and penalties related to kickoffs. After today’s post, you can reasonably claim to be a kickoff expert.

1. No Score: There may be times, especially with the new rule that sets kickoffs at the 35-yard line, when the kicker sends the ball through the uprights at the far end of the field. Please don’t jump up and down in excitement because your team got a field goal. You’ll embarrass yourself. Kickoffs can’t score points.

2. Invalid Fair Catch Signal: If the returner doesn’t properly signal for the fair catch, the receiving team loses five yards.

3. Fair Catch Interference: Once a returner signals a fair catch, no member of the kicking team can interfere with his ability to catch the ball. Doing so will add give the receiving team an additional 15 yards from the spot of the foul.

4. When the returner catches the ball after signaling a fair catch, he may not advance the ball by running with it. If he does, it is a delay of game penalty and will cost the receiving team five yards from the spot of the catch.

5. If the returner signals a fair catch but does not catch the ball, he may not block or contact an opposing player until the ball is touched by anyone. The penalty is 15 yards.

6. If the ball goes out of bounds before entering the end zone and was not touched by a player on the receiving team, it is a penalty. The receiving team will get the ball either where it went out of bounds, or 30 yards from where it was kicked…whichever is more advantageous to the receiving team.

7. If the ball goes out of bounds on an onside kick attempt, the kicking team gets a five-yard penalty and must kick again. If it goes out of bounds on the next attempt, the receiving team gets the ball where it went out of bounds.

8. Illegal Touch: As you know from yesterday’s post, a kickoff must go ten yards to be legal. If a member of the kicking team touches the ball before it goes ten yards, it is an illegal touch and the receiving team gets the ball where it ended up (or went out of bounds), called the “dead ball spot,” or where it was illegally touched.

Kickoff Nitty Gritty: Onside Kicks and Fair Catch Kicks

Recently, I explained procedures associated with kickoffs, including the meaning of “runback,” “touchback” and special teams.  Now that you have, hopefully, seen several kickoffs, there are a few more kickoff details that are worth explaining.  Kickoffs are more than a mere formality to switch possession to the other team.  If you haven’t already, you will soon see that a kickoff can turn the tide for the losing team, or can help the winning team shoots itself in the foot.  The game situation can also impact the strategy a team uses on its kickoff.  How can this one aspect of the game mean so much?  Keep reading…

ONSIDE KICK

Under the rules of football, the ball must go ten yards from the spot of the kick to be legal.  Moreover, once the ball has gone ten yards, it’s up for grabs—either team can get possession by grabbing the ball.  This brings us to the first critical kickoff situation:  the onside kick.

Imagine this scenario:  the Chicago Bears are trailing the Green Bay Packers in the fourth quarter by nine points, 21 to 30.  There’s 1:25 left in the game when the Bears get the ball on their own 20-yard line.  They manage to work their way down the field and score a touchdown with 42 seconds left in the game.  The score is now Bears 28, Packers 30, but the Bears have to kick the ball to the Packers.  Time for an onside kick attempt!

The Bears’ place kicker will attempt to connect with the ball in such a way that it will hit the ground and bounce very high.  Hopefully, the bounce will allow at least one of his teammates to get in position to catch, or land on, the football once it goes ten yards.  If this happens, the Bears will have the ball again and a final chance to score.  So, why don’t teams do this every time?  The risk is that, if you don’t get the ball, the receiving team gets great field position, making it easier for them to score.

The receiving team will usually know that an onside kick is coming.  If the game situation (like the one I just described) doesn’t make it obvious, there are two other possible clues.  First, the kicking team will usually (but not always) line up in a formation where most of its players are bunched up on one side of the field.  This indicates that the ball will be kicked in that direction.  Second, the kicking team will send on their “hands team”; that is, their players who are most skilled at catching and holding onto the ball.  These will be their receivers, with the most reliable in the bunch in the most ideal position.

Onside kicks happen quite often, but not just in critical last-second situations.  A famous example is Super Bowl XLIV, when the New Orleans Saints, only down by four points, opened the second half with an onside kick:

FAIR CATCH

The returner on the receiving team might believe he can catch the ball, but that he won’t be able to make a runback for much yardage.  This is usually because he can sense the cover players on the kicking team closing in on him, or closing up the route he intended to run.  In such a case, the returner can protect himself and improve his chance of catching the ball safely (i.e., without dropping it or fumbling) by signaling for a fair catch. 

He does this by raising one arm over his head and waving it across his body (like at the movies when you wave to your husband when he’s come into the darkened theater with your Skittles).  Once the returner correctly signals a fair catch, no player on the kicking team can touch him; he must have enough space around him to catch the ball unmolested.  Of course, if he muffs the catch and drops it, the ball is still fair game and can be recovered by the kicking team.

I want to tell you about a neat little quirk associated with fair catches in the NFL and high school (but not college).  After a fair catch is made, the receiving team can choose to attempt a field goal from the spot of the fair catch instead of just going on offense like usual.  This is called a fair catch kick.  When the receiving team elects this option and tells the officials, the defense must line up ten yards away from where the kick will take place.  Therefore, the place kicker has those few extra moments to kick the ball before the defense reaches him.  This allows him to take a bit of a running start instead of just taking a couple of steps like a regular field goal attempt.  You’re not allowed to use a tee, so a teammate has to hold the ball.

Fair catch kicks are VERY rare.  The last successful attempt was accomplished by Ray Wersching for the San Diego Chargers in 1976 against the Buffalo Bills.*  The last attempt was a miss by Mason Crosby for the Green Bay Packers against the Detroit Lions in 2008.  Here’s Neil Rackers trying it a month before Crosby:

*Source: http://quirkyresearch.blogspot.com/2006/07/nfl-fair-catch-kick-attempts.html

Recipe Timeout: Mom's Luscious Lasagna

Today is my mother, Janelle's, 73rd birthday.  In her honor, I present her mouth-watering, one-helping-isn't-enough lasagna recipe.  This lasagna is a little different from others you might have tried because it has pepperoni instead of sausage.  Some of you might gasp in horror at the deviance, but I didn't realize lasagna was even made with sausage at all until I was well into my teenage years, and I still preferred Mom's over more "traditional" fare.  I hope you feel the same way.

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons olive oil
2-3 garlic cloves (to taste), minced
1 small sweet onion, chopped
1 lb. ground sirloin
8 oz. pepperoni, roughly chopped
8 oz. canned tomato sauce
6 oz. canned tomato paste
28 oz can diced tomatoes (reserve juice from can)
1 1/2 teaspoons oregano
salt and pepper to taste
8 oz. ricotta cheese
8 oz. mozzarella thinly sliced
4 oz. freshly grated parmesan cheese
Half package of lasagna noodles (about 6 noodles, with two or three extra in case of breakage)

Instructions:


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until onions are tender.  Add all meat and brown.  Drain excess grease and add tomato sauce, paste and diced tomatoes.  Add oregano, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil; cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. 

Cook lasagna noodles as directed on package (including draining and/or rinsing instructions).  Lightly grease a 9"x13" casserole dish and layer bottom with lasagna noodles.  Spread half of sauce over noodles. Spoon half the ricotta over sauce, sprinkle half of the parmesan over that and cover with a layer of mozzarella.  Repeat with second layer of noodles, then rest of the ricotta, parmesan and mozzarella.

Bake for 45 minutes and serve hot.  Serves 6-8.

Try serving it with the Great Greek Salad.

Head Linesman and Line Judge

We continue our look at exactly what those guys in black-and-white do on the field by putting a spotlight on the Head Linesman and the Line Judge.  Along with the Referee and Umpire, these officials are responsible for policing action before the snap and at the line of scrimmage.  And if you've ever wondered who those guys holding the big orange sticks are, you need to read the Head Linesman's job description.

HEAD LINESMAN

1.       Position:  The Head Linesman (or “HL”) stands on one sideline (usually the sideline opposite the press box), straddling the line of scrimmage (LOS); he is looking straight down the space between the offensive and defensive linemen.  As the play develops, he will move up and down the sideline in the direction of the play, up to five yards past the line of scrimmage.*

2.       Responsibilities:

a.        The Head Linesman keeps track of the downs and is in charge of the chain crew, the group of three or more people that hold the 10-yard chain and other markers. 

                                                               i.      The chain has a tall orange stick at each end; the sticks have black stripes and a large circle at the top.  One stick is placed on the yard line where the new set of downs began; the other end is stretched out the full ten yards and is placed at the yard line to which the offense needs to get for the first down (i.e., the line to gain).  When a first down is achieved, the HL marks the spot and the chain crew moves the first stick to that spot and the chain is stretched out again; this procedure is repeated for each new first down. 

                                                             ii.      The down marker is another tall stick with a board at the top that is changed on each play to indicate the down.  It is placed at the current LOS.

                                                            iii.      The loneliest guy on the chain crew is the one who places yet another marker at the yard line where the offense’s drive began.  This stays in place until the other team gets the ball.

b.      When there is a question of whether the offense advanced the ball far enough to make a first down, the HL will bring the chain crew out onto the field for a measurement (this procedure will get further attention in a future post).

c.       Before and at the snap, the HL looks for fouls committed at the LOS, such as offside or encroachment.  He also looks for intentional grounding by the quarterback.

d.      Generally, the HL is responsible for watching for illegal action on his side of the field by defenders, receivers and blockers nearest to him, such as holding, illegal contact, offensive or defensive pass interference, etc.

e.      He also rules on issues at the sideline, such as whether the runner has stepped out of bounds, or whether the receiver made a catch inbounds.

f.        The Head Linesman must assist the Referee and Umpire in determining the forward progress of the runner.

LINE JUDGE

1.       Position:  The Line Judge (or “LJ”) straddles the LOS on the opposite sideline as the Head Linesman.  Like the HL, he will watch the closest receiver as the play develops until the receiver moves five to seven yards downfield.  Once he stops watching the receiver, he will move back to observe action in the backfield.

2.       Responsibilities:

a.       The Line Judge has the same duties as the Head Linesman related to ruling on actions on the LOS at and before the snap; and on actions by defenders, blockers and receivers on his side of the field.

b.      He also observes where the pass is thrown to determine if it is a forward or backward pass.

c.       The Line Judge also must rule on whether the quarterback was beyond the LOS when he threw the pass, and, with the HL, he also rules on intentional grounding.

d.      Finally, the LJ keeps a backup game clock and lets the Referee know when each period ends.

*Remember from our discussion of Safeties and Cornerbacks that it is illegal to impede a receiver once he has gone five yards past the line of scrimmage.  These officials are looking for such illegal contact in this 5-yard zone.

NFL Week 1 Games to Watch

Now that the regular season has begun (with a bang last night), Fridays on “Naptime Huddle” will bring you each week’s best games to watch.  There are plenty of storylines this week:  while one Manning brother is sidelined by injury, the other steps into his shoes; high hopes in Washington; high expectations in Atlanta and Carolina; and personalities as big as Texas clash in the Big Apple.

Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans (Sunday, 1:00 PM on CBS):

On Thursday, Colts quarterback Peyton Manning underwent his second neck surgery this year and is expected to miss at least three months.  Manning has the current longest streak of game starts among active players at 227 consecutive games, and that streak will, sadly, come to an end on Sunday.  The Colts acquired veteran QB Kerry Collins late in the preseason, insurance against the possibility that Manning would be sidelined.  Will Collins be able to step into Manning’s cleats and lead the Colts to a winning season that Indy fans have come to expect?  Or will Sunday’s game, against a defense led by first-overall draft pick Mario Williams, be the first step on a long road of disappointment?

New York Giants @ Washington Redskins (Sunday, 4:15 PM on Fox): 

The New York Giants face their division rival Washington Redskins with Eli Manning at the helm at QB.  With big brother watching games from the sidelines, Eli takes the torch as the holder of the longest starting streak among active QBs.  His streak stands at 110 games, so he has a loooong way to go before he can overtake his brother’s number.  He faces a Redskins team that is high on optimism but low on proven talent.  Rex Grossman has been named the starting QB for the ‘Skins, but can he hold onto the job?  How much will emotion play a part in this game held on 9/11 between two cities directly impacted on that day?

Atlanta Falcons @ Chicago Bears (Sunday, 1:00 PM on Fox):

The Falcons made big moves in this year’s draft to get Alabama wide receiver Julio Jones to shore up their passing attack.  With Pro Bowler QB Matt Ryan coming off his best year yet, there are high expectations in Atlanta for the Falcons offense.  They face a Bears team with disgruntled stars (RB Matt Forte and LB Lance Briggs) and personnel issues that weren’t address in the off-season, including weaknesses on their offensive line.  That line needs to protect QB Jay Cutler, who will be playing under a microscope this year.  Cutler was criticized for his seemingly lackadaisical attitude when he was sidelined by injury in the Bears’ loss to the Packers in the NFC championship game last season.

Carolina Panthers @ Arizona Cardinals (Sunday, 4:15 on Fox):

Rookie Panthers QB Cam Newton will be feeling the heat on Sunday, and not just because his team will be playing in the desert of Glendale, Arizona.  Newton, the Heisman winner and first overall draft pick this year, has a lot to prove in his pro debut.  Can he make the transition to the pro game?  Will he be playing with a chip on his shoulder because of the scandal surrounding his “pay-to-play” move to Auburn?  We can’t overlook new Cardinals QB Kevin Kolb, either.  He starts his first game for the Cardinals after being unceremoniously ousted from Philadelphia by Michael Vick.

Dallas Cowboys @ New York Jets (Sunday, 8:20 PM on NBC):

This one should be fun.  The Dallas Cowboys, owned and largely managed by the big-personality, my-way-or-the-highway Jerry Jones face off against the New York Jets, dirty yankees coached by the brash I-hate-the-Patriots Rex Ryan.  The Jets need to walk the walk as much as they talk the talk after losing the AFC championship game in the last two seasons.  The Cowboys need to overcome their dreadful 2010 season that prompted the firing of their head coach around Thanksgiving.

As you can see, there should be plenty of entertainment this weekend, and lots to talk about on Monday!