Players and Positions
Okay, before we start rambling on about just how long a game can be here's how the guys line up on the field.
Okay now that might look a little strange to you at first so to make it easier just think about your favorite player and find out what position he plays. Is he on Offense or Defense? Either way, he has a man covering *watching* his position from the other side of the field. To make this easier, We're going to break down the positions along with adding a couple of photos of our favorites *wink* in those positions.
Made up of:
- The Offensive Linemen: in charge of creating “the line” that protects the quarterback
- The Backs: Meaning the players that are in the back of the lineman. The quarterback and the ball carriers.
- The Tight Ends: This doesn't mean the guys with the cutest bottoms ladies... Basically, they are a cross between the linemen and the receivers.
- The Receivers: the ones who catch the passes
The Linemen:
Offensive linemen are not allowed catch the ball but may run the ball if they want. (see my silly football rules for more on that…)
- Center: The player in the center of the line! He is the one to start each play when he “snaps” the football.
- Offensive Guards: The guards right next to the center on each side. Their job is to stay tight close in and their main function is to block on both running and passing plays.
- Offensive Tackles: the offensive tackles line up next to the guards. Their role is to BLOCK the area from one tackle to the other is an area of “close line play.” Don’t ask what this means... :-)
Vernon Davis is our guy. He wasn't our choice for the Sexiest Tight End but he had the best photo.
- They are a mix between a blocker and a pass receiver being they block but they also handle the football.
- Tight ends play on either side of the tackles.
- If he moves away from the offensive tackle, he is called a split end.
- Name dropping: Vernon Davis (photo above), Zach Miller, Jason Witten, Tony Gonzalez and Kellen Winslow
Tony Gonzalez supports PETA and went bare to prove it! THAT'S HEART on & off the field.
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THE BACKS:
Now after searching for hours, we came up with Tom Brady looking absolutely deeee-lish. *sorry guys, we couldn't resist* - Ladies, this is what's under the hood!
- The Quarterback: The Man! He’s a leader, keeps a cool head under pressure, be mentally and physically tough and exude sex appeal! All attractive attributes in any man. I get really annoyed when QBs are not attractive. It’s not cool. Oh yeah, and he calls the plays, gets the football from the snap and puts it into play with with a long pass, a handoff or he runs it himself. Name Dropping: The Manning Brothers, Tom Brady, Tony Romo, Michael Vick, Ben Roethlisberger, Donovan McNabb, Matt Ryan, Brett Farve.
- Fullback: Usually a blocker and the guys that clear the path for the guys running through the big pile-up with the ball. But they can carry the ball too.
- Running back: The ones that seem to do a whole lot of work to get no where. They are the little compact guys that try to shove their way through the huge defensive linemen in front of them and get taken down almost immediately. The ones that make you go “what was the point of that? He didnt’ get anywhere”*** At least that’s what I think….
- Name dropping: LaDainian Tomlinson, Reggie Bush (both photos below), Adrian Peterson, Michael Turner, Brian Westbrook,
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The Receivers
WR Larry Fitzgerald makes catching the ball look so easy. And so sexy!
” The wide receivers are speedy pass-catching specialists.” Their main job is to get open for a pass. There are two different kinds of WR, and I swear if you memorize these two positions and use them correctly during a game, you will 1. freak everyone out and 2. get anything you want.
- Speed Wide Receiver: The “deep threat.” The ones that bullet down the field to receive the pass.
- Possession Wide Receiver: Not as fast, but great at keeping the ball and moving it down the field
- Name dropping: Larry Fitzgerald, Randy Moss, DeSean Jackson, Santonio Holmes, Plaxico Buress
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THE DEFENSE (aka the ones trying to make sure the other team doesn’t score)
- The Linemen: Players on the line of scrimmage
- The Secondary/Defensive Backs: All the players that play behind the line.
Defensive End and DWTS hottie Jason Taylor shows linemen can be soooo fine!
- Nose guard: Basically the Center of the defense. Lines up nose to nose with the offensive center. Short and strong, their job is to stop the offense from coming down the midle. If they quick, they are get through the offense and sack the QB!
- Defensive tackle: The players lined up across from offensive guards. Their mission: break through the offensive line, rush forward at the quarterback (aka passer) and also stop the runs coming up the middle of the pack.
- Defensive End: The two ends play on well, the ends–or outer edges–of the defensive line. Their mission: break through the offense, rush forward at the quarterback and stop the runs coming up the sides of the field. Name Drop: DWTS JASON TAYLOR!!!!
- The faster of the two ends is usually placed on the right side of the defensive line because that is the blind side of a right-handed quarterback, making them vulnerable to attacks!
DeMarcus Ware shows that linebackers are not fat, ugly and scary--they are chisled, damn fine and sweet!
- Linebacker: Linebackers play behind the defensive line and perform various duties depending on the situation, including rushing the passer, covering receivers, and defending against the run. Most defensive sets have between two and three linebackers.Linebackers are usually divided into three types:
- Strongside: Lines up across from the offensive tight end. Stongest so he can push through the blockers quickly to grab the offensive guy carrying the ball.
- Middle: the “quarterback of the defense” because he reads the offensive formation and tries to adjust the whole defense in response to what he sees.
- Weakside: The most athletic and quickest—not necessarily the strongest—because he needs to be able to run and cover the field.
- Name Dropping: Brian Urlacher, DeMarcus Ware , Ray Lewis
- Cornerback: The two players that cover the wide receivers. Their goal is to make sure the receivers don’t catch the ball! They try to bat it down or pluck it out of the air for themselves.
- GREEN BAY PACKERS CHARLES WOODSON
- Safety: The safeties are the last line of defense (farthest from the line of scrimmage) and help cover the open field from long passing. Name Drop: Troy Polamalu, Ed Reed
- There are also things called Nickelbacks and Dimebacks but yeah…if it’s not the band, don’t think I really care.
THE SPECIAL TEAMS
You don’t f&@% with the special teams. They have all sorts of special privileges and stuff like “Roughing the Kicker Penalties.” Personally, I don’t see the fuss. But apparently they are very rare, elite and oh, so special. They are so rare they only come out to play for certain things!
These are the guys that come on for kickoffs, free kicks, punts, field goals and extra point attempts. (If you don’t know what those are, well, you didn’t read my Football Terms to Know that I said you must read before continuing!)
The Special Teams are:
- Kickoff team: The group that comes out for the kickoff
- a kick return team: the team that catches the kickoff and is trying to run it back down the field
- a punting team: The team that comes to punt the ball (strangely….they can be different then the kicking teams…go figure)
- a punt blocking/return team: the team that first tries to block the punt, and then when unsuccessful, catches the punts and tries to run it back.
- a field goal team: The team that comes out to kick the field goal with the kicker.
- a field goal blocking team: the defensive team that comes out to stop or block the field goal team.
- The Holder & the Kicker: Think Charlie Brown and Lucy. Lucy holds the ball for Charlie Brown to kick. Well except in the NFL, the Lucy’s don’t pull the ball away from the kicker. That would be hysterical bad.
- Okay so the holder is the guy that gets the football after it is snapped (See Football’s Bend & Snap) and makes sure the ball is adjusted for the Kicker to, well, kick.
- The football needs upright with the laces out before it is kicked.
- Then the sucker the holder actually holds the ball on the placeholder while it is kicked.
- Kick returner: He’s the guy that hangs out way down the field to catch the football after a kickoff and then runs it back. I think.
- Punter: The guy that kicks the punts. And the kicker is (ha, had to say it) in the NFL this guy is different from the Kicker. Why? I have no idea. You would think that if the guy has the eye-foot coordination to kick a field goal and not kick the holder’s finger, he could punt a ball. Maybe he lacks hand-foot coordination?
- Punt returner: He’s the guy that hangs out way down the field to catch the football after a punt and then runs it back. Like a dog. This guy also moonlights as the kick returner, unlike his offensive counterparts the kicker and the punter.
- Wedge Buster: I don’t even care what this guy does, it’s such a great name and title! Can you imagine meeting him at a bar? “Hi, I’m Jake and I’m a Wedge Buster.” Ha
- In all honestly, this guy has like, the worst job ever. So you know the punt/kick returner guy? Okay let’s say he caught the ball. Now he’s trying to make it back down the field and he is surrounded by his whole Offensive Team, aka “the wedge” to help him. Enter the Wedge Busters! These are the Defensive Guys that run like hell down the field after the punt/kick-off trying to stop the returner. Why does it suck? They are running full force at the Offensive Team to break it up. So when they contact…. Philadelphia Eagles special teams coach once said “It’s like throwing yourself in front of a bus.”
- How that is any more painful then any other tackle, I do not know.
- Hands Team: From Wikipedia: “Used only during onside kicks, the members of a hands team are responsible for preventing the kicking team from recovering a kick, usually by recovering the ball themselves.” I didn’t understand a word of that. Lost me at Onside Kicks, totally tuned out after that.
**Who are some of your favorites in the League?????**
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