News and Notes : 8.15.12

League News Limerick:

Chad Johnson is a Dophin no more.

Cedric Benson is a Packer for sure.

Andrew Luck lives up to all the folklore.

Replacement Refs make jaws drop to the floor.

In other news, last week I visited all of the New York training camps.

Bills:

camp, training camp, football, bills

Giants:

football, news, giants

Jets:

football, news, jets, training camp

I could have stayed at these camps for days just sitting and watching. The Bills were the best in overall ambience – St. John Fisher is a great location and the new stadium looks amazing. The Giants win for having the longest walk to the practice field and for having the most enthusiastic fans. (They are the defending champs, after all.) The Jets might win the all-around: great location (SUNY Cortland), convenient parking, close on-field proximity to the players, fast-paced practice, and lots of enthusiastic onlookers.

All in all: my favorite type of camping. Loved it.

(And for the most entertaining article you’ll read about training camp this season, click here.)

Divisional Breakdown : AFC East Teams

Today we’re traveling to the AFC East! Here’s the deal with the teams in that division:

The Buffalo Bills

History: Buffalo had a long list of teams with other minor football organizations prior to establishing the Bills with the AFL in 1960. O.J. Simpson was a star running back for the Bills in the 70’s. The Bills are also famous for going to the Super Bowl FOUR TIMES IN A ROW in the 90’s but never winning. That decline has carried over into the present era.

Current Players to Know: Ryan Fitzpatrick is a Harvard-educated quarterback. He was nothing to write home about until last season when he led the Bills on an excellent winning streak early in the season. He did not perform quite as well for the rest of the season. Mario Williams is a star defensive end who signed with Buffalo over the summer (he used to play for the Houston Texans). Fred Jackson is a running back who was having a great season last year before he was injured in Week 11.

Head Coach: Chan Gailey

2011 Regular Season Record: 6-10

What to Watch For in 2012: I don’t want to jinx it because I would love to see Buffalo succeed…but the Bills really could be good this year! While they lack depth in some areas they added a lot of talent in the off-season. Ryan Fitzpatrick received a big contract extension in the middle of last season but didn’t really live up to it, so he might perform on the basis of having something to prove this year. And always keep an eye on wide receiver Stevie Johnson, as he’s prone to drama and can usually be counted on for good press conference material.

The Miami Dolphins

History: Florida’s first professional football team was actually named the “Miami Seahawks,” a team that played for the AAFC. That team only lasted one season. Twenty years later, the AFL established a new team in Miami, and a fan vote decided that the team would be named the Dolphins. The ’72 Dolphins are famous for having the only undefeated season in NFL history (and for fervently clinging to that identity). Legendary QB Dan Marino established his legacy in Miami in the 80’s and 90’s.

Current Players to Know: The quarterback situation is still up in the air. It looks like Rookie QB Ryan Tannehill might beat out veteran David Garrard and incumbent Matt Moore for the starting job. Former New Orleans Saint Reggie Bush can always be counted on for a reliable performance at running back. Centers don’t always get a lot of love, but Mike Pouncey is one of the best.

Head Coach: Joe Philbin (former Packers Offensive Coordinator…we miss you, Coach!)

2011 Regular Season Record: 6-10

What to Watch For in 2012: Oh…Miami! They’ve really been unable to recover since the Dan Marino era ended…in 1999. This season is already off to a tumultuous start for the Dolphins, who have chosen to appear on the HBO series “Hard Knocks.” A team that is already unstable is now under the microscope, and they just garnered even more media coverage with the Chad Johnson debacle over the weekend. Maybe it’ll be a great season, but I think it might be an uphill battle, especially with Buffalo looking better than they have in the recent past.

The New England Patriots

History: The Boston Patriots were established in 1959 and became the New England Patriots soon after the merger in 1970. They had one Super Bowl appearance in the 80’s and one in the 90’s but started dominating the league in the 2000’s. The team has flourished under the leadership of respected owner Robert Kraft and iconic hoodie-wearing coach Bill Belichick, not to mention the notable contributions of their star quarterback, Tom Brady. The Patriots are kind of the Yankees of the NFL – you either love them or you hate them.

Current Players to Know: Tom Brady, of course. Rob Gronkowski burst onto the scene last year as one of the league’s most valuable tight ends. Aaron Hernandez, the other half of a deadly tight end set, is poised to have another great season. (It should also be noted that New England is way ahead of the game as it pertains to the evolution of the tight end position. Which should come as no surprise with living legend Bill Belichick as the head coach.)

Head Coach: Bill Belichick

2011 Regular Season Record: 13-3

What to Watch For in 2012: The Patriots are coming off of a Super Bowl loss to the Giants – the second in 4 years. While the Patriots always have a great regular season, they haven’t won a Super Bowl since they won back to back in the 2004 and 2005 seasons. It’s hard to say that a team which consistently makes the playoffs is hungry for a successful season, but with the recent losses to the Giants they’ll definitely be fired up.

The New York Jets

History: The Jets began in the same fashion they represent today: with a bold statement. They were originally named the Titans because, as per then-owner Harry Wismer, “The Titans are bigger and stronger than the Giants.” They were renamed the Jets after being rescued from bankruptcy in 1962. Joe Namath, famed Jets quarterback, led the team to their only Super Bowl victory in 1969.

Current Players to Know: Mark Sanchez is the Jets’ oft-debated starting quarterback, and Tim Tebow, who led the Denver Broncos to a playoff victory last season, is the league’s most famous backup quarterback. Darelle Revis is one of the league’s best cornerbacks. (And this is completely unsolicited, but after going to the Jets training camp last week I think Stephen Hill, rookie wide receiver, could potentially have a notable season.)

Head Coach: Rex Ryan

2011 Regular Season Record: 8-8

What to Watch For in 2012: The Sanchez-Tebow marriage. There is no controversy, per-se, as Mark Sanchez is the undisputed starter…but so was Kyle Orton in Denver last season, and that season ended with Orton being shipped off to Kansas City and Tebow leading the Broncos to a playoff victory against the Steelers. While it doesn’t appear likely that Tebow will replace Sanchez as QB1, the Jets have a great opportunity to use the unconventional backup in a variety of ways – especially in running situations, since Tebow is basically a human mountain and can run over professional linebackers like they are Pop Warner players. In a perfect world this two-quarterback system would work flawlessly, but in the Jets world, everything is complicated, especially as it pertains to locker room dynamics.

The Basics : Schedule & Game Timing

Today, let’s talk about the timing elements at play: the schedule and game timing.

Preseason starts in August (aka right now! WOOT!), the regular season runs from September to January, and the postseason is played in January and February. Preseason is 4 weeks long. It’s basically a warm-up – teams get to assess their new players and figure out how they want to implement their systems for the regular season. The regular season is 17 weeks long, with each team getting one week off at some point in the season (this is called a “bye week”). The postseason is when the playoffs occur and it culminates with the Super Bowl.

As far as game timing goes, games consist of four 15-minute quarters. The 12-minute break in the middle of the game is called halftime (during the Super Bowl, it’s way longer, and it’s called Over the Top Entertainment). There are also two 2-minute breaks that occur at the end of the first and third quarters to allow the players time to switch ends of the field (they rotate after every quarter).

After the sides have rotated at the end of the first and third quarter play resumes as normal – the Offense just picks up where they left off (but on the opposite end of the field). But after halftime, the team that did not kick off to start the game kicks off a whole new drive. It doesn’t matter if you were a yard away from the end zone when time ran out before halftime: you’re out of luck!

During each quarter, the “play clock” is running. This means that the Offense has 40 seconds from the end of a play to snap the ball and start the next play (except for injuries and time outs and a few other random things, after which the play clock is set to 25 seconds instead – just to be confusing). If the Offense doesn’t get the ball snapped in time, they receive a “delay of game” penalty.

There are a few situations in which the play clock stops. That happens when an incomplete pass is thrown, when a player steps out of bounds, or when a penalty is called.

Stopping the play clock when time is running out at the end of a half is a lucrative action for the Offense because it gives them more time to score. That’s why you’ll see people screaming for a player to “GET OUT OF BOUNDS!!!” when he has the ball and needs to score but time is running low.

Our Training Camp : Week 2 Answers

The results are in! Time to find out how your answers fared in our Week 2 Quiz:

1. Where is the red zone?

  1. The end zone
  2. Out of bounds
  3. The 20 yards prior to the end zone
  4. The spot where a penalty occurred

 

2. True or False: All teams play each other over the course of one season.

  1. True
  2. False

 

3. Who will be returning as starting quarterback for the Texans?

  1. T.J. Yates
  2. Tony Romo
  3. Matt Leinart
  4. Matt Schaub

 

4. The Jaguars were the (      ) team to be added to the league:

  1. 28th
  2. 29th
  3. 30th
  4. 31st

 

5. Andrew Luck is starting at QB for the Colts. Their former franchise QB was:

  1. Peyton Manning
  2. Tom Brady
  3. Brett Favre
  4. Eli Manning

 

6. The Tennessee Titans were originally the:

  1. Houston Texans
  2. Houston Oilers
  3. Tennessee Tigers
  4. Baltimore Ravens

 

7. Jimmy Haslam just bought the:

  1. Bengals
  2. Seahawks
  3. Browns
  4. Steelers

 

8. Terrell Owens signed a one-year contract with the:

  1. Bengals
  2. Seahawks
  3. Browns
  4. Steelers

 

9. Who will be starting at QB for the Browns on Week 1?

  1. Brandon Weeden
  2. Colt McCoy
  3. Mark Sanchez
  4. Tim Tebow

 

10. The New York team that could benefit from some group therapy is:

  1. The Jets
  2. The Giants
  3. The Bills

Our Training Camp : Week 2 Quiz

Week 2 has arrived! Here’s your Week 2 Quiz:

1. Where is the red zone?

  1. The end zone
  2. Out of bounds
  3. The 20 yards prior to the end zone
  4. The spot where a penalty occurred

 

2. True or False: All teams play each other over the course of one season.

  1. True
  2. False

 

3. Who will be returning as starting quarterback for the Texans?

  1. T.J. Yates
  2. Tony Romo
  3. Matt Leinart
  4. Matt Schaub

 

4. The Jaguars were the (      ) team to be added to the league:

  1. 28th
  2. 29th
  3. 30th
  4. 31st

 

5. Andrew Luck is starting at QB for the Colts. Their former franchise QB was:

  1. Peyton Manning
  2. Tom Brady
  3. Brett Favre
  4. Eli Manning

 

6. The Tennessee Titans were originally the:

  1. Houston Texans
  2. Houston Oilers
  3. Tennessee Tigers
  4. Baltimore Ravens

 

7. Jimmy Haslam just bought the:

  1. Bengals
  2. Seahawks
  3. Browns
  4. Steelers

 

8. Terrell Owens signed a one-year contract with the:

  1. Bengals
  2. Seahawks
  3. Browns
  4. Steelers

 

9. Who will be starting at QB for the Browns on Week 1?

  1. Brandon Weeden
  2. Colt McCoy
  3. Mark Sanchez
  4. Tim Tebow

 

10. The New York team that could benefit from some group therapy is:

  1. The Jets
  2. The Giants
  3. The Bills

News and Notes : 8.8.12

Here’s a recap of the past week’s notable NFL news:

  1. Jimmy Haslam, CEO of the Pilot Flying J travel centers, bought the Browns. Reportedly for over $1 billion dollars. That’s a lot of cups of coffee.
  2. Brandon Weeden will start at QB for the Browns. Staying in Cleveland, let’s return to a story we discussed last week, the QB battle between Colt McCoy and Brandon Weeden. The fact that Weeden won the spot isn’t an overwhelming surprise, but the timing is a bit abrupt since they haven’t even played their first preseason game yet.
  3. T.O. is back in action. Terrell Owens has had his fair share of media time. (Notable moments include the “Get your popcorn ready,” statement and the “That’s my quarterback,” press conference/therapy session.) Whatever you may think about T.O. the person, you have to respect the work he’s put into getting back on the field. He tore his ACL in the 2011 offseason after a lackluster season with the Cincinnati Bengals. He rehabbing and being cleared to play he held a televised workout so that teams could evaluate and sign him…and no one showed up. Not one NFL team. So he played for the Indoor Football League (which is as inauspicious as it sounds) for a season…and was cut from that team as well. Undeterred, he continued to work and was rewarded yesterday with a one-year contract with the Seattle Seahawks. I sincerely hope he has a great season!
  4. The Jets continue to struggle with the “team” concept. All of the drama last season apparently wasn’t enough to deter the Jets from being…the Jets. A 20-player brawl erupted on the sidelines on Monday, and you’d think that’d be plenty for one training camp. But reportedly multiple additional fights broke out in camp on Tuesday, which led to punishment sprints for the entire team…the type of thing that happens in high school camps, not professional camps. Even those outside of the organization aren’t helping matters, with former Jets Joe Namath and Boomer Esiason ripping Tim Tebow. Someone needs to pipe in a little “All You Need is Love,” to Jets Headquarters. For the full recap on recent events, read this. (Money quote: “And to think, the Jets relished the trip to Cortland because they felt it would foster team unity.”)
  5. The NFL might be backtracking with the Saints case. Remember all of the bounty drama? All of the suspensions? Some of the players fought the punishments, vehemently, and the NFL is starting to crack. Most notably: rumor has it that Jonathan Vilma, who was originally suspended for the entire season, has reportedly been offered an 8 game plea bargain. Rumor also has it that he won’t take it; he wants his name cleared more than he wants to play half a season. Have to respect a man of conviction.
  6. Tragedy at Eagles camp. If you are a praying person, please pray for the Reid family as they mourn the unexpected loss of their son, Garrett. Andy Reid has been the Eagles head coach since 1999 and is very well-respected in the league.