I have a really dumb football question

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I understand the game pretty well for someone who's just getting into football,but my only question is this, and I apologize if it sounds dumb.

Obviously every player has his own position. Well, what do they do when there's a turnover, or when the other team gets the ball? For instance, does the quarterback double as a center, a guard as an end? Or do new players take the field every time a team gets control of the ball while the 'offensive' experts take the bench? This is very confusing to me because I don't know one player from another yet.

I encourage others to use this forum to ask similar dumb questions we're afraid to ask our significant others or dads.

― Peppered Moth (Peppered Moth), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 07:51 (eighteen years ago)

There are basically three different sub-teams on each team: one for offense, one for defense, and one for "special teams" (when they kick the ball). One team's unit of 11 offensive guys faces another team's 11 defensive guys and vice versa.

It is very rare for any player to play both offense and defense, as the roles are very specialized.

― polyphonic (polyphonic), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 08:02 (eighteen years ago)

OK, so, when a quarterback in playing, he's on the offense, but when the other team recovers the ball somehow, he sits out for a while? That's confusing. So there are literally two groups of 11 (not including punters and whatnot) playing and alternating at all times during the game?? Wow.

― Peppered Moth (Peppered Moth), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 10:59 (eighteen years ago)

44 people are allowed to suit up for each game. This is a long way away from how it used to be. Once upon a time, everybody on a team was a 60-minute man, playing both sides and special teams, all game long.

Chuck Bednarik was the last of the 60-minute men. He played center and outside linebacker for the Eagles during their 1960 championship season. In modern football there have been a few guys who played both wide receiver and cornerback but that's no 60 minute job, and Chuck will tell you so.

― TOMB07 (TOMBOT), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 13:10 (eighteen years ago)

It is still common for people to play offense and defense in high school, but not really above that level.

― Haikunym (Haikunym), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 14:35 (eighteen years ago)

However, even in the pros, it's fairly common for someone to play either defense or (more often) offense in addition to special teams; Reggie Bush (running back on offense and punt returner on special teams) is a good example.

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 15:03 (eighteen years ago)

Tony Romo plays special teams if I recall.

― lk (lawrence kansas), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 15:06 (eighteen years ago)

patriots use a number of starters on special teams (ellis hobbs & laurence maroney return kicks, rodney harrison and heath evans as gunners, etc.)

― chicago kevin (chicago kevin), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 15:18 (eighteen years ago)

I didn't think special teams had too many other ST-only players besides the long snappers, kickers and returners.

― TOMB07 (TOMBOT), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 15:22 (eighteen years ago)

pats special teams captain larry izzo is special teams only. a lot of teams only use backups on st thinking it would be bad if a starter got hurt on a kick. belicheck says that st is 1/3 of the game so he puts the best players out there regardless of their status on offense or defense. i seem to recall lawyer milloy getting dinged up on kick coverage one year and the boston press went all reactionary on belicheck about starters on kick coverage.

― chicago kevin (chicago kevin), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 15:30 (eighteen years ago)

A lot of teams use backups from offense/defense for the majority of their special teams, with a couple of starts thrown in as possible returners sometimes, and there are a few rogues out there who are ST only, I mean isn't that the big story of the Bears this year. uh xpost

― AllyzayEisenschefterBDawkinsFlyingSquirrelRomoCrying.jpg (allyzay), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 15:31 (eighteen years ago)

well yeah but backups, meaning they are nominally assigned to another position on the team if the starter is hurt. Eh I'm just confusing the issue.

― TOMB07 (TOMBOT), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 15:32 (eighteen years ago)

do i really want to walk across campus to get a cup of coffee? i would really like one but it's about a 12 minute walk. and it's 10 degrees outside.

i suppose i could smoke as long as i only keep my two fingers outside of my coat sleeve. fuck it, i'm going for coffee.

― chicago kevin (chicago kevin), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 15:40 (eighteen years ago)

Tony Romo plays special teams if I recall.

roffle.

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 15:48 (eighteen years ago)

TROY BROWN BITCHES

― jhoshea (scoopsnoodle), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 16:18 (eighteen years ago)

i typed up a troy brown response about 2 hours ago but i guess i forgot to hit submit.

anyway, i got my coffe and it totally wasn't worth it. weak, watery java. :(

― chicago kevin (chicago kevin), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 16:47 (eighteen years ago)

He has been an outspoken, even bitter critic of today's NFL players for playing on only one side of the ball, calling them "pantywaists", noting that they "suck air after five plays" and that they "couldn't tackle my wife Emma". He even criticised Troy Brown of the New England Patriots and Deion Sanders, two players who also have played both offense and defense, because their positions as a wide receiver and cornerback didn't require as much contact as the center and linebacker positions that Bednarik played.

I didn't know troy brown still played both sides! I guess he does count as a 60min.man, shit.

― TOMB07 (TOMBOT), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 16:52 (eighteen years ago)

brown played only one play on defense this past sunday but yes, he's been on both sides for the last three years. also, bam childress who played some at wr for the pats this year made his only appearance last year as an emergency db.

― chicago kevin (chicago kevin), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 17:03 (eighteen years ago)

brown played only one play on defense this past sunday but yes, he's been on both sides for the last three years.

Troy Brown doesn't play offense and defense in the same game though. When he was starting at corner I don't think he was starting at WR.

― polyphonic (polyphonic), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 17:19 (eighteen years ago)

he's used in the spread and the nickel - so yeah, he often does play both sides in the same game. and he still occasionally returns kicks, so he plays all three sides of the ball!

― jhoshea (scoopsnoodle), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 17:25 (eighteen years ago)

No that's wrong, he was still a WR (he might not have been starting though) when he was playing CB. He was only ever the nickelback anyway, I believe. 60 minute men were technically players who played every snap (which pretty much exempts WR and RB) on both sides of the ball.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 17:30 (eighteen years ago)

(xpost)

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 17:30 (eighteen years ago)

Troy Brown doesn't play offense and defense in the same game though. When he was starting at corner I don't think he was starting at WR.

yes he does. he was the slot back (i.e. 3rd receiver) and nickle back (i.e. 3rd corner back) at the same time. he was never starting at corner, although he did lead the pats in interceptions two years ago (with 3).

― chicago kevin (chicago kevin), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 17:32 (eighteen years ago)

this thread has been making me sing "60 minute man" by rufus thomas all morning.

― chicago kevin (chicago kevin), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 17:41 (eighteen years ago)

Special teams-only players
I think most (if not all) teams have "gunners" or special teams captains who play exclusively on special teams because of an intangible mixture of guts and homicidal mania, and they're sort of used like career left-handed pinch-hitters are in baseball: they may be better/more skilled than certain starters, but their excellence at what they do sticks them permanently in the special teams/pinch-hitting ghetto. See: Keith Lewis on the 49ers, who was exclusively a special teams standout until injuries/ineffectiveness in the 9er secondary got him a starting gig.

Peppered Moth's original question
I originally misread your question as asking what happens to an offense during a turnover, but just in case you wanna know: when the defense recovers a fumble or intercepts a pass, the ball is still in play which means that the defense can advance the ball until they are tackled down or score a TD, before which time the offense tries to stop them. Because the ball is still in play, the offense (which turned the ball over) can't sub themselves out so the defense can come in (that'd be hockey and a whole nother kettle of pucks) -- the offense becomes a "defense," and the QB might actually make a defensive play.

Which opens up opportunities for the defense to headhunt the QB because, now that he's on defense and ostensibly allowed to tackle, he's fair game for BONE CRUSHING HITS -- that is, unless the escalating babying of QBs has prevented that too.

― c('°c) (Leee), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 17:41 (eighteen years ago)

uh u guys

― jhoshea (scoopsnoodle), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 17:41 (eighteen years ago)

For instance, does the quarterback double as a center

This part of the question is actively bothering me, I have to be honest. It's like some kind of Fight Club scenario.

― AllyzayEisenschefterBDawkinsFlyingSquirrelRomoCrying.jpg (allyzay), Wednesday, 17 January 2007 17:43 (eighteen years ago)

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