Hi everyone!
It’s Vinisha again, your resident NFL expert. It has been a couple of weeks since I last updated the girls’ girls on this year’s NFL happenings, and there is a lot to unpack. Weeks 1-2 of the NFL season have been filled with many highs, lows, and everything in between. Stick around, and I will unpack all of the storylines that the season already has to offer!
Starting with this edition of “Girl’s Guide to the 24-25 NFL Season,” I want to implement a new segment: NFL Lesson of the Day, in which we will cover a different aspect of the game of football.
NFL Lesson of the Day
What will we be covering today? Offensive positions in football!!
There are seven key positions involved in the offense: quarterback, running back, wide receiver, center, guard, tackle, and tight end. This list may seem long, but don’t fret! We will break each of them down:
Quarterback (QB): If there is one position in football that receives the most attention, it is the quarterback, and this attention is well-deserved. The QB is the glue that holds the offense together. From calling the play in the huddle, counting for the ball to be snapped, throwing the ball to receivers, handing the ball to running backs, and running with the ball themselves, quarterbacks dip their toes in everything and are essential to the team’s success. You probably have heard of some famous QBs, including Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, and Patrick Mahomes.
Offensive Line (OL): The offensive line is made up of five players who line up right in front of the quarterback. Their job is to protect the QB at all costs. As long as the quarterback is protected, the team will have time to make a play. In the middle of the OL is the center. The center is responsible for snapping the ball to the quarterback. To the right and left of the center are the guards. On the outer part of the OL are the right and left tackle. Their jobs are to block against the defensive line and protect the quarterback. The left tackle is an especially important position. For most quarterbacks, who are right-handed, the left tackle blocks the quarterback’s blind spot (where they are not looking while making a play). If a left tackle doesn’t do their job, they expose the quarterback to a dangerous blow that they won’t see coming. While these guys don’t get a lot of attention, they are vital to their team.
Wide receiver (WR): The wide receiver’s job is to catch passes from the quarterback. They line up to the right and left of the offensive line and are known for their speed and agility, as they run routes trying to evade the defense and make themselves available to catch a pass.
Running back (RB): The running back’s job is to “rush” the ball. And yes, rush is just a fancy word for running the ball down the field. They can either be handed the ball by the quarterback or line up like a pseudo-receiver and catch the ball.
Tight end (TE): The tight end is arguably the most versatile position of the offense. As if a chameleon, tight ends line up with the offensive line and can both block defensive linemen and catch the ball like a wide receiver.
And that is all for this edition of NFL Lesson of the Day!!!!
Week 1 Recap:
Now let’s unpack all that week 1 had to offer:
We’ll start with the season opener, in which the Baltimore Ravens took on the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, in Kansas City. As expected, this game was a thriller, and the Chiefs won by an inch, and I am not exaggerating. In a last-second attempt to tie the game with the Chiefs, Raven’s QB Lamar Jackson threw the ball to Isaiah Likely, who seemingly caught it. While initially ruled a touchdown, the call was overturned after officials determined that Likely’s big toe was out of bounds. This instance truly shows you how football is a game of seconds and inches.
While Isaiah Likely’s catch did not win the game for the Ravens, his performance was impressive. Paired with running back Derrick Henry and QB Lamar Jackson’s running abilities, the Ravens have lots of room to grow from this loss. The Chiefs also put on quite a show for their home crowd at Arrowhead Stadium. Between RB Isaiah Pacheco and WR Rashee Rice, it looks like the young Chiefs’ offense is building off of last year’s Super Bowl success. Standout rookie Xavier Worthy, who set the record for the fastest 40-yard dash at the NFL, scored two touchdowns and showed everyone that his speed is a deadly weapon.
Now let’s move down south to Sao Paulo, Brazil where the Green Bay Packers played the Philadelphia Eagles. Running back Saquon Barkley put on a show for his new team and scored three touchdowns in his first game in an Eagles uniform. However, incredibly tough to see was Packers’ QB Jordan Love go down at the end of the 4th quarter. With an MCL sprain, Love will be out for the next 4-6 weeks. As tough as it was to watch, the injury was a reality check to NFL audiences, showing how much football players put their bodies on the line to play a sport that brings joy to so many. While the Eagles narrowly won this game, they still have much to improve in terms of offensive organization to ensure success throughout the season.
Let’s talk about my favorite team: the Cowboys! The Cowboys played an astounding game against the Browns in Cleveland, Ohio. Hours before the game, it was announced that QB Dak Prescott had signed an extension with the Cowboys, officially making him the highest paid NFL player in history. And he sure played like he was. Alongside returning running back Ezekiel Elliot and wide receivers CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks, the Cowboys did major damage in Cleveland, beating the Browns 33-17.
In a Monday night spectacle, the Jets took the 49ers in San Francisco. Hours prior to the game, it was announced that #1 ranked RB Christian McCaffrey was not playing due to severe Achilles tendinitis, leaving him off the field for the next 4-6 weeks. This left many question marks regarding how the 49ers would compensate for losing arguably the best player on their team. Those doubts were quickly answered when rookie RB Jordan Mason took the field. In scoring a touchdown and rushing for 147 yards, Mason cemented his name on the 49ers roster for this season. Monday night was a rather rough night for the Jets. While Aaron Rodgers connected with WR Allen Lazard for two touchdowns and with RB Breece Hall for a few receptions and carries, the well-rounded 49ers offense and defense were too much for the Jets in week 1 of the season.
Last for the week 1 highlights is the Joe Burrow and Cincinnati Bengals upset at the hands of the New England Patriots! The Patriots have definitely been in a lull for the past few seasons. This win, clearly on the back of star running back Rhamondre Stevenson, is an optimistic way for the Patriots to start their season after a rough going last year. On the Bengals side, this has left many to question the strength of the team. Is Joe Burrow back in full strength? Are Ja’Marr Chase and Zack Moss able to lead this team to success? We will see how this team bounces back as they take on a strong Chiefs team in Kansas City.
Week 2 Recap:
Alright now that we have visited week 1 highlights, let’s dive into week 2!
Thursday night of week 2 brought a very scary reality back to the forefront of football. In a divisional matchup between the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills, Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa took a dangerous hit to the head as he ducked down while attempting to rush the ball forward. He quickly went down to the ground and lay in a position indicating he had suffered a concussion. What’s scary about this situation is that Tua has suffered three other severe concussions within the past couple of years in the NFL, in addition to the host of injuries he suffered while playing for Alabama. Since this injury, people in the sports world have been suggesting Tua call it quits for football. He has suffered immense brain and head trauma, especially for a 26-year-old man who has his whole life ahead of him. How Miami recovers from this scary incident will reveal the strength of their team.
One thing about the NFL is that each week is incredibly unpredictable. Week 2 was certainly FILLED with upsets and surprises. To start off we have the Minnesota Vikings upsetting the San Francisco 49ers. Led by veteran quarterback Sam Darnold alongside his star wide receiver Justin Jefferson, the Vikings came out with a 23-17 victory. The highlight of this game has to have been Sam Darnold’s electric 97 yard touchdown to Justin Jefferson. However, Jefferson went down later in the game with what has been ruled a quad contusion — a potential huge loss for the Vikings. On the 49ers side, a huge point of concern is the offensive line. Leaving quarterback Brock Purdy to be sacked eight times, there is a lot the OL has to clean up if the 49ers want to be considered serious contender. Despite the loss, running back Jordan Mason continues to impress in the absence of Christian McCaffrey as he rushed for 100 yards.
The next upset was one that was personally really tough to watch: New Orleans Saints take down the Dallas Cowboys 44-19 at Dallas! On the back of former Raiders quarterback Derek Carr, the Saints broke down the Dallas offense and defense. Speaking of highlight worthy catches, Carr’s 70 yard pass to Rashid Shaheed for a touchdown was a beauty. Running back Alvin Kamara had a standout performance rushing for 115 yards for three touchdowns. Further, rookie tackle Taliese Fuaga held down Cowboys defensive powerhouse Micah Parsons. It looks like offensive coordinator Klink Kubiak has been making a huge impact on the Saints organization after serving as the pass game coordinator for the 49ers this past year.
Another shocking upset occurred in Baltimore as the Ravens were taken down by the Las Vegas raiders. The entire afternoon, Baltimore failed to get their offense moving and only converted on third down 3/11 times. Star kicker for the Ravens Justin Tucker who has been struggling to hit his stride missed a key 56-yard field goal in the first half that could have helped the Ravens. On the Raiders side, their win can definitely be attributed to QB Gardner Minshew connecting with WR Davante Adams and rookie tight end Brock Bowers.
Week 2 has been filled with so many storylines, we’d be here for hours if we dove into every game. So, let’s speed run some other highlights.
The Buccaneers looked sharp as they upset the Detroit Lions who made it to the NFC championship just this past year. On the back of QB Baker Mayfield and WR Chris Godwin, the Buccaneers look to be contenders this year. Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison had a standout performance contributing to their win over the LA Rams. In a classic matchup between the rivals the Kansas City Chiefs and the Cincinnati Bengals, the Chiefs take home the one point victory with a last minute 51-yard field goal by Harrison Butker. Between Mahomes throwing multiple interceptions and the Bengals defense being called for a dagger pass interference call, it was apparent that neither team played a well-rounded game, yet the Chiefs scraped by with the victory.
The 2024-’25 NFL season has already laid out some very dynamic storylines that will be fun to follow for the rest of the year. To end with some good news… the NFL recently announced that Kendrick Lamar will be performing for the Super Bowl halftime show! This only makes me excited for what Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans holds in store.
In the next edition of “Girl’s Guide to the 24-25 NFL Season,” we will look into division rivalries and how those start heating up as the season progresses.
Till next time!
Vinisha