I just understand the basics of NFL football. And, I watch on occasion. So, let me ask:
In last night’s game (Cowboys vs. Ravens): Early in the game, the Ravens intercepted. The announcer said “nice return”. At best, the Ravens moved the ball 10 yards in this play, but I’m not sure. Does the term “return” refer to any defensive move that restores possession of the ball? And, on that note, is a “turnover” any defensive move that restores possession and results in scoring?
During the course of the game, the Dallas QB was forced out of the pocket still looking for an open man to throw the ball to. The announcers made a big deal that the QB was out of the pocket. But, what’s the big deal? Simply put, is it merely a risky move for the QB to become so vulnerable?
Last, when the defense is penalized and the offense receives an automatic first down, does the ball actually advance 10 yards, too? Or, is it that only the number of downs is reset to first down? Or, can it be both, depending?
I can field this one. The penalty is for an amount of yards (except something like pass interference, which can be the “spot of the foul.”) As you note, 5 yards, or even 10 yards might not be sufficient for a first down. If the penalty comes with an “automatic first down,” they move the ball five or 10 yards, and start “1st and 10” from there, even if it was 3rd and 25 before the penalty.
A “return” is when the defense, or a kick returner, moves the ball down the field. When the defense takes over possession of the ball, either a fumble recovery or an interception, it is a “turnover.” A turnover does not necessarily lead to points.
Once the QB is out of the pocket he can throw the ball away without a grounding penalty.
Some penalties that grant an automatic first down are not 10 yard penalties. IIRC there are holding and illegal hands to the face that are 5 yarders with a first down. Some others, like pass interference can be much longer in yards and also have an automatic first down. PI is a spot foul, so the ball is placed where the penalty happened.
Out of the pocket also tends to mean the QB will be improvising to some degree, and possibly throwing while moving. They don’t have the same vision of the field, and usually it means their available targets are cut to only one side of the field. (For most QBs, throwing back across their body is a bad idea.) Often, if the QB was chased out of the pocket, they will need their receivers to be aware, and, e.g., work back toward the QB to provide a target.
The “nice return” remark means the announcer thought the player who intercepted the ball did a good job of running back the other way once he gained possession. Often they are tackled right away or go down as part of the interception. By catching the ball and then running back 10 yards he gave his team better field position. A turnover is a change in possession by fumble or interception. A blocked punt or field goal attempt could also be considered a turnover.
There’s two parts to the pocket question. Being forced out of the pocket by the defense means the QB is scrambling, the play is breaking down, and he will have to improvise. His receivers will need to react and change their patterns to connect with the now running QB. So does the O-line, who need to adjust their blocking to follow the running QB. In addition, there are some rule changes when a QB is out of the pocket mainly related to intentional grounding. BTW, the pocket is defined by the position of the two offensive tackles on the line of scrimmage.
Penalties either are for a set amount of yardage or a spot foul. Additionally, some penalties come with an automatic first down. Set yardage penalties range from 5 to 15 yards. Some will result in a first down, others will not depending on how close the offense is to the first down marker. When you get close to either end zone you may see a penalty awarded “half the distance to the goal line” rather than the specified yardage. Here’s a handy table covering all the penalties in most versions of football. It’s quite complex.
There is also a “turnover on downs”, which is when an offense tries to get the ball far enough to reach the first down line to earn a first down (or a touchdown in a situation where you are close to the goal), and fails to move the ball far enough. It doesn’t show up on most stat sheets that keep track of turnovers, but it usually referred to as a turnover and has the same effect; the other team immediately gets to bring their offense out and plays the ball from where it was last downed.
Teams will often punt the ball away or attempt a field goal if they are close enough to make it during fourth down, in an attempt to avoid that turnover. But many times a team will “go for it” if they only need a yard or two to make it, or they are really deep in the opponent’s territory and turning the ball over gives the other team bad field position so it’s low risk.
I didn’t watch the game, so take this with a grain of salt, but I’ll try and add some color to the previous good responses.
No, there’s no special meaning of “return” here. I didn’t see the play, but likely it’s one of two things. Either the announcer was being a little bit hyperbolic, which happens, or the circumstances of the interception made it really unlikely that even a modest 10 yard run back would happen. If the interception were made, say, by a D lineman close to the line of scrimmage, a 10 yard return is pretty impressive since he’s fat, slow and was in traffic. Or if it was made deep in the opponents territory, if that 10 yard return puts the ball on the 4 yard line, it’s a pretty darn good return even if it’s short in total net yards. Or maybe he just just stiff armed a guy or made a really good cut. Lots of possibilities where 10 yards exceeds expectations based on circumstances.
Again, it depends on context here. If the QB is throwing a ball away to avoid being sacked, him being out of the pocket is really important because that’s the difference between a penalty and not. So in situations where there’s a ball chucked out of bounds, the announcer may just be reminding people not to expect a flag. Or, if the QB is injury prone or highly mobile, being outside of the pocket can be particularly dangerous/exciting. Depending on the QB, him being out of the pocket is a signal that something dramatic could be about to happen. In the Ravens game, if Lamar leaves the pocket there’s a good chance a wild run is about to happen.
As mentioned, no they don’t automatically move the ball to where the 1st down line would have been. For example imagine it’s 3rd and 25 from the 20 meaning the line to gain is the 45 and then there’s a defensive holding call. They’ll signal an automatic 1st down, and the 5 yard penalty is applied. This makes it 1st and 10 from the 25 yard line.
There are times when a quarterback who is still in the pocket (and for whom, thus, “throwing the ball away,” with no nearby receiver, would be intentional grounding) will throw the ball into the ground, clearly not trying for a completion, but in the general vicinity of an eligible receiver (typically a running back or tight end who stayed in or near the pocket to block). That, too, is a legal way to throw the ball away.
I’m not sure when you’d ever punt on an earlier down but kicking a field goal, of course. If you’ve only got seconds before the end of a half or game and are in kicking range, it makes sense to take the 3 points if you can no matter what down it is.
Quick Kicks are rare, but still a factor. If your offense isn’t going anywhere, and you can catch the defense completely off guard you can get a much more effective punt by giving up one offensive down.
I wonder when the last one was in the NFL. I can’t imagine any situation where it would be the best play. The only one I remember seeing was John Elway doing it.
As I was typing I thought of one possibility. If there were a lot of players playing in unfamiliar positions due to injury or illness.
Thanks. I would have sworn that I saw Elway do it once but it’s not mentioned there. Is it possible that my memory isn’t as good as I think it is? Inconceivable!
My point is there’s no reason to explicitly call out the need for an eligible receiver. The whole point of intentional grounding is that there isn’t an eligible receiver there. It’s what the rule is for.
Everything else defines the exceptions. Obviously if there is an eligible receiver, the exceptions become irrelevant.
Otherwise any incomplete pass would be intentional grounding. But hey, there’s an eligible receiver there…
