Did you see that game?  It was what a Super Bowl should be:  close, fairly evenly matched, and decided at the end of the game.

In the first half, Pittsburgh looked like they were a lock to win.  Arizona was struggling, and the James Harrison interception at the goal line that he ran back for a touchdown put the Steelers ahead 17-7 at the half.  Did that knock the Cardinals out of the game?

No.  They came back in the second half and did what they had to do.  After letting Pittsburgh get ahead 20-7 (but holding them to only a field goal in the third quarter), Arizona started connecting in the fourth quarter.  7:33 remaining and the Cardinals’ Larry Fitzgerald catches a touchdown.  20-14. 2:58 and the score goes to 20-16 on a safety.  Is there enough time left? 

Yes there is.  Pittsburgh punts, and a couple of plays later Larry Fitzgerald scores another touchdown at 2:37.  20-23, and Arizona has the lead for the first time in the game.  Can Pittsburgh get a field goal and send this game into the first overtime in Super Bowl history?

No.  Pittsburgh goes for the win, and with :15 left, they score a touchdown, retaking the lead 27-23.

Phenomenal game.  Debate on PTI (Pardon The Interruption – ESPN) last night about whether this year or last year (NY Giants vs. New England Patriots, Giants win 17-14 and ruin the Patriots perfect season) was the best Super Bowl ever.  

You decide.

2 MINUTE DRILL:  A sequence of plays designed to move the ball into scoring position, within the last two minutes of play in the second and fourth quarters.

This may seem more advanced than football basics, but when you watch a game, you hear a lot about the “2 Minute Drill” in the last few minutes of the second and fourth quarters. 

Understanding football means understanding why teams plan certain plays.  The 2 Minute Drill is designed to go into the locker room (at half-time) with the momentum of just having scored, or to win the game (in the fourth quarter).

Football is played in four 15-minute quarters, with one 12-minute half-time period.  Each team gets 3 timeouts per half, and timeouts do not carry over from the first half to the second half.  There is a timeout at the two-minute point in the second and fourth quarters, called the two-minute warning, that is not charged to either team.

A timeout is charged to the team of an injured player when it occurs during the last two minutes of either half.  This is because years ago players used to fake an injury if their team didn’t have any timeouts remaining, to stop the clock and give their team a moment to plan.

A regular season overtime game has one overtime period, and each team gets two timeouts for that one overtime period.  Pro football plays a sudden death overtime, which means that the first team to score wins, even if the other team didn’t get a chance to score.  College football gives each team a chance to score; if neither team does, they continue alternating turns until someone scores, and both teams have had an equal number of chances to score.

Learning football is as easy as watching the game, paying attention, and having a reference book to look up terms and plays.

I will always be a Giants fan, but I’ve picked up some other teams along the way.  When I got engaged to my first husband, I adopted his team, the Dolphins.  My second husband is from Buffalo, and because of the rivalry between Buffalo and the Dolphins, we don’t talk football during those games.

I learned football basics from being around people who loved the game, and I have grown to love watching football.