Who Is Playing In the NFL?

Wondering who is playing in the NFL this week? Check out our blog for a complete list of matchups and predictions.

Introduction

The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). The NFL is one of the four major professional sports leagues in North America, and the highest professional level of American football in the world.

Quarterbacks

When it comes to talking about the NFL, one of the most popular topics is who the best quarterbacks are. While there are a lot of talented quarterbacks in the league, there are a few that stand out above the rest. Below is a list of some of the best quarterbacks in the NFL today.

-Tom Brady: Tom Brady is widely considered to be one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history. He has led the New England Patriots to six Super Bowl victories, and he has been named MVP of the Super Bowl four times.
-Peyton Manning: Peyton Manning is another quarterback who is considered to be one of the best to ever play the game. He played for both the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos, winning two Super Bowls with the Broncos. Manning holds numerous NFL records, including most passing yards and most touchdown passes in a career.
-Drew Brees: Drew Brees is currently playing for the New Orleans Saints, and he has led them to a Super Bowl victory. He is also one of only two quarterbacks to have thrown for over 5,000 yards in a season more than once.
-Aaron Rodgers: Aaron Rodgers is the quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, and he is considered by many to be one of the best quarterbacks in the league today. He was named MVP of Super Bowl XLV, and he has led the Packers to four NFC Championship games.

Running Backs

The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). The NFL is one of the four major professional sports leagues in North America, and the highest professional level of American football in the world.

Running backs are usually among the shortest and fastest players on the team. They are responsible for carrying or “running” the ball on most running plays, and also may catch passes or protect the quarterback on passing plays. On some plays, a running back will serve as a decoy by running a pass route to draw defenders away from the intended receiver.[1]

The running back position has its origins in early rugby football, where it was initially used as a fullback position to provide protection for the game’s first quarterbacks.[2] Running backs can be used both as primary agents in running plays, and candidates to catch passes when they line up close to tight ends or wide receivers.

Wide Receivers

There are a lot of great wide receivers playing in the NFL today. Some of the standouts include DeAndre Hopkins, Julio Jones, and Antonio Brown. These wideouts are some of the best in the game and are sure to put up big numbers this season.

Tight Ends

The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and formerly Canadian football, on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver.

Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line of scrimmage, but like receivers they are eligible to catch passes. When lined up on the line of scrimmage, tight ends are usually considered ineligible to catch passes unless they receive a pass from behind the line of scrimmage (a back-pass).

In some schemes, the tight end will act as a sixth offensive lineman who can eligible to catch passes. In such schemes, the position is often referred to as an “H-back”. A significant number of tight ends in the NFL have H-Back abilities.

In traditional offenses, there is usually only one tight end who will act primarily as a blocker with occasional catching duties. However, in more modern offenses there may be multiple tight ends with varying degrees of blocking and receiving ability.

Offensive Linemen

There are a few different types of offensive linemen in the NFL. Some specialize in run blocking, while others focus on protecting the quarterback. Here is a list of some of the most common offensive lineman positions:

-Center: The center is responsible for snapping the ball to the quarterback and then blocking whoever is in front of him.
-Offensive guard: Guards are responsible for protecting the quarterback and opening up holes for running backs.
-Offensive tackle: Tackles are responsible for protecting the quarterback and keeping defenders from getting to the backfield.

Defensive Linemen

There are a few key positions on a football team, and defensive linemen are one of the most important. These players are responsible for stopping the other team from gaining yardage and scoring points.

There are four main positions for defensive linemen:

-Nose tackle: This is the player who lines up directly in front of the center. Nose tackles are typically the biggest and strongest players on the defensive line. They need to be able to hold their ground against offensive linemen who are trying to push them back.

-Defensive end: These players line up on either side of the nose tackle. Their job is to contain the opposing team’s running back and prevent him from getting to the outside. They also need to be able to rush the quarterback when needed.

-Defensive tackle: These players line up on either side of the defensive ends. Their job is similar to that of the nose tackle, but they may be asked to do more “linebacking” duties as well. This means they may be asked to drop back into coverage or blitz the quarterback.

-Defensive lineman: This is a general term that can refer to any of the above positions.

Linebackers

The linebacker is a position in American football and Canadian football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards (two to four meters) behind the line of scrimmage, which is the line where the offensive team is attempting to advance the ball. The main responsibilities of linebackers is to stop running plays behind the defensive line (known as “tackling”), although some roles may include mild pass coverage, rushing the quarterback or other offensive players, or a combination thereof. Linebackers generally align themselves before the ball is snapped by standing upright in a “two-point stance”.

The 4–3 defense has four linebackers: two outside linebackers who line up on either side of the defensive end, and two inside linebackers who lineup between the defensive end and tackle. Historically, outside linebackers were identified by whether they lined up opposite a tight end (strongside linebacker) or on the same side as a tight end (weakside linebacker). These designations have changed over time and some linebackers now play on both sides of the ball.

Defensive Backs

The defensive backs (DBs) are the final line of defense, and typically consist of cornerbacks and safeties. These are the fastest and most athletic players on the field, as their primary responsibilities are to defend against the pass, contain mobile quarterbacks, and tackle receivers who have already caught the ball.

Cornerbacks (CBs) line up on the outside of the formation and try to prevent receivers from catching the ball. They also defend against run plays by attacking running backs who try to run past them. Safeties (S) line up behind the linebackers and provide deep coverage against pass plays. They also defend against runs by attacking running backs who try to run past them.

The following is a list of NFL teams and their starting defensive backs for the 2020 season:

Arizona Cardinals:
-Patrick Peterson (CB)
-Budda Baker (S)
-Jamar Taylor (CB)
-Tre Boston (S)

Atlanta Falcons:
-Desmond Trufant (CB)
-Isaiah Oliver (CB)
-Ricardo Allen (S)
-Keanu Neal (S)

Baltimore Ravens:
-Marlon Humphrey (CB)
-Jimmy Smith (CB)
-Tony Jefferson (S)
-Chuck Clark (S)

Special Teams

The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). The NFL is one of the four major professional sports leagues in North America, and the highest professional level of American football in the world.

Special teams are units that are on the field during kicking plays – such as punts and field goals. Each team has 11 players on the field during these plays. The special teams unit is usually made up of backup players who see little playing time during games, but they play an important role nonetheless.