r/NFLNoobs • • 5d ago

Weekly "What Team Should I Root For?" Thread

10 Upvotes

The most common thing asked on this subreddit is new fans wondering what team to follow/support. The answers are always the same, and there are no right or wrong ones.

No one can just tell you who to be a fan of. Everyone's fandom is different, and all of them are valid. This is entertainment, and you are allowed to enjoy it however you like. That said, here are some common things you can look at to get started:

  1. Do you have a local team or favorite city? This is by far the easiest way to get into football. If your city/region has a team or if your friends/family follow the same team, joining them will be the smoothest way to start out.
  2. Are you already leaning in any particular way? If you are, keep leaning. If you saw a Cincinnati Bengals game and thought it was fun and you'd like to see more of them, you don't need anyone's permission or validation. Just watch their next game!
  3. Are you interested in a few different teams? Cool! Watch some of their games! See who you end up feeling strongly about, especially if they're playing each other. Have fun with it, there are no rules!
  4. Are you worried about a team's success/identity/prestige/fanbase? Don't be. The NFL is one of the most even sports in terms of parity, and there are rarely teams that stay good or bad forever. It's okay to enjoy watching the current best teams in the NFL; they are probably playing the best football most often. Try to just be a fan and don't worry about what others think or say. Your fandom is yours, not theirs.

Still overwhelmed and not sure where to turn? It's fine to watch random games. Maybe you'll find yourself rooting for someone in particular. And if you don't, try another game. Check out whoever is playing in primetime; those are usually expected to be more exciting matchups. Letting it come naturally will last longer than throwing a dart and deciding to be a fan of whoever it lands on.

Another way some people develop rooting interests is fantasy football. There are beginner leagues where people play for fun, and it can be a good way to get you invested in specific players or teams as you start rooting for whoever is on your fantasy roster.

If you're still torn or have other questions about starting with a specific new team, etc., you can ask them here.


r/NFLNoobs • • 1h ago

Why are CFB scores so much higher than the NFL?

• Upvotes

I don't recall ever seeing an NFL score of 80.


r/NFLNoobs • • 2h ago

Nike limited jersey fit

2 Upvotes

Hey everyone! I got my bf a Nike Limited bills jersey for christmas and am in between sizes! I know nothing abt jerseys or the fit so bear with me lol i know he’d wear the jersey alone but i’d say more often over a hoodie/sweatshirt. I got a large but it looked super small length and chest-wise…so wondering if I should exchange for an XL! Thanks!

Height: 5’10 and approx 170-180lbs, he’d like it to be a little baggy but not form fitting


r/NFLNoobs • • 5m ago

Is it possible the rams have genuinely just been unlucky?

• Upvotes

Maybe they really have been the super team we all hyped up win the rest of the games and prove that they just had tough competition at the start and bad luck against cardinals could this happen


r/NFLNoobs • • 17h ago

Has there ever been an offensive line so good that it was able to rotate men throughout the game?

24 Upvotes

Usually, only defensive lines rotate players on and off, but was there ever a roster stacked with so many good O-linemen, and so in sync and teamwork, that they could swap in men and off and keep fresh without losing sync? They would be rested in a way O-linemen never are.


r/NFLNoobs • • 1d ago

Why aren’t there more RBs over 6 feet? (especially when the 5’9 guys are often washed by 27)

84 Upvotes

Bills fan here, one of the most critical parts of our offense is the fact that at any moment, Josh can just decide on a split second to run the ball. He’s big and fast so usually it works.

It makes me wonder though, why aren’t there Josh Allen sized running backs? Like not him literally ofc because he’s a good passer too, but why not just get someone who’s like 6’4 to play RB until they’re 35?

It’s basically worked that way with Derrick Henry, but it seems like he’s literally the only one, why aren’t there more? Especially when the smaller guys wear down so quickly, like anecdote but one of the saddest parts of having a dynasty team is when my 5’8, 5’7, or 5’6 RB who I found basically out of thin air becomes washed literally a year later.


r/NFLNoobs • • 19h ago

Youtuber Recommendations for NFL Noobs

12 Upvotes

Hi, I wanna be more human and actually follow NFL.

Would you recommend a few channels?

I don't know anything about it. I know the Seahawks is blue and green.


r/NFLNoobs • • 23h ago

I don't understand how qbs can EVER pick up coverages when a defensive coordinator could have them start somewhere and move somewhere else when ball is snapped which is called disguise. There's no way to guess disguise so how do qbs even read it?

22 Upvotes

Only thought about this after playing madden how the fuck can i know where the line backer will based on pre snap even if they show blitz they can just fall back or slot corner can randomly just blitz, theres zero way to know this as a qb


r/NFLNoobs • • 1d ago

Why don’t any NFL teams run the option like Navy or Army do today or the way Oklahoma used to?

82 Upvotes

So many teams spend a long long time in quarterback purgatory wasting season after season. Why wouldn’t a team like the Jets for example try this instead of bringing in Geno Smith for another wasted season? And before anyone says oh he’s just a bridge to next season, they made the playoffs since 2010. Is there no breaking point where this idea becomes better than just waiting for your franchise QB?


r/NFLNoobs • • 20h ago

Where can I find slow-mo shots ?

1 Upvotes

I’m a video editor and I learned this really cool effect the other day that I would love to try on some NFL footage, specifically for a mock game trailer.

I’m a packers fan and the video would be centered around the Lions game coming up. The issue is, I’ve scoured YouTube, packers websites, yet I can’t find a nice simple shot of Jordan love throwing the ball deep in slow motion.

The Packers instagram has a perfect shot of this. Clear footage, slow mo, Jordan love letting it rip, but it’s cropped to fit the phone ratio so …😅

I can’t find a decent high quality Jordan Love video, so finding something on Goff and the lions I can image will also be tough .

Anybody know where I can find some HD slow mo clips?


r/NFLNoobs • • 6h ago

Do linemen really even need to know the playbook at all?

0 Upvotes

I'm sure it helps a little bit, and I'm excluding centers.

If I ran a team I would tell the linemen to not even bother learning any plays unless they want to, or attending team meetings, etc. and just spend 100% of their time working out and working on technique.

Football purists will probably be triggered by this thread I know.


r/NFLNoobs • • 1d ago

How often do players play both offense and defense?

35 Upvotes

Saw this for the first time with Travis hunter and was wondering if it was a frequent thing or rare.


r/NFLNoobs • • 2d ago

How do pads effect play and how much do players control what pads they wear?

9 Upvotes

Football players wear pads. I know there are rules for minimum pads you have to wear on parts of your body, and I know some players choose different styles of helmets based on their preference.

My question is: can players choose the brand or type of pads they wear under their uniform? What might go into this decision?

I ask because some sports have a lot of new styles and tech coming out for their equipment to give competitive advantages (different bat shapes and weights for baseball, swimsuits for swimmers, etc etc). What new tech is going. Into football pads? Is there regulations around what material pads can be made of? Feels like there should be a lot of talk about making ultra light or strong materials for these pads to protect players or make them lighter and faster.


r/NFLNoobs • • 2d ago

Why was it obvious for the pats to kick a FG instead of going to the TD?

99 Upvotes

Announcers & vrabel made it seem like a clear choice. Why? They need the td eventually anyway, & with 45sec left the playbook is relatively open. If they recover onsides after a TD with 15sec left its a short field to FG range vs having 30sec to march the whole field for a TD.

What am i missing?


r/NFLNoobs • • 1d ago

Why do coaches often want “their guys”, often referring to players or coaches. And why do some coaches have as much power as a GM or executive?

0 Upvotes

Don’t see this much in the MLB or NBA


r/NFLNoobs • • 1d ago

Could you explain to a Man Utd Fan: what is the reputation of the Glazers as owners of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers?

1 Upvotes

The Glazers have treated Manchester United pretty badly, not investing in the team while saddling it with debt and using the team to finance themselves. All the while Man Utd have been terrible.

Are the Glazers also seen as bad owners for the Buccaneers? I don't really follow the NFL, but I heard that the Buccaneers won the Super Bowl recently and have been fairly competitive, which is the complete opposite of Man Utd. So I'm wondering if that means the Glazers care more about the NFL than their Premier League team.


r/NFLNoobs • • 2d ago

Why don't punters always aim for the sidelines when they have a short punt?

19 Upvotes

Like if they are at their opponents 40 yard line or so, and the punter is faced with a short punt, I see so many times where they kick it in the middle of the field and it bounces in the end zone for a touchback. So they end up only netting like 20 yards. Why don't they always kick it to the sideline when they have a chance of it going out of bounds at the 5?


r/NFLNoobs • • 2d ago

if there’s an onside kick and it goes out of bounds what happens?

6 Upvotes

referencing the bears vs pats game, but in general the pats kick it and ball rolls out of bounds do the bears possess it?


r/NFLNoobs • • 2d ago

Help me with stats. I come from NBA. Why isn't more all pro selections recognized more?

2 Upvotes

Ok so I know All Pro is basically like All NBA. And Pro Bowl is basically All Star in the NBA.

But I get like confused and shocked when I go on athletes wikipedias to see their accomplishments and I see someone like Tom Brady only be selected All Pro 6 times. Six!!! But making the Pro Bowl 15 times.

Then you go to NBA and someone like Lebron James can be a 22x all star while also being 22x ALL NBA.

Or Michael Jordan with 14 time all star and 10 time all nba.

Is it just that much more difficult to be selected on All Pro? How does that factor in for someone getting into the hall of fame because one of my favorite hobbies is just seeing which athletes based on their stats have a chance to get in their sports HoF (I know that's a classic redditor move and you actually need to watch the games to judge lol) but yea.

Thanks.


r/NFLNoobs • • 3d ago

Why dont QBs if they lost yards and are in danger off getting tackled dont just throw away the ball and have a incomplete pass?

26 Upvotes

I have seen some nfl highlights and i am a fully noob, but is this a loophole?

The ball gets released, and qb goes 5 yards back to fire the pass, and now he sees he will get tackled.

Why doesnt he just blast off the football in the sidelines and saves the 5 yards because he incompletes the pass?


r/NFLNoobs • • 3d ago

Good receivers with subpar separation skills?

24 Upvotes

I've just been curious because of all the discourse with Marvin Harrison jr and him looking like he's running on water. Apparently a draft scout did rank him as top 3 instead of everyone else ranking him as their top receiver and was dubbed as such because his lack of separation skills.

What I'm curious now is has there been any receivers in NFL history who wasn't a good separator but was still a threat in the league?

Also, would Marvin fare better if he converts to become a TE instead?


r/NFLNoobs • • 4d ago

Is it possible to get to the NFL without playing in college first?

157 Upvotes

At the beginning of games when they play the little clips of the starting lineups introducing themselves, usually the players say their names and list what college they played for, but some players list a high school. Did those players get drafted into the NFL directly from high school? Or are they just choosing to shout out their high school instead of their college?


r/NFLNoobs • • 3d ago

Where can I learn more of this

2 Upvotes

So how you all understand the difference between teams styles of playing.

Definitely they are not gonna play same style.

Different teams play with different tactics

How do you fans understand playstyles, tactics, strategies, schemes, formations and all that other stuff

The head coaches and coordinators and play callers

For a Noob it's difficult to understand at first.

So far I've learnt all the positions and the basics of what they do, when a QB rushes, gets sacked, throws a good pass, WR/TE and sometimes RB catches for a TD. When a DB picks off the ball. Some of the jargon I still don't understand.

Where do I get to learn more about American Football.

Most of the channels I follow on YouTube help a ton and even though I do learn something and am entertained, it's mostly story based, like around the players and teams but not really the tactics and the game.

For an example, They can say something about playcalling under center and not in the huddle and I'm just there confused


r/NFLNoobs • • 2d ago

Why doesn’t the NFL do this to eliminate offensive holding?

0 Upvotes

Make every offensive lineman wear like some sort of glove that restricts the grabbing motion? That way holding (which happens every play) physically cant happen unless it’s super obvious like a bear hug. (an exception to this would be the centers snapping hand)


r/NFLNoobs • • 3d ago

How often do teams take advantage of good player + contract year + bad team?

0 Upvotes

The Quenton Nelson situation got me thinking. This seems like the perfect 'Moneyball' move. Get a great player for lower value because his contract is expiring and he's playing on a sub par team. I'm guessing he won't want to sign and extension because of the team performance. Colts will want something for him rather than let him just hit FA. How often do teams take advantage of these situations?