It is a sweet and sour time of year as we approach what is both the Super Bowl and the final football game of the season. For the NFL players and coaches, it is a long hard grind on a fast-moving roller coaster. You fight through injuries, losses and the individual slumps that all go with the thrill of victory and personal successes.
For many teams, it began in earnest with offseason strength and conditioning starting in March, with full blow offseason work with speed and explosive training going by May. Those workouts picked up pace right up to the week before training camp which leads to preseason games and finally the season opener.
Every week a new game plan, 17 weeks and 16 games, the playoffs and hopefully you are one of the 2 teams to be playing on Super Bowl Sunday, almost 11 months after you picked up the first weight in offseason.
In many ways, it is tempting to say it’s just another football game, just another Sunday afternoon or some other simplistic description. It is not another game on Sunday afternoon. Let’s start with a fact of NFL life.
Preseason Speed
Regular Season Speed
Playoff Speed
By the time you get to the Super Bowl you remember or are reminded about when it all began. All of the hard work and sweat you put into it, all the practice, meeting and preparation time you gave leading to the time to prove that you are the best. And yes, that is what it is all about, becoming the best on the planet at what you do.
The game plan is created with new wrinkles here and there, the opponent's film is put under a microscope and practicing perfection becomes the objective.
Special Teams
Penalties
Turnovers
Turning the ball over effects the entire flow of the game; field position, clock management, defensive fatigue. Even if your defense holds the other team from scoring after a turnover, those aspects combine to affect the entire flow of the game.
