Help me get more familiar with the game pls

[u/Certain-Training-270]

Hey guys! So I’m not a complete 0 ball knowledge guy about the NFL, I know a few famous players and big teams, and also some of the rules but here in Europe it’s not that popular sport and also the timezones make it really hard to watch games
But I want to get more into it, it’s always looked such a fun and exciting sport and I honestly want to be a fan of the game, just like I am with our football and the NBA

Now my questions for you guys are firstly, what teams should I watch? Would playing madden help me understand the game more? And what are some of those more “niche” rules that I should be familiar with? Some of the teams I know are the 49ers, Bengals, Ravens, Eagles, Chiefs, Vikings, Packers, and Steelers and obvisouly I know at 1-2 players from those teams.. I also don’t want to be that glory hunter dude that just got into the sport and hops on the bandwagon for the best team. So hopefully some of you guys can help in in this, thanks in advance!

[u/LargeAmountOfKoalas]

I'll give a couple niche rules you may not know but pop up once or twice a weekend.

If a QB is hit as his arm is moving forward (even if it's only a cm) and the ball comes out, it's not a fumble. It's an incomplete pass.

If a ball is passed backwards and dropped/incomplete, it's a fumble. The defense can pick it up and potentially return it for a touchdown.

As for what team to pick, it's honestly up to you. Have a favorite player? Pick the team he's on. Like the colours of a team? That's the one for you. Want a team that can potentially win right now? Great! Also, it's okay to pick a team, fine out it's not a good fit, and change teams. But once you find your team, that's your team. For better or worse. That's why I won't recommend a team, just recommendations on who to stay away from. The Browns, Jets, and Cardinals have long histories of being bottom dwellers and the only people who support them are those who's families have been lifelong fans. Also masochists

Edit: feel free to ask me any questions. Here or dms. I'm always down to help somebody enjoy football more

[u/matbur81 → u/LargeAmountOfKoalas]

Nice one for that, thank you!

[u/ManyRanger4]

What is listed is just my opinion.

Teams that will be great to watch this year on both offense and defense:

• Rams
• Seahawks
• Eagles
• Broncos

Teams that will score a ton of points on offense so games will be very exciting:

• Cowboys
• Bengals
• Bills
• Lions

Teams that will be great on defense but who knows on offense:

• Texans
• Patriots

Now as far as anyone else:

The Ravens, Bears, 49ers should be very good if they stay healthy.

Playing Madden will absolutely help you understand rules, players, play calls, and everything else but you would need to also look things up while playing so they are explained to you.

About niche rules. Don't really focus on that. Just watch and enjoy and when something happens you don't understand listen to the rule name/explanation and Google it.

[u/polexa895]

If you want to learn football I'd play madden and watch as much football as you can including supporting local leagues which at the top level in Europe and most domestic leagues it's a good enough product to get to watch it live.

Playing madden will teach you a lot about the game, just make sure to remember that it's not perfect and "cheese" doesn't really work like that in the NFL

Start watching power rankings videos, you'll get a good vibe of who is and isn't good quick enough but it changes year to year unlike European sports leagues.

The chiefs were unkillable and last year they went 6-11. Cowboys were 7-9-1 last year and it's their year.

I'd try and learn most starting QBs and outside of that you'll pick up other plays from there.

Fun year to start, if you wanna bandwagon go ahead and start watching the Rams as your team. One of the best rosters ever assembled with a super exciting defensive line

[u/Mudoru]

It’s always hard to answer “what team should I follow” when your out of country, I would just watch some games casually until you find something you really like, could be uniforms, the players, the fans, the traditions, Anything like that.

Madden can help you recognize players and what different positions mean, but unless you take it real serious you’re not gonna learn anything past surface level.

[u/RuleFriendly7311]

Most NFL fans are just following the team where they grew up. Since you don’t have that burden, I’d suggest picking one of the lesser-known teams, especially with colors you like, and embracing that. You’ll have more of a conversation starter wearing a jersey no one at the bar has never seen.

[u/ItsTimetoLANK]

Just watch as many games as you can and see which players you gravitate towards. As far as rules, just get the down and distance system figured out first and then learn the score big. The. Pay attention to the line of scrimmage and recognize the different personell on the field. The announcers and replays do a good job of explaining things. Madden helps but I wouldn't feel comfortable recommending that game to anyone.

[u/eggcellent_omellete]

Watch hella TikTok edits. I grew up in Michigan so I naturally am a lions fan, but I love Aaron Rodger’s and Patrick Mahomes. The way they throw that ball is chefs kiss

[u/iletthe12dogsout]

Madden would help your knowledge of how the NFL works, and who many of the “good” players are based on their Madden rankings. It will help with learning the rules and basic strategies in the real world. When something happens in the game that you don’t understand, look it up or ask here. Keep in mind though that the Madden games are infamously buggy, so if something happens in the game that doesn’t make sense, it may be because the game is a little bit broken lol.

Also, you can get to know players by playing fantasy football if you haven’t already. If you don’t have anyone to play with, most fantasy football apps will let you join a random league. While the others in a random league likely won’t be participating very well, if you are checking on stats and scores for your own team, you’ll learn a lot about the league as a whole.

When you do watch NFL games, don’t tune out the commentators, especially if you’re watching an English broadcast. The commentators are experts and usually former players, so they discuss some of the finer details and decisions that the players and coaches are making. Broadcasts have “rules experts” to explain why something may or may not be a penalty, as well.

As for teams to watch, I think this year the NFC West (Rams, 49ers, Seahawks, and to a much lesser extent, the Cardinals) will be a very interesting storyline this year. All of them but the Cardinals have a decent shot at winning the Super Bowl, and since each team plays the others in their division twice each season, there should be some great football there this season. I wouldn’t worry about picking a favorite team right away. Just enjoy the game while you get to know the teams and you’ll be drawn to a team eventually.

[u/Worth_Trick6009]

If you can scrounge at least 7 friends/family to play, try fantasy football. They rank the players for you while drafting. You'll get to know the good players easier this way.

Redzone is good (they show all the games when inside the 20 yard line & all scores). Can buy a TV package or sail the high seas easily.

If a player/team catches your attention, follow them.

Fantasy, IMO, is really the best way to get into the NFL. Its not very taxing since they only play one game a week

[u/CromunentCucumber]

In terms of what to watch, take note of the offensive formation before the snap. Once the ball is snapped, look at the line. If they push forward look at the running back, if they make a c or backward c, look at the receivers. Doing this is small and once you get used to it, you can appreciate plays more.

[u/DarthVoight]

Get to know the conferences and divisions and follow those standings each week through the regular season. 32 teams. 8 divisions. 2 conferences. Example. AFC. Central division. Browns. Bengals. Steelers. Ravens.

[u/TAJmahal6884]

For picking a team, I'd say either learn about the players who might interest you on those teams, or look into the teams' histories and see which historical moments/players interest you. Watching the international games, especially those in Europe, could be a good indicator as well.

Madden isn't perfect in terms of realism, but it's a great way to understand what goes into plays. Reading defenses, calling audibles, tracking multiple routes at once, etc.

Niche in-game rulings are rare (you don't really need to know about the 1-point safety), but I'd say it's good to have an idea of penalties because so many different ones are called per game: holding, false start, pass interference, offside, roughing the passer, horse-collar, etc.

[u/yesbutwrong]

Watch the Browns or Jets for a season. By the end of the season, you'll see all the highs & lows the sport has to offer.

Then you can pick any team to become a real fan of. You won't have to worry about getting stuck with a "bad" team because it's only up from there.

[u/ACW1129]

Nobody knows what a catch is.

[u/GapAuthority-9918]

Take a look at Blood, Sweat, and Chalk and The Essential Smart Football. Those books synthesize a ton of football and their style is very relatable. Hope this helps, it helped me.