How do you watch football on TV?

[Awesome Fossum]

To be clear, I mean when you sit down to watch a single game live on TV, what are you paying attention to pre-snap and post-snap? Are you just following the ball or something else? Are you taking mental notes? Physical notes!?

Sometimes I pick out a player, especially when there's a dominant edge, and just follow him. Sometimes I try to count the presented blockers vs. pass rushers and try to judge how pass pro is holding up.

I'm not sure I get much more out of that than I do when I just follow the ball. But I aspire to be one of those people who can follow a given game at just a slightly more advanced level. I'd be interested in how others approach it, especially the scouts and coaches amongst us.

PS: Ted Nguyen published a good article on this topic a few years ago: https://theathletic.com/1145757/2019/10/29/how-to-watch-football-like-an-expert-from-the-comfort-of-your-couch/

 

[Oil Can Dan]

 

[Bowhemian]

To be clear, I mean when you sit down to watch a single game live on TV, what are you paying attention to pre-snap and post-snap? Are you just following the ball or something else? Are you taking mental notes? Physical notes!?

Sometimes I pick out a player, especially when there's a dominant edge, and just follow him. Sometimes I try to count the presented blockers vs. pass rushers and try to judge how pass pro is holding up.

I'm not sure I get much more out of that than I do when I just follow the ball. But I aspire to be one of those people who can follow a given game at just a slightly more advanced level. I'd be interested in how others approach it, especially the scouts and coaches amongst us.

PS: Ted Nguyen published a good article on this topic a few years ago: https://theathletic.com/1145757/2019/10/29/how-to-watch-football-like-an-expert-from-the-comfort-of-your-couch/

It's really hard to watch everything on the field at once. Pre-play, you pretty much have to decide what to focus on. I like to look at the offensive and defensive alignment and try to a) guess where the play might go, and b) think about what play I would run given the alignments. Sometimes I just watch the fronts of both teams. Back in the glory days, I used to just watch Randy Moss.

 

[DJnVa]

I look at my wings or nachos pre-snap, then watch the ball. Then swear if the play was unsuccessful and do a little fist pump if we got a first down or stopped them short.

Then I check on my food again.

 

[tims4wins]

I watch the lines. Generally the LT if it's a pass play. Otherwise usually the interior OL if it's a run.

 

[DJnVa]

Motion, I watch motion. See if the guy in motion is mirrored by a defender, etc.

 

[JOBU]

Poorly. I’ve been watching football for over 30 years. I can’t tell you the difference between a 4-3, 3-4, Tampa 2, cover 2 robber whatever. Im getting better at identifying man to man vs zone but it doesn’t mean anything to me. Like oh “the D is playing a soft zone so the offense should be doing xyz instead of abc”… not my thing. My mom wouldn’t let me play football and I never played much madden so I’m sure that would have helped me identify different defensive fronts and stuff. But I played Super Tecmo Bowl so the only D I know is the nose tackle dive through the center and Lawrence Taylor running through the line and absolutely destroying whoever had the ball behind the LOS.

Generally I watch the ball and the line and scream “that’s a fucking hold” on every play the Pats are on D. I usually will also look for pre-snap motion in the backfield and if someone on the OL is jumping early. I’m not an X or O’s guy so I just try to enjoy it.

 

[tims4wins]

Generally I watch the ball and the line and scream “that’s a fucking hold” on every play the Pats are on D

Love the candor

 

[Ferm Sheller]

I spend at least 75% of the game it seems looking to see if there's a flag.

EDIT: But actually I pretty much only focus on whomever has the ball.

 

[SoxJox]

I watch intently and then, just as I have figured out the complete offensive and defensive scheme, some idiot yells, "Omaha!!!"

 

[Hoya81]

I usually focus on the line play, as that's where I played in junior high/high school and nearly every game turns on which team is controlling the LOS.

 

[sezwho]

I usually focus on the line play, as that's where I played in junior high/high school and nearly every game turns on which team is controlling the LOS.

I wait about 30min to start so I can skip commercials, injuries and replays. Never played actual football but played madden for decades (still beat teenage son and friends!) so I oddly do read formations and position groups out of habit. I also mostly watch the line play and usually by myself because I’ll replay the last play repeatedly sometimes. Usually to watch the lines.

Good thread idea, curious what others do.