In case you’ve been avoiding the internet right up until you saw this article, I shall remind you that Super Bowl 50 is this weekend. That’s right, on Sunday, people everywhere outside of the United States will take an interest in a sport they constantly say is boring; and severely get on the nerves of the people who are actually trying to enjoy the biggest game of the National Football League season.
With the conclusion of the NFL season being such a big event, we at ReadManUtd thought we should pay it a little attention – so here we are. In the slideshow below, we have decided where members of the Manchester United squad would play, if they were American football players. Enjoy!
O: Offense
D: Defence
O: Quarterback: Rooney
The most important man in the team and probably the best-remembered when reminiscing on a huge victory, the quarterback needs to have an exceptional eye and ability for a pass.
O: Running Backs: Young & Lingard
Some of the quickest players on the team, the running backs have to carry the ball far as they can and speed and trickery are ideal for evading opponents.
O: Full Backs: Shaw and Valencia
Full-backs are positioned deeper into the offensive setup and are usually slower than running backs because they rely on short bursts of speed combined with strength and power. They also block off potential threats to the running backs when they don’t have the ball themselves.
O: Tight End: Memphis Depay
The tight end is both a blocker and a pass receiver, so needs to be strong, sharp and versatile
O: Tackles: Schweinsteiger and Schneiderlin
Tackles are on either side of the offensive line and their main job is to block the opponent’s defensive line off so that the quarterback can get his pass away.
O: Guards: McNair and Borthwick-Jackson
More blockers, the guards have to be strong, and in the case of a rush or sweep play, they should be fairly quick too.
O: Centre: Michael Carrick
As well as performing blocks like all the other offensive line players, the centre is the man who “snaps” the ball into play.
O: Wide Receivers: Martial and Wilson
Usually the fastest players on the team, their primary role is to catch the ball and run with it, meaning they are also heavily responsible for scoring touchdowns.
D: Safetys: Varela and Jones
Whilst one safety is smaller and quicker,to provide faster coverage and passing, the other is usually larger and stronger. These two are the last line of defence.
D: Cornerbacks: De Gea and Romero
These players mark the wide receivers in order to prevent successful passes into them, so being tall and having excellent catching skills is a huge benefit!
D: Outside Linebackers: Rojo and Darmian
One linebacker must be strong to shrug off offensive blockers, whilst the other has to defend open space so is the more athletic of the two
D: Middle Linebacker: Daley Blind
Thought of as the quarterback of the defence, this player must recognise and adjust to what the offence is about to do – a quick-thinker.
D: Defensive Ends: Smalling and Fellaini
The defensive ends block offensive runners as well as trying to tackle the passer, which means being strong enough to hold attacking players off whilst also pushing towards the quarterback.
D: Tackles: Herrera and Januzaj
These players have to rush the passer; speed and power are key qualities here, as well as agility.
Kicker: Juan Mata
Does what he says on the tin. Responsible for kick-offs and field goal attempts; an excellent and precise kicker of the ball