By The Athletic NFL Staff
Feb. 8, 2026 4:00 am EST
Football seems like a simple game. You score more points than the opposition, you win.
But, it’s so much more complicated than that. There are a lot of positions and among all of the jargon, it can be hard to know what player does what.
Football positions are split into three groups: offense, defense and special teams. While they each work together toward the same goal, their roles couldn’t be more different. Even within the groups, you’d be surprised at how two positions serve completely opposite purposes.
For example, quarterbacks receive the ball from the center and can either hand off the ball to a running back, throw it to a wide receiver or run it themselves. Yet the offensive linemen, who are part of the same group, focus on protecting the quarterback and creating spaces for the running back to go through. They’re not trying to get the ball at all, yet they’re considered offense.
There’s plenty more to unpack. Watch the above video from the Tifo team for more.
Feb 8, 2026
Connections: Sports Edition
Spot the pattern. Connect the terms
Find the hidden link between sports terms
Play today’s puzzle