So what areas should you keep an eye on once the game starts?

Our Super Bowl XLVI preview outlines the biggest ones!

Super Bowl XLVI Preview originally appeared on About.com Football on Tuesday, January 31st, 2012 at 21:35:25.

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With Super Bowl XLVI just days away, it's time to start thinking about that Super Bowl party you are hosting or attending, and get all your ducks in order. As any true football fan can tell you, the key to a great Super Bowl party is the food. So, we here at About.com are going to assist you in that department whether you're throwing the party yourself or simply need ideas on what to take along with you to the event you are attending. 

Super Bowl Party Recipes

Super Bowl Party Recipes originally appeared on About.com Football on Monday, January 30th, 2012 at 22:21:37.

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Super Bowl XLVI is just days away, but it's not too late for those of you who don't understand the game to get in on all the postseason fun.

To a beginner, the game of football can seem quite complicated, but it's really very simple once you learn the basics. That's why we've put together this three-step course designed to arm you with all the knowledge you need in plenty of time for this year's big game. In three easy-to-follow lessons, you'll learn all the basics, from the object of the game and the various ways to score, to the layout of the football field and the components of the team itself. We've also created a glossary that defines hundreds of football terms you can bookmark for quick reference when needed.

More Resources:

How the NFL and NFL Playoffs are Organized
What is a Football?
Football Videos
Frequently Asked Questions

Beginners, It's Not Too Late to Learn originally appeared on About.com Football on Sunday, January 29th, 2012 at 02:49:48.

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The defending champion Green Bay Packers were heavy favorites going into the postseason, but their run ended unexpectedly last weekend, leaving the door open for any one of the remaining four teams.

Does Tom Brady have another Super Bowl run in him or do the Ravens have the defense to deny him another shot? Will Eli Manning get another shot at a ring or will Alex Smith get his first? We take a look at both of this weekend's match-ups and offer a prediction on each. Read our conference championship previews...

Conference Championship Preview and Predictions originally appeared on About.com Football on Saturday, January 21st, 2012 at 20:06:34.

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Which stadium was the first Super Bowl played in? Which city hosted the first Super Bowl north of the Mason-Dixon Line? Name the player who has played on the most winning Super Bowl teams.

If you're a trivia buff, you'll enjoy this collection of 10 trivia quizzes designed to test your Super Bowl knowledge. Several of these trivia quizzes focus on a particular theme, such as records, MVPs, and stadiums, while others mix it up with a variety of general Super Bowl Trivia. We also have the resources to explore the history of the Super Bowl, including results of all the games, all-time Super Bowl standings, National Anthem performers, and a whole lot more!

Super Bowl Trivia and More! originally appeared on About.com Football on Monday, January 16th, 2012 at 12:22:46.

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It's always a challenge to compare players from different eras, but there's no way around it when compiling lists of the NFL's greatest of all time. Stats only tell part of the story because of the way the game has evolved over the years. And because of that, opinion becomes a major factor when assigning these types of rankings. Chances are, however, no two fans are going to agree completely on any top ten list, so we don't expect all of you to agree with ours. Who knows, maybe none of you will.

So feel free to offer your take in the comments section below (and maybe post your own list) after you get a look at our list of the top ten running backs of all time!

Top Ten Running Backs of All Time originally appeared on About.com Football on Thursday, January 12th, 2012 at 08:15:33.

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With the NFL playoffs getting underway, we've put together some interesting notes regarding this year's participants:

• For the tenth time since 1996, at least half the playoff field is made up of teams that failed to qualify for the postseason the previous year.
• Since realignment in 2002, 31 of the 32 NFL teams have qualified for the playoffs at least once. The lone holdout... the Buffalo Bills.
• Six of this season's 12 playoff teams have won at least one Super Bowl since 2000. Those six have also won nine of the past 11 championships.
• Three teams in this year's playoff field -- the Houston Texans, Atlanta Falcons, and Cincinnati Bengals -- have never won a Super Bowl.
• Since the NFL adopted the 12-team playoff format in 1990, only nine No. 1 seeds have been crowned champions.
• The Pittsburgh Steelers have not allowed a 100-yard rusher in 17 consecutive postseason games, which is tied with the Washington Redskins for the longest current streak.
• There are seven players in the 2011 postseason who have been named Super Bowl MVP: Tom Brady, Deion Branch, Drew Brees, Ray Lewis, Eli Manning, Aaron Rodgers, and Hines Ward
• This is the first postseason in NFL history to feature four Super Bowl MVP quarterbacks.

NFL Playoff Notes of Interest originally appeared on About.com Football on Saturday, January 7th, 2012 at 12:57:19.

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With the seemingly foregone assumption that Andrew Luck, who has been compared to Peyton Manning, will be the first pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, some fans have reduced themselves to pulling for their favorite teams to lose down the stretch so they can theoretically land the guy to lead their franchise to glory for the next decade or more.  Obviously, with the conclusion of the NFL's regular season, one team is going to lock down that first pick, leaving some others disappointed they didn't secure the top prize.

I'm not so sure that's necessarily a bad thing.  Waiting in the wings as a consolation for another team in need of a signal caller is Baylor's Robert Griffin III, who has been compared favorably to Michael Vick.  Might Griffin soon be the most electrifying young player in the game?  

Read our assessment of Robert Griffin III...

Griffin III not a Bad Consolation Prize originally appeared on About.com Football on Saturday, December 31st, 2011 at 19:25:08.

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Our collection of instructional and informational football videos is growing nicely, so, as a convenience to you, we've put them all on one easily-accessible page. Included are videos that teach the basic skills to play football, offer a deeper understanding of the many facets of the game for the novice fan, offer advice to avid fantasy footballers, and assist you in making your weekly picks.

As the collection grows, we will continue to add to the football video library.

Video Library Added originally appeared on About.com Football on Wednesday, December 28th, 2011 at 22:24:07.

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We sometimes forget that not all of our visitors are football experts, and occasionally we fall trap to the assumption that everyone knows most of the basics of football before they land here.  Today, though, we haven't forgotten.  In fact, we recognize that not all fans of the NFL know exactly how the league and its playoff system are organized.

So we put together this tutorial that explains it all. Read more...

How the NFL and Playoffs are Organized originally appeared on About.com Football on Monday, December 26th, 2011 at 11:41:30.

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