Top Four Characteristics of a Great Football Team

Football is easily the most popular sport in America. Fans pay a premium for tickets and tailgate for hours prior to the game. There are a whole lot of football teams across the country, but there are only a few in their respective leagues that worthy of being called "great." What makes a team great? Here are the four biggest attributes of a great football team.

Top Four Characteristics of a Great Football Team

1. Team First- You won't find great teams that have players who are playing for themselves. It must be a collective team effort to be the best. Team chemistry is extremely important and some of the best winners football has ever seen are extremely unselfish. Everyone must have the same goals and all players must be fighting equally hard for the prize.

2. Fundamentally Sound- Great football teams make a habit of doing the fundamental things extremely well. They'll win the turnover battle, keep their penalties to a minimum, and win the field position battle. The best coaches in football constantly preach the importance of these basic fundamentals. The casual football fan might not appreciate just how important all of these qualities are, but in a close game it is often the difference between winning and losing.

3. Solid Defense- You simply can't be a championship caliber team in football without having a good defense. You'll find that the teams with the high-powered offenses might awe the crowds the most, but if they don't have a good defense they'll lose when it counts the most. A good defense will keep you in every single game, even when the offense is not playing up to par.

4. An Efficient Quarterback- There is a bit of a misnomer out there that the quarterback must be tremendous for your team to be great. I strongly disagree with this opinion. You can point to many teams that were great championship teams that had quarterbacks who were not stars at all. The key is that the quarterback knows their role in the offense and they make solid decisions with the football. The quarterback has his hands on the ball more than any other player, so they must be able to be trusted.

Great football teams don't come around too often. It is difficult to put all four of these qualities together, but if you are able to then you can expect to have a special season.