Are You an NFL History Expert?

By: Kale Havervold
Estimated Completion Time
4 min
Are You an NFL History Expert?
Image: Wiki Commons

About This Quiz

The NFL is among the most popular sports leagues in the world. It has millions of viewers around the world and recently celebrated its 100th season in 2019-20. Throughout those 100 years, a lot has happened in the NFL. Players have put up unthinkable stats and many teams have had truly breathtaking performances en route to winning the Super Bowl.

However, just how much of this history of the NFL are you able to recall? For example, do you know which NFL franchise has won the most Super Bowls? How about who holds the record for the most receptions in an NFL game?  Or which coach has the most career regular-season wins? If questions like those are child's play to you, or you are simply interested in learning more about the National Football League and its history, this quiz is for you.

We will look at stunning statistics, terrific teams, exciting events and phenomenal players who have wowed football fans throughout the history of the league. Without any further ado, put your pads and helmet on and get ready to collide with our NFL history quiz. Will you cross the goal line or be stopped at the 1-yard line?

Q35 perfect season
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Which team is responsible for completing the only perfect season in the history of the NFL?
Philadelphia Eagles
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Miami Dolphins
Baltimore Ravens
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Many teams have flirted with a completely undefeated season, but only one was actually able to do it. Back in 1972, the Dolphins (led by coach Don Shula and QB Bob Griese, had a fully undefeated season.

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Q16 beat the Patriots
Unsplash by Ameer Basheer
In 2007, the Patriots were closing in on a perfect season. However, which team ruined it when they beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl?
Minnesota Vikings
New York Giants
Arizona Cardinals
Dallas Cowboys
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Perfect seasons are incredibly rare in the NFL, but the Patriots almost did it in 2007. They were 18-0 and heading into a Super Bowl that almost everyone thought they would win. However, a great effort by the New York Giants stopped the perfect season from occurring.

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Q28 Ice Bowl
Wiki Commons
Where was the "Ice Bowl" played?
Green Bay
Chicago
New York
Seattle
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

There have been many cold games during the history of the NFL, but none were colder than the 1967 NFL Championship game in Green Bay. The game, dubbed the "Ice Bowl," had wind chill temperatures reach almost -50 degrees.

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Q30 The Catch
Tom Merton/OJO Images/GettyImages
"The Catch" was a famous play orchestrated by which team?
Chicago Bears
Atlanta Falcons
San Francisco 49ers
New Orleans Saints
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"The Catch" is often called one of the most famous plays ever and it was orchestrated by Joe Montana and Dwight Clark, who were both members of the San Francisco 49ers at the time. It helped the team win a Super Bowl.

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Q19 Americas Team
Unsplash by Anders Krøgh Jørgensen
Of the following teams, which is often referred to as "America's Team"?
New York Giants
New England Patriots
Chicago Bears
Dallas Cowboys
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Dallas Cowboys are known as "America's Team" and are among the most popular teams in the NFL. The nickname stems from a highlight from way back in 1978 when the narrator calls them "America's Team".

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Q9 QB
Wiki Commons by Keith Allison
This QB has won more playoff games than any other QB in history, who is it?
Joe Flacco
Steve Young
Joe Montana
Tom Brady
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

No QB has won more games in the playoffs than Tom Brady. The New England Patriots QB has a playoff record of 30-10, and his 30 wins are almost twice as much as the next closest QB. With him still playing, he could end up adding to that number.

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Q32 lost four Super Bowls
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Which team famously lost four Super Bowls in a row during the 1990s?
Buffalo Bills
Minnesota Vikings
Cleveland Browns
Detroit Lions
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While making it to four Super Bowls in a row is impressive, the Buffalo Bills were unable to win any of them. Not only did they record losses in every game, but they also lost by an average margin of 35-18 in those games.

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Q8 Most Points
Wiki Commons by Keith Allison
Of the following players, who has scored the most points in an NFL career?
Matt Stover
Adam Vinatieri
Matt Bryant
Justin Tucker
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

No player in the history of the NFL has scored more points than kicker Adam Vinatieri. He has nearly 2,700 points, and has played in three separate decades and if he plays in 2020, he will have played in four.

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¿Podrás identificar los 32 equipos de la NFL con solo una parte de su logo?
Wiki Commons by Paul Keleher
Which man has been the coach of the New England Patriots throughout their dominance in the 21st century?
John Harbaugh
Bill Parcells
Bill Belichick
Vance Joseph
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Part of the reason why the Patriots have been so dominant for so long comes down to their head coach, Bill Belichick. He, along with Tom Brady, has helped the team to make and win numerous Super Bowls in the last 20 years.

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Q6 Super Bowl III
Wiki Commons by Keith Allison
Who made the world-famous guarantee ahead of Super Bowl III?
Bart Starr
Dan Marino
Warren Moon
Joe Namath
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Ahead of Super Bowl III between the Colts and the Jets, Jets QB Joe Namath made a guarantee that his team would win, in response to rowdy Colts fans. He backed up his words as the team did go on to win.

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Q14 Barry Sanders
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Which team did the legendary Barry Sanders play his entire career for?
New York Jets
San Francisco 49ers
Detroit Lions
Dallas Cowboys
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Barry Sanders spent his entire career with the Detroit Lions. He was without a doubt one of the most impressive players in NFL history, and likely would have broken many records if he didn't retire early.

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Q5 Monday Night Football
Wiki Commons by Keith Allison
Which year did "Monday Night Football" first air?
1957
1970
2001
1983
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Monday Night Football" has been a staple for decades, but officially began back in 1970. While most NFL games take place on a Sunday, the league decided to add a game on Monday night. Currently, there is also a weekly Thursday night game, as well.

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Q23 Most Super Bowls
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Which player has won the most Super Bowls during their career?
Tom Brady
Charles Haley
Joe Montana
Rob Gronkowski
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The player who has won the most Super Bowls in their career is none other than Tom Brady. He has currently won six Super Bowls, and he is still playing, so he might not even be done yet.

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Q7 Immaculate Reception
Wiki Commons Erik Drost
Which player made the catch on the legendary "Immaculate Reception" play?
Terry Bradshaw
Franco Harris
Lynn Swann
Hines Ward
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Franco Harris was the recipient of the "Immaculate Reception." The play occurred when the Pittsburgh Steelers needed a first down in the last minute of an AFC divisional playoff game, and the ball bounced off the receiver's hands or defender's helmet before Harris was able scoop it up. It is one of the most legendary plays in league history.

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Q34 18,355
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The all-time record for career rushing yards is currently 18,355. Who holds this record?
Adrian Peterson
Barry Sanders
Emmitt Smith
Frank Gore
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

There have been many outstanding running backs in NFL history, but none have put up the stats that Emmitt Smith did. Not only does he have the most rushing yards ever, but also the most rushing touchdowns.

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Q4 Longest NFL Career
Wiki Commons by Keith Allison
Many players have had long NFL careers, but which player has had the longest?
George Blanda
Tom Brady
John Carney
Matt Stover
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

No player has ever played more NFL seasons than George Blanda. Blanda played for 26 seasons and played until the age of 48. He started in 1949, and his final season didn't come until 1976.

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Q15 Receiving Yards
Fuse/Corbis/GettyImages
Of the following players, which is the all-time leader in career receiving yards?
Steve Smith
Jerry Rice
Randy Moss
Larry Fitzgerald
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

No one will likely ever touch the all-time receiving yards record of Jerry Rice. During his career, he recorded an incredible 22,895 yards, which is around 6,000 more yards than anyone else.

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Q20 more interceptions
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Which QB has thrown more interceptions than anyone else in his NFL career?
Dan Marino
George Blanda
Brett Favre
Peyton Manning
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While he was a great QB, Brett Favre threw his fair share of interceptions in his career. In his career, he threw a total of 336, which is around 60 more than the next closest person on the list.

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Q27 Newest NFL
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Which NFL team is the newest?
Houston Texans
Jacksonville Jaguars
Baltimore Ravens
Carolina Panthers
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Houston Texans are the youngest NFL team, as their first season in the NFL was 2002. Despite most expansion teams struggling early, the Texans actually won their first-ever game against the Cowboys.

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Q29 Super Bowl XXXIV
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Which NFL team painfully came up one yard short of winning Super Bowl XXXIV?
St. Louis Rams
Tennessee Titans
New York Jets
Pittsburgh Steelers
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

This Super Bowl came right down to the wire. On the final play of the game, Kevin Dyson of the Tennessee Titans was tackled one yard short of the goal line, thus losing the game. They wound up losing 23-16 to the Rams.

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Q26 The Drive
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Of the following QBs, which led his team on "The Drive"?
Steve Young
Peyton Manning
Tom Brady
John Elway
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"The Drive" refers to when John Elway drove the Denver Broncos down the field 98 yards in the 1986-87 AFC Championship game before tying the game with under a minute left. The Broncos would go on to win the game and go to the Super Bowl.

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Q11 Rushing Yards
Dmytro Aksonov/E+/GettyImages
Who holds the record for the most career rushing yards by a QB?
Michael Vick
Cam Newton
Lamar Jackson
Josh Allen
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While Lamar Jackson is turning a lot of heads and could end up breaking the record, the leader is currently Michael Vick. He has over 5,000 rushing yards and has even rushed for more than 1,000 yards in a season, which is essentially unheard of for QBs.

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Q22 Game 296
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The NFL record for rushing yards in a game is 296. Who holds this record?
Jamal Lewis
Frank Gore
Adrian Peterson
Fred Taylor
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Adrian Peterson set an NFL record when he ran for 296 yards in 2007. Considering a good season for an NFL running back is 1000 yards, getting almost a third of that in a single game is pretty incredible.

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Q17 Former Athelete
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Which famous athlete was actually the first commissioner (then called the president) of the NFL?
George Blanda
Joe Namath
Jim Thorpe
Bart Starr
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Jim Thorpe was the very first commissioner/president of the NFL. In addition to that, he was an Olympic gold medalist, and played nearly every sport under the sun including football, basketball and baseball, many at the professional level.

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Q21 coach
Darrin Klimek/DigitalVision/GettyImages
Of everyone to be a head coach in the NFL, which coach has the most wins?
Bill Belichick
Don Shula
Bill Cowher
Bill Parcells
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

No coach in the history of the NFL has won more games than Don Shula as a coach. He won 328 regular season games during his coaching career, and that number rises to 347 if you count the playoffs.

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Q24 Three Superbowls
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How many NFL teams have won three Super Bowls in a row?
0
1
2
3
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

That's right, during the many decades of the NFL, no team has won three Super Bowls in a row. Several teams have gone back to back, but none have been able to make it three in a row yet.

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Q18 QB Pass
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Who is the quarterback who currently holds the record for the most pass attempts in an NFL game?
Jared Goff
Drew Bledsoe
Tom Brady
Jon Kitna
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

No player has ever thrown more passes in a single game than Drew Bledsoe. He threw 70 passes during a game in 1994, against the Minnesota Vikings. He also is tied for the record for most completions in a game, with 45.

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Q2 Passing Yards
Wiki Commons by Keith Allison
Who is the all-time leader in NFL career passing yards?
Peyton Manning
Drew Brees
Dan Marino
Patrick Mahomes
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Drew Brees is the official record-holder for the most passing yards in the history of the NFL for QBs. He has thrown for over 75,000 yards (and counting) throughout his illustrious career.

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Q25 defensive back
Darrin Klimek/DigitalVision/GettyImages
Which defensive back has the most career interceptions?
Ed Reed
Paul Krause
Rod Woodson
Brian Dawkins
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While all of the mentioned defensive backs had incredible careers, Paul Krause had the most interceptions of them all. He accumulated 81 during his career that lasted from 1964 to 1979.

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Q31 field goal
Dmytro Aksonov/E+/GettyImages
What is the longest field goal in NFL history?
63 yards
64 yards
65 yards
66 yards
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The NFL record for the longest field goal is 64 yards. Matt Prater kicked the record breaker back in 2013. The record before that was set at 63 yards, which has been hit by a couple of different kickers over the years.

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Q13 MVP
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The record for most regular-season MVP's by a player is five. Who was the individual who won it five times?
Tom Brady
Joe Montana
Peyton Manning
Adrian Peterson
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Winning one MVP is incredibly impressive, but winning five is incredible. The only person to ever win five MVP awards is Peyton Manning. Manning won four with the Colts and one with the Broncos.

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Q12 NFL Franchise
Unsplash by Sandro Schuh
Which NFL franchise has won the most NFL Championships?
Chicago Bears
Green Bay Packers
New England Patriot
Pittsburgh Steelers
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While the Patriots and Steelers both hold the record for Super Bowl wins with 6, the Packers have more overall NFL Championships than any other team with 13 (4 Super Bowls and 9 NFL titles).

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Q3 Sacks by a Player
Wiki Commons by U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Delano Scott
The all-time career record for sacks by a player is 200. Who holds the record?
Terrell Suggs
Lawrence Taylor
Bruce Smith
Michael Strahan
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Bruce Smith holds the record for sacks in an NFL career with 200. However, this is an interesting stat as sacks only started getting recorded in 1982. So theoretically, someone could have more, but they were never counted.

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Q1 Reception
Wiki Commons by Keith Allison
Which player has the most receptions in an NFL game?
Jason Witten
Michael Thomas
Brandon Marshall
Antonio Brown
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Brandon Marshall holds the NFL record for the most receptions in a single game with 21. He set this record back in 2009, and his catches were good for 200 yards and two touchdowns as well.

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Q33 the oldest
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Of all the franchises in the NFL, which is the oldest?
Chicago Bears
New England Patriots
Green Bay Packers
Arizona Cardinals
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Believe it or not, but the Arizona Cardinals are the oldest franchise in the NFL. The history of the franchise dates back to 1898, well before the NFL was even around. The team was originally called Morgan Athletic Club.

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