2023 NFL Season Part 3 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Cleveland Browns

Of the four teams in 2023 that had not made a Super Bowl appearance, two of them were playing in this match. Both had had good seasons. The Browns had gone 11-5 based on strong defence, their best season in years despite having five starting quarterbacks. The Texans had a new coach and a new starting quarterback. Nobody expected much in 2023 after a poor performance on and off the field in 2022 but they had fought a three-way battle for AFC South and made the playoffs seeded fourth.

Both teams started nervously with a punt apiece on their opening drive. On the second drive, the Browns punted again but the Texans managed a field goal on the second drive. Cleveland then scored an 8-play 75-yard touchdown which was immediately matched by the Texans scoring their own in just six plays. In the second quarter, both teams started with a touchdown followed by three punts with the Texans closing out the quarter with a 10-play 41/2 minute drive to score seven points. 24-14 Texans at the half.

The turning point was the third quarter. Browns QB Joe Flacco, who had been a revelation when recruited late in the season, threw two interceptions which the Texans converted into touchdowns. The Browns never recovered and didn't score another point for the rest of the game. The Texans added a sixth TD in the last quarter to hand the Browns their biggest loss of the season. The Texans advanced to the Divisional round.

Answer: Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins had led the AFC East for most of the season but a huge injury roster took its toll and they lost three of their last five, finishing 11-6, second in their division but enough to clinch sixth seed. By the Chiefs' standards, the 2023 regular season was not as successful as immediate past seasons: The Chiefs, 11-6 did not match their 14-3 record from 2022, but it gave them their eleventh consecutive winning season, and they were division champions for the eighth consecutive season.

Kansas City as third seed had the hometown advantage. At Arrowhead at kickoff, it was -4°F (-20°C), making this the fourth coldest NFL game in history. The Chiefs scored a touchdown on their opening drive putting the Dolphins on the back foot for the whole game. In the second quarter, the Chiefs managed two field goals and Miami managed to pull one back with a Tagovailoa pass to Tyreek Hill (playing against his old club) for a 53-yard touchdown. That was their last score. the Chiefs added a field goal in the third and a TD in the last to comprehensively win 26-7.

Next day the Dolphins found out they now held the longest playoff game win drought, having last won a playoff game in 2000 beating the Colts (when they still played in Baltimore) in overtime.

Answer: Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys were expected to win this game easily: The Cowboys, since their bye week, had won 8 out of 11, four with scores of 40+ with Prescott having arguably one of his most effective periods as signal caller. Plus the Cowboys were at home where they had not been beaten in 15 games. The Packers by contrast had only qualified as seventh seed in week 18 and were a very young team with a first-year starting QB (Though Jordan Love had improved dramatically in the second half of the season).

After electing to receive the Packers decided to play the Cowboys at their own game. They took eight minutes off the clock on their opening drive but earned the maximum seven points. They then restricted the Cowboys to a punt which was the same outcome for the Packers' second possession. The quarter ended when Prescott threw an interception which the Packers converted soon after the commencement of the second quarter. Packers 14-0. They then scored two further touchdowns (another from an interception) to have the Cowboys and their fans stunned at 27-0. They pulled back one touchdown before the half finished to be three scores behind. The Cowboys managed a field goal and a touchdown in the third quarter but the Packers scored maximum points from their two drives. Packers 41-16 with a quarter to go. The Packers scored first in the final quarter to lead 48-16 before the Cowboys pulled it back with two eight-point touchdowns.

The Packers had done the unthinkable: They had beaten the Cowboys at home and put on 45+ points, the worst defensive effort by the Cowboys all season. The Packers were the first team to win an NFL playoff game from seventh seed.

Answer: Los Angeles Rams

The Lions were not used to playing at this end of the season - this was the Lions' first home playoff game since 1993 and only their third since 1957 which was the year they last won an NFL title. This was the first postseason clash between quarterbacks Matthew Stafford (Rams) and Jared Goff (Lions), who had played for the opposing side before being traded for each other before the 2021 season.

The Lions got off to a flyer, scoring two touchdowns on their first two drives with the Rams managing a field goal from their one possession. In the second quarter, each team had two plays with the Rams scoring seven on each drive with the Lions adding another TD but having to punt on their second possession. 21-17 lions at the long break. In the third quarter, both teams could only manage a field goal apiece. Lions ahead by four at the last change. In the last quarter, the Rams kept the Lions scoreless but could only manage a field goal themselves. The Lions won by a point, 24-23; their first victory in a postseason game in 32 years.

Answer: Pittsburgh Steelers

The surprising issue about this game was that both teams were not assured of a playoff as late as week 18. The Steelers had scraped into the playoffs when it looked like their season was over in week 15 when they had lost three in a row to teams that ultimately did not make the playoffs. However, they then they won their last three against strong teams: Bengals: Seattle and Baltimore (twice in the same season), then relied on a bevy of other results going their unlikely way which it did. The Bills trailed the Dolphins all season but won their last six and beat Miami in week 18 to win AFC East.

The Bills had three touchdowns by the middle of the second quarter with Allen scoring a career-long (and franchise playoff record) 52-yard rushed touchdown. The Steelers scored a TD just before halftime. In the third quarter, it was a more even contest with only a field goal apiece. In the final quarter, the Steelers had a 14-play six-minute drive to score a touchdown making it a one-score game 24-17 but the Bills scored a late touchdown to assure them of a game in the Divisional Round with a score of 31-17.

Answer: Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles were Super Bowl finalists from last season and had beaten Tampa Bay 25-11 in week 3. However, they had faded from 10-1 to 11-6. Tampa Bay on the other hand had battled with the Saints and Falcons in week 18 to win NFC South with 9-8 and tie-breakers.

Tampa earned a field goal and touchdown from their two first-quarter possessions whereas the Eagles could only manage two punts. In the second quarter, the Buccaneers managed two field goals to the Eagles' one but the Eagles managed a 9-play 80-yard TD late in the half to give Eagles' fans some hope. In the third quarter, it was two punts apiece before Tampa Bay forced a safety, then managed a four-play TD in the last minute of the quarter. 25-9 to Tampa Bay. The final quarter was a scrappy affair with three turnovers on down with the Buccs adding a TD for a final score of 32-9. It was a disappointing end for the Eagles after the promise of the first half of the season. Tampa with a good win, moved onto the Divisional Round.

Answer: Houston Texans

This was a game that reflected their winning-losing record during the regular season: Baltimore attained 13-4, and Houston managed 9-8. The Ravens tamed the Texans' offence that racked up 45 points against the Browns last week and restricted their first half to ten points - a field goal in the first quarter and a punt return touchdown in the second. The Ravens matched them: 3-3 at the end of the first and 10-10 before the long break.

Houston did not score in the second half but the Ravens went up a gear and scored a touchdown in the third quarter and two in the fourth quarter (as well as a field goal) to finish victors 34-10. Houston to their credit did not give up a takeaway, nor was QB CJ Stroud sacked but the Ravens restricted him to 175 passing yards with 19/33. Ravens QB Lamar Jackson was restricted to 152 yards himself, with 16/22 but two passing touchdowns. However, Jackson rushed 11 times scoring two TDs himself.

Answer: Green Bay Packers

This Divisional Round saw the tenth post-season game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Green Bay Packers, a record for the most playoff matches between two NFL teams. An intense rivalry developed between the two teams in the mid-90s when they played in four consecutive playoff games. The Packers were the first seventh seed to win a playoff last week. The 49ers were coming off a bye as they were the number one NFC seed.

The first half was close. The Packers managed two field goals, the 49ers managed a 32-yard George Kittle touchdown off Brock Purdy. In the third, despite a characteristic Christian McCaffery TD, the Packers looked like they could cause an upset when scored two touchdowns and a successful two-point conversion to take a 21-14 lead into the last quarter. However, the 49ers rallied, scored a field goal on their first reception and did not let the Packers score again (Anders Carlson missed a 41-yard field goal with six minutes left in the game). The 49ers capitalised with Christian McCaffrey scoring his second and the game-winning touchdown to edge out the Packers 24-21.

Answer: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Both teams were full of confidence after they both had unexpected wins in the Wild Card playoffs. They met in week 6 where Detroit triumphed 20-6. This game was much closer. For three quarters, both teams went toe-to-toe: A field goal each in the first quarter and a touchdown for each team in the second and third quarters.

In the final quarter, The Lions scored 14 points from a 31-yard pass to Jahmyr Gibbs and a nine-yard pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown. The Buccs could only pull back one from a 16-yard pass from Mayfield to Mike Evans but they missed the attempted 2-point conversion. Lions 31-24. With 1.35 to go and the Buccs attacking, a Mayfield pass was intercepted by the Lions' Derrick Barnes effectively ending the game. Detroit advanced to the NFC for only the second time and the first since 1991.

Answer: Buffalo Bills

There is some rivalry between these two teams especially between quarterbacks Mahomes and Allen. Since the famous 2021 AFC Divisional playoff game, dubbed 13 Seconds, where the Chiefs scored a TD in overtime, the subsequent scores have been close with the Chiefs winning both games by just three points.

This game was no different with the lead changing five times: In the first quarter, a field goal apiece. In the second quarter, the Bills outscored the Chiefs 14-10. Another touchdown each in the third quarter meant the Bills led. 24-20. The Chiefs scored early in the final quarter putting them three points ahead. In a long 16-play drive, the Bills lined up to score a field goal to level the scores again but Buffalo kicker Tyler Bass' kick was no good (evoking memories of Super Bowl XXV when Scott Norwood missed a game-winning field goal). Kansas City then drained the clock to win another Chiefs Bill game by three points.