American Football For True Fans Quiz

Answer: A team plays 12 others in its own conference and four from the other conference.

Since the Houston Texans joined in 2002, expanding the league to 32 teams, every team plays 12 of its 16 regular-season games against opponents from its own conference, and only four against teams from the other conference. Aside from potential pre-season matchups, the only other time teams from different conferences will play against one another is in the Super Bowl.

Answer: 16

While the NFL has 32 teams (the Houston Texans were the 32nd team when they joined the NFL in 2002), its National Football Conference has only half of those teams (16). The remaining 16 are in the opposing American Football Conference.

Answer: 1970

While a merger was agreed upon back in 1966, the NFL and the AFL continued to operate. The merger took effect in 1970 when the National Football League expanded (one league of two conferences -- a National Football Conference and an American Football Conference).

Answer: 46

During the regular season, each time may retain up to 53 players, but only 46 of them may be "active players". (An additional eight players may be on a team's practice squad.)

Answer: Vince Lombardi Trophy

Vince Lombardi was the legendary coach whose Green Bay Packers won the first two Super Bowls (January 1967 and January 1968), and the trophy has carried his name since 1970. The Ed Thorp trophy was the award issued to league champions prior to the NFL-AFL merger (1934-1969).

The George Halas trophy is awarded annually to the winner of the National Conference, and the Lamar Hunt trophy goes to the American Conference champion.

Answer: Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals, which have moved from Chicago to St. Louis in 1960 and to Arizona in 1987, are the oldest continuously operating team in the NFL, and began playing in 1898 as Morgan Athletic Club.

Answer: Miami Dolphins

In 1972, the Miami Dolphins won all of its regular season games, won all playoff games, and defeated the Washington Redskins 14-7 in the Super Bowl (January 1973), making them the first team to remain undefeated throughout an entire season (17 wins and no losses).

The Chicago Bears won all their regular season games in 1934 and 1942, as did the New England Patriots in 2007. However, neither went on to win all playoff games.

Answer: New England Patriots

The Miami Dolphins were the first team to finish an entire season undefeated, but the NFL only had 14 regular-season games that year. Add-in the two playoff rounds and the Super Bowl, and the '72 Dolphins had 17 wins. In 1978 the regular season was extended to 16 games, however.

The 2007 New England Patriots won 18 games (16 regular season and 2 playoff wins) before losing that season's Super Bowl to the New York Giants.

Answer: 7

There are seven rounds in the annual NFL draft, across three days.

Answer: Cleveland Browns

While none of those four teams has ever played in one by 2006, only the Cleveland Browns haven't also hosted a Super Bowl in their home city.

The Lions did win four league championships (1935, 1952, 1953 and 1957), but each was prior to the first Super Bowl. Detroit also hosted two Super Bowl games (in 1982 and 2006).

Houston's team didn't play in any Super Bowl, and while neither the Houston Oilers (which today is the Tennessee Titans) nor the current Texans. Super Bowls VIII and XXXVIII were played in the team's stadium, though. The 2017 Super Bowl, as well, will take place in Houston.

Jacksonville twice appeared in the AFC championship games, but never made it to a Super Bowl. It did host 2004's Super Bowl XXXIX, however.