Hooray!! We Just Got Our First Win! Part 3 Quiz

Answer: Denver Broncos

On September 2, 1966, the Miami Dolphins made their official debut as a the newest member of American Football League when they took the field against mighty Oakland Raiders at the Orange Bowl. And, what a debut it was as RB Joe Auer took the opening kickoff back 95 yards for the game's, and franchise's, first touchdown. The Dolphins would ultimately fall to the Raiders, 23-14, however, and would begin their inaugural season with an 0-6 start. But, on October 16, the team would finally break through and capture their first franchise victory by beating the Denver Broncos, 24-7. It would be the first of only three wins that year as Miami finished the 1966 campaign at 3-11.

The Dolphins would not experience a winning season until 1970, when a change was made at the head coaching position; out went George Wilson, Sr, and in came former Baltimore Colts coach, Don Shula. The switch paid immediate dividends as the team posted a 10-4 record and made the payoffs for the first time. Shula would last with the team from 1970 until the end of the 1995 season. During his tenure, Miami would only suffer two losing seasons (6-8 in 1976 and 6-10 in 1988), make the playoffs 16 times, become the first team to appear in three consecutive Super Bowls (VI, VII, and VIII), and post a perfect season, in 1972, when they went 17-0 and captured the first of their two championship titles under Shula when they defeated Washington 14-7. Shula would carry the 'Phins to two more Super Bowls after the 1982 (XVII) and 1984 (XIX) seasons, but Miami lost them both.

While the Dolphins saw middling success after Shula's departure, their fans hope the team will be able to re-capture the magic of their glory days and add to their rich history soon.

Answer: Philadelphia Eagles

One of the most hapless teams in NFL history, the National Football League welcomed the arrival of their newest team, the New Orleans Saints, on September 17, 1967, and they entered with a BANG! Like the Miami Dolphins had done the previous year, Saints' fans saw their team take the opening kickoff back for the first score in franchise history when WR John Gilliam returned it 94 yards for the touchdown. New Orleans would valiantly battle the Los Angeles Rams throughout the contest, but would eventually succumb to the Rams' superior talent falling to them, 27-13. Six more losses would follow before the Saints would get their first franchise win, a 31-24 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on November 5.

From 1967-1986, New Orleans fans would endure some of the worst football teams ever to step onto a field. The Saints would not post a winning record until the 1987 strike-shortened season when they went 12-3; before that season, the closet the team had come to a winning season was in 1979 and 1983 when they went 8-8. 1980 was particularly ugly as New Orleans only won one game finishing at 1-15. While most other fan bases might have stayed away in droves, Saints fans had fun with their misery as they donned paper bags and showed up to games to support their lovable "Aints".

Everyone outside of New Orleans thought the team would only ever make it to a Super Bowl when Hell froze over. Well, after the 2009 season, on February 7, 2010, Hell apparently did freeze as the Saints captured their first championship when they beat the Peyton Manning-led Indianapolis Colts, 31-17, in the game's 44th installment. While fans basked in a victory no one outside of Louisiana thought would ever occur, I wonder if long-time Saints fans felt a bit of melancholy, too, in beating someone named Manning. The reason for the conflicted feelings? Peyton's father, Archie, had played for the team for nine seasons during most of the 1970s and early 80s, many times the only bright spot on some of the franchise's worst teams. He was one of the franchise's most loved players ever because of how he played the game without complaint while never experiencing a winning season.

Answer: Houston Oilers

"Da Raiders"! Stabler. Madden. Branch. Long. Allen. Davis. The list goes on and on; a roll call of some of the most iconic names in NFL history. The franchise prided itself on being perceived as "the bad boys" of the NFL, of accepting castoff or 'washed up' players from other teams and turning them into productive contributors for their organization, and they lived up to their reputation. Whether they were playing fast and loose with the league's rules, hitting players a bit beyond the whistle, or causing headaches for the league office because of some legal suit owner Al Davis was bringing against the National Football League, being a Raider fan was never dull.

On the field, the team was involved in some of the most exciting and controversial contests you can imagine; games with names like:

"The Heidi Bowl" (1968)... Oakland was down, 32-29, to the Jets with seconds to go when NBC switched from the game to broadcast "The Wonderful World of Disney's" presentation of "Heidi". Only those in Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum saw the Raiders' miraculous comeback as they scored two touchdowns in those final seconds to pull out a 43-32, win.

"The Immaculate Reception" (1972)... After taking a 7-6 lead in a defensive struggle, the Raiders found themselves on the wrong end of this famous play. Terry Bradshaw scrambled in the pocket, avoided being sacked and threw a desperate pass down the middle of the field to RB John "Frenchie" Fuqua. Hit immediately by DB Jack Tatum, the ball was going to fall to the turf incomplete, giving Oakland the win. However, RB Franco Harris appeared out of nowhere and caught the ball just inches from it hitting the ground. Turning on the afterburners, Harris raced into the endzone giving the Steelers an incredible 13-7 win, which is still disputed by Raiders' fans today.

"The Sea of Hands Game" (1974)...Down 26-21 to the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Miami Dolphins, the Raiders found themselves eight yards away from victory. QB Ken Stabler was harassed by the Dolphins' defense and was in the grasp of two players, just about to be sacked, but somehow Stabler was able to get the pass off, a wobbly duck to well-covered RB Clarence Davis, who was not the team's best pair of hands. Amazingly, Davis, caught the pass with three defenders draped over him providing the franchise with a 28-26 win in what many believe was one of the NFL's greatest ever contests. Other games of note that the Raiders participated in were, "The Ghost to the Post" (1975), "The Holy Roller" (1978), and "The Tuck Rule" (2002).

The Raiders captured four championships from 1976-2002 and had one of the most rabid fan bases in all of American sports, and it all began for them on September 25, 1960, when they defeated the Houston Oilers, 14-13, to get the franchise's first win.

Answer: Cincinnati Reds

The Philadelphia Eagles began play in the NFL on October 15, 1933, and would lose their first three games by a combined score of 116-9, with two of those games also being shutouts. The Eagles would get their first franchise win on November 5 when they turned the tables and shut out the Cincinnati Reds, 6-0. Unfortunately, for Philly fans, they would only witness two more victories by their team that year as they limped to a 3-5-1 finish.

Philadelphia's early years were marked by long stretches of losing seasons as it was 11 years before they even posted a winning record; that came in 1943 when, due to having many of their players off fighting in World War II, the team joined with the Pittsburgh Steelers to become the STEAGLES, and posted a 5-4-1 record. The next year, the teams split apart again and the Eagles finished at 7-2-1. This was a preview of things to come as three years later, the Eagles won the first of three straight championships. After winning their last championship in 1949, the Eagles would have middling success until 1960, when they would win another championship by defeating the Green Bay Packers, 17-13. It was the Packers' only championship loss suffered under coach Vince Lombardi.

Philadelphia would not see the playoffs again until 1978, under coach Dick Vermeil, but would lose to the Atlanta Falcons in the Wild Card round (14-13). The team would get better under Vermeil's guidance and would advance to Super Bowl XV after the 1980 season, a loss to the Oakland Raiders, 27-10. The Eagles would would not make another Super Bowl appearance until after the 2004 season and would come up short again, this time to the New England Patriots (24-21).

Answer: Chicago Cardinals

The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the most recognizable and passionately followed teams in all of professional sports. A tough, hard-nosed squad from a tough, hard-nosed city. A rock-solid, stable franchise that many other organizations strive to emulate. The players and coaches who've come through their organization would fill up multiple wings in the Pro Football Hall of Fame by themselves:

Terry Bradshaw...Lynn Swann...Franco Harris...Jack Lambert...Mike Webster..."Mean" Joe Greene...Chuck Noll...Mel Blount...

I could fill up this page with just the names of players from the 1970s and STILL not do the organization justice because I would be leaving off such greats from later eras like Bill Cowher, Mike Tomlin, Troy Polamalu, Jerome Bettis, Ben Roethlisberger, Greg Lloyd, Kevin Greene, Antonio Brown, Le'Veon Bell....you get the picture, I'm sure.

The Steelers captured four Super Bowl titles in six years during the 1970s (1974-1979) and their 1978 squad is considered by many as THE greatest football team ever assembled. But, despite the many wins and championships the Steelers have had, very few seem to begrudge the franchise all the good things that have come to them because of just how humble a beginning the team rose from and the all the hard work that went into building an organization which leave many envious. And, it all started in 1933.

The Pittsburgh Pirates entered the NFL on September 20, 1933 and lost their first game to the New York Giants, 23-2. But, the next week, the team would get their very first win when they edged the Chicago Cardinals, 14-13. The Pirates would never have winning season during their seven years of existence (1933-1939), coming close just once when they posted a 6-6 record in 1936.

In 1940, the Pirates became the STEELERS, but saw their losing ways continue, unfortunately. In 1943, due to having many of their players off fighting in World War II, the team joined with the Philadelphia Eagles to become the STEAGLES, and posted a 5-4-1 record; in 1944, the teams would split apart and return to their normal operations. The Steelers would experience only SEVEN winning seasons and make the playoffs only once from 1940-1971, so the fan base was truly starving for a winner when Chuck Noll took over as head coach, in 1969; four years later, the Steelers were in playoffs and would become a constant staple of the NFL's "second season".

Answer: Dallas Texans

The American Football League was created to give fans another option besides the well-established National Football League. The AFL's teams were more flashy and played a more wide-open brand of football which appealed to a younger audience. Ten teams made up the league and one of the most successful in those early years were the Los Angeles/ San Diego Chargers. Incredibly, the Chargers would appear in five of the league's first six title games, but would only win once; their lone title coming in 1963 after blowing out the Boston Patriots, 51-10.

L.A. won their first game right out the gate on September 10, 1960, when they defeated the Dallas Texans, 21-10. They would go on to post a 10-4 record that season and appear in the league's inaugural championship game against the Houston Oilers, losing 21-10. The next season the franchise would move to San Diego where they would remain until the end of the 2016 campaign when the franchise would return to its original home in Los Angeles.

Answer: Miami Seahawks

The All-American Football Conference (AAFC) was created in 1946 and was made up of eight teams, two of which were absorbed into the NFL once the league disbanded at the end of the 1949 season (Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers).

The 49ers began play on September 8, 1946, and notched their first franchise win the following week when they beat the Miami Seahawks, 21-14. During their four years in the AAFC, the team never experienced a losing season, winning at least eight games each year. 'San Fran' appeared in the last title game the league had in 1949, but lost to mighty Cleveland Browns, 21-7.

After the 'Niners came into the NFL in 1950, their success dried up immediately as the team only made one postseason appearance from 1950-1969, a 31-27 loss to the eventual NFL champion, Detroit Lions, in the Divisional round of the 1957 playoffs. When the 'Niners finally made it back to the postseason, they were participants from 1970-1972, but in all three of those years the Dallas Cowboys ended their season.

But, playoff and Super Bowl participation would soon become a normal experience for this franchise. Beginning with "The Catch" in the 1981 playoffs versus the dreaded Dallas Cowboys, the San Francisco 49ers would only miss the postseason four times between 1981-2000 (1982, 1991, 1999, & 2000). They would field arguably the greatest quarterback in NFL history (Joe Montana), another Hall of Fame QB in Steve Young, THE greatest wide receiver (and quite possibly the best football player of all time), Jerry Rice, and capture five Super Bowl titles from 1981-1994. Their 1984 squad is considered by many to have been the greatest football team the NFL has ever seen.

Answer: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

With a 13-10 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on October 17, 1976, the Seattle Seahawks recorded their franchise's first win. Both teams were the newest additions to the NFL that year, increasing the total number of teams in the league from 26 to 28.

Although the Seahawks were only able to get one more win that year, a 30-13 victory over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 9, they did have future Hall of Famer, Steve Largent, on their roster. Largent would retire as the NFL's all-time wide receiver in catches when he left the game in 1989. Seattle would post a winning record (9-7) in 1978 and make their first playoff appearance in 1983.

Super Bowl XL saw the team finally get into the title game, but they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers in what some believe was a poorly officiated contest that cost the 'Hawks a championship. However, Seattle would capture that elusive Lombardi Trophy after the 2013 season when they crushed Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos, behind a stellar defense, 43-8.

While that was the franchise's highest pinnacle, the very next year the team experienced the lowest of lows as the team let a golden opportunity for back-to-back Super Bowl wins slip through their hands. On second and goal from the New England two yard line, with only seconds to go in the game, QB Russell Wilson threw an interception instead of handing the ball off to power back Marshawn Lynch, ensuring the Patriots' 28-24 win.

Answer: New Orleans Saints

0-26. If you're a sports fan, then you know this number represents the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' win total during their first almost two years in the NFL. It was truly nauseating just how deplorable this team was during that time. The Bucs only scored 125 points (10.4 pg) while surrendering a whopping 412 (29.4 pg)! Ugly, indeed.

But, as bad as 1976 was for this franchise, 1977 was even worse from an offensive standpoint; the Bucs' offensive ineptitude was on full display as they were only able to generate a pathetic 103 points all season, a lowly 7.3 per game! Tampa's defense on the other hand was another matter entirely. That side of the ball made TREMENDOUS strides as they cut their surrendered points total almost in half, from 29.4ppg down to 15.9ppg! The defense was without question the strongest part of the team.

As the 1977 campaign began, The Bucs still had not won a game in their brief existence. Each contest was filled with tension, not just for the Buccaneers, but also for the opposing team as no one wanted to be the first to lose to them, but that changed on December 11 at the New Orleans Superdome as the Saints became the first team to fall to Tampa Bay, 33-14. The following week, the Bucs notched their second victory when they defeated the St. Louis Cardinals, 17-7. Two years later, the Bucs would make the playoffs and get to the conference title game, but lose to the Los Angeles Rams in a defensive struggle, 9-0. The team would make two more playoff appearances (1981 & 1982) then go on a postseason dry spell until 1997. Then, starting in 1999, Tampa Bay would experience four consecutive seasons of postseason participation capping their run with a victory over the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII (48-21).

Answer: Oakland Raiders

An original member of the the American Football League (AFL), the Houston Oilers captured the franchise's first win on September 11, 1960, when they defeated the Oakland Raiders, 37-22. A powerhouse in the newly formed league, the Oilers would compete in the AFL's first three championship games, winning two (1960 & 1961).

When the NFL and AFL merged in 1970, the Oilers were assigned to play in the old AFC Central division and struggled to compete as they finished in last place four times from 1970-1977, with back-to-back one win seasons, in 1972 and 1973. The franchise would be playoff participants from 1978-1980, but lose to the eventual Super Bowl champion each time (twice to Pittsburgh and once to Oakland). The franchise's next postseason experience would not come until 1987 and would run until 1993, a stretch of seven straight appearances. Unfortunately, the team could not notch a single victory during that run and the most devastating of these losses was without a doubt the 1992 AFC Wild Card game against the Buffalo Bills. Up 35-3 in the third quarter, the Oilers watched helplessly as their lead disappeared and the Bills came all the way back to take the lead, 38-35. Houston was able to extend the game into overtime after a 26-yard field goal by Al Del Greco, but lost after Steve Christie made his lone field goal try from 32 yards out.

At the end of the 1996 season, the franchise moved to Tennessee and became the Tennessee Oilers for the 1997 and 1998 campaigns. In 1999, the team again changed its name, this time to the Tennessee Titans. The team would make the playoffs four of the next five seasons and even make a Super Bowl entry after that '99 season, but unfortunately, they would come up short (literally) again as they lost to the St. Louis Rams and their "greatest show on turf" offense. On the final play of Super Bowl XXXIV, QB Steve McNair would find WR Kevin Dyson running across the middle of the field and get the ball to him, but Linebacker Mike Jones made a superb tackle and stopped Dyson ONE YARD SHORT of the endzone, preserving the 23-16 Rams win.

Answer: New York Giants

With one of the most passionate fanbases in all of sports, the Washington franchise has a rich and, unfortunately, controversial history. While their fans cheer and celebrate the organizations many wins and championships, it is hard for just as many to feel comfortable with their team's chosen nickname which has been in place since the early 1930s.

Washington entered the NFL in 1932 as the Boston Braves and recorded the franchise's first win against the New York Giants on October 9 (14-6). the next season, Boston dropped the Braves nickname and began using the controversial one that many are familiar with today. The team would remain in Boston until the end of the 1936 season after which time they would move Washington for the 1937 season and, in the franchise's first year in the nation's capitol, would bring their fans a championship title after defeating the Chicago Bears, 28-21. In fact, between 1936-1945, the Washington organization appeared in six of a possible ten title games (they were still in Boston when they appeared in the 1936 game), winning twice and losing on four other occasions, one of them being a 73-0 shellacking at the hands of the Bears, in 1940.

After Washington's title game appearance in 1945 (a 15-14 loss to the Cleveland Rams), the organization did not experience another postseason berth until 1971. The following year they would make their first Super Bowl entry, but lose to the undefeated Miami Dolphins. Washington got a measure of revenge against Miami ten years later in Super Bowl XVII, however, when QB Joe Theismann, RB John Riggins, and a stellar offensive line lovingly called 'The Hogs', manhandled the 'Phins and captured their first Super Bowl title with a 27-17 victory.

Answer: Houston Oilers

The Jacksoville Jaguars came into the National Football League, along with the Carolina Panthers, in September of 1995 and quickly became one of the most successful expansion teams in NFL history. The Jags notched their franchise's first win on October 1, 1995 after squeaking by the Houston Oilers, 17-16.

Although they would finish with a losing record that season (4-12), the Jags would make the playoffs the next four years, getting to the AFC title game in two of those seasons (1996 & 1999). They lost to the Tennessee Titans in that AFC game after the 1999 campaign (33-14).

Answer: Buffalo Bills

The Jaguars, who were just in their second NFL season, were not supposed to have been able to compete with a veteran Buffalo Bills team that had gone to four consecutive Super Bowls in the early 1990s, but as someone once said, "that's why they play the games".

On December 28, 1996, The Jags went to Rich Stadium and stunned the Bills, 30-27. They would pick up another win the next week in the Divisional Round of the playoffs when they went to Mile High Stadium and pulled off one of the biggest upsets in NFL Playoff history when they defeated a John Elway-led Broncos team, 30-27; Elway has often said this loss was one of the most devastating of his career. Jacksonville's magical playoff run would end the next week at New England in a 20-6 loss.

Answer: Denver Broncos

On December 24, 1983, the Seattle Seahawks gave its fans a very special Christmas present when they rolled over the Denver Broncos at the Kingdom, 31-7, in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. The following week in the Divisional Round, Seattle had to fly across country to visit the Miami Dolphins, who were trying to get back to the Super Bowl after losing to Washington a year earlier.

Miami was well-rested due to having had a bye from the Wild Card round the previous week and should have beaten the exhausted Seahawks easily, but they were stunned as Seattle pulled off a 27-20 upset to advance to the AFC Title game against the Los Angeles Raiders, but Seattle's playoff run ended that afternoon in a 30-14 loss.

Answer: Philadelphia Eagles

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were the laughingstock of the NFL in 1976, when they went the whole season without winning a game and it looked like 1977 would be a repeat of the previous year; the Bucs lost their first 12 contests, but they were able to end that season on a two game winning streak. In 1978, Tampa Bay finished at 5-11, with a four-game losing streak to close out that campaign, so when the 1979 season came around, no one was expecting any success for the team that season either. But, Tampa Bay opened the season by winning its first five games and nine of its first 12 and, despite a late season three-game losing streak, the Bucs finished with an 11-5 record, a NFC Central Division title, and an opening playoff weekend bye.

On December 29, 1979, the Philadelphia Eagles invaded Tampa Stadium expecting to cruise into the NFC title game, but it was the Buccaneers who would move on to play the Los Angeles Rams after taking the 24-17 victory, the franchise's first playoff win. The next week, however, Tampa would go down in defeat to the Rams in a 9-0 defensive struggle.