Basic Football Quiz

In recent years, concussions have become a major issue impacting the NFL after reports surfaced that brain damage severely affected former players. The NFL has implemented various measures to prevent players with concussions from returning to the field until they are cleared to play.

Tom Brady is widely regarded as one of the best, if not the best, quarterback to ever take the field. Brady is a five-time Super Bowl champion and has won three NFL MVP awards.

The center position is often seen as the brain of the offense. They are responsible for snapping the football, making reads, blocking and occasionally making checks for the offensive line.

When you're talking about great defenses, it's hard to not mention the 1985 Chicago Bears. The Bears' defense led the team to a 15-1 record in the regular season and endlessly frustrated opponents.

Odell Beckham Jr., who plays for the New York Giants, is viewed as one of the best route runners in the league. His route running is part of the reason that he earned a contract in 2018 that made him the highest-paid receiver in the NFL.

Former player Michael Strahan currently holds the record for the most sacks in a single season. He set the record of 22.5 sacks in 2001 while playing for the New York Giants.

In the early 2010s, the Seattle Seahawks put together a defensive secondary who dominated the league with their physicality. The secondary was so skilled that they received the nickname "The Legion of Boom."

In a game against the Atlanta Falcons in 2018, Drew Brees broke Brett Favre's NFL career completion record which was set at 6,300. Considering Drew Brees doesn't appear to be slowing down, that record could get much higher.

The biggest game in the NFL is known as the Super Bowl. Each season, 32 teams compete against one another for a chance to play for a championship ring.

No running back in NFL history crossed the goal line more than Emmitt Smith. Smith finished his career in 2004 with 164 rushing touchdowns.

Only seven running backs have rushed for over 2,000 yards in an NFL season. The last running back to accomplish this feat was Adrian Peterson in 2012.

The Buffalo Bills lost the 1990-91 Super Bowl to the New York Giants on a missed field goal at the end of the game. The missed attempt became known as the "Wide Right" kick.

Led by players like Randy Moss and Tom Brady, the Patriots had one of the most explosive offenses in NFL history in 2007. The offense led the team to an undefeated regular season, though they lost in the Super Bowl to the Giants.

Peyton Manning was one of the best quarterbacks at operating out of the shotgun formation. From the shotgun, he read the defense and made checks to counter what he saw.

Playing from 1991 until 2010, Brett Favre was a three-time NLF MVP and a Super Bowl champion. However, he also threw more interceptions during his career than any other quarterback.

The Green Bay Packers are the only team in the NFL that's not privately owned. Instead, the organization is considered a publicly owned corporation with shares bought and sold.

Lawrence Taylor revolutionized the linebacker position in the 1980s because of his ability to blitz the quarterback. In his best season, he racked up 20.5 sacks.

Throughout the years, college football has revolutionized the sport because of the offensive juggernauts that have arisen on the college level. The offensive strategy from college coaches like Chip Kelly and Lincoln Riley has eventually made its way to the NFL.

The first 99-yard touchdown pass was thrown in 1939 by Frank Filchock. The pass was caught by Andy Farkas, who did most of the work by carrying the ball 90 yards after catching it at his own 10-yard line.

The longest punt in NFL history went 98 yards from the 1-yard line to the opposite 1-yard line. The punt was made by Steve O'Neal in 1969 while playing for the New York Jets.

On the first snap of the 2013-14 Super Bowl, the ball went over quarterback Peyton Manning's head and into the end zone. It resulted in a safety, which was the fastest score in NFL history at 12 seconds.

In 2006, LaDainian Tomlinson crossed the goal line 28 times on the ground. His 28 rushing touchdowns is an NFL record that he broke while playing for the San Diego Chargers.

In 2018, Adam Vinatieri broke the NFL record for field goals in a career which was previously held by Morten Andersen. His field goal record makes him the all-time leading scorer in the NFL as well.

The first kickoff in a Super Bowl was on Jan. 15, 1967. The game pitted the Packers against the Chiefs, and it resulted in Vince Lombardi's first Super Bowl victory.

The team who wins the coin toss gets to decide if they want the ball in the first half or the second half. A coin flip is also used to decide who gets the ball first in overtime.

The touchback rule once advanced the ball to the 20-yard line. However, in an effort to reduce concussions from players returning kickoffs that would otherwise be touchbacks, the NFL moved the ball to the 25-yard line instead.

The 3-4 defense was created to add confusion for opposing offenses. With four linebackers, the defense can create multiple blitz packages to attack an offense with.

President Theodore Roosevelt contributed to the creation of the forward pass. He recognized the dangers of the game and threatened to ban it until new rules were implemented, leading to the forward pass rule.

Super Bowl LI was the first championship game to go into overtime. The game featured the Patriots and the Falcons, with the Patriots walking away with the victory.

Known as the "Clock Play," former Dolphins' quarterback Dan Marino once faked a spike near the end of a game against the Jets in 1994. The fake worked, as Marino threw a touchdown pass to Mark Ingram Sr. to win the game.

After every quarter, both teams swap the side of the field they are playing on. The switch helps keep the game fair due to weather conditions and crowd noise.

Defenses often complain that quarterbacks have it too easy, especially with roughing the passer calls that go against the defense. Luckily, the intentional grounding rule makes it harder for quarterbacks to get rid of the ball.

Many no-huddle offenses try to use as little of the play clock as possible. Often, they will snap the ball within 15 to 20 seconds of the play clock starting to catch the defense off guard.

No team was penalized more in 2017 than the Seattle Seahawks. The team racked up 148 penalties for 1,342 yards.

Throughout the history of the franchise, the Miami Dolphins led the league with the fewest penalties 13 different times. That includes a stint from 1976 until 1984.