Image: Tech. Sgt. Michael Holzworth via WikiCommons , Ed Yourdon via WikiCommons , Mike Morbeck via WikiCommons
About This Quiz
Whether they're able to win championships or have to settle for setting franchise records, certain players that pass through the locker rooms are on a different level than everyone else. These players go beyond filling roster spots, and instead, they become leaders of the team — franchise players who will be remembered by fanbases long after they have hung up their cleats and retired. They are even brought back during special events to remind everyone of their contributions during their glory days.
How well do you know these players who defined the different decades for each NFL team? Be it from their championship runs to the years the team was in decline but that one player shined through, these stars always gave a city hope for both the present and the future. Some of them were drafted and raised within an organization, while others came in at the height of their careers to lend their talents for a few seasons while a team tried to get over the hump to win a title.
In the end, all of these players left lasting legacies with their respective franchises. Now, see if their names provide enough information for you to identify each NFL team.
Browns
The Cleveland Browns franchise did not operate from 1996 through 1998 because the owner, Art Modell, decided to move the team to Baltimore. He was sued by the city of Cleveland and forced to change the name of the team when he moved. In 1999, the Cleveland Browns were reintroduced as an expansion team.
Steelers
Patriots
Vikings
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Ravens
Cowboys
Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers have had several dominant eras throughout their history, but the franchise racked up the most titles in the '70s. Led by their defensive line, known as "The Steel Curtain," the Steelers dominated the decade, winning four Super Bowls in six years.
Saints
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Colts
49ers
One of the toughest transitions for the San Francisco 49ers was moving on from legendary quarterback Joe Montana, who had delivered four Super Bowls to the franchise in the '80s. However, the '90s saw the rise of Steve Young, who brought them one more championship in 1994.
Bears
Dolphins
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Falcons
Chargers
Titans
Vikings
Though stars like Fran Tarkenton and Randy Moss had stellar seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, Adrian Peterson might've had the best season of them all. In 2012, Peterson came eight yards short of tying the single season rushing record when he put up 2,097 yards. He would have beat it, had his team not needed a field goal to reach the playoffs.
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Cardinals
Eagles
Bills
Bears
Culminating in a Super Bowl win, the 1985 Bears roster is often considered one of the greatest teams of all time. Led by a dominant defense and Walter Payton at running back, the team went 15-1 in the regular season before crushing every opponent in the playoffs.
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Broncos
Saints
Even with stars like Archie Manning and Pat Swilling, the New Orleans Saints were abysmal for years, until they obtained the services of Drew Brees. Brees led the team to a championship in the 2009 season, when they defeated the Indianapolis Colts 31-17.
Rams
Ravens
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Panthers
Seahawks
Cardinals
After suffering through the 2018 season, where the team went 3-13, the Arizona Cardinals received the first overall draft pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. They used the pick to select quarterback Kyler Murray out of Oklahoma. While also hiring a new head coach, the team hopes for more success in the future.
Buccaneers
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Patriots
Tom Brady, the greatest postseason winner in league history, has played for the New England Patriots for two decades. During that time, many stars have come and gone on both sides of the ball, but Brady has been the one constant.
Packers
Jets
Giants
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Rams
Chiefs
Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons started a new era for the franchise when the team moved into Mercedes-Benz Stadium in 2017. Prior to that, the Falcons played in the Georgia Dome, an arena they inhabited since 1992.
Redskins
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Packers
The number one thing that connects Bart Starr, Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers is that all three quarterbacks are Super Bowl champions with the Green Bay Packers. Starr won the first two Super Bowls to ever take place, Favre gained one in the '90s, and Rodgers won the title in 2010.
Chargers
Bills
Titans
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Giants
Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks have made 17 playoff appearances in the history of the franchise, which dates back to 1976 when they played their first game. The most recent decade has been their best, as the Seahawks have reached the playoffs seven times since 2010.
Ravens
Bengals
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Dolphins
Cowboys
Broncos
Jets
Fans of the New York Jets still have to look back to the days of Joe Namath if they want to reflect on the only Super Bowl in franchise history. The team has been particularly bad in the past decade, making their last playoff appearance in 2010.
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Rams
Bills
The Buffalo Bills had one of the most dominant yet tragic runs in NFL history during the first half of the '90s. Relying on their high flying offense, the Bills reached the Super Bowl four straight seasons but lost every one of those championship games.
Panthers
Texans
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Broncos
Bengals
Eagles
Cowboys
Without much success in recent decades, the Dallas Cowboys reflect on their dominance in the '70s and '90s whenever they fail to make the playoffs. They have good reason to, though, as "America's Team" brought home two titles in the '70s and three in the '90s.
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Chargers
Titans
Chiefs
The next decade for the Kansas City Chiefs looks bright, with star quarterback Patrick Mahomes on the roster. Mahomes was named the league MVP in 2018, only his second season in the NFL and his first season as a full time starter.
Giants
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Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins is the only franchise in the NFL to finish the regular season undefeated, then go on to win a Super Bowl. They accomplished this feat in 1972 under the guidance of head coach Don Shula.
Panthers
Bengals
Raiders
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Lions
Redskins
Eagles
When the Philadelphia Eagles won Super Bowl LII, the City of Brotherly Love was awarded the first Lombardi Trophy in franchise history. One unique aspect about that championship — it was won behind the arm of their backup quarterback, Nick Foles.
Colts
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Bengals
Colts
2000 through 2009 proved to be one of the Indianapolis Colts' greatest decades, as the team reached the playoffs every season except one. The height of the decade was 2006 when they defeated the Chicago Bears in the Super Bowl.
Titans
Jaguars
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Panthers
Giants
Buccaneers
Raiders
For nearly two decades in the '70s and '80s, the Oakland Raiders and, later, the Los Angeles Raiders were known for their nastiness on the field. By the end of the '80s, however, the team was in decline, and though they found some success in the '90s, they wouldn't return to the Super Bowl until 2002.
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Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals finally fired longtime head coach Marvin Lewis in 2018, after he failed to make the playoffs for the third straight season. Lewis had been with the team since 2003 but never led the Bengals past the first round of the playoffs.
Panthers
Buccaneers
Chargers
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Redskins
Giants
Lawrence Taylor, who spent his entire career with the New York Giants, is often regarded as the greatest defensive player of all time. However, it's Michael Strahan, also a lifetime Giant, who holds the NFL record for sacks in a season.
Ravens
Texans
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Redskins
The Washington Redskins started playing football in 1932 and were able to establish themselves as a quality team by the end of the decade. They even took home an NFL Championship, before the Super Bowl era, in 1937.
Broncos
Panthers
Rams
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Bengals
Ravens
Jaguars
Lions
Other than playing for the Detroit Lions, Billy Sims, Doak Walker and Barry Sanders all have one thing in common: they retired early in their careers. Sims retired early due to injury, Walker chose to retire because of other business ventures, and Sanders no longer wanted to play for a poor team.
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Rams
Ravens
Panthers
Playing their first season in 1995, the Carolina Panthers are a newer NFL franchise, but the team has fared relatively well in its brief history. The Panthers have already reached two Super Bowls, though both were losses, while also appearing in the playoffs eight times.
Buccaneers
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Broncos
John Lynch played for the Denver Broncos between the eras of its two Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks, John Elway and Peyton Manning. Luckily, Lynch did win a title with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, so he's not without a championship.
Bengals
Jaguars
Chargers
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Buccaneers
Texans
Titans
Rams
The Rams franchise has moved several times throughout the course of its history. The team started in Cleveland before moving to Los Angeles in 1946. It moved to St. Louis in 1995, only to return to Los Angeles in 2016.
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Chargers
Ravens
Jonathan Ogden was the very first pick ever made by the Baltimore Ravens when he was taken with the fourth pick in the 1996 NFL Draft. Ogden went on to spend his entire career in Baltimore.
Bengals
Jaguars
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Patriots
Jaguars
Chargers
The Chargers, located in San Diego at the time, have only one Super Bowl appearance in franchise history. They made that appearance in 1994, where they faced off against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XXIX.
Texans
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Cowboys
Buccaneers
Falcons
Titans
Of course, Earl Campbell technically played for the Oilers, not the Titans. The Houston Oilers made the move from Texas to Tennessee prior to the 1997 season. Though they kept the team's history, the Oilers renamed themselves the Titans in 1999, which they have gone by ever since.
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Panthers
Steelers
Jaguars
Tom Coughlin was the first head coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars when the team played its first season in 1995. Coughlin was fired after the 2002 season, but he returned following his tenure with the New York Giants, taking on a position as the executive vice president of football operations.
Buccaneers
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Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have one Super Bowl title, which they won in 2002 by defeating the Oakland Raiders. That year, they were coached by Jon Gruden, who had coached the Raiders the season before. Gruden was more than ecstatic to get the victory over his former team.
Rams
Ravens
Cardinals
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Rams
Packers
The Green Bay Packers were coached from 1959 through 1967 by Vince Lombardi, who led the team to victories in the first two Super Bowls (AFL-NFL World Championship Games) in NFL history. For his contributions to the game, the NFL championship trophy was named the Lombardi Trophy.
Saints
Colts
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Browns
Ravens
Falcons
Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers, who expect to be in championship contention every year, missed the playoffs in 2018. Internal conflict is cited as to why they missed the playoffs, especially considering they had a roster filled with stars.
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Giants
Patriots
A Hall of Fame receiver, Randy Moss accomplished some incredible feats with the Patriots, despite only playing four seasons in New England. His greatest accomplishment was setting the NFL receiving touchdowns record for a season when he pulled in 23 touchdowns in 2007.
49ers
Chargers
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Cowboys
The only star quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys to not win a Super Bowl was Tony Romo. Despite his individual success, the Cowboys struggled to put together a strong roster around Romo, and eventually, injuries derailed his career.
Dolphins
Jets
Bills
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