If We Give You the NFL City, Can You Tell Us the Team That Belongs There?

By: Beth Hendricks
Image: Wiki Commons by Keith Allison

About This Quiz

When the NFL season kicks off in September 2019, it will mark the 100th year of professional football. That's 10 decades or one full century of football, and we're pretty stoked about it. But it seems likely there are entire cities of disgruntled fans who aren't quite as excited. For example, St. Louis comes to mind. Why? Because the "Gateway to the West" has seen its team head west – twice. 

Other teams have been more stable where geography is concerned, but struggle with nameology: The New England Patriots used to be the Boston Patriots (even though they're not in Boston). The New York Jets used to go by "Titans," which would surely confuse NFL fans in Tennessee. It makes it hard to keep up, doesn't it?

Teams moving, changing and adapting over 100 years of football is to be expected. But can we expect you to go ... all ... the ... way in your NFL city knowledge? In this quiz, we'll give you the city, and you give us the franchise. You tell us which team calls which city home (at least for now). You have a seat on the 50 yard line to the hottest game in town ... no ticket required. Test your NFL franchise knowledge now. Ready, set, hut!

Edgar Allen Poe wasn't from Baltimore, but apparently, he really dug the city's vibe. The fan naming contest saw more than 20,000 people suggest "Ravens" as the new team's name. Poe is buried inside the city limits.

Even though the "Boston" part of the Patriots' name didn't stick, the "Patriots" part did. Now known as the New England Patriots, the name change was precipitated by the team's move to Foxborough, Massachusetts. Most people still associate Boston with the Patriots, though.

Buffalo has been home to the Bills since their inaugural season in 1960. The team earned its nickname from a bison hunter named William Frederick Cody, more commonly referred to as – you guessed it – Buffalo Bill.

A relatively new franchise by NFL standards, the Carolina Panthers have called Charlotte, North Carolina, home for the lifespan of the organization. Individuals from both North and South Carolina helped bring the team to that area in 1995.

Formerly known as the Decatur Staleys, the Chicago Bears has a much nicer ring to it. The Bears have been a part of the NFL since it began, and the team still plays downtown in the Windy City.

The Bengals earned its team name from founder Paul Brown, who wanted to pay homage to other "Bengals" teams that had previously played for the city. The team returned the favor by naming its stadium after Brown.

The Browns name has stood the test of time, serving as not one, but two Cleveland teams' nickname. The original Browns left Cleveland in 1995, with the new Browns starting play in the town just four years later.

Arlington and downtown Dallas are separated by roughly 20 miles, but the cities are joined in their love of all things Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys are owned by billionaire Jerry Jones.

The Denver Broncos cling tightly to that "Mile High" nickname that represents not only the city but also the team's stadium - Broncos Stadium at Mile High. It is a mile high – 5,280 feet above sea level.

Many people believe the Detroit Lions' nickname was an homage to the existing Detroit Tigers baseball team. You know, lions ... and tigers ... and well, there are no bears in Detroit that we know of.

The Indianapolis Colts play at Lucas Oil Stadium, which also plays host to the NFL Scouting Combine each February. The Colts are members of the NFL division known as the AFC South.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have been a part of the NFL since 1995, when they joined the league as an expansion team alongside the Panthers. Fans in Jacksonville were ready – they had a team name picked before even being awarded a team!

The Kansas City Chiefs' history is closely tied to Lamar Hunt, who also had a hand in other foundational aspects of how today's NFL is set up. The Chiefs' ownership still rests with members of the Hunt family.

The Miami Dolphins joined the NFL in the 1960s, earning the name from the aquatic animal described as being both quick and smart. The Dolphins play in the NFL's AFC East division.

The Green Bay Packers are unique in that they are a publicly-owned organization, with ownership spread among thousands of fans. Fans were able to buy shares of the organization during the sale of its stock.

The Minnesota Vikings, which recently got a new home at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, have been an NFL fixture since the early 1960s. A favorite cheer of the team --"Skol!" - hearkens to a Norwegian ancestry.

The Titans don't use the name "Nashville" in their official designation, instead going by "Tennessee Titans." Tennessee became home to an NFL franchise after the the Oilers were moved there from Houston.

After New Orleans was awarded an NFL franchise on All Saints Day, November 1, the team opted for "Saints" as its name. The name was also fitting for the city's jazz history, a nod to the song "When The Saints Go Marching In," a favorite of jazz groups.

The New York Giants could just as easily be the New Jersey Giants, thanks to the stadium they share with another New York team located just outside of the Big Apple's city limits.

The Jets began their NFL career as the Titans, later tossing around names that included Dodgers and Gothams before settling on their current choice. They share a "home" with the Giants in New Jersey.

At home in Oakland, the Raiders have enjoyed a tumultuous rivalry with the nearby 49ers. In 2020, however, the team is slated to move to Las Vegas, Nevada, where they will take up residence in a new stadium.

The Philadelphia Eagles play in the "City of Brotherly Love," better known as Philadelphia. The city is also well-known for its cheesesteaks, sandwiches piled high with meat, onions and cheese. Yum.

The Arizona Cardinals practice and play at a stadium in Glendale, Arizona, about 10 miles from Phoenix proper. But since Phoenix is the largest nearby city, most people associate the Cardinals with this metro area.

The one-sided helmet logo began as a test to gauge how it would look on a gold helmet but became so beloved, that team management opted to leave it that way permanently.

The Rams don't let any grass grow under their feet, having moved from West Coast to East Coast and back again. The team in its current form has called Los Angeles home since 2016.

Formerly the San Diego Chargers, Los Angeles went from having no NFL teams to two in just one year. The Chargers relocated to L.A. for the start of the 2017 season.

The San Francisco 49ers earned their name thanks, in part, to the California Gold Rush of the mid-1800s. Miners who arrived in California in 1849 were the last to lay claim to free gold and no taxes, since California became a state the following year.

The Falcons could very well have been the Peaches, thanks to a naming contest that let area fans contribute to the franchise's nickname. Luckily for them, Falcons won out. Sounds much more intimidating than the Peaches, don't you think?

Fans in Seattle, like many NFL cities, were able to weigh in on the new team's name in 1975. Seahawks won out over other choices like Seagulls. Just doesn't have the same ring to it, does it?

Fans at Raymond James Stadium can get an authentic swashbuckling experience with an on-site pirate ship that fires from its cannons when the home team scores. Arr, matey!

Known formally as the Washington Redskins, this is another team that exists slightly outside the metro area. The team's stadium is located in Landover, Maryland, roughly 10 miles outside the city limits.

Houston began its NFL journey with the Oilers before the team was relocated to Tennessee and later became the Titans. In 2002, the city became home to a new NFL franchise named the "Texans."

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