NFL Quiz
Perfect seasons, rushing kings, the merger and the play clock: 15 questions for every NFL fan.
How many teams play in the NFL?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
32
The NFL has had 32 teams since the Houston Texans joined in 2002, arranged in two conferences (AFC and NFC) with four divisions of four teams each.
The league was founded in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association and only adopted the NFL name in 1922.
How many points is a touchdown worth?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
6
A touchdown scores six points, after which the team can kick a one-point extra point or run a play from the two-yard line for a two-point conversion.
The two-point conversion only arrived in the NFL in 1994, although the AFL had used it in the 1960s.
Which NFL franchise is widely known as "America's Team"?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys picked up the nickname from the narration of their 1978 NFL Films highlight reel, and it stuck because of their national following and five Super Bowl wins.
Cowboys coach Tom Landry initially disliked the nickname because he felt it gave opponents extra motivation.
Which team completed the only perfect season in NFL history, going unbeaten through the 1972 campaign and the playoffs?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Miami Dolphins
Don Shula's Miami Dolphins went 14 and 0 in the 1972 regular season and then won three playoff games, finishing 17 and 0 after beating Washington in Super Bowl VII.
The 2007 New England Patriots went 18 and 0 before losing Super Bowl XLII to the New York Giants.
Which current NFL team was formerly known as the Houston Oilers?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Tennessee Titans
The Oilers moved from Houston to Tennessee in 1997, played two seasons as the Tennessee Oilers in Memphis and Nashville, and adopted the Tennessee Titans name in 1999.
The Houston Texans are an expansion team that began play in 2002, five years after the Oilers left.
Which franchise has won the most NFL championships when pre-Super Bowl titles are counted?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers have 13 league championships: nine NFL titles before 1966, the NFL titles of 1966 and 1967 that led to Super Bowls I and II, plus Super Bowls XXXI and XLV.
The Packers are the only community-owned major professional sports team in the United States, with more than 500,000 shareholders.
Who holds the NFL record for most career rushing yards?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Emmitt Smith
Emmitt Smith finished with 18,355 rushing yards over 15 seasons, almost all of them for the Dallas Cowboys, passing Walter Payton's record of 16,726 during the 2002 season.
Smith also holds the record for career rushing touchdowns with 164, and he won three Super Bowls with the Cowboys in a four-season span.
Which receiver holds the NFL record for career receiving yards?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Jerry Rice
Jerry Rice caught passes for 22,895 regular-season yards over 20 seasons with the 49ers, Raiders and Seahawks, a figure no other receiver has come within 5,000 yards of.
Rice also holds the records for career receptions (1,549) and career receiving touchdowns (197), and he played until he was 42.
How many seconds does the NFL play clock give an offense to snap the ball after the previous play ends?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
40
The standard play clock runs 40 seconds from the end of the previous play, and failing to snap in time is a delay of game penalty costing five yards.
A shorter 25-second clock is used after certain stoppages such as timeouts, penalties and injuries.
In which year did the NFL and the rival American Football League complete their merger into a single league?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
1970
The merger agreement was announced in 1966, but the two leagues only fully combined in 1970, when the NFL reorganised into the AFC and NFC.
As part of the merger the Colts, Browns and Steelers moved from the old NFL to the AFC to balance the conferences.
Which quarterback set the single-season record with 55 touchdown passes in 2013?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning threw 55 touchdown passes and a record 5,477 yards for the Denver Broncos in 2013, beating Tom Brady's 2007 mark of 50 touchdowns and winning his fifth MVP award.
Manning was 37 that season and had recovered from neck surgeries that cost him the entire 2011 campaign.
Who set the single-season rushing record with 2,105 yards in 1984?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Eric Dickerson
Eric Dickerson ran for 2,105 yards for the Los Angeles Rams in 1984, and the record has survived challenges from Adrian Peterson (2,097 in 2012) and Saquon Barkley (2,005 in 2024).
Dickerson was famous for running upright in goggles and a neck roll, a look no modern back has copied.
Which quarterback threw the pass known simply as "The Catch" to Dwight Clark in the 1981 NFC Championship Game?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Joe Montana
Joe Montana scrambled right and lofted a pass that Dwight Clark caught at the back of the end zone to beat the Dallas Cowboys and send the 49ers to their first Super Bowl.
That play launched a 49ers dynasty that won five Super Bowls between the 1981 and 1994 seasons.
Which head coach holds the NFL record for most career wins, with 347 including playoffs?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Don Shula
Don Shula won 347 games with the Baltimore Colts and Miami Dolphins between 1963 and 1995, ahead of George Halas (324) and Bill Belichick, who left the NFL short of the mark.
Shula coached in six Super Bowls, one with the Baltimore Colts and five with Miami, and won two of them.
Who holds the official NFL record for career sacks, with 200?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Bruce Smith
Bruce Smith recorded 200 sacks for the Buffalo Bills and Washington between 1985 and 2003, two more than Reggie White, who finished on 198, and no active player is close.
Sacks only became an official NFL statistic in 1982, so Deacon Jones, the man who coined the term, has no official total.
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All Sports quizzes →About the NFL Quiz
The NFL has 32 teams, one perfect season and a record book full of names that still start arguments. Emmitt Smith ran for 18,355 yards, Jerry Rice caught passes for 22,895, and Eric Dickerson's 2,105-yard season from 1984 has survived every challenger since, including Saquon Barkley in 2024.
These 15 questions cover the league's structure and rules, the famous franchises and nicknames, the AFL merger, the coaching and passing records, and a couple of moments every highlight reel includes. Casual fans can score well on the opening questions, and the later ones reward anyone who has spent Sunday afternoons with the stat sheet. Each answer comes with a short explanation and a bonus fact.
You will find 15 multiple choice questions here, each with four options. Difficulty: Medium. Most people finish in about 6 minutes, and every answer comes with a short explanation and one extra fact worth keeping.
How to play
Read the question and pick one of the four answers. The correct answer is revealed straight away with a short explanation, then press Next question to keep going. At the end you get your score out of 15 and a full review of your round. Play again any time and the questions arrive in a fresh order. There is no timer and no account.
Good to know before you play
How many teams are in the NFL?
There are 32 teams, split into the AFC and NFC with four divisions of four teams each. The Houston Texans joined as the 32nd team in 2002.
Who has the most career rushing yards in NFL history?
Emmitt Smith, with 18,355 yards, mostly for the Dallas Cowboys. He passed Walter Payton's mark in 2002.
Has any NFL team ever had a perfect season?
Only the 1972 Miami Dolphins, who went 17 and 0 including the playoffs and won Super Bowl VII.
Answer key: all 15 questions with explanations
- How many teams play in the NFL?
32 The NFL has had 32 teams since the Houston Texans joined in 2002, arranged in two conferences (AFC and NFC) with four divisions of four teams each. The league was founded in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association and only adopted the NFL name in 1922. - How many points is a touchdown worth?
6 A touchdown scores six points, after which the team can kick a one-point extra point or run a play from the two-yard line for a two-point conversion. The two-point conversion only arrived in the NFL in 1994, although the AFL had used it in the 1960s. - Which NFL franchise is widely known as "America's Team"?
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys picked up the nickname from the narration of their 1978 NFL Films highlight reel, and it stuck because of their national following and five Super Bowl wins. Cowboys coach Tom Landry initially disliked the nickname because he felt it gave opponents extra motivation. - Which team completed the only perfect season in NFL history, going unbeaten through the 1972 campaign and the playoffs?
Miami Dolphins Don Shula's Miami Dolphins went 14 and 0 in the 1972 regular season and then won three playoff games, finishing 17 and 0 after beating Washington in Super Bowl VII. The 2007 New England Patriots went 18 and 0 before losing Super Bowl XLII to the New York Giants. - Which current NFL team was formerly known as the Houston Oilers?
Tennessee Titans The Oilers moved from Houston to Tennessee in 1997, played two seasons as the Tennessee Oilers in Memphis and Nashville, and adopted the Tennessee Titans name in 1999. The Houston Texans are an expansion team that began play in 2002, five years after the Oilers left. - Which franchise has won the most NFL championships when pre-Super Bowl titles are counted?
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers have 13 league championships: nine NFL titles before 1966, the NFL titles of 1966 and 1967 that led to Super Bowls I and II, plus Super Bowls XXXI and XLV. The Packers are the only community-owned major professional sports team in the United States, with more than 500,000 shareholders. - Who holds the NFL record for most career rushing yards?
Emmitt Smith Emmitt Smith finished with 18,355 rushing yards over 15 seasons, almost all of them for the Dallas Cowboys, passing Walter Payton's record of 16,726 during the 2002 season. Smith also holds the record for career rushing touchdowns with 164, and he won three Super Bowls with the Cowboys in a four-season span. - Which receiver holds the NFL record for career receiving yards?
Jerry Rice Jerry Rice caught passes for 22,895 regular-season yards over 20 seasons with the 49ers, Raiders and Seahawks, a figure no other receiver has come within 5,000 yards of. Rice also holds the records for career receptions (1,549) and career receiving touchdowns (197), and he played until he was 42. - How many seconds does the NFL play clock give an offense to snap the ball after the previous play ends?
40 The standard play clock runs 40 seconds from the end of the previous play, and failing to snap in time is a delay of game penalty costing five yards. A shorter 25-second clock is used after certain stoppages such as timeouts, penalties and injuries. - In which year did the NFL and the rival American Football League complete their merger into a single league?
1970 The merger agreement was announced in 1966, but the two leagues only fully combined in 1970, when the NFL reorganised into the AFC and NFC. As part of the merger the Colts, Browns and Steelers moved from the old NFL to the AFC to balance the conferences. - Which quarterback set the single-season record with 55 touchdown passes in 2013?
Peyton Manning Peyton Manning threw 55 touchdown passes and a record 5,477 yards for the Denver Broncos in 2013, beating Tom Brady's 2007 mark of 50 touchdowns and winning his fifth MVP award. Manning was 37 that season and had recovered from neck surgeries that cost him the entire 2011 campaign. - Who set the single-season rushing record with 2,105 yards in 1984?
Eric Dickerson Eric Dickerson ran for 2,105 yards for the Los Angeles Rams in 1984, and the record has survived challenges from Adrian Peterson (2,097 in 2012) and Saquon Barkley (2,005 in 2024). Dickerson was famous for running upright in goggles and a neck roll, a look no modern back has copied. - Which quarterback threw the pass known simply as "The Catch" to Dwight Clark in the 1981 NFC Championship Game?
Joe Montana Joe Montana scrambled right and lofted a pass that Dwight Clark caught at the back of the end zone to beat the Dallas Cowboys and send the 49ers to their first Super Bowl. That play launched a 49ers dynasty that won five Super Bowls between the 1981 and 1994 seasons. - Which head coach holds the NFL record for most career wins, with 347 including playoffs?
Don Shula Don Shula won 347 games with the Baltimore Colts and Miami Dolphins between 1963 and 1995, ahead of George Halas (324) and Bill Belichick, who left the NFL short of the mark. Shula coached in six Super Bowls, one with the Baltimore Colts and five with Miami, and won two of them. - Who holds the official NFL record for career sacks, with 200?
Bruce Smith Bruce Smith recorded 200 sacks for the Buffalo Bills and Washington between 1985 and 2003, two more than Reggie White, who finished on 198, and no active player is close. Sacks only became an official NFL statistic in 1982, so Deacon Jones, the man who coined the term, has no official total.
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