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6 Strange NFL Facts Not Even Fanatics Know

Football is the most popular sport in America, and people love it. The whole experience is fun, and a lot of Americans want to take part in it. No matter if you’re a die-hard supporter who never misses a game or just a casual fan, you have to admit that the professional history and all of the strange rules of the sport are fairly interesting. There are a lot of strange NFL facts that we are sure you don’t know about.

And that’s why we are here today; we want to tell you about some of the most obscure NFL facts that you can ever hear. What you are about to find out will absolutely make you yell “Really!” and even better, if you have a trivia night, you will be the king of it.

So, are you ready to get into it? Let’s go!

strange nfl facts
Photo by Alena Veasey from Shutterstock

1. The Cowboys had never won a game in Lambeau Field until 2008

The Cowboys-Packers rivalry is famous on the American football scene. The rivalry has also produced a number of noteworthy games, including eight playoffs. This is also the third-ranked NFL rivalry of the 1990s, according to CBS.

Over the years, the matches between these two well-known franchises have challenged the reputations of each group. We start there since it was at Lambeau Field that the two coincidentally met for the first time in 1960. The Cowboys didn’t come away with a win in Week 3 of Aaron Rodgers’ debut season as Green Bay’s starter until their eleventh trip to the frozen tundra that year.

The Cowboys have since played five games in Green Bay but have only won once more. It’s remarkable that the Cowboys, with their legendary history, have what appears to be an Achilles heel with Lambeau. This is for sure one of the strange NFL facts.

2. The Denver Broncos and Doug Williams each have the same number of Super Bowl touchdown passes

If you think that you read this wrong, listen to us; you didn’t! This is a fact. Maybe one of the strange NFL facts that we want to share with you. So stay tuned.  Super Bowl as a team. A young team, we could say. The Broncos have made it to the Super Bowl eight times overall and have caught just as many touchdown passes as Doug Williams did that February day in 1988.

The Broncos’ average of a touchdown throw per Super Bowl participation remains one of the most incredible statistics in NFL history, despite the fact that they have three Lombardi Trophies and a quarterback lineup that includes John Elway and Peyton Manning, two living giants of the game.

3. Since 1991, the Washington Commanders have not defeated another team

The Washington Commanders are a team that used to have some success over the past 30 years but hasn’t shut out a team since September 30, 1991. In fact, it was Washington’s third shutout in the first five games of that season. The score was 23-0 versus the division adversary, the Eagles.

This massive stretch of over 500 games is even more perplexing because they also obtained one in each of the previous two seasons. Incredible, right?  That’s what we’re saying when we’re talking about strange NFL facts. This is surely one of them.

It is true that there are other teams that managed to have long stretches like these without a shoutout; for example, the Titans got a shoutout against the Giants a few years ago in 2018. That is almost 18 years after the former one, but if you ask us, 30 years is quite impressive.

4. An NFL commissioner once died in the stands during a game

There are many strange NFL facts, but one involving the passing of someone is truly chilling. It was October 11th, 1959, and the location was Philadelphia’s Franklin Field, an important location for the fans of American football.

There was a game, not a big one, between the Eagles and Steelers, and NFL Commissioner Bert Bell was in the stands watching the two teams that he used to own before he became commissioner.

Now, keep in mind that what we are going to tell you next might sound weird because, after all of the research, the order of the events is still unclear.

Bell passed away from a deadly heart attack while watching the game in the stands when the Eagles’ Norm Van Brocklin ran into Tommy MacDonald in the end zone to secure the victory late in the fourth quarter.

Some reports say that Bell’s heart attack was brought on by the touchdown, while other versions contend that the hysterical crowd reaction may have temporarily confused the Steelers’ defense, allowing the touchdown.

The truth will remain unknown, and the only thing that is important is the loss of a pioneer of the game. Maybe you know it or maybe you don’t, but Bell is the reason we have the draft nowadays.

5. Juniors in college weren’t eligible for the draft until 1990

Today we have all the necessary evidence that tells us college football players are the best players we can ask for. All of the best players went to the professional ranks after they were done with their third year of school.

Today, it is common to see redshirt juniors and sophomores in the draft. But up until 1990, four years of college were required to be eligible for the draft. This is what made it possible for situations like Archie Griffin winning the Heisman Trophy one after the other at Ohio State or the rise of dynasties.

Now, with this change, the game is completely different. The NIL money, the transfer portal, and eligibility differences were included. It is true that this change has benefited the NFL more than the colleges, but it has cultural importance since it has altered the way football works forever.

strange nfl facts
Photo by Joseph Sohmfrom Shutterstock

6. The Chicago Bears have never had a 4,000-yard passer

When you say Chicago Bears, you also say the quarterback struggles. Really, they are synonyms. The Bears’ quarterback statistics are so numerous that they could drive any fan insane. And the worst part is that these statistics include a never-ending list of unsuccessful quarterbacks who have tormented this team.

Since the start of the 16-game season 42 years ago, in 1978, the Bears have never had a passer reach 4,000 yards. The only other team besides the Bears that also had the same problems was the New York Jets. Yes, only two teams in the entire history of American football!

If we were to look at the way this team evolved, we would notice that in 1995, there was someone pretty close to that sweet 4,000-yard mark. This person is Erik Kramer, and he completed 315 of 522 passes for 2,838 yards.

The following four positions on the list are held by Jay Cutler, who almost threw for 4,000 yards in 2009, 2010, 2014, and 2015.

All we can say is that the Bears will do everything they can to make this a reality. And maybe one day they will have a quarterback who will manage to throw for 4,000 yards.

So, the NFL already has 101 seasons, and these are just a few of the strange NFL facts that are out there. There are many more to discover, and we are sure that with the passing of time, we will get a bunch of new ones.

If you want to discover more about the best NFL players, you might be interested in the following book: NFL Legends: 100 Years of the NFL

You might also want to read: These 12 LA Lakers Facts Will Leave You SPEECHLESS

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