NFL in the 1980s #2 Trivia Quiz

Answer: A player strike shortened the season to nine games

After several episodes of labor unrest in the 1970s failed to stop regular season play, the 1982 season was interrupted by a strike following the second week of games. No football was played for eight more weeks. The NFL cancelled all the missed games, shortened the schedule to nine games, and modified its playoff structure for the season. Five years later, another mid-season strike occurred, but this time, after one week of inactivity, the owners fielded teams of replacement players.

The replacements played for three weeks, with the results counting in the standings, before the regular players ended the strike.

The Washington Redskins seemingly benefited, winning the Super Bowl for both of the strike seasons.

Answer: Jimmy Johnson

Johnson's 1989 Dallas Cowboys went 1-15, enabling them to draft Emmitt Smith after the season, setting the stage for winning two straight Super Bowls in 1992 and 1993. Ditka's 1982 Bears were 3-6. Parcell's 1983 Giants were 3-12-1. Joe Gibbs started 0-5 with the 1981 Redskins before winding up the year 8-8.

Answer: Jim Plunkett

Plunkett, the 1970 Heisman Trophy winner and 1971 NFL Rookie of the Year, managed to play for some very bad New England Patriot teams, before being traded to San Francisco in time to play for some very bad 49er teams. After not playing in 1978 and barely being used the next year, he moved into the Raiders' starting job in 1980, helping the team become the first playoff wildcard to win the Super Bowl.

He was the game's MVP on the strength of his three touchdowns, no interceptions, and 261 yards on 21 passes.

His career in the 1980s wound up being far better than his career in the previous decade: 8-2 as a postseason starter, two Super Bowl titles, and the best passing stats of his career. Plunkett retired after the 1986 season.

Answer: Never missed an extra point attempt in his career

Moseley's NFL career began with the 1970 Philadelphia Eagles and ended when he was the only remaining straight-on kicker in the league. His best season was 1982, when he made 20 of 21 field goal attempts. Counting the end of the previous season, Moseley kicked a then-record 23 consecutive field goals, good enough to make him the first kicking specialist to be selected as Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player. Oddly, he only had three seasons in his career in which he never missed an extra point. Upon retiring in 1987, he was fifth on the NFL's all-time scoring list.

Answer: Permitting coaches to challenge calls using instant replay

Fans and some owners had long argued that video technology would make it possible to quickly review disputed plays and, if necessary, overrule an official's initial call. Although a majority of NFL owners often voted to allow instant replay, not until 1986 did the idea win approval from the required 75% of owners.

Instant replay lasted through the 1991 season, then, after failing to win renewal in 1992, was reinstated in 1999. Roughly 90% of disputed officials' calls have been upheld by replay.

Answer: Elway wanted no part of Kush, the authoritarian coach of the Baltimore Colts, forcing Baltimore to trade Elway to the Broncos after drafting him

Frank Kush was a successful college coach at Arizona State, and often compared to Vince Lombardi for his strict rules and rough practices. Brought to the NFL to revive the struggling Baltimore Colts, he failed to get the same results, going 0-8-1 in his 1982 first season with the team.

The poor record got the Colts the right to draft Elway, who announced he would not play for Kush (Elway was a talented baseball player as well, and made it known he was willing to pursue that route). The Colts eventually traded Elway to the Broncos for two players and a draft pick. Elway led Denver to five Super Bowls, winning two, and was selected for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The Colts snuck their team out of Baltimore under dark of night during a snow storm on March 28, 1984, moving to Indianapolis. Kush was fired in 1984 after compiling an 11-28-1 record with the team.

Answer: 70 Chip

Want to see a Redskins fan smile? Mention "70 Chip," the play they used on a fourth-and-one in Super Bowl XVII, sending John Riggins 43 yards for the touchdown that put the Redskins ahead of the Miami Dolphins for good that day as the team won its first NFL title in 40 years. Want to see a Redskins fan cry, or perhaps threaten you with bodily harm? Mention the "Rocket Screen." The 1983 Redskins were one of the best teams the NFL had ever seen, scoring a then-record 541 points in 16 games, with only two losses, each by a single point, keeping them from perfection.

In the Super Bowl, they faced the Los Angeles Raiders, who they had already beaten 37-35 during the regular season. This time, they struggled against the Raiders with the league title on the line. With 12 seconds left in the first half, the Redskins had the ball on their own 12 following a Raider punt, trailing 14-3.

They called for the "Rocket Screen," a screen pass that had been good for a 67-yard gain the first time the teams played.

This time, reserve linebacker Jack Squirek stepped in front of Joe Theismann's pass at the five and ran it in for a touchdown, sending the teams to the locker room with the Raiders fully in control, 21-3. They won the game 38-9, the biggest margin of victory in a Super Bowl to that point.

Answer: To help their quarterback spot his receivers

When quarterback Joe Ferguson threw 25 interceptions in 1983, the most of his NFL career, someone in their organization noticed that in Buffalo's AFC East division, all five teams had white helmets, unique among NFL divisions. So the Bills switched to a red helmet, making them the only team in the division using that color, in hopes that it would make it easier for Ferguson to spot his receivers.

In terms of improving the Bills, the experiment failed. The team went 2-14 in 1984 and Ferguson was traded to Detroit after the season.

However, the basic helmet design they adapted for 1984 stayed with the team longer than any previous helmet in their history, making it an unqualified aesthetic success.

Answer: Playing NFL football

The 1986 Heisman Trophy winner coming out of Auburn, Jackson spurned his draft selection by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, declaring baseball to be his first love. He joined the Kansas City Royals organization and was moved up to the major leagues by the end of his first season.

The next year, he joined the Raiders after Al Davis agreed to let Jackson play only when it fit his baseball schedule. Jackson's remark that football would be his "hobby," made while signing his contract, greatly angered full time football players who couldn't imagine someone playing the sport as an afterthought. Jackson wound up with the last laugh.

He became the first athlete to be selected for both the baseball All Star game and the NFL Pro Bowl, and the first NFL player to rush for two touchdowns of 90 yards or longer.

His multisport abilities made him the star of a funny series of commercials in which it was claimed that "Bo knows" everything from tennis to auto racing. A 1990 NFL playoff injury ended his football career, and his baseball performance never returned to peak form.

His NFL career includes 515 rushes for 2,782 yards, a sparkling 5.4 yards per carry average.

Answer: I'm the coach of these guys, I'm Iron Mike, bringin' home trophies is what I like

Recorded in December 1985, the day after the Bears lost their only game that season, "Super Bowl Shuffle" won praise from ESPN almost 20 years later as "far and away the greatest musical performance by a sports team." The video featured players Walter Payton, Willie Gault, Mike Singletary, Jim McMahon, Otis Wilson, Steve Fuller, Mike Richardson, Richard Dent, Gary Fencik, and William Perry rapping (sometimes even in rhythm and on-key) about their football abilities.

The song and video were released in time for their appearance in Super Bowl XX, and the proceeds went to hunger-based charities.

The team won the Super Bowl handily, and their song won a Grammy nomination.