FREE! Click here to Join FunTrivia. Thousands of games, quizzes, and lots more!
Quiz about Sunday Night Football on ESPN
Quiz about Sunday Night Football on ESPN

Sunday Night Football on ESPN Trivia Quiz


ESPN brought the NFL into our homes on Sunday nights frm 1987 to 2005. I've put together these 10 questions about the series. Enjoy, sports fans!

A multiple-choice quiz by jbug1262. Estimated time: 6 mins.
  1. Home
  2. »
  3. Quizzes
  4. »
  5. Sports Trivia
  6. »
  7. NFL Historical
  8. »
  9. Monday Night Football

Author
jbug1262
Time
6 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
295,695
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Very Difficult
Avg Score
4 / 10
Plays
444
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. The very first regular season game on ESPN was an inter-conference matchup between which two teams? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Throughout its entire run on ESPN, most of the NFL games were called by play-by-play announcer Mike Patrick. There was only one other announcer who also called those games for the network. Which of the following sportscasters was it? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. In which year did former Washington Redskins quarterback, Joe Theismann, join Mike Patrick in the booth as a color commentator? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Before taking over the full 16-game, Sunday night schedule, ESPN only televised the final eight games of the NFL season. Which cable channel had the honor of broadcasting the first eight Sunday night games of those seasons? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. ESPN began showing the full 16-game, Sunday night NFL schedule in 1998.


Question 6 of 10
6. On November 26, 1989, in a game between the Los Angeles Rams and New Orleans Saints, Rams wide receiver Flipper Anderson gained 336 yards breaking the record previously held by which of the following players? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. In the final Sunday night game of the 1999 season, the playoff bound-Washington Redskins played the struggling San Francisco 49ers in a hard fought game. The Niners held the 'Skins to less than 100 yards rushing, while amassing a triple-digit rushing total themselves. How many yards did the 49ers run for? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. In a 2002 Sunday night game between the Denver Broncos and the Indianaoplis Colts, the game was decided by which of the following; that happened back-to-back? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. I'm sure everyone remembers Joe Namath's ill-conceived statement to ESPN sideline repoter, Suzy Kolber, that he wanted to kiss her during a late December Sunday night game, in 2003. But, do you remember which two teams were playing? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Which two teams played in the final game of ESPN's Sunday Night Football before NBC obtained the rights to the show? Hint



(Optional) Create a Free FunTrivia ID to save the points you are about to earn:

arrow Select a User ID:
arrow Choose a Password:
arrow Your Email:




Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. The very first regular season game on ESPN was an inter-conference matchup between which two teams?

Answer: New York Giants vs New England Patriots

On November 8, 1987, ESPN televised its very first regular season NFL game. It was a Week Nine contest between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots which the Giants won, 17-10.
2. Throughout its entire run on ESPN, most of the NFL games were called by play-by-play announcer Mike Patrick. There was only one other announcer who also called those games for the network. Which of the following sportscasters was it?

Answer: Pat Summerall

Mike Patrick was the voice of Sunday Night Football on ESPN durig its entire series run on the network. However, in 2004, when Patrick missed the first half of the season because he was recovering heart by-pass surgery, it was former player and CBS announcer, Pat Summerall, who filled in for him. Patrick returned to the show in mid-season and continued calling the Sunday night games until the end of its run after the 2005 season.
3. In which year did former Washington Redskins quarterback, Joe Theismann, join Mike Patrick in the booth as a color commentator?

Answer: 1988

In 1988, Joe Theismann began his broadcasting career as a color analyst on ESPN's Sunday night NFL telecasts. He and Patrick would continue as a two-man team until 1998 when they would be joined by former Buffalo Bill and NBC color analyst Paul Maguire.
4. Before taking over the full 16-game, Sunday night schedule, ESPN only televised the final eight games of the NFL season. Which cable channel had the honor of broadcasting the first eight Sunday night games of those seasons?

Answer: TNT

ESPN broadcast the second half of NFL Sunday night games from 1987-1989. Then, in 1990, the first eight Sunday night games were carried by the TNT network while ESPN continued to carry the second half of the season's games. This bi-network sharing of NFL games continued to until end of the 1997 season when ESPN finally took over the full season of Sunday night games.
5. ESPN began showing the full 16-game, Sunday night NFL schedule in 1998.

Answer: True

From 1987-1997, ESPN had only televised Sunday night NFL games beginning in the second half of the season. Then, in 1998, ESPN carried all 16 NFL Sunday night games until the series ended after the 2005 season.
6. On November 26, 1989, in a game between the Los Angeles Rams and New Orleans Saints, Rams wide receiver Flipper Anderson gained 336 yards breaking the record previously held by which of the following players?

Answer: Stephone Paige

Stephone Paige was an undrafted free agent wideout from Fresno State who played 10 seasons in the NFL, nine of which he spent with the Kansas City Chiefs; his final year was spent with the Minnesota Vikings. Paige had set his all-time receiving record in 1985, with 309 yards, breaking the old record previously held by former Los Angeles Rams and Chicago Bears wide receiver, Jim Benton, which had stood for 40 years.

During his career, Paige had a streak of 83 straight games in which he caught at least one pass that was a team record until Antonio Gonzalez broke it in 2006. Paige retired at the end of the 1992 season with career stats of 377 receptions for 6,341 yards and 49 touchdowns.
7. In the final Sunday night game of the 1999 season, the playoff bound-Washington Redskins played the struggling San Francisco 49ers in a hard fought game. The Niners held the 'Skins to less than 100 yards rushing, while amassing a triple-digit rushing total themselves. How many yards did the 49ers run for?

Answer: 250

On December 26, 1999, the San Franscico 49ers (4-11) ran roughshod over the powerful Washington Redskins (9-6) gaining 250 yards on the ground. Normally, with a running attack that successful, a team will win the game; however, this was not the case in the contest.

Although the Redskins ground game was inept, their passing attack, led by Brad Johnson, was amazing. Johnson threw for 471 yards and the 'Skins came back from a 20-10 deficit in the fourth quarter to win the game in overtime, 26-20.
8. In a 2002 Sunday night game between the Denver Broncos and the Indianaoplis Colts, the game was decided by which of the following; that happened back-to-back?

Answer: Colts kicker, Mike Vanderjagt, made two 50+ yard field goals to win the game

With the Colts down to the Denver Broncos, 20-17, with seconds left in the fourth quarter at Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium, Mike Vanderjagt kicked a 54 yard field goal to tie the game at 20-20 and then, moments later in overtime, he booted a 51 yarder to give the Colts a hard-fought 23-20 victory.
9. I'm sure everyone remembers Joe Namath's ill-conceived statement to ESPN sideline repoter, Suzy Kolber, that he wanted to kiss her during a late December Sunday night game, in 2003. But, do you remember which two teams were playing?

Answer: New York Jets vs New England Patriots

During the December 20, 2003, Sunday night game between the New York Jets and the New England Patriots, Joe Namath muttered his ill-advised statement to Suzy Kolber after she asked him his opinion on then-Jets' QB Chad Pennington. He later apologized to her saying that he had made the comment under the influence of alcohol and sought treatment for his problem.
10. Which two teams played in the final game of ESPN's Sunday Night Football before NBC obtained the rights to the show?

Answer: Dallas Cowboys vs St. Louis Rams

The Rams and the Cowboys closed out ESPN's Sunday Night Football series on January 1, 2006. St. Louis won the game at Texas Stadium, 20-10.
Source: Author jbug1262

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor gtho4 before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
12/11/2024, Copyright 2024 FunTrivia, Inc. - Report an Error / Contact Us