In 1922, the National Football League emerged onto the football scene, taking the place of the American Professional Football Association. During the early years of the NFL, players were paid very small salaries and only considered the job a part-time opportunity. However, the popularity of the NFL grew over the years and as of the 2010 season, millions of faithful football fans watch NFL games every week. The history of NFL games includes a wide variety of remarkable records and notable statistics.
Super Bowl Games
The first Super Bowl took place in California on Jan. 15, 1967, between the Kansas City Chiefs and Green Bay Packers. The Packers won by 25 points and went on to win Super Bowl II over the Oakland Raiders. From Super Bowls III through XLIV, winners include the New York Jets, Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Colts, Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, Pittsburgh Steelers, Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Redskins, Los Angeles Raiders, Chicago Bears, New York Giants, Denver Broncos, St. Louis Rams, Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints. Super Bowl XXV between the Buffalo Bills and the New York Giants had the closest-scoring game with the Giants winning 20-19. The San Francisco 49ers had the largest margin of victory in Super Bowl XXIV, when they beat the Denver Broncos by 45 points.
International Games
Most NFL games are played within the U.S. However, the games are occasionally taken to other countries. In fact, according to the NFL website, 58 games have been played on foreign soil as of November 2010. Games have been played in Canada 16 times, 14 times in Japan, 10 in London, eight in Mexico, five in Germany, two in Spain and one each in Sweden, Ireland and Australia. The first international NFL game occurred in 1976 when the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the San Diego Chargers in Japan.
Coldest Games
Playing during the fall and winter seasons, NFL players are often subjected to freezing temperatures, heavy snows and icy grounds. The 1967 game between the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys, nicknamed the "Ice Bowl," remains one of the coldest games in NFL history. During the game, temperatures dropped to 13 degrees below zero F, although the wind chill made it feel like 48 degrees below zero. A 1982 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and San Diego Chargers also experienced wind chill temperatures of 59 degrees below zero. NFL games in Chicago and Green Bay remain among the coldest NFL games played from year to year.
Longest NFL Game
Kansas City, Missouri, hosted the NFL's longest game on Christmas day in 1971. The game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins lasted a total of 82 minutes and 40 seconds. The Dolphins won the game 27-24 in the second overtime when placekicker Garo Yepremian made a 37-yard field goal. Other long games in NFL history include the Dallas Texans/Houston Oilers game in 1962, Cleveland Browns/New York Jets game in 1967 and Oakland Raiders/Baltimore Colts game in 1977.
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