Got your answers ready from last week’s Impossible Questions? Let’s see how you did.
Last weekend’s AFC title game marked the first time in history that what has happened?
On Sunday, the New England Patriots played the Denver Broncos for a spot in the Super Bowl. Both teams will be led by star quarterbacks who have hosted Saturday Night Live. The Patriots’ Tom Brady hosted SNL in April 2005, while Manning did his stint in March 2007. Only eight NFL players have ever guest-hosted NBC’s long-running sketch comedy show while they were still active players. In addition to Brady and Manning, they were: Deion Sanders, Fran Tarkenton, Eli Manning, Joe Montana, Walter Payton…and O.J. Simpson.
What dubious record is held by the Green Bay Packers?
They are the modern-day NFL’s leader in tie games played. Since a 1974 rule change created a more “sudden-death”-style overtime period, there have been only 19 tie games in those 40 seasons. The Packers have played in five of those games, two of which directly affected the team’s playoff hopes.
In 1978, the Packers and Minnesota Vikings played to a 10-10 tie. At the end of the season, both those teams topped the NFC Central division with a record of 8-7-1. By virtue of the Vikings beating the Packers earlier in the year, the Vikings got to go to the playoffs, and the Packers stayed home. And this season, once more a Vikings-Packers game resulted in a tie. This time, the tie allowed the Packers to claim a division title and reach the playoffs: their 8-7-1 record was just barely better than the second-place, 8-8 Chicago Bears.
The Seattle Seahawks are the only team to ever do what in the NFC West?
The Seahawks are the only team to win the NFC West with the best record in the league and to also win the division with a losing record. This season, the Seahawks finished 13-3, good for a #1 seed and a first-round bye. Two other teams from the division were good enough to earn playoff spots, too: the San Francisco 49ers (12-4) and the Arizona Cardinals (10-6). But just three years ago, in the 2010-11 season, the entire NFC West finished with losing records. But since somebody has to win the division and go to the playoffs, it was the best worst team, the 7-9 Seahawks. It’s the only time in NFL history that a team with a losing record won their division. Surprisingly, the team won its first playoff game (but no more), defeating the 11-5 New Orleans Saints 41 to 36.
Want more impossible questions? Check out Uncle John’s Impossible Questions.