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The puzzle below uses sixteen, or one-half of the names of current NFL teams as the answers. The other half is used in puzzle number seven. Please note that clues in this sports puzzle were updated October 2, 2010. NFL records were current at that time.
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The National Football League (NFL) franchise currently known as the Saint Louis Rams was founded in 1936 as the Cleveland Rams. The team played its first season in the American Football League, (not the same organization that merged with the NFL in 1970). The next year the team became part of the NFL.
The team won their first NFL championship in 1945 and moved to Los Angeles the following year. With Norm Van Brocklin at quarterback the Rams dominated the western division for the next several years, winning the NFL championship again in 1951. In addition to Van Brocklin, that team's roster included Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch and offensive end Tom Fears. In the 1960s the Rams' Fearsome Foursome -- Deacon Jones, Rosey Grier, Lamar Lundy, and Merlin Olsen and Deacon Jones led a formidable defense.
In 1984 Rams running back Eric Dickerson set a number of NFL rushing records that still stand.
The Rams currently hold a 1-2 Super Bowl record, losing in 1980 to the Pittsburgh Steelers and in 2002 to the New England Patriots. Their victory came in Super Bowl XXXIV in 2000 over the Tennessee Titans.
As part of their 2010 NFL draft picks, the Rams chose quarterback Sam Bradford from the University of Oklahoma in the first round; tackle Rodger Saffold from Indiana University in round two; defensive back Jermoe Murphy from South Florida in round three; and wide receive Mardy Gilyard in the fourth round.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team. John McKay, former coach at USC was installed as the Bucs' first head coach.
The Buccaneers have earned one trip to the Super Bowl, which they won, defeating the Oakland Raiders 48-21 in Super Bowl XXXVII (2003).
Tampa Bay is part of the National Football Conference (NFC) South Division, which also includes the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, and New Orleans Saints.
In 2009 the Bucs posted a 3-13 record. Looking to the future their choice in the 2010 NFL Draft included defensive tackles Gerald McCloy from the University of Oklahoma and Brian Price from UCLA; defensive backs Myron Lewis from Vanderbilt and Cody Grimm from Virginia Tech; wide receivers Arrelious Benn from the University of Illinois and Mike Williams of Syracuse; punter Brent Bowden from Virginia Tech; linebacker Dekoda Watson from Florida State; and defensive end Erik Lorig from Stanford.
The Tennessee Titans football franchise traces it origins to the formation of the Houston Oilers as a charter member of the American Football League (AFL) in 1960. The Oilers became part of the National Football League in the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. During their tenure in the AFL, the Oilers began by winning the league's first two championship games.
The Oilers drafted Earl Campbell in 1978 and would appear in consecutive AFC Championship games in 1978 and 1979, losing to the world champion Pittsburgh Steelers in both games.
In 1997 the franchise moved to Tennessee and subsequently became the Titans. Two season later they advanced through the playoffs to their first appearance in the Super Bowl (XXXIV in 2000) losing to the Saint Louis Rams at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.
The Titans posted a 8-8 record in 2009, failing to make the playoffs. In looking to the future, the team's draft choices in 2010 included defensive end Derrick Morgan from Georgia Tech; Rennie Curran, linebacker from the University of Georgia; and defensive backs Alterraun Verner of UCLA, Robert Johnson of Utah, and Myron Rolle of Florida State. The Titans also drafted quarterback Rusty Smith of Florida Atlantic and wide receiver Marc Mariani of Montana, among others.
The Washington Redskins were founded in 1932 as the Boston Braves. In 1933 they became the Boston Redskins, and in 1937 took their current name of Washington Redskins after moving to the nation's capital city.
The long list of talented and memorable players that have worn a "Skins" uniform include Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees Cliff Battles, Sammy Baugh, Bill Dudley, Turk Edwards, Darrell Green, Ken Houston, Sam Huff, Deacon Jones, Stan Jones, Sonny Jurgensen, Paul Krause, Wayne Millner, Bobby Mitchell, Art Monk, John Riggins, and Charley Taylor.
In times preceding the advent of the Super Bowl game, the Redskins played in six NFL Championship games. Their Super Bowl record stands at 3-2, with losses to the Miami Dolphins in 1973 (VII) and the Los Angeles Raiders in 1984 (XVIII). Washington captured Super Bowl victories in 1983 over the Dolphins, in 1988 against the Denver Broncos, and again in 1992 defeating the Buffalo Bills.
The team posted a 4-12 record for the 2009 season and in the 2010 NFL draft chose tackle Trent Williams from the University of Oklahoma in the first round; linebacker Perry Riley of Louisiana State in the fourth round; tight end Dennis Morris from Louisiana Tech in the sixth round; wide receiver Terrence Austin, UCLA, center Erik Cook, New Mexico, and tackle Selvish Capers, West Virginia in the seventh round.