100 Fun Facts About 2023 NFL Season

Which team won Super Bowl LVIII, capping the 2023 season?

The Kansas City Chiefs beat the 49ers 25-22 in overtime, becoming the first repeat champions since the 2004 New England Patriots.

Super Bowl LVIII was played at Allegiant Stadium in which state?

Allegiant Stadium sits in Paradise, Nevada, and opened in 2020 as the Raiders' home after their move from Oakland.

Which quarterback won the 2023 NFL MVP, receiving 49 of 50 first-place votes?

Lamar Jackson of the Ravens won his second MVP at 27, the second-youngest player with multiple MVPs behind only Jim Brown.

Who was named MVP of Super Bowl LVIII after the Chiefs' overtime win?

Patrick Mahomes threw for 333 yards and ran for 66, including an 8-yard fourth-and-1 scramble on the winning drive, earning his third Super Bowl MVP.

Which receiver caught the walk-off touchdown in overtime of Super Bowl LVIII, his only touchdown of the season?

Mecole Hardman caught the 3-yard walk-off score; the Jets had traded him back to Kansas City in October for a swap of late-round picks.

Who headlined the Super Bowl LVIII halftime show?

Usher headlined, with guests Alicia Keys, Lil Jon, Ludacris, will.i.am and H.E.R.; Reba McEntire sang the national anthem.

Which team beat the defending champion Chiefs in the 2023 NFL Kickoff Game on September 7?

The Detroit Lions won 21-20 at Arrowhead, then went 12-5 and won their first division title since 1993.

Which division became the first since 1935 to have all four of its teams finish with a winning record?

The AFC North's Baltimore, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati all finished above .500, and three of the four made the playoffs.

Which quarterback was selected first overall in the 2023 NFL Draft?

Bryce Young went first to Carolina, which had traded up from ninth with Chicago in March; the Alabama passer started 16 games as a rookie.

Which city hosted the 2023 NFL Draft?

Kansas City hosted the 2023 NFL Draft outside Union Station; the Rams closed it by taking Desjuan Johnson with the final pick, that year's Mr. Irrelevant.

Which rookie quarterback set the record of 191 pass attempts without an interception to start a career?

C. J. Stroud of the Texans broke Dak Prescott's mark of 176 attempts and went on to win Offensive Rookie of the Year.

How many passing yards did Houston's rookie quarterback throw for in his record game against Tampa Bay?

C. J. Stroud threw for 470 yards against Tampa Bay in Week 9, a rookie record, tying the rookie mark with five touchdown passes and no interceptions.

Which fifth-round rookie set rookie records for receptions (105) and receiving yards (1,486)?

Puka Nacua, taken 177th overall by the Rams out of BYU, broke the rookie yardage record Bill Groman had held since 1960.

Which team beat Denver 70-20 in September 2023, the most points by any team since 1966?

The Miami Dolphins won 70-20 with 726 yards of offense, the most points in an NFL game since Washington's 72 in 1966.

Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles on his fourth snap as a Jet after a sack by which Bills defender?

Leonard Floyd's sack ended Rodgers' night; Zach Wilson came on and the Jets still won 22-16 in overtime on Monday Night Football.

Which quarterback joined Cleveland's practice squad in November 2023 and won Comeback Player of the Year?

Joe Flacco was named starter 13 days after signing and led the Browns to the playoffs, his first postseason start since the 2014 season.

Which 2023 playoff team had four quarterbacks make multiple starts during the season?

The Cleveland Browns went 11-6 with Deshaun Watson, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, P.J. Walker and Joe Flacco all starting multiple games.

Who was named 2023 Offensive Player of the Year after leading the league in scrimmage yards?

Christian McCaffrey led the NFL with 2,023 scrimmage yards and joined Marshall Faulk and Lenny Moore as the only players with 50 rushing and 25 receiving touchdowns.

Which pass rusher won 2023 NFL Defensive Player of the Year?

Myles Garrett posted 14 sacks and four forced fumbles for the 11-6 Browns, passing Reggie White for the most sacks by any player before his 28th birthday.

Which rookie won 2023 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year?

Will Anderson Jr. had seven sacks for Houston, which traded up from 12th to third overall to take him one pick after C. J. Stroud.

Which head coach won the 2023 AP Coach of the Year award?

Kevin Stefanski won his second award after an 11-6 season, the first Browns coach since Marty Schottenheimer to reach the playoffs more than once.

Who received the 2023 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award?

Cameron Heyward of the Steelers, who missed much of the season with a groin injury, was honoured at NFL Honors in Las Vegas on February 8, 2024.

Which Cowboys cornerback set the single-season record with five interception-return touchdowns in 2023?

DaRon Bland's fifth pick-six came on Thanksgiving against Washington; the previous mark of four had been shared by Eric Allen, Ken Houston and Jim Kearney.

Which two quarterbacks tied the single-season record with 15 rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in 2023?

Jalen Hurts broke Cam Newton's 2011 mark of 14 first, and Josh Allen matched the 15 in the Bills' final weeks.

Which kicker opened his NFL career with a record 35 straight field goals in 2023?

Brandon Aubrey, a 2017 Toronto FC draft pick who kicked in the USFL, broke the old mark of 18 after the Cowboys signed him.

Which quarterback in 2023 became the first player with 40,000 passing and 5,000 rushing yards?

Russell Wilson crossed 5,000 rushing yards early in 2023, his second season in Denver, before the Broncos benched him in December and released him in March 2024.

Which head coach reached 300 career wins during the 2023 season, joining Don Shula and George Halas?

Bill Belichick won his 300th regular-season game against Buffalo in October 2023, his final season in New England, and also tied Jeff Fisher's record of 165 losses.

Which German city hosted NFL games for the first time in 2023, at Deutsche Bank Park?

Frankfurt's Deutsche Bank Park hosted the Chiefs' win over the Dolphins on November 5 and the Colts' win over the Patriots a week later.

Which team played London games at Wembley and Tottenham on consecutive weeks in 2023?

The Jacksonville Jaguars beat Atlanta and then Buffalo, the only team to win two International Series games that season.

Which jersey number became legal for most positions in 2023, a first since numbering was standardised in 1973?

Number 0 was approved for every position except linemen; kickers and punters were also freed to wear 0-49 and 90-99 instead of only 1-19.

A 2023 rule change let teams dress a third quarterback on game day without using what?

The change followed the 49ers running out of healthy quarterbacks in the previous season's NFC Championship Game.

Under a 2023 NFL rule, a kickoff fair catch at or behind which yard line is treated like a touchback?

A fair catch of a kickoff inside the 25 placed the ball at the 25, mirroring the rule college football adopted in 2018 to cut high-speed collisions.

Which foul was upgraded from a 10-yard to a 15-yard personal foul in 2023, reversing a 1974 change?

Tripping had been cut to 10 yards in 1974; the same 2023 meeting also made launching off one foot illegal, tightening the previous two-feet standard.

For how much did Daniel Snyder sell the Washington Commanders to Josh Harris's group in 2023?

Josh Harris's group paid $6.05 billion, a record for a sports franchise at the time; limited partners included Magic Johnson.

Which team put up 42 first-half points on the Chargers a week after being shut out?

The Las Vegas Raiders had lost 3-0 to Minnesota, then won 63-21 under interim coach Antonio Pierce with rookie Aidan O'Connell at quarterback.

Which streaming service exclusively carried the 2023 Chiefs-Dolphins wild-card game played in minus-4 degree cold?

Peacock's exclusive stream of the minus-4 kickoff, the fourth-coldest NFL game ever, became the most-streamed live event in U.S. history at the time.

Which team became the first No. 7 seed to win a playoff game, beating No. 2 Dallas in January 2024?

The Green Bay Packers, with Jordan Love at quarterback, led 48-16 in the fourth quarter before Dallas made the final score 48-32.

The Lions' 24-23 wild-card win over the Rams was their first playoff victory since which season?

Detroit's previous playoff win came in the 1991 season against Dallas; Jared Goff outduelled his predecessor Matthew Stafford in the traded quarterbacks' first playoff meeting.

In the NFC Championship Game, the 49ers came back from what halftime deficit to beat Detroit 34-31?

San Francisco trailed 24-7 at halftime; the 17-point rally tied the largest comeback in NFC Championship history and revived talk of the Curse of Bobby Layne.

Which 49ers kicker's record 55-yard Super Bowl field goal was beaten by Harrison Butker in the same game?

Rookie Jake Moody also became the first player to make two 50-plus-yard field goals in one Super Bowl before Butker's 57-yarder took the record.

Which 49ers receiver both threw and caught a touchdown in Super Bowl LVIII, matching Nick Foles' feat?

Jauan Jennings' backwards-pass trick play to Christian McCaffrey went 21 yards, and he later caught Brock Purdy's 10-yard score.

What do the overtime rules adopted in 2022 and first used in Super Bowl LVIII guarantee?

Several 49ers admitted they only learned of the change from the stadium video board at the start of overtime.

Which children's network aired an alternate Super Bowl LVIII broadcast "Live from Bikini Bottom"?

Nickelodeon's telecast was the first alternate broadcast ever produced for a Super Bowl and used SpongeBob-themed augmented reality.

Which pop star's romance with the Chiefs' tight end led fans to call it the "Swiftie Bowl"?

The season broke viewership, merchandise and ticket records, and new converts were dubbed "Chiefties".

Which pass-catcher passed Jerry Rice for the most career postseason receptions during the 2023 playoffs?

Travis Kelce passed Rice in the AFC Championship Game; he and Mahomes also set the record for postseason touchdowns by a passer-receiver duo, passing Brady and Gronkowski.

Which pass rusher first led two teams in sacks in one season after an October 2023 trade to Chicago?

The Bears sent a 2024 second-round pick for Montez Sweat, who led both Washington and Chicago in sacks; Chase Young went to San Francisco the same day.

Which team's throwback "creamsicle" orange uniforms returned in 2023 for the first time since 2012?

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had planned the comeback for 2022 but blamed supply-chain issues; the look was paired with the Bucco Bruce helmet.

Who set the record for most 1,000-yard receiving seasons to start a career, reaching 10 in 2023?

Mike Evans of the Buccaneers joined Randy Moss and Jerry Rice as the only players with ten 1,000-yard receiving seasons.

Which two teams met in the 2023 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game that opened the preseason on August 3?

Cleveland, represented in the Class of 2023 by Joe Thomas, beat the Jets, whose inductees were Joe Klecko and Darrelle Revis.

Which franchise wore throwback Houston Oilers uniforms for two home games in 2023?

The 1981-98 design replaced the light blue alternate; the Titans had last worn Oilers uniforms in 2009.

Which team signed quarterback Derek Carr after Las Vegas released him in 2023?

The New Orleans Saints signed Carr in March after the Raiders cut him on Valentine's Day, ending his nine-season run as the franchise's starter.

Which receiver did Carolina send to Chicago in the trade for the 2023 No. 1 overall pick?

D. J. Moore went to Chicago along with Carolina's 2024 first-rounder, which became the No. 1 pick again and turned into Caleb Williams.

Which three-time Defensive Player of the Year joined CBS's The NFL Today after retiring?

Watt won his three DPOY awards with Houston in 2012, 2014 and 2015 and finished his career with two seasons in Arizona.

Dick Butkus, who died in October 2023, played his whole career for which team?

The Chicago Bears were Butkus's only team across nine seasons; he was a two-time Defensive Player of the Year before his 1979 Hall of Fame induction.

Which team revived Kelly green throwback uniforms in 2023, a first since 2010?

The Philadelphia Eagles modeled the throwbacks on the 1985-1995 set, paired with that era's Kelly green helmet with silver wings.

Which platform streamed the NFL's first Black Friday game in November 2023?

Unlike the usual Thursday games, whose free feed lives on Twitch, the Black Friday game was free inside Prime Video itself.

Which service took over NFL Sunday Ticket in 2023 after DirecTV had carried it since 1994?

YouTube TV and YouTube Primetime Channels took over; commercial rights for bars went separately to EverPass Media, backed by RedBird Capital and the NFL's venture arm 32 Equity.

Who was the first Super Bowl-era player with 1,200 receiving yards through 10 team games?

Hill had already broken Torry Holt's mark for yards through eight games with 1,014, fueling talk of a 2,000-yard season.

Which 2023 rookie set the season record for catches by a rookie tight end, with 86?

Sam LaPorta's 86 catches passed Keith Jackson's 1988 rookie mark of 81; he and Jahmyr Gibbs became the first rookie teammates to each score at least 10 touchdowns.

Who became Denver's head coach in 2023, with draft picks sent to his former team?

Payton was the Broncos' seventh different head coach since 2008, replacing Nathaniel Hackett, who lasted 15 games.

Which team first won a division with both a rookie head coach and a rookie quarterback?

The Houston Texans won the AFC South under rookie coach DeMeco Ryans with rookie C. J. Stroud at quarterback, and their rookies also swept the Rookie of the Year awards.

Which rapper performed 'America the Beautiful' before Super Bowl LVIII?

Post Malone performed it on guitar; Andra Day followed with 'Lift Every Voice and Sing', and the Air Force Thunderbirds flew over as the anthem ended.

Which undrafted rookie took over as Giants quarterback after Daniel Jones tore his ACL?

Tommy DeVito, a New Jersey native out of Illinois, still lived with his parents during his run as starter, which became a storyline of its own.

Which Vikings quarterback ruptured his Achilles against Green Bay in Week 8 of 2023?

Kirk Cousins was hurt during a 24-10 win at Lambeau; Minnesota, 6-4 after a five-game streak, then went 1-6 with a rotating cast of passers.

Which head coach did Carolina fire after a Week 12 loss, in his only season with the team?

Frank Reich was fired at 1-10; special teams coordinator Chris Tabor finished the year as interim coach as the Panthers went 2-15, the league's worst record.

Which former No. 3 overall pick did the 49ers trade to Dallas for a fourth-rounder?

San Francisco had given up three first-round picks to move up for Lance in 2021; he started four games for the team.

Which defensive lineman did the Giants trade to Seattle for a 2024 second-round pick?

Williams had been the Jets' sixth overall pick in 2015 before crossing MetLife Stadium to the Giants in a 2019 trade.

Which team acquired tight end Darren Waller from Las Vegas for a third-round pick in 2023?

The New York Giants struck the deal on March 15, the day the league year opened, alongside the Jalen Ramsey and Stephon Gilmore trades.

What nickname did Indianapolis give its 2023 alternate uniform with a black helmet?

Indiana Nights paired a blue jersey and pants with the franchise's first alternate helmet, a black shell.

Cleveland's stadium dropped which sponsor's name in 2023 after an Ohio bribery scandal?

FirstEnergy's name came off and the building reverted to Cleveland Browns Stadium, its name from 1999 to 2012, six years before the naming deal was due to expire.

Which Lions receiver's six-game gambling ban was cut short by a 2023 policy rewrite?

Jameson Williams's ban was for betting on non-NFL sports at the team facility; the September rewrite cut that offense to two games and he returned after four.

Which Pixar franchise starred in an animated alternate feed of a 2023 London game?

The Toy Story Funday Football telecast used player-tracking data to render the game live in Andy's room on ESPN+ and Disney+, with real players turned into animated figures.

Which rookie threw four touchdown passes in his 2023 debut, tying Mariota and Tarkenton?

Will Levis threw three of the four to DeAndre Hopkins in a 28-23 win over Atlanta, matching Marcus Mariota's 2015 debut.

Which quarterback won in Atlanta for Minnesota five days after being traded from Arizona in 2023?

Joshua Dobbs arrived in Minnesota five days before relieving an injured Jaren Hall and winning 31-28 in Atlanta without a full practice.

Who broke Michael Thomas's record for receiving yards in a player's first four seasons?

Justin Jefferson reached 5,899 yards despite missing seven games of 2023 with a hamstring injury, passing Thomas's 5,512.

Which Chargers head coach was fired after a 63-21 loss to the Raiders in Week 15?

General manager Tom Telesco went out the same day; the Chargers lost seven games by three points or fewer, most in the league.

Which Olympic great delivered the game ball for the AFC Championship Game in Baltimore?

Michael Phelps, a Baltimore native, carried it out for the first AFC title game the Ravens had ever hosted, and the city's first since January 1971.

Which offensive coordinator did Buffalo fire after 10 games in 2023?

Ken Dorsey was replaced by Joe Brady; the Bills were 6-6 at their bye and still overturned a three-game Miami lead to win a fourth straight AFC East title.

What nickname did the Chiefs give the play that won Super Bowl LVIII in overtime?

'Tom and Jerry' was the call for Mecole Hardman's walk-off catch with three seconds left in the period, just short of an unprecedented second overtime.

Dallas was the first team to win 12+ games three straight years without reaching what?

Dallas never reached a conference title game in that span; the 2023 exit was a 48-32 home loss to a seventh seed that snapped a 16-game winning streak at AT&T Stadium.

What was the NFL salary cap per team for the 2023 season?

The 2023 cap was $224.8 million, up from $208.2 million in 2022; it had been only $182.5 million in 2021 after the pandemic season cut revenue.

The Chiefs wore a memorial patch all season in 2023 for which person, who died June 4?

Norma Hunt, Lamar Hunt's widow, had attended every Super Bowl; the patch carried her initials, NKH.

Under the NFL's revised 2023 gambling policy, betting on NFL games draws what minimum ban?

Betting on any NFL game draws a minimum one-year suspension; fixing a game draws a lifetime ban, while betting on other sports at team facilities fell to two games.

Which streamer became the home of NFL Game Pass outside the U.S. and China in 2023?

DAZN already held Game Pass and Sunday Ticket rights in Canada before the February 2023 deal.

Which Colts kicker became the first to make four 50-plus-yard field goals in one game?

Gay had signed from the Rams in March and did it in Week 3 at Baltimore, including the overtime winner.

Denver's Week 8 win in 2023 snapped a losing streak of how many games against the Chiefs?

The 24-9 result ended a 16-game skid dating to 2015 and was Denver's first win over Patrick Mahomes, who had been 12-0 against them as a starter.

From how many yards did Tyler Bass miss his potential tying field goal against the Chiefs?

Tyler Bass pushed the 44-yarder wide right with under two minutes left; fans then donated more than $100,000 to the Ten Lives Club cat shelter he supports.

Which Packers safety returned a Dak Prescott interception 64 yards for a wild-card score?

Darnell Savage's pick-six made it 27-0 late in the first half; Green Bay improved to 6-0 all-time at AT&T Stadium.

How many career Super Bowl field goals did Harrison Butker have after LVIII, a record?

Harrison Butker's four field goals in LVIII (28, 57, 24 and 29 yards) brought his career Super Bowl total to nine, the most by any kicker.

Whose career Super Bowl rushing record for quarterbacks fell to the Chiefs' QB in LVIII?

His 66 rushing yards in the game pushed his four-game total to 172, well past Montana's 105.

Which kicker, the last Super Bowl 50 holdover, did Denver release in 2023?

Brandon McManus's release made safety Justin Simmons, a 2016 draft pick, the Broncos' longest-tenured player.

Super Bowl LVIII averaged how many viewers across all platforms, then a U.S. TV record?

Nielsen's final figure was 123.7 million average viewers; some 200 million watched at least part of it, the biggest U.S. audience since the Apollo 11 moon landing.

The Jets' 2023 'Legacy White' throwbacks revived a design the team wore in which era?

The Legacy White set copied the 1978 to 1989 look of the New York Sack Exchange era, with the green helmet of the Joe Klecko years, for two home games.

How many 2023 Week 10 games ended on field goals as time expired, a record for one week?

Six games ended on walk-off field goals as time expired, the most in one NFL week; Cleveland, Houston and Detroit were among the winners.

What was Super Bowl LVIII's attendance, the smallest unrestricted crowd in its history?

Allegiant Stadium's capacity made it the smallest crowd at an NFL title game since 58,346 in December 1946.

Who refereed Super Bowl LVIII, the first to work two Super Bowls between the same teams?

Bill Vinovich's third Super Bowl as referee included the Chiefs-49ers meeting in Super Bowl LIV, making him the first to referee the same matchup twice.

Which Super Bowl LVIII official was the first to officiate the game after playing in one?

Killens was a Titans linebacker in Super Bowl XXXIV, the game that ended one yard short against the Rams.

Which 49ers cornerback's foot deflected a Chiefs punt, setting up the Chiefs' first lead?

The ball struck Darrell Luter Jr.; Jaylen Watson recovered at the 16, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling scored on the next play to make it 13-10.

Brock Purdy led the NFL in 2023 with what passer rating?

Brock Purdy's 113.0 rating led the league in his first full season as starter, when he threw for 4,280 yards and 31 touchdowns and made the Pro Bowl.

Which offensive coordinator did the Eagles fire after their 2023 wild-card exit?

Brian Johnson went out with defensive coordinators Sean Desai and Matt Patricia after a 10-1 start collapsed into a 1-6 finish including the playoff loss.