List of NFL Nicknames - Teams

Teams

Nicknames for entire teams, or whole offensive or defensive units.

• Ain'ts— Nickname given to the New Orleans Saints after their 1980 season of 14 consecutive losses. The name persisted somewhat as, although they would later qualify for the playoffs several times since then, they did not win a playoff game until their defeat of the defending Super Bowl champion Rams in the Wild Card round of the 2000-01 playoffs. The franchise subsequently won four additional playoff games, defeating the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2007 Divisional Round, the Arizona Cardinals and the Minnesota Vikings in the 2009 Divisional Round and NFC Championship, and the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV. The recent run of success has changed the meaning of the "Ain'ts" (or "Aints") term from a negative to a positive, connotating the image of an unbreakable barrier to opponents of the Saints (i.e. "You Ain't Beating New Orleans"). The negative use of the term returned following New Orleans' 2010 playoff loss to the 7-9 Seahawks.
• Air Coryell — Nickname given to the high powered passing offenses of the mid 1970s St. Louis Cardinals, led by quarterback Jim Hart and coached by Don Coryell, though more often used to refer to the late-1970s/early-1980s San Diego Chargers offense
• America's Team — Nickname given to the Dallas Cowboys for having a large number of fans outside its immediate local area. (The term itself is likely derived from the title of the team's 1978 highlight film).
• Bay of Pigs — Nickname given to matchups of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Green Bay Packers by ESPN anchor Chris Berman from the mid-1980s through the early 1990s, when both teams hovered at the bottom of the NFC Central division. (The term is derived from the disastrous Bay of Pigs invasion of 1961.)
• Big Blue Wrecking Crew — Name of the New York Giants defensive team during the 1980s and into the early 1990s. This defense is considered one of the greatest of all time, and is perhaps the greatest 3-4 defense in NFL History.
• Bills West — The 2001 San Diego Chargers, so named because of the signing of the Buffalo Bills' former general manager, John Butler, along with several Buffalo Bills players, including quarterback Doug Flutie.
• Blitz, Inc. — Name of the Philadelphia Eagles defensive team from 1999-2004 seasons.
• Blitzburgh — Name of the Pittsburgh Steelers defensive unit since the mid-1990s and their tendency to relentlessly attack opposing quarterbacks.
• Bull Elephant backfield — running backs of the 1950s Rams: Dick Hoerner, Paul "Tank" Younger, and "Deacon" Dan Towler.
• Bulls on Parade — Refers to the Houston Texans defense, starting in the 2011 season. After the hiring of Wade Phillips, the defense went from almost last ranked in the NFL to ranked second at the end of the 2011 season, winning the AFC South for the first time and reaching the post-season for the first time in franchise history. The name is taken from the Rage Against The Machine song of the same name.
• Bungles — Name referring to the Cincinnati Bengals teams of the 1990s and 2000s, whose string of losing seasons with records 8-8 or worse spanned 14 consecutive years. Name also used for any failing Cincinnati Bengals team thereafter.
• Cardiac Cardinals (Cards) — the St. Louis Cardinals NFC East championship teams of 1974 (10-4) and '75 (11-3). Noted for their come-from-behind wins under their head coach, Don Coryell. The name was resurrected for the 1998 team that upset Dallas in the wild card game.
• Cardiac Cats — the Carolina Panthers of the late 1990s and early 2000s, derived from the St. Louis Cardinals' 1970's "Cardiac Cards" nickname. Known for close games often decided in the final minutes or the final play, thus giving their fans heart attacks; the term was used particularly during the team's Super Bowl season when they led the league in comeback wins. The Jacksonville Jaguars also earned this nickname in the late '90s after pulling off last minute wins, especially during the 1996 season. Most recently dubbed for the 2009-2010 Cincinnati Bengals for their astounding 8 regular season games that were decided in the final minute of play. Carson Palmer led 7 game tying/winning drives in the final 5:00 of those games (one in overtime against the Cleveland Browns), losing only two of those eventually to the Denver Broncos on the "Immaculate Deflection" and the San Diego Chargers.
• Cardiac Jags — the Jacksonville Jaguars earned this nickname because of making several comeback wins and/or winning nail-biters.
• Cowgirls - Dallas Cowboys, by detractors, referring to the team's cheerleaders
• Cowpies - Dallas Cowboys, by detractors, refers to cow excrement
• Crunch Bunch - The 1981–83 New York Giants linebacking corps noted for their hard-hitting play and for generating many quarterback sacks, Taylor in particular. Mario Sestito of Troy, New York is credited with coining the name after a NY Giants newsletter at the time called 'Inside Football' held a contest to name this defensive unit, consisting of Harry Carson, Brian Kelley, Lawrence Taylor and Brad Van Pelt.
• Da Bears — Slang nickname given to the Chicago Bears made popular by the Bill Swerski's Superfans sketches of the early 1990s on Saturday Night Live. Sometimes used to retroactively refer to the 1985 Bears.
• The Deadskins - Given to the Washington Redskins squads under Daniel Snyder ownership for the team's poor performances, particularly during the 2000s.
• Dirty Birds — The 1998 Atlanta Falcons (but is still a nickname for the Falcons). The name originates from an endzone dance started by Jamal Anderson that was adopted by all the players upon scoring.
• Dome Patrol — The 1980s Saints linebacking corps, rated as #1 by NFL Network. This all star group included Rickey Jackson, Sam Mills, Pat Swilling, and Vaughan Johnson. The linebacker corps made NFL history as having all four elected to the same Pro Bowl.
• Dolts - Derisive name given whenever the Indianapolis Colts or San Diego Chargers (whose nickname is the "Bolts") had a bad team.
• Doomsday Defense — The 1970s Dallas Cowboys defensive team. Doomsday I, the unit that led the Cowboys to victory in Super Bowl VI, was anchored by future Pro Football Hall of Fame members Herb Adderley, Bob Lilly, and Mel Renfro, while Doomsday II, which spearheaded the drive to the title in Super Bowl XII, featured Hall of Famer Randy White and fellow defensive linemen Harvey Martin and Ed "Too Tall" Jones.
• Earth, Wind, and Fire— 2008 New York Giants running back trio of Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward, and Ahmad Bradshaw
• Electric Company — The 1970s Buffalo Bills offensive line. They were given that name because they "turned on the 'Juice'" by paving the way for star halfback O.J. Simpson, who was nicknamed "Juice", because a common nickname for orange juice is also O.J.
• Evil Empire. — Name associating the New England Patriots dynasty of the 2000s. Coach Bill Bellichick was deemed "evil" after the Spygate scandal and the term is a play on Belichick's frequent use of hooded sweatshirts on the sideline, making him resemble the Emperor Palpatine character from the Star Wars motion picture series.
• Fearsome Foursome — The 1960s Los Angeles Rams defensive line.
• Fort Knox - name given to the pass pocket created by the 1981 Buffalo Bills offensive line that allowed quarterback Joe Ferguson to throw deep (it allowed him to set a career record in passing yardage that season); the name was a play on the name of Bills head coach Chuck Knox.
• Forty Whiners - A nickname given to the 49ers.
• G Men — Nickname of the New York Giants.
• Gang Green — Nickname of the New York Jets, or the Philadelphia Eagles defensive team from 1987 to 1990, when the team was coached by Buddy Ryan.
• Greatest Show on Turf — The 1999-2001 St. Louis Rams offensive team. (Note: The first team referred to as "The Greatest Show on Turf" was the 1992 Houston Oilers, the title of their 1993 NFL Films highlight film. The Oilers employed the wide-open run-and-shoot offense.)
• Gritz Blitz — Nickname for the 1977 Atlanta Falcons defense that allowed the fewest points per game (9.2) in NFL history. The Gritz Blitz defense consisted of defensive tackles Jim Bailey and Mike Lewis, defensive ends Claude Humphrey and Jeff Merrow, cornerbacks Rick Byas, Mike Esposito, and Rolland Lawrence, safeties Ray Brown and Ray Easterling, and linebackers Greg Brezina, Fulton Kuykendall, Ralph Ortega, and Robert Pennywell.
• Ground Chuck - Nickname for the Los Angeles Rams, Buffalo Bills and Seattle Seahawks teams coached by Chuck Knox (playing off his first name and his team's conservative, ball-control offense)
• Homeland Defense - Nickname for the New England Patriots defense during their runs to Super Bowl XXXVIII and XXXIX.
• Hogs - The Washington Redskins' offensive line, considered one of the largest and strongest in football history, originally consisting of Joe Jacoby, Russ Grimm, Mark May, George Starke, and Jeff Bostic.
• Jet Blue- New York Giants wide receivers corp in the early 2010s comprising Steve Smith, Hakeem Nicks, and Mario Manningham.
• Jokeland- Derisive name applied to the Oakland Raiders whenever they had a poor performance.
• Kardiac Kids — The 1980 Cleveland Browns, who had a penchant for having games decided in the final moments.
• Kelly Gun/K-Gun- Buffalo Bills no-huddle offense when Jim Kelly was their quarterback. Named after Kelly & TE Keith McKeller. It was a success (4 consecutive Super Bowl appearances) due to teams not being able to sub in their players in a timely fashion due to the quickness of the offense. They had their own version of the Run & Shoot Offense with Thurman Thomas in the backfield as their Tailback along with Don Beebe & Andre Reed as their receivers.
• The Killer Bees — The 1982 Miami Dolphins defensive team; 6 of their 11 starters had last names that began with the letter "B", (Bob Baumhower, Bill Barnett, Lyle Blackwood, Kim Bokamper, Glenn Blackwood, Charles Bowser, Doug Betters, and Bob Brudzinski). They allowed only 131 points in the strike-shortened, nine-game regular season.
• Legion of Boom- The dominant secondary of the 2012 Seattle Seahawks, consisting of 2011 Pro-Bowl safety tandem Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor as well as the league's largest set of corners in 6'4" Pro-Bowler Brandon Browner and 6'3" Richard Sherman. The nickname refers to the physical play of a unit typified by "booming" hits.
• Marty Ball - Coach Marty Schottenheimer's football strategy.
• Million Dollar Backfield was given to two historical backfields. It was first used to refer to the backfield of the then-Chicago Cardinals in 1947 after owner Charles Bidwill spent an unprecedented amount of money to lure several of the era's top players to the team. The term was resurrected again in 1954 for the backfield of the San Francisco 49ers, which would go on to produce four Hall of Famers.
• Monsters of the Midway — Originally applied to the Chicago Bears of the early 1940s, but revived for the 1980s Bears and subsequent successful Bears defensive teams. Originally used for the University of Chicago Maroons college football team. "Midway" was the name of the park on campus ("Wall Street Journal" 31 October 2009)
• New York Sack Exchange — The New York Jets defense of the early 1980s, led by defensive end Mark Gastineau along with Joe Klecko, and interior linemen Marty Lyons and Abdul Salaam. Fans began showing up at Shea Stadium with "NY Sack Exchange" signs, then the team itself began to promote that moniker. Name references the New York Stock Exchange on New York's Wall Street.
• No-Name Defense — The 1970s Miami Dolphins defensive team, especially that of its undefeated 1972 season, which performed excellently despite a lack of recognizable stars. They earned their nickname the previous year when Dallas coach Tom Landry said in an interview prior to Super Bowl VI that he could not remember the names of the Miami defensive players.
• Oakland Faiders – Refers to the fact that the Raiders have faded from their glory days. It also referred to the 1995 season (their first season in their return to Oakland from Los Angeles) in which they got off to an 8-2 start, but didn't win a single game for the rest of the season, finishing 8-8 and missing the playoffs.
• Orange Crush — The 1970s Denver Broncos defensive team, led by defensive end Lyle Alzado and linebacker Randy Gradishar.
• Over-the-Hill Gang — The George Allen-coached Washington Redskins of the early 1970s, so named because of the large number of veteran players on the team. Many of those players also played for Allen when he coached the Los Angeles Rams from 1966-1970.
• Patsies — Poorly performing New England Patriots squads, a play on the nickname "The Pats."
• Pewter Pirates — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, after changing team logo and colors in 1997.
• Purple People Eaters — The 1970s Minnesota Vikings defensive line, specifically the combination of Alan Page, Jim Marshall, Carl Eller, and Gary Larsen. The name is a reference to both the purple uniforms of the Vikings and the 1960s song "One Eyed One Horned Flying Purple People Eater"
• Sack Pack - The defensive line of the Baltimore Colts in the mid- to late-70s. The Sack Pack were defensive tackles Joe Ehrmann (#76) and Mike Barnes (#64) and defensive ends Fred Cook (#72) and John Dutton (#78). In 1975, the Sack Pack established itself with 59 sacks. It had 56 the following year and 47 in 1977 before slowing down due to injuries.
• San Diego Super Chargers — Nickname given to the San Diego Chargers from its fight song. The song is often cited by Chris Berman and Tom Jackson.
• Steel Curtain — The 1970s Pittsburgh Steelers defensive team considered to be one of the most dominant defenses in the history of the NFL, primarily because in 1978 the league had to make rule changes for offenses to be able to combat the Steel Curtain. These rules included allowing offensive linemen to use their hands to block pass rushers like "Mean" Joe Greene, and restricting defensive backs like Mel Blount from being able to bump receivers more than 5 yards past the line of scrimmage (as DB's had been allowed to do before). In 1976 during a 9 game stretch, the Steel Curtain allowed only 28 points, including 5 shut-outs. The Steel Curtain of the '70s produced 4 Hall of Fame players (more than any of the vaunted defensive units of the time): Jack Lambert, Jack Ham, Joe Greene, and Mel Blount. LC Greenwood and Donnie Shell have both been Hall of Fame finalists several times.
• Seagulls, Sea Slugs or Sea Chickens - Name that is often uttered by various articles when referring to the Seahawks in a derogatory way. Also, fans sometimes might call the team this nickname when they do poorly during games.
• Seasquawks or Squawks - used by Seahawk fans endearingly. It denotes the feeling of pride Seahawks fans have for the team despite their history of mediocrity. It is a play on the name; replacing the hawk in Seahawk with squawk: a grating noise made by a bird in distress, or a harsh abrubt scream
• SWAT team - Name of the Cincinnati Bengals' secondary of David Fulcher, Solomon Wilcots, Eric Thomas, and Lewis Billups coached by Defensive Coordinator Dick LeBeau during the 1988 season.
• Three Amigos - Denver Broncos wide receivers Mark Jackson, Vance Johnson, and Ricky Nattiel
• The Triplets - Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin & Emmitt Smith, the offensive stars of the 1990s Dallas Cowboys 3-time Super Bowl winning teams
• Viqueens — Poorly performing Minnesota Vikings squads, a play on the team name.
• Yucks — (or "Yuccaneers") The Tampa Bay Buccaneers from the mid 1980s to the mid 1990s when the team commonly posted double-digit losses during the regular season. On November 17, 1996, The "Yuccaneers" term was used during the ESPN pregame show prior to a game at the Chargers. Tampa Bay erased a 0-14 deficit to win 25-17.