The
2005 seasonIn an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1st through October 1st; in European football , it is generally from August until May In an...
of the National Football LeagueThe National Football League is the largest professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing its name to the National Football League in 1922. The league currently consists of...
(NFL) was the 86th season played by the major professional
American footballAmerican football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, and often as Gridiron or Tackle football outside North America, is a competitive team sport known for combining strategy with physical play. The objective of the game is to score points by advancing the ball into the...
league in the United States. With the
New England PatriotsThe New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the...
as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006. The regular season also saw the first ever regular season game played outside the United States, as well as the
New Orleans SaintsThe New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Saints play in the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League ....
being forced to play elsewhere due to damage to the
SuperdomeThe Louisiana Superdome, often informally referred to simply as the Superdome, The Dome or the New Orleans Superdome is a large, multi-purpose sports and exhibition facility located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana...
and the entire New Orleans area by
Hurricane KatrinaHurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the costliest hurricane, as well as one of the five deadliest, in the history of the United States...
.
The playoffs began on January 7.
The
2005 seasonIn an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1st through October 1st; in European football , it is generally from August until May In an...
of the National Football LeagueThe National Football League is the largest professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing its name to the National Football League in 1922. The league currently consists of...
(NFL) was the 86th season played by the major professional
American footballAmerican football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, and often as Gridiron or Tackle football outside North America, is a competitive team sport known for combining strategy with physical play. The objective of the game is to score points by advancing the ball into the...
league in the United States. With the
New England PatriotsThe New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the...
as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006. The regular season also saw the first ever regular season game played outside the United States, as well as the
New Orleans SaintsThe New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Saints play in the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League ....
being forced to play elsewhere due to damage to the
SuperdomeThe Louisiana Superdome, often informally referred to simply as the Superdome, The Dome or the New Orleans Superdome is a large, multi-purpose sports and exhibition facility located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana...
and the entire New Orleans area by
Hurricane KatrinaHurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the costliest hurricane, as well as one of the five deadliest, in the history of the United States...
.
The playoffs began on January 7. New England was eliminated in the Divisional Playoff Round, and eventually the NFL title was won by the
Pittsburgh SteelersThe Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are currently a member of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, who defeated the
Seattle SeahawksThe Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington, USA. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team, along with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, joined the NFL in 1976 as...
21–10 in
Super Bowl XLSuper Bowl XL was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Seattle Seahawks to decide the National Football League champion for the 2005 season...
, at
Ford FieldFord Field is an indoor football stadium located in Detroit, Michigan, USA that is the current home field of the NFL's Detroit Lions. It is across the street from Comerica Park. It regularly seats 65,000, though it is expandable up to 70,000 for football and 80,000 for basketball...
in
DetroitDetroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Wayne County. Detroit is a major port city on the Detroit River, in the Midwest region of the United States. Located north of Windsor, Ontario, Detroit is the only major U.S. city that looks south to Canada. It was founded...
,
MichiganMichigan is a Midwestern state of the United States of America. It was named after Lake Michigan, whose name is a French adaptation of the Ojibwe term mishigama, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
on February 5. The Steelers' win marked their fifth Super Bowl
The season formally concluded with the
Pro BowlThe 2006 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played on February 12, 2006 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. It marked the 27th consecutive time that the National Football League's all-star game was held in Honolulu...
, the league's
all-star gameAn all-star game is an exhibition game played by the best players in their sports league, except in the circumstances of professional sports systems in which a democratic voting system is used...
, at
Aloha StadiumAloha Stadium is a stadium located in the Halawa CDP, City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii, United States. Currently Aloha Stadium is home to the University of Hawaii Warriors football team . It has also been home to the National Football League's Pro Bowl since 1980 and the NCAA's Hula Bowl from...
in
Honolulu, HawaiiHonolulu is the capital of and the most populous census-designated place in the U.S. state of Hawaii. Although Honolulu refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and the county are consolidated, known as the City and County of Honolulu, and the city and...
on February 12.
Television
This marked the final season that
ABCThe American Broadcasting Company is an American television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. It first broadcast on television in 1948...
held the rights to televise
Monday Night FootballMonday Night Football is a live television broadcast of the National Football League. Originally airing on the ABC network from to , Monday Night Football was the second longest running prime time show on American broadcast network television and one of the highest-rated, particularly among male...
after thirty-six years of airing the series. When the TV contracts were renewed near the end of the season, the rights to broadcast
Monday Night Football were awarded to
DisneyThe Walt Disney Company , often simply known as Disney, is the largest media and entertainment conglomerate in the world, known for its family-friendly products...
-owned corporate sibling
ESPNESPN is an American cable television network dedicated to broadcasting and producing sports-related programming 24 hours a day....
.
NBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices in Burbank,California...
won the right to televise
Sunday Night FootballNBC Sunday Night Football is a weekly television broadcast of Sunday evening National Football League games on NBC that began airing on Sunday, August 6, 2006 with the pre-season opening Hall of Fame Game. Al Michaels serves as the play-by-play announcer, with Cris Collinsworth providing color...
, marking the first time that the network broadcast NFL games since
Super Bowl XXXIISuper Bowl XXXII was an American football game played on January 25, 1998 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1997 regular season...
in 1998. Meanwhile,
CBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is an American television network, one of television's original "big three", which also include NBC and ABC. Like NBC, CBS started out as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System...
and
FoxThe Fox Broadcasting Company , commonly referred to as Fox , is an American television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, from 2004 to 2009 Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the 18–49 demographic...
renewed their television contracts to the
American Football ConferenceThe American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . The other is the National Football Conference . This conference, along with the NFC, contains 16 teams...
and the
National Football ConferenceThe National Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . The NFC was created after the league merged with the American Football League in 1970. The NFC had 13 teams that year, all of which played in the NFL before the merger...
packages, respectively.
First regular season game played outside the United States
The 2005 season also featured the first ever regular season game played outside the United States when a
San Francisco 49ersThe San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team. The team plays its home games in San Francisco, California, while the club's headquarters and practice facility are located in Santa Clara...
-
Arizona CardinalsThe Arizona Cardinals are a professional American Football team based in Glendale, Arizona. The Cardinals are members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Cardinals were founded in 1898, and are the oldest continuously run professional...
game was played at
Estadio AztecaEstadio Azteca is a stadium in Mexico City, Mexico. It is the official home stadium of the Mexico national football team and the Mexican team Club América....
in Mexico City on October 2 (
the Cardinals won 31-14"Fútbol Americano" was the marketing name used for the first-ever National Football League regular season game ever held outside the United States. Played on October 2 2005 at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, the Arizona Cardinals defeated the San Francisco 49ers, 31-14...
). The game drew an NFL regular season record of 103,467 paid fans. It was a home game for the Cardinals, mostly because the team rarely sold out at their then-home field,
Sun Devil StadiumSun Devil Stadium, Frank Kush Field is an outdoor football stadium located on the campus of Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. It is home to the Arizona State Sun Devils of the Pacific-10 Conference. It has previously been the home of the NFL's Arizona Cardinals from 1988 to 2005, and was...
in
Tempe, ArizonaTempe is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, with a 2007 population of 174,091. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in the East Valley section of the Phoenix Metropolitan Area; it is bordered by Phoenix and Guadalupe on the west, Scottsdale on the north,...
. This season was the last year that the Cardinals played at Sun Devil Stadium; the team then moved to their new
University of Phoenix StadiumUniversity of Phoenix Stadium is a multipurpose football stadium located in Glendale, Arizona. It is the home of the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League and the annual Fiesta Bowl...
in nearby
GlendaleGlendale is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, located about nine miles northwest from Downtown Phoenix. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 246,531....
.
Effect of Hurricane Katrina
Due to the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina to the
Louisiana SuperdomeThe Louisiana Superdome, often informally referred to simply as the Superdome, The Dome or the New Orleans Superdome is a large, multi-purpose sports and exhibition facility located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana...
and the greater New Orleans area, the entire New Orleans Saints' 2005 home schedule were played at different venues while the Saints set up temporary operations in
San Antonio, TexasSan Antonio is the second-largest city in the state of Texas and the seventh-largest city in the United States. The city is characteristic of other Southwest urban centers in which there are sparsely populated areas and a low density rate outside of the city. It was the fourth-fastest growing...
. The Saints' first home game on September 18 against the
New York GiantsThe New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The team plays its home games at Giants Stadium, which also serves as its headquarters, and trains at an adjacent practice facility within the Meadowlands Sports Complex...
was moved to
Giants StadiumGiants Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. It primarily serves as the home stadium for the New York Giants and New York Jets American football teams of the NFL, and the New York Red Bulls soccer team of MLS...
on September 19 (In which the N.Y. Giants won 27-10). The impromptu "Monday Night doubleheader" with the game already scheduled (
Washington RedskinsThe Washington Redskins are a professional American football team based in the Washington, D.C. area. The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, which is in Prince George's County, Maryland. The team's headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn, Virginia, a community...
at
Dallas CowboysThe Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team that plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . They are headquartered in suburban Irving, Texas, which lies between Fort Worth and Dallas...
) was a success, and was made a permanent part of the schedule the next year when Monday Night Football made the move to ESPN.
As a result of the Unscheduled doubleheader, the NFL designated its second weekend, September 18 and 19, as "Hurricane Relief Weekend", with fund raising collections at all of the league's games. The Saints' remaining home games were split between the
AlamodomeThe Alamodome is a domed 65,000 seat, multi-purpose facility that is primarily used as a football/basketball stadium and convention center in San Antonio, Texas, USA...
in San Antonio and Louisiana State University's Tiger Stadium in
Baton Rouge, LouisianaBaton Rouge is the capital city and the second largest city of Louisiana It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish which contains 428,000 residents. The Greater Baton Rouge population is approximately 774,327...
. Being forced to travel to 13 of their 16 games (only 3 of their games were actually played in the same city where they practiced) and practice in substandard facilities and conditions in San Antonio, the Saints finished 3–13, their worst season since
1999The 1999 NFL season was the 80th regular season of the National Football League. The Cleveland Browns returned to the field for the first time since the 1995 season...
.
The last time an NFL franchise had to play at an alternate site because its own home field was deemed unplayable was in 2002, when the
Chicago BearsThe Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the NFC North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
played that season in
Champaign, IllinoisChampaign is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, in the United States. The city is located south of Chicago, west of Indianapolis, Indiana, and 178 miles northeast of St. Louis, Missouri. Though surrounded by farm communities, Champaign is notable for sharing the campus of the University of...
, 120 miles (200 km) away, due to the reconstruction of
Soldier FieldSoldier Field is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, and is currently home to the NFL's Chicago Bears...
. The last NFL team to abandon their home city during a season was the hapless 1952
Dallas TexansThe Dallas Texans played in the National Football League for one season, 1952, with a record of 1–11.-History:After the 1951 NFL season, Ted Collins sold his financially troubled New York Yanks franchise back to the NFL...
, whose franchise was returned to the league after drawing several poor crowds at the
Cotton BowlThe Cotton Bowl is a stadium which opened in 1932 and became known as "The House That Doak Built" due to the immense crowds that former SMU running back Doak Walker drew to the stadium during his college career in the late 1940s. Originally known as Fair Park Stadium, it is located in Fair Park,...
. They played their final "home" game at the
Rubber BowlThe Rubber Bowl is a stadium in Akron, Ohio primarily used for American football. From 1940 to 2008, it served as the home field of the University of Akron's Zips football team...
in
AkronAkron is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. In 2008, its population was estimated to be 207,510. The municipality is located in northeastern Ohio on the Cuyahoga River between Cleveland to the north and Canton to the south, approximately 60 miles west of...
,
OhioOhio is a Midwestern state of the United States. The thirty-fourth largest state by area in the U.S., it is the seventh-most populous with nearly 11.5 million residents...
, against the Bears on
ThanksgivingThanksgiving may refer to:*Thanksgiving , the holiday on the fourth Thursday in November.*Thanksgiving , the holiday on the second Monday in October.*Thanksgiving...
; the Texans stunned the Bears, 27-23, in front of a crowd estimated at 3,000, for their only win of the season.
Effect of Hurricane Wilma
The Sunday, October 23 game between the
Kansas City ChiefsThe Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
and the
Miami DolphinsThe Miami Dolphins are a professional football team based in the Miami, Florida metropolitan area. They play home games at Land Shark Stadium, in the suburb of Miami Gardens. They are headquartered at the Miami Dolphins Training Facility in Davie, Florida. The Dolphins belong to the Eastern...
at Dolphins Stadium was rescheduled to Friday, October 21 at 7:00 pm
EDTEastern Daylight Time may refers to:* Eastern Daylight Time , UTC-4.* Australian Eastern Daylight Time, UTC+11....
to beat
Hurricane WilmaHurricane Wilma was the most intense hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic basin. Wilma was the twenty-second storm , thirteenth hurricane, sixth major hurricane, and fourth Category 5 hurricane of the record-breaking 2005 season Hurricane Wilma was the most intense hurricane ever recorded in the...
's arrival to the area. The Chiefs won the game, 30–20, and became the first visiting team to travel and play on the same day.
Major rule changes
- The "horse-collar tackle," in which a defender grabs inside the back or side of an opponent’s shoulder pads and pulls that player down, is prohibited. Named the "Roy Williams Rule" after the Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team that plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . They are headquartered in suburban Irving, Texas, which lies between Fort Worth and Dallas...
defensive backIn American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
whose horse-collar tackle during the last season caused serious injuries to Philadelphia EaglesThe Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
wide receiverA wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
Terrell OwensTerrell Joe Gallagher Owens is an American football wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. A six-time Pro Bowl selection, and holder of the league single-game reception record, Owens has been one of the dominant receivers of his era...
, Tennessee TitansThe Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the then-Houston, Texas, team began play in 1960 as a...
wide receiver Tyrone CalicoTyrone Bernard Calico is an American football wide receiver. In college, he was the starting receiver for Middle Tennessee State University. He ran the fastest 40 yard dash in the 2002 NFL scouting combine at 4.34. He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in 2003 and recorded four touchdowns in his...
, and Baltimore RavensThe Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. They compete in the AFC North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
running backA running back is the position of a player on an American or Canadian football team who usually lines up in the offensive backfield...
Musa SmithMusa Smith is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
.
- Peel-back blocks (where an offensive player blocks a defender who is moving back toward the direction of his own end zone) below the waist and from the back are now illegal.
- Unnecessary roughness would be called for blocks away from the play on punters or kickers, similar to the same protection quarterbacks have after interceptions.
- When time is stopped by officials prior to the snap for any reason while time is in, the play clock resumes with the same amount of time that remained on it - with a minimum of 10 seconds. Previously, the play-clock would be reset to 25 seconds.
- During field goal and extra point attempts, the defensive team will be penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct if it calls consecutive timeouts in an attempt to "ice" the kicker. Previously, the second timeout request was only denied by officials, and thus could be used to distract the kickers.
- Players cannot run, dive into, cut, or throw their bodies against or on an opponent who is out of the play or should not have reasonably anticipated such contact.
- If the defensive team commits a dead ball foul following the end of the half, the offensive team may choose to extend the period for one more play. Previously, the half automatically ended without the defensive team being penalized.
- During a punt, if the kicking team illegally touches the ball inside the 5-yard line, the receiving team has the option of either treating the result as a touchback or replaying the down with a 5-yard penalty against the kicking team. Previously, the receiving team's only options were either the latter or taking over possession at the spot of the foul. This change prevents an ineligible player from keeping a kick from entering the end zone and becoming a touchback.
- If the kicking team commits a penalty, the receiving team can have the option of adding five yards to the return or taking a penalty and forcing the kicking team to rekick the ball. Previously they could take the latter or decline the penalty.
- If a team calls for an instant replay challenge after it has used all its challenges or is out of timeouts, it will be assessed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. The penalty will also be assessed if a team calls for a challenge inside of two minutes of either half or overtime, when only the replay assistant can initiate reviews. Previously, the request was only denied by the Referee. This change was made to prevent head coaches from constantly stopping the game for any reason, including to just argue with the Referee.
- Teams are only able to request an instant replay challenge by tossing their red flag to get the attention of officials. The league decided to do away with the electronic pager
A pager is a simple personal telecommunications device for short messages. A one-way numeric pager can only receive a message consisting of a few digits, typically a phone number that the user is then expected to call...
/vibrating alertA vibrating alert is a feature of communications devices to notify the user of an incoming connection. It is particularly common on mobile phones and pagers and usually supplements the ring tone....
system used by head coaches because practically all of them always used their red flags instead of their pagers anyway. (However, the replay assistant will still use the pagers to notify the officials of a replay request.)
Coaching changes
- Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are an American football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They play in the AFC North division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . The original Cleveland Browns began play in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
- Romeo CrennelRomeo Crennel is the former head coach of the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. Before becoming the head coach of the Browns, Crennel won three Super Bowls in four seasons as the defensive coordinator of the New England Patriots...
; replaced interim head coach Terry RobiskieTerry Robiskie is a former American football player and current wide receivers coach for the Atlanta Falcons.-Playing career:...
who replaced Butch DavisPaul Hilton "Butch" Davis, Jr. is the current head football coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels. Previously, Davis was the head coach of the Miami Hurricanes and later the Cleveland Browns of the NFL....
who resigned during the 2004 season.
- Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional football team based in the Miami, Florida metropolitan area. They play home games at Land Shark Stadium, in the suburb of Miami Gardens. They are headquartered at the Miami Dolphins Training Facility in Davie, Florida. The Dolphins belong to the Eastern...
- Nick SabanNicholas Lou "Nick" Saban is the head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide college football team. Saban has previously served as head coach of the National Football League's Miami Dolphins and three other NCAA universities: LSU, Michigan State and Toledo...
; replaced interim head coach Jim BatesJim Bates is a former American Democratic politician.After graduating high school in the Denver area, Bates joined the United States Marine Corps in 1959, and served in the Corps until 1963. Relocating to San Diego, Bates became a banker and later a businessman in the aerospace industry.Bates was...
who replaced Dave WannstedtDave Wannstedt , is the current head coach of the University of Pittsburgh Panthers football team. Previously, Wannstedt was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins of the NFL from 2000 to 2004, and he coached the Chicago Bears from 1993 to 1998...
who resigned during the 2004 season.
- San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team. The team plays its home games in San Francisco, California, while the club's headquarters and practice facility are located in Santa Clara...
- Mike NolanMike Nolan is an American football defensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos-College years:Nolan attended the University of Oregon and was a three-year letterman in football and starter at safety....
; replaced Dennis EricksonDennis Erickson is an American football coach, currently the head coach of the Arizona State Sun Devils. He has been the head coach of six college football programs and two NFL franchises.-Early life:...
who was fired following the 2004 season.
Final regular season standings
W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT = Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against
Clinched playoff seeds are marked in parentheses and shaded in green
Tiebreakers Cincinnati finished ahead of Pittsburgh in the AFC North based on better division record (5-1 to 4-2). Baltimore finished ahead of Cleveland in the AFC North based on better division record (2-4 to 1-5). Tampa Bay finished ahead of Carolina in the NFC South based on better division record (5-1 to 4-2). Chicago clinched the NFC's #2 seed instead of Tampa Bay or the N.Y. Giants based on better conference record (10-2 to Buccaneers' 9-3 and Giants' 8-4). Tampa Bay clinched the NFC's #3 seed instead of the N.Y. Giants based on better conference record (9-3 to 8-4).
Playoffs
- Home team in capitals
AFC
- Wild-Card playoffs: NEW ENGLAND 28, Jacksonville 3; Pittsburgh 31, CINCINNATI 17
- Divisional playoffs: DENVER 27, New England 13; Pittsburgh 21, INDIANAPOLIS 18
- AFC Championship: Pittsburgh 34, DENVER 17 at INVESCO Field, Denver, Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state located in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States of America. It may also be considered to be part of the Western and Southwestern regions of the United States. Colorado entered statehood in 1876 and was nicknamed the “Centennial State”...
, January 22, 2006
NFC
- Wild-Card playoffs: Washington 17, TAMPA BAY 10; Carolina 23, N.Y. GIANTS 0
- Divisional playoffs: SEATTLE 20, Washington 10; Carolina 29, CHICAGO 21
- NFC Championship: SEATTLE 34, Carolina 14 at Qwest Field
Qwest Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Seattle, Washington, USA. It serves as the home field for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League and Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer. The complex also consists of the WaMu Theater, a parking garage, and large public plaza...
, Seattle, WashingtonWashington is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Washington was carved out of the western part of Washington Territory which had been ceded by Britain in 1846 by the Oregon Treaty as settlement of the Oregon Boundary Dispute. It was admitted to the Union as the...
January 22, 2006
Super Bowl
- Super Bowl XL: Pittsburgh (AFC) 21, Seattle (NFC) 10 at Ford Field, Detroit
Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Wayne County. Detroit is a major port city on the Detroit River, in the Midwest region of the United States. Located north of Windsor, Ontario, Detroit is the only major U.S. city that looks south to Canada. It was founded...
, MichiganMichigan is a Midwestern state of the United States of America. It was named after Lake Michigan, whose name is a French adaptation of the Ojibwe term mishigama, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, February 5, 2006
Milestones
The following teams and players set all-time NFL records during the season:
| Record |
Player/Team |
Date/Opponent |
Previous Record Holder |
Longest Return of a Missed Field Goal/
Longest Play in NFL History |
Nathan VasherNathaniel deWayne Vasher is an American football cornerback, who plays for the Chicago Bears.-Early life:...
, Chicago (108 yards) |
November 13, vs. San Francisco |
Chris McAlisterChristopher James McAlister is an American football Cornerback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens tenth overall in the 1999 NFL Draft...
, Baltimore vs. Denver, September 30, 2002 (107 yards) |
| Most Consecutive Games Played, Career |
Jeff FeaglesJeffrey Allan Feagles is an American football punter for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 1988. He played college football at the University of Miami.Feagles is known for using the "coffin...
, New York Giants |
November 27, at Seattle |
Jim Marshall James "Jim" Lawrence Marshall played college football at Ohio State University. He left school before his senior year, and played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. He was then drafted in the 4th round of the 1960 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns. Marshall played...
, 1960-1979 (282) |
| Most Touchdowns, Season |
Shaun AlexanderShaun Edward Alexander is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks 19th overall in the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Alabama....
, Seattle (28) |
N/A |
Priest Holmes Priest Anthony Holmes is a former American football running back of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 1997. He played college football at Texas.Holmes earned a Super Bowl ring with the Ravens in Super Bowl XXXV...
, Kansas City, 2003 (27) |
| Most Field Goals, Season |
Neil RackersNeil William Rackers is a placekicker for the Arizona Cardinals. He was selected with the third pick of the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals out of the University of Illinois....
, Arizona (40) |
N/A |
Tied by 2 players (39) |
| Most Field Goals by a Team, Season |
Arizona (43) |
N/A |
Tied by 2 teams (39) |
Team
| Points scored |
Seattle Seahawks (452) |
| Total yards gained |
Kansas City Chiefs (6,192) |
| Yards rushing |
Atlanta Falcons (2,546) |
| Yards passing |
Arizona Cardinals (4,437) |
| Fewest points allowed |
Chicago Bears (202) |
| Fewest total yards allowed |
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4,444) |
| Fewest rushing yards allowed |
San Diego Chargers (1,349) |
| Fewest passing yards allowed |
Green Bay Packers (2,680) |
Individual
| Scoring |
Shaun AlexanderShaun Edward Alexander is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks 19th overall in the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Alabama....
, Seattle (168 points) |
| Touchdowns |
Shaun AlexanderShaun Edward Alexander is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks 19th overall in the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Alabama....
, Seattle (28 TDs) * |
| Most field goals made |
Neil RackersNeil William Rackers is a placekicker for the Arizona Cardinals. He was selected with the third pick of the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals out of the University of Illinois....
, Arizona (40 FGs) * |
| Rushing |
Shaun AlexanderShaun Edward Alexander is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks 19th overall in the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Alabama....
, Seattle (1,880 yards) |
| Passer rating |
Peyton ManningPeyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. One of only two three-time NFL MVPs, he is statistically regarded as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time...
, Indianapolis (104.1 rating) |
| Passing touchdowns |
Carson PalmerCarson Palmer is an American professional football quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bengals first overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played collegiately at the University of Southern California and won the Heisman Trophy in 2002...
, Cincinnati (32 TDs) |
| Passing yards |
Tom BradyThomas Edward "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls, winning three...
, New England (4,110 yards) |
| Pass receptions |
Larry FitzgeraldLarry Darnell Fitzgerald, Jr. , is an American football wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He was drafted third overall in the 2004 NFL Draft by the Cardinals...
, Arizona and Steve SmithStevonne Latrall Smith is an American football wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was brought to the Panthers organization as a third round pick in the 2001 NFL Draft...
, Carolina (103 catches) |
| Pass receiving yards |
Steve Smith, Carolina (1,563 yards) |
| Punt returns |
Reno Mahe Sateki Reno Mahe, Jr. is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football at BYU-Early life:...
, Philadelphia (12.8 average yards) |
| Kickoff returns |
Terrence McGee Terrence Dewayne McGee is an American football cornerback and kick returner who currently plays for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by Bills in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
, Buffalo (30.2 average yards) |
| Interceptions |
Ty LawTajuan "Ty" Law is an American football cornerback playing in the National Football League and is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New England Patriots 23rd overall in the 1995 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan.Law is a two-time All-Pro, a five-time Pro Bowl selection...
, New York Jets and Deltha O'NealDeltha Lee O'Neal, III is an American football cornerback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the first round as the 15th pick overall in the 2000 NFL Draft, after playing college football at California.A two-time Pro Bowl selection, O'Neal has also been a member...
, Cincinnati (10) |
| Punting |
Brian Moorman Brian Donald Moorman is an American football punter who currently plays for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 1999. He played collegiately at Pittsburg State.Moorman is a two-time Pro Bowl selection for...
, Buffalo and Shane LechlerEdward Shane Lechler is an American football punter who currently plays for the Oakland Raiders in the National Football League. Lechler played college football for Texas A&M from 1996-1999. In the NFL, Lechler has been named an All-Pro six times during his career. He is currently the NFL's...
, Oakland (45.7 average yards) |
| Sacks |
Derrick BurgessDerrick Lee Burgess is an American football defensive end and linebacker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Mississippi.Burgess has also played for the...
, Oakland (16) |
| * — Denotes new league record. |
Awards
| Most Valuable Player |
Shaun AlexanderShaun Edward Alexander is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks 19th overall in the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Alabama....
, Running Back, Seattle |
| Coach of the Year The National Football League Coach of the Year Award is presented annually by various news and sports organizations to the NFL head coach who has done the most outstanding job of working with the talent he has at his disposal. Currently, the most widely recognized award is presented by the...
|
Lovie Smith Lovie Lee Smith is the head coach of the Chicago Bears professional football team of the NFL. Smith has been to the Super Bowl twice, as the defensive coordinator for the 2001 Saint Louis Rams and as the head coach for the Chicago Bears in 2006....
, Chicago |
| Offensive Player of the Year The NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award is given annually by the Associated Press to the offensive player of the National Football League believed to have had the most outstanding season...
|
Shaun AlexanderShaun Edward Alexander is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks 19th overall in the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Alabama....
, Running Back, Seattle |
| Defensive Player of the Year The NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award is given by the Associated Press to the league's most outstanding defensive player at the end of every NFL season since 1971. Multiple-award winners include Lawrence Taylor, who won it three times, and Joe Greene, Mike Singletary, Bruce Smith, Reggie...
|
Brian UrlacherBrian Kieth Urlacher is an American football player for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. Urlacher, an alumnus of the University of New Mexico, is a six-time Pro Bowl player and has established himself as one of the NFL's most productive linebackers...
, Linebacker, Chicago |
| Offensive Rookie of the Year Since 1967 The Associated Press has given two annual Rookie of the Year Awards to NFL American football players: one for an offensive player and one for a defensive player. These two are often regarded as the "official" awards...
|
Carnell WilliamsCarnell Lamar "Cadillac" Williams is an American football running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL and a former running back for the Auburn Tigers.-Collegiate career:...
, Running Back, Tampa Bay |
| Defensive Rookie of the Year |
Shawne MerrimanShawne DeAndre Merriman is an American football outside linebacker for the San Diego Chargers of the NFL.-2005 NFL Draft:...
, Linebacker, San Diego |
| NFL Comeback Player of the Year The NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award has been given out after every season since 1972 by Pro Football Weekly and since 1998 by the Associated Press...
|
Tedy BruschiTedy Lacap Bruschi is a former professional American football linebacker. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 1996 NFL Draft...
, Linebacker, New England
Steve Smith, Wide Receiver, Carolina (tie) |
----
All-Pro Team
| Special teams |
| Kicker Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points, and, in many cases, kickoffs....
|
Neil RackersNeil William Rackers is a placekicker for the Arizona Cardinals. He was selected with the third pick of the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals out of the University of Illinois....
, Arizona |
PunterA punter in American or Canadian football is a special teams player who receives the snapped ball directly from the line of scrimmage and then punts the football to the opposing team so as to limit any field position advantage. This generally happens on a fourth down in American football and a...
|
Brian Moorman Brian Donald Moorman is an American football punter who currently plays for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 1999. He played collegiately at Pittsburg State.Moorman is a two-time Pro Bowl selection for...
, Buffalo |
| Kick returner In American and Canadian football, a kick returner is the player on special teams who is primarily responsible to catch kickoffs and attempts to return them in the opposite direction. If the ball is kicked into his own endzone, he must assess the situation on the field while the ball is in the...
|
Jerome Mathis Jerome Alvon Mathis is a professional American and Canadian football wide receiver and kick returner for the Toronto Argonauts. He was drafted in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football for the Hampton Pirates.Mathis has also been a member of the Washington Redskins...
, Houston |