The
2008 NFL season was the 89th
regular seasonThe National Football League regular season begins the weekend after Labor Day. Each team plays 16 games during a 17-week period. Traditionally, the majority of each week's games are played on Sunday afternoon, with weekly games on Sunday night and Monday night, and occasional games on Thursday...
of the
National Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top 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...
, themed with the slogan "Believe in Now."
Super Bowl XLIIISuper Bowl XLIII was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Arizona Cardinals to decide the National Football League champion for the 2008 season. The game was played on February 1, 2009,...
, the league's championship game, was at
Raymond James StadiumRaymond James Stadium, also known as the "Ray Jay", is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa, Florida. It is home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as the NCAA's South Florida Bulls football team. The stadium seats 65,857 , and it is expandable to 75,000 for special events...
in
Tampa, FloridaTampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
on February 1, 2009, with the
Pittsburgh SteelersThe Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
coming out victorious over the
Arizona CardinalsThe Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
27–23 and winning their NFL-record sixth
Vince Lombardi TrophyThe Vince Lombardi Trophy is the trophy awarded each year to the winning team of the National Football League's championship game, the Super Bowl.-History:...
. Conversely, the
Detroit LionsThe Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
became the first NFL team with an
imperfect seasonAn imperfect season is defined as a team losing all of their games. It is the antithesis of a perfect season, and is often referred to as such in a tongue-in-cheek manner...
since the strike-shortened
1982 NFL seasonThe 1982 NFL season was the 63rd regular season of the National Football League. A 57-day long players' strike reduced the 1982 season from a 16-game schedule per team to an abbreviated nine game schedule...
, finishing
their season 0-16The 2008 Detroit Lions season was the 79th season for the franchise in the National Football League. Although the Lions had a flawless preseason with a 4-0 record, the Lions became the first team in NFL history to compile an 0-16 record in regular season play. They were mathematically eliminated...
.
The regular season began on September 4 with the defending Super Bowl champion
New York GiantsThe New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
defeating the
Washington RedskinsThe Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
16–7, and concluded with the
2009 Pro BowlThe 2009 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was the NFL's all-star game for the 2008 season. It was played at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii on February 8, 2009. This was the last time that a Pro Bowl game was held after the NFL Super Bowl game...
on February 8, 2009 in Honolulu.
Preseason
In
preseason gamesThe National Football League preseason refers to the period each year during which NFL teams play several not-for-the-record exhibition games before the actual "championship" or "regular" season starts. Beginning with the featured Pro Football Hall of Fame game in early August, five weekends of...
, the annual
Pro Football Hall of Fame GameThe Pro Football Hall of Game is an annual National Football League exhibition game that is held the weekend of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's induction ceremonies. The game is played at Fawcett Stadium, which is located next door to the Hall of Fame building in Canton, Ohio...
was played August 3 between the Indianapolis Colts and Washington Redskins, which aired on
NBCNBC 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 as the color...
. Washington won the game, 30–16. Other preseason highlights included the first game of the
Toronto SeriesThe National Football League has long been rumoured to be considering placing one of its franchises in Canada's largest city, Toronto, Ontario....
, which was played August 14 between the
Buffalo BillsThe Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and the
Pittsburgh SteelersThe Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
at Toronto's
Rogers CentreRogers Centre is a multi-purpose stadium, in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated next to the CN Tower, near the shores of Lake Ontario. Opened in 1989, it is home to the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League...
. The Bills won that game, 24–21.
Formula
Based on the
NFL's scheduling formulaThe National Football League regular season begins the weekend after Labor Day. Each team plays 16 games during a 17-week period. Traditionally, the majority of each week's games are played on Sunday afternoon, with weekly games on Sunday night and Monday night, and occasional games on Thursday...
, the intraconference and interconference matchups for 2008 were:
| Division | AFC opponent | NFC opponent |
| AFC East |
West |
West |
| AFC North |
South |
East |
| AFC South |
North |
North |
| AFC West |
East |
South |
| NFC East |
North |
West |
| NFC North |
South |
South |
| NFC South |
West |
North |
| NFC West |
East |
East |
Opening Weekend
The annual
NFL Kickoff GameThe NFL Kickoff game, and related festivities, mark the start of the National Football League season. The first game of the season is currently scheduled for the Thursday following Labor Day. A single game is held, preceded by a concert and other ceremonies. Since the 2004 season, the defending...
to start the season took place on September 4 and featured the
Super Bowl XLIISuper Bowl XLII was an American football game on February 3, 2008 that featured the National Football Conference champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League champion for the 2007 season...
champion
New York GiantsThe 2008 New York Giants season was the franchise's 84th season in the National Football League as the team looked to defend its Super Bowl XLII title. They improved upon their 10–6 record from 2007, becoming NFC East champions and finished with the #1 seed in the NFC playoffs with a 12-4 record...
winning over their division rivals, the
Washington RedskinsThe 2008 Washington Redskins season was the 76th season for the team in the National Football League. They failed to improve upon their 9-7 record from 2007...
, at
Giants StadiumGiants Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. Maximum seating capacity was 80,242. The building itself was 230.5 m long, 180.5 m wide and 44 m high from service level to the top of the seating bowl and 54 m high to...
by a score of 16–7. The game's kickoff was ninety minutes earlier than previous years, at 7 p.m.
EDTThe Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
, because of a time conflict with the
2008 Republican National ConventionThe United States 2008 Republican National Convention took place at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota, from September 1, through September 4, 2008...
.
Other featured games during the opening week included the
NBC 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 as the color...
game between the
Chicago BearsThe 2008 Chicago Bears season is the franchise's 89th regular season in the National Football League. They finished the 2008 season with a 9-7 record, improving upon their 7-9 record from the 2007 season...
and the
Indianapolis ColtsThe 2008 Indianapolis Colts season was the 56th season for the team in the National Football League and the 25th in Indianapolis. It was the first season since 2002 that the Colts did not win the AFC South title. However, after a 3–4 start on the season Peyton Manning led the Colts to a nine-game...
(the first regular season game at
Lucas Oil StadiumLucas Oil Stadium is a multi-purpose sports stadium in Downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. The stadium celebrated its grand opening on August 24, 2008, and its ribbon-cutting ceremony August 16, 2008. It replaced the RCA Dome as the home field of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts. The stadium was built to...
, and a rematch of
Super Bowl XLISuper Bowl XLI was an American football game that featured the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion Chicago Bears to decide the National Football League champion for the 2006 season...
), in which the
Kyle OrtonKyle Orton is an American football quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He played college football at Purdue, where he started four straight bowl games. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
-led Bears upset the Colts 29–13. In addition, there were two
Monday Night FootballMonday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
contests, both division rivalries, as part of the now annual
doubleheaderDoubleheader is used by network television to refer to two games in any sport aired back-to-back on the same network, even though they do not involve the same two teams . A doubleheader purposely coincides with a league's scheduling of "early" and "late" games...
: The
Minnesota VikingsThe 2008 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 48th season in the NFL, and the 17th season in which they won their division. They won the NFC North with a 10–6 record, but had to play in the wild card round of the playoffs...
at the
Green Bay PackersThe 2008 Green Bay Packers season was the 88th season in the National Football League for the Packers and their 90th overall. They looked to continue success after posting a 13-3 record in 2007, but finished the season with a losing 6-10 record and missed the playoffs.- 2008 NFL Draft :The Packers...
(the Packers' first Monday night game without
Brett FavreBrett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
since 1992) in which
Aaron RodgersAaron Charles Rodgers is an American football quarterback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . Rodgers was selected in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Packers...
helped the Packers win, 24–19, and the
Denver BroncosThe 2008 Denver Broncos season was the franchise's 49th season for the team . They improved from their 7–9 record from 2007 but failed to make the playoffs with an 8–8 record...
at the
Oakland RaidersThe 2008 Oakland Raiders season was the team's forty-ninth season. The Raiders improved upon their 4–12 record from 2007. This was also the first time in four seasons that the team did not play both contestants from the previous Super Bowl, playing the New England Patriots, but not the New York...
, where
Jay CutlerJay Christopher Cutler is a quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He played football at Vanderbilt University. Cutler began his professional football career with the Denver Broncos, who selected him as the 11th overall pick of the 2006 NFL Draft...
and
Eddie RoyalWilliam Edward "Eddie" Royal is an American football wide receiver and return specialist for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League...
led the Broncos in beating the Raiders, 41–14.
Flexible scheduling
The 2008 season also was the third season of the use of the "flexible scheduling" for Sunday games starting with Week 11.
International play
This was the second consecutive season that the league played at least one regular season game outside the United States as part of its International Series. The contest between the
San Diego ChargersThe San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and the
New Orleans SaintsThe New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
was played at
Wembley StadiumThe original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
in London on October 26, with New Orleans winning 37–32. The Chargers played at Buffalo the week beforehand on October 19 so they could immediately travel to London afterward in order to get used to the time difference.
The league has also approved the Bills' request to play at least one regular season home game at Toronto's
Rogers CentreRogers Centre is a multi-purpose stadium, in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated next to the CN Tower, near the shores of Lake Ontario. Opened in 1989, it is home to the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League...
over each of the next five seasons. Team owner Ralph Wilson petitioned the league to play at least one game in Canada to strengthen his club's fan base in
OntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. The game in Toronto was on December 7, after the end of the
2008 CFL seasonThe 2008 CFL season was the 55th season of modern Canadian professional football. Officially, it was the 51st season for the league. It was also the first CFL season in which all of the league's regular season and post-season games, including the Grey Cup game, were aired on TSN. This meant the CFL...
, against the
Miami DolphinsThe Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
; Miami won 16-3. CBS televised both games regionally; the Toronto game was carried across Canada on
Rogers SportsnetSportsnet was launched on October 9, 1998 as CTV Sportsnet. The name was chosen to match the regional "Fox Sports Net" operations across the United States...
and
City TVCitytv is a Canadian English language television system owned and operated by Rogers Communications under its Rogers Broadcasting Ltd. division...
.
Thanksgiving
The traditional
Thanksgiving Day gamesThe National Football League's Thanksgiving Classic is a series of games played during the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States. It has been a regular occurrence since the league's inception in 1920. Since 2006, three games are played every Thanksgiving...
were held on November 27, with the
Detroit LionsThe 2008 Detroit Lions season was the 79th season for the franchise in the National Football League. Although the Lions had a flawless preseason with a 4-0 record, the Lions became the first team in NFL history to compile an 0-16 record in regular season play. They were mathematically eliminated...
hosting the
Tennessee TitansThe 2008 Tennessee Titans season was the 49th season for the team in the National Football League, their twelfth in Tennessee, and their tenth as the Titans. Despite being expected by most sportswriters to finish third or even fourth in the AFC South, they compiled a 13–3 regular season record and...
at 12:30 PM
ESTThe Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
on
CBSThe NFL on CBS is the brand name of the CBS television network's coverage of the National Football League's American Football Conference games, produced by CBS Sports.-Market coverage and television policies:...
(with the then 10–1 Titans handily defeating the then 0–11 Lions by a 47–10 score), and the
Dallas CowboysThe 2008 Dallas Cowboys season was the 49th season for the team in the National Football League. The season was most noted for week 17, when the Cowboys were blown out by the Philadelphia Eagles 44–6, their worst loss since the 1985 Chicago Bears came to Texas Stadium and beat the Cowboys 44–0...
' home game following suit on
FoxNFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports...
at 4:15 PM EST against the
Seattle SeahawksThe 2008 Seattle Seahawks season was the 33rd season for the team in the National Football League. The Seahawks' streak of four consecutive NFC West divisional championships was broken, as they fell to a 4-12 record...
(Dallas Cowboys defeated the Seattle Seahawks by a score of 34–9). A third game on
NFL NetworkNFL Network is an American television specialty channel owned and operated by the National Football League . It was launched November 4, 2003, only eight months after the league's 32 team owners voted unanimously to approve its formation...
, featuring the
Arizona CardinalsThe 2008 Arizona Cardinals season was the 89th season for the team in the National Football League and their 21st season in Arizona. The season marked the Cardinals' first-ever Super Bowl appearance, coming as a result of their victory against the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship.The...
and the
Philadelphia EaglesThe 2008 Philadelphia Eagles season was the team's 76th season as a franchise in the National Football League. The Eagles improved upon their 8–8 record and fourth-place finish in the NFC East in the 2007 season by going 9–6–1 and earning the 6th seed in the NFC Playoffs. The team lost in the...
followed at 8:15 PM EST. It was the first home game for the Eagles on
Thanksgiving DayThanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day, is a holiday celebrated in the United States on the fourth Thursday in November. It has officially been an annual tradition since 1863, when, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving to be celebrated on Thursday,...
since 1940, and their first Thanksgiving game at any location since the infamous
Bounty BowlThe Bounty Bowl was the name given to two notorious NFL games held in 1989 between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys. The first, the 1989 Thanksgiving Classic game in Dallas was most noted for allegations that the Philadelphia Eagles put a $200 bounty on Dallas Cowboys kicker Luis...
Game in
1989The 1989 NFL season was the 70th regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle announced his retirement...
; the Eagles defeated the Cardinals by a score of 48–20. (The Cardinals and Eagles would, two months later, rematch in the
NFC Championship GameThe National Football Conference Championship Game is one of the two semi-final playoff matches of the National Football League, the largest professional American football league in the United States. The game is played on the penultimate Sunday in January and determines the champion of the...
, with Arizona winning this time by a score of 32–25.)
Christmas
Despite NFL tradition to play games on Christmas if the holiday lands on a day of the week when the NFL normally plays, and the fact that Christmas landed on a Thursday in 2008, the NFL opted not to hold a
Christmas gameThe National Football League occasionally schedules matchups on Christmas, December 25 or Christmas Eve, December 24.Unlike their November holiday counterparts, the Thanksgiving Classic games, Christmas Day and Christmas Eve games in the National Football League are not a regular annual part of the...
this season, instead scheduling all of its week 17 matchups for Sunday, December 28.
Pro Bowl
The NFL's
Pro BowlIn professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
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 the end of the season was played 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...
in the
Honolulu, HawaiiHonolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
for the 30th consecutive season. The league had the option under their current contract to hold the game elsewhere, including the possibility of moving it to the host site of the
Super BowlThe Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
.
Final regular season standings
W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT = Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against
Playoff seeds are marked in parentheses and shaded in green
Tiebreakers N.Y. Giants clinched the NFC #1 seed over Carolina based on a head-to-head victory. Miami finished ahead of New England in the AFC East based on better conference record (8–4 to New England's 7–5). San Diego finished ahead of Denver in the AFC West based on a better division record (5–1 to Denver's 3–3). Baltimore clinched the AFC #6 seed over New England based on a better conference record (8–4 to New England's 7–5).
Playoffs
The playoffs began with Wild Card Weekend on January 3–4, 2009. The Divisional Playoffs were played on January 10–11 and the Conference Championship Games on January 18.
Super Bowl XLIIISuper Bowl XLIII was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Arizona Cardinals to decide the National Football League champion for the 2008 season. The game was played on February 1, 2009,...
was played on February 1 at
Raymond James StadiumRaymond James Stadium, also known as the "Ray Jay", is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa, Florida. It is home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as the NCAA's South Florida Bulls football team. The stadium seats 65,857 , and it is expandable to 75,000 for special events...
in
Tampa, FloridaTampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
with the Pittsburgh Steelers winning their record sixth Super Bowl.
Rule changes
The following rule changes were passed at the league's annual owners meeting in
Palm Beach, FloridaThe Town of Palm Beach is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The Intracoastal Waterway separates it from the neighboring cities of West Palm Beach and Lake Worth...
during the week of March 31:
- One defensive player will be allowed to wear a radio similar to the one worn by the quarterback to communicate with the coaching staff on the field.
- The "force-out" rule on catches made near the sidelines has been eliminated. A receiver now must come down with the ball and both feet in bounds for a pass to be ruled complete; previously, passes would be ruled complete if the receiver was pushed by a defender while in the air and the official judged that he would have come down in bounds had he not been pushed. However, if a receiver is wrapped up in mid-air by a defender and carried out of bounds before both feet touch the ground, the official can still rule the play a completion.
- The 5-yard incidental grabbing of the face mask penalty has been eliminated; incidental contact will not result in a penalty, though intentional grabbing of the face mask will remain a 15-yard personal foul.
- Teams that win the opening coin toss now have the option to defer the decision until the start of the second half, the same as in college and Canadian football
Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
.
- Field goal attempts that bounce off the goal post are now reviewable under instant replay
Instant replay is the replaying of video footage of an event or incident very soon after it has occurred. In television broadcasting of sports events, instant replay is often used during live broadcast, to show a passage of play which was important or remarkable, or which was unclear on first...
. This change followed a decision during the previous season during a Browns-Ravens game when Phil DawsonPhilip Drury Dawson is an American football placekicker for the Cleveland Browns in the National Football League. He holds the franchise record for most field goals made, passing Hall of Famer Lou Groza in 2010...
's game-tying field goal hit an upright and then the curved support behind the crossbar, and then again went over the crossbar to land in front of the goal post.
- Legal forward hand offs that touch the ground and attempted snaps when the ball hits the ground before the quarterback touches it are now considered fumbles; previously, forward hand offs were treated as incomplete passes, while a snap that hit the ground before the quarterback touched it was a 5-yard illegal procedure penalty.
Television
This was the third season under the league's current television contracts with its American broadcast partners.
CBS SportsThe NFL on CBS is the brand name of the CBS television network's coverage of the National Football League's American Football Conference games, produced by CBS Sports.-Market coverage and television policies:...
and
Fox SportsNFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports...
televised Sunday afternoon
AFCThe American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
and
NFCThe National Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the American Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL.-Current teams:Since 2002, the NFC has comprised 16 teams,...
away games, respectively. For primetime games,
NBCNFL on NBC is the brand given to NBC Sports coverage of National Football League games until 1998, when NBC lost the NFL American Football Conference rights to CBS...
broadcast
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 as the color...
and
ESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
airs
Monday Night FootballMonday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
. The
NFL NetworkNFL Network is an American television specialty channel owned and operated by the National Football League . It was launched November 4, 2003, only eight months after the league's 32 team owners voted unanimously to approve its formation...
's
Run to the PlayoffsThursday Night Football is the brand name used by NFL Network for its schedule of live regular season telecasts of National Football League games on Thursday nights. Also included in the package are some Saturday specials....
also broadcast seven Thursday and one Saturday late season night games, although there were reportedly negotiations to move those games to
ESPN ClassicESPN Classic is a sports channel that features reruns of famous sporting events, sports documentaries, and sports themed movies. Such programs includes biographies of famous sports figures or a rerun of a famous World Series or Super Bowl, often with added commentary on the event...
.
This was also the last NFL season to be broadcast over the air in
analog televisionAnalog television is the analog transmission that involves the broadcasting of encoded analog audio and analog video signal: one in which the message conveyed by the broadcast signal is a function of deliberate variations in the amplitude and/or frequency of the signal...
in the United States; the
digital television transitionThe digital television transition is the process in which analog television broadcasting is converted to and replaced by digital television. This primarily involves both TV stations and over-the-air viewers; however it also involves content providers like TV networks, and cable television...
occurred in June 2009. Border stations in Canada and Mexico will continue to broadcast in analog; cable stations are unaffected and will be distributed in the format of the cable provider's choice.
NBC broadcast
Super Bowl XLIIISuper Bowl XLIII was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Arizona Cardinals to decide the National Football League champion for the 2008 season. The game was played on February 1, 2009,...
, their first Super Bowl 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...
at the end of the
1997 seasonThe 1997 NFL season was the 78th regular season of the National Football League. The Oilers relocated from Houston, Texas to Nashville, Tennessee...
.
Changes
ESPN reduced the on-air roles of sideline reporters
Michele TafoyaMichele Tafoya is an American sportscaster.-Early life and career:Tafoya received a B.A...
and
Suzy KolberSuzanne Lisa "Suzy" Kolber is a football sideline reporter, co-producer, and sportscaster for ESPN. She was one of the original anchors of ESPN2 when it launched in 1993. Three years later, she left ESPN2 to join Fox Sports, but rejoined ESPN in late 1999....
during the Monday Night Football telecast. Also,
Emmitt SmithEmmitt James Smith, III is a retired American football player who was a running back in the National Football League for fifteen seasons during the 1990s and 2000s. Smith played college football for the University of Florida, where he was an All-American; thereafter, he played professionally for...
has been replaced on
Sunday NFL CountdownNFL GameDay redirects here. For the video games series, see NFL GameDay Sunday NFL Countdown is a pregame show of all the NFL action for that week. The official name is Sunday NFL Countdown presented by IBM. The show airs on ESPN, ESPN HD, TSN and TSN HD from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern time every...
by
Cris CarterCristopher D. Carter is a former American football player in the National Football League. He played wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles , the Minnesota Vikings and the Miami Dolphins ....
, who came over from
HBOHBO, short for Home Box Office, is an American premium cable television network, owned by Time Warner. , HBO's programming reaches 28.2 million subscribers in the United States, making it the second largest premium network in America . In addition to its U.S...
.
Meanwhile, NBC's
Football Night in AmericaFootball Night in America is the studio pregame show usually preceding NBC's broadcasts of Sunday night and Wild Card Saturday National Football League games starting in the 2006 National Football League season...
reunited
Dan PatrickDaniel Patrick Pugh , professionally known as Dan Patrick, is an American sportscaster, radio personality, and actor from Mason, Ohio...
with
Keith OlbermannKeith Theodore Olbermann is an American political commentator and writer. He has been the chief news officer of the Current TV network and the host of Current TV's weeknight political commentary program, Countdown with Keith Olbermann, since June 20, 2011...
on television for the first time since 1997 when they co-hosted
SportsCenterSportsCenter is a daily sports news television show, and the flagship program of American cable network ESPN since the network launched on September 7, 1979. Originally broadcast only daily, SportsCenter is now shown up to twelve times a day, replaying the day's scores and highlights from major...
.
The in-house NFL Network saw
Bryant GumbelBryant Charles Gumbel is an American television journalist and sportscaster. He is best known for his 15 years as co-host of NBC's The Today Show. He is the younger brother of sportscaster Greg Gumbel.-Early life:...
resign as their play-by-play announcer after two seasons on the network's Run to the Playoffs package after critics described his play-by-play calling as "lackluster."
New York GiantsThe New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
radio announcer
Bob PapaBob Papa is an American sportscaster. Papa is employed by NFL Network, HBO, and the New York Giants.-Biography:Papa grew up in Dumont, New Jersey and graduated from Bergen Catholic High School in nearby Oradell...
took his place.
Additionally,
NFL FilmsNFL Films is a Mount Laurel, New Jersey-based company devoted to producing commercials, television programs, feature films, and documentaries on the National Football League, as well as other unrelated major events and awards shows...
-produced
Inside the NFLInside the NFL is a weekly cable television sports show that focuses on the National Football League. It originally aired on HBO from 1977 through 2008...
changed premium cable homes from
Time WarnerTime Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...
's HBO after three decades to
CBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
' Showtime. Also changed: James Brown (from the parent network's
The NFL TodayThe NFL Today is an American sports series that precedes the American football program The NFL on CBS on CBS Sports. The program usually airs at noon on Sundays of the National Football League regular season...
) as host and
Phil SimmsPhillip Martin "Phil" Simms is a former American football quarterback, and currently a television sportscaster for the CBS network. After a standout career at Morehead State University, Simms was drafted in the first round by the New York Giants of the National Football League with the number...
as one of the analysts. Cris Collinsworth is staying, but
Dan MarinoDaniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League...
has been dropped as a studio analyst, and the aforementioned Cris Carter moved to ESPN. Taking their place is
Warren SappWarren Carlos Sapp is a retired American football player who played defensive tackle in the National Football League. He played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Oakland Raiders during his 13 year professional career, and college football for the University of Miami Hurricanes. He was then...
.
3-D Telecast
On December 4, the NFL Network broadcast its game between the Oakland Raiders and the San Diego Chargers to theaters in New York City,
BostonBoston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
and Los Angeles using state of the art
3-DA 3D television is a television set that employs techniques of 3D presentation, such as stereoscopic capture, multi-view capture, or 2D-plus-depth, and a 3D display – a special viewing device to project a television program into a realistic three-dimensional field.- History :In the late-1890's,...
technology. The viewings, which were limited to NFL and consumer electronics executives, served as a test for future use of 3D in NFL television games. Because of a technical glitch, the first half was not shown.
Radio
On radio,
Westwood OneWestwood One was an American radio network and was based in New York City. At one time, it was managed by CBS Radio, the radio arm of CBS Corporation, and Viacom and was later purchased by the private equity firm The Gores Group...
has separated from its longtime corporate sister,
CBS RadioCBS Radio, Inc., formerly known as Infinity Broadcasting Corporation, is one of the largest owners and operators of radio stations in the United States, third behind main rival Clear Channel Communications and Cumulus Media. CBS Radio owns around 130 radio stations across the country...
. This could possibly affect the network's
NFL on Westwood OneThe NFL on Westwood One is the brand name given to weekly National Football League games carried on the radio over the Dial Global Radio Network...
coverage, which it has carried since the two networks merged in the late 1990s. The Westwood One coverage currently uses the NFL on CBS branding on its broadcasts. Also, the
Sports USA Radio NetworkThe Sports USA Radio Network is the largest independent nationwide sports broadcasting radio network, specializing in live broadcasts of American football, specifically of the NCAA football Division I-A and National Football League...
, another syndicator, has been sold along with parent company Jones Radio Networks to the
Triton Media GroupTriton Media Group, LLC, is a portfolio company of a fund managed by Oaktree Capital Management, L.P., a global investment management firm. It is based in Los Angeles.-Triton Radio Networks:...
.
Internet television
On
Internet televisionInternet television is the digital distribution of television content via the Internet...
, both NFL.com and NBCSports.com are carrying complete live games, for the first time ever, of NBC Sunday Night Football. NFL.com will continue its live coverage of Thursday and Saturday Night Football, which began in 2007, however for the first time show the complete game rather than live look-ins from a studio.
Home video
The
Pittsburgh SteelersThe Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
2008 seasonThe 2008 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 76th season in the National Football League . The season concluded with the team winning Super Bowl XLIII to become the first franchise in the NFL with six Super Bowl titles....
/
Super Bowl XLIIISuper Bowl XLIII was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Arizona Cardinals to decide the National Football League champion for the 2008 season. The game was played on February 1, 2009,...
championship
home videoHome video is a blanket term used for pre-recorded media that is either sold or rented/hired for home cinema entertainment. The term originates from the VHS/Betamax era but has carried over into current optical disc formats like DVD and Blu-ray Disc and, to a lesser extent, into methods of digital...
went on sale on
DVDA DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
on February 24, 2009. One week later on March 3, it was released on
Blu-ray DiscBlu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
, making it the first
NFL FilmsNFL Films is a Mount Laurel, New Jersey-based company devoted to producing commercials, television programs, feature films, and documentaries on the National Football League, as well as other unrelated major events and awards shows...
home video release to be on Blu-ray Disc. The Blu-ray copy is "officially" sold exclusively through
Amazon.comAmazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
, though it is also available through the
Sports IllustratedSports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
Super Bowl offer as well as
eBayeBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
. Among its exclusive content included having most of the features in
high-definition videoHigh-definition video or HD video refers to any video system of higher resolution than standard-definition video, and most commonly involves display resolutions of 1,280×720 pixels or 1,920×1,080 pixels...
as well as the
NFL on FoxNFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports...
fourth-quarter coverage of the Steelers matchup against the
Dallas CowboysThe Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
at
Heinz FieldHeinz Field is a stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It primarily serves as the home to the Pittsburgh Steelers and University of Pittsburgh Panthers American football teams, members of the National Football League and National Collegiate Athletic Association respectively...
in its entirety. The matchup, which took place during Week 14 and renewed the rivalry the two teams had in the 1970s & 1990s, saw the Steelers come back from a 4th quarter ten point deficit to win 20-13.
The
New York GiantsThe New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
2007 seasonThe 2007 New York Giants season was the 83rd season for the New York Giants in the National Football League. The Giants finished the regular season 10–6 and in second place in the NFC East, improving upon their 8–8 record in 2006 in which they finished third in their division...
/Super Bowl video was only released on DVD the previous year despite the fact that
Toshibais a multinational electronics and electrical equipment corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It is a diversified manufacturer and marketer of electrical products, spanning information & communications equipment and systems, Internet-based solutions and services, electronic components and...
dropped support of
HD DVDHD DVD is a discontinued high-density optical disc format for storing data and high-definition video.Supported principally by Toshiba, HD DVD was envisioned to be the successor to the standard DVD format...
(the primary rival of Blu-ray) just two weeks after
Super Bowl XLIISuper Bowl XLII was an American football game on February 3, 2008 that featured the National Football Conference champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League champion for the 2007 season...
.
Uniforms
The Tennessee Titans switched their home jerseys. They changed their alternate Columbia blue jersey to make it their primary color while the navy blue jersey became the alternate jersey.
The Denver Broncos brought back the alternate orange jerseys after a three-year hiatus and wore them for games against the New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs.
In their first two home games, the New England Patriots wore their white jerseys against the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins. It is the first time the Patriots have worn white at home since 1994.
For the first time in the teams history, the Oakland Raiders wore their white jerseys at home against the San Diego Chargers.
Coaching
The following teams hired new head coaches prior to the start of the 2008 season:
| Team |
2008 Coach |
Former Coach(es) |
Reason for leaving |
Story/Accomplishments |
Atlanta FalconsThe Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
|
Mike Smith, Jacksonville JaguarsThe Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
defensive coordinator |
Bobby PetrinoBobby Petrino is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head football coach at the University of Arkansas, a position he has held since the 2008 season...
;
Emmitt ThomasEmmitt Earl Thomas is currently the secondary coach of the National Football League's Kansas City Chiefs. He is a former college and professional football player who played for the American Football League's Kansas City Chiefs from 1966 to 1969, and then for the Chiefs in the NFL from 1970 to 1978...
, interim for 3 games |
Petrino resigned after 13 games to take the head coaching job at the University of ArkansasThe Arkansas Razorbacks football program is a college football team that represents the University of Arkansas. The team is a member of the Southeastern Conference's Western Division, which is in Division I's Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
. |
In his first and only season, Petrino went 3–10 before resigning. Under interim head coach Thomas, the Falcons went 1–2 over the remainder of the season. Thomas would be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
in 2008 and remain as a special assistant coach for the Falcons. |
Baltimore RavensThe Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
|
John Harbaugh, Philadelphia EaglesThe Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
special teams coach |
Brian BillickBrian Harold Billick is a National Football League game analyst for Fox, and is also an analyst for the network's Bowl Championship Series coverage. He was previously an NFL coach, most recently with the Baltimore Ravens from January 19, 1999 to December 31, 2007...
|
Fired |
Billick coached the Ravens to a victory in Super Bowl XXXVSuper Bowl XXXV was played on January 28, 2001 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 2000 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Baltimore Ravens defeated the National Football Conference champion New York...
, and was 80–64 with the Ravens in the regular season and 5–3 in the postseason, but went 5–11 in 2007, the worst record the Ravens had in his nine-year tenure. Became a color commentatorA color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
for Fox SportsNFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports...
in 2008. |
Miami DolphinsThe Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
|
Tony Sparano Anthony "Tony" Sparano III is an American Football head coach of the Miami Dolphins. At age 17, Sparano had an incident which burnt his eyes, which is why he always wears his signature sunglasses even at night...
, Dallas CowboysThe Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
assistant head coach/offensive line coach |
Cam Cameron -External links:...
|
Fired |
In his first and only season, the Cameron-led Dolphins finished with a league worst 1–15 record. After his sacking, Cameron became John Harbaugh's offensive coordinator at Baltimore. |
Washington RedskinsThe Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
|
Jim ZornJames Arthur "Jim" Zorn is an American quarterbacks coach in the National Football League. He was formerly the quarterbacks coach for the Baltimore Ravens and now holds that same position with the Kansas City Chiefs...
, Seattle SeahawksThe Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
quarterbacks coach |
Joe GibbsJoe Jackson Gibbs is a former American football coach, NASCAR Championship team owner, and two time NHRA Pro Stock team owner. He was the 20th and 26th head coach in the history of the Washington Redskins...
|
Retired |
Finished 16 overall seasons as Redskins head coach. During his first tenure, 1981 The 1981 NFL season was the 62nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVI when the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals.-Major rule changes:...
–92The 1992 NFL season was the 73rd regular season of the National Football League.Due to the damage caused by Hurricane Andrew, the New England Patriots–Miami Dolphins game that was scheduled for September 6 at Joe Robbie Stadium was rescheduled to October 18. Both teams originally had that...
, the club won three Super Bowls (XVIISuper Bowl XVII was an American football game played on January 30, 1983 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California to decide the National Football League champion following the strike-shortened 1982 regular season...
, XXIISuper Bowl XXII was an American football game played on January 31, 1988 at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1987 regular season...
, and XXVISuper Bowl XXVI was an American football game played on January 26, 1992 at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota to decide the National Football League champion following the 1991 regular season...
) and four NFC Championships (1982The NFL playoffs following the 1982 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XVII.A players' strike reduced the regular season to nine games. Thus, the league used a special 16-team playoff format , just for this year. Division standings were ignored...
, 1983The NFL playoffs following the 1983 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XVIII.Due to Christmas, the two wild card playoff games were played in a span of three days....
, 1987The NFL playoffs following the 1987 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XXII.-NFC: Minnesota Vikings 44, New Orleans Saints 10:In the Saints' first playoff game in history, the Vikings dominated the game by recording 2 sacks, forcing 4 turnovers, and allowing only 149 yards...
and 1991The NFL playoffs following the 1991 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XXVI.-Bracket:-AFC: Kansas City Chiefs 10, Los Angeles Raiders 6:Chiefs Quarterback Steve DeBerg completed a play-action 11-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Fred Jones in the second quarter, which was the difference in K.C.'s...
). After being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of FameThe Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
in 1996, he rejoined the team in 2004The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005...
, and returned to running the day-to-day operations of his self-owned racing teamJoe Gibbs Racing is a group of NASCAR racing teams owned and operated by former Washington Redskins coach Joe Gibbs, who first started racing on the NASCAR circuit in 1991, and J. D. Gibbs, his son...
after his second retirement. |
The following head coaches were fired during the 2008 season:
| Team |
Interim Coach |
Former Coach |
Reason for leaving |
Story/Accomplishments |
| St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
|
Jim Haslett James Donald "Jim" Haslett is an American football coach and former linebacker. He is currently the defensive coordinator of the Washington Redskins. Previously, he served as the head coach for the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League, and the New Orleans Saints and St...
, defensive coordinator; former head coach of the New Orleans SaintsThe New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
|
Scott LinehanScott Thomas Linehan is an American football coach, currently the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions of the NFL. He was previously the head coach of the St...
|
Dismissed September 29 four games into the season |
Linehan went 11–25 (.306 percentage) in his 2¼ seasons as Rams coach. After Haslett was named interim head coach, the Rams won two straight games against Washington and Dallas, but dropped the final 10 games of the season. On January 15, 2009, Haslett learned he would not be considered for the permanent head coach position. Haslett became the coach of the new United Football League's Orlando franchise. |
Oakland RaidersThe Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
|
Tom Cable -NFL:-References:...
, offensive line coach |
Lane Kiffin Lane Monte Kiffin is the current head coach of the University of Southern California Trojans college football team. He was previously the head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers college football team, the Oakland Raiders of the NFL, and the offensive coordinator for the Trojans...
|
Relieved of duties September 30 after four games |
Kiffin was fired in spite of being hired as the youngest coach in the NFL one year earlier, as shown by a 5-15 record (.250 percentage) in his 1¼ seasons as the fourth coach since Jon GrudenJon David Gruden is an American football analyst and former head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for seven seasons and prior to that the Oakland Raiders for four seasons. In his first year as the head coach of Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers won Super Bowl XXXVII, defeating the Raiders whom he had...
left. A dispute with owner Al DavisAllen "Al" Davis was an American football executive. He was the principal owner of the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League from 1970 to 2011...
was said to be behind his dismissal, but Kiffin got a new job as coach of the University of TennesseeThe Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference ....
in December. Cable was named permanent head coach following back-to-back wins over Houston and at Tampa Bay, where the Buccaneers were eliminated from playoff contention. |
San Francisco 49ersThe San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
|
Mike SingletaryMichael "Mike" Singletary is an American football coach and former professional football player. He is currently the linebacker coach and assistant head coach for the Minnesota Vikings of the NFL....
, assistant head coach and linebackers coach |
Mike NolanMike Nolan is an American football coach and the current defensive coordinator of the Miami Dolphins...
|
Fired October 20 after seven games |
The son of former coach Dick Nolan went 18–37 (.327 percentage) after nearly 3½ seasons as 49ers coach. Singletary had the interim tag removed following their 27-21 win over the Redskins on December 28, signing a four-year extension. |
The firing of Kiffin and Linehan marked the first time since the
AFL-NFL mergerThe AFL–NFL merger of 1970 was the merger of the two major professional American football leagues in the United States at the time: the National Football League and the American Football League...
in
1970The 1970 NFL season was the 51st regular season of the National Football League, and the first one after the AFL-NFL Merger.The merger forced a realignment between the combined league's clubs. Because there were 16 NFL teams and 10 AFL teams, three teams needed to transfer to balance the two new...
, the start of the modern era, that multiple head coaches were fired before Week 5 of the season, and the first since
1989The 1989 NFL season was the 70th regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle announced his retirement...
that any coach was fired this early in a season. Both were also released heading into their teams' respective bye weeks, while Nolan was released prior to the game just before the 49ers' bye.
- For changes made since the end of the regular season, see 2009 NFL season: Coaching changes.
New logo
This is the first season that the league used a new, updated logo. Unveiled on August 31, 2007 in
USA TodayUSA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
, the new design features eight white stars, representing each of the league's eight divisions, instead of 25 on the old logo. The football has been redesigned and rotated to the same angle as the one on the top of the
Vince Lombardi TrophyThe Vince Lombardi Trophy is the trophy awarded each year to the winning team of the National Football League's championship game, the Super Bowl.-History:...
given to the Super Bowl champion. Darker shades of red and blue, specifically navy blue, are also used, along with font lettering to that of the league's current typeface for other logos. The new logo officially made its debut during the
2008 NFL DraftThe 2008 NFL Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 26 and April 27, 2008. For the 29th consecutive year, ESPN televised the draft; the NFL Network also broadcast the event, its third year doing so...
on April 26.
New stadiums
In addition to the Bills playing one home game in Toronto's Rogers Centre, this was the first season that the
Indianapolis ColtsThe Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
played their home games at
Lucas Oil StadiumLucas Oil Stadium is a multi-purpose sports stadium in Downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. The stadium celebrated its grand opening on August 24, 2008, and its ribbon-cutting ceremony August 16, 2008. It replaced the RCA Dome as the home field of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts. The stadium was built to...
. Meanwhile, 2008 was the final year that the Dallas Cowboys played at
Texas StadiumTexas Stadium was a football stadium in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. The stadium opened on September 17, 1971.Built to replace the aging Cotton Bowl, it was the home field of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, and had a seating capacity of 65,675...
; they moved to Cowboys Stadium in
Arlington, TexasArlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas within the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. According to the 2010 census results, the city had a population of 365,438, making it the third largest municipality in the Metroplex...
in 2009.
Milestones
The following teams and players set all-time NFL records during the regular season:
| Record |
Player/Team |
Date Broken/Opponent |
Previous Record Holder |
Longest Field Goal Attempt
(76 yards) |
Sebastian JanikowskiSebastian Janikowski is a left-footed Polish placekicker who plays for the National Football League's Oakland Raiders. He is nicknamed The Polish Cannon because he is considered to have one of the strongest kicking legs in the league, and leads the NFL in kickoffs for touchbacks. He lives in...
, OaklandThe 2008 Oakland Raiders season was the team's forty-ninth season. The Raiders improved upon their 4–12 record from 2007. This was also the first time in four seasons that the team did not play both contestants from the previous Super Bowl, playing the New England Patriots, but not the New York...
|
September 28, vs San DiegoThe 2008 San Diego Chargers season was the franchise's 49th overall season and their 39th in the NFL. While they completed the regular season with only an 8–8 record, they nonetheless captured their third consecutive AFC West championship...
|
Mark Moseley Mark DeWayne Moseley is a former professional American football placekicker in the National Football League who played for the Philadelphia Eagles , the Houston Oilers , the Washington Redskins , and the Cleveland Browns . He won the Most Valuable Player Award during the strike-shortened 1982 season...
, Nov. 25, 1979 (74 yards) |
Most Receiving Yards by a Tight End, Career
(10,887 yards) |
Tony Gonzalez, Kansas CityThe 2008 Kansas City Chiefs season was the franchise's 49th season, and third with head coach Herman Edwards at the helm. The Chiefs failed to improve on their 4-12 record from 2007 with the youngest team in the NFL as part of their "youth movement." The season turned out to be the worst in the...
|
October 5, at Carolina -Preseason:-Regular season:-Postseason:-Week 1: at San Diego Chargers:The Carolina Panthers and San Diego Chargers were locked in a defensive battle in the first quarter. John Kasay made three field goals while Philip Rivers connected with Chris Chambers on a 44-yard pass to score. At halftime the...
|
Shannon Sharpe Shannon Sharpe is a former American Football tight end who played for the Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. Sharpe is known for his creative commentary and trash talking. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and inducted on August 6, 2011...
, 1990-2003 (10,060) |
Longest Overtime Blocked Punt Return for a Touchdown
(3 yards) |
Monty Beisel Monty Beisel is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft...
, ArizonaThe 2008 Arizona Cardinals season was the 89th season for the team in the National Football League and their 21st season in Arizona. The season marked the Cardinals' first-ever Super Bowl appearance, coming as a result of their victory against the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship.The...
|
October 12, vs Dallas The 2008 Dallas Cowboys season was the 49th season for the team in the National Football League. The season was most noted for week 17, when the Cowboys were blown out by the Philadelphia Eagles 44–6, their worst loss since the 1985 Chicago Bears came to Texas Stadium and beat the Cowboys 44–0...
|
None, first time in NFL history |
Longest Overtime Field Goal
(57 yards) |
Sebastian JanikowskiSebastian Janikowski is a left-footed Polish placekicker who plays for the National Football League's Oakland Raiders. He is nicknamed The Polish Cannon because he is considered to have one of the strongest kicking legs in the league, and leads the NFL in kickoffs for touchbacks. He lives in...
, OaklandThe 2008 Oakland Raiders season was the team's forty-ninth season. The Raiders improved upon their 4–12 record from 2007. This was also the first time in four seasons that the team did not play both contestants from the previous Super Bowl, playing the New England Patriots, but not the New York...
|
October 19, vs NY JetsThe 2008 New York Jets season was the 49th season for the club and the 39th season in the National Football League. The team succeeded in improving upon their 4–12 record from 2007, but did not make the playoffs.-Signings:...
|
Chris Jacke Christopher Lee Jacke is a former professional American football placekicker best known for playing for the Green Bay Packers in the National Football League....
, Oct. 4, 1996 (53) |
Consecutive Games with 6+ Receptions, Start of Season
(11 games) |
Wes Welker-San Diego Chargers :Welker, who was not drafted during the 2004 NFL Draft, signed as an undrafted free agent with the San Diego Chargers. Welker made the Chargers out of training camp, but was released after the first game of the season.-2004 season:...
, New EnglandThe 2008 New England Patriots season was the 39th season for the team in the National Football League and 49th season overall. Despite finishing the regular season with an 11–5 record, the Patriots did not qualify for the playoffs—becoming the first 11-win team since the expansion to a 12-team...
|
November 9, vs Buffalo The 2008 Buffalo Bills season was the 39th season for the team in the National Football League and their 49th season overall. They finished with a record of 7–9 for the third consecutive year...
|
Jimmy Smith, 2001 (8) |
Consecutive Games with 400+ Yards Passing
(2) |
Matt CasselMatthew Brennan "Matt" Cassel is a quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
, New EnglandThe 2008 New England Patriots season was the 39th season for the team in the National Football League and 49th season overall. Despite finishing the regular season with an 11–5 record, the Patriots did not qualify for the playoffs—becoming the first 11-win team since the expansion to a 12-team...
|
November 17, vs NY Jets The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, MiamiThe Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
|
Billy Volek John William Volek is an American football quarterback for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent in 2000. He played college football at Fresno State.-Early years:Volek attended Clovis West High School in...
, Dan MarinoDaniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League...
, Dan FoutsDaniel Francis Fouts is a retired Hall of Fame American football quarterback in the National Football League. Fouts played his entire professional career with the San Diego Chargers from 1973 through 1987...
, Phil SimmsPhillip Martin "Phil" Simms is a former American football quarterback, and currently a television sportscaster for the CBS network. After a standout career at Morehead State University, Simms was drafted in the first round by the New York Giants of the National Football League with the number...
(2) |
Longest Interception Return
(108 yards) |
Ed ReedEdward Earl Reed Jr. is an American football free safety for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Ravens 24th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft...
, BaltimoreThe 2008 Baltimore Ravens season was the 13th season for the team in the NFL. Despite having one of the toughest schedules in the NFL, the Ravens completed a major turnaround from the 2007 season, finishing the season with an 11–5 record and a playoff berth...
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November 23, vs Philadelphia The 2008 Philadelphia Eagles season was the team's 76th season as a franchise in the National Football League. The Eagles improved upon their 8–8 record and fourth-place finish in the NFC East in the 2007 season by going 9–6–1 and earning the 6th seed in the NFC Playoffs. The team lost in the...
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Ed Reed, Nov. 7, 2004 (106) |
Most Passing Yards, First 10 Weeks of Season
(3,254 yards) |
Drew BreesDrew Christopher Brees is a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue....
, New OrleansThe 2008 New Orleans Saints season is the 42nd season for the team in the National Football League . The Saints entered the season in an attempt improve their 7-9 record from the 2007 season.-Pre-season:-Regular season:...
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November 23, vs Green BayThe 2008 Green Bay Packers season was the 88th season in the National Football League for the Packers and their 90th overall. They looked to continue success after posting a 13-3 record in 2007, but finished the season with a losing 6-10 record and missed the playoffs.- 2008 NFL Draft :The Packers...
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Dan Fouts Daniel Francis Fouts is a retired Hall of Fame American football quarterback in the National Football League. Fouts played his entire professional career with the San Diego Chargers from 1973 through 1987...
1982 (3,164 yards) |
Highest Total Points Scored in a Single Week
(837 points) |
All 32 teams |
Nov 20-24, 2008 |
Done three times: Sept 5-9, 2002; Dec 5-6, 2004; and Dec 29-30, 2007 (788 points) |
Longest Regular Season Interception Return without TD
(98 yards) |
Brandon McDonald Brandon McDonald is an American football cornerback for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
, ClevelandThe 2008 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 62nd season as a franchise and was the team's 58th season as a member of the National Football League. The Browns finished with a 4–12 record and failed to qualify for the playoffs. The season marked Romeo Crennel's fourth year as head coach of the...
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December 15, at Philadelphia The 2008 Philadelphia Eagles season was the team's 76th season as a franchise in the National Football League. The Eagles improved upon their 8–8 record and fourth-place finish in the NFC East in the 2007 season by going 9–6–1 and earning the 6th seed in the NFC Playoffs. The team lost in the...
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Champ Bailey Roland "Champ" Bailey is an American football cornerback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. Bailey was drafted in the 1st round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins. He played college football at the University of Georgia.Bailey is 8th among Broncos in all-time...
2005 (97 yards) |
Most Consecutive Games Lost, Start of Season
(16) |
Detroit LionsThe 2008 Detroit Lions season was the 79th season for the franchise in the National Football League. Although the Lions had a flawless preseason with a 4-0 record, the Lions became the first team in NFL history to compile an 0-16 record in regular season play. They were mathematically eliminated...
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December 21, vs New Orleans The 2008 New Orleans Saints season is the 42nd season for the team in the National Football League . The Saints entered the season in an attempt improve their 7-9 record from the 2007 season.-Pre-season:-Regular season:...
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1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers The NFL Tampa Bay Buccaneers played their debut season in 1976, making league history as the first team to play an entire 14-game season without winning or tying a single game. They did not score until their third game and did not score a touchdown until their fourth. They lost by a touchdown or...
and 1980 New Orleans SaintsThe 1980 New Orleans Saints season was the team's 14th as a member of the National Football League. They were unable to improve on their previous season's output of 8-8, winning only one game. The team failed to qualify for the playoffs for the fourteenth consecutive season and had the dubious...
(both started season 0-14) |
Most Consecutive Games Lost, End of Season
(16) |
December 28, vs Green BayThe 2008 Green Bay Packers season was the 88th season in the National Football League for the Packers and their 90th overall. They looked to continue success after posting a 13-3 record in 2007, but finished the season with a losing 6-10 record and missed the playoffs.- 2008 NFL Draft :The Packers...
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2001 Carolina Panthers -Regular season:-References:...
(15) |
Most Games Lost, Season
(16) |
Tied by 8 teams (15) |
Fewest Sacks By A Team, Season
(10) |
Kansas City ChiefsThe 2008 Kansas City Chiefs season was the franchise's 49th season, and third with head coach Herman Edwards at the helm. The Chiefs failed to improve on their 4-12 record from 2007 with the youngest team in the NFL as part of their "youth movement." The season turned out to be the worst in the...
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Cincinnati Bengals The 2008 Cincinnati Bengals season was the 39th season for the team in the National Football League and their 41st overall season. The team finished the season with 4 wins, 11 losses, and 1 tie, and did not qualify for the playoffs for the 3rd consecutive year.-Coaching changes:This season marked...
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1982 Baltimore Colts The 1982 Baltimore Colts season was the 30th season for the team in the National Football League, and the Colts' penultimate season in Baltimore. The Baltimore Colts finished the National Football League's 1982 season with a record of 0 wins, 8 losses and 1 tie. They finished fifth in the AFC East...
(11) |
Fewest Accepted Penalties, 16-game season
(58) |
New England PatriotsThe 2008 New England Patriots season was the 39th season for the team in the National Football League and 49th season overall. Despite finishing the regular season with an 11–5 record, the Patriots did not qualify for the playoffs—becoming the first 11-win team since the expansion to a 12-team...
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December 28, vs Buffalo Bills The 2008 Buffalo Bills season was the 39th season for the team in the National Football League and their 49th season overall. They finished with a record of 7–9 for the third consecutive year...
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Seattle Seahawks The 2007 Seattle Seahawks season was the 32nd season for the team in the National Football League. The team has improved upon its 9-7 record in 2006 and secured its fourth consecutive NFC West division title and its fifth consecutive playoff appearance...
, 2007 (59) |
Most Wins Without Making Playoffs, Since 1990
(11) |
New England PatriotsThe 2008 New England Patriots season was the 39th season for the team in the National Football League and 49th season overall. Despite finishing the regular season with an 11–5 record, the Patriots did not qualify for the playoffs—becoming the first 11-win team since the expansion to a 12-team...
|
December 28 |
Cleveland BrownsThe 2007 Cleveland Browns season began with the Browns attempting to improve upon their 4–12 record from the 2006 season, in which the team finished in fourth place in the AFC North. The Browns also attempted to overcome the many injuries that plagued the team throughout the 2006 season...
, 2007 (10).
(1990The NFL playoffs following the 1990 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XXV.The league expanded its playoff system from a 10-team to a 12-team tournament...
was the year the playoff field expanded to its current 12 teams. The last team to miss with 11 games was the 1985 Denver Broncos-Schedule:-Standings:-External links:* *...
, at a time when only 10 teams made it into the playoffs.) |
Lowest Winning Percentage While Still Making Playoffs, Non-Strike Season
(.500) |
San Diego ChargersThe 2008 San Diego Chargers season was the franchise's 49th overall season and their 39th in the NFL. While they completed the regular season with only an 8–8 record, they nonetheless captured their third consecutive AFC West championship...
|
December 28 |
Tied with multiple teams |
Most Super Bowl wins, team
(6) |
Pittsburgh Steelers |
February 1 with win over Arizona |
San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, and Pittsburgh Steelers (5 each) |
Regular season statistical leaders
| Team |
| Points scored |
New Orleans Saints (463) |
| Total yards gained |
New Orleans Saints (6,571) |
| Yards rushing |
New York Giants (2,518) |
| Yards passing |
New Orleans Saints (5,069) |
| Fewest points allowed |
Pittsburgh Steelers (223) |
| Fewest total yards allowed |
Pittsburgh Steelers (3,795) |
| Fewest rushing yards allowed |
Minnesota Vikings (1,230) |
| Fewest passing yards allowed |
Pittsburgh Steelers (2,511) |
| Individual |
| Scoring |
Stephen GostkowskiStephen Carroll Gostkowski is a placekicker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League...
, New England (148 points) |
| Touchdowns |
DeAngelo Williams DeAngelo Williams is an American football running back for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. Williams was drafted by the Panthers 27th overall in the 2006 NFL Draft...
, Carolina (20 TDs) |
| Most field goals made |
Stephen Gostkowski, New England (36 FGs) |
| Rushing |
Adrian Peterson, Minnesota (1,760 yards) |
| Passer rating |
Philip RiversPhilip Rivers is an American football quarterback for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League . He was one half of the Manning-Rivers draft trade which sent him to San Diego and the 1st overall pick, Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning, to the New York Giants. Rivers played college...
, San Diego (105.5 rating) |
| Passing touchdowns |
Drew BreesDrew Christopher Brees is a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue....
, New Orleans and Philip RiversPhilip Rivers is an American football quarterback for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League . He was one half of the Manning-Rivers draft trade which sent him to San Diego and the 1st overall pick, Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning, to the New York Giants. Rivers played college...
, San Diego (34 TDs) |
| Passing yards |
Drew Brees, New Orleans (5,069 yards) |
| Pass receptions |
Andre Johnson Andre Lamont Johnson is an American football wide receiver currently playing for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. Through the 2010–11 NFL season, Johnson currently ranks first all-time in NFL history in receiving yards per game for a career...
, Houston (115 catches) |
| Pass receiving yards |
Andre Johnson, Houston (1,575 yards) |
| Punt returns |
Santana MossSantana Terrell Moss is an American football wide receiver for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Miami.-Early years:...
, Washington (6 for 124 yards, 20.7 average yards) |
| Kickoff returns |
Domenik Hixon Domenik Hixon is an American football wide receiver and return specialist for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Akron.-Early years:Hixon was born to an African American...
, New York Giants (3 for 180 yards, 60.0 average yards)not enough to qualify |
| Interceptions |
Ed ReedEdward Earl Reed Jr. is an American football free safety for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Ravens 24th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft...
, Baltimore (9) |
| Punting |
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 eight times during his career...
, Oakland (90 for 4,391 yards, 48.8 average yards) |
| Sacks |
DeMarcus Ware DeMarcus Ware is an American football linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He was drafted with the 11th overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft out of Troy University...
, Dallas (20) |
Awards
| Most Valuable Player |
Peyton ManningPeyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
, Quarterback, Indianapolis Colts |
| 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...
|
Mike Smith, Atlanta Falcons |
| 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...
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Drew BreesDrew Christopher Brees is a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue....
, Quarterback, New Orleans Saints |
| 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...
|
James Harrison, Linebacker, Pittsburgh Steelers |
| Offensive Rookie of the Year Since 1967, the Associated Press has given two annual Rookie of the Year Awards to National Football League players: one for an offensive player and one for a defensive player. These two are often regarded as the "official" awards...
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Matt RyanMatthew Thomas "Matt" Ryan , nicknamed "Matty Ice," is the starting American football quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was drafted in the first round as the third overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft...
, Quarterback, Atlanta Falcons |
| Defensive Rookie of the Year Since 1967, the Associated Press has given two annual Rookie of the Year Awards to National Football League players: one for an offensive player and one for a defensive player. These two are often regarded as the "official" awards...
|
Jerod Mayo -2008 season:Mayo was drafted by the New England Patriots with the tenth overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. He was signed on July 24, 2008, to a five-year contract worth $18.9 million, including $13.8 million in bonuses and guarantees...
, Linebacker, New England Patriots |
| 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. The player named Comeback Player of the Year shows perseverance in overcoming adversity, in the form of not being in the NFL the previous year, a severe injury, or simply poor...
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Chad PenningtonJames Chadwick "Chad" Pennington is an American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for ten years. He is currently a football analyst with FOX Sports though he plans to return to playing after recovering from an injury...
, Quarterback, Miami Dolphins |
| Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award |
Santonio HolmesSantonio Holmes Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft after playing college football at Ohio State...
, Wide Receiver, Pittsburgh Steelers |
----
All-Pro Team
Larry FitzgeraldLarry Darnell Fitzgerald, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League, and currently ranks fourth all-time in league history in receiving yards per game for a career , behind Andre Johnson, Torry Holt, and Marvin Harrison...
, Arizona
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Tight endThe tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
||Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City
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|Offensive tackle||
Jordan GrossJordan Alan Gross is an American football offensive tackle for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Panthers eighth overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Utah.-Early years:...
, Carolina
Michael RoosMichael Roos is an American football offensive tackle for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League.-High school career:...
, Tennessee
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Offensive guardIn American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
||Steve Hutchinson, Minnesota
Chris SneeChristopher Snee is an American football guard for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Giants in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Boston College....
, New York Giants
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CenterCenter is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
||
Kevin MawaeKevin James Mawae is a former American National Football League center. During a 16-year football career, he played for the Seattle Seahawks , New York Jets , and the Tennessee Titans . Mawae was a four-year starter for LSU and was selected second-team All-SEC by Associated Press and SEC coaches...
, Tennessee
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