who plays the first game of the nfl regular season
the Kansas City Chiefs
18465657
for ESPN, although Salters will still be on MNF. McDonough will be replaced by Joe Tessitore, who has done work for ESPN as a College Football announcer, like McDonough, while Jason Witten, who would end up retiring after this season, will replace Gruden, with Booger McFarland, being added as a field analyst. 2017 NFL season The 2017 NFL season was the 98th season in the history of the National Football League (NFL). The season began on September 7, 2017, with the Kansas City Chiefs defeating the defending Super Bowl LI champion New England Patriots 42–27 in the NFL Kickoff Game.
2017 NFL season
393822
major reason why the team built a 10–3–1 regular season record, including eight consecutive wins. Future Hall of Fame linebacker Nick Buoniconti was a major force reading and stopping plays, while safety Jake Scott recorded 7 interceptions. Before this season, the Dolphins had never won a playoff game in franchise history, but they surprised the entire NFL by advancing to the Super Bowl with wins against the two previous Super Bowl champions. First Miami defeated the Kansas City Chiefs (winners of Super Bowl IV), 27–24, in the longest game in NFL history with kicker Garo Yepremian's game-winning field goal after
Super Bowl VI
8252238
"visiting" team. The Kansas City Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks, who had expressed interest in previous games, were a possible matchup for a second NFL game (with the Seahawks as the home team), but league officials dropped a plan for two games in the UK, citing the economy and ongoing labor negotiations. The following week, the third regular-season game of the Bills Toronto Series featured the Buffalo Bills hosting the Chicago Bears at Toronto's Rogers Centre on November 7 at 1 pm EST, marking the first time that the regular-season portion of the series has taken place during the Canadian Football
2010 NFL season
2283184
had a Miami address. Miami Gardens was incorporated on May 13, 2003. The first preseason game for the Dolphins was played on August 16, 1987 against the Chicago Bears. The first regular season game was scheduled for September 27, a week 3 game against the New York Giants; this game was canceled and not made up due to the 1987 players strike. The first regular season NFL game played there was a 42–0 Dolphins victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on October 11, 1987. The game was in the middle of the 1987 NFL strike, and was played with replacement
Hard Rock Stadium
3483924
season, Oakland scored 453 points (32.4 points/game), again leading the AFL, and beat the Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round before losing to the Jets. In the 1969 regular season, Oakland scored 377 points (26.9 points/game) to lead the AFL for the third consecutive year, and beat the Houston Oilers in the divisional round of the playoffs before losing to the Chiefs. In the 1970 regular season, the first year of the NFL-AFL merger, Oakland scored 300 points (21.4 points/game), ranking ninth in the 26 team NFL, and beat the Miami Dolphins in the 1970-71 NFL playoffs before losing
Jim Otto
9153375
NFL regular season The National Football League (NFL) regular season begins on the weekend following the first Monday of September (i.e, the weekend following the Labor Day holiday) and ends in December or early January. It consists of 256 games, where each team (32 total) plays 16 games during a 17-week period. Since 2012, the NFL schedule generally has games in one of five time slots during the week. The first game of the week is played on Thursday night, kicking off at 8:20 PM (ET). The majority of games are played on Sunday, most kicking off at 1:00 PM
NFL regular season
9153417
September 11 attacks. At the end of the originally planned 17-week schedule, Week 2 games were played on Sunday, January 6 and Monday, January 7, 2002. The post-season schedule was moved back a week, including Super Bowl XXXVI due to the lack of a bye week before the game. NFL regular season The National Football League (NFL) regular season begins on the weekend following the first Monday of September (i.e, the weekend following the Labor Day holiday) and ends in December or early January. It consists of 256 games, where each team (32 total) plays 16 games during a 17-week
NFL regular season
9277475
NFL Kickoff Game The National Football League Kickoff game, along with related festivities, marks the official start of the National Football League (NFL) regular season. A single game is held, preceded by a concert and other ceremonies. This first game of the season is usually scheduled for the Thursday following Labor Day and since 2004, it was hosted by the defending Super Bowl champions. However, in 2012, the game was moved to Wednesday to prevent conflicts with the acceptance speech of the Democratic National Convention. The remainder of the league plays their opening weekend games the following Sunday and Monday.
NFL Kickoff Game
4620820
the total amount of viewers (persons 2+) who watched at least six minutes of NFL game coverage since the start of the 2008 regular season. For the 2009 season, the network's regular-season telecasts averaged 19.509 million viewers (counting only seven airings during the season by Nielsen). For the first thirteen weeks of the 2013 season, the CBS game telecasts averaged 26.5 million viewers. NFL on CBS The NFL on CBS is the branding used for broadcasts of National Football League (NFL) games that are produced by CBS Sports, the sports division of the CBS television network in the United States.
NFL on CBS
9868284
first team since the NFL's expansion to a 16-game regular season schedule to go undefeated and thus the game became the most heavily promoted game in the history of the NFL to that point and the most watched regular season game ever to that point. On the second play of the game, the 10–5 Giants moved into the Patriots’ red zone on a 52-yard completion from Eli Manning to Plaxico Burress. Three plays later, The Giants took the lead on a 7-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Jacobs. The Patriots responded with a pair of 14-yard completions to Moss and Welker;
2007 New England Patriots season
12778459
first-year offensive coordinator and former wide receivers coach James Franklin, who utilized a West Coast system. During the 2008 regular season, starting quarterback Chris Turner threw for 2,318 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. NFL Draft prospect Darrius Heyward-Bey accumulated 561 receiving yards in ten games. Heyward-Bey also recorded 208 rushing yards and was often utilized in reverses and other trick plays due to his breakaway speed. Maryland had another offensive weapon in running back Da'Rel Scott, who ran for 959 yards during the regular season. Overall, the rushing offense gained 134.5 yards per game and was ranked 72nd in
2008 Humanitarian Bowl
4560227
NFL playoffs The NFL playoffs are a single-elimination tournament held after the National Football League (NFL)'s regular season to determine the NFL champion. Six teams from each of the league's two conferences qualify for the playoffs based on regular season records, and a tie-breaking procedure exists in the case of equal records. The tournament ends with the Super Bowl, the league's championship game, which matches the two conference champions. NFL postseason history can be traced to the first NFL Championship Game in 1933, though in the early years, qualification for the game was based solely on regular season records. From
NFL playoffs
6126522
1948 NFL season The 1948 NFL season was the 29th regular season of the National Football League. During the season, Halfback Fred Gehrke painted horns on the Los Angeles Rams' helmets, making the first modern helmet emblem in pro football. The last regular season game played on Wednesday until the 2012 season happened on September 22, 1948, between Detroit and Los Angeles. The season ended when the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Chicago Cardinals in the NFL Championship Game. The 1948 season featured the highest per-game, per-team scoring in NFL history, with the average team scoring 23.2 points per game. This
1948 NFL season
11623556
defeated the Cleveland Browns, 17–7, in the 1952 NFL Championship Game at Municipal Stadium in Cleveland. The 1952 Lions outscored opponents 354 to 192 in 12 regular season games and ranked first in the NFL with an average of 29.5 points scored per game. The offense was led by quarterback Bobby Layne who ranked second in the NFL with 2,410 yards of total offense – 1,999 passing and 411 rushing. End Cloyce Box led the NFL with 15 touchdowns, including nine touchdown catches in the final three games of the regular season. For the third consecutive year, Bob Hoernschemeyer was
1952 Detroit Lions season
6107522
1939 NFL season The 1939 NFL season was the 20th regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, NFL president Joseph Carr died, and Carl Storck was named to replace him. An NFL game was televised for the first time when NBC broadcast a Brooklyn Dodgers–Philadelphia Eagles game. The experimental broadcast was broadcast only to viewers in New York and Albany; regular broadcasting of NFL games would not begin until 1951. The season ended when the Green Bay Packers defeated the New York Giants in the NFL Championship Game. Though both the Giants and the Packers finished a
1939 NFL season
12466809
at various sites in countries around the world. Then in 1991, the league formed the World League of American Football, later known as NFL Europe and still later as NFL Europa, a developmental league that had teams in Britain, Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands. The NFL shut down the program in June 2007. The league played a regular-season NFL game in Mexico City in 2005, the first-ever NFL regular season game held outside the United States, and marketed across the league as the Fútbol Americano game. On October 28, 2007, a regular season game between the Miami Dolphins and the
History of the National Football League
5619511
NFL records during the season: The 2005 NFL Draft was held from April 23 to 24, 2005 at New York City's Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. With the first pick, the San Francisco 49ers selected quarterback Alex Smith from the University of Utah. 2005 NFL season The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League. Regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006. The regular season also saw the first ever regular season game played outside the United States, as well as the New Orleans Saints being forced to play
2005 NFL season
5971182
game. The 1964 NFL Draft was held on December 2, 1963 at Chicago's Sheraton Hotel & Towers. With the first pick, the San Francisco 49ers selected end Dave Parks from Texas Tech University. 1964 NFL season The 1964 NFL season was the 45th regular season of the National Football League. Before the season started, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle reinstated Green Bay Packers running back Paul Hornung and Detroit Lions defensive tackle Alex Karras, who had been suspended for the 1963 season due to gambling. Beginning this season, the home team in each game was allowed the option of wearing their
1964 NFL season
5699759
The Cowboys became the first team to win a Super Bowl after losing their first two regular season games. This game also marked the fourth consecutive Super Bowl loss by the Bills. The 1993 NFL Draft was held from April 25 to 26, 1993 at New York City's Marriott Marquis. With the first pick, the New England Patriots selected quarterback Drew Bledsoe from Washington State University. 1993 NFL season The 1993 NFL season was the 74th regular season of the National Football League. It was the only season in league history where all NFL teams played their 16-game schedule over
1993 NFL season
6126396
NFL Draft was held on December 16, 1946 at New York City's Commodore Hotel. With the first pick, the Chicago Bears selected halfback Bob Fenimore from Oklahoma State University–Stillwater. 1947 NFL season The 1947 NFL season was the 28th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded the regular season by one game from eleven games per team to twelve, a number that remained constant for fourteen seasons, through 1960. The season ended when the Chicago Cardinals defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL Championship Game on December 28. Starting in 1947, the NFL teams played a 12-game
1947 NFL season
9868179
game. In the season finale, the Patriots sought to finish the regular season with the first 16–0 record in NFL history, and did so successfully. In that game, Brady and Moss connected on two touchdown passes, with Moss setting his 23 catch record, breaking Pro Football Hall of Fame member Jerry Rice's 22 touchdown receptions and with Brady setting an NFL record with 50 touchdown passes on the season. It was the first undefeated regular season in the NFL since the 1972 Miami Dolphins finished 14–0. Brady earned his first NFL MVP award, while the Patriots’ offense destroyed numerous NFL
2007 New England Patriots season
6136713
regular season. "W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT= Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against" "Note: The NFL did not officially count tie games in the standings until 1972" "See: 1952 NFL playoffs" National Conference Playoff Game NFL Championship Game The 1952 NFL Draft was held on January 17, 1952 at Philadelphia's Hotel Statler. With the first pick, the Los Angeles Rams selected quarterback Bill Wade from the University of Georgia. 1952 NFL season The 1952 NFL season was the 33rd regular season of the National Football League. Prior to the season, New York
1952 NFL season
7000806
looked to finish the regular season with the first 16–0 record in NFL history, and did so successfully. In that game, Brady and Moss connected on two touchdown passes, with Moss setting his 23-touchdown record and Brady setting an NFL record with 50 touchdown passes on the season. It was the first undefeated regular season in the NFL since the 1972 Miami Dolphins finished 14–0 and the fourth and most recent time that an NFL team has had an undefeated regular season (the Chicago Bears recorded undefeated regular seasons in both 1934 and 1942). Tom Brady earned his first NFL
History of the New England Patriots
9153379
by the NFL Network (with, starting in 2018, ten of those Thursday games also being simulcast by Fox). The Sunday night game is broadcast by NBC, while the Monday night game is broadcast by ESPN. The NFL uses a strict scheduling algorithm to determine which teams play each other from year to year, based on the current division alignments and the final division standings from the previous season. The current formula has been in place since 2002, the last year that the NFL expanded its membership. Generally, each team plays the other three teams in its own division twice, all
NFL regular season
7129406
2007 NFL season The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League. Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30. The New England Patriots became the first team to complete the regular season undefeated since the league expanded to a 16-game regular season in 1978. Four weeks after the playoffs began on January 5, 2008, the Patriots' bid for a perfect season was dashed when they lost to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII, the league championship game at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on February 3, by a
2007 NFL season
1690747
cards" with statistics, attributes and status, which can improve or decrease, making the player better or worse. The game has multiple modes, including preseason, regular season and Pro Bowl. In regular-season mode, a player controls a team through the entire NFL season. Multiple teams may be controlled. In addition, players can choose three styles of play in any of the game modes: "MAN" (in which the user both calls and runs plays), "COA" (in which the user coaches the team by calling the plays only, with the computer running them) and "COM" (in which the computer handles all aspects of
Tecmo Super Bowl
7129430
meeting. The 2007 NFL Draft was held from April 28 to 29, 2007 at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall. With the first pick, the Oakland Raiders selected quarterback JaMarcus Russell from Louisiana State University. 2007 NFL season The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League. Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30. The New England Patriots became the first team to complete the regular season undefeated since the league expanded to a 16-game regular season in 1978. Four weeks after the playoffs began on January 5, 2008, the Patriots'
2007 NFL season
11393607
would air eight, early-season Thursday night games during the 2014 NFL season in simulcast with NFL Network, with the remainder airing on NFL Network exclusively. "at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey" In their final regular season game, the 15–0 Patriots traveled to Giants Stadium, trying to win a record 16th game of the season. With the game scheduled to air on NFL Network, not available on some cable providers, the NFL arranged a three-way simulcast of the game with CBS and NBC, the first time an NFL game was broadcast on three networks, and the first national simulcast of
2007 New England Patriots–New York Giants game
5800322
1972 NFL season The 1972 NFL season was the 53rd regular season of the National Football League. The Miami Dolphins became the first (and to date the only) NFL team to finish a championship season undefeated and untied when they beat the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII. Referee Jack Vest, the referee for Super Bowl II, the 1969 AFL championship game and 1971 AFC championship game, was killed in a June motorcycle accident. Chuck Heberling was promoted from line judge to fill the vacancy and kept Vest's crew intact. Heberling's line judge vacancy was filled by Red Cashion, who
1972 NFL season
5012242
Favre did not start an NFL game, as he was placed on the inactive list due to a shoulder injury, ending his streak of 297 consecutive regular season games; Tarvaris Jackson started in his place and subsequently Joe Webb had his first ever down in an NFL game. In addition, it was the first ever regular-season Monday night game in Ford Field. On December 14, 2011, the NFL, along with Fox, NBC and CBS, and ESPN announced that the league had extended rights deal with all three networks through the 2022 season. The three-network rights deal includes the continued yearly
Fox NFL
15131327
the seventh round of the 2000 NFL Draft, and he played in one regular season game for the Packers during the season. After a season away from the NFL, he was a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the 2002 NFL season, but did not see any playing time during a regular season game. Eugene McCaslin Eugene William McCaslin, Jr. (born July 12, 1977) is an American former college and professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for a single season. He played college football for the University of Florida. He was drafted
Eugene McCaslin
284591
the NFL season. Currently, the thirteen opponents each team faces over the 16-game regular season schedule are set using a pre-determined formula: The league runs a seventeen-week, 256-game regular season. Since 2001, the season has begun the week after Labor Day (first Monday in September) and concluded the week after Christmas. The opening game of the season is normally a home game on a Thursday for the league's defending champion. Most NFL games are played on Sundays, with a Monday night game typically held at least once a week and Thursday night games occurring on most weeks as well. NFL
National Football League
5691655
controversially denied a similar type of near-undefeated season, when they believed that their final game, a 10-7 loss to the Chicago Staleys, was an exhibition game which would not count in the final standings; the NFL records that game as official, and Buffalo's record as 9–1–2. Apart from the 1972 Dolphins, three NFL teams have completed undefeated and untied regular seasons: the 1934 Chicago Bears, the 1942 Chicago Bears, and the 2007 New England Patriots. In 1934, the Bears played a 13–0–0 regular season and became the first NFL team to complete an undefeated regular season without tied games, but
Perfect season
16471082
deficit, the largest comeback ever in an NFC Championship Game, to earn their sixth Super Bowl appearance in franchise history. It was their first road playoff win in 24 years. Ironically, the previous biggest comeback in NFC Championship history was the Falcons overcoming a 13-point deficit in the 1998 NFC title game. This marked the seventh year in a row where the NFC Champion came from the division that faced the AFC East in the regular season. Atlanta dominated the first quarter, mainly on plays by receiver Julio Jones, who caught five passes for 100 yards, including a 46-yard touchdown
2012–13 NFL playoffs
6107262
1936 NFL season The 1936 NFL season was the 17th regular season of the National Football League. For the first time since the league was founded, there were no team transactions; neither a club folded nor did a new one join the NFL. 1936 was also the first year in which all league teams played the same number of games. Since this season, the number of scheduled regular season games per team has been: The season ended when the Green Bay Packers defeated the Boston Redskins in the NFL Championship Game. For the only time in NFL history, the team
1936 NFL season
10199246
announcing job in September of that year, and thus became the first woman to call a nationally-televised NFL game. That also made her only the second female play-by-play announcer in NFL regular season history; Gayle Sierens was a play-by-play announcer for a game of the NFL regular season in 1987 for NBC Sports. Mowins also became the first female play-by-play announcer for the NFL on CBS in its 58-year history when she called the Cleveland Browns–Indianapolis Colts matchup with Jay Feely. In addition, Mowins called both the Denver Broncos' season opener and season finale at the same stadium, but on
Beth Mowins
4620698
already sold the rights to the NFL Championship to NBC in 1955, and when DuMont ended its regular season coverage, CBS acquired the rights. CBS' coverage began on September 30, 1956 (the first regular season broadcast was a game between the visiting Washington Redskins against the Pittsburgh Steelers), before the 1970 AFL–NFL merger. Prior to 1968, CBS had an assigned crew for each NFL team. As a result, CBS became the first network to broadcast some NFL regular season games to selected television markets across the country. From 1970 until the end of the 1993 season, when Fox won the
NFL on CBS
13288895
Although NFL exhibition games have been played in Canada since 1950 (and even before that, the American Football League of 1926 played a regular-season game in Toronto), it was not until the Bills Toronto Series that a regular-season NFL game was played north of the border, on December 7, 2008. Regular season NFL games have been played outside the United States since 2005, with Fútbol Americano (a one-off regular season game in Mexico City) and the 2007 debut of the NFL International Series, which has promoted regular-season games in London. Both of those events were separate from the Toronto Series,
Bills Toronto Series
284589
of a four-week preseason, a seventeen-week regular season (each team plays 16 games), and a twelve-team single-elimination playoff culminating in the Super Bowl, the league's championship game. The NFL preseason begins with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, played at Fawcett Stadium in Canton.<ref name="NFL/Hall of Fame Game"></ref> Each NFL team is required to schedule four preseason games, two of which must be at its home stadium, but the teams involved in the Hall of Fame game, as well as any teams playing in an American Bowl game, play five preseason games. Preseason games are exhibition matches and do
National Football League
18230227
defensive end developed in college ball in a great many years. He rushes the passer real good, plays the running game well and is one of the most rugged players we've seen." In June 1954, he was added to the lineup of college all-stars who played the NFL champion Detroit Lions in the annual Chicago College All-Star Game. According to records of Pro-Football-Reference.com, Dohoney did not appear in any regular season games in the NFL. Dohoney died in 1993 at Meridian, Michigan. Don Dohoney Donald Clay Dohoney (March 4, 1932 – July 4, 1993) was an American football player. He
Don Dohoney
10379931
2008 NFL season The 2008 NFL season was the 89th regular season of the National Football League, themed with the slogan "Believe in Now." Super Bowl XLIII, the league's championship game, was at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, on February 1, 2009, with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming out victorious over the Arizona Cardinals 27–23 and winning their NFL-record sixth Vince Lombardi Trophy. Conversely, the Detroit Lions became the first NFL team with a winless season since the strike-shortened 1982 NFL season, finishing their season 0–16. For the first time since the NFL expanded to the sixteen game season in
2008 NFL season
4243415
favored to win the game and become the first NFL team to go through a 16-game regular season and postseason undefeated. Had the Patriots won, they would also have joined the 1972 Miami Dolphins as the only teams ever to win the NFL league championship with an undefeated and untied record. However, others predicted that the Giants could accomplish a win. New York's record of 10 consecutive road wins included five teams favored to beat them. The Giants achieved playoff victories against the Cowboys (who had defeated New York twice in the regular season) and Packers (who had beaten the
Super Bowl XLII
4328081
to emphasize pass plays, at the expense of running plays. In 2003, Marc Bulger's first full year as a starter, the Rams fielded a much-improved defense under defensive coordinator Lovie Smith and led the NFL in forced turnovers, and they posted a 12–4 regular season record and made the playoffs. However, the Rams lost at home in the NFC divisional playoffs to the Carolina Panthers in a game that would have put them in the NFC title game. In that game, the Rams had the ball on the Panthers' 15-yard line with 42 seconds remaining and trailing by 3 points.
Mike Martz
5799864
1975 NFL season The 1975 NFL season was the 56th regular season of the National Football League. It was the first NFL season without a tie game. made two significant changes to increase the appeal of the game: Instead of a traditional Thanksgiving Day game hosted by the Dallas Cowboys, the league scheduled a Buffalo Bills at St. Louis Cardinals contest. This was the first season since that the Cowboys did not play on that holiday. The season ended with Super Bowl X when the Pittsburgh Steelers repeated as champions by defeating the Dallas Cowboys at the Orange Bowl in
1975 NFL season
11521513
team that plays a home game in London sells a cheaper season ticket package for its own stadium with seven regular season games rather than the usual eight. Each designated home team receives US$1 million for giving up the home game. On October 11, 2011, the NFL owners approved playing NFL games in Great Britain through the year 2016. This stated that a home team could visit every year for up to five years but visitors could only visit once every five years. However, in 2015 the Detroit Lions returned to London as visitors in an apparent disregard for this
NFL International Series
5971176
1964 NFL season The 1964 NFL season was the 45th regular season of the National Football League. Before the season started, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle reinstated Green Bay Packers running back Paul Hornung and Detroit Lions defensive tackle Alex Karras, who had been suspended for the 1963 season due to gambling. Beginning this season, the home team in each game was allowed the option of wearing their white jerseys. Since 1957, league rules had mandated that the visiting team wear white and the home team wear colored jerseys. The NFL also increased the regular season roster limit from 37 to
1964 NFL season
5619502
2005 NFL season The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League. Regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006. The regular season also saw the first ever regular season game played outside the United States, as well as the New Orleans Saints being forced to play elsewhere due to damage to the Superdome and the entire New Orleans area by Hurricane Katrina. The playoffs began on January 7. New England’s streak of 10 consecutive playoff wins and chance at a third straight Super Bowl title was ended in the
2005 NFL season
6126525
Shibe Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, December 19, 1948 The 1948 NFL Draft was held on December 19, 1947 at Pittsburgh's Fort Pitt Hotel. With the first pick, the Washington Redskins selected halfback Harry Gilmer from the University of Alabama. 1948 NFL season The 1948 NFL season was the 29th regular season of the National Football League. During the season, Halfback Fred Gehrke painted horns on the Los Angeles Rams' helmets, making the first modern helmet emblem in pro football. The last regular season game played on Wednesday until the 2012 season happened on September 22, 1948, between Detroit and Los Angeles.
1948 NFL season
4243406
Packers and Giants). When the New England Patriots arrived at Super Bowl XLII, they were already billed as the greatest team in NFL history. The Patriots were not only competing for a fourth Super Bowl title since the 2001 season; they were aiming to become the first team in NFL history to achieve a 19–0 record. Their perfect 16–0 record in the regular season was the first since the league moved to a 16 game regular season in 1978. It was also only the fourth undefeated and untied regular season in NFL history. New England set NFL records with 589
Super Bowl XLII
5795538
abandonment of international pre-season games as well as the closure of NFL Europe, instead focusing on playing regular season games in foreign countries. The pre-season game that was scheduled to take place in August 2007 (later postponed to 2009) between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks at Beijing National Stadium in Beijing, China was named the "China Bowl" instead of the "American Bowl"; that game, too, was eventually canceled before being played. The first regular season NFL game played outside the United States was held on October 2, 2005 at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City before an NFL
American Bowl
6126393
1947 NFL season The 1947 NFL season was the 28th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded the regular season by one game from eleven games per team to twelve, a number that remained constant for fourteen seasons, through 1960. The season ended when the Chicago Cardinals defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL Championship Game on December 28. Starting in 1947, the NFL teams played a 12-game schedule rather than 11 games. The twelfth game proved to be crucial for the Steelers, Eagles, Cardinals and Bears. In the Eastern Division, Pittsburgh took a half-game lead over
1947 NFL season
6126297
1946 NFL season The 1946 NFL season was the 27th regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, Elmer Layden resigned as NFL Commissioner and Bert Bell, co-founder of the Philadelphia Eagles, replaced him. Meanwhile, the All-America Football Conference was formed to rival the NFL, and the Rams became the first NFL team based on the West Coast after they relocated from Cleveland, Ohio, to Los Angeles, California. A regular season game was played on Tuesday, the last until the 2010 season, on October 1, between New York and Boston. The season ended when the Chicago Bears defeated
1946 NFL season
6039519
1962 NFL season The 1962 NFL season was the 43rd regular season of the National Football League (NFL). Before the season, CBS signed a contract with the league to televise all regular-season games for a $4.65 million annual fee. The season ended on December 30, when the Green Bay Packers defeated the New York Giants 16–7 in the NFL championship game at Yankee Stadium. The Packers successfully defended their 1961 NFL title, finishing the 1962 season at 14–1; their only loss was to the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day at Tiger Stadium. The Green Bay Packers won their first ten
1962 NFL season
6134623
the standings until 1972" Western Division Playoff Game NFL Championship Game "Home team in capitals" The 1941 NFL Draft was held on December 10, 1940 at Washington, D.C.'s Willard Hotel. With the first pick, the Chicago Bears selected halfback Tom Harmon from The University of Michigan. 1941 NFL season The 1941 NFL season was the 22nd regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, Elmer Layden was named the first Commissioner of the NFL, while Carl Storck resigned as league president. Layden also took on the duties of president and signed a five-year contract at $20,000 annually. The
1941 NFL season
11036357
2009 NFL season The 2009 NFL season was the 90th season in the history of the National Football League (NFL). The preseason started with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on August 9, 2009, and the regular season began September 10. The season ended with Super Bowl XLIV, the league's championship game, on February 7, 2010 at Sun Life Stadium with the New Orleans Saints defeating the Indianapolis Colts 31–17. in Miami Gardens, Florida.The Colts and Saints began the season 14–0 and 13–0 respectively. This was the first time in NFL history two teams won their first thirteen games.
2009 NFL season
9868281
to 15–0 and became the first 15–0 team in NFL history. The Patriots’ 15th win matched the win totals of the 2004 Pittsburgh Steelers, 1998 Minnesota Vikings, 1985 Chicago Bears, and 1984 San Francisco 49ers, while their 15–0 regular season start was a first in NFL history. The Patriots’ 6–0 record against division opponents was a franchise first. The win also marked the Patriots’ 18th straight regular season victory since their December 2006 loss to the Dolphins, tying the Patriots’ 2003–2004 NFL record. In their final regular season game, the 15–0 Patriots traveled to Giants Stadium, trying to win a
2007 New England Patriots season
5841439
in the last quarter to win the game, 20–6 to take a one-game lead. Neither team lost their remaining games; the Packers finished at 12–0–1, the Giants at 13–1–1, giving coach Curly Lambeau and the Packers their first league title. The NFL introduced a scheduled championship game four years later, in 1933. An unscheduled extra game was played the previous season in 1932, but as a tiebreaker game that counted in the final standings; it was played indoors on a modified field. 1929 NFL season The 1929 NFL season was the tenth regular season of the National Football League. The
1929 NFL season
5800055
Hotel. With the first pick, the Dallas Cowboys selected defensive end Ed "Too Tall" Jones from the Tennessee State University. 1974 NFL season The 1974 NFL season was the 55th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl IX when the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Minnesota Vikings. Players held a strike from July 1 until August 10, prior to the regular season beginning; only one preseason game (that year's College All-Star Game) was canceled, and the preseason contests were held with all-rookie rosters. The following changes were adopted to add tempo and action to the
1974 NFL season
10432335
later, following another Bills fumble. <br> Upon their return to Kansas City, the Chiefs were greeted by 12,000 fans at the airport. They split their players' shares for the title game 51 ways, or $5,308 each. "January 15, 1967, at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California"<br>Attendance: 61,946 The first AFL-NFL World Championship Game, later known as Super Bowl I, was played at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on January 15, 1967. The Chiefs faced the Green Bay Packers of the NFL, who finished their regular season at 12–2 and won the NFL championship game, their second consecutive and
1966 Kansas City Chiefs season
5691656
lost the 1934 NFL Championship Game against the New York Giants. Despite losing several players and head coach George Halas to military service in World War II, the 1942 Bears finished 11–0–0 but again lost the NFL Championship Game, this time against the Washington Redskins. The 2007 Patriots became the first team after the NFL expanded its regular season to sixteen games in 1978 to finish the regular season undefeated. The Patriots then won their divisional and conference playoff games, but were upset by the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII, giving them a final record of 18–1. NFL
Perfect season
5795539
regular-season record of 103,467 fans. The Arizona Cardinals defeated the San Francisco 49ers, 31-14. The New York Giants and Miami Dolphins played a regular season game at Wembley Stadium in London on October 28, 2007 (with the Giants winning 13-10), the first ever NFL regular season game to be played outside of North America; similarly, the San Diego Chargers and New Orleans Saints followed suit in October 2008. These games are termed the NFL International Series. In addition to these games, the Buffalo Bills began the Bills Toronto Series, a number of pre- and annual regular season games in Toronto;
American Bowl
6134562
D.C., December 8, 1940 The 1940 NFL Draft was held on December 9, 1939 at Milwaukee's Schroeder Hotel. With the first pick, the Chicago Cardinals selected halfback George Cafego from the University of Tennessee. 1940 NFL season The 1940 NFL season was the 21st regular season of the National Football League. The season ended when the Chicago Bears defeated the Washington Redskins in the NFL Championship Game, 73–0. This game still stands as the most one-sided victory in NFL history. The Pittsburgh Pirates were renamed the Pittsburgh Steelers before the 1940 season. "W = Wins, L = Losses, T =
1940 NFL season
6039522
between the conference runners-up, for third place in the league. This was its third year (of ten) and it was played a week after the title game. The 1962 NFL Draft was held on December 4, 1961 at Chicago's Sheraton Hotel & Towers. With the first pick, the Washington Redskins selected back Ernie Davis from Syracuse University. 1962 NFL season The 1962 NFL season was the 43rd regular season of the National Football League (NFL). Before the season, CBS signed a contract with the league to televise all regular-season games for a $4.65 million annual fee. The season ended on
1962 NFL season
14905410
audio broadcasts of NFL games. NFL Game Rewind provided archived games for users in North America to watch. And the original NFL Game Pass package offered live and archived preseason, regular season, and postseason games to international users. All of these packages were integrated into a single NFL Game Pass platform prior to the 2015 season. Prior to 2002, NFL.com offered free broadcasts of its NFL games by special agreement with approximately 20 of its member teams. However, about the same time as the first Internet radio bust, the NFL decided to join the RealOne SuperPass system, a subscription multimedia
NFL Game Pass
4899461
intercepted by Dick Anderson, who returned the ball 19 yards to the Bengals 28. Seven plays later, Miami went up 28-16 with Griese's 7-yard touchdown pass to Mandich. Dolphins kicker Garo Yepremian put the finishing touches on his team's victory with field goals from 50 and 46 yards. The Cowboys avenged a 37–31 regular season loss to L.A. as two Rams turnovers in the first quarter gave the Cowboys a 14–0 lead. Lee Roy Jordan's interception of a John Hadl pass on the first play of the game led to Calvin Hill's 3-yard touchdown run. Mel Renfro then recovered a
1973–74 NFL playoffs
13288893
Bills Toronto Series The Bills Toronto Series was a series of National Football League (NFL) games featuring the Buffalo Bills played at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The original series began in the 2008 season and ran through 2012. The Bills were originally scheduled to play eight (later reduced to seven) home games over five seasons as part of the agreement, which included one regular-season game each of the five years and one pre-season game on the first, third and (originally) fifth year of the series. This included the first regular-season NFL game played in Canada, which the
Bills Toronto Series
6134619
the regular season tied in the Western Division, setting up the first divisional playoff game in league history. The Bears won 33–14 at Wrigley Field on December 14, then defeated the New York Giants 37–9 in the NFL championship game at Wrigley Field on December 21. The Bears, averaging 36 points per game, became the first team since the institution of the East-West championship in to repeat as champion. The total attendance for the league's 55 regular season games was 1,118,616. This represented an increase of 9% over the previous season's attendance. In addition to these rule changes, this season
1941 NFL season
6138673
Ties, PCT= Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against" "Note: The NFL did not officially count tie games in the standings until 1972" "See: 1943 NFL playoffs" Eastern Division Playoff Game (December 19, 1943) NFL Championship Game (December 26, 1943) The 1943 NFL Draft was held on April 8, 1943 at Chicago's Palmer House Hotel. With the first pick, the Detroit Lions selected runningback Frank Sinkwich from the University of Georgia. 1943 NFL season The 1943 NFL season was the 24th regular season of the National Football League. As more players left to serve in World War II,
1943 NFL season
3989218
Gary Anderson (placekicker) Gary Allan Anderson (born 16 July 1959) is a former National Football League (NFL) placekicker. The first South African to appear in an NFL regular season game, Anderson played in the league for 23 seasons with six teams. He spent the majority of his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but is also known for his tenure with the Minnesota Vikings. As a member of the Vikings in 1998, Anderson became the first NFL kicker to have a perfect regular season, successfully making every field goal and point after touchdown during regular season play. However, Anderson's accomplishment was
Gary Anderson (placekicker)
5180196
2.5 sacks and one interception. With his brother Kaelin, they became the first set of brothers in franchise history to play in the same regular-season game. In 2014, after not being able to recover from an injured ankle he suffered in the second organized team activities session, he was waived on July 24. Key Burnett is the cousin of Amir Johnson, who plays forward for the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA. His brother Kaelin Burnett played linebacker in the NFL. He is a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity, initiated Spring 2004 via Iota Beta chapter. Kevin Burnett Kevin
Kevin Burnett
9396709
1950 NFL playoffs The 1950 National Football League playoffs took place after the 1950 regular season ended with a tie for first place in both the American and National conferences. The ties forced one-game playoffs to determine who would play in the NFL championship game. It was the only time in the NFL's championship-game era that two such tiebreaker playoff games were needed in the same year. The Cleveland Browns and New York Giants tied for first place in the American Conference, while the Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Rams tied for first place in the National Conference. The Browns
1950 NFL playoffs
9508579
one regular season game a year at Wembley since. On 21 August 2012, the Jacksonville Jaguars announced a four-year deal to become temporary tenants of Wembley by playing one regular season game each year between 2013 and 2016 and becoming the first team to return to Wembley in consecutive years. On 16 October 2012, the NFL announced there were to be two NFL regular season games played at Wembley Stadium during the 2013 season. The Pittsburgh Steelers at Minnesota Vikings on 29 September 2013 and the San Francisco 49ers at Jacksonville Jaguars on 27 October 2013. This is an attempt
Wembley Stadium
4494637
and was named Pro Bowl alternate. In the 1999 season, Pace played in 896 of 994 offensive plays and was selected to his first Pro Bowl. It was the first time that a Rams' offensive tackle was named to the Pro Bowl since Jackie Slater in 1990. Pace was also a First-team All-Pro for the Super Bowl winning Rams. In the 2000 season, Pace earned second consecutive Pro Bowl invitation, starting all 16 regular season games and 1 playoff game. Pace was anchor of offensive line that helped offense produce most passing yards in NFL history, playing in 1,006 of
Orlando Pace
6140839
1958 NFL season The 1958 NFL season was the 39th regular season of the National Football League. The Baltimore Colts defeated the New York Giants, 23–17, in the first sudden-death overtime in an NFL Championship Game. The game became known to American football fans as "The Greatest Game Ever Played". The 1958 Colts–Giants title game was a milestone in the popularity of pro football, but the Giants almost did not qualify. The Cleveland Browns led the Eastern Conference title race up until the final week. On December 14, the 9–2 Browns visited the 8–3 Giants. As a snowstorm swept over
1958 NFL season
9153400
and four-year inter-conference rotations in place since 2002. In each year, all four teams in each division listed at the top will play one game against all four teams in both of the divisions to which it has been assigned — one from the AFC, the other from the NFC. To date, several NFL regular season games have been played outside the U.S. The first was the 2005 game between the Arizona Cardinals and the San Francisco 49ers, which was played in Mexico City. In October 2006, NFL club owners approved a plan to stage up to two international regular
NFL regular season
14389636
potentially interesting or important key plays. The "Game Rewind" feature is sometimes used to replay a significant play that resulted in a particular team entering the red zone. Hanson rarely takes any kind of rest break during RedZone's seven hours on the air, and since the early years of the channel he has purposefully planned out his eating and drinking schedule during the regular season to avoid any need for a restroom break, having boasted on Twitter on December 10, 2017 (that year's Week 14) about his first restroom break in four years of NFL RedZone coverage. It is not
NFL RedZone
6081320
ended when the Chicago Bears defeated the New York Giants in the first ever NFL Championship Game. Due to the success of the 1932 NFL Playoff Game, the league stopped using the exact rules of college football and started to develop its own revisions: "P = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT= Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against"<br> "Note: The NFL did not officially count tie games in the standings until 1972" 1933 NFL season The 1933 NFL season was the 14th regular season of the National Football League. Because of
1933 NFL season
11535450
of becoming the first National Football League (NFL) team to finish a season undefeated and untied since the 1972 Miami Dolphins, and the first since the NFL adopted a 16-game schedule in . NFL Films' Steve Sabol called it "the greatest play the Super Bowl has ever produced". The play was also named by NFL Films as "The Play of the Decade (2000s)". Tyree had been used primarily on special teams and had only 4 receptions for 35 yards and no touchdowns during the 2007 regular season. Although Tyree was seldom used as a receiver during the regular season, he
Helmet Catch
5238527
Falcons. In 2006, he made his first NFL appearance for the Falcons in a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on October 22, 2006. He was placed on waivers by the Falcons on September 1, 2007. On September 2, 2007, Omiyale was claimed off waivers by the Carolina Panthers. However, he was inactive for all 16 regular season games for the Panthers in 2007. On October 5, 2008, Omiyale made his first NFL regular season start, replacing the injured left tackle Jordan Gross who was out with a concussion. Omiyale signed a four-year, $14 million deal with the Chicago Bears on
Frank Omiyale
6081319
1933 NFL season The 1933 NFL season was the 14th regular season of the National Football League. Because of the success of the 1932 NFL Playoff Game, the league divided its teams into two divisions for the first time, with the winners of each division playing in a championship game to determine the NFL champion. Three new teams also joined the league: the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Cincinnati Reds. Also, the Boston Braves changed their name to the Boston Redskins and the Staten Island Stapletons, while still scheduling games against league teams, left the league. The season
1933 NFL season
9011010
Eagles, who had won the previous two NFL championships. The Browns won all but two of their regular-season games, both losses coming against the New York Giants. Cleveland ended the season with a 10–2 win–loss record, tied with the Giants for first place in the American Conference. The tie forced a playoff that the Browns won, 8–3. Los Angeles, meanwhile, finished the season 9–3, tied with the Chicago Bears for first place in the National Conference. The Rams won their playoff, setting up the championship matchup with the Browns, in which the Browns were four-point favorites at home. The game
1950 NFL Championship Game
9664046
NFL playoff results NFL playoff results is a listing of the year-by-year results of the NFL Playoff games to determine the final two teams for the championship game. The winners of those games are listed in NFL Championship Game article. <br>The overall franchise records are shown in the last table. Beginning with the 1933 season, the NFL featured a championship game, played between the winners of its two divisions. In this era, if there was a tie for first place in the division at the end of the regular season, a one-game playoff was used to determine the team that
NFL playoff results
6140795
additional playoff never took place. "W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT= Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against" "Note: The NFL did not officially count tie games in the standings until " "See: 1957 NFL playoffs" Western Conference Playoff Game NFL Championship Game The 1957 NFL Draft was held on November 26, 1956 and January 31, 1957 at Philadelphia's Warwick Hotel and The Bellevue-Stratford Hotel. With the first pick, the Green Bay Packers selected halfback Paul Hornung from the University of Notre Dame. 1957 NFL season The 1957 NFL season was the 38th regular
1957 NFL season
4639845
and NBC, this depended on which network produces the game for NFL Network. With Fox taking over the "TNF" package in 2018, Fox affiliates will have the primary option of simulcasting NFL Network games. This led to controversy in , when the New England Patriots were scheduled to play the New York Giants at Giants Stadium in their regular season finale on the NFL Network, in what was to be a chance to complete the first 16–0 regular season in NFL history. After the Senate Judiciary Committee threatened the NFL's antitrust exemption if it did not make the game available
National Football League on television
6134618
1941 NFL season The 1941 NFL season was the 22nd regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, Elmer Layden was named the first Commissioner of the NFL, while Carl Storck resigned as league president. Layden also took on the duties of president and signed a five-year contract at $20,000 annually. The league bylaws were changed to provide for playoffs in cases where division races are tied after the regular season, and rules for sudden-death overtimes in case a playoff game was tied after four quarters. The defending league champion Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers finished
1941 NFL season
14206423
the Detroit Lions. COLOR KEY & NOTES: The Vikings began the 2010 NFL season by taking part in the annual NFL Kickoff Game against the defending Super Bowl champions, the New Orleans Saints, in a rematch of the previous season's NFC Championship Game. Minnesota lost the coin toss and gave up a touchdown on the first drive of the game; New Orleans received the ball from the kickoff and then took 5 plays to go 77 yards, culminating with Drew Brees passing 29 yards down the right sideline for WR Devery Henderson, who dived into the endzone for the score.
2010 Minnesota Vikings season
14907899
won 73–0, the most one-sided victory in NFL history. The game was broadcast on radio by Mutual Broadcasting System, the first NFL title game broadcast nationwide. Washington had defeated Chicago 7–3 in a regular season game three weeks earlier in Washington. After the contest, Redskins owner George Preston Marshall told reporters that the Bears were crybabies and quitters when the going got tough. As the Bears prepared for the rematch, Chicago head coach George Halas fired up his team by showing them newspaper articles containing Marshall's comments. Before the game, Halas's friend Clark Shaughnessy, who was concurrently coaching the undefeated
1940 NFL Championship Game
10379964
Paul Brown Stadium ended in a 13–13 tie, the first NFL tie game since November 10, 2002, when the Atlanta Falcons and the Pittsburgh Steelers ended in a 34–34 draw. After the game, Donovan McNabb mentioned that he did not know there were ties in the NFL, apparently confusing the NFL's postseason rules (where teams can and have played double overtime games because those contests continue until a team finally wins) with the regular season rules. This drew the ire of many fans, who thought that a quarterback of his caliber should know some fundamental rules; however, none of McNabb's
2008 NFL season
5732490
1984 NFL season The 1984 NFL season was the 65th regular season of the National Football League. The Colts relocated from Baltimore, Maryland to Indianapolis, Indiana before the season. The Colts new home field was the Hoosier Dome. The New York Jets moved their home games from Shea Stadium in New York City to Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The season ended with Super Bowl XIX when the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Miami Dolphins 38–16 at Stanford Stadium in California. This was the first Super Bowl televised by ABC, who entered into the annual championship game rotation
1984 NFL season
9664047
would represent their division in the NFL Championship Game. This happened nine times during this era. For the 1967 season, the NFL split into four divisions (two conferences of two divisions each). Each of the four division champions played in their respective Conference Championship Game, with those winners advancing to the NFL Championship Game. 1967 was the first year where a pre-scheduled playoff (rather than regular season results) determined participation in the championship. It also marked the first year in which if there was a tie for first place in a division, the division champion was determined by a system
NFL playoff results
9465819
Bears win, the first time the Bears scored 61 points in a regular season game. Sayers would set an NFL rookie record with 22 touchdowns in one season. The six-touchdown performance tied an NFL record and set a new Bears record. The 1965 Bears draft class was named No. 8 on "NFL Top 10" draft classes. 1965 Chicago Bears season The 1965 Chicago Bears season was their 46th regular season completed in the National Football League. The club posted a 9–5 record, earning them a third-place finish in the NFL Western Conference. The club improved over the dismal 5–9 record
1965 Chicago Bears season
7129417
NFL Network. The Dallas Cowboys hosted the New York Giants in the first Sunday night game September 9 at 8:15 p.m. US EDT. Monday Night Football on ESPN kicked off with a doubleheader on September 10 with the Cincinnati Bengals hosting the Baltimore Ravens at 7:00 p.m. US EDT, and the San Francisco 49ers hosting the Arizona Cardinals at 10:15 p.m. US EDT. The 49ers paid tribute to three-time Super Bowl winning head coach Bill Walsh, who died July 30, in that game. In October 2006, NFL club owners approved a plan to stage up to two international regular season
2007 NFL season
7346115
a NFL record by scoring a touchdown in his 12th consecutive game during a 42–20 win over the Los Angeles Rams. His streak ended at 13 consecutive games. Then during the regular-season finale on December 17, 1983, Moseley set an NFL scoring record with 161 points while Riggins’ total of 144 points was second. This marked the first time since 1951 that the top two scorers in a season played on the same team. They dominated the NFL with a 14-win season which included scoring a then NFL record 541 points, many of which came from Riggins, who scored 24
History of the Washington Redskins
5002593
for Minnesota, who had lost to the Eagles 42-7 during the regular season. The Vikings scored 14 unanswered points in the first half, starting with wide receiver Sammy White's 30-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Tommy Kramer. Then after a punt, they drove 69 yards in 10 plays to score on running back Ted Brown's 1-yard touchdown run. However, Philadelphia scored before halftime by finishing off an 85-yard drive with quarterback Ron Jaworski's 9-yard touchdown completion to wide receiver Harold Carmichael. The Eagles then tied the game on the opening possession of the second half with Wilbert Montgomery's 8-yard touchdown run.
1980–81 NFL playoffs
10873041
Bay 1-yard line, setting up Shaun Alexander's 1-yard touchdown run on the next play. Then shortly after the ensuing kickoff, Grant, who only fumbled once during the regular season, lost another fumble which was recovered by Jordan Babineaux at the Packers 49-yard line. Five plays later, Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Bobby Engram, giving the Seahawks a 14–0 lead just four minutes into the game. However, the Packers responded with a touchdown on all of their ensuing possessions until early in the fourth quarter. First, quarterback Brett Favre completed four consecutive passes for 65 yards
2007–08 NFL playoffs
15209699
Bears, 1998 Vikings, 2004 Steelers and, 2015 Panthers at 15–1, and the 2007 Patriots, who finished the regular season undefeated at 16–0. The Packers became the fourth consecutive team with at least fifteen victories to fail to win the Super Bowl. After finishing the 2010 regular season with a 10–6 record, the Packers went 4–0 in the postseason en route to winning Super Bowl XLV. As a result, the Packers received the final selection (32nd) in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft. NFL Kickoff game With their Super Bowl XLV championship title to defend, the Green Bay Packers
2011 Green Bay Packers season
5794771
records, common opponents' records, and conference play. The 1978 NFL Draft was held from May 2 to 3, 1978 at New York City's Roosevelt Hotel. With the first pick, the Houston Oilers selected running back Earl Campbell from the University of Texas. 1978 NFL season The 1978 NFL season was the 59th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded the regular season from a 14-game schedule to 16. Furthermore, the playoff format was expanded from 8 teams to 10 teams by adding another wild card from each conference. The wild card teams played each other, with the
1978 NFL season
11157363
from the opening game through the Super Bowl (or championship game). The closest team to repeating this feat was the 2007 New England Patriots, who recorded the most wins in a season in NFL history by going 18–0 before losing to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII (the Dolphins won 18 straight through and until the first week of the 1973 season). The 2007 Patriots were able to record a better regular season than the 1972 Dolphins because the NFL lengthened it to 16 games in 1978. Besides the 1972 Dolphins and 2007 Patriots, the only other team
1972 Miami Dolphins season
5433651
Madden NFL '94 Madden NFL '94 is an American football video game released in 1993. It was the first game in the Madden series with an official National Football League team license, as well as the first Madden game that allowed players to play a full regular season (via a password system). However, the game is not licensed by the NFL Players Association, so all of the players are identified by number only (the game would get the Players' Association license in next year's edition). It was the first Madden game to use the famous "EA Sports – It's in
Madden NFL '94
9153387
for each team, resulting in an 18-week regular season. In 2001, the September 11th attacks resulted in the league postponing its week 2 games, leading to another 18-week season. Since the season, the league has scheduled a nationally televised regular season kickoff game on the Thursday night after Labor Day, prior to the first Sunday of NFL games to kick off the season. The first one, featuring the San Francisco 49ers and the New York Giants, was held on September 5, 2002 largely to celebrate New York City's resilience in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks. Since 2004,
NFL regular season
11450181
The nearby Hamilton Tiger-Cats also hosted a game against the Bills, then an American Football League team. Buffalo lost the game 38–21, the only time an NFL or AFL team would lose to a CFL team. In 1960 the New York Giants and Chicago Bears played an exhibition game at Varsity Stadium in the first game featuring two NFL teams to be played outside the United States. During the 1982 NFL season the NFL players went on strike. In the absence of regular season NFL games, the National Football League Players Association scheduled a series of All-star games across the
National Football League in Toronto