2004 NFL season

The 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. Hurricanes forced the rescheduling of two Miami Dolphins home games: the game against the Tennessee Titans was moved up one day to Saturday, September 11 to avoid oncoming Hurricane Ivan, while the game versus the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, September 26 was moved back 7½ hours to miss the eye of Hurricane Jeanne.

The playoffs began on January 8, and eventually New England repeated as NFL champions when they defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX, the Super Bowl championship game, at ALLTEL Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida on February 6.

Major rule changes

 * Due to several incidents during the 2003 NFL season, officials are authorized to penalize excessive celebration. The 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty will be marked off from the spot at the end of the previous play or, after a score, on the ensuing kickoff. If the infraction is ruled flagrant by the officials, the player can be ejected.
 * Due to several instances during the 2003–04 playoffs, officials are instructed to strictly enforce illegal contact, pass interference, and defensive holding.
 * Timeouts can be called by head coaches.
 * In addition to the numbers 80–89, wide receivers will now be allowed to use numbers 10-19.
 * A punt or missed field goal that is untouched by the receiving team is immediately dead once it touches either the end zone or any member of the kicking team in the end zone. Previously, a punt or missed field goal that lands in the end zone before being controlled by the kicking team could be picked up by a member of the receiving team and immediately run the other way.
 * Teams will be awarded a third instant replay challenge if their first two are successful. Previously, teams were only limited to two regardless of what occurred during the game.

2004 NFL Changes

 * Baltimore Ravens - Added third alternative uniforms. Black.
 * Cincinnati Bengals - New Uniforms.
 * Indianapolis Colts - Grey facemask. Black shoes.
 * Jacksonville Jaguars - New road uniforms. White uniforms, black numbers with gold and teal trim. new black pants with jaguars logo on hip.
 * New York Giants - Added third alternative uniforms. Red.
 * Minnesota Vikings - New Grass field.
 * Chicago Bears - Added third alternative uniforms. Orange.
 * St.Louis Rams - New Grass field.

Final regular season standings
W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT = Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against

Clinched playoff seeds are marked in parentheses and shaded in green


 * Tiebreakers
 * Indianapolis clinched the AFC #3 seed instead of San Diego based on better head-to-head record (1-0).
 * N.Y. Jets clinched the AFC #5 seed instead of Denver based on better record in common games (5-0 to 3-2).
 * St. Louis clinched the NFC #5 seed instead of Minnesota or New Orleans based on better conference record (7-5 to Minnesota's 5-7 to New Orleans' 6-6).
 * Minnesota clinched the NFC #6 seed instead of New Orleans based on better head-to-head record (1-0).
 * N.Y. Giants finished ahead of Dallas and Washington in the NFC East based on better head-to-head record (3-1 to Dallas' 2-2 to Washington's 1-3).
 * Dallas finished ahead of Washington in the NFC East based on better head-to-head record (2-0).

Milestones
The following teams and players set all-time NFL records during the season:

The Colts led the NFL with 522 points scored. The Colts tallied more points in the first half of each of their games of the 2004 NFL season (277 points) than seven other NFL teams managed in the entire season. Despite throwing for 49 touchdown passes, Peyton Manning attempted fewer than 500 passes for the first time in his NFL career.