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1998 National Football League season
Regular season
Duration September 6, 1998 - December 28, 1998
Playoffs
Start date January 2, 1999
AFC Champions Denver Broncos
NFC Champions Atlanta Falcons
Super Bowl XXXIII
Date January 31, 1999
Site Pro Player Stadium, Miami, Florida
Champions Denver Broncos
Pro Bowl
Date February 7, 1999
Site Aloha Stadium
National Football League seasons
 < 1997 1999 > 

The 1998 NFL season was the 79th regular season of the National Football League.

The Tennessee Oilers moved their home games from Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis to Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, still awaiting construction on a new stadium (Adelphia Coliseum) in Nashville.

This was the first season that CBS held the rights to televise American Football Conference games, taking over the package from NBC. Meanwhile, this was the first time that ESPN broadcast all of the Sunday night games throughout the season.

The season ended with Super Bowl XXXIII when the Denver Broncos defeated the Atlanta Falcons.

Major rule changes[]

  • Tinted visors on players' facemasks are banned except for medical need.
  • A defensive player can no longer flinch before the snap in an attempt to draw movement from an offensive linemen.
  • A team will be penalized immediately for having 12 players in a huddle even if the 12th player goes straight to the sideline as the huddle breaks.
  • The coin toss will be called before the coin itself is tossed, not while the coin is in the air.
    • This is a mid-season change resulting from a controversy during the Detroit LionsPittsburgh Steelers game on Thanksgiving Day, where conflicting calls were heard during the toss. The toss was made prior to a Sudden Death overtime period. The official making the call judged Detroit the winner while Pittsburgh argued they made the right call. If the Steelers were to be believed, the game could have had a different outcome.

1998 NFL Season Changes[]

Stadium changes[]

Uniform changes[]

1998 Coaching Changes[]

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

AFC East
Team W L T PCT PF PA
(2) New York Jets 12 4 0 .750 416 266
(4) Miami Dolphins 10 6 0 .625 321 265
(5) Buffalo Bills 10 6 0 .625 400 333
(6) New England Patriots 9 7 0 .563 337 329
Indianapolis Colts 3 13 0 .188 310 444
AFC Central
Team W L T PCT PF PA
(3) Jacksonville Jaguars 11 5 0 .688 392 338
Tennessee Oilers 8 8 0 .500 330 320
Pittsburgh Steelers 7 9 0 .438 263 303
Baltimore Ravens 6 10 0 .375 269 335
Cincinnati Bengals 3 13 0 .188 268 452
AFC West
Team W L T PCT PF PA
(1) Denver Broncos 14 2 0 .875 501 309
Oakland Raiders 8 8 0 .500 288 356
Seattle Seahawks 8 8 0 .500 372 310
Kansas City Chiefs 7 9 0 .438 327 363
San Diego Chargers 5 11 0 .313 241 342
NFC East
Team W L T PCT PF PA
(3) Dallas Cowboys 10 6 0 .625 381 275
(6) Arizona Cardinals 9 7 0 .563 325 378
New York Giants 8 8 0 .500 287 309
Washington Redskins 6 10 0 .375 319 421
Philadelphia Eagles 3 13 0 .188 161 344
NFC Central
Team W L T PCT PF PA
(1) Minnesota Vikings 15 1 0 .938 556 296
(5) Green Bay Packers 11 5 0 .688 408 319
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 8 8 0 .500 314 295
Detroit Lions 5 11 0 .313 306 378
Chicago Bears 4 12 0 .250 276 368
NFC West
Team W L T PCT PF PA
(2) Atlanta Falcons 14 2 0 .875 442 289
(4) San Francisco 49ers 12 4 0 .750 479 328
New Orleans Saints 6 10 0 .375 305 359
Carolina Panthers 4 12 0 .250 336 413
St. Louis Rams 4 12 0 .250 285 378


Tiebreakers[]

  • Miami finished ahead of Buffalo in the AFC East based on better net division points (6 to Bills' 0).
  • Oakland finished ahead of Seattle in the AFC West based on head-to-head sweep (2–0).
  • Carolina finished ahead of St. Louis in the NFC West based on head-to-head sweep (2–0).

Playoffs[]


  Wild Card Playoffs Divisional Playoffs Conference Championships Super Bowl XXXIII
                                     
6  New England 10  
3  Jacksonville 25  
  3  Jacksonville 24  
    2  N.Y. Jets 34  
      
        
  2  N.Y. Jets 10  
AFC
  1  Denver 23  
5  Buffalo 17  
4  Miami 24  
  4  Miami 3
    1  Denver 38  
      
        
  A1  Denver 34
  N2  Atlanta 19
5  Green Bay 27  
4  San Francisco 30  
  4  San Francisco 18
    2  Atlanta 20  
      
        
  2  Atlanta 30
NFC
  1  Minnesota 27  
6  Arizona 20  
3  Dallas 7  
  6  Arizona 21
    1  Minnesota 41  
      
Home team in capitals

AFC[]

  • Wild-Card playoffs: MIAMI 24, Buffalo 17; JACKSONVILLE 25, New England 10
  • Divisional playoffs: DENVER 38, Miami 3; N.Y. JETS 34, Jacksonville 24
  • AFC Championship: DENVER 23, N.Y. Jets 10 at Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado, January 17, 1999

NFC[]

  • Wild-Card playoffs: Arizona 20, DALLAS 7; SAN FRANCISCO 30, Green Bay 27
  • Divisional playoffs: ATLANTA 20, San Francisco 18; MINNESOTA 41, Arizona 21
  • NFC Championship: Atlanta 30, MINNESOTA 27 (OT) at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota, January 17, 1999

Super Bowl[]

Statistical leaders[]

Team[]

Points scored Minnesota Vikings (556)
Total yards gained San Francisco 49ers (6,800)
Yards rushing San Francisco 49ers (2,544)
Yards passing Minnesota Vikings (4,328)
Fewest points allowed Miami Dolphins (265)
Fewest total yards allowed San Diego Chargers (4,208)
Fewest rushing yards allowed San Diego Chargers (1,140)
Fewest passing yards allowed Philadelphia Eagles (2,720)

Individual[]

Scoring Gary Anderson, Minnesota (164 points)
Touchdowns Terrell Davis, Denver (23 TDs)
Most field goals made Al Del Greco, Tennessee (36 FGs)
Rushing Terrell Davis, Denver (2,008 yards)
Passing Randall Cunningham, Minnesota, (106.0 rating)
Passing touchdowns Steve Young, San Francisco (36 TDs)
Pass receiving O.J. McDuffie, Miami (90 catches)
Pass receiving yards Antonio Freeman, Green Bay (1,424) Receiving touchdowns Randy Moss, Minnesota (17 touchdowns) Punt returns Deion Sanders, Dallas (15.6 average yards)
Kickoff returns Terry Fair, Detroit (28.0 average yards)
Interceptions Ty Law, New England (8)
Punting Craig Hentrich, Tennessee (47.2 average yards)
Sacks Michael Sinclair, Seattle (16.5)

Awards[]

Most Valuable Player Terrell Davis, Running Back, Denver
Coach of the Year Dan Reeves, Atlanta
Offensive Player of the Year Terrell Davis, Running Back, Denver
Defensive Player of the Year Reggie White, Defensive End, Green Bay
Offensive Rookie of the Year Randy Moss, Wide Receiver, Minnesota
Defensive Rookie of the Year Charles Woodson, Cornerback, Oakland
NFL Comeback Player of the Year Doug Flutie, Quarterback, Buffalo

External Links[]

References[]

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