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2004 National Football League season
Regular season
Duration September 9, 2004 - January 2, 2005
Playoffs
Start date January 8, 2005
AFC Champions New England Patriots
NFC Champions Philadelphia Eagles
Super Bowl XXXIX
Date February 6, 2005
Site ALLTEL Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida
Champions New England Patriots
Pro Bowl
Date February 13, 2005
Site Aloha Stadium
National Football League seasons
 < 2003 2005 > 

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[]

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 England Patriots 14 2 0 .875 437 260
(5) New York Jets [b] 10 6 0 .625 333 261
Buffalo Bills 9 7 0 .563 395 284
Miami Dolphins 4 12 0 .250 275 354
AFC North
Team W L T PCT PF PA
(1) Pittsburgh Steelers 15 1 0 .938 372 251
Baltimore Ravens 9 7 0 .563 317 268
Cincinnati Bengals 8 8 0 .500 374 372
Cleveland Browns 4 12 0 .250 276 390
AFC South
Team W L T PCT PF PA
(3) Indianapolis Colts [a] 12 4 0 .750 522 351
Jacksonville Jaguars 9 7 0 .563 261 280
Houston Texans 7 9 0 .438 309 339
Tennessee Titans 5 11 0 .312 344 439
AFC West
Team W L T PCT PF PA
(4) San Diego Chargers 12 4 0 .750 446 313
(6) Denver Broncos 10 6 0 .625 381 304
Kansas City Chiefs 7 9 0 .438 483 435
Oakland Raiders 5 11 0 .312 320 442
NFC East
Team W L T PCT PF PA
(1) Philadelphia Eagles 13 3 0 .813 386 260
New York Giants [e] 6 10 0 .375 303 347
Dallas Cowboys [f] 6 10 0 .375 293 405
Washington Redskins 6 10 0 .375 240 265
NFC North
Team W L T PCT PF PA
(3) Green Bay Packers 10 6 0 .625 424 380
(6) Minnesota Vikings [d] 8 8 0 .500 405 395
Detroit Lions 6 10 0 .375 296 350
Chicago Bears 5 11 0 .312 231 331
NFC South
Team W L T PCT PF PA
(2) Atlanta Falcons 11 5 0 .688 340 337
New Orleans Saints 8 8 0 .500 348 405
Carolina Panthers 7 9 0 .438 355 339
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 5 11 0 .312 301 304
NFC West
Team W L T PCT PF PA
(4) Seattle Seahawks 9 7 0 .563 371 373
(5) St. Louis Rams [c] 8 8 0 .500 319 392
Arizona Cardinals 6 10 0 .375 284 322
San Francisco 49ers 2 14 0 .125 259 452


Tiebreakers
  • a Indianapolis clinched the AFC #3 seed instead of San Diego based on better head-to-head record (1-0).
  • b N.Y. Jets clinched the AFC #5 seed instead of Denver based on better record in common games (5-0 to 3-2).
  • c 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).
  • d Minnesota clinched the NFC #6 seed instead of New Orleans based on better head-to-head record (1-0).
  • e 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).
  • f Dallas finished ahead of Washington in the NFC East based on better head-to-head record (2-0).

Playoffs[]

Playoff seeds
Seed AFC NFC
1 Pittsburgh Steelers (North winner) Philadelphia Eagles (East winner)
2 New England Patriots (East winner) Atlanta Falcons (South winner)
3 Indianapolis Colts (South winner) Green Bay Packers (North winner)
4 San Diego Chargers (West winner) Seattle Seahawks (West winner)
5 New York Jets St. Louis Rams
6 Denver Broncos Minnesota Vikings

Bracket[]

                                   
January 9 - RCA Dome   January 16 - Gillette Stadium          
 6  Denver  24
 3  Indianapolis  3
 3  Indianapolis  49     January 23 - Heinz Field
 2  New England  20  
AFC
January 8 - Qualcomm Stadium  2  New England  41
January 15 - Heinz Field
   1  Pittsburgh  27  
 5  N.Y. Jets  20* AFC Championship
 5  N.Y. Jets  17
 4  San Diego  17   February 6 - ALLTEL Stadium
 1  Pittsburgh  20*  
Wild Card Playoffs  
Divisional Playoffs
January 8 - Qwest Field  A2  New England  24
January 15 - Georgia Dome
   N1  Philadelphia  21
 5  St. Louis  27 Super Bowl XXXIX
 5  St. Louis  17
 4  Seattle  20     January 23 - Lincoln Financial Field
 2  Atlanta  47  
NFC
January 9 - Lambeau Field  2  Atlanta  10
January 16 - Lincoln Financial Field
   1  Philadelphia  27  
 6  Minnesota  31 NFC Championship
 6  Minnesota  14
 3  Green Bay  17  
 1  Philadelphia  27  


* Indicates overtime victory

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Milestones[]

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

Record Player/Team Date/Opponent Previous Record Holder[1]
Longest Interception Return Ed Reed, Baltimore (106 yards) November 7, at Cleveland Tied by 2 players (103)
Most Touchdown Passes, Season Peyton Manning, Indianapolis (49) N/A Dan Marino, Miami, 1984 (48)
Highest Passer Rating, Season Peyton Manning, Indianapolis (121.1) Steve Young, San Francisco, 1994 (112.8)
Most Interception Return Yards Gained, Season Ed Reed, Baltimore (358) Charlie McNeil, San Diego, 1961 (349)
Most First Downs by a Team, Season Kansas City (398) Miami, 1994 (387)
Most Consecutive Games Won New England October 24, vs. N.Y. Jets Chicago, 1933-34 (17)
Most Passing Touchdowns by a Team, Season Indianapolis (51) N/A Miami, 1984 (49)

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. [2] Despite throwing for 49 touchdown passes, Peyton Manning attempted fewer than 500 passes for the first time in his NFL career. [3]

Statistical leaders[]

Team[]

Points scored Indianapolis Colts (522)
Total yards gained Kansas City Chiefs (6,695)
Yards rushing Atlanta Falcons (2,672)
Yards passing Indianapolis Colts (4,623)
Fewest points allowed Pittsburgh Steelers (251)
Fewest total yards allowed Pittsburgh Steelers (4,134)
Fewest rushing yards allowed Pittsburgh Steelers (1,299)
Fewest passing yards allowed Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2,579)

Individual[]

Scoring Adam Vinatieri, New England (141 points)
Touchdowns Shaun Alexander, Seattle (20 TDs)
Most field goals made Adam Vinatieri, New England (31 FGs)
Passing Daunte Culpepper, Minnesota (4717 yards)
Passing Touchdowns Peyton Manning, Indianapolis (49 TDs)
Passer Rating Peyton Manning, Indianapolis (121.1 rating)
Rushing Curtis Martin, New York Jets (1,697 yards)
Rushing Touchdowns Shaun Alexander, Seattle (21 TDs)
Receptions Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City (102)
Receiving yards Muhsin Muhammad, Carolina (1,405)
Punt returns Eddie Drummond, Detroit (13.2 average yards)
Kickoff returns Willie Ponder, New York Giants (26.9 average yards)
Interceptions Ed Reed, Baltimore (9)
Punting Shane Lechler, Oakland (46.7 average yards)
Sacks Dwight Freeney, Indianapolis (16)

Awards[]

Most Valuable Player Peyton Manning, Quarterback, Indianapolis
Coach of the Year Marty Schottenheimer, San Diego
Offensive Player of the Year Peyton Manning, Quarterback, Indianapolis
Defensive Player of the Year Ed Reed, Safety, Baltimore
Offensive Rookie of the Year Ben Roethlisberger, Quarterback, Pittsburgh
Defensive Rookie of the Year Jonathan Vilma, Linebacker, New York Jets
NFL Comeback Player of the Year Drew Brees, Quarterback, San Diego

External Links[]

Notes[]

  1. "Records". 2005 NFL Record and Fact Book. NFL. 2005. ISBN 193299436.
  2. Numbelivable!, p.35, Michael X. Ferraro and John Veneziano, Triumph Books, Chicago, Illinois, 2007, ISBN 978-1-57243-990-0
  3. Numbelivable!, p.146, Michael X. Ferraro and John Veneziano, Triumph Books, Chicago, Illinois, 2007, ISBN 978-1-57243-990-0

References[]

2004 NFL seasonv · d · e
AFC East North South West East North South West NFC
Buffalo Baltimore Houston Denver Dallas Chicago Atlanta Arizona
Miami Cincinnati Indianapolis Kansas City NY Giants Detroit Carolina St. Louis
New England Cleveland Jacksonville Oakland Philadelphia Green Bay New Orleans San Francisco
NY Jets Pittsburgh Tennessee San Diego Washington Minnesota Tampa Bay Seattle
2004 NFL DraftNFL PlayoffsPro BowlSuper Bowl XXXIX
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