2007 NFL season
The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League (NFL).
| Regular season | |
|---|---|
| Duration | September 6 – December 30, 2007 |
| Playoffs | |
| Start date | January 5, 2008 |
| AFC Champions | New England Patriots |
| NFC Champions | New York Giants |
| Super Bowl XLII | |
| Date | February 3, 2008 |
| Site | University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona |
| Champions | New York Giants |
| Pro Bowl | |
| Date | February 10, 2008 |
| Site | Aloha Stadium |
| |
Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30. The campaign kicked off with the defending Super Bowl XLI champion Indianapolis Colts defeating the New Orleans Saints in the NFL Kickoff Game.
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.
Draft edit
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.
New referee edit
John Parry was promoted to referee, replacing Bill Vinovich, who was forced to resign due to a heart condition. Vinovich would then serve as a replay official from 2007 to 2011. He would later be given a clean bill of health and return to the field as a referee in 2012.
Rule changes edit
The following rule changes were passed at the league's annual owners meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, during the week of March 25–28:
- The instant replay system, used since the 1999, was finally made a permanent officiating tool.[1] Previously, it was renewed on a biennial basis.
- The system has also been upgraded to use high-definition technology. However, the systems at Texas Stadium (Dallas Cowboys), RCA Dome (Indianapolis Colts), and Giants Stadium (New York Giants and Jets) did not receive the HDTV updates since those stadiums were scheduled to be (and since have been) replaced in the forthcoming years.[2] One reason that the technology was improved was that fans with high-definition televisions at home were having better views on replays than the officials and according to Dean Blandino, the NFL's instant replay director "that could have bit us in the rear if we continued [with the old system]." In addition, the amount of time allotted for the referee to review a play was reduced from 90 seconds to one minute.[3]
- After a play is over, players who spike the ball in the field of play, other than in the end zone, will receive a 5-yard delay of game penalty.[3]
- Forward passes that unintentionally hit an offensive lineman before an eligible receiver will no longer be an illegal touching penalty, but deliberate actions are still penalized.[3]
- Roughing-the-passer penalties will not be called on a defender engaged with a quarterback who simply extends his arms and shoves the passer to the ground.[3]
- During situations where crowd noise becomes too loud that it prevents the offensive team from hearing its signals, the offense can no longer ask the referee to reset the play clock.[3]
- It is necessary to have the ball touch the pylon or break the plane above the pylon to count as a touchdown. Previously, a player just had to have some portion of his body over the goal line or pylon to count a touchdown.[4]
- A completed catch is now when a receiver gets two feet down and has control of the ball. Previously, a receiver had to make "a football move" in addition to having control of the ball for a reception.[5]
- Players will be subject to a fine from the league for playing with an unbuckled chin strap. Officials will not penalize for chin strap violations during a game.[5]
Preseason edit
The Hall of Fame Game was played in Canton, Ohio, on Sunday August 5, 2007, with the Pittsburgh Steelers defeating the Saints by a score of 20–7;[6] the game was televised by the NFL Network, replacing NBC, who had been previously scheduled to broadcast the China Bowl exhibition game from Beijing, China on August 8, 2007, between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks at Workers Stadium. However, with all efforts being put into the London regular season game, plans for the game were postponed (then later cancelled completely) as Beijing hosted the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Regular season edit
Schedule formula edit
Based on the NFL's scheduling formula, the intraconference and interconference matchups for 2007 were:[7]
Intraconference
Interconference
Opening weekend edit
On March 26, 2007, the league announced the opening Saints–Colts Kickoff Game on September 6 that would be telecast on NBC. Pre-game activities featured Indiana native John Mellencamp, Billy Joel, and Kelly Clarkson. The entertainment portion of events started 30 minutes earlier than the scheduled start time of the game, leading up to the unveiling of the Colts' Super Bowl XLI championship banner. The opening events were simulcast on 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.
Going global edit
In October 2006, NFL club owners approved a plan to stage up to two international regular season games per season beginning in 2007 and continuing through at least 2011.[8] On February 2, 2007, the league announced that the Week 8 contest between the New York Giants and the Miami Dolphins would be played at Wembley Stadium in London on October 28 at 5 p.m. GMT, which was 1 p.m. EDT)[9][10] As the Giants were the away-team designate from the NFC, Fox broadcast the game in the USA according to league broadcast contract rules.[11]
"Super Bowl 411⁄2" edit
In Week 9, the New England Patriots (8–0) faced the Indianapolis Colts (7–0) in a battle of undefeated teams. Thus there was a lot of hype surrounding the game, also due to the fact that these teams had met in the previous season's AFC Championship game, and would possibly meet later in the 2007 AFC Championship game. Many people dubbed the game "Super Bowl 411⁄2".[12] The Patriots prevailed 24–20,[13] and would finish the regular season as the league's first 16–0 team.
Thanksgiving edit
For the second year in a row, three games were held on the United States' Thanksgiving Day (November 22). In addition to the traditional games hosted by the Detroit Lions and Cowboys (with those teams respectively playing the Green Bay Packers and the New York Jets, with the Packers–Lions game starting at 12:30 p.m. US EST and the Jets–Cowboys game kicking off at 4:15 p.m. US EST respectively), the Colts faced the Atlanta Falcons in the Georgia Dome, with kickoff at 8:15 p.m. US EST.
Flex scheduling edit
The NFL entered its second year of flexible scheduling in the final weeks of the season. In each of the Sunday night contests from Weeks 11 through 17, NBC had the option of switching its Sunday night game for a more favorable contest, up to 12 days before the game's start.[14]
In addition to an extra week of flexible scheduling (because of the conflict with scheduling Christmas Eve the previous season, which NBC did not do (instead opting to air a game on Christmas Day), the NFL slightly changed its flex-schedule procedure. In 2006, the league did not reveal its predetermined Sunday night game; the reason given by the league was to avoid embarrassing the teams switched out for a more compelling game.[15] In 2007, the league announced all predetermined matchups, with a footnote on the games subject to flex scheduling.[16] Also, the network that carries the "doubleheader" week game (either CBS or Fox) will be able to switch one game per week into the 4:15 pm (US ET) time slot, except in the final week, when NBC will select one game for the 8:15 pm slot, and both CBS and Fox will have doubleheader games on December 30.
Week 11:
- The New England–Buffalo game, originally scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS, was flexed into NBC Sunday Night Football at 8:15 p.m. ET, replacing the Chicago–Seattle game, which was moved to 4:15 p.m. ET on Fox.
- The New York Giants–Detroit game, originally scheduled for 4:15 p.m. ET, was flexed to 1:00 p.m. ET on Fox.
- The Pittsburgh–New York Jets game, originally scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET, was flexed to 4:05 p.m. ET on CBS.
- The Washington–Dallas game, originally scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET, was flexed to 4:15 p.m. ET on Fox.
Week 12: The Denver–Chicago game, originally scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET, was flexed to 4:15 p.m. ET on CBS.
Week 13: The Tampa Bay–New Orleans game, originally scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET, was flexed to 4:15 p.m. ET on Fox.
Week 14: The Pittsburgh–New England game, originally scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET, was flexed to 4:15 p.m. ET on CBS.
Week 16:
- The Washington–Minnesota game, originally scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET on Fox, was flexed into NBC Sunday Night Football at 8:15 p.m. ET, replacing the Tampa Bay–San Francisco game, which was moved to 4:05 p.m. ET on Fox.
- The Miami–New England game, originally scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET, was flexed to 4:15 p.m. ET on CBS.
Week 17:
- The Tennessee–Indianapolis game, originally scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS, was flexed into NBC Sunday Night Football at 8:15 p.m. ET, replacing the Kansas City–New York Jets game, which was moved to 4:15 p.m. ET on CBS.
- The Pittsburgh–Baltimore game, originally scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET, was flexed to 4:15 p.m. ET on CBS.
- The Dallas–Washington game, originally scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET, was flexed to 4:15 p.m. ET on Fox.
Regular season standings edit
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Tiebreakers edit
- Pittsburgh finished in first place in the AFC North over Cleveland based on a head-to-head sweep.
- Detroit finished in third place in the NFC North over Chicago based on a head-to-head sweep.
- Carolina finished in second place in the NFC South over New Orleans based on a better conference record (7–5 to New Orleans' 6–6).[note 1]
- Kansas City finished in third place in the AFC West over Oakland based on a better record against common opponents. (2–10 to Oakland's 1–11).[note 2]
- Tennessee clinched the AFC No. 6 seed over Cleveland based on a better record against common opponents. (4–1 to Cleveland's 3–2).[note 3]
- Dallas clinched the NFC No. 1 seed over Green Bay based on a head-to-head victory.
Playoffs edit
Within each conference, the four division winners and the top two non-division winners with the best overall regular season records) qualified for the playoffs. The four division winners are seeded 1–4 based on their overall won-lost-tied record, and the wild card teams are seeded 5–6. The NFL does not use a fixed bracket playoff system, and there are no restrictions regarding teams from the same division matching up in any round. In the first round, dubbed the wild-card playoffs or wild-card weekend, the third-seeded division winner hosts the sixth-seed wild card, and the fourth seed hosts the fifth. The 1 and 2 seeds from each conference received a first-round bye. In the second round, the divisional playoffs, the number 1 seed hosts the worst-surviving seed from the first round (seed 4, 5, or 6), while the number 2 seed will play the other team (seed 3, 4, or 5). The two surviving teams from each conference's divisional playoff games met in the respective AFC and NFC Conference Championship games, hosted by the higher seed. Although the Super Bowl, the championship round of the playoffs, is played at a neutral site, the designated home team is based on an annual rotation by conference.[17]
| Playoff seeds | ||
| Seed | AFC | NFC |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New England Patriots (East winner) | Dallas Cowboys (East winner) |
| 2 | Indianapolis Colts (South winner) | Green Bay Packers (North winner) |
| 3 | San Diego Chargers (West winner) | Seattle Seahawks (West winner) |
| 4 | Pittsburgh Steelers (North winner) | Tampa Bay Buccaneers (South winner) |
| 5 | Jacksonville Jaguars (wild card) | New York Giants (wild card) |
| 6 | Tennessee Titans (wild card) | Washington Redskins (wild card) |
Bracket edit
| Jan 6 – Raymond James Stadium | Jan 13 – Texas Stadium | |||||||||||||||||
| 5 | NY Giants | 24 | ||||||||||||||||
| 5 | NY Giants | 21 | ||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Tampa Bay | 14 | Jan 20 – Lambeau Field | |||||||||||||||
| 1 | Dallas | 17 | ||||||||||||||||
| NFC | ||||||||||||||||||
| Jan 5 – Qwest Field | 5 | NY Giants | 23* | |||||||||||||||
| Jan 12 – Lambeau Field | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Green Bay | 20 | ||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Washington | 14 | NFC Championship | |||||||||||||||
| 3 | Seattle | 20 | ||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Seattle | 35 | Feb 3 – University of Phoenix Stadium | |||||||||||||||
| 2 | Green Bay | 42 | ||||||||||||||||
| Wild Card playoffs | ||||||||||||||||||
| Divisional playoffs | ||||||||||||||||||
| Jan 6 – Qualcomm Stadium | N5 | NY Giants | 17 | |||||||||||||||
| Jan 13 – RCA Dome | ||||||||||||||||||
| A1 | New England | 14 | ||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Tennessee | 6 | Super Bowl XLII | |||||||||||||||
| 3 | San Diego | 28 | ||||||||||||||||
| 3 | San Diego | 17 | Jan 20 – Gillette Stadium | |||||||||||||||
| 2 | Indianapolis | 24 | ||||||||||||||||
| AFC | ||||||||||||||||||
| Jan 5 – Heinz Field | 3 | San Diego | 12 | |||||||||||||||
| Jan 12 – Gillette Stadium | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | New England | 21 | ||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Jacksonville | 31 | AFC Championship | |||||||||||||||
| 5 | Jacksonville | 20 | ||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Pittsburgh | 29 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1 | New England | 31 | ||||||||||||||||
- * Indicates overtime victory
Deaths edit
Pro Football Hall of Fame members edit
- Jim Ringo
- Ringo played 16 seasons in the NFL as a center with the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1981. He was a 10-time Pro Bowler, 9-time All-Pro selection, and 2-time NFL Champion. He died on November 19, age 75.
Active personnel edit
- Marquise Hill, New England Patriots defensive end, died on May 28, at the age of 24, drowned.[18]
- Sean Taylor, Washington Redskins safety. Died November 27, homicide. Posthumously named to 2008 Pro Bowl.[19]
Events edit
Player conduct off the field edit
The NFLPA, then led by their president Gene Upshaw and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, worked with player conduct in the form of suspensions for off the field conduct in light of the more than fifty arrests by local law enforcement since the start of the 2006 season. The hardest hit came on April 10 when Adam "Pacman" Jones of the Tennessee Titans was suspended for the entire season for his five arrests, the most blatant while in Las Vegas for the NBA All-Star Weekend in February where he was accused of causing a riot/shooting in a strip club. That same day, Chris Henry of the Cincinnati Bengals was suspended for the first eight games of the season for his run-ins with the legal system. The other big name that has been caught in the web of controversy was Falcons' quarterback Michael Vick. Vick was charged on July 24, 2007, with dogfighting and animal abuse, and was suspended following a guilty plea in the case, on which he was sentenced to 23 months in prison (retroactive to November) and three years probation on December 10.[20]
Spygate edit
During the Patriots season opening game at The Meadowlands against the Jets, a Patriots camera staffer was ejected from the Patriots sideline and was accused of videotaping the Jets' defensive coaches relaying signals. The end result was that the team was fined $250,000, head coach Bill Belichick was docked $500,000 (the maximum fine that could be imposed) and also stripped of their first round selection of the 2008 NFL Draft. If the Pats had failed to make the playoffs, the penalty would have been their second and third round picks. The team was allowed to keep their other first-round pick acquired from the San Francisco 49ers during the previous year's selection meeting.
Other events edit
- The NFL set an all-time attendance record in 2007, with the league's 32 stadiums attracting 17,345,205 paying customers during the regular season. Average per-game attendance was 67,755.[21]
- The ESPN Monday Night Football game between the unbeaten New England Patriots and the Baltimore Ravens on December 3 drew the highest basic cable rating in history, with over 17.5 million viewers, beating the premiere of Disney Channel's High School Musical 2, which set the previous record on August 17. The previous high-water mark was a MNF telecast between the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys on October 23, 2006, which drew over 16 million viewers.
Milestones edit
The following teams and players set all-time NFL records during the regular season:
| Record | Player/team | Date broken/opponent | Previous record holder[22] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Longest kickoff return | Ellis Hobbs, New England (108 yards)[a] | September 9, at N.Y. Jets | Tied by 3 players (106) |
| Most regular-season wins by a quarterback, career | Brett Favre, Green Bay (160) | September 16, at N.Y. Giants | John Elway, 1983–1998 (148) |
| Most touchdown passes, career | Brett Favre, Green Bay (442) | September 30, at Minnesota | Dan Marino, 1983–1999 (420) |
| Most pass attempts, career | Brett Favre, Green Bay (8,758) | September 30, at Minnesota | Dan Marino, 1983–1999 (8,358) |
| Most Points Scored by a Team, Fourth quarter | Detroit Lions (34) | September 30, vs. Chicago | Tied by 3 teams (31) |
| Most consecutive games with a 20-point margin of victory, to start season | New England Patriots (4) | October 1, vs. Cincinnati | 1920 Buffalo All-Americans (4, including semi-pro teams) |
| Most touchdown catches by a tight end, career | Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City (66) | October 14, vs. Cincinnati | Shannon Sharpe, 1990–2003 (62) |
| Most passes had intercepted, career | Brett Favre, Green Bay (288) | October 14, vs. Washington | George Blanda, 1949–1975 (277) |
| Most field goals, game | Rob Bironas, Tennessee (8) | October 21, at Houston | Tied by 4 players (7) |
| Most consecutive seasons in one stadium | Lambeau Field, Green Bay Packers | 2007 marks 51st season. | Wrigley Field, Chicago Bears (50 years, 1921–1970) |
| Longest return of a missed field goal/ longest play in NFL history | Antonio Cromartie, San Diego (109 yards)[23] | November 4, at Minnesota | Tied by 3 players (108 yards)[a] |
| Most rushing yards, game | Adrian Peterson, Minnesota (296) | November 4, vs. San Diego | Jamal Lewis, 2003 (295) |
| Most consecutive games with three touchdown passes | Tom Brady, New England (10 games)[24] | November 4, at Indianapolis | Peyton Manning (8 games) |
| Most games with Three Touchdown Passes, career | Brett Favre, Green Bay (63) | November 22, at Detroit | Dan Marino, 1983–1999 (62) |
| Most Yards Passing, career | Brett Favre, Green Bay (61,655) | December 16, at St. Louis | Dan Marino, 1983–1999 (61,361) |
| Consecutive 12+ win seasons | 2003–2010 Indianapolis (5)[25] | December 16, at Oakland | 1992–1995 Dallas (4) |
| Most touchdowns scored, season | New England Patriots (75) | December 23, vs. Miami | Miami Dolphins, 1984 (69) |
| Most Points After Touchdown Kicked, season/ Most Point After Touchdown Attempts, season | Stephen Gostkowski, New England (74/74) | December 16, vs. N.Y. Jets/ December 23, vs. Miami | Uwe von Schamann, 1984 (66 PATs) / Uwe von Schamann, 1984 (70 attempts) |
| Most Points, season | New England Patriots (589) | December 29, at N.Y. Giants | Minnesota, 1998 (556) |
| Most touchdown passes, season | Tom Brady, New England (50) | December 29, at N.Y. Giants | Peyton Manning, Indianapolis, 2004 (49) |
| Most receiving touchdowns, season | Randy Moss, New England (23) | December 29, at N.Y. Giants | Jerry Rice, San Francisco, 1987 (22) |
| Most Points After Touchdown, No Misses, season | Stephen Gostkowski, New England (74/74) | December 29, at N.Y. Giants | Jeff Wilkins, St. Louis, 1999 (64/64) |
| Most Games Won, season | New England (16) | December 29, at N.Y. Giants | Tied by 4 teams (15) |
| Most consecutive games won, Start of Season/ Most consecutive games Without Defeat, Start of Season | New England (16) | December 29, at N.Y. Giants | Miami, 1972 (14) |
| Most consecutive games won, End of Season/ Most consecutive games Without Defeat, End of Season | New England (16) | December 29, at N.Y. Giants | Tied by 2 teams (14) |
| Most consecutive regular-season games won | New England, 2006–07 (19) | December 29, at N.Y. Giants | New England, 2003–04 (18) |
| Most kick returns for a touchdown, season | Devin Hester, Chicago (6: 4 punts and 2 kickoffs)[26] | December 30, vs. New Orleans | Devin Hester, 2006 (5: 3 punts and 2 kickoffs) |
| Most passes completed, season | Drew Brees, New Orleans (443) | December 30, at Chicago | Rich Gannon, Oakland, 2002 (418) |
| Most Receptions by a Tight End, career | Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City (816) | December 30, at N.Y. Jets | Shannon Sharpe, 1990–2003 (815) |
- a Hobbs' kickoff return was also, at the time, tied for the longest play in NFL history until Antonio Cromartie broke the record.
Regular season statistical leaders edit
| Team | |
|---|---|
| Points scored | New England Patriots (589) |
| Total yards gained | New England Patriots (6,580) |
| Yards rushing | Minnesota Vikings (2,634) |
| Yards passing | New England Patriots (4,731) |
| Fewest points allowed | Indianapolis Colts (262) |
| Fewest total yards allowed | Pittsburgh Steelers (4,262) |
| Fewest rushing yards allowed | Minnesota Vikings (1,185) |
| Fewest passing yards allowed | Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2,728) |
| Individual | |
| Scoring | Mason Crosby, Green Bay (141 points) |
| Touchdowns | Randy Moss, New England (23 TDs) |
| Most field goals made | Rob Bironas, Tennessee (35 FGs) |
| Rushing yards | LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego (1,474 yards) |
| Rushing touchdowns | LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego (15 TDs) |
| Passer rating | Tom Brady, New England (117.2 rating) |
| Passing touchdowns | Tom Brady, New England (50 TDs) |
| Passing yards | Tom Brady, New England (4,806 yards) |
| Receptions | T. J. Houshmandzadeh, Cincinnati and Wes Welker, New England (112 catches) |
| Receiving yards | Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis (1,510 yards) |
| Receiving touchdowns | Randy Moss, New England (23 TDs) |
| Punt returns | Devin Hester, Chicago (42 for 651 yards, 15.5 average yards) |
| Kickoff returns | Josh Cribbs, Cleveland (59 for 1,809 yards, 30.7 average yards) |
| Tackles | Patrick Willis, San Francisco (136) |
| Interceptions | Antonio Cromartie, San Diego (10) |
| Punting | Shane Lechler, Oakland (73 for 3,585 yards, 49.1 average yards) |
| Sacks | Jared Allen, Kansas City (15.5) |
Awards edit
| Most Valuable Player | Tom Brady, New England Patriots[27] |
| Coach of the Year | Bill Belichick, New England Patriots[28] |
| Offensive Player of the Year | Tom Brady, New England Patriots[29] |
| Defensive Player of the Year | Bob Sanders, safety, Indianapolis Colts[30] |
| Offensive Rookie of the Year | Adrian Peterson, running back, Minnesota Vikings[31] |
| Defensive Rookie of the Year | Patrick Willis, linebacker, San Francisco 49ers[32] |
| NFL Comeback Player of the Year | Greg Ellis, Dallas Cowboys[33] |
| Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year | Jason Taylor, defensive end, Miami Dolphins |
| Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award | Eli Manning, quarterback, New York Giants |
| Offense | |
|---|---|
| Quarterback | Tom Brady, New England Brett Favre, Green Bay |
| Running back | LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego Brian Westbrook, Philadelphia |
| Fullback | Lorenzo Neal, San Diego |
| Wide receiver | Randy Moss, New England Terrell Owens, Dallas |
| Tight end | Jason Witten, Dallas |
| Offensive tackle | Matt Light, New England Walter Jones, Seattle |
| Offensive guard | Steve Hutchinson, Minnesota Alan Faneca, Pittsburgh |
| Center | Jeff Saturday, Indianapolis |
| Defense | |
|---|---|
| Defensive end | Patrick Kerney, Seattle Jared Allen, Kansas City |
| Defensive tackle | Albert Haynesworth, Tennessee Kevin Williams, Minnesota |
| Outside linebacker | Mike Vrabel, New England DeMarcus Ware, Dallas |
| Inside linebacker | Lofa Tatupu, Seattle Patrick Willis, San Francisco |
| Cornerback | Asante Samuel, New England Antonio Cromartie, San Diego |
| Safety | Bob Sanders, Indianapolis Ed Reed, Baltimore |
| Special teams | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kicker | Rob Bironas, Tennessee | ||||
| Punter | Andy Lee, San Francisco | ||||
| Kick returner | Devin Hester, Chicago | ||||
Team superlatives edit
Offense edit
- Most points scored: New England, 589
- Fewest points scored: San Francisco, 219
- Most total offensive yards: New England, 6,580
- Fewest total offensive yards: San Francisco, 3,797
- Most total passing yards: New England, 4,731
- Fewest total passing yards: San Francisco, 2,320
- Most rushing yards: Minnesota, 2,634
- Fewest rushing yards: Kansas City, 1,248
Defense edit
- Fewest points allowed: Indianapolis, 262
- Most points allowed: Detroit, 444
- Fewest total yards allowed: Pittsburgh, 4,262
- Most total yards allowed: Detroit, 6,042
- Fewest passing yards allowed: Tampa Bay, 2,725
- Most passing yards allowed: Minnesota, 4,225
- Fewest rushing yards allowed: Minnesota, 1,185
- Most rushing yards allowed: Miami, 2,456
| Week/ Month | Offensive Player of the Week/Month | Defensive Player of the Week/Month | Special Teams Player of the Week/Month | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AFC | NFC | AFC | NFC | AFC | NFC | |
| 1 | Chris Brown (Titans) | Tony Romo (Cowboys) | Mario Williams (Texans) | Dewayne White (Lions) | Ellis Hobbs (Patriots) | Mason Crosby (Packers) |
| 2 | Derek Anderson (Browns) | Brett Favre (Packers) | Bob Sanders (Colts) | Barrett Ruud (Buccaneers) | Jason Elam (Broncos) | Devin Hester (Bears) |
| 3 | Tom Brady (Patriots) | Brian Westbrook (Eagles) | Keith Bulluck (Titans) | Anthony Henry (Cowboys) | Yamon Figurs (Ravens) | Lance Laury (Seahawks) |
| 4 | Daunte Culpepper (Raiders) | Brett Favre (Packers) | Jabari Greer (Bills) | Osi Umenyiora (Giants) | Dave Rayner (Chiefs) | Steve Breaston (Cardinals) |
| 5 | Philip Rivers (Chargers) | Jason Campbell (Redskins) | Ike Taylor (Steelers) | Roderick Hood (Cardinals) | Kris Brown (Texans) | Nick Folk (Cowboys) |
| 6 | Tom Brady (Patriots) | Adrian Peterson (Vikings) | Paul Spicer (Jaguars) | Charles Woodson (Packers) | Matt Stover (Ravens) | Devin Hester (Bears) |
| 7 | Tom Brady (Patriots) | Brian Griese (Bears) | Dwight Freeney (Colts) | Osi Umenyiora (Giants) | Rob Bironas (Titans) | Nate Burleson (Seahawks) |
| 8 | Joseph Addai (Colts) | Drew Brees (Saints) | Mike Vrabel (Patriots) | Trent Cole (Eagles) | Mike Scifres (Chargers) | Jason Hanson (Lions) |
| 9 | Randy Moss (Patriots) | Adrian Peterson (Vikings) | James Harrison (Steelers) | Shaun Rogers (Lions) | Antonio Cromartie (Chargers) | Shaun Suisham (Redskins) |
| 10 | Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers) | Marc Bulger (Rams) | Antonio Cromartie (Chargers) | Karlos Dansby (Cardinals) | Darren Sproles (Chargers) | Morten Anderson (Falcons) |
| 11 | Randy Moss (Patriots) | Terrell Owens (Cowboys) | Shaun Ellis (Jets) | Antrel Rolle (Cardinals) | Glenn Martinez (Broncos) | Tramon Williams (Packers) |
| 12 | Chad Johnson (Bengals) | Frank Gore (49ers) | Asante Samuel (Patriots) | Dwight Smith (Vikings) | Josh Scobee (Jaguars) | Devin Hester (Bears) |
| 13 | Peyton Manning (Colts) | Tony Romo (Cowboys) | Shawne Merriman (Chargers) | Lofa Tatupu (Seahawks) | Rian Lindell (Bills) | Aundrae Allison (Vikings) |
Coaching changes edit
The following teams hired new head coaches prior to the start of the 2007 season:
| Team | 2007 Coach | Former Coach | Reason for leaving | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Falcons | Bobby Petrino, former head coach, University of Louisville | Jim Mora | Fired | Hired in 2004 and subsequently led the Falcons to the NFC Championship Game. However, Atlanta went 8–8 in 2005 before going 7–9 in 2006, losing their final three games. |
| Arizona Cardinals | Ken Whisenhunt, former offensive coordinator, Pittsburgh Steelers | Dennis Green | Fired | Hired in 2004. However, the Cardinals suffered three consecutive losing seasons under him, including a loss to the Chicago Bears after blowing a 20-point lead that prompted Green to throw an infamous tirade during the post-game media conference saying, "They are who we thought they were, and we let em' off the hook!" |
| Dallas Cowboys | Wade Phillips, former defensive coordinator, San Diego Chargers | Bill Parcells | Retired | Hired in 2003. Led the Cowboys to the playoffs in two of his four seasons as Dallas head coach. |
| Miami Dolphins | Cam Cameron, former offensive coordinator, San Diego Chargers | Nick Saban | Resigned to coach the University of Alabama | Hired in 2005 and finished the year 9–7, narrowly missing the playoffs. Went 6–10 in 2006, first losing record as a head coach. |
| Oakland Raiders | Lane Kiffin, former offensive coordinator, Southern California | Art Shell | Fired | Re-hired in 2006 after having previously served as Raiders head coach, 1989–94. However, in his only season back, the team finished with its worst record, 2–14, since 1963. |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | Mike Tomlin, former defensive coordinator, Minnesota Vikings | Bill Cowher | Resigned | Hired in 1992 and led the Steelers to an appearance in Super Bowl XXX and a victory in Super Bowl XL, resigning and eventually retiring to become an analyst for the NFL on CBS. |
| San Diego Chargers | Norv Turner, former offensive coordinator, San Francisco 49ers | Marty Schottenheimer | Fired | Hired in 2002. Led the Chargers to two playoff appearances, but a strained relationship with general manager A.J. Smith led to his ousting. |
The following head coaches were fired or resigned during the 2007 season:
| Team | Coach at start of the season | Interim coach | Reason for leaving | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Falcons | Bobby Petrino | Emmitt Thomas | Resigned | Petrino resigned after going 3–10 to take job at University of Arkansas; Thomas took over and went 1–2 as interim coach. |
Stadiums edit
The 2007 season was the last in the RCA Dome for the Indianapolis Colts, who had played there since 1984. The franchise moved to the new Lucas Oil Stadium in time for the 2008 season, located directly across the street. The dome would be demolished, and an extension to the Indiana Convention Center would replace the stadium.
Alltel Stadium reverts to Jacksonville Municipal Stadium after Alltel declines to renew the naming rights of the Jacksonville Jaguars's home.
Uniforms and patches edit
- This was the final season in which the classic NFL Shield logo, which had not changed since 1980, was used. An updated version first seen on August 31 in USA Today was put into use starting with the 2008 NFL Draft in April.[36] The new logo design features eight stars (one for each division) instead of the current 25 stars, the football now resembles that on the top of the Vince Lombardi Trophy, given to the Super Bowl champion and the lettering and point has been updated and modified to that of the league's current typeface for other logos.
- Teams that have permanent captains are allowed to wear a "C" patch (similar to those in ice hockey) on their right shoulder. The patch is in team colors with four stars under the "C." A gold star is placed on a bar below the "C" signaling how many years (with a maximum of four years) that player has been captain. The Pittsburgh Steelers—who were using up two patches as it was for the season with their own logo (which was already part of the standard uniforms) and the team's 75th anniversary logo—and Oakland Raiders elected not to use the "C" patch.
- The San Diego Chargers introduced new uniforms featuring white helmets, navy face masks, and revamped gold lightning bolts. A powder blue third jersey was also introduced.
- San Francisco 49ers coach Mike Nolan and Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio each wore suits on the sidelines for all of the teams' home games to honor Nolan's father, former 49ers and Saints coach Dick Nolan. In 2006, both coaches were allowed to wear a suit on the sidelines for a maximum of two home games. Del Rio did not wear a suit in the September 16 game against the Falcons due to the extreme heat in Jacksonville that day. Nolan wore a suit at the Meadowlands against the Giants on October 21.
- The Washington Redskins celebrated their 75th anniversary season (the franchise having been founded in 1932 as the Boston Braves), and wore Vince Lombardi-styled uniforms against the New York Giants on September 23. The Philadelphia Eagles and their cross-state rival Pittsburgh Steelers also celebrated their respective 75th seasons, having been founded in 1933. The Eagles wore replicas of their inaugural season uniforms against the Detroit Lions on September 23, while the Steelers wore 1960 uniforms against the Buffalo Bills on September 16 and did so again when the Baltimore Ravens visited on November 5.
- Throwback uniforms were not just limited to team anniversary celebrations. The Cleveland Browns wore their 1957 throwbacks in a game against the Houston Texans on November 25, the Minnesota Vikings wore 1970s uniforms against the Green Bay Packers on September 30 (in the same game that Brett Favre passed Dan Marino for most touchdown passes in NFL history), while the Jets honored their historic predecessors on October 14 against the Eagles and, in a rare instance, wore them in a road game at Miami December 2 by wearing the New York Titans' 1960 through 1962 uniforms. The team did not become the Jets until 1963. The Cowboys wore their 1960 uniforms on November 29 against the Packers, and the Bills wore their 1960s throwbacks at home against Dallas October 7 and against Miami December 9.
- The 49ers also honored the late Bill Walsh, coach of their wins in Super Bowls XVI, XIX, and XXIII by wearing throwback uniforms from the 1980s in their opener on September 10 against the Arizona Cardinals. Mike Nolan had been considering wearing the 1980s uniforms for the entire season to honor Walsh's memory. The retro uniforms were worn again on November 18 against the Seahawks. In addition, all season long, the team wore a black football-shaped decal on their helmets with the initials "BW" in white.
- The Kansas City Chiefs honored their late former owner and team founder Lamar Hunt by wearing special American Football League logo patches on their jerseys with the letters "LH" emblazoned inside the logo's football. Originally meant to be a one-season tribute, the Chiefs announced that as of the 2008 NFL season, the patch will be a permanent fixture on the jerseys, joining the Chicago Bears (for George Halas) and Cleveland Browns (for Al Lerner) for such memorial patches.
Television edit
The 2007 season marked the second year under the league's television contracts with its American broadcast partners. CBS and Fox primarily televised Sunday afternoon AFC and NFC away games, respectively. NBC broadcast Sunday Night Football, ESPN aired Monday Night Football, and NFL Network held the rights to Thursday Night Football.
The pre-game shows made some changes, with former Steelers coach Bill Cowher joining host James Brown, Boomer Esiason, Shannon Sharpe and Dan Marino on CBS' The NFL Today. On Fox, after one season on the road, Fox NFL Sunday returned to Los Angeles as Curt Menefee took over as full-time host. Chris Rose, who had been doing in-game updates of other NFL games, was reverted to a part-time play-by-play role.
The biggest changes were at NBC and ESPN. Michael Irvin's contract with ESPN was not renewed, and former coach Bill Parcells returned to the network after four years as Cowboys head coach. Parcells left before the season ended to become the Miami Dolphins VP of Player Personnel. Another pair of former Cowboys, Emmitt Smith and Keyshawn Johnson also provided roles in the studio for Sunday NFL Countdown and Monday Night Countdown. At Monday Night Football, Joe Theismann was dropped (and would later resign from the network) after seventeen years in the booth between the Sunday and Monday Night packages, and former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback and current Philadelphia Soul (AFL) president Ron Jaworski took his place alongside Mike Tirico and Tony Kornheiser. Part of the reason that Jaworski replaced Theismann was because of his chemistry with Kornheiser on Pardon the Interruption, where Jaworski was a frequent guest during the football season.
NBC's Football Night in America also made two changes. MSNBC Countdown anchor Keith Olbermann joined Bob Costas and Cris Collinsworth as another co-host, while Sterling Sharpe exited as a studio analyst, and former New York Giants running back Tiki Barber replaced him. In another change, Faith Hill took over singing "Waiting All Day For Sunday Night" for Pink.
In the second year of the NFL Network's "Run to the Playoffs", Marshall Faulk and Deion Sanders replaced Dick Vermeil for two games when Collinsworth was unavailable. An unforced change saw Bryant Gumbel miss the Broncos–Texans game December 13 due to a sore throat and NBC announcer Tom Hammond step into Gumbel's play-by-play role in what turned out to be more or less a preview of one of NBC's Wild Card Game announcing teams.
Controversy surrounding NFL Network coverage edit
The dispute between the NFL Network and various cable companies involving the distribution of the cable channel continued throughout the season, getting the attention of government officials when the NFL Network was scheduled to televise two high-profile regular season games: the Packers-Cowboys game on November 29 and the Patriots-Giants game on December 29. In the case of the Packers-Cowboys game, the carriage was so limited that even Governor of Wisconsin Jim Doyle went to his brother's house to watch the game on satellite (which is where the majority of the viewers watch the network). The contest drew a network record 10.1 million viewers, a high-water mark at that time.
Some politicians urged the league to seek a resolution to conflict. In December, Massachusetts Senator John Kerry wrote a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell asking for the league to settle their differences in time for the Patriots-Giants game. Because the game, as it turned out, would be the Patriots' attempt to seal the record that would make them the first undefeated team in 35 years, Kerry urged for a solution to be decided upon in time so that Americans can witness "an historic event".[37] Also, Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter threatened to introduce legislation to eliminate the league's freedom from antitrust laws.[38]
On December 26, the NFL announced that, despite initial plans to broadcast the game only on the NFL Network, the game would be presented in a three-network simulcast with both CBS and NBC, the first time an NFL game would be broadcast on three networks, and the first simulcast of any pro football game since Super Bowl I.[39] Nielsen ratings saw CBS with 15.7 million viewers, NBC with 13.2 million viewers and NFL Network with 4.5 million viewers for the game. In addition, local stations in New York City (WWOR-TV in nearby Secaucus, New Jersey), Boston (WCVB-TV), and Manchester, New Hampshire (WMUR-TV), all previously signed on to carry the game in the teams' home markets, added 1.2 million viewers, making it the most watched TV show since the 2007 Oscars and the most watched regular season NFL telecast in twelve years.
Notes edit
References edit
- ^ "Owners vote to make replay permanent". NFL. March 27, 2007. from the original on March 31, 2007. Retrieved March 28, 2007.
- ^ "Replay now permanent in NFL". SI.com. March 27, 2007. Retrieved March 28, 2007.[dead link]
- ^ a b c d e "Henry to meet with Goodell; new rules passed". NFL. March 28, 2007. from the original on March 31, 2007. Retrieved March 28, 2007.
- ^ . HoustonTexans.com. August 3, 2007. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved August 22, 2007.
- ^ a b Moore, J. Michael (August 3, 2007). . Atlanta Falcons. Archived from the original on January 5, 2008. Retrieved November 24, 2007.
- ^ Bouchette, Ed (August 6, 2007). "Steelers start strong in 20–7 victory". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. from the original on May 22, 2011. Retrieved January 28, 2008.
- ^ 2006 NFL Record and Fact Book. July 25, 2006. p. 16. ISBN 978-1-933405-32-2.
- ^ "Resolution approved for international games". NFL. October 24, 2006. from the original on January 6, 2007. Retrieved January 11, 2007.
- ^ "London to host 2007 regular-season game". NFL. January 16, 2007. from the original on February 4, 2007. Retrieved February 10, 2007.
- ^ "Dolphins will host Giants in a game in London". ESPN. February 1, 2007. from the original on January 11, 2012. Retrieved February 2, 2007.
- ^ Eisen, Michael (February 2, 2007). . Giants.com. Archived from the original on January 11, 2009. Retrieved September 11, 2007.
- ^ Week 9 primer: Patriots at Colts and the rest – NFL – Sporting News June 10, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ New England Patriots vs. Indianapolis Colts – Recap – November 4, 2007 – ESPN October 16, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ The flexible-scheduling policy also allows a shorter time window for changing Week 17 games prior to the game.
- ^ Hiestand, Michael (April 5, 2006). "Process of game-time decisions will eliminate TV duds, create chaos". USA Today. from the original on May 23, 2011. Retrieved April 11, 2007.
- ^ "2007 prime-time schedule". NFL. April 11, 2007. from the original on March 25, 2007. Retrieved April 11, 2007.
- ^ . Yahoo! Sports. December 31, 2006. Archived from the original on January 1, 2010.
- ^ "Tragic history". Boston Globe. May 29, 2007. from the original on August 17, 2010.
- ^ "Redskins safety Taylor dies day after being shot". Associated Press. November 27, 2007. Archived from the original on September 7, 2012. Retrieved November 27, 2007.
- ^ "Vick suspended indefinitely after filing plea". NFL.com. August 27, 2007. from the original on January 21, 2010.
- ^ "NFL sets attendance record in 2007". NFL.com. March 31, 2008. from the original on October 2, 2015.
- ^ "Records". 2007 NFL Record and Fact Book. NFL. 2007. ISBN 978-1-933821-85-6.
- ^ "San Diego's Cromartie sets NFL record with 109-yard FG return". Associated Press. from the original on January 21, 2010.
- ^ "Patriots: Tom's got you, Babe". Providence Journal Online. from the original on October 10, 2010.
- ^ "Colts clip Raiders for fifth straight AFC South title". ESPN. from the original on September 24, 2008.
- ^ ESPN – Hester scores on sixth kick return in 2007 to break own record – NFL September 29, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Brady wins MVP Award ESPN.com October 23, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Perfect season lifts Belichick to second AP Coach of Year honor January 4, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ . Archived from the original on January 12, 2008.
- ^ Colts Sanders wins NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award NFL.com January 21, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ . Archived from the original on January 9, 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-09.
- ^ 49ers’ Willis named AP’s top defensive rookie – NFL – MSNBC.com February 16, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Ellis named Comeback Player November 25, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "2007 NFL Standings & Team Stats - Pro-Football-Reference.com". Pro-Football-Reference.com. from the original on April 26, 2018. Retrieved April 28, 2018.
- ^ "2007 NFL Opposition & Defensive Statistics - Pro-Football-Reference.com". Pro-Football-Reference.com. from the original on July 4, 2017. Retrieved April 28, 2018.
- ^ McCarthy, Michael (August 31, 2007). "NFL to revamp shield with redesigned logo". USA Today. from the original on August 22, 2011. Retrieved April 22, 2010.
- ^ Reiss, Mike (December 6, 2007). "Kerry presses on NFL Network". The Boston Globe. from the original on August 10, 2011.
- ^ "Specter Wants to Revisit NFL's Antitrust Status". The Washington Post. December 8, 2006. from the original on November 5, 2012.
- ^ Patriots' historic game to be available to all of America, after all NFL.com. Retrieved December 26, 2007. September 18, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
External links edit
- Football Outsiders 2007 DVOA Ratings