This article is about the American football season in the United States. For the Gaelic football season in Ireland, see2013 National Football League (Ireland).
The2013 NFL season was the 94th season in the history of theNational Football League (NFL) and the 48th of theSuper Bowl era. The season saw theSeattle Seahawks capture the first championship in the franchise's 38 years in the league with a lopsided victory over theDenver Broncos inSuper Bowl XLVIII, the league's championship game. The Super Bowl was played atMetLife Stadium inEast Rutherford, New Jersey, on Sunday, February 2, 2014. It was the first Super Bowl hosted by New Jersey and the first to be held outdoors in a cold weather environment. The Seahawks scored 12 seconds into the game and led the rest of the way on the back of theirLegion of Boom defense. The Seahawks ultimately defeated the Broncos 43–8.
Scoring reached historic levels throughout the league in 2013. As a whole, the league set records for total points scored, points scored per game, and touchdowns and field goals scored. The Broncos set a new standard for team scoring in the regular season with 606 points. Ten other teams each scored over 400 points, the greatest number to surpass that benchmark in a single year until2020.
Theplayoffs began with the wild card round which took place the first weekend of January 2014. The league's propensity for scoring did not abate in the post-season, as exemplified by theIndianapolis Colts' wild come-from-behindvictory over theKansas City Chiefs in the playoffs' opening game. TheConference Championship games featured the top seeded teams in each conference, the Seahawks in the NFC and the Broncos in theAmerican Football Conference (AFC), hosting theSan Francisco 49ers andNew England Patriots respectively. Both home teams prevailed to set up just the second Super Bowl matchup of No. 1 seeds in the past 20 seasons.
The 2013 league year began at 4 pmEST on March 12,[1] which marked the start of the league'sfree agency period.[2] The per-teamsalary cap was set atUS$123,000,000.[3] For the first time the league instituted a negotiating period prior to the start of free agency during which timeagents representing prospective unrestricted free agent players (though not the players themselves) were allowed to have contact with team representatives with the purpose of determining a player's market value and to begin contract negotiations. This period, which was referred to by some as the "legaltampering" period, began at midnight on March 9.[4]
The following trades are notable as they involvedPro Bowl-caliber players and/or draft picks in the first three rounds:
Offseason
February 27 – TheChiefs acquired quarterbackAlex Smith from the49ers for the Chiefs' second-round pick in the 2013 draft,34th overall (which the 49ers later traded to theTitans) and a conditional pick in the 2014 draft (which turned out to be another second-rounder,#56 overall).[7][8] Smith had been the first overall selection of the2005 NFL draft, but had been supplanted as the 49ers starting quarterback in mid-2012 byColin Kaepernick.[7]
Percy Harvin was traded by the Vikings to the Seahawks
March 11 – Wide receiverPercy Harvin was traded by theVikings to theSeahawks for the Seahawks' 2013 first-round (#25 overall, with which the Vikings selectedXavier Rhodes) and seventh-round (pick No. 214) selections as well as the Seahawks' third-round pick in 2014 (the 96th selection).[9] Harvin is anAll-Pro and formerOffensive Rookie of the Year, but he has also suffered a series of injuries throughout his career and had become disgruntled with the Vikings to the point that he asked the team to trade him.[10] The Seahawks subsequently signed Harvin to a 6-year, $67 million contract extension which includes $25.5 million in guaranteed money.[11]
April 21 – CornerbackDarrelle Revis was traded by theJets to theBuccaneers.[13] The Jets received the Bucs' first round draft pick in 2013, the13th overall selection (which the Jets used to selectSheldon Richardson) and a conditional pick which would become the Bucs' fourth-round selection in 2014,the 104th overall pick.[14] Revis, a three timeAll-Pro, was widely considered to be among the league's top defensive players, but he was coming off a knee injury and the Jets did not feel they would be able to retain him after the 2013 season. The Bucs signed Revis to a 6-year, $96 million contract.[13]
September 18 – In a bit of a shocking mid-season move theBrowns traded running backTrent Richardson to theColts in exchange for the Colts' first-round pick (26th overall) in the 2014 draft. The Browns had moved up in the previous year's draft to grab Richardson with thethird overall selection and he was presumed to be a cornerstone of the team.[15]
October 2 – Offensive tackleEugene Monroe was traded by theJaguars to theRavens in exchange for fourth- and fifth-round selections in the 2014 draft (picks#114 and#159 overall). The Jaguars had selected Monroeeight overall in the 2009 draft.[16]
Dean Blandino was named as the league's new Vice President of Officiating, succeeding Carl Johnson.[19] RefereeAlberto Riveron was then promoted to the league's Senior Director of Officiating, a newly created position as a second-in-command under Blandino.[20]Bill Vinovich, who worked the previous season as a substitute referee, was then assigned to head Riveron's former on-field officiating crew.
The following rule changes were approved at the NFL owners' meeting on March 20, 2013:[21][22][23]
The "no-challenge" rule adopted prior to the2012 season was modified to eliminate the automatic "no-review" penalty when a coach challenges a play that is subject to automatic review by the replay booth (turnovers, scoring plays, and any play inside of the two-minute warning). This change was prompted after last season'sThanksgiving Day game whenDetroit Lions' head coachJim Schwartz threw a challenge flag on a play where replay clearly showedHouston Texans' running backJustin Forsett's knee touched the ground, but was able to get up and score a touchdown. Due to the way the rule was written at the time the penalty for the errant challenge prevented the play from being reviewed.[24] Under the revised rule teams will be charged a time-out (or an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty if the team is out of time-outs) when a coach throws a challenge flag on a booth-reviewable play, but the play will still be reviewed if the replay booth believes a review is necessary.[22] This change has been referred to as the "Jim Schwartz rule".[25]
Making it a fumble when a player loses possession of the football while in the act of trying to bring it back to his body. This abolishes the so-called"tuck rule" which was adopted prior to the1999 season. Under the revised rule it will be ruled a fumble when a quarterback loses possession of the ball after a pump fake while bringing the ball back to his body.[22]
Tight ends andH-backs will now be permitted to wear uniform numbers 40–49 as well as 80–89. Previously the two positions were treated separately with tight ends allowed to wear only 80–89 and H-backs limited to wearing 40–49.[22]
"Peel-back" blocks will now result in 15-yard personal foul penalties anywhere on the field. Previously, these types of blocks were permitted within thetackle box.
On field goal and extra point attempts, long snappers will now be considered defenseless players. In addition, defensive players are prohibited from blocking low at the snap of a scrimmage kick.[22]
For field goal and extra point attempts the defensive team can have no more than six players on either side of the ball at the snap (5 yard penalty), and players cannot push teammates into blockers (15 yard penalty).[22]
Any player at least three yards downfield or outside of the "tackle box" who leads with his helmet on a hit will be penalized 15 yards for unnecessary roughness. If both offensive and defensive players lead with helmets on the same play, both will be penalized.[22]
Player safety changes
Upon recommendation by the league's Head, Neck and Spine safety committee, the NFL notified teams in August that clubs would no longer be allowed to use alternate helmets forthrowback uniforms orthird jerseys as they had been allowed to do since throwbacks were introduced in1994.[26] Once players start the season with properly fitted helmets that they are comfortable wearing, the league's Head, Neck, and Spine Committee recommended that players should not switch helmets in mid-season, especially to ones that have not been broken in yet.[26] To comply with these new rules, teams will be allowed to change or remove the decals on their regular helmets for such uniforms.[27]
All players (except for punters and kickers) were required to wear thigh and knee pads. It was previously mandatory to wear these pads from1979 through1994.[28]
Training camps for the 2013 season opened in late July. TheBuccaneers camp was the first to open withrookies reporting on July 17. The Cowboys were the first to open camp to veteran players on July 20. All teams were in camp by July 27.[29]
The 2013 season featured 256 games played out over a seventeen-week schedule which began on the Thursday night followingLabor Day. Each of the league's 32 teams played a 16-game schedule which included onebye week for each team between weeks four and twelve. The slate featured seventeen games onMonday night including adoubleheader in the season's opening week. There were also seventeen games played on Thursday, including theNational Football League Kickoff game inprime time on September 5 and three games onThanksgiving Day. The regular season wrapped up with a full slate of 16 games on Sunday, December 29, all of which were intra-divisional matchups.[33]
Scheduling formula
Under theNFL's scheduling formula, each team played each of the other three teams in their own division twice. In addition, a team played against all four teams in one other division from each conference. The final two games on a team's schedule were against the two teams in the team's own conference in the divisions the team was not set to play who finished the previous season in the same rank in their division (e.g. the team which finished first in its division the previous season would play each other team in their conference that also finished first in its respective division). The pre-set division pairings for 2013 were as follows:[34]
The 2013 regular season schedule was released on April 18, 2013.[35]
Regular season highlights
The 2013regular season began on Thursday, September 5, with theNFL Kickoff Game in which theDenver Broncos hosted theBaltimore Ravens. The game was a rematch of atwo-overtime playoff game of theprevious season and broadcast onNBC. The Ravens, as the reigningSuper Bowl champions, would normally have hosted the kickoff game, however, a scheduling conflict with theirMajor League Baseball counterparts, theBaltimore Orioles, forced the Ravens to start the season on the road (the Ravens' and Orioles' respective stadiums share parking facilities).[36] The Ravens became the first Super Bowl winner since2003 to open their title defense on the road.[37] The Broncos defeated the Ravens 49–27 on the strength of a record-setting performance by quarterbackPeyton Manning. Manning completed 27 of 42 pass attempts for 462 yards and seven touchdowns. Manning set or tied numerous league records in the game including most touchdown passes in a game (tied with five others) and records for most career games with at least six, five and four touchdown passes.[38]
Week 7: The Houston–Kansas City game was moved from 1:00 p.m. ET to 4:25 p.m. ET.[47][48]
Week 11: The Kansas City–Denver game, originally scheduled asCBS's only late 4:05 p.m. ET singleheader game, was flexed into the 8:30 p.m. ET slot onNBC Sunday Night Football. CBS originally selected this matchup as one of their "protected games" from flex-scheduling, but later allowed the league to flex it so it could be seen by a national audience.[49] The original Sunday night contest, theGreen Bay–New York Giants game, was then moved back to the 4:25 p.m. ET doubleheader time slot onFox, while theSan Diego–Miami game was moved from 1:00 p.m. ET to the 4:05 p.m. ET singleheader slot.[50]
Week 13: The Denver–Kansas City game was moved from 1:00 p.m. ET to 4:25 p.m. ET, while theNew England–Houston game was switched from 4:25 p.m. ET to 1:00 p.m. ET.[51]
Week 14: TheCarolina–New Orleans game, originally scheduled at 1:00 p.m. ET on Fox, was flexed into the 8:30 p.m. ET time slot on NBC. The original Sunday night contest, theAtlanta–Green Bay game, was then changed to 1:00 p.m. ET on Fox.[52] It was the second time the Packers were stripped of a prime-time appearance this season, large in-part due to an injury sustained toAaron Rodgers.
Week 16: TheChicago–Philadelphia game, originally scheduled at 1:00 p.m. ET on Fox, was flexed into the 8:30 p.m. ET time slot on NBC. Although the original Sunday night contest, the New England–Baltimore game, featured two playoff contending teams, it was moved to 4:25 p.m. ET to allow CBS to also air a more competitive game.[54][55]
Week 17: ThePhiladelphia–Dallas game, originally scheduled at 1:00 p.m. ET, was selected as the final NBC Sunday Night Football game, which for the third consecutive season decided theNFC East division champion. TheBuffalo–New England game was moved to the 4:25 p.m. ET time slot on CBS while the Green Bay–Chicago game (which decided the NFC North division champion) andTampa Bay–New Orleans game were moved to 4:25 p.m. ET on Fox.[56]
^When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest ranked remaining team from each division.
^Detroit finished with a better conference record than St. Louis.
^Atlanta finished with a better conference record than Tampa Bay.
^When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest-ranked remaining team from each division.
The wild card round of the playoffs featured the twowild card playoff qualifiers from each conference being hosted by the two lowest seeded divisional winners. The top two seeds in each conference – theSeahawks,Panthers,Broncos andPatriots – all had first-roundbyes. The games were played January 4–5, 2014.
The weekend's first game on Saturday featured theColts staging the second biggest comeback in playoff history to defeat theChiefs by a score of 45–44. The 28-point second half deficit the Colts overcame is exceeded only by theBills–Oilers playoff game fromJanuary 1993 which has become known simply as "The Comeback".[60] It was the first time inany NFL game (regular or postseason) that a team won in regulation play (i.e. not overtime) after having trailed by as many as 28 points.[61] The game was also the highest scoring postseason game to have been decided by a one-point margin[61] as well as the first game in league history to finish with a 45–44 result.[62] The Colts and Chiefs combined to gain 1,049 total yards which established a new single-game postseason record, breaking the record of 1,038 yards that was set by theBills–Dolphins first-round game on December 30, 1995, and matched in aSaints–Lions first-round matchup on January 7, 2012.[61] The loss was the Chiefs' eighth straight in the playoffs which broke an NFL record for consecutive playoff losses the franchise had previously shared with theLions.[63]
TheSaints beat theEagles 26–24 in the Saturday night game. It was the Saints' first ever road playoff victory. The Saints built an early 20–7 lead before the Eagles bounced back to take a 24–23 lead with less than five minutes remaining in the game. However, the Saints worked their way down the field while also working the clock on the game's final drive beforeShayne Graham kicked the game-winning field goal from 32 yards out as time expired.[64]
The early game on Sunday was the only game of the weekend not decided by three or fewer points with theChargers defeating theBengals, 27–10. Bengals quarterbackAndy Dalton committed three second-half turnovers which led to the Chargers scoring 20 unanswered points to overcome a 7–10 halftime deficit. The Bengals loss marks a league record third straight year in which the team has lost its playoff opener, and extended the Bengals' streak of playoff futility to 23 seasons. Every other current NFL team has won a playoff game since the Bengals' last playoff victory inJanuary 1991.[65]
In the late afternoon game on Sunday the49ers defeated thePackers 23–20 on a brutally cold day atLambeau Field. The temperature at game time was just 5 °F (−15 °C) with awind chill of −10 °F (−23 °C). QuarterbackColin Kaepernick, who eschewed sleeves and gloves despite the chilly conditions, passed for 227 yards and rushed for 98 more to lead the 49ers to victory in a back-and-forth game.Phil Dawson kicked the winning field goal as time expired. This was the second straight year that the Packers' season had both started and ended with losses to the 49ers.[66]
Divisional round
The divisional round games were played on January 11–12, 2014 and three of the four were rematches of regular season games – only the Patriots and Colts had not met in 2013.[67]
In the early game on Saturday, the Seahawks defeated the Saints 23–15. The Seahawks held a 16–0 lead at halftime, but the Saints came back in the second half to make the game interesting. The Seahawks were able to hold on after a late Saints comeback effort, including anonside kick recovery, fell short. The Seahawks' offense centered around a 28 carry, 140 yard rushing effort fromMarshawn Lynch, who also scored on a 31-yard run in the fourth quarter.[68]
Patriots running backLeGarrette Blount and the Patriots defense were the stars of the Patriots 43–22 victory over the Colts in the Saturday night game. Blount rushed for 166 yards and a franchise-record four touchdowns while Colts quarterbackAndrew Luck was intercepted four times.[69] Patriots quarterbackTom Brady broke a league record for most playoff games for a starting quarterback with 25 (a record he had previously shared withBrett Favre) and extended his own record of 18 career playoff wins.[70] The victory allowed the Patriots to reach theAFC Championship Game for the third straight year as well as the eighth time with Brady and head coachBill Belichick.[69] Belichick moved into a second-place tie withDon Shula on the all-time postseason head coaching wins list, one victory behindTom Landry.[71][72]
The 49ers defeated the Panthers by a score of 23–10 in the early Sunday game. The 49ers defense twice stopped the Panthers one yard short of theend zone and also recorded two interceptions and fivequarterback sacks. 49ers quarterbackColin Kaepernick threw for one touchdown and ran for another in the game. The win put the 49ers into their third straight and fifteenth overall conference championship game, matching thePittsburgh Steelers for most conference championship appearances.[72]Jim Harbaugh became the first head coach in NFL history to take his team to the conference championship game in each of his first three seasons.[73]
In the final game of the divisional round the Broncos beat the Chargers 24–17. It was only the fourth time in the season to date that the Broncos had been held to fewer than 30 points (three of which were against the Chargers), but the Chargers offense could not capitalize.[74] The Broncos held a 17–0 lead in the fourth quarter before the Chargers launched a comeback that was too little and too late.[75] The win put the Broncos into the AFC championship game for the first time since the2005 season.[76]
Conference championships
In the AFC Championship GameTom Brady (left) andPeyton Manning (right) met for the 15th time
The conference championships took place on Sunday, January 19, 2014.
The early game featured the Broncos hosting the Patriots in theAFC Championship Game. The game was referred to by many asManning-Brady XV as it was the fifteenth meeting (the fourth in the playoffs) of the two starting quarterbacks,Tom Brady andPeyton Manning.[77] The Broncos defeated Brady and the Patriots 26–16 behind a 400-yard passing performance by Manning. Manning led the Broncos on two long touchdown drives where each used over seven minutes of game time and were the two longest drives in terms of game time of the Broncos season.[78] This was Manning's third career postseason game with 400 or more yards passing, equalingDrew Brees for the most such playoff games in league history.[79] Broncos head coachJohn Fox, who previously led theCarolina Panthers toSuper Bowl XXXVIII in 2004, became the sixth head coach in NFL history to take two different franchises to the Super Bowl.[80]
TheNFC Championship Game had the Seahawks hosting the 49ers in the late game. The Seahawks defense forced three turnovers in the fourth quarter which proved to be the difference in the game. The last of these was a pass intended forMichael Crabtree in the endzone which was intercepted by Seahawks linebackerMalcolm Smith off a deflection by cornerbackRichard Sherman with just 22 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. The interception preserved a 23–17 Seahawks victory.[81] In an on-field interview immediately after the game withFoxsideline reporterErin Andrews, Sherman famously directed a rant at Crabtree whom Sherman called a "sorry receiver".[82]
Super Bowl XLVIII featured the top seeded team from each conference for just the second time in twenty years. The Broncos possessed the league's best offense (in terms of both scoring and yards) while the Seahawks had the league's top defense (also in both scoring and yardage).[83] The game was played on February 2, 2014, atMetLife Stadium inEast Rutherford, New Jersey, just outside New York City and was televised in the U.S. byFox with kickoff at 6:32 pmEST. This was the first ever Super Bowl to be staged outdoors in a cold weather environment[28]: 46 although the temperature was a mild 49 degrees at kickoff.[84]
The game started disastrously for the Broncos who, despite losing the coin toss, received the openingkickoff. On the game's first play fromscrimmage from the Broncos' 14 yard line, Broncos centerManny Ramirez sent ashotgunsnap over the head of quarterbackPeyton Manning. The ball traveled into theendzone where it was covered by Broncos running backKnowshon Moreno who wastouched down for asafety with just 12 seconds of game time elapsed. This was the quickest score ever in a Super Bowl. The Seahawks did not relinquish the lead in a 43–8 victory.[84]
This was the Seahawks first ever league championship since entering the NFL in1976. Seahawks linebackerMalcolm Smith, who scored on a 69-yard interception return plus had a fumble recovery and tallied 10 tackles, was named the game'sMost Valuable Player (MVP).[84]
This was the fifth Super Bowl loss for the Broncos, the most for any franchise.[85] Even in defeat, though, Peyton Manning's record-breaking year continued. He set a record for most passes completed in a Super Bowl with 34.[85] He also moved ahead ofTom Brady into first place on the career playoff passing yardage list with 6,589 yards.[86][87][88] In addition, Broncos wide receiverDemaryius Thomas caught 13 passes to set a single-game Super Bowl record.[85]
The Pro Bowl is the league'sall-star game. The league had raised doubts about the future of the exhibition due to concerns over the game's competitiveness in recent years,[89] but on March 20, it was announced that the2014 Pro Bowl would indeed take place, receiving a one-year reprieve. As in recent years, the game was held the week before the Super Bowl atAloha Stadium inHonolulu,Hawaii. It was played on Sunday, January 26, and broadcast in the U.S. onNBC.[90]
The format for the game was considerably altered in an effort to improve competitiveness. The biggest changes included an "unconferenced" format in which players would be selected regardless of the conference in which their team competes, adraft format to select the teams and various tweaks to increase the excitement of the game itself.Deion Sanders andJerry Rice served as the non-playing captains for the two competing squads.[90]
Some NFL-related events that made headlines throughout 2013 include:
Harris Poll tabs professional football as America's favorite sport
A nationwide poll conducted byHarris Interactive in December 2013 concluded that pro football is the favorite sport of Americans. Of the respondents asked the question, "If you had to choose, which ONE of these sports would you say is your favorite?", 35% chose pro football. That is up by one percentage point over the results of the previous year. Football has taken the top spot in the annual poll each year since it was first conducted in 1985. Baseball finished second, with 14% naming it as their favorite, followed bycollege football at 11%.[91]
In August, formerPatriots tight endAaron Hernandez was charged with themurder of Odin Lloyd.[92] Hernandez was released by the Patriots following his arrest in the murder investigation in June.[93] In an effort to further distance themselves from the troubled Hernandez, the Patriots offered fans an opportunity to trade-in Hernandez jerseys for another jersey of comparable value.[94] Hernandez would be convicted of the murder charge and sentenced to life imprisonment in April 2015.[95]
Riley Cooper incident
Eagles wide receiverRiley Cooper was caught on video using a racial slur during a music concert. After the video wentviral during the team's training camp, Cooper was briefly sent away from the team to seek counseling. The Eagles also levied an undisclosed fine.[96]
Concussion litigation brought by former players
In August, just prior to the start of the season, aUS$765,000,000 settlement proposal was announced in aclass-action lawsuit brought against the league by former players who contended that the league concealed a link between head injuries sustained by players and traumatic brain injury which may only become apparent later in life.[97][98] The judge in the case later rejected the settlement on the grounds that the amount may not be large enough to cover the needs of all the plaintiffs.[99]
Buccaneers release quarterback Josh Freeman in mid-season
In October, theBuccaneers released quarterbackJosh Freeman after trying unsuccessfully to trade him. Freeman had been considered one of the league's best young quarterbacks after leading the Bucs to a10–6 record in2010, but he clashed with head coachGreg Schiano (who took over in2012) and was benched earlier in the year. Despite being just 25 years old, Freeman held franchise records for touchdowns and completions and was second in passing yardage. It had come out earlier in the week that Freeman had been in the league's substance abuse program; Freeman described his participation as voluntary and a result of prescription drugs he was taking to treat ADHD.[100] Shortly after his release, Freeman was signed by theVikings.[101] Freeman started for the Vikings in week seven, but he posted a passer rating of just 40.6 in that game and did not play another down during the season. He was inactive for nine of the Vikings' final ten games.[102]
Tampa Bay MRSA outbreak
ThreeBuccaneers players – kickerLawrence Tynes, guardCarl Nicks and cornerbackJohnthan Banks – were diagnosed withmethicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections during the season.[103] The potentially deadly strain ofstaph had been encountered by other NFL teams including theWashington Redskins,St. Louis Rams andCleveland Browns in previous seasons.[104] After the third infection was confirmed there was brief discussion as to whether the Bucs' week six home game against the Eagles would be played, but the decision was made to continue with the scheduled game.[105] TheFalcons even took the step of bringing in a hazardous materials crew to disinfect the visitor's locker room after the Bucs' visited Atlanta in week seven.[106]
Dolphins bullying scandal
Dolphins offensive linemanRichie Incognito was suspended by the team in November after allegations surfaced that hebullied fellow linemanJonathan Martin who left the team earlier in the season due to the impact of Incognito's actions.[107][108]
The league's official investigation into the matter concluded that Martin and other Dolphins employees had been subjected to a "pattern of harassment" at the hands of Incognito as well as fellow linemenJohn Jerry andMike Pouncey. The 144-page report, written by league-appointed investigatorTed Wells, called the situation a "classic case of bullying".[108] The report also implicated Dolphins offensive line coachJim Turner in some of the abuse; Turner was fired by the team shortly after the report's release.[109]
Redskins shut down quarterback Robert Griffin III for season's final three games
Redskins head coachMike Shanahan made a decision to bench the team's franchise quarterback,Robert Griffin III for the team's final three games of the 2013 season. Griffin had undergone knee surgery after being injured theprevious season in which he was namedNFL Offensive Rookie of the Year after being selectedsecond overall in the 2012 draft. Griffin was much less productive in his second season. Shanahan stated that the decision to startKirk Cousins over Griffin was made to protect Griffin from sustaining another injury, although there was speculation that Shanahan was unhappy about Griffin's friendly relationship with team ownerDaniel Snyder.[110] Shanahan was fired after the season ended.[111]
Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson leads all players in licensed product sales
Russell Wilson the second-year quarterback of the Super Bowl championSeahawks led all NFL players in terms of total licensed product sales (jerseys, T-shirts, figurines, photos, etc.) made from March 2013 through February 2014. The top six players on the list were quarterbacks, including, in order,Peyton Manning (who held the top spot the previous year),Colin Kaepernick,Robert Griffin III,Aaron Rodgers andTom Brady. The only non-quarterback in the top 10 was Wilson's Seahawks teammate, running backMarshawn Lynch.[112]
LegendaryHall of Fame defensive linemanDeacon Jones died in June.[113] Shortly thereafter the league honored Jones' legacy by creating the "Deacon Jones Award" to be given annually to the player who records the mostquarterback sacks.[114]Colts linebackerRobert Mathis was the inaugural winner of the honor, and Trey Hendrickson is the current holder.[115]
Bud Adams's death
Tennessee Titans ownerKenneth S. "Bud" Adams died in October. He was the only owner the franchise, which began in 1960 as theHouston Oilers in theAFL, has ever had. Adams was a second-generation oil tycoon who made his home inHouston, Texas.[116] The team was inherited in equal parts by the families of Adams's three children with Adams's son-in-law Tommy Smith succeeding Adams as the president and CEO of the franchise.[117][118]
Other 2013 deaths
Aside from those mentioned above, the following people associated with the NFL died in 2013:
The 2013 season saw a number of league records set, most notably:
A record 11,985 points were scored during the season, with games averaging 46.8 points, the highest average in NFL history. The previous record of 46.5 points per game was set in1948.[119]
A total of 1,338 total touchdowns were scored, surpassing the league-wide record of 1,297, which occurred in2012.[119]
A record 863 field goals were made this season, surpassing the record of 852 set in2012. Also, kickers converted a record 86.5% of their field goal attempts breaking the record of 84.5% set during the2008 season.[119]
Peyton Manning set the record for most passing yards in a season, with 5,477. The previous record of 5,476 was held byDrew Brees.[119]
Manning also set the record for most touchdown passes in a season, with 55. The previous record of 50 was held byTom Brady.[119][120][121]
TheDenver Broncos set the record for most points in a season, with 606. The previous record of 589 was held by the2007 New England Patriots.[119] The Broncos outscored the next highest scoring team (theChicago Bears) by 161 points, or more than ten points per game.[122]
Eleven teams scored at least 400 points this season, setting a record. The previous record of nine teams was set in2008 and2012.[119]
Andrew Luck set the record for most passing yards in a player's first two seasons, with 8,196. The previous record was held byCam Newton.[119]
Tom Brady extended his record for the most division titles for a starting quarterback, with 11.[119][121]
Andre Johnson, of the tied the record for most seasons with at least 100 receptions, with five, sharing the record withWes Welker.[123]
Peyton Manning set a record for most touchdown passes without an interception to start a season with 20.[119]
John Hekker of set a single season record with an average of 44.2 net yards per punt, The previous record of 44.0 yards was held byAndy Lee.[124]
Week 1
Peyton Manning tied the record for most passing touchdowns in a game, with seven, sharing the record with five other players.[38][125]
Manning set the record for most career games with at least six touchdown passes, with three. He shared the previous record of two withGeorge Blanda,Charley Johnson, andY.A. Tittle.[125]
Week 2
Peyton Manning became the third player with 60,000 passing yards in a career, joiningBrett Favre andDan Marino. Manning achieved the mark in his 226th game, making him the fastest to reach the milestone.[126]
Matthew Stafford set the record for most passing yards in a player's first 50 games, with 13,976. The previous record of 13,864 was held byKurt Warner.[130]
Week 5
Peyton Manning set the record for most touchdown passes before his first interception of the season, with 20. The previous record of 16 was held byMilt Plum.[131][132] Manning's 20 touchdown passes through five games are also a league record.[133] In addition, the 414 yards passing Manning compiled bring his career total to 61,371 eclipsingDan Marino for second place on the career passing yardage list behind onlyBrett Favre.[133]
Robbie Gould tied the record for most consecutive 50+ yard field goals made without a miss, with 12, sharing the record withBlair Walsh.[128]
TheDenver Broncos andKansas City Chiefs each started the season 6–0, making this just the second time since the introduction of the division format in1933 that two teams from the same division have maintained perfect records through six games. The only other pair of teams to have achieved this feat are the1934Chicago Bears andDetroit Lions which each made it to 10–0.[135]
Reggie Wayne caught five passes to become the ninth player to have 1,000 receptions.[136]
Tony Romo set the record for most passing yards in a quarterback's first 100 starts, with 27,485 .[137]
Week 8
Vikings kick returnerCordarrelle Patterson set a league record for the longest kickoff return at 109 yards. This return also ties the record for longest play of any type.[138]
Nick Foles tied the record for most touchdown passes in a game, with seven, sharing the record with six other players. He is the first player to accomplish this feat while attaining aperfect passer rating for the game.[141]
London Fletcher set the record for most consecutive starts by a linebacker, with 209. The previous record of 208 was held byDerrick Brooks.[143]
Tom Brady became the sixth player in NFL history to reach 4,000 career passes completed.[144]
Week 12
Larry Fitzgerald set the record for youngest player to reach 11,000 receiving yards, at age 30 years, 85 days. The previous record of 30 years, 222 days, was held byRandy Moss.[145]
LinebackerRobert Mathis of the Colts recorded his 40th strip/sack against the Cardinals. This set a new record, passingJason Taylor for most strip/sacks in NFL history.[146]
Josh Gordon became the first player to have at least 200 receiving yards in two consecutive games.[148]
Gordon andAlshon Jeffery each had at least ten receptions and 200 yards, and two touchdowns. This marked the first time in which two players reached these marks on the same day.[148]
Tom Brady set the record for most touchdown passes for a player under the leadership of a single head coach with his 353rd touchdown underBill Belichick. The previous record of 352 was held byDan Marino underDon Shula.[149]
Vinitieri also tied the record for most seasons scoring at least 100 points, with 16, sharing the record withJason Elam.[150]
Week 14
Matt Prater set the record for longest field goal, with a 64-yard kick. The previous record of 63 yards was shared by four players.[151]
Drew Brees became the fifth player to reach 50,000 career passing yards. Brees became the fastest to reach the milestone, doing so in 183 games. The previous record of 191 games was held byPeyton Manning.
With his seventh game of the year with four or more touchdown passes,Peyton Manning set an NFL record for most such games in a season. He broke the record set in1984 byDan Marino and equaled by Manning himself in2004.[152]
Week 15
All teams playing on Sunday, December 15, combined to score 763 points, setting a record for most points scored in a single day. The previous record of 759 points occurred onJanuary 1, 2012.[153]
Jamaal Charles became the first running back in NFL history with four receiving touchdowns in one game. He also became the first player at any position to have four receiving touchdowns and a rushing touchdown in the same game.[153][154]
Tony Gonzalez became the first tight end and the fifth player overall in NFL history to reach 15,000 receiving yards.[154]
Calvin Johnson became the first player to have 5,000 receiving yards in a three-season span (2011–2013).[155]
Week 16
Luke Kuechly tied the record for most tackles in a game, with 24 (since tackles became an official stat in1994), sharing the record withDavid Harris.[121]
Wild card round
TheIndianapolis Colts achieved the second-largest comeback win in a postseason game, erasing a 28-point deficit against theKansas City Chiefs.[60] It was the first time in any NFL game (regular or postseason) that a team won in regulation play after having trailed by at least 28 points.[61]
The Chiefs set a record for the longest losing streak in postseason games, with eight. They shared the previous record of seven with theDetroit Lions.[156]
Divisional round
Tom Brady set the record for most postseason starts by a quarterback, with his 25th start. He shared the previous record of 24 withBrett Favre.[70]
LeGarrette Blount became the first player to rush for at least 125 yards and four touchdowns in a postseason game.[157]
Conference championship games
TheSan Francisco 49ers tied the record for most conference championship game appearances, with their 15th appearance. They share the record with thePittsburgh Steelers.[72]
Jim Harbaugh became the first head coach to take his team to a conference championship game in each of his first three seasons.[158]
Peyton Manning tied the record for most playoff games with at least 400 passing yards, with three, sharing the record withDrew Brees.[79]
Trestman had spent the previous five seasons as head coach of theMontreal Alouettes. During that tenure, he won back-to-backCFLGrey Cup championships in2009 and2010. He had previously coached for several NFL teams.[216]
Kelly had spent the previous four seasons as head coach at theUniversity of Oregon where he had developed a reputation as an offensive innovator in leading the team to four straightBCS bowl games. He had previously been linked to theBrowns' head coaching job before backing out and announcing his intention to remain at Oregon. A few days later he had a change of heart and accepted the Eagles job.[225]
In the six games (seven weeks) that Kromer served as interim head coach, the Saints compiled a record of2–4 (.333);[228] in the ten games under Vitt, the team went5–5 (.500).
In-season
The following head coaches were replaced in-season:
Del Rio was named as the Broncos' interim head coach when Fox went on medical leave in mid-season.[230] Fox underwent anaortic valve replacement after becoming light headed on the golf course during the team'sbye week on November 2. Fox had been aware of the heart condition, but had hoped to delay surgery until after the season.[231] Fox returned as head coach for the team's week 14 game on December 8.[232]
Kubiak went on medical leave to recover from atransient ischemic attack or "mini stroke", after he collapsed at halftime of the Texans' Week 9 loss to theIndianapolis Colts on November 3. Phillips took over head coaching duties for the second half of the week 9 game and served as interim head coach the following week.[235] Kubiak returned for Week 11 although he coached the next two games from the press box rather than the sidelines on the advice of his doctors.[236]
Longtime General managerRod Graves was dismissed along with head coachKen Whisenhunt immediately following the2012 season.[208] Graves had worked in the Cardinals organization for 16 years.[238] He had been the "personal assistant to the team's president" from1997 through2002 when he was promoted to become the vice president of football operations, which made him the team's head football decision maker, in2003.[239] During Graves' ten years in charge of the Cardinals personnel department the team compiled a record of65–95 (.406).[240]
Graves was replaced bySteve Keim who has been with the franchise for 14 years. Keim started as ascout in 1999 and worked his way up to become director of college scouting in 2006, then director of player personnel in 2008 and finally vice president for player personnel in 2012. Prior to joining the Cardinals Keim had a brief playing career in the NFL andCFL.[237]
Assistant GMDoug Whaley was promoted to replace Nix. The 40-year-old Whaley had been groomed as Nix' replacement since he was hired from the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2010. He becomes the Bills first black GM and the league's sixth.[242]
Bills ownerRalph Wilson relinquished control of the team's operations, ceding his title of president to team CEORuss Brandon.[243] This move meant the team'sgeneral manager, who had previously reported directly to Wilson, would now report to Brandon.[243]
Heckert was fired after a three-year tenure as the Browns GM during which the team went14–34 (.292).[218][246]
Lombardi replaced Heckert in the GM role, although he was given the title of Vice President of Player Personnel. Lombardi had previously worked in the Browns front office from 1987 through 1995. He later spent eight seasons with the Oakland Raiders and has also worked for the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers. Most recently he was an NFL analyst for theNFL Network andNFL.com.[245]
Smith was replaced byDavid Caldwell. The 38-year-old Caldwell has seventeen years of NFL front office experience, most recently as director of player personnel for theAtlanta Falcons. Prior to his five-year stint in Atlanta where he served as director of college scouting from 2008 through 2011, Caldwell has also worked for theCarolina Panthers andIndianapolis Colts.[248]
Pioli was fired shortly afterAndy Reid was hired as the Chief's head coach. The team had a winning season just once in Pioli's four years at the helm, posting an overall record of23–41 (.359).[250][252]
John Dorsey had worked in theGreen Bay Packers scouting department since 1991, first as ascout and then as the team's director of college scouting since 1997. He left the Packers briefly followingMike Holmgren to theSeattle Seahawks in1999, but returned after 14 months. He had a five-year playing career with the Packers in the 1980s.[251][253]
Smith was replaced as GM by 40-year-oldTom Telesco who had been the vice president of football operations for theIndianapolis Colts' with whom he had worked for the past 15 years.[256]
This was also the final season in which theSan Francisco 49ers played their home games atCandlestick Park, as the team moved into the newly builtLevi's Stadium located inSanta Clara, California, for2014. The 49ers had played in Candlestick since1971 and the stadium hostedMonday Night Football 36 times, including the stadium's farewell game on December 23. No other facility had as manyMonday Night Football appearances.[123] With the departure of the 49ers, Candlestick Park was left without any permanent tenants. On February 3, 2013, plans to demolish Candlestick Park were announced and took place after the final 2013 49ers game.[261][262]
Several teams made changes to their uniforms or logos prior to the 2013 season:
TheJacksonville Jaguars revised their logo[265] and unveiled a new uniform design.[266] The new design includes all black home uniforms, white road jerseys and a teal alternate jersey. The new jerseys include "claw marks" on the shoulders and a "JAGS" patch over the heart. The new helmet design features a paint scheme that fades from matte black in the front to gold in the back.[267][268]
TheMiami Dolphins updated their logo and unveiled redesigned uniforms.[269] The new logo features a more streamlined dolphin which loses the football helmet and the "fierce" facial expression.[270] The new uniforms keep the same basic color palette, but there is less use of orange. The facemask color on the team's new helmets has been changed from aqua to white.[271]
TheMinnesota Vikings introduced a slightly tweaked "Norseman" logo[272] and unveiled new uniforms.[273] The colors are barely changed, with a new font for the uniform numbers and asymmetrical stripes on the pants. The new helmets feature matte purple paint with glossy logos and black facemasks.[271]
TheSan Diego Chargers introduced some relatively minor uniform alterations.[274] The most noticeable change is the switch to "self-color" collars (where the collars match the jersey body) from the previous contrasting color "neck roll" collar design. There were also some changes to the colors used on the nameplates as well as some changes to the socks. The pants and helmets remain unchanged.[275]
TheNew York Giants introduced a new alternate uniform consisting of new white pants which may be worn with the team's existing blue jerseys in place of the usual grey pants.[276] The team wore this new alternate uniform on November 10 against theOakland Raiders and November 24 against theDallas Cowboys.[277]
In honor of the fifteenth anniversary of the team's relocation to Nashville, theTennessee Titans wore their alternate navy blue jerseys in two home games. This marked the first time since2008 that the Titans wore the navy blue jerseys which were their primary home jerseys in their early Tennessee seasons before they switched to their current light blue jerseys.[278] The Titans also added a patch commemorating the 15th season in Tennessee to their jerseys.[28]: 63
TheIndianapolis Colts added a jersey patch which celebrates the team's 30th season in Indianapolis.[28]: 63
Due to a new recommendation that a player should use the same helmet for all games, several teams were forced to make changes in their plans to use alternate and throwback jerseys, including the following:
TheTampa Bay Buccaneers shelved their "Creamsicle" throwback uniforms completely.[27] ThePatriots similarly chose not to wear their throwback uniforms at all in 2013.[279]
TheWashington Redskins wore their current helmets (with the center stripe decal removed) along with their throwback uniforms which feature a different shade of burgundy.[280]
TheGreen Bay Packers also wore their current helmets with their throwback uniforms, but with the stripes and logo decals removed.[281]
TheDallas Cowboys decided to wear their blue "away" jerseys at theirThanksgiving Day home game, something they have not done since the 1960s. Traditionally the team has worn their throwback jerseys (which include a white helmet) for the Thanksgiving game.[282]
This was the eighth and final year of the television contracts withCBS,Fox,NBC, andESPN before the new nine-year contracts began in 2014. CBS and Fox continued to carry the Sunday afternoon AFC and NFC packages, respectively. NBC carriedSunday Night Football, thekickoff game, and the prime-timeThanksgiving game; and ESPN aired seventeenMonday Night games in sixteen weeks.[283]
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