This article is about the American football season in the United States. For the Gaelic football season in Ireland, see2014 National Football League (Ireland).
Some notable events of the season include every team losing at least 4 games, theCarolina Panthers going to the playoffs despite having a losing record, the NFC Championship Game where the Seahawks would make a comeback against the Packers, and Super Bowl XLIX where the Patriots would intercept the ball at the one yard line and win the game.
The 2014 league year began at 4 pmEST on March 11,[1] which marked the start of the league'sfree agency period.[2] The per-teamsalary cap was set atUS$133 million,[3] a $10 million increase from theprevious year.[4] The so-called "legaltampering" period[5] 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, began at noon (EST) on March 8.[3]
A total of 471 players were eligible for some form of free agency at the beginning of the free agency period. In addition, a number of highly paid players were released after the start of the league year to allow their teams to regain space under the salary cap. Among the high-profile players who changed teams via free agency were:[6]
Four players were assigned thenon-exclusive franchise tag by their teams, which ensured that the team would receive compensation were the player to sign a contract with another team. These players were defensive endGreg Hardy (Panthers), tight endJimmy Graham (Saints), placekickerNick Folk (Jets) and linebackerBrian Orakpo (Redskins).[7] Two other teams used thetransition tag, which offers the player's current team a chance to match offers from other franchises and also guarantees draft pick compensation (at a lesser level than the franchise tag) if a tagged player signs elsewhere. Players given the transition tag wereJason Worilds (Steelers) andAlex Mack (Browns). Mack signed a five-year, $42 millionoffer sheet with theJacksonville Jaguars which included $26 million in guaranteed money and a player option to void the contract after two seasons. The Browns matched the offer and retained Mack who became the league's highest paidcenter.[8]
Onerestricted free agent switched teams in 2014: wide receiverAndrew Hawkins of theBengals was signed by theBrowns.[9] Restricted free agents are players with three or fewer seasons in the league whose contracts have expired. Teams may tender contract offers which allow them to match offers from other teams (i.e. the player's current team gets "right of first refusal") and may trigger draft pick compensation to be received from the signing team.[10] Hawkins was tendered at the minimum level, which means the Bengals would not receive any draft compensation.[11] The Browns signed him to a $13.6 million, four-year offer, which the Bengals declined to match.[12]Saints safetyRafael Bush signed an offer from theFalcons, but the Saints retained Bush by matching the offer.[9][13]
There was discussion leading up to the draft as to the future of the event in New York City, where it had been held since1965. Given the increased interest in the draft over the past decade,[27] there was a belief that the event may have outgrownRadio City Music Hall, which was the venue for the past nine drafts. The possibility of extending the draft to four days was also being discussed. On October 2, 2014,Auditorium Theatre in Chicago was announced as the official site for the following year's draft.[28]
RefereesScott Green andRon Winter retired after the2013 season.Ron Torbert, who spent the past four seasons as a side judge, andCraig Wrolstad, who spent the past 11 seasons as a field judge, were promoted to referee to replace Green and Winter. On June 25, 2014, theNFL announcedMike Carey's retirement as a referee. Like former director of officiatingMike Pereira for Fox Sports, Carey will become the rules/refereeing analyst for CBS's NFL coverage on the network'sThursday night and Sunday afternoon games. He was replaced byBrad Allen, who spent the past nine seasons as anACC referee. He was the first rookie NFL referee since 1962 when Tommy Bell was hired as a referee straight out of theSoutheastern Conference. (NFL officials normally spend at least their first season in another position than head referee.) In addition to promoting Allen, Torbert, and Wrolstad to the referee position, ten new officials were hired, including Shawn Hochuli, son of refereeEd Hochuli.[29]
The following rule changes were passed for the 2014 NFL season at the owners' meeting on March 26, 2014:[30]
Eliminating the referee's timeout after a sack (previously the clock did not stop for a sack only after thetwo-minute warning).
Simplify spot of enforcement on defensive fouls committed behind the line of scrimmage to enforce from the previous spot instead of the end of the run or the spot of the foul.
Raise the height of the goal post from 30 feet to 35 feet. The uprights had been 30 feet high since the1974 NFL season.
Extend the restriction on roll-up blocks to include such blocks from the side as well as from the back.
"Dunking" the football through the goal post or crossbar (or any other means of using the goal post/crossbar as a prop in touchdown celebrations) is now considered unsportsmanlike conduct (15 yards). This rule was in response toNew Orleans Saints tight endJimmy Graham's tendency to dunk the football after scores. One of Graham's dunks bent the goal posts so much that the game was delayed several minutes in order for the stadium crew to make repairs. In addition, the aforementioned rule change to extend the goal posts will add extra weight, increasing the chances that it could collapse. This celebration was previously "grandfathered" as legal much like theLambeau Leap.
Expand replays to cover recovery of loose balls even if the play is blown dead. This was in response toSan Francisco 49ers defensive playerNaVorro Bowman's clear recovery of a loose ball and downing by contact in the2013–14 NFL playoffs. The ball was given to theSeattle Seahawks after Seahawks running backMichael Robinson took it away from Bowman after Bowman was forced to let go of the ball due to a severe knee injury. Despite the indisputable video evidence of the recovery by Bowman, the play was not reviewable.
Connecting the officiating command center to the field-to-booth communication relay, allowing the Referee to communicate with the command center during replay reviews. This was in response to some controversial replay reviews during the 2013 season, as well as league officials observing theNHL's command center. Unlike the NHL's replay system, however, NFL referees will still make the final decisions instead of the command center.
Make on-field taunting and use of racial/sexual slurs subject to unsportsmanlike conduct penalties (15 yards).
The league has also instructed game officials to strictly enforce offensive pass interference, defensive holding, and illegal contact.[31]
A proposal to move the line of scrimmage on the extra point try from the 2-yard line to the 25-yard line to increase their difficulty (a 43-yard try as opposed to the more easily makable 20 yards) was tabled (as was a counterproposal from theCincinnati Bengals to move it up to the 1-yard line, to encourage moretwo-point conversions),[32] but the owners approved an experiment of kicking extra points snapping from the 20-yard line (a 38-yard try) for the first two weeks of the preseason. 94.3% of PATs were made during the two-week experiment, as opposed to a 99.6% success rate all of last season.[33]
As part of the league's deal withMicrosoft, coaches will be equipped withSurface tablets to transmit images of plays taken from the top of the stadium to the sideline, eliminating the traditional practice of using printed photos and notebooks.[34]
The seven NFL game officials will wear radio headsets to communicate with each other during games, similar to the systems used byreferees at theFIFA World Cup and other higher levels ofassociation football.[35] With this technology, the officials will not have to move around the field to talk to each other, saving time.
The league and theplayers' union agreed in August to some changes to thepractice squad rules. Under the new rules, each team will be able to carry up to 10 players on their practice squad, up from eight. Practice squad eligibility was also expanded by increasing the number of games in a season a player must be on the squad in order for that season to count as one of the player's three seasons of eligibility from three games to six games. Finally, each practice squad may include two players who have accrued too much playing time to be eligible for the squad under the previous rules, though these players may have no more than two accrued seasons in the league. The new rules cover the 2014 and 2015 seasons, and will lapse in 2016 absent their extension.[36]
A new drug policy that had been long delayed was agreed to by the league and theplayers' union in September. The revised policy includes testing forHuman growth hormone (HGH) for the first time. Other significant changes include a higher limit for a positive test formarijuana as well as the reclassification of failed tests foramphetamines during the off-season as falling under the substance-abuse policy rather than the performance-enhancing drug (PED) policy. The changes were applied retroactively for suspensions handed out during the 2014 league year which meant that some players, includingWes Welker andOrlando Scandrick, who had failed tests due to amphetamine usage during the off-season were immediately reinstated despite being previously sentenced to four game bans.[37]
William Clay Ford Sr., the owner of theDetroit Lions, died March 9, two weeks shy of his 89th birthday.[38] Ford purchased the Lions in 1963 and had been the team's president since 1961;[39] at the time of his death, he was the second-longest tenured owner in the NFL, behind only Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson.[40] The team achieved only a single playoff win (in1991) under Ford's ownership.[39]
Ownership of the team passed to his widow, the former Martha Firestone. Ford's four children, including team vice-chairmanWilliam Clay Ford Jr., are also involved in running the team.[40]
Buffalo Bills ownerRalph Wilson died at age 95 on March 25. He was the founding owner of the franchise, which began in 1960 in theAmerican Football League (AFL). Wilson played a central role in the negotiations between the AFL and NFL which eventually led to theAFL–NFL merger in1970. He was the last remaining NFL owner among theFoolish Club, as the original eight AFL owners were named. Wilson was inducted into thePro Football Hall of Fame in 2009.[41] Coincidentally, both Wilson and Lions owner William Clay Ford Sr. died at their respective homes inGrosse Pointe Shores, Michigan, within three weeks of each other.
Ownership of the Bills passed to a trust headed by Wilson's widow, the former Mary McLean, and controlled by her and three other team officials. The trust put the team up for sale shortly after Wilson's death.[42] The bidders for the team included payroll processing magnateTom Golisano, natural gas tycoonTerrence Pegula, future PresidentDonald Trump, a consortium including former Bills quarterbackJim Kelly and bond managerJeffrey Gundlach, and a consortium ofJon Bon Jovi and the principals ofMaple Leaf Sports and Entertainment.[43][44][45] Despite a poor economy and attendance declines, the team was not in immediate jeopardy of relocating, mainly because of an ironclad stadium lease signed during Wilson's lifetime that effectively prevented the team from leaving until after the 2019 season and because potential Los Angeles-based interests had been intimidated away from buying the team. The Kelly/Gundlach and Golisano groups stepped aside when the Pegulas offered to buy the team, while Trump, who admittedly was not willing to bid as much as the other bidders, did endorse asmear campaign against the Bon Jovi/MLSE bid, run by political operativeMichael R. Caputo, without focusing any opposition on the Pegulas.[46] The team was eventually sold to Pegula for a reported price of 1.4 billion dollars.
In honor of Wilson, the Bills wore a patch bearing his initials on their jerseys throughout the 2014 season.[47]
Tampa Bay Buccaneers' ownerMalcolm Glazer died at age 85 on May 28. Glazer had owned the Buccaneers since1995, a period which covers basically half of the team's history. The$192 million price Glazer paid set a record at the time for the price of a sports franchise. The franchise was in disarray when Glazer bought it after the death of founding ownerHugh Culverhouse. The Bucs had made the playoffs just three times in their 19 years under Culverhouse, while in the 19 seasons since Glazer took over, they made the playoffs seven times, including winningSuper Bowl XXXVII in2002.[48]
Glazer's widow, Linda Glazer, and the Glazers' six children continue to own and operate the team.[49]
Earl Morrall died on April 25 at the age of 79. He had a 21-year NFL career and was a notable member of the1972 Miami Dolphins team that is the only NFL squad to ever complete aperfect season. Morrall was the second player selected in the1956 NFL draft and went on to play for six different NFL teams. He was named theleague MVP in1968 when he led theBaltimore Colts to a 13–1 record and theSuper Bowl after replacing an injuredJohnny Unitas. After joining the Dolphins in 1972 Morrall again proved to be a valuable back-up, replacingBob Griese who suffered a broken ankle in the fifth game of the Dolphins immaculate season. Morrall started the final nine regular season games, before giving way to a healed Griese during the1972–73 NFL playoffs. Morrall was named theComeback Player of the Year byPro Football Weekly for his contribution in 1972.[51]
Training camps for the 2014 season were held in late July through August. Teams may start training camp no earlier than 15 days before the team's first scheduled preseason game.[1]
Prior to the start of the regular season, each team played four preseasonexhibition games. Thepreseason schedule got underway with thePro Football Hall of Fame Game on Sunday evening, August 3. The Hall of Fame game is a traditional part of the annualPro Football Hall of Fame induction weekend celebrating new Hall of Fame members. It was played atFawcett Stadium which is located adjacent to the Hall of Fame building inCanton, Ohio. The game, which was televised in the U.S. onNBC, featured theNew York Giants andBuffalo Bills, with the Giants winning 17–13.[53] Continuing the recent trend of scheduling teams that are associated with former players being inducted into the Hall, the 2014 class included former Giants defensive endMichael Strahan and former Bills wide receiverAndre Reed. The others who were inducted into the Hall of Fame are linebackerDerrick Brooks, punterRay Guy, defensive endClaude Humphrey, offensive tackleWalter Jones, and defensive backAeneas Williams.[54] The 65-game preseason schedule wrapped up on Thursday, August 28, a week before the start of the regular season.[55]
The 2014regular 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 with onebye week for each team scheduled between weeks four and twelve. The slate featured seventeen games onMonday night including adoubleheader in the season's opening week. There were seventeen games played on Thursday, including theNational Football League Kickoff game inprime time on September 4 and three games onThanksgiving Day. The schedule also included two games played on Saturday, December 20, in the season's sixteenth week. The regular season concluded with a full slate of 16 games on Sunday, December 28, all of which, as it was since2010, were intra-divisional matchups.[56]
Under the NFL's currentscheduling formula, each team plays each of the other three teams in their own division twice. In addition, a team plays against all four teams in one other division from each conference. The final two games on a team's schedule are 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 2014 were as follows:
On March 4, 2014, theBuffalo Bills' official radio flagship (WGR) confirmed that theBills Toronto Series would not take place in 2014[61] and that the future of the series, which was otherwise scheduled to run through the 2017 season,[62] was not yet certain. The series was formally terminated on December 3, 2014.[63][64]
The NFL introduced two major changes to the flexible scheduling procedure. First, the league would now be able to "cross-flex" games between CBS and Fox, enabling CBS to televise NFC away games (for the first time since1993), and Fox to broadcast AFC away games (for the first time since2011, and all-AFC matchups for the first time ever).[65][66] The league could "cross-flex" some of these games before the start of, or during, the season. The first game affected by this "cross-flexing" change was the Week One contest between theBuffalo Bills andChicago Bears atSoldier Field, which aired on Fox instead of CBS;[67] all four of the Bills' interconference games (including their Week 5 game against theDetroit Lions atFord Field) aired on Fox, and in week 6, an all-AFC matchup, again involving the Bills (this time a division rivalry game against theNew England Patriots) was moved to Fox, exacerbating financial problems at Buffalo's CBS affiliateWIVB-TV.[68] An all-NFC matchup between theCarolina Panthers andSeattle Seahawks was given to CBS.[69] The aforementioned Detroit-Chicago Thanksgiving game was also given to CBS instead of Fox.
On April 23, 2014, the league announced a second major change to the flexible scheduling procedure: games could be flexed into the NBC Sunday Night time slot as soon as week 5. NBC was allowed to flex up to two games between weeks 5 and 10, while the same rules applied for the remainder of the season.[70]
Week 8: TheSeattle–Carolina game was "cross-flexed" from Fox to CBS, while theHouston–Tennessee game was "cross-flexed" from CBS to Fox, keeping their 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff times.[72]
Week 11: TheMinnesota–Chicago game was "cross-flexed" from Fox to CBS, while thePhiladelphia–Green Bay game was moved from 1:00 p.m. to 4:25 p.m. ET (still on Fox).[73]
Week 12: TheNew York Jets–Buffalo game was relocated from Sunday, November 23 at 1:00 p.m. ET toFord Field inDetroit on Monday, November 24 at 7:00 p.m. ET due to the"Knife" lake-effect snowstorm that hit theBuffalo area the previous week. The game aired locally onWCBS-TV andWIVB-TV, respectively, while the previously scheduledMonday Night Football game between the Baltimore and New Orleans aired as scheduled.[74]
Week 14: TheIndianapolis–Cleveland game was "cross-flexed" from CBS to Fox, keeping the same 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff time.[75]
Week 15: TheCincinnati–Cleveland game was "cross-flexed" from CBS to Fox, while theMinnesota–Detroit game was moved from 1:00 p.m. to 4:25 p.m. ET (still on Fox).[76]
Week 16: On November 30, the league announced the final start times and networks for the two Saturday, December 20 games: thePhiladelphia–Washington game was played at 4:25 p.m. ET and aired on NFL Network, and theSan Diego–San Francisco game was held at 8:25 p.m. ET and was broadcast on CBS.[76]
Week 17:
TheCincinnati–Pittsburgh game, originally scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on CBS, was selected as the finalNBC Sunday Night Football game, which decided the AFC North champion.[77]
TheJacksonville–Houston game, originally scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on CBS, was "cross-flexed" to Fox (keeping the same kickoff time).[78]
TheCarolina–Atlanta game, which decided the NFC South champion, originally scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on Fox, was "cross-flexed" to 4:25 p.m. ET on CBS.[79]
TheDetroit–Green Bay game, which decided the NFC North champion, originally scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on Fox, was moved to 4:25 p.m. ET (still on Fox).[80]
^abNew England defeated Denver head-to-head (Week 9, 43–21).
^abPittsburgh defeated Indianapolis head-to-head (Week 8, 51–34).
^abcdKansas City finished ahead of San Diego in the AFC West based on head-to-head sweep (Week 7, 23–20;Week 17, 19–7). Houston finished ahead of Kansas City and Buffalo based on conference record. Kansas City finished ahead of Buffalo based on head-to-head victory (Week 10, 17–13). San Diego finished ahead of Buffalo based on head-to-head victory (Week 3, 22–10).
^abJacksonville finished ahead of Oakland based on record vs. common opponents (1–4 to 0–5).
^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.
^abcThe NY Giants defeated both Atlanta and St. Louis head-to-head (Atlanta:Week 5, 30–20; St. Louis:Week 16, 37–27), while Atlanta finished ahead of St. Louis based on conference record.
^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 was played on January 3–4, 2015. Divisional round games were played on January 10–11. Conference Championship Games were played on January 18 with theNFC Championship Game at 3:00 pmEST on Fox and theAFC Championship Game following at 6:30 pm EST on CBS.[56]
Super Bowl XLIX, the 49th contesting of theSuper Bowl, decided the 2014 NFL champion on February 1, 2015, with theNew England Patriots defeating the defendingSuper Bowl XLVIII championsSeattle Seahawks, who were looking to repeat, by a score of 28–24. With a controversial play call by Seattle's head coach,Pete Carroll, they decided to try to pass the ball in for a touchdown at the 1 yard line, the ball was intercepted by rookie cornerbackMalcolm Butler. Thus, New England sealed the win. The game took place atUniversity of Phoenix Stadium inGlendale,Arizona.[84] It was televised in the U.S. byNBC with kickoff around 6:30 p.m. EST.[85]
The Pro Bowl is the league'sall-star game. On April 9, 2014, the NFL announced that the2015 Pro Bowl would be played the week prior to the Super Bowl atUniversity of Phoenix Stadium inGlendale, Arizona. It was broadcast in the U.S. by ESPN on Sunday, January 25, 2015. Thedraft format that debuted in the2014 Pro Bowl continued with two former players,Cris Carter andMichael Irvin, drafting their players from a select list voted by the country, and without regard to league conference. Cleveland Browns CBJoe Haden was named a captain of one of the Pro Bowl rosters alongside RB DeMarco Murray of Dallas on January 15. DE J. J. Watt of Houston and WR Antonio Brown of Pittsburgh were named opposite roster captains.[86]
Michael Sam, anAll-America defensive lineman fromMissouri who was named theSEC Defensive Player of the Year in 2013, announced in February that he isgay.[87] Sam was selected by theSt. Louis Rams in the seventh round of the 2014 draft withthe 249th overall selection.[88] He became the first openly gay draftee to be selected in theNFL draft and if he made an NFL roster, he would become the first openly gay player in the NFL.
Sam, the Rams and the NFL were publicly congratulated upon Sam's selection by U.S. presidentBarack Obama who called Sam's selection "an important step forward today in our Nation's journey."[89] However, Sam stated after the draft that he felt he "should have gone in the top three rounds easily"[90] and there was speculation that his announcement of his sexuality caused him to fall in the draft.[91] Sam was the first ever SEC Defensive Player of the Year to not be selected in the first round of the draft.[92] On the other hand, Sam's performance at theNFL Scouting Combine was widely judged as "mediocre" and at least one draft analyst assessed his odds of making an NFL roster as only "slightly better than average."[92]
ESPN aired Sam's reaction to being drafted which included an embrace and celebratory kiss with his partner.Miami Dolphins safetyDon Jones tweeted a negative reaction to the display, which caused the Dolphins to fine him and ban him from participation in off-season team activities until he undergoessensitivity training.[93]
On August 30, Sam was cut by the Rams a few days before the regular season was to start. On September 3, the Dallas Cowboys added Sam to their practice squad; he was released from the practice squad on October 21.[94]
During the offseason, a major headline was many current and formercheerleaders filing lawsuits against their respective NFL teams for unfair labor practices. Members of theBuffalo Jills,Cincinnati Ben–Gals,Jets Flight Crew,Oakland Raiderettes, andTampa Bay Buccaneers Cheerleaders all filed lawsuits against their respective teams (or, in the case of the Jills, the non-profit organization that runs the Jills) for violating their respective state laws for labor practices, stating that they were required to meet certain appearance standards in both weight and make-up (at the expense of the cheerleaders) and attend mandatory unpaid practices, while being paid very little for each game, and in some cases, only receiving a lump sum payment after the season.[95] One lawsuit by a Raiderette, who had a young child at home and was prompted by her husband to initiate the lawsuit, was ruled as a seasonal job in federal court and thus not subject tominimum wage laws, but still was pending in aCalifornia state court and that state's more stringent labor laws.[96] Most controversial was the Jills' "Jiggle Test" that became public knowledge.[97] The Jills suspended operations indefinitely in response to the lawsuit.[98] It has been speculated that all NFL teams might drop their cheerleading squads in response to the lawsuits instead of paying their squads accordingly despite having the financial means to do so,[99] though theCleveland Browns are considering adding cheerleaders to the team.[100]
On June 18, 2014, theUnited States Patent and Trademark Office, in a 2–1 decision, invalidated some of thetrademark protections of theWashington Redskins, stating that the use of the team name "Redskins" constituted anethnic slur.[101] The Redskins are not required to change their name. However, if the decision is upheld on appeal (the team intends to appeal and has no intention of changing the team name), they will not be able to preventcounterfeiters from manufacturing certain knockoff Redskins' apparel.
With theMinnesota Vikings playing their first of two consecutive seasons at theUniversity of Minnesota'sTCF Bank Stadium (see below), the university asked the Vikings to keep the Washington team's name from being used in printed materials or uttered by the game announcer at the stadium. The college also requested that the Redskins wear their throwback jerseys without the team name and logo when they visited the Vikings on November 2. University officials said that the use of the Redskins name at their stadium violates the institution's affirmative action, diversity and equal opportunity policy. Lester Bagley, the Vikings' executive vice president of public affairs, said that the team is still deciding how it will handle the college's request.[102][103]
Broncos' owner Pat Bowlen relinquishes control of team
On July 23,Pat Bowlen, theDenver Broncos' owner since1984, relinquished control of the team due to his battle withAlzheimer's disease. Bowlen had been privately battling the disease since 2009 after experiencing short-term memory loss, and had since taken a reduced role with the team, resulting in team presidentJoe Ellis and executive vice president/general managerJohn Elway making team decisions. Ellis and Elway assumed full control of the team, though Bowlen's long-term plan was for one of his seven children to run the team in the future, preventing the Broncos from being put up for sale.[104][105]
Indianapolis Colts ownerJim Irsay was arrested on March 16 near his home inCarmel, Indiana, on suspicion ofdriving under the influence (DUI) after failing field sobriety tests. A search of Irsay's vehicle revealed "numerous prescription medication bottles containing pills" as well as almost $30,000 in cash. Preliminary charges of DUI and four counts of possession of a controlled substance were filed against Irsay, who was jailed overnight.[106] Irsay entered arehabilitation facility shortly after his release from jail.[107] Irsay had undergone treatment for prescription drug addiction previously in the early 2000s.[108] Irsay returned to the Colts shortly before thedraft in May.[109]
Irsay pleaded guilty on September 2 to one count ofoperating a vehicle while intoxicated (OWI), which is aClass C misdemeanor in Indiana. He was sentenced to one year ofprobation during which he is forbidden from consuming or possessing alcohol and his driving privileges were revoked for a period of one year and 40 days. He will be subject to random drug testing as a condition of his probation. In addition, the judge stipulated that any subsequent OWI charge in a five-year period will be treated as afelony. The NFL banned Irsay from any contact with his team for six games and also levied a fine of $500,000. He was also forbidden from doing any media interviews or making comments related to the team on social media during the suspension. It was expected that Irsay's daughter, Carlie Irsay-Gordon, would assume control of the team during his absence.[111]
On February 15, 2014, Baltimore Ravens running backRay Rice and his fiancée Janay Palmer were both arrested for assault after a physical altercation that took place atRevel Casino inAtlantic City, New Jersey. Celebrity news websiteTMZ posted a video of Rice dragging Palmer's body out of an elevator at the casino.[112] The Ravens issued a statement following TMZ's release of the video, calling Rice'sdomestic violence arrest a "serious matter".[113]
On March 27, 2014, a grand jury indicted Rice on charges of third-degreeaggravated assault, which could carry a jail sentence of three to five years in prison and a fine of up to $15,000. Charges against Palmer were dropped.[114] Rice and Palmer were married the day after his indictment.[115] Rice pleaded guilty to one count of third degreeaggravated assault and was accepted into a pretrial intervention program for first-time offenders on May 20.[116] Under the terms of the plea deal, the charges would be dropped and expunged from Rice's record if he meets the conditions imposed by the judge for the next 12 months.[117]
Rice was suspended by the NFL for the first two games of the 2014 NFL season on July 25.[118] On September 8,TMZ released footage from a camera inside the elevator in which the assault took place. The video appears to show Rice punching Palmer in the face causing Palmer to immediately fall to the ground, perhaps striking her head on the elevator's handrail on the way to the floor, and leaving her motionless. Within hours of the video's release, the Baltimore Ravens terminated Rice's contract. Shortly thereafter, Goodell announced that Rice had been suspended from the league indefinitely.[119][120]
Rice, along with theplayers' union, appealed the indefinite suspension on the grounds that a player cannot be disciplined twice for the same incident. The union requested that Goodell recuse himself from hearing the appeal (as he normally would under the league's personal conduct policy) since he will be a witness in the proceedings.[121]
In late November, Rice was reinstated. It's reported that there are four teams looking into picking up Rice for the 2015 season. Two of those teams have been identified as the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts.[122]
New policy on domestic violence instituted by league
As a result of widespread criticism of the two-game suspension handed down in the Ray Rice case, which was considered too lenient by many commentators,[123] the NFL announced a new policy on dealing with domestic violence on August 28. Under the new policy the first offense of domestic violence would be punishable by a minimum six-game suspension without pay; a second offense would result in a "lifetime" ban from the league. These rules will apply to all league personnel, including executives and owners, not just players. A person who receives a "lifetime" ban would be eligible to petition the league for reinstatement after one year. The penalty for the first offense could be increased by a number of factors including a previous incident prior to joining the league, the use of a weapon, an act committed against a pregnant woman and the presence of a child.
According to anAssociated Press article onESPN, the players' union has questioned why the NFL's domestic violence training and education program "treats all players as perpetrators." In a memo sent to theNFL Players Association members on Thursday by Executive DirectorDeMaurice Smith and obtained Friday by the Associated Press, the union also said the plan, "doesn't build a positive consensus to warning signs." Smith and union special counsel Teri Patterson described two meetings this month with the league in which anNFLPA commission was briefed on the league's approach to educating players, coaches, executives, owners and NFL personnel about domestic violence. He wrote that a "good overview of domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse" was presented. But "it did not address larger issues of violence in and outside of the home."
The NFL said of the "perpetrators" claim: "Nothing could be further from the truth. The presentation expressly recognizes that people in the NFL are often falsely portrayed and that the actions of a few damage the reputations of many." "What the program teaches is that everyone can and should be part of the solution," the league statement said. The union memo also said the "NFL's presentation doesn't focus on follow-ups and providing continuous resources at the clubs to address potentially violent situations as well as preventing them." The NFL's educational program was shown to the AP on Oct. 7, and it included information from a memo sent to the 32 clubs on Sept. 18 that pointed out local resources available to all team personnel and their families. That document indicated a plan was in place to provide those resources and follow-ups for those who need it. The union memo to the players also said the NFL presentation "doesn't include any psychological information about the type of behavior that could lead to acts of violence or warning signs of negative behavior, but instead seemed to focus almost entirely on what happens after a violent incident has been committed."
The league's plan calls for experts who work in the psychological space to offer a research perspective of societal issues, recognized that these are intimate crimes that impact people in many ways. The program calls for each club to have such experts available to the teams, or what NFL calls "the entire club family." That can include a clinician, human resource workers, player engagement executives, security personnel and a mental health professional who works with the club. The union added that although the league indicated that the trainers for this educational program will be experts, the NFL did not list any specific names, titles or relevant backgrounds of the people they intend to utilize for the training. Previously, the NFL announced an advisory group that includes authorities in the domestic violence area such as Tony Porter, Beth E. Richie, Rita Smith, Jane Randel and Lisa Friel. Another NFLPA observation was: "Too much reliance was placed on using former players to participate in the training. While one former players possess the right qualifications and experience to train personnel on these issues, the league's inability to articulate who these players are raises concerns that call into question the effectiveness of the training." Many of the player ambassadors, as the NFL calls them, have personal testimonies around these issues and might be helpful, but they would not deliver the education program. The union added: "The league stated that at each presentation, they will distribute information on suggested local (team city/state specific) resources for domestic violence and sexual assault prevention specialists, licensed club mental health clinicians, club human resource directors and director of Player Engagement.
The NFLPA commission members recommended that a broader net of resources be included, such as faith-based counselors and male-focused community organizations, etc. The NFL did not provide any explanation as to why one resource was chosen over another or how those resources would be specifically integrated into the workplace, if at all." In response to the union memo, the NFL said: "We were pleased to meet with the union and are working to incorporate their suggestions into the presentations is the start of a process of education that will continue in future years."[124][125]
Minnesota Vikings running backAdrian Peterson was indicted by a Houston grand jury on afelony charge of injury to a child on September 12. The charge stemmed from a beating with a tree branch, orswitch, which Peterson allegedly administered to his 4-year-old son as a disciplinary measure.[126] Peterson turned himself in for arrest following the indictment.
The Vikings announced following the arrest that Peterson would be deactivated and would not play in the team's game that weekend. The following Monday the team announced that Peterson would be allowed to rejoin the team. The team reversed direction two days later and placed Peterson on the inactive list pending resolution of the charges.[127]
Greg Hardy found guilty of domestic violence; placed on leave
Carolina Panthers defensive endGreg Hardy was arrested on charges of domestic violence after an altercation with his girlfriend which took place on May 13. In July, Hardy was found guilty of assaulting a female and communicating threats and sentenced to 18 months of probation in a trial before a district judge. Hardy immediately requested a trial by jury which underNorth Carolina's legal system means that the terms of the sentencing are put on hold pending the jury trial.[128]
Because the legal process had not yet played out, Hardy was not disciplined immediately by either the league or the Panthers and he was allowed to play in the team's first game. However, following the outcry surrounding the Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson situations, Hardy was de-activated for the Panther's second game and was subsequently placed on the inactive list until the charges are adjudicated. Hardy continued to get paid, but was not allowed to have any contact with the Panthers organization.[129]
In July 2014 it was reported thatJon Bon Jovi and the principals ofMaple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (a consortium betweenBills Toronto Series lesseeEdward Rogers III andLarry Tanenbaum) had joined forces as equal partners to bid on the Buffalo Bills, with Bon Jovi the proposed controlling owner.[130] It was also reported that the group had conducted a feasibility study in early 2013 on the construction of an NFL stadium in Toronto.[131] Following protests by Buffalo area fans against the Toronto group, including radio stations banning Bon Jovi's music,[132] Bon Jovi wrote a public letter to Bills fans saying that the group's objective was to "make the Bills successful in Buffalo" and committing to work with all levels of government "to identify the best possible site in the Buffalo area for a new stadium",[133] though it noticeably did not promise to keep the team in Buffalo.[134] The group claimed it had plans to meet with developers in the Buffalo region to discuss the construction of a new stadium.[135][136] However, there was widespread skepticism about the sincerity of the group's pledge to keep the team in Buffalo,[135] with a sports franchise relocation expert quoted as saying that if they did intend to move the club, "I would suggest never saying that publicly" due to the legal implications of selling the team to a group planning on relocating it.[137]
The Toronto group was one of four known to have submitted a preliminary bid for the franchise. The other groups, which intend to keep the club in Buffalo, were: eventual winnerTerrence Pegula, owner of theBuffalo Sabres;Donald Trump, who formerly owned theNew Jersey Generals; andTom Golisano, former owner of theBuffalo Sabres.[136][138] Trump described his chances of being the successful bidder as "very, very unlikely because I'm not going to do something totally stupid."[139] Other Canadians who explored purchasing the team includeJohn Bitove, who was co-founder theToronto Raptors, and the family ofFrancesco Aquilini, who owns theVancouver Canucks, though it is unknown if they intended to move the team.[140][141] Though Tanenbaum and Rogers had significant wealth, it had been reported that the Toronto group's bid was limited by Bon Jovi's resources and his desire to be the controlling partner; NFL regulations require the controlling partner to have a 30% equity stake.[142]Los Angeles-based interests largely stayed away from the Bills, citing concerns over the stadium's lease and the fear that politicians will place intense scrutiny on any person who attempts to move the Bills out of Buffalo; multibillionaireEli Broad declined to place a bid on the team for those reasons.[143]
The sale was completed on September 9, to the Pegulas for a reported amount of 1.4 billion dollars which made the Bills purchase the most expensive in league history. The sale was done in time for the Pegulas to be unanimously approved at the NFL's owners meeting on October 6–8.[139]Terry Pegula, owns theBuffalo Sabres and development projects in the Buffalo area. The Pegulas intend to keep the team in Western New York for the long term.
Any possible relocation had one of the other bidders won (or if Pegula resells the team to anyone in the future) could not happen under the terms of the Bills' current lease onRalph Wilson Stadium until the end of the 2019 season and would have, at least on paper, required league endorsement (whether the league could, in and of itself, stop a relocation is unclear;Al Davismoved theOakland Raiders to Los Angeles in 1982 against the league's wishes). And a relocation fee, which had been speculated to be $100–$200 million, could be charged by the NFL,[144][145][146][147][148][149] though this could be offset by an increase in franchise value in a larger market.[148][150] Goodell has said the two votes would be held separately.[151] Of the owners who made their position known,Jerry Jones was believed to have been in favor of the Bills moving to Toronto, whileJohn Mara,Robert Wood Johnson IV, theGreen Bay Packers Board of Directors, andShahid Khan indicated they would have most likely opposed moving the team.[152]
On July 29, 2014, reports surfaced that theOakland Raiders were consideringrelocating toSan Antonio in2015 after ownerMark Davis met with San Antonio civic leaders the week before at the encouragement of former RaiderCliff Branch, which Davis was in town to visit for a local ceremony for Branch. The Raiders themselves had acknowledged Davis being in San Antonio for the event for Branch before news broke about a possible relocation, but wouldn't confirm nor deny that Davis also mentioned being there discussing moving his team east.[153] Among the two existing NFL teams inTexas,Houston Texans' ownerBob McNair andDallas Cowboys' ownerJerry Jones—the latter of which has San Antonio as part of his territorial rights and previously voiced support of an NFL team moving there when theNew Orleans Saintstemporarily played in San Antonio in 2005 due todamages to the Superdome following Hurricane Katrina—both favor an NFL team playing in San Antonio.[154]
Though San Antonio is a smaller market than theSan Francisco Bay Area, the Raiders wouldn't be sharing the market with another NFL team, and would only compete with theNBA'sSan Antonio Spurs among major sports teams. Additionally, the Raiders would use theAlamodome as a temporary home until an NFL-specific stadium could be constructed.[153] The team's lease at theO.co Coliseum was expiring after the 2014 season.[155]
On September 3, 2014, the city ofOakland reached a tentative deal to build a new football stadium in Oakland, which would result in the Coliseum being demolished; Davis did not respond to the proposal, which would also force theOakland Athletics to build a new stadium of their own (which they have yet to agree to do), whileAlameda County (co-owners of the current stadium) indicated they would probably not support the plan.[156] Davis, in the meantime, continued to negotiate with San Antonio officials and had team officials scout the Alamodome to determine if it would be suitable for the NFL.[157]
The Rams and the St. Louis CVC began negotiating deals to get the Rams home stadium, theEdward Jones Dome into the top 25 percent of stadiums in the league (i.e., top eight teams of the thirty two NFL teams in reference to luxury boxes, amenities and overall fan experience). Under the terms of the lease agreement, the St. Louis CVC was required to make modifications to the Edward Jones Dome in 2005. However, then-owner,Georgia Frontiere, waived the provision in exchange for cash that served as a penalty for the city's noncompliance. The City of St. Louis, in subsequent years, made changes to the score board and increased the natural lighting by replacing panels with windows, although the overall feel remained dark. The minor renovations which totaled about $70 million did not bring the stadium within the specifications required under the lease agreement. On February 1, 2013, an Arbitrator (3 panel) selected to preside over the arbitration process found that the Edward Jones Dome was not in the top 25% of all NFL venues as required under the terms of the lease agreement between the Rams and the CVC. The Arbitrator (3 panel) further found that the estimated $700 million in proposed renovations by the Rams was not unreasonable given the terms of the lease agreement. Finally, the City of St. Louis was ordered to pay the Rams attorneys' fees which totaled a reported $2 million.
Publicly, city, county and state officials expressed no interest in providing further funding to the Edward Jones Dome in light of those entities, as well as taxpayers, continuing to owe approximately $300 million more on that facility. As such, if a resolution is not reached by the end of the 2014–2015 NFL season and the City of St. Louis remains non-compliant in its obligations under the lease agreement, the Rams would be free to nullify their lease and relocate.
On January 31, 2014, both theLos Angeles Times and theSt. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that Rams ownerStan Kroenke purchased 60 acres of land adjacent to theForum inInglewood,Los Angeles County,California. It was, by the most conservative estimates, sufficient land on which an NFL-proper stadium may be constructed. The purchase price was rumored to have been between US$90–100 million. Commissioner Roger Goodell represented that Mr. Kroenke informed the league of the purchase. As an NFL owner, any purchase of land in which a potential stadium could be built must be disclosed to the league. This development further fueled rumors that the Rams intend to return its management and football operations to Southern California. The land was initially targeted for a Walmart Supercenter butWalmart could not get the necessary permits to build the center. Kroenke is married toAnn Walton Kroenke who is a member of theWalton family and many of Kroenke's real estate deals have involved Walmart properties.[158][159]
Bill Belichick became the sixth coach in NFL history to reach 200 regular-season wins.[163]
ThePhiladelphia Eagles became the first team in NFL history to start the season 2–0 after trailing by at least 14 points at halftime in each of their first two games.
Devin Hester set an NFL record with 20 total returns for touchdowns. The previous record was held byDeion Sanders, who had 19 touchdowns.[164]
ThePhiladelphia Eagles became the first NFL team to start a season 3–0 after trailing by 10-plus points in each game.[165]
Peyton Manning threw his 100th touchdown pass in his 35th game with theDenver Broncos, becoming the fastest quarterback in NFL history to achieve that feat with a single team. The previous record was held byDan Marino, who did so in 44 games with theMiami Dolphins.[166]
There were zero punts in the Packers–Bears game, making it the second regular-season game in NFL history with no punts. The other regular-season game without a punt was a1992 game between theBuffalo Bills and theSan Francisco 49ers.[167]
Colts quarterbackAndrew Luck became the first player in NFL history to throw for over 370 yards and 4 touchdowns, and have a completion percentage above 70 percent or above in consecutive games.[168]
TheChicago Bears became the first NFL franchise to reach 750 total wins.[173]
DeMarco Murray became the second player in NFL history to rush for at least 100 yards in each of his team's first six games to start a season, joiningJim Brown.[173]
Julius Thomas, with his nine touchdown catches through his team's first five games of the season, tied the NFL record that was set byCalvin Johnson in 2011.[174]
With a passer rating above 120 for the fifth straight game,Philip Rivers has set an NFL record for most consecutive games above this mark. The previous record was shared byJohnny Unitas in 1965 andKurt Warner in 2009, who each had four.[174]
Joe Flacco tied a league record set byTommy Kramer in 1986 by recording 4 touchdown passes in the first quarter of a game.[175]
TheCarolina Panthers andCincinnati Bengals played to a 37–37 tie. This was the highest scoring tie game since the1974 introduction of overtime to the regular season.
Peyton Manning threw his 509th career touchdown pass, setting an NFL record. The previous record was held byBrett Favre, who had 508.[176]
DeMarco Murray became the first player in NFL history to rush for at least 100 yards in each of his team's first seven games to start a season, breaking the record he held withJim Brown. Murray would go on to extend his record to eight games.[177]
Reggie Wayne became the ninth player in NFL history to reach 14,000 receiving yards.[177]
Russell Wilson became the first player in NFL history to have passed for over 300 yards and rush for over 100 yards in the same game.[178]
Ben Roethlisberger became the first player in NFL history to record at least six touchdown passes in consecutive games.
TheDenver Broncos scored 20 or more points for the 29th consecutive regular-season game, setting a new record. The previous record was held by theSt. Louis Rams who had 28 such games in1999 and2000.[180]
Adam Vinatieri became the first player in NFL history to score more than 100+ points in 17 different seasons, breaking the record previously held byJason Elam, who had 16.[184]
J. J. Watt became the only player in league history (since sacks became an official statistic) to register a sack, forced fumble, fumble recovery and touchdown reception in the same game.[185]
TheDenver Broncos won their 12th consecutive divisional away game, tying an NFL record that theSan Francisco 49ers set from 1987 to 1990;[187]John Fox became only the second head coach in NFL history to win four division titles in the first four seasons with a team, joiningChuck Knox.[188]
TheNew England Patriots set a record of 14 consecutive seasons of winning at least one game against all of their divisional opponents. The previous record of 13 seasons had been set by the1971–83 Dallas Cowboys.[189]
J. J. Watt became the first player in league history to have two separate seasons with 20 or more sacks.[191]
Matt Forte set the league season record for receptions by a running back, finishing with 102.[192]
TheSeattle Seahawks became the first team since the 1969–1971 Minnesota Vikings to lead the NFL in fewest points allowed in three consecutive seasons.[193]
Kubiak was fired on December 6, 2013, after accumulating a 61–63 record in just under eight seasons as the Texans' head coach. Wade Phillips was named the interim head coach for the remainder of the2013 season.[246] Kubiak joined theBaltimore Ravens as offensive coordinator. O'Brien spent the past two seasons as thePenn State head coach and previously as aNew England Patriots assistant.
Chudzinski was fired on December 29, 2013, after going 4–12 in his only season as Browns head coach.[247] Chudzinski joined theIndianapolis Colts as a special assistant to the head coach.[248] Pettine was theBuffalo Bills' defensive coordinator last season.[249]
Schwartz was fired on December 30, 2013, after a 1–6 stumble to end the 2013 season despite having led the NFC North earlier in the season. He finished with a 29–51 record over five seasons.[250] Schwartz joined theBuffalo Bills as defensive coordinator. Caldwell was hired as head coach on January 14. He had been head coach for theIndianapolis Colts from 2009 to 2011 and finished with a 26–22 record. For the last year and a half, he was theBaltimore Ravens' offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.[251]
Frazier was fired on December 30, 2013, after more than three seasons as Vikings head coach, ending 2013 with a 5–10–1 record, and his tenure with Minnesota at 21–32–1.[252] Frazier joined theTampa Bay Buccaneers as defensive coordinator. Zimmer was hired on January 15 and this is his first head-coaching position. He had been the defensive coordinator of theCincinnati Bengals since 2008. He was also the defensive coordinator for theAtlanta Falcons in 2007 and theDallas Cowboys from 2000 to 2006.[253]
Schiano was fired on December 30, 2013, along with GM Mark Dominik. Schiano was 11–21 as head coach over two seasons.[255] Smith, a former Buccaneers assistant, served as the head coach of theChicago Bears from 2004 to 2012.
Munchak was fired on January 4, 2014, after three seasons as Titans head coach, ending his 32-season tenure with the team. He was 22–26 as head coach.[256] Munchak joined thePittsburgh Steelers as offensive line coach. Whisenhunt was previously the head coach of theArizona Cardinals from 2007 to 2012, compiling a record of 45–51, and served as the offensive coordinator of theSan Diego Chargers in 2013.
Shanahan and his staff (except for defensive coordinatorJim Haslett) were fired on December 30, 2013, after a 3–13 record in 2013 and a 24–40 career regular season record with the Redskins.[257] Gruden, who had spent the past three seasons as the offensive coordinator of theCincinnati Bengals, had previously served as head coach of theFlorida Tuskers of theUFL andOrlando Predators of theAFL.[258]
Allen was fired on September 29 after an 8–28 record as Raiders head coach, and an 0–4 start to the season.[259] Sparano was named interim head coach on September 30. Sparano previously served as theMiami Dolphins' head coach from 2008 to 2011,[260] amassing a record of 29–32.
Dominik was fired on December 30, 2013.[255] He was replaced by Licht who had been the vice president of player personnel of theArizona Cardinals in 2013. Prior to that Licht had served as the Cardinals director of player personnel and had also worked in the front offices of theNew England Patriots andPhiladelphia Eagles. He got his start in the NFL as ascout with the Patriots, Panthers and Dolphins.[261]
Lombardi and Banner were fired by Browns ownerJimmy Haslam on February 11 after a lengthy coaching search revealed discord between the two executives.[262] Farmer was promoted from assistant GM to replace Lombardi[263] while no replacement for Banner as CEO was named.[264]
Ireland and the Dolphins announced on January 7 that he was leaving the team in the "mutual best interest" of both parties, although it was reported that Ireland was to have been stripped of powers had he remained with the team.[265] He had been in the role since2008.[265]
Dennis Hickey was hired to replace Ireland on January 27.[266] He had been the director of player personnel of theTampa Bay Buccaneers since 2011. Prior to that he had been the Bucs' director of college scouting after starting with the team as ascout.
Bowlen resigned his post as CEO and relinquished control of his team on July 23, 2014. Since 2010, he had previously moved most of his duties to team presidentJoe Ellis and executive vice president/general managerJohn Elway, following a diagnosis ofAlzheimer's disease.[104]
Levi's Stadium, the new stadium for theSan Francisco 49ers, opened in July 2014.[267] The stadium is located inSanta Clara, California, directly west of the 49ers long-existing team offices and practice facility, and hostedSuper Bowl 50 in early 2016.[268] In November 2013, stadium and team officials requested that theNFL not schedule any weekday home games during the preseason or regular season – includingMonday andThursday Night Football – due to parking issues within the area. The plan was to borrow parking facilities from nearby businesses and a community college, but the concern was that those entities would have the parking needs on weekdays.[269] Two months later (January 2014), the Santa Clara City Council approved a two-year deal with the Santa Clara Golf & Tennis Club that would have opened up 10,000 additional parking spaces within walking distance of Levi's Stadium, as well as reimbursed the club$250,000 for each year, which also would have enabled the 49ers to host Monday and Thursday night games for both the 2014 and2015 seasons.[270] However, the NFL decided not to schedule the 49ers for any weeknight prime-time games at Levi's Stadium during the 2014 season until traffic flow within the area is figured out.[271] An exception was made forThanksgiving, when the regular work traffic and parking would not be an issue.[272]
Reliant Stadium, the home of theHouston Texans, was renamedNRG Stadium. Reliant Energy, which held thenaming rights to the Texans' home field since their inaugural2002 season, was previously purchased in 2009 by its parent companyNRG Energy.[273]
TheMinnesota Vikings played their first of two consecutive seasons at theUniversity of Minnesota'sTCF Bank Stadium, as they awaited the construction of anew stadium at the site of theHubert H. Humphrey Metrodome.[274] Due to an agreement with the University of Minnesota, the Vikings did not host any Monday or Thursday night games at the stadium. The only exceptions would have been during Thanksgiving (in which the Vikings were not scheduled), Week 16 (which occurs after the university's academic finals), or times when the university is in recess in order to minimize the disruption of on-campus operations, and the Vikings also would have had to plan around the Gophers' home schedule and other UM events, including student move-in week and academic finals.[275]
TheOakland Raiders' lease onO.co Coliseum expired after the2013 season. The Raiders played at the stadium for seven of their 2014 home games under a one-year emergency extension but its future after that remained unclear.[276] Prior to the season, the Raiders had announced their eighth home game was to be played atWembley Stadium as part of theInternational Series.[277]
TheTampa Bay Buccaneers unveiled a new logo and helmet on February 20, 2014,[278] as well as a new uniform on March 3.[279] The team also wore a patch with the initials of late ownerMalcolm Glazer who died on May 28 at the age of 85.[280]
ThePhiladelphia Eagles wore their alternate black jerseys during a preseason game against theNew England Patriots as well as for their Week 6 game vs. theNew York Giants, the latter of which marked the first time in franchise history that the team wore all black.[281] This was the result of the team upgrading their uniforms to take advantage of the "Elite 51" technology fromNike, which most teams had been using since 2012. The team's standard "midnight green" jerseys did not become available until their Week 10 game vs. theCarolina Panthers, because midnight green was considered a custom color and took longer to produce.[282][283]
TheTennessee Titans wore their white jerseys for every game during the 2014 season, for the exception of their Week 8 game vs. theHouston Texans, in which the Titans wore their alternate navy blue jerseys.[286] The team did wear their standard light "Titans blue" jerseys for both of their preseason home games. Tommy Smith, who was named the new Titans' president and CEO following the death of longtime ownerBud Adams in2013, indicated that the light "Titans Blue" jerseys, which had been the team's primary colored jersey since2008, were being phased out. The navy blue jerseys, which were the Titans' primary colored jerseys from 1999 to 2007, returned as the team's primary home jersey beginning in2015.[287][288]
2014 was the first season under a nine-year television contract withCBS (almost all AFC afternoon away games),Fox (almost all NFC afternoon away games),NBC (Sunday Night Football games, Thanksgiving night game, and the Kickoff game); and an eight-year contract withESPN (Monday Night Football games).[293][294] Among the changes from the previous television contracts were allowing games to be "cross-flexed" between CBS and Fox, enabling CBS to televise NFC away games, and Fox to broadcast AFC away games (see above). NBC was given the rights to broadcast a Divisional playoff game, and theirSpanish language sister networkMun2 simulcasted select NBC games, with Spanish language graphics and play-by-play during the Thanksgiving game; Mun2 changed their branding to the more sports-centric NBC Universo with their Spanish simulcast of Super Bowl XLIX. The contract also allowed ESPN to televise a Wild Card playoff game (which, like other NFL games carried on cable, was simulcast on an over-the-air station in each of the team's primary market).[293] In addition, ESPN began exclusively televising all Pro Bowls for the next eight seasons.
Under a new, one-year contract, CBS also took over the production ofThursday Night Football and aired the first eight games of the package, plus half of a Week 16 Saturday doubleheader, in simulcast withNFL Network. The arrangement was meant to bring more prominence and higher production values toTNF, which had historically hosted the league's least-watched primetime games.[295][296] As part of the arrangement, CBS affiliates were given theright of first refusal to air the required local simulcasts ofTNF games solely broadcast elsewhere by NFL Network.[69][297] The agreement was renewed for the 2015 season.[298]
On Fox, the most notable personnel change was the demotion ofPam Oliver, Fox's top sideline reporter for nearly 20 years, to the second broadcast team asErin Andrews took over the spot on the first broadcast team.[302] Other personnel changes include the additions ofDonovan McNabb,David Diehl,Kirk Morrison, andBrendan Ayanbadejo to Fox's stable of color commentators, replacing outgoing commentators Tom McCarthy,Brian Billick andTim Ryan.[303]Brady Quinn also joined the Fox stable. Also briefly joining Fox's play-by-play stable wasUFC announcerMike Goldberg; Goldberg's time doing NFL telecasts was cut short after one game, and he was replaced byTim Brando, who came over from CBS.[304]
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^"Week 6 Flex Scheduling"(PDF) (Press release). NFL. September 28, 2014.Archived(PDF) from the original on November 7, 2014. RetrievedSeptember 28, 2014.
^"Week 14 Flex Scheduling"(PDF) (Press release). NFL. November 24, 2014.Archived(PDF) from the original on December 22, 2014. RetrievedNovember 24, 2014.
^"Ray Rice – Dragging Unconscious Fiancee ... After Alleged Mutual Attack"(video).TMZ. February 19, 2014.Archived from the original on September 9, 2014. RetrievedSeptember 9, 2014.TMZ Sports has obtained footage of Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice dragging his fiancee (who appears to be out cold) out of an elevator in an Atlantic City casino ... moments after cops say they attacked each other on the property.
^Wagoner, Nick (February 1, 2014)."Stan Kroenke buys 60 acres in L.A."ESPN.com. ESPN Internet Ventures.Archived from the original on September 21, 2014. RetrievedSeptember 4, 2014.
^"NFL Today, Week 1".USA Today. September 7, 2014.Archived from the original on September 8, 2014. RetrievedSeptember 8, 2014.
^"Clayton's mailbag".ESPN NFL. ESPN. September 10, 2014.Archived from the original on September 12, 2014. RetrievedSeptember 12, 2014.
^"What to look for – A look back"(PDF).NFL.com. National Football League. September 15, 2014.Archived(PDF) from the original on October 6, 2014. RetrievedOctober 1, 2014.
^"Game Center Wash. vs Phil".NFL.com game center. NFL. September 21, 2014.Archived from the original on September 21, 2014. RetrievedSeptember 22, 2014.
^ab"Week4_Sunday7"(PDF).NFL.com. National Football League. September 28, 2014.Archived(PDF) from the original on October 7, 2014. RetrievedOctober 1, 2014.
^"What To Look For - A Look Back"(PDF). Nfllabor.files.wordpress.com. November 17, 2014.Archived(PDF) from the original on December 22, 2014. RetrievedJune 10, 2015.
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^Killion, Ann (December 29, 2013).Raiders' stagnation offers no reason for hopeArchived January 27, 2014, at theWayback Machine.San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved January 27, 2014. "Will the Raiders, who signed a one-year lease to stay at the Coliseum through 2014, stay in Oakland beyond next year? "
2014 NFL Season Review Infographic, Dish Network,retrieved February 12, 2015
