1994 NFL season
From Includipedia, the inclusionist encyclopedia
The 1994 NFL season was the 75th regular season of the National Football League. To honor the NFL's 75th season, a special anniversary logo was designed and each player wore a patch on their jerseys with this logo throughout the season. Also, a selection committee of media and league personnel named a special NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team, honoring the best NFL players from the first 75 seasons.
The Phoenix Cardinals changed their name to Arizona Cardinals in an attempt to widen their appeal to the entire state of Arizona instead of just the Phoenix area.
The Seattle Seahawks played their first three regular season home games at Husky Stadium because the Kingdome, the Seahawks' regular home field, was undergoing repairs for damaged tiles on its roof.
This was also the first season that the then-fledging FOX Network televised NFL games. FOX took over the National Football Conference package from CBS. The league also signed an exclusivity agreement with the direct broadcast satellite (DBS) service DirecTV to launch NFL Sunday Ticket, a satellite television subscription service that offers every regular season NFL game.
The season ended with Super Bowl XXIX when the San Francisco 49ers defeated the San Diego Chargers.
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Major rule changes
A package of changes were adopted to increase offensive production and scoring:
- The two-point conversion after touchdowns is adopted.
- The spot of the kickoff is moved from the 35-yard line to the 30-yard line.
- The "Neutral zone infraction" foul is adopted. A play is automatically dead before the snap when a defensive player enters the neutral zone and causes an offensive player to react.
- After a field goal is missed beyond the 20-yard line, the defensive team takes possession of the ball at the spot of the kick instead of the previous line of scrimmage.
- During field goal attempts and extra point tries, players on the receiving team cannot block below the waist.
Throwback jerseys
The league also honored its 75th season by having each team wear throwback uniforms during selected games. The designs varied widely in their accuracy:
- While no attempt was made to simulate obsolete leather helmets which were phased out in the 1950s, teams simulating uniforms from the era of leather headgear simply removed all decals and striping from their regular hard-shell helmets.
- All jerseys displayed the player's last name on the back side, though this practice did not become standard until the 1970s; it became mandatory in the NFL in the late 1970s.
- Many of the uniforms worn were not accurate displays of previous team uniforms. For example, the Buffalo Bills throwback contained a red helmet with a white buffalo logo. However, the actual historic uniform displayed a white helmet with a red buffalo logo. In 2005, the Bills began wearing an accurate representation of their 1960s throwbacks as their alternate uniform.
- In most instances the fonts and typestyles used were only approximate matches at best, although the Houston Oilers' throwbacks were completely accurate replications, including typefaces, of their first uniforms in 1960.
Some teams continued to wear theirs throughout the season, including the Detroit Lions and the San Francisco 49ers. They proved to be so popular that the 49ers, the New York Jets, and the New York Giants eventually returned to wearing them full-time, in slightly modified forms, soon afterwards. And after the NFL modified its rules to allow teams to wear alternate jerseys in 2002, the San Diego Chargers selected their throwbacks as their third uniforms.
Throwback weekend games
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- Arizona: 9/18 (at Cle), 10/30 (Pit)
- Atlanta: 9/18 (Atl), 9/25 (at Wsh)
- Buffalo: 9/18 (at Hou), 9/26 (Den)
- Chicago: 9/18 (Min), 9/25 (at NYJ), 10/31 (GB)
- Cincinnati: 9/18 (NE)
- Cleveland: 9/18 (Arz)
- Dallas: 9/19 (Det)
- Denver: 9/18 (Raiders), 9/26 (at Buf)
- Detroit: 9/19 (at Dal), 10/9 (SF), 11/24 (Buf), 12/17 (Min)
- Green Bay: 9/18 (at Phil), 9/25 (TB), 10/2 (at NE), 10/31 (at GB)
- Houston Oilers: 9/18 (Buf)
- Indianapolis (Baltimore Colts): 9/18 (at Pit), 10/23 (Wsh)
- Kansas City: 9/18 (at Atl), 9/25 (Rams)
- LA Raiders: 9/18 (at Den), 9/25 (SD)
- LA Rams: 9/18 (SF), 9/25 (at KC)
- Miami: 9/18 (NYJ), 9/25 (at Min)
- Minnesota: 9/18 (at Chi), 9/25 (Mia)
- New England: 9/18 (at Cin), 10/2 (GB), 10/9 (at NYJ)
- New Orleans: 9/18 (at TB), 9/25 (at SF), 10/2 (NYG)
- NY Giants: 9/18 (Wsh), 10/2 (at NO), 11/21 (at Hou), 11/27, 12/4 (at Cle), 12/11 (Cin), 12/18, 12/24 (Dal)
- NY Jets: 9/18 (at Mia), 9/25 (Chi), 10/9 (NE)
- Pittsburgh: 9/18 (Ind), 10/30 (at Arz)
- Philadelphia: 9/18 (GB)
- San Diego: 9/18 (at Sea), 9/25 (at Raiders), 10/9 (KC), 12/5 (Raiders)
- San Francisco: 9/18 (at Rams), 9/25 (NO), then remainder of season starting with 10/9 game (at Det)
- Seattle: 9/18 (SD)
- Tampa Bay: 9/18 (NO), 9/25 (at GB)
- Washington: 9/18 (at NYG), 9/25 (Atl)
Final standings
W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT= Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against
| Qualified for playoffs |
| AFC East | ||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami Dolphins | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 389 | 327 |
| New England Patriots | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 351 | 312 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 307 | 320 |
| Buffalo Bills | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 340 | 356 |
| New York Jets | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 264 | 320 |
| AFC Central | ||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 316 | 234 |
| Cleveland Browns | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 340 | 204 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 3 | 13 | 0 | .188 | 276 | 406 |
| Houston Oilers | 2 | 14 | 0 | .125 | 226 | 352 |
| AFC West | ||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
| San Diego Chargers | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 381 | 306 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 319 | 298 |
| Los Angeles Raiders | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 303 | 327 |
| Denver Broncos | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 347 | 396 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 287 | 323 |
| NFC East | ||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 414 | 248 |
| New York Giants | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 279 | 305 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 235 | 267 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 308 | 308 |
| Washington Redskins | 3 | 13 | 0 | .188 | 320 | 412 |
| NFC Central | ||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
| Minnesota Vikings | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 356 | 314 |
| Green Bay Packers | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 382 | 287 |
| Detroit Lions | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 357 | 342 |
| Chicago Bears | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 271 | 307 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 251 | 351 |
| NFC West | ||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
| San Francisco 49ers | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 505 | 296 |
| New Orleans Saints | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 348 | 407 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 317 | 385 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 286 | 365 |
Tiebreakers
- Miami finished ahead of New England in the AFC East based on head-to-head sweep (2-0).
- Kansas City finished ahead of L.A. Raiders in the AFC West based on head-to-head sweep (2-0).
- Green Bay was the first NFC Wild Card based on best head-to-head record (3-1) vs. Detroit (2-2) and Chicago (1-3) and better conference record (8-4) than N.Y. Giants (6-6).
- Detroit was the second NFC Wild Card based on better division record (4-4) than Chicago (3-5) and head-to-head victory over N.Y. Giants (1-0).
- Chicago was the third NFC Wild Card based on better record against common opponents (4-4) than N.Y. Giants (3-5).
- New Orleans finished ahead of Atlanta in the NFC West based on head-to-head sweep (2-0).
Playoffs
- Home team in capitals
AFC
- Wild-Card playoffs: MIAMI 27, Kansas City 17; CLEVELAND 20, New England 13
- Divisional playoffs: PITTSBURGH 29, Cleveland 9; SAN DIEGO 22, Miami 21
- AFC Championship: San Diego 17, PITTSBURGH 13 at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, January 15, 1995
NFC
- Wild-Card playoffs: GREEN BAY 16, Detroit 12; Chicago 35, MINNESOTA 18
- Divisional playoffs: SAN FRANCISCO 44, Chicago 15; DALLAS 35, Green Bay 9
- NFC Championship: SAN FRANCISCO 38, Dallas 28 at Candlestick Park, January 15, 1995
Super Bowl
- Super Bowl XXIX: San Francisco (NFC) 49, San Diego (AFC) 26, at Joe Robbie Stadium, Miami, Florida, January 29, 1995
Statistical leaders
Team
| Points scored | San Francisco 49ers (505) |
| Total yards gained | Miami Dolphins (6,078) |
| Yards rushing | Pittsburgh Steelers (2,180) |
| Yards passing | New England Patriots (4,444) |
| Fewest points allowed | Cleveland Browns (204) |
| Fewest total yards allowed | Dallas Cowboys (4,313) |
| Fewest rushing yards allowed | Minnesota Vikings (1,090) |
| Fewest passing yards allowed | Dallas Cowboys (2,752) |
Individual
| Scoring | John Carney, San Diego (135 points) |
| Touchdowns | Emmitt Smith, Dallas (22 TDs) |
| Most field goals made | John Carney, San Diego and Fuad Reveiz, Minnesota (34 FGs) |
| Rushing | Barry Sanders, Detroit (1,883 yards) |
| Passing | Steve Young, San Francisco (112.8 rating) |
| Passing touchdowns | Steve Young, San Francisco (35 TDs) |
| Pass receiving | Cris Carter, Minnesota (122 catches) |
| Pass receiving yards | Jerry Rice, San Francisco (1,499) |
| Punt returns | Brian Mitchell, Washington (14.1 average yards) |
| Kickoff returns | Mel Gray, Detroit (28.4 average yards) |
| Interceptions | Eric Turner, Cleveland and Aeneas Williams, Arizona (9) |
| Punting | Sean Landeta, L.A. Rams (44.8 average yards) |
| Sacks | Kevin Greene, Pittsburgh (14) |
Awards
| Most Valuable Player | Steve Young, Quarterback, San Francisco |
| Coach of the Year | Bill Parcells, New England |
| Offensive Player of the Year | Barry Sanders, Running Back, Detroit |
| Defensive Player of the Year | Deion Sanders, Cornerback, San Francisco |
| Offensive Rookie of the Year | Marshall Faulk, Running Back, Indianapolis |
| Defensive Rookie of the Year | Tim Bowens, Defensive Tackle, Miami |
References
- NFL Record and Fact Book (ISBN 1-932994-36-X)
- NFL History 1991-2000 (Last accessed October 17, 2005)
- 1994 season in details
- Total Football: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League (ISBN 0-06-270174-6)
- NFL 75th Anniversary Throwbacks
Template:1994 NFL season by team Template:NFL seasonsfr:Saison NFL 1994
