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The '2004 season of the National Football League (NFL)' was the 85th one played by the major professional American football league in the United States. With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9 2004 to January 2 2005. Due to hurricanes, two of the Miami Dolphins' regular season home games were rescheduled. The game against the Tennessee Titans was moved up one day to Saturday, September 11 to avoid oncoming Hurricane Ivan. And the game versus the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, September 26 was moved back 7 1/2 hours to miss the eye of Hurricane Jeanne.
The playoffs began on January 8, and eventually New England repeated as NFL champions when they defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX, the Super Bowl championship game, at ALLTEL Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida on February 6.

Contents

Major rule changes

Final standings

Tiebreakers

Playoffs

AFC

NFC

Super Bowl

Milestones

Statistical leaders

Team

Individual

Awards

References

Major rule changes

★ Due to several incidents during the 2003 NFL season, officials are authorized to penalize excessive celebration. The 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty will be marked off from the spot at the end of the previous play or, after a score, on the ensuing kickoff. If the infraction is ruled flagrant by the officials, the player can be ejected.

★ Due to several instances during the 2003-04 playoffs, officials are instructed to strictly enforce illegal contact, pass interference, and defensive holding.

★ Timeouts can be called by head coaches.

★ In addition to the numbers 80-89, wide receivers will now be allowed to use numbers 10-19.

★ A punt or missed field goal that is untouched by the receiving team is immediately dead once it touches either the end zone or any member of the kicking team in the end zone. Previously, a punt or missed field goal that lands in the end zone before being controlled by the kicking team could be picked up by a member of the receiving team and immediately run the other way.

★ Teams will be awarded a third instant replay challenge if their first two are successful. Previously, teams were only limited to two regardless of what occurred during the game.

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
New England Patriots	14	2	0	.875	437	260
New York Jets	10	6	0	.625	333	261
Buffalo Bills	9	7	0	.562	395	284
Miami Dolphins	4	12	0	.250	275	354
'AFC North'
Team	W	L	T	PCT	PF	PA
Pittsburgh Steelers	15	1	0	.938	372	251
Baltimore Ravens	9	7	0	.562	317	268
Cincinnati Bengals	8	8	0	.500	374	372
Cleveland Browns	4	12	0	.250	276	390
'AFC South'
Team	W	L	T	PCT	PF	PA
Indianapolis Colts	12	4	0	.750	522	351
Jacksonville Jaguars	9	7	0	.562	261	280
Houston Texans	7	9	0	.438	309	339
Tennessee Titans	5	11	0	.312	344	439
'AFC West'
Team	W	L	T	PCT	PF	PA
San Diego Chargers	12	4	0	.750	446	313
Denver Broncos	10	6	0	.625	381	304
Kansas City Chiefs	7	9	0	.438	483	435
Oakland Raiders	5	11	0	.312	320	442

'NFC East'
Team	W	L	T	PCT	PF	PA
Philadelphia Eagles	13	3	0	.812	386	260
New York Giants	6	10	0	.375	303	347
Dallas Cowboys	6	10	0	.375	293	405
Washington Redskins	6	10	0	.375	240	265
'NFC North'
Team	W	L	T	PCT	PF	PA
Green Bay Packers	10	6	0	.625	424	380
Minnesota Vikings	8	8	0	.500	405	395
Detroit Lions	6	10	0	.375	296	350
Chicago Bears	5	11	0	.312	231	331
'NFC South'
Team	W	L	T	PCT	PF	PA
Atlanta Falcons	11	5	0	.688	340	337
New Orleans Saints	8	8	0	.500	348	405
Carolina Panthers	7	9	0	.438	355	339
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	5	11	0	.312	301	304
'NFC West'
Team	W	L	T	PCT	PF	PA
Seattle Seahawks	9	7	0	.562	371	373
St. Louis Rams	8	8	0	.500	319	392
Arizona Cardinals	6	10	0	.375	284	322
San Francisco 49ers	2	14	0	.125	259	452

Tiebreakers

★ Indianapolis clinched the AFC 3 seed instead of San Diego based on better head-to-head record (1-0).

★ N.Y. Jets clinched the AFC 5 seed instead of Denver based on better record in common games (5-0 to 3-2).

★ St. Louis clinched the NFC 5 seed instead of Minnesota or New Orleans based on better conference record (7-5 to Minnesota's 5-7 to New Orleans' 6-6).

★ Minnesota clinched the NFC 6 seed instead of New Orleans based on better head-to-head record (1-0).

★ N.Y. Giants finished ahead of Dallas and Washington in the NFC East based on better head-to-head record (3-1 to Dallas' 2-2 to Washington's 1-3).

★ Dallas finished ahead of Washington in the NFC East based on better head-to-head record (2-0).

Playoffs

Main articles: NFL playoffs, 2004-05

:''Home team in 'Bold'''

AFC

★ Wild-Card playoffs: N.Y. Jets 20, 'San Diego' 17 (OT); 'Indianapolis' 49, Denver 24

★ Divisional playoffs: 'Pittsburgh' 20, N.Y. Jets 17 (OT); 'New England' 20, Indianapolis 3

★ AFC Championship: New England 41, 'Pittsburgh' 27 at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, January 23, 2005

NFC

★ Wild-Card playoffs: St. Louis 27, 'Seattle' 20; Minnesota 31, 'Green Bay' 17

★ Divisional playoffs: 'Atlanta' 47, St. Louis 17; 'Philadelphia' 27, Minnesota 14

★ NFC Championship: 'Philadelphia' 27, Atlanta 10 at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, January 23, 2005

Super Bowl

★ 'Super Bowl XXXIX:' New England (AFC) 24, Philadelphia (NFC) 21 at ALLTEL Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida, February 6, 2005

Milestones

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

'Most Touchdown Passes, Season'	Peyton Manning, Indianapolis (49)
'Highest Passer Rating, Season'	Peyton Manning, Indianapolis (121.1)
'Most Interception Return Yards Gained, Season'	Ed Reed, Baltimore (358)
'Longest Interception Return'	Ed Reed, Baltimore, November 7, at Cleveland (106 yards)

Statistical leaders

Team

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

Individual

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

Awards

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

References

★ ''NFL Record and Fact Book'' (ISBN 1-932994-36-X)

★ NFL History 2001- (Last accessed October 17, 2005)

★ ''Total Football: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League'' (ISBN 0-06-270174-6)

★ Celebration penalty among rules changes (Last accessed October 17, 2005)