2007 NFL season

This article is about the American football season in the United States. For the Gaelic football season in Ireland, see 2007 National Football League (Ireland).

2007 NFL season

Regular season
Duration	September 6 – December 30, 2007
Playoffs
Start date	January 5, 2008
AFC Champions	New England Patriots
NFC Champions	New York Giants
Super Bowl XLII
Date	February 3, 2008
Site	University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
Champions	New York Giants
Pro Bowl
Date	February 10, 2008
Site	Aloha Stadium
← 2006 NFL seasons 2008 →

Patriots

Bills

Dolphins

Jets

Bengals

Ravens

Steelers

Browns

Colts

Titans

Jaguars

Texans

Broncos

Chiefs

Raiders

Chargers

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AFC teams: West, North, South, East

Cowboys

Giants

Eagles

Redskins

Bears

Lions

Packers

Vikings

Falcons

Panthers

Saints

Buccaneers

Cardinals

Rams

Seahawks

49ers

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NFC teams: West, North, South, East

The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League (NFL).

Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30. The campaign kicked off with the defending Super Bowl XLI champion Indianapolis Colts defeating the New Orleans Saints in the NFL Kickoff Game.

The New England Patriots became the first team to complete the regular season undefeated since the league expanded to a 16-game regular season in 1978. Four weeks after the playoffs began on January 5, 2008, the Patriots' bid for a perfect season was dashed when they lost to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII, the league championship game at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on February 3.

For the first time, two divisions (the NFC East and the AFC South) had no team finish with a losing record. ^{[note 1]}

Draft

The 2007 NFL Draft was held from April 28 to 29, 2007 at New York City's Radio City Music Hall. With the first pick, the Oakland Raiders selected quarterback JaMarcus Russell from Louisiana State University.

New referee

John Parry was promoted to referee, replacing Bill Vinovich, who was forced to resign due to a heart condition. Vinovich would then serve as a replay official from 2007 to 2011. He would later be given a clean bill of health and return to the field as a referee in 2012.

Rule changes

The following rule changes were passed at the league's annual owners meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, during the week of March 25–28:

• The instant replay system, used since the 1999 season, was finally made a permanent officiating tool. ^[1] Previously, it was renewed on a biennial basis.
• The system has also been upgraded to use high-definition technology. However, the systems at Texas Stadium (Dallas Cowboys), RCA Dome (Indianapolis Colts), and Giants Stadium (New York Giants and Jets) did not receive the HDTV updates since those stadiums were scheduled to be (and since have been) replaced in the forthcoming years. ^[2] One reason that the technology was improved was that fans with high-definition televisions at home were having better views on replays than the officials and according to Dean Blandino, the NFL's instant replay director "that could have bit us in the rear if we continued [with the old system]." In addition, the amount of time allotted for the referee to review a play was reduced from 90 seconds to one minute. ^[3]
• After a play is over, players who spike the ball in the field of play, other than in the end zone, will receive a 5-yard delay of game penalty. ^[3]
• Forward passes that unintentionally hit an offensive lineman before an eligible receiver will no longer be an illegal touching penalty, but deliberate actions are still penalized. ^[3]
• Roughing-the-passer penalties will not be called on a defender engaged with a quarterback who simply extends his arms and shoves the passer to the ground. ^[3]
• During situations where crowd noise becomes too loud that it prevents the offensive team from hearing its signals, the offense can no longer ask the referee to reset the play clock. ^[3]
• It is necessary to have the ball touch the pylon or break the plane above the pylon to count as a touchdown. Previously, a player just had to have some portion of his body over the goal line or pylon to count a touchdown. ^[4]
• A completed catch is now when a receiver gets two feet down and has control of the ball. Previously, a receiver had to make "a football move" in addition to having control of the ball for a reception. ^[5]
• Players will be subject to a fine from the league for playing with an unbuckled chin strap. Officials will not penalize for chin strap violations during a game. ^[5]

Preseason

The Hall of Fame Game was played in Canton, Ohio, on Sunday August 5, 2007, with the Pittsburgh Steelers defeating the Saints by a score of 20–7; ^[6] the game was televised by the NFL Network, replacing NBC, who had been previously scheduled to broadcast the China Bowl exhibition game from Beijing, China on August 8, 2007, between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks at Workers Stadium. However, with all efforts being put into the London regular season game, plans for the game were postponed (then later cancelled completely) as Beijing hosted the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Regular season

Adrian Peterson of Minnesota rushes against San Diego in week 9, on his way to a record 296 rushing yards in a game

Schedule formula

Based on the NFL's scheduling formula, the intraconference and interconference matchups for 2007 were: ^[7]

Intraconference

• AFC East vs. AFC North
• AFC West vs. AFC South
• NFC East vs. NFC North
• NFC West vs. NFC South

Interconference

• AFC East vs. NFC East
• AFC North vs. NFC West
• AFC South vs. NFC South
• AFC West vs. NFC North

Opening weekend

On March 26, 2007, the league announced the opening Saints–Colts Kickoff Game on September 6 that would be telecast on NBC. Pre-game activities featured Indiana native John Mellencamp, Billy Joel, and Kelly Clarkson. The entertainment portion of events started 30 minutes earlier than the scheduled start time of the game, leading up to the unveiling of the Colts' Super Bowl XLI championship banner. The opening events were simulcast on NFL Network.

The Dallas Cowboys hosted the New York Giants in the first Sunday night game September 9 at 8:15 p.m. US EDT. Monday Night Football on ESPN kicked off with a doubleheader on September 10 with the Cincinnati Bengals hosting the Baltimore Ravens at 7:00 p.m. US EDT, and the San Francisco 49ers hosting the Arizona Cardinals at 10:15 p.m. US EDT. The 49ers paid tribute to three-time Super Bowl winning head coach Bill Walsh, who died July 30, in that game.

Going global

In October 2006, NFL club owners approved a plan to stage up to two international regular season games per season beginning in 2007 and continuing through at least 2011. ^[8] On February 2, 2007, the league announced that the Week 8 contest between the New York Giants and the Miami Dolphins would be played at Wembley Stadium in London on October 28 at 5 p.m. GMT, which was 1 p.m. EDT. ^{[9] [10]} As the Giants were the away-team designate from the NFC, Fox broadcast the game in the United States according to league broadcast contract rules. ^[11]

"Super Bowl 411⁄2"

In Week 9, the New England Patriots (8–0) faced the Indianapolis Colts (7–0) in a battle of undefeated teams. Thus there was a lot of hype surrounding the game, also due to the fact that these teams had met in the previous season's AFC Championship game, and would possibly meet later in the 2007 AFC Championship game. Many people dubbed the game "Super Bowl 411⁄2". ^[12] The Patriots prevailed 24–20, ^[13] and would finish the regular season as the league's first 16–0 team.

Thanksgiving

For the second year in a row, three games were held on the United States' Thanksgiving Day (November 22). In addition to the traditional games hosted by the Detroit Lions and Cowboys (with those teams respectively playing the Green Bay Packers and the New York Jets, with the Packers–Lions game starting at 12:30 p.m. US EST and the Jets–Cowboys game kicking off at 4:15 p.m. US EST respectively), the Colts faced the Atlanta Falcons in the Georgia Dome, with kickoff at 8:15 p.m. US EST.

Flex scheduling

The NFL entered its second year of flexible scheduling in the final weeks of the season. In each of the Sunday night contests from Weeks 11 through 17, NBC had the option of switching its Sunday night game for a more favorable contest, up to 12 days before the game's start. ^[14]

Philadelphia playing at Dallas on December 16 – Donovan McNabb calls a play to Matt Schobel

In addition to an extra week of flexible scheduling (because of the conflict with scheduling Christmas Eve the previous season, which NBC did not do (instead opting to air a game on Christmas Day), the NFL slightly changed its flex-schedule procedure. In 2006, the league did not reveal its predetermined Sunday night game; the reason given by the league was to avoid embarrassing the teams switched out for a more compelling game. ^[15] In 2007, the league announced all predetermined matchups, with a footnote on the games subject to flex scheduling. ^[16] Also, the network that carries the "doubleheader" week game (either CBS or Fox) will be able to switch one game per week into the 4:15 pm (US ET) time slot, except in the final week, when NBC will select one game for the 8:15 pm slot, and both CBS and Fox will have doubleheader games on December 30.

Week 11:

• The New England–Buffalo game, originally scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS, was flexed into NBC Sunday Night Football at 8:15 p.m. ET, replacing the Chicago–Seattle game, which was moved to 4:15 p.m. ET on Fox.
• The New York Giants–Detroit game, originally scheduled for 4:15 p.m. ET, was flexed to 1:00 p.m. ET on Fox.
• The Pittsburgh–New York Jets game, originally scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET, was flexed to 4:05 p.m. ET on CBS.
• The Washington–Dallas game, originally scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET, was flexed to 4:15 p.m. ET on Fox.

Week 12: The Denver–Chicago game, originally scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET, was flexed to 4:15 p.m. ET on CBS.

Week 13: The Tampa Bay–New Orleans game, originally scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET, was flexed to 4:15 p.m. ET on Fox.

Week 14: The Pittsburgh–New England game, originally scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET, was flexed to 4:15 p.m. ET on CBS.

Week 16:

• The Washington–Minnesota game, originally scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET on Fox, was flexed into NBC Sunday Night Football at 8:15 p.m. ET, replacing the Tampa Bay–San Francisco game, which was moved to 4:05 p.m. ET on Fox.
• The Miami–New England game, originally scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET, was flexed to 4:15 p.m. ET on CBS.

Week 17:

• The Tennessee–Indianapolis game, originally scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS, was flexed into NBC Sunday Night Football at 8:15 p.m. ET, replacing the Kansas City–New York Jets game, which was moved to 4:15 p.m. ET on CBS.
• The Pittsburgh–Baltimore game, originally scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET, was flexed to 4:15 p.m. ET on CBS.
• The Dallas–Washington game, originally scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET, was flexed to 4:15 p.m. ET on Fox.

Regular season standings

Division

AFC East view talk edit W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK (1) New England Patriots 16 0 0 1.000 6–0 12–0 589 274 W16 Buffalo Bills 7 9 0 .438 4–2 6–6 252 354 L3 New York Jets 4 12 0 .250 2–4 4–8 268 355 W1 Miami Dolphins 1 15 0 .063 0–6 1–11 267 437 L2 AFC North view talk edit W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK (4) Pittsburgh Steelers 10 6 0 .625 5–1 7–5 393 269 L1 Cleveland Browns 10 6 0 .625 3–3 7–5 402 382 W1 Cincinnati Bengals 7 9 0 .438 3–3 6–6 380 385 W2 Baltimore Ravens 5 11 0 .313 1–5 2–10 275 384 W1 AFC South view talk edit W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK (2) Indianapolis Colts 13 3 0 .813 5–1 9–3 450 262 L1 (5) Jacksonville Jaguars 11 5 0 .688 2–4 8–4 411 304 L1 (6) Tennessee Titans 10 6 0 .625 4–2 7–5 301 297 W3 Houston Texans 8 8 0 .500 1–5 5–7 379 384 W1 AFC West view talk edit W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK (3) San Diego Chargers 11 5 0 .688 5–1 9–3 412 284 W6 Denver Broncos 7 9 0 .438 3–3 6–6 320 409 W1 Kansas City Chiefs 4 12 0 .250 2–4 3–9 226 335 L9 Oakland Raiders 4 12 0 .250 2–4 4–8 283 398 L4

NFC East view talk edit W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK (1) Dallas Cowboys 13 3 0 .813 4–2 10–2 455 325 L1 (5) New York Giants 10 6 0 .625 3–3 7–5 373 351 L1 (6) Washington Redskins 9 7 0 .563 3–3 7–5 334 310 W4 Philadelphia Eagles 8 8 0 .500 2–4 5–7 336 300 W3 NFC North view talk edit W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK (2) Green Bay Packers 13 3 0 .813 4–2 9–3 435 291 W1 Minnesota Vikings 8 8 0 .500 3–3 6–6 365 311 L2 Detroit Lions 7 9 0 .438 3–3 4–8 346 444 L1 Chicago Bears 7 9 0 .438 2–4 4–8 334 348 W2 NFC South view talk edit W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK (4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9 7 0 .563 5–1 8–4 334 270 L2 Carolina Panthers 7 9 0 .438 3–3 7–5 267 347 W1 New Orleans Saints 7 9 0 .438 3–3 6–6 379 388 L2 Atlanta Falcons 4 12 0 .250 1–5 3–9 259 414 W1 NFC West view talk edit W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK (3) Seattle Seahawks 10 6 0 .625 5–1 8–4 393 291 L1 Arizona Cardinals 8 8 0 .500 3–3 5–7 404 399 W2 San Francisco 49ers 5 11 0 .313 3–3 4–8 219 364 L1 St. Louis Rams 3 13 0 .188 1–5 3–9 263 438 L4

Conference

AFC [17] view talk edit # Team Division W L T PCT DIV CONF SOS SOV STK Division leaders 1 New England Patriots East 16 0 0 1.000 6–0 12–0 .469 .469 W16 2 Indianapolis Colts South 13 3 0 .813 5–1 9–3 .516 .457 L1 3 San Diego Chargers West 11 5 0 .688 5–1 9–3 .531 .477 W6 4 [lower-alpha 1] Pittsburgh Steelers North 10 6 0 .625 5–1 7–5 .453 .531 L1 Wild cards 5 Jacksonville Jaguars South 11 5 0 .688 2–4 8–4 .516 .460 L1 6 [lower-alpha 2] Tennessee Titans South 10 6 0 .625 4–2 7–5 .500 .438 W3 Did not qualify for the postseason 7 [lower-alpha 1] [lower-alpha 2] Cleveland Browns North 10 6 0 .625 3–3 7–5 .430 .344 W1 8 Houston Texans South 8 8 0 .500 1–5 5–7 .516 .391 W1 9 [lower-alpha 3] Denver Broncos West 7 9 0 .438 3–3 6–6 .516 .420 W1 10 [lower-alpha 3] [lower-alpha 4] Buffalo Bills East 7 9 0 .438 4–2 6–6 .516 .277 L3 11 [lower-alpha 3] [lower-alpha 4] Cincinnati Bengals North 7 9 0 .438 3–3 6–6 .461 .339 W2 12 Baltimore Ravens North 5 11 0 .313 1–5 2–10 .516 .375 W1 13 [lower-alpha 5] New York Jets East 4 12 0 .250 2–4 4–8 .523 .250 W1 14 [lower-alpha 5] [lower-alpha 6] Kansas City Chiefs West 4 12 0 .250 2–4 3–9 .516 .469 L9 15 [lower-alpha 6] Oakland Raiders West 4 12 0 .250 2–4 4–8 .516 .344 L4 16 Miami Dolphins East 1 15 0 .063 0–6 1–11 .539 .313 L2 Tiebreakers [lower-alpha 7] Pittsburgh finished ahead of Cleveland based on head-to-head sweep. Tennessee finished ahead of Cleveland based on win percentage in common games (4–1 vs. 3–2 against: Cincinnati, Houston, NY Jets, and Oakland). Denver finished ahead of Buffalo and Cincinnati based on strength of victory. Buffalo finished ahead of Cincinnati based on head-to-head victory. New York finished ahead of Kansas City based on head-to-head victory. Division tie break was initially used to eliminate Oakland (see below). Kansas City finished ahead of Oakland based on win percentage in common games (2–11 vs. 1–12 against: Houston, Chicago, Minnesota, San Diego, Jacksonville, Green Bay, Denver, Indianapolis, Tennessee, and Detroit). 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.

NFC [17] view talk edit # Team Division W L T PCT DIV CONF SOS SOV STK Division leaders 1 [lower-alpha 1] Dallas Cowboys East 13 3 0 .813 4–2 10–2 .496 .452 L1 2 [lower-alpha 1] Green Bay Packers North 13 3 0 .813 4–2 9–3 .469 .452 L1 3 Seattle Seahawks West 10 6 0 .625 5–1 8–4 .414 .375 L1 4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers South 9 7 0 .563 5–1 8–4 .469 .410 L2 Wild cards 5 New York Giants East 10 6 0 .625 3–3 7–5 .516 .375 L1 6 Washington Redskins East 9 7 0 .563 3–3 7–5 .555 .458 W4 Did not qualify for the postseason 7 [lower-alpha 2] Minnesota Vikings North 8 8 0 .500 3–3 6–6 .504 .430 L2 8 [lower-alpha 2] [lower-alpha 3] Philadelphia Eagles East 8 8 0 .500 2–4 5–7 .563 .438 W3 9 [lower-alpha 2] [lower-alpha 3] Arizona Cardinals West 8 8 0 .500 3–3 5–7 .434 .422 W2 10 [lower-alpha 4] [lower-alpha 5] Carolina Panthers South 7 9 0 .438 3–3 7–5 .523 .411 W1 11 [lower-alpha 5] [lower-alpha 6] New Orleans Saints South 7 9 0 .438 3–3 6–6 .492 .438 L2 12 [lower-alpha 4] [lower-alpha 6] [lower-alpha 7] Detroit Lions North 7 9 0 .438 3–3 4–8 .543 .411 L1 13 [lower-alpha 7] Chicago Bears North 7 9 0 .438 2–4 4–8 .513 .500 W2 14 San Francisco 49ers West 5 11 0 .313 3–3 4–8 .457 .438 L1 15 Atlanta Falcons South 4 12 0 .250 1–5 3–9 .516 .469 W1 16 St. Louis Rams West 3 13 0 .188 1–5 3–9 .512 .333 L4 Tiebreakers [lower-alpha 8] Dallas finished ahead of Green Bay based on head-to-head victory. Minnesota finished ahead of Philadelphia and Arizona based on conference record. Philadelphia finished ahead of Arizona based on win percentage in common games (3–2 vs. Arizona’s 2–3 against: Washington, Detroit, Seattle, and New Orleans). Carolina finished ahead of Detroit based on conference record. Division tie break was initially used to eliminate New Orleans (see below). Carolina finished ahead of New Orleans based on a better conference record. New Orleans finished ahead of Detroit based on conference record. Division tie break was initially used to eliminate Chicago (see below). Detroit finished ahead of Chicago based on head-to-head sweep. 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.

Playoffs

Main article: 2007–08 NFL playoffs

Within each conference, the four division winners and the top two non-division winners with the best overall regular season records) qualified for the playoffs. The four division winners are seeded 1–4 based on their overall won-lost-tied record, and the wild card teams are seeded 5–6. The NFL does not use a fixed bracket playoff system, and there are no restrictions regarding teams from the same division matching up in any round. In the first round, dubbed the wild-card playoffs or wild-card weekend, the third-seeded division winner hosts the sixth-seed wild card, and the fourth seed hosts the fifth. The 1 and 2 seeds from each conference received a first-round bye. In the second round, the divisional playoffs, the number 1 seed hosts the worst-surviving seed from the first round (seed 4, 5, or 6), while the number 2 seed will play the other team (seed 3, 4, or 5). The two surviving teams from each conference's divisional playoff games met in the respective AFC and NFC Conference Championship games, hosted by the higher seed. Although the Super Bowl, the championship round of the playoffs, is played at a neutral site, the designated home team is based on an annual rotation by conference. ^[18]

Playoff seeds
Seed	AFC	NFC
1	New England Patriots (East winner)	Dallas Cowboys (East winner)
2	Indianapolis Colts (South winner)	Green Bay Packers (North winner)
3	San Diego Chargers (West winner)	Seattle Seahawks (West winner)
4	Pittsburgh Steelers (North winner)	Tampa Bay Buccaneers (South winner)
5	Jacksonville Jaguars (wild card)	New York Giants (wild card)
6	Tennessee Titans (wild card)	Washington Redskins (wild card)

Bracket

	Jan 6 – Raymond James Stadium					Jan 13 – Texas Stadium
	5	NY Giants	24
						5	NY Giants	21
	4	Tampa Bay	14								Jan 20 – Lambeau Field
						1	Dallas	17
						NFC
	Jan 5 – Qwest Field										5	NY Giants	23*
						Jan 12 – Lambeau Field
											2	Green Bay	20
	6	Washington	14								NFC Championship
						3	Seattle	20
	3	Seattle	35													Feb 3 – University of Phoenix Stadium
						2	Green Bay	42
	Wild Card playoffs
						Divisional playoffs
	Jan 6 – Qualcomm Stadium															N5	NY Giants	17
						Jan 13 – RCA Dome
																A1	New England	14
	6	Tennessee	6													Super Bowl XLII
						3	San Diego	28
	3	San Diego	17								Jan 20 – Gillette Stadium
						2	Indianapolis	24
						AFC
	Jan 5 – Heinz Field										3	San Diego	12
						Jan 12 – Gillette Stadium
											1	New England	21
	5	Jacksonville	31								AFC Championship
						5	Jacksonville	20
	4	Pittsburgh	29
						1	New England	31

* Indicates overtime victory

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Deaths

Pro Football Hall of Fame members

Jim Ringo

Ringo played 16 seasons in the NFL as a center with the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1981. He was a 10-time Pro Bowler, 9-time All-Pro selection, and 2-time NFL Champion. He died on November 19, age 75.

Active personnel

• Marquise Hill, New England Patriots defensive end, died on May 28, at the age of 24, drowned. ^[19]

• Sean Taylor, Washington Redskins safety. Died November 27, homicide. Posthumously named to 2008 Pro Bowl. ^[20]

Events

Player conduct off the field

Further information: NFL player conduct policy

The NFLPA, then led by their president Gene Upshaw and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, worked with player conduct in the form of suspensions for off the field conduct in light of the more than fifty arrests by local law enforcement since the start of the 2006 season. The hardest hit came on April 10 when Adam "Pacman" Jones of the Tennessee Titans was suspended for the entire season for his five arrests, the most blatant while in Las Vegas for the NBA All-Star Weekend in February where he was accused of causing a riot/shooting in a strip club. That same day, Chris Henry of the Cincinnati Bengals was suspended for the first eight games of the season for his run-ins with the legal system. The other big name that has been caught in the web of controversy was Falcons' quarterback Michael Vick. Vick was charged on July 24, 2007, with dogfighting and animal abuse, and was suspended following a guilty plea in the case, on which he was sentenced to 23 months in prison (retroactive to November) and three years probation on December 10. ^[21]

Spygate

Main article: Spygate (NFL)

During the Patriots season opening game at The Meadowlands against the Jets, a Patriots camera staffer was ejected from the Patriots sideline and was accused of videotaping the Jets' defensive coaches relaying signals. The end result was that the team was fined $250,000, head coach Bill Belichick was docked $500,000 (the maximum fine that could be imposed) and also stripped of their first round selection of the 2008 NFL Draft. If the Patriots had failed to make the playoffs, the penalty would have been their second and third round picks. The team was allowed to keep their other first-round pick acquired from the San Francisco 49ers during the previous year's selection meeting.

Other events

• The NFL set an all-time attendance record in 2007, with the league's 32 stadiums attracting 17,345,205 paying customers during the regular season. Average per-game attendance was 67,755. ^[22]
• The ESPN Monday Night Football game between the unbeaten New England Patriots and the Baltimore Ravens on December 3 drew the highest basic cable rating in history, with over 17.5 million viewers, beating the premiere of Disney Channel's High School Musical 2 , which set the previous record on August 17. The previous high-water mark was a MNF telecast between the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys on October 23, 2006, which drew over 16 million viewers.

Milestones

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

Record	Player/team	Date broken/opponent	Previous record holder [23]
Longest kickoff return	Ellis Hobbs, New England (108 yards) [a]	September 9, at N.Y. Jets	Tied by 3 players (106)
Most regular-season wins by a quarterback, career	Brett Favre, Green Bay (160)	September 16, at N.Y. Giants	John Elway, 1983–1998 (148)
Most touchdown passes, career	Brett Favre, Green Bay (442)	September 30, at Minnesota	Dan Marino, 1983–1999 (420)
Most pass attempts, career	Brett Favre, Green Bay (8,758)	September 30, at Minnesota	Dan Marino, 1983–1999 (8,358)
Most Points Scored by a Team, Fourth quarter	Detroit Lions (34)	September 30, vs. Chicago	Tied by 3 teams (31)
Most consecutive games with a 20-point margin of victory, to start season	New England Patriots (4)	October 1, vs. Cincinnati	1920 Buffalo All-Americans (4, including semi-pro teams)
Most touchdown catches by a tight end, career	Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City (66)	October 14, vs. Cincinnati	Shannon Sharpe, 1990–2003 (62)
Most passes had intercepted, career	Brett Favre, Green Bay (288)	October 14, vs. Washington	George Blanda, 1949–1975 (277)
Most field goals, game	Rob Bironas, Tennessee (8)	October 21, at Houston	Tied by 4 players (7)
Most consecutive seasons in one stadium	Lambeau Field, Green Bay Packers	2007 marks 51st season.	Wrigley Field, Chicago Bears (50 years, 1921–1970)
Longest return of a missed field goal/ longest play in NFL history	Antonio Cromartie, San Diego (109 yards) [24]	November 4, at Minnesota	Tied by 3 players (108 yards) [a]
Most rushing yards, game	Adrian Peterson, Minnesota (296)	November 4, vs. San Diego	Jamal Lewis, 2003 (295)
Most consecutive games with three touchdown passes	Tom Brady, New England (10 games) [25]	November 4, at Indianapolis	Peyton Manning (8 games)
Most games with Three Touchdown Passes, career	Brett Favre, Green Bay (63)	November 22, at Detroit	Dan Marino, 1983–1999 (62)
Most Yards Passing, career	Brett Favre, Green Bay (61,655)	December 16, at St. Louis	Dan Marino, 1983–1999 (61,361)
Consecutive 12+ win seasons	2003–2010 Indianapolis (5) [26]	December 16, at Oakland	1992–1995 Dallas (4)
Most touchdowns scored, season	New England Patriots (75)	December 23, vs. Miami	Miami Dolphins, 1984 (69)
Most Points After Touchdown Kicked, season/ Most Point After Touchdown Attempts, season	Stephen Gostkowski, New England (74/74)	December 16, vs. N.Y. Jets/ December 23, vs. Miami	Uwe von Schamann, 1984 (66 PATs) / Uwe von Schamann, 1984 (70 attempts)
Most Points, season	New England Patriots (589)	December 29, at N.Y. Giants	Minnesota, 1998 (556)
Most touchdown passes, season	Tom Brady, New England (50)	December 29, at N.Y. Giants	Peyton Manning, Indianapolis, 2004 (49)
Most receiving touchdowns, season	Randy Moss, New England (23)	December 29, at N.Y. Giants	Jerry Rice, San Francisco, 1987 (22)
Most Points After Touchdown, No Misses, season	Stephen Gostkowski, New England (74/74)	December 29, at N.Y. Giants	Jeff Wilkins, St. Louis, 1999 (64/64)
Most Games Won, season	New England (16)	December 29, at N.Y. Giants	Tied by 4 teams (15)
Most consecutive games won, Start of Season/ Most consecutive games Without Defeat, Start of Season	New England (16)	December 29, at N.Y. Giants	Miami, 1972 (14)
Most consecutive games won, End of Season/ Most consecutive games Without Defeat, End of Season	New England (16)	December 29, at N.Y. Giants	Tied by 2 teams (14)
Most consecutive regular-season games won	New England, 2006–07 (19)	December 29, at N.Y. Giants	New England, 2003–04 (18)
Most kick returns for a touchdown, season	Devin Hester, Chicago (6: 4 punts and 2 kickoffs) [27]	December 30, vs. New Orleans	Devin Hester, 2006 (5: 3 punts and 2 kickoffs)
Most passes completed, season	Drew Brees, New Orleans (443)	December 30, at Chicago	Rich Gannon, Oakland, 2002 (418)
Most Receptions by a Tight End, career	Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City (816)	December 30, at N.Y. Jets	Shannon Sharpe, 1990–2003 (815)

^a Hobbs' kickoff return was also, at the time, tied for the longest play in NFL history until Antonio Cromartie broke the record.

Regular season statistical leaders

Team
Points scored	New England Patriots (589)
Total yards gained	New England Patriots (6,580)
Yards rushing	Minnesota Vikings (2,634)
Yards passing	New England Patriots (4,731)
Fewest points allowed	Indianapolis Colts (262)
Fewest total yards allowed	Pittsburgh Steelers (4,262)
Fewest rushing yards allowed	Minnesota Vikings (1,185)
Fewest passing yards allowed	Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2,728)
Individual
Scoring	Mason Crosby, Green Bay (141 points)
Touchdowns	Randy Moss, New England (23 TDs)
Most field goals made	Rob Bironas, Tennessee (35 FGs)
Rushing yards	LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego (1,474 yards)
Rushing touchdowns	LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego (15 TDs)
Passer rating	Tom Brady, New England (117.2 rating)
Passing touchdowns	Tom Brady, New England (50 TDs)
Passing yards	Tom Brady, New England (4,806 yards)
Receptions	T. J. Houshmandzadeh, Cincinnati and Wes Welker, New England (112 catches)
Receiving yards	Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis (1,510 yards)
Receiving touchdowns	Randy Moss, New England (23 TDs)
Punt returns	Devin Hester, Chicago (42 for 651 yards, 15.5 average yards)
Kickoff returns	Josh Cribbs, Cleveland (59 for 1,809 yards, 30.7 average yards)
Tackles	Patrick Willis, San Francisco (136)
Interceptions	Antonio Cromartie, San Diego (10)
Punting	Shane Lechler, Oakland (73 for 3,585 yards, 49.1 average yards)
Sacks	Jared Allen, Kansas City (15.5)

Awards

Most Valuable Player	Tom Brady, New England Patriots [28]
Coach of the Year	Bill Belichick, New England Patriots [29]
Offensive Player of the Year	Tom Brady, New England Patriots [30]
Defensive Player of the Year	Bob Sanders, safety, Indianapolis Colts [31]
Offensive Rookie of the Year	Adrian Peterson, running back, Minnesota Vikings [32]
Defensive Rookie of the Year	Patrick Willis, linebacker, San Francisco 49ers [33]
NFL Comeback Player of the Year	Greg Ellis, Dallas Cowboys [34]
Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year	Jason Taylor, defensive end, Miami Dolphins
Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award	Eli Manning, quarterback, New York Giants

---

All-Pro Team

Offense
Quarterback	Tom Brady, New England Brett Favre, Green Bay
Running back	LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego Brian Westbrook, Philadelphia
Fullback	Lorenzo Neal, San Diego
Wide receiver	Randy Moss, New England Terrell Owens, Dallas
Tight end	Jason Witten, Dallas
Offensive tackle	Matt Light, New England Walter Jones, Seattle
Offensive guard	Steve Hutchinson, Minnesota Alan Faneca, Pittsburgh
Center	Jeff Saturday, Indianapolis

Defense
Defensive end	Patrick Kerney, Seattle Jared Allen, Kansas City
Defensive tackle	Albert Haynesworth, Tennessee Kevin Williams, Minnesota
Outside linebacker	Mike Vrabel, New England DeMarcus Ware, Dallas
Inside linebacker	Lofa Tatupu, Seattle Patrick Willis, San Francisco
Cornerback	Asante Samuel, New England Antonio Cromartie, San Diego
Safety	Bob Sanders, Indianapolis Ed Reed, Baltimore

Special teams
Kicker	Rob Bironas, Tennessee
Punter	Andy Lee, San Francisco
Kick returner	Devin Hester, Chicago

Team superlatives

Offense

• Most points scored: New England, 589
• Fewest points scored: San Francisco, 219
• Most total offensive yards: New England, 6,580
• Fewest total offensive yards: San Francisco, 3,797
• Most total passing yards: New England, 4,731
• Fewest total passing yards: San Francisco, 2,320
• Most rushing yards: Minnesota, 2,634
• Fewest rushing yards: Kansas City, 1,248

^[35]

Defense

• Fewest points allowed: Indianapolis, 262
• Most points allowed: Detroit, 444
• Fewest total yards allowed: Pittsburgh, 4,262
• Most total yards allowed: Detroit, 6,042
• Fewest passing yards allowed: Tampa Bay, 2,725
• Most passing yards allowed: Minnesota, 4,225
• Fewest rushing yards allowed: Minnesota, 1,185
• Most rushing yards allowed: Miami, 2,456

^[36]

Week/ Month	Offensive Player of the Week/Month		Defensive Player of the Week/Month		Special Teams Player of the Week/Month
	AFC	NFC	AFC	NFC	AFC	NFC
1	Chris Brown (Titans)	Tony Romo (Cowboys)	Mario Williams (Texans)	Dewayne White (Lions)	Ellis Hobbs (Patriots)	Mason Crosby (Packers)
2	Derek Anderson (Browns)	Brett Favre (Packers)	Bob Sanders (Colts)	Barrett Ruud (Buccaneers)	Jason Elam (Broncos)	Devin Hester (Bears)
3	Tom Brady (Patriots)	Brian Westbrook (Eagles)	Keith Bulluck (Titans)	Anthony Henry (Cowboys)	Yamon Figurs (Ravens)	Lance Laury (Seahawks)
4	Daunte Culpepper (Raiders)	Brett Favre (Packers)	Jabari Greer (Bills)	Osi Umenyiora (Giants)	Dave Rayner (Chiefs)	Steve Breaston (Cardinals)
5	Philip Rivers (Chargers)	Jason Campbell (Redskins)	Ike Taylor (Steelers)	Roderick Hood (Cardinals)	Kris Brown (Texans)	Nick Folk (Cowboys)
6	Tom Brady (Patriots)	Adrian Peterson (Vikings)	Paul Spicer (Jaguars)	Charles Woodson (Packers)	Matt Stover (Ravens)	Devin Hester (Bears)
7	Tom Brady (Patriots)	Brian Griese (Bears)	Dwight Freeney (Colts)	Osi Umenyiora (Giants)	Rob Bironas (Titans)	Nate Burleson (Seahawks)
8	Joseph Addai (Colts)	Drew Brees (Saints)	Mike Vrabel (Patriots)	Trent Cole (Eagles)	Mike Scifres (Chargers)	Jason Hanson (Lions)
9	Randy Moss (Patriots)	Adrian Peterson (Vikings)	James Harrison (Steelers)	Shaun Rogers (Lions)	Antonio Cromartie (Chargers)	Shaun Suisham (Redskins)
10	Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers)	Marc Bulger (Rams)	Antonio Cromartie (Chargers)	Karlos Dansby (Cardinals)	Darren Sproles (Chargers)	Morten Anderson (Falcons)
11	Randy Moss (Patriots)	Terrell Owens (Cowboys)	Shaun Ellis (Jets)	Antrel Rolle (Cardinals)	Glenn Martinez (Broncos)	Tramon Williams (Packers)
12	Chad Johnson (Bengals)	Frank Gore (49ers)	Asante Samuel (Patriots)	Dwight Smith (Vikings)	Josh Scobee (Jaguars)	Devin Hester (Bears)
13	Peyton Manning (Colts)	Tony Romo (Cowboys)	Shawne Merriman (Chargers)	Lofa Tatupu (Seahawks)	Rian Lindell (Bills)	Aundrae Allison (Vikings)

Coaching changes

The following teams hired new head coaches prior to the start of the 2007 season:

Team	2007 Coach	Former Coach	Reason for leaving	Notes
Atlanta Falcons	Bobby Petrino, former head coach, University of Louisville	Jim Mora	Fired	Hired in 2004 and subsequently led the Falcons to the NFC Championship Game. However, Atlanta went 8–8 in 2005 before going 7–9 in 2006, losing their final three games.
Arizona Cardinals	Ken Whisenhunt, former offensive coordinator, Pittsburgh Steelers	Dennis Green	Fired	Hired in 2004. However, the Cardinals suffered three consecutive losing seasons under him, including a loss to the Chicago Bears after blowing a 20-point lead that prompted Green to throw an infamous tirade during the post-game media conference saying, "They are who we thought they were, and we let em' off the hook!"
Dallas Cowboys	Wade Phillips, former defensive coordinator, San Diego Chargers	Bill Parcells	Retired	Hired in 2003. Led the Cowboys to the playoffs in two of his four seasons as Dallas head coach.
Miami Dolphins	Cam Cameron, former offensive coordinator, San Diego Chargers	Nick Saban	Resigned to coach the University of Alabama	Hired in 2005 and finished the year 9–7, narrowly missing the playoffs. Went 6–10 in 2006, first losing record as a head coach.
Oakland Raiders	Lane Kiffin, former offensive coordinator, Southern California	Art Shell	Fired	Re-hired in 2006 after having previously served as Raiders head coach, 1989–94. However, in his only season back, the team finished with its worst record, 2–14, since 1963.
Pittsburgh Steelers	Mike Tomlin, former defensive coordinator, Minnesota Vikings	Bill Cowher	Resigned	Hired in 1992 and led the Steelers to an appearance in Super Bowl XXX and a victory in Super Bowl XL, resigning and eventually retiring to become an analyst for the NFL on CBS.
San Diego Chargers	Norv Turner, former offensive coordinator, San Francisco 49ers	Marty Schottenheimer	Fired	Hired in 2002. Led the Chargers to two playoff appearances, but a strained relationship with general manager A.J. Smith led to his ousting.

The following head coaches were fired or resigned during the 2007 season:

Team	Coach at start of the season	Interim coach	Reason for leaving	Notes
Atlanta Falcons	Bobby Petrino	Emmitt Thomas	Resigned	Petrino resigned after going 3–10 to take job at University of Arkansas; Thomas took over and went 1–2 as interim coach.

Stadiums

The 2007 season was the last in the RCA Dome for the Indianapolis Colts, who had played there since 1984. The franchise moved to the new Lucas Oil Stadium in time for the 2008 season, located directly across the street. The dome would be demolished, and an extension to the Indiana Convention Center would replace the stadium.

Alltel Stadium reverts to Jacksonville Municipal Stadium after Alltel declines to renew the naming rights of the Jacksonville Jaguars's home.

Uniforms and patches

• This was the final season in which the classic NFL Shield logo, which had not changed since 1980, was used. An updated version first seen on August 31 in USA Today was put into use starting with the 2008 NFL Draft in April. ^[37] The new logo design features eight stars (one for each division) instead of the current 25 stars, the football now resembles that on the top of the Vince Lombardi Trophy, given to the Super Bowl champion and the lettering and point has been updated and modified to that of the league's current typeface for other logos.
• Teams that have permanent captains are allowed to wear a "C" patch (similar to those in ice hockey) on their right shoulder. The patch is in team colors with four stars under the "C." A gold star is placed on a bar below the "C" signaling how many years (with a maximum of four years) that player has been captain. The Pittsburgh Steelers—who were using up two patches as it was for the season with their own logo (which was already part of the standard uniforms) and the team's 75th anniversary logo—and Oakland Raiders elected not to use the "C" patch.
• The San Diego Chargers introduced new uniforms featuring white helmets, navy face masks, and revamped gold lightning bolts. A powder blue third jersey was also introduced.
• San Francisco 49ers coach Mike Nolan and Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio each wore suits on the sidelines for all of the teams' home games to honor Nolan's father, former 49ers and Saints coach Dick Nolan. In 2006, both coaches were allowed to wear a suit on the sidelines for a maximum of two home games. Del Rio did not wear a suit in the September 16 game against the Falcons due to the extreme heat in Jacksonville that day. Nolan wore a suit at the Meadowlands against the Giants on October 21.
• The Washington Redskins celebrated their 75th anniversary season (the franchise having been founded in 1932 as the Boston Braves), and wore Vince Lombardi-styled uniforms against the New York Giants on September 23. The Philadelphia Eagles and their cross-state rival Pittsburgh Steelers also celebrated their respective 75th seasons, having been founded in 1933. The Eagles wore replicas of their inaugural season uniforms against the Detroit Lions on September 23, while the Steelers wore 1960 uniforms against the Buffalo Bills on September 16 and did so again when the Baltimore Ravens visited on November 5.
• Throwback uniforms were not just limited to team anniversary celebrations. The Cleveland Browns wore their 1957 throwbacks in a game against the Houston Texans on November 25, the Minnesota Vikings wore 1970s uniforms against the Green Bay Packers on September 30 (in the same game that Brett Favre passed Dan Marino for most touchdown passes in NFL history), while the Jets honored their historic predecessors on October 14 against the Eagles and, in a rare instance, wore them in a road game at Miami December 2 by wearing the New York Titans' 1960 through 1962 uniforms. The team did not become the Jets until 1963. The Cowboys wore their 1960 uniforms on November 29 against the Packers, and the Bills wore their 1960s throwbacks at home against Dallas October 7 and against Miami December 9.
• The 49ers also honored the late Bill Walsh, coach of their wins in Super Bowls XVI, XIX, and XXIII by wearing throwback uniforms from the 1980s in their opener on September 10 against the Arizona Cardinals. Mike Nolan had been considering wearing the 1980s uniforms for the entire season to honor Walsh's memory. The retro uniforms were worn again on November 18 against the Seahawks. In addition, all season long, the team wore a black football-shaped decal on their helmets with the initials "BW" in white.
• The Kansas City Chiefs honored their late former owner and team founder Lamar Hunt by wearing special American Football League logo patches on their jerseys with the letters "LH" emblazoned inside the logo's football. Originally meant to be a one-season tribute, the Chiefs announced that as of the 2008 NFL season, the patch will be a permanent fixture on the jerseys, joining the Chicago Bears (for George Halas) and Cleveland Browns (for Al Lerner) for such memorial patches.

Television

Further information: NFL on television

The 2007 season marked the second year under the league's television contracts with its American broadcast partners. CBS and Fox primarily televised Sunday afternoon AFC and NFC away games, respectively. NBC broadcast Sunday Night Football , ESPN aired Monday Night Football , and NFL Network held the rights to Thursday Night Football .

The pre-game shows made some changes, with former Steelers coach Bill Cowher joining host James Brown, Boomer Esiason, Shannon Sharpe and Dan Marino on CBS' The NFL Today . On Fox, after one season on the road, Fox NFL Sunday returned to Los Angeles as Curt Menefee took over as full-time host. Chris Rose, who had been doing in-game updates of other NFL games, was reverted to a part-time play-by-play role.

New England takes on San Diego in the AFC Championship Game

The biggest changes were at NBC and ESPN. Michael Irvin's contract with ESPN was not renewed, and former coach Bill Parcells returned to the network after four years as Cowboys head coach. Parcells left before the season ended to become the Miami Dolphins VP of Player Personnel. Another pair of former Cowboys, Emmitt Smith and Keyshawn Johnson also provided roles in the studio for Sunday NFL Countdown and Monday Night Countdown . At Monday Night Football, Joe Theismann was dropped (and would later resign from the network) after seventeen years in the booth between the Sunday and Monday Night packages, and former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback and current Philadelphia Soul (AFL) president Ron Jaworski took his place alongside Mike Tirico and Tony Kornheiser. Part of the reason that Jaworski replaced Theismann was because of his chemistry with Kornheiser on Pardon the Interruption , where Jaworski was a frequent guest during the football season.

NBC's Football Night in America also made two changes. MSNBC Countdown anchor Keith Olbermann joined Bob Costas and Cris Collinsworth as another co-host, while Sterling Sharpe exited as a studio analyst, and former New York Giants running back Tiki Barber replaced him. In another change, Faith Hill took over singing "Waiting All Day For Sunday Night" for Pink.

In the second year of the NFL Network's " Run to the Playoffs ", Marshall Faulk and Deion Sanders replaced Dick Vermeil for two games when Collinsworth was unavailable. An unforced change saw Bryant Gumbel miss the Broncos–Texans game December 13 due to a sore throat and NBC announcer Tom Hammond step into Gumbel's play-by-play role in what turned out to be more or less a preview of one of NBC's Wild Card Game announcing teams.

Controversy surrounding NFL Network coverage

See also: NFL Network § Distribution controversy, and 2007 New England Patriots-New York Giants game

The dispute between the NFL Network and various cable companies involving the distribution of the cable channel continued throughout the season, getting the attention of government officials when the NFL Network was scheduled to televise two high-profile regular season games: the Packers-Cowboys game on November 29 and the Patriots-Giants game on December 29. In the case of the Packers-Cowboys game, the carriage was so limited that even Governor of Wisconsin Jim Doyle went to his brother's house to watch the game on satellite (which is where the majority of the viewers watch the network). The contest drew a network record 10.1 million viewers, a high-water mark at that time.

Some politicians urged the league to seek a resolution to conflict. In December, Massachusetts Senator John Kerry wrote a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell asking for the league to settle their differences in time for the Patriots-Giants game. Because the game, as it turned out, would be the Patriots' attempt to seal the record that would make them the first undefeated team in 35 years, Kerry urged for a solution to be decided upon in time so that Americans can witness "an historic event". ^[38] Also, Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter threatened to introduce legislation to eliminate the league's freedom from antitrust laws. ^[39]

On December 26, the NFL announced that, despite initial plans to broadcast the game only on the NFL Network, the game would be presented in a three-network simulcast with both CBS and NBC, the first time an NFL game would be broadcast on three networks, and the first simulcast of any pro football game since Super Bowl I. ^[40] Nielsen ratings saw CBS with 15.7 million viewers, NBC with 13.2 million viewers and NFL Network with 4.5 million viewers for the game. In addition, local stations in New York City (WWOR-TV in nearby Secaucus, New Jersey), Boston (WCVB-TV), and Manchester, New Hampshire (WMUR-TV), all previously signed on to carry the game in the teams' home markets, added 1.2 million viewers, making it the most watched TV show since the 2007 Oscars and the most watched regular season NFL telecast in twelve years.

Notes

1. Since 1935 this had previously occurred only with the 1989 AFC Central, the 1995 AFC West, the 1999 AFC East and the 2002 AFC East, but had since occurred with the 2008 NFC South, the 2008 NFC East and the 2022 NFC East. In 2023, the AFC North would surpass this by having all teams finish with a winning record.

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External links

• Football Outsiders 2007 DVOA Ratings