2003 NFL season
| Regular season | |
|---|---|
| Duration | September 4 – December 28, 2003 |
| Playoffs | |
| Start date | January 3, 2004 |
| AFC Champions | New England Patriots |
| NFC Champions | Carolina Panthers |
| Super Bowl XXXVIII | |
| Date | February 1, 2004 |
| Site | Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas |
| Champions | New England Patriots |
| Pro Bowl | |
| Date | February 8, 2004 |
| Site | Aloha Stadium |
The 2003 NFL season was the 84th regular season of the National Football League (NFL).
The Philadelphia Eagles opened Lincoln Financial Field.
Regular season play was held from September 4, 2003 to December 28, 2003. Due to damage caused by the Cedar Fire, Qualcomm Stadium was used as an emergency shelter, and thus the Miami Dolphins–San Diego Chargers regular season match on October 27 was instead played at Sun Devil Stadium, the home field of the Arizona Cardinals.
The playoffs began on January 3, 2004. The NFL title was eventually won by the New England Patriots when they narrowly defeated the Carolina Panthers 32-29 in Super Bowl XXXVIII at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas on February 1.
Contents
Major rule changes
- If an onside kick inside the final five minutes of the game does not go 10 yards, goes out of bounds, or is touched illegally, the receiving team will have the option of accepting the penalty and getting the ball immediately. Previously, the kicking team was penalized, but had another chance to kick again from five yards back.
- League officials encouraged networks to immediately cut to a commercial break if an instant replay challenge review was initiated. Previously networks rarely utilized those stoppages for their prescribed commercial periods.
Coaching changes
- Cincinnati Bengals – Marvin Lewis; replaced Dick LeBeau who was fired following the 2002 season.
- Dallas Cowboys – Bill Parcells; replaced Dave Campo who was fired following the 2002 season.
- Detroit Lions – Steve Mariucci; replaced Marty Mornhinweg who was fired following the 2002 season.
- Jacksonville Jaguars – Jack Del Rio; replaced Tom Coughlin who was fired following the 2002 season.
- San Francisco 49ers – Dennis Erickson; replaced Steve Mariucci who was fired following the 2002 season.
Final regular season standings
W = Wins, L = Losses, PCT = Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against
Clinched playoff seeds are marked in parentheses and shaded in green. No ties occurred this year.
| AFC East | ||||||
| Team | W | L | PCT | PF | PA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (1) New England Patriots | 14 | 2 | .875 | 348 | 238 | |
| Miami Dolphins | 10 | 6 | .625 | 311 | 261 | |
| Buffalo Bills [c] | 6 | 10 | .375 | 243 | 279 | |
| New York Jets | 6 | 10 | .375 | 283 | 299 | |
| AFC North | ||||||
| Team | W | L | PCT | PF | PA | |
| (4) Baltimore Ravens | 10 | 6 | .625 | 391 | 281 | |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 8 | 8 | .500 | 346 | 384 | |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 6 | 10 | .375 | 300 | 327 | |
| Cleveland Browns | 5 | 11 | .313 | 254 | 322 | |
| AFC South | ||||||
| Team | W | L | PCT | PF | PA | |
| (3) Indianapolis Colts [a] | 12 | 4 | .750 | 447 | 336 | |
| (5) Tennessee Titans | 12 | 4 | .750 | 435 | 324 | |
| Jacksonville Jaguars [d] | 5 | 11 | .313 | 276 | 331 | |
| Houston Texans | 5 | 11 | .313 | 255 | 380 | |
| AFC West | ||||||
| Team | W | L | PCT | PF | PA | |
| (2) Kansas City Chiefs | 13 | 3 | .813 | 484 | 332 | |
| (6) Denver Broncos [b] | 10 | 6 | .625 | 381 | 301 | |
| Oakland Raiders [e] | 4 | 12 | .250 | 270 | 379 | |
| San Diego Chargers | 4 | 12 | .250 | 313 | 441 | |
| NFC East | ||||||
| Team | W | L | PCT | PF | PA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (1) Philadelphia Eagles[f] | 12 | 4 | .750 | 374 | 287 | |
| (6) Dallas Cowboys | 10 | 6 | .625 | 289 | 260 | |
| Washington Redskins | 5 | 11 | .313 | 287 | 372 | |
| New York Giants | 4 | 12 | .250 | 243 | 387 | |
| NFC North | ||||||
| Team | W | L | PCT | PF | PA | |
| (4) Green Bay Packers | 10 | 6 | .625 | 442 | 307 | |
| Minnesota Vikings | 9 | 7 | .563 | 416 | 353 | |
| Chicago Bears | 7 | 9 | .438 | 283 | 346 | |
| Detroit Lions | 5 | 11 | .313 | 270 | 379 | |
| NFC South | ||||||
| Team | W | L | PCT | PF | PA | |
| (3) Carolina Panthers | 11 | 5 | .688 | 325 | 304 | |
| New Orleans Saints | 8 | 8 | .500 | 340 | 326 | |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 7 | 9 | .438 | 301 | 264 | |
| Atlanta Falcons | 5 | 11 | .313 | 299 | 422 | |
| NFC West | ||||||
| Team | W | L | PCT | PF | PA | |
| (2) St. Louis Rams | 12 | 4 | .750 | 447 | 328 | |
| (5) Seattle Seahawks [g] | 10 | 6 | .625 | 404 | 327 | |
| San Francisco 49ers | 7 | 9 | .438 | 384 | 337 | |
| Arizona Cardinals | 4 | 12 | .250 | 225 | 452 | |
Tiebreakers
- a Indianapolis finished ahead of Tennessee in the AFC South based on better head-to-head record (2–0).
- b Denver clinched the AFC 6 seed instead of Miami based on better conference record (9–3 to 7–5).
- c Buffalo finished ahead of N.Y. Jets in the AFC East based on better division record (2–4 to 1–5).
- d Jacksonville finished ahead of Houston in the AFC South based on better division record (2–4 to 1–5).
- e Oakland finished ahead of San Diego in the AFC West based on better conference record (3–9 to 2–10).
- f Philadelphia clinched the NFC 1 seed instead of St. Louis based on better conference record (9–3 to 8–4).
- g Seattle clinched the NFC 5 seed instead of Dallas based on strength of victory (.406 to .388).
2003 Changes
- New Orleans Saints – New AstroPlay home turf by midseason.
- Atlanta Falcons – New Logo. New Uniforms. New FieldTurf surface.
- Green Bay Packers – New remodel Lambeau Field.
- Detroit Lions – New Uniforms. added black trim on logo and numbers.
- Chicago Bears – New remodel Soldier Field.
- Buffalo Bills – New AstroPlay home turf.
- Philadelphia Eagles – New stadium; Lincoln Financial Field. And added silver trim to numbers on uniforms. Introduce new home alternative uniforms. black uniforms with white numbers with midnight green shadow in numbers.
- San Diego Chargers – White pants with road uniforms.
- New England Patriots – Added third alternative uniforms. Silver uniforms.
- Miami Dolphins – Added third alternative uniforms. Orange uniforms.
- Houston Texans – Added third alternative uniforms. Red Uniforms.
- Cleveland Browns – Added new alternative orange pants last worn in the Kardiac Kids era of coach Sam Rutigliano.
- Tennessee Titans – Added third alternative uniforms. powder blue.
Playoffs
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Within each conference, the four division winners and the two wild card teams (the top two non-division winners with the best overall regular season records) qualified for the playoffs. The four division winners are seeded 1 through 4 based on their overall won-lost-tied record, and the wild card teams are seeded 5 and 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 then receive a bye in the first round. 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 then meet in the respective AFC and NFC Conference Championship games, hosted by the higher seed. Although the Super Bowl, the fourth and final round of the playoffs, is played at a neutral site, the designated home team is based on an annual rotation by conference.
| Playoff seeds | ||
| Seed | AFC | NFC |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New England Patriots (East winner) | Philadelphia Eagles (East winner) |
| 2 | Kansas City Chiefs (West winner) | St. Louis Rams (West winner) |
| 3 | Indianapolis Colts (South winner) | Carolina Panthers (South winner) |
| 4 | Baltimore Ravens (North winner) | Green Bay Packers (North winner) |
| 5 | Tennessee Titans (wild card) | Seattle Seahawks (wild card) |
| 6 | Denver Broncos (wild card) | Dallas Cowboys (wild card) |
Bracket
| Jan. 3 – Bank of America Stadium | Jan. 10 – Edward Jones Dome | |||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Dallas | 10 | ||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Carolina | 29** | ||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Carolina | 29 | Jan. 18 – Lincoln Financial Field | |||||||||||||||
| 2 | St. Louis | 23 | ||||||||||||||||
| NFC | ||||||||||||||||||
| Jan. 4 – Lambeau Field | 3 | Carolina | 14 | |||||||||||||||
| Jan. 11 – Lincoln Financial Field | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Philadelphia | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Seattle | 27 | NFC Championship | |||||||||||||||
| 4 | Green Bay | 17 | ||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Green Bay | 33* | Feb. 1 – Reliant Stadium | |||||||||||||||
| 1 | Philadelphia | 20* | ||||||||||||||||
| Wild Card Playoffs | ||||||||||||||||||
| Divisional Playoffs | ||||||||||||||||||
| Jan. 4 – RCA Dome | N3 | Carolina | 29 | |||||||||||||||
| Jan. 11 – Arrowhead Stadium | ||||||||||||||||||
| A1 | New England | 32 | ||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Denver | 10 | Super Bowl XXXVIII | |||||||||||||||
| 3 | Indianapolis | 38 | ||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Indianapolis | 41 | Jan. 18 – Gillette Stadium | |||||||||||||||
| 2 | Kansas City | 31 | ||||||||||||||||
| AFC | ||||||||||||||||||
| Jan. 3 – M&T Bank Stadium | 3 | Indianapolis | 14 | |||||||||||||||
| Jan. 10 – Gillette Stadium | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | New England | 24 | ||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Tennessee | 20 | AFC Championship | |||||||||||||||
| 5 | Tennessee | 14 | ||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Baltimore | 17 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1 | New England | 17 | ||||||||||||||||
- * Indicates overtime victory
- ** Indicates double overtime victory
Milestones
The following teams and players set all-time NFL records during the season:
| Record | Player/Team | Date/Opponent | Previous Record Holder[1] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most Touchdowns, Season | Priest Holmes, Kansas City (27) | December 28, vs. Chicago | Marshall Faulk, St. Louis, 2000 (26) |
| Most Rushing Yards Gained, Game | Jamal Lewis, Baltimore (295) | September 14, vs. Cleveland | Corey Dillon, Cincinnati vs. Denver, October 22, 2000 (278) |
| Most Consecutive Field Goals | Mike Vanderjagt, Indianapolis | December 28, at Houston | Gary Anderson, 1997–98 (40) |
| Most Consecutive Road Games Lost | Detroit Lions | December 21, vs. Carolina | Houston Oilers, 1981–84 (23) |
| Most Consecutive Games with a Sack | Tampa Bay Buccaneers (69) | November 9, 2003 | Dallas Cowboys (68) |
Statistical leaders
Team
| Points scored | Kansas City Chiefs (484) |
| Total yards gained | Minnesota Vikings (6,294) |
| Yards rushing | Baltimore Ravens (2,674) |
| Yards passing | Indianapolis Colts (4,179) |
| Fewest points allowed | New England Patriots (238) |
| Fewest total yards allowed | Dallas Cowboys (4,056) |
| Fewest rushing yards allowed | Tennessee Titans (1,295) |
| Fewest passing yards allowed | Dallas Cowboys (2,631) |
Individual
| Scoring | Jeff Wilkins, St. Louis (163 points) |
| Touchdowns | Priest Holmes, Kansas City (27 TDs) |
| Most field goals made | Jeff Wilkins, St. Louis (39 FGs) |
| Rushing | Jamal Lewis, Baltimore (2,066 yards) |
| Passing | Steve McNair, Tennessee (100.4 rating) |
| Passing touchdowns | Brett Favre, Green Bay (32 TDs) |
| Pass receiving | Torry Holt, St. Louis (117 catches) |
| Pass receiving yards | Torry Holt, St. Louis (1,696) |
| Punt returns | Dante Hall, Kansas City (16.3 average yards) |
| Kickoff returns | Jerry Azumah, Chicago (29.0 average yards) |
| Interceptions | Brian Russell, Minnesota and Tony Parrish, San Francisco (9) |
| Punting | Shane Lechler, Oakland (46.9 average yards) |
| Sacks | Michael Strahan, New York Giants (18.5) |
Awards
| Most Valuable Player | Peyton Manning, Quarterback, Indianapolis and Steve McNair, Quarterback, Tennessee Titans |
| Coach of the Year | Bill Belichick, New England |
| Offensive Player of the Year | Jamal Lewis, Running back, Baltimore |
| Defensive Player of the Year | Ray Lewis, Linebacker, Baltimore |
| Offensive Rookie of the Year | Anquan Boldin, Wide Receiver, Arizona |
| Defensive Rookie of the Year | Terrell Suggs, Linebacker, Baltimore |
| NFL Comeback Player of the Year | Jon Kitna, Quarterback, Cincinnati |
External links
Notes
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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)
