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====Playoff clinching scenarios for Week 16====
====Playoff clinching scenarios for Week 16====
What can be clinched this week (games played Dec 23-27)<ref name="week16afc">[http://joenfl.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/18374161/26575142 Week 16 AFC Playoff Scenarios] Dec 21, 2010</ref><ref name="week16nfc">[http://joenfl.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/18374161/26573484 Week 16 NFC Scenarios] Dec 20, 2010</ref><br />
What can be clinched this week (games played Dec 23-28)<ref name="week16afc">[http://joenfl.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/18374161/26575142 Week 16 AFC Playoff Scenarios] Dec 21, 2010</ref><ref name="week16nfc">[http://joenfl.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/18374161/26573484 Week 16 NFC Scenarios] Dec 20, 2010</ref><br />
'''Note:''' For simplicity, scenarios involving tie games have been omitted.
'''Note:''' For simplicity, scenarios involving tie games have been omitted.
*The [[2010 Atlanta Falcons season|Atlanta Falcons]] will clinch the [[NFC South]] division title and the #1 seed in the NFC playoffs with a win over the Saints
*The [[2010 Atlanta Falcons season|Atlanta Falcons]] will clinch the [[NFC South]] division title and the #1 seed in the NFC playoffs with a win over the Saints

Revision as of 18:03, 26 December 2010

2010 NFL season
Regular season
DurationSeptember 9, 2010 - January 2, 2011
Playoffs
Start dateJanuary 8, 2011 - January 23, 2011[1]
Super Bowl XLV
DateFebruary 6, 2011[2]
SiteCowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Pro Bowl
DateJanuary 30, 2011[3]
SiteAloha Stadium, Halawa, Honolulu, Hawaii

The 2010 NFL season is the 91st and current regular season of the National Football League.

The regular season began with the NFL Kickoff game on NBC on Thursday, September 9, at the Louisiana Superdome, home of the New Orleans Saints, Super Bowl XLIV champions[4] and will end on January 2, 2011.[5] Super Bowl XLV, the league's championship game, is scheduled to be played at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas on February 6, 2011.[2]

Schedule

The 2010 regular season is the first year that the league will use a modified version of the scheduling formula that was first introduced in 2002, in which all teams will play each other at least once every four years, and will play in every other team's stadium at least once every eight years (notwithstanding the regular season games played overseas as part of the NFL International Series). Under the original 2002 formula, since the pairings were strictly based on alphabetical order, those teams scheduled to play all the AFC West clubs had to travel to both Oakland and San Diego in the same season, while those clubs playing the entire NFC West had to make their way to both San Francisco and Seattle.[6] In 2008, the New England Patriots and New York Jets each had to make cross-country trips to all four of the aforementioned West Coast teams. In an effort to relieve east coast teams from having to travel to the West Coast multiple times during the same season, clubs would only have to visit one West Coast team (AFC West or NFC West), plus one western team from the same division closer to the Midwest, under the 2010 modified formula. Specifically, those clubs traveling to Oakland will now also play at Denver, while those playing at San Diego will also play at Kansas City. For teams scheduled to play the NFC West, those travelling to San Francisco will also go to Arizona, while those scheduled to play in Seattle will also go to St. Louis.[6][7][8]

For the 2010 season, the intraconference and interconference matchups are:

The entire 2010 regular-season schedule was unveiled at 7:00 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, April 20. Additionally, schedule release shows aired on both the NFL Network and as a SportsCenter special on ESPN2.[9]

Draft

Main article: 2010 NFL Draft

The league's 75th annual selection meeting, more commonly known as the NFL Draft, took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City from April 22–24, the first time that the draft was held over three days instead of the normal two.[10]

Preseason

The Pro Football Hall of Fame Game was held on Sunday, August 8, 2010 at 8:00 p.m. EDT on NBC, with the Dallas Cowboys defeating the Cincinnati Bengals, 16-7[11] at Fawcett Stadium in Canton, Ohio.[12] The remainder of the preseason game matchups were announced March 31, 2010. Highlights, among others, include the New York Giants and New York Jets facing off in the first-ever game at New Meadowlands Stadium on ESPN.[13] The preseason game in the Bills Toronto Series featured the host Bills defeating the Indianapolis Colts in Toronto on Thursday, August 19 by a score of 34–21.[14] Exact dates and times for most games were announced in April, shortly after the regular season games were announced.

Regular season

Opening weekend

The NFL Kickoff Game, the first game of the season, took place on Thursday, September 9, 2010, starting at 8:35 p.m. EDT, with the Super Bowl XLIV champion New Orleans Saints hosting the Minnesota Vikings, in a rematch of the 2009 NFC Championship Game. The Saints won 14-9. Like in previous years, the opening week's prime-time games were expected to be announced at the NFL's annual owners meetings in late March, but that wasn't the case this year, with the schedule announced on April 20.[15]

On March 15, 2010, the NFL announced that both the New York Giants and New York Jets will play at home during the opening weekend to open New Meadowlands Stadium.[16] The Giants played on Sunday with a 1 PM EDT kickoff against the Carolina Panthers and the Jets opened ESPN's Monday Night Football schedule against the Baltimore Ravens the next night. For the nightcap, the San Diego Chargers traveled to play their division rival, the Kansas City Chiefs, marking the first time that a team from outside the Mountain or Pacific Time Zones has played in, or hosted, the "late" (10:15 p.m. ET) game. The game started at 9:15 p.m. Kansas City time (Central).

No undefeated teams after Week Five

While the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints had both started the year before 13-0 (with the Colts even going 14-0), on October 10, the Kansas City Chiefs became the last undefeated team to lose, losing to the Colts 19-9. It would mark the first time that no NFL team reached 4-0 since 1970, when the Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, and Los Angeles Rams started the season 3-0 but all lost in Week 4.[17]

International play

The 2010 season featured one International Series game, played at Wembley Stadium in London.[18] The teams for this game were confirmed on January 15, 2010, with the San Francisco 49ers playing host to the Denver Broncos on October 31, 2010, at 1:00 p.m. EDT (5:00 p.m. GMT).[19] The 49ers won 24-16, scoring 21 points in the 4th quarter. CBS televised this game on a regional basis, as the Broncos were the "visiting" team. The Kansas City Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks, who had expressed interest in previous games[20](with the Seahawks as the home team), were a possible matchup for a second NFL game, but league officials dropped a plan for two games in the UK, citing the economy and ongoing labor negotiations.[21]

The following week, the third regular-season game of the Bills Toronto Series will feature the Buffalo Bills hosting the Chicago Bears at Toronto's Rogers Centre on November 7 at 1 PM EST, marking the first time that the regular-season portion of the series has taken place during the Canadian Football League season and the first time an NFC opponent plays in the series.[22]

NFL vs. World Series Game 4

On the same day that the Broncos and 49ers played in London, the Saints hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers on NBC's Sunday Night Football. This game was televised opposite Game Four of the World Series on Fox, a practice the league had traditionally avoided.[23] The Saints won this game 20-10.

Thanksgiving and Christmas

The Thanksgiving games took place on Thursday, November 25, 2010, with the Detroit Lions falling to the visiting New England Patriots, 45-24. The second game featured the Dallas Cowboys giving up a late lead to the New Orleans Saints. New Orleans won 30-27 when Saints quarterback Drew Brees threw a go-ahead touchdown to Lance Moore with less than two minutes remaining. In the prime-time NFL Network game, the New York Jets defeated the visiting Cincinnati Bengals, 26-10.

Both the Saints and Bengals made their first appearance in a Thanksgiving game; in the case of the Bengals, it also marked the first appearance of an AFC North team on Thanksgiving since 1998, when the Pittsburgh Steelers of what was known as the AFC Central played the Lions in the now-infamous Jerome Bettis coin toss controversy.

Additionally, since Christmas Day fell on a Saturday in 2010, the NFL scheduled a Christmas game between the Cowboys and the Arizona Cardinals in Glendale, Arizona on December 25 on NFL Network. The Cowboys came back from a 21-3 deficit behind third-string quarterback Stephen McGee to take a 26-24 lead late in the fourth quarter, but kicker David Buehler missed an extra point, allowing the Cardinals to win the game 27-26 on a last-second Jay Feely field goal.

Week 17: Division games only

The entire Week 17 schedule, to be played on January 2, 2011, will consist of only divisional contests to increase competition after several cases over the last few seasons of playoff-bound teams resting their regular starters and playing their reserves.

Scheduling changes

  • The Eagles–Bears and Buccaneers–Ravens games in Week 12 were moved from 1:00 p.m. EST to 4:15 p.m. EST.[24]
  • The Falcons–Buccaneers game in Week 13 was moved from 1:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. EST.[25]
  • The Patriots–Bears game in Week 14 was moved from 1:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. EST[26]
  • The Week 14 game between the Vikings and the Giants was changed from a Sunday, December 12 at 12:00 p.m. EST to Monday, December 13 at 7:20 p.m. EST because of the collapse of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. (See "Stadiums" below.)
  • By way of flexible scheduling, three game times were changed in Week 16: The Vikings–Eagles game, originally scheduled for 1:00 p.m. EST on Fox, was flexed into the 8:20 p.m. time slot on NBC's Sunday Night Football. The originally-scheduled NBC Sunday Night game between the Chargers–Bengals was changed to a 4:05 p.m. EST kickoff on CBS. The Seahawks–Buccaneers game was moved from 1:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. EST.[27]
    • The Vikings-Eagles game was then postponed to Tuesday, December 28 due to public safety concerns resulting from a blizzard in Philadelphia.[28]

Postseason

Main article: 2010-11 NFL playoffs

The 2010–11 NFL playoff tournament will begin on January 8, 2011 with wild card weekend. Following that, and after divisional playoffs the next week, the NFC Championship Game will be played at 3:00 p.m. on January 23, followed by the AFC Championship Game at 6:30 p.m.

After a backlash from players and critics about the previous season's Pro Bowl being played at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida in the contiguous United States, the date of the 2011 Pro Bowl will be on January 30, 2011, the week before the Super Bowl. Unlike the 2010 Pro Bowl, the game will be played at Aloha Stadium in Halawa, Honolulu, Hawaiʻi.[29] As a NFL spokesman stated that "Plans for future Pro Bowls are not final."[30] Indianapolis Colts President Bill Polian has stated his objections to the format, and is in favor of returning the game to after the Super Bowl as in previous years.[31]

The annual Pro Bowl had previously been played in Hawaii for 30 consecutive seasons from 1980 to 2009.[32] However, the NFL and State of Hawaiʻi officials only agreed to a two-year deal to hold the Pro Bowl at Aloha Stadium in 2011 and 2012.[32] This gives the option of playing the Pro Bowl in Hawaiʻi on a rotational basis with the mainland, so it both maintains the traditional ties of holding it on the islands and providing accessibility to fans when played in the contiguous 48 states.[32]

Super Bowl XLV, to be held at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, will be held February 6, 2011, and will be the NFL's final event of the 2010 season.

Clinched playoff berth

Playoff clinching scenarios for Week 16

What can be clinched this week (games played Dec 23-28)[36][37]
Note: For simplicity, scenarios involving tie games have been omitted.

  • The Atlanta Falcons will clinch the NFC South division title and the #1 seed in the NFC playoffs with a win over the Saints
  • The Baltimore Ravens will clinch a playoff berth with
    • a win OR
    • a loss by either the Chiefs or Chargers plus a loss by either the Colts or Jaguars
  • The Chicago Bears will clinch a first-round playoff bye with a win plus losses by both the Eagles and Giants
  • The Kansas City Chiefs will clinch the AFC West division title with a win plus a Chargers loss
  • The New England Patriots will clinch the AFC East division title and the #1 seed in the AFC playoffs with a win or a Jets loss
  • The New Orleans Saints will clinch a playoff berth with a win OR a Buccaneers loss
  • The New York Giants will clinch a playoff berth with a win over the Packers
  • The New York Jets will clinch a playoff berth with
    • a win OR
    • a loss by either the Colts or Jaguars
  • The Philadelphia Eagles will clinch
    • a playoff berth with a Buccaneers loss
    • the NFC East division title with a win OR a Giants loss
  • The Pittsburgh Steelers will clinch the AFC North division title and the #2 seed in the AFC playoffs with a Ravens loss

Elimination scenarios for Week 16

  • The Green Bay Packers will be eliminated from postseason contention with a loss to the Giants.
  • The Oakland Raiders will be eliminated from postseason contention with a loss or a Chiefs win.
  • The San Diego Chargers will be eliminated from postseason contention with a loss to the Bengals plus either the Chiefs or Raiders win
  • The San Francisco 49ers will be eliminated from postseason contention with a loss to the Rams.
  • The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be eliminated from postseason contention with a loss to the Seahawks.
  • The Tennessee Titans will be eliminated from postseason contention with a loss to the Chiefs or a win by either the Colts or Jaguars.

Eliminated from postseason contention

Regular season standings

W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT = Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against

 x  - clinched playoff berth  y  - clinched division title  z  - clinched division title and first round bye  ( # )  - clinched seed  †  - eliminated from playoff contention

AFC East
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(1) New England Patriots 14 2 0 .875 5–1 10–2 518 313 W8
(6) New York Jets 11 5 0 .688 4–2 9–3 367 304 W1
Miami Dolphins 7 9 0 .438 2–4 5–7 275 332 L3
Buffalo Bills 4 12 0 .250 1–5 3–9 283 425 L2
AFC North
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(2) Pittsburgh Steelers 12 4 0 .750 5–1 9–3 375 232 W2
(5) Baltimore Ravens 12 4 0 .750 4–2 9–3 357 270 W4
Cleveland Browns 5 11 0 .313 1–5 3–9 271 332 L4
Cincinnati Bengals 4 12 0 .250 2–4 3–9 322 395 L1
AFC South
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(3) Indianapolis Colts 10 6 0 .625 4–2 8–4 445 388 W4
Jacksonville Jaguars 8 8 0 .500 3–3 7–5 351 419 L3
Houston Texans 6 10 0 .375 3–3 4–8 390 427 W1
Tennessee Titans 6 10 0 .375 2–4 3–9 356 339 L2
AFC West
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(4) Kansas City Chiefs 10 6 0 .625 2–4 6–6 366 326 L1
San Diego Chargers 9 7 0 .563 3–3 7–5 441 322 W1
Oakland Raiders 8 8 0 .500 6–0 6–6 410 371 W1
Denver Broncos 4 12 0 .250 1–5 3–9 344 471 L1
NFC East
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(3) Philadelphia Eagles 10 6 0 .625 4–2 7–5 439 377 L2
New York Giants 10 6 0 .625 3–3 8–4 394 347 W1
Dallas Cowboys 6 10 0 .375 3–3 4–8 394 436 W1
Washington Redskins 6 10 0 .375 2–4 4–8 303 377 L1
NFC North
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(2) Chicago Bears 11 5 0 .688 5–1 8–4 334 286 L1
(6) Green Bay Packers 10 6 0 .625 4–2 8–4 388 240 W2
Detroit Lions 6 10 0 .375 2–4 5–7 362 369 W4
Minnesota Vikings 6 10 0 .375 1–5 5–7 281 348 L1
NFC South
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(1) Atlanta Falcons 13 3 0 .813 5–1 10–2 414 288 W1
(5) New Orleans Saints 11 5 0 .688 4–2 9–3 384 307 L1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 10 6 0 .625 3–3 8–4 343 318 W2
Carolina Panthers 2 14 0 .125 0–6 2–10 196 408 L2
NFC West
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(4) Seattle Seahawks 7 9 0 .438 4–2 6–6 310 407 W1
St. Louis Rams 7 9 0 .438 3–3 5–7 289 328 L1
San Francisco 49ers 6 10 0 .375 4–2 4–8 305 346 W1
Arizona Cardinals 5 11 0 .313 1–5 3–9 289 434 L1


Labor issues

NFL owners voted in 2008 to opt out of the their collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) as of the end of the 2010 season. (The vote was 23 in favor, 9 against; the extension measure needed 24 to pass, which would have set the CBA to expire after the 2012 season). Since a new CBA was reached with the NFLPA, 2010 is an uncapped season,[39] meaning that there is no salary cap or salary floor between which teams must operate.[40] Also, the uncapped season limited unrestricted free agency only to players with at least six years of experience, as opposed to four under a capped season.[40] The final eight teams alive in the 2009–10 NFL playoffs (Arizona, Dallas, Minnesota and New Orleans in the NFC; and Baltimore, Indianapolis, the New York Jets and San Diego in the AFC) were restricted in the free agents they would be able to sign.[40]

In addition, owner Jerry Jones, whose Dallas Cowboys team is the wealthiest franchise in the NFL, hinted that he would push for the elimination or severe reduction of revenue sharing for the uncapped season.[41] The creation of a separate salary cap for rookie players is also expected to be part of negotiations for a new CBA.[42]

The 2011 NFL season will have a work stoppage if there is no new CBA.[43]

Rule changes

The following rule changes were passed at the league's annual owners meeting in March:

  • The overtime procedure for postseason games has changed. Instead of a straight sudden death, the game will not immediately end if the team that wins the coin toss only scores a field goal on its first possession (they can still win the game if they score a touchdown).[44] Instead, the other team gets a possession. If the coin toss loser then scores a touchdown, it is declared the winner. If the score is tied after both teams had a possession, then it goes back to sudden death. These changes were passed in response to recent statistics that show that since 1994, teams that win the coin toss have won overtime 59.8 percent of the time, and won 34.4 percent of the time on the first possession.[44] This included the 2009 NFC Championship Game between the Minnesota Vikings and the New Orleans Saints where the Saints won the overtime coin toss and scored a field goal on their first possession to win the game. In May, the league decided against applying these overtime rule changes to regular season games as well.[45]
  • The definition of a "defenseless receiver" (where a receiver cannot be hit in the head or neck area by an opponent who launches himself and makes contact with his helmet, shoulder, or forearm) will now apply to every defenseless player.[46]
  • A play will now immediately be whistled dead once a ball carrier's helmet is knocked off.[46]
  • The position of the umpire has been moved from behind the defensive linebackers (except in the last two minutes of the first half, the last five minutes of the second half, and anytime the offense is inside the defense's five-yard-line) to the offensive backfield opposite the throwing arm of the quarterback in order to reduce the numerous times that the official has been run over during plays.[47]
  • During field goal and extra point attempts, defenders cannot line up directly across from the long snapper.[47]
  • Dead ball 15-yard personal fouls that are committed on the final play of either the second or fourth quarters will be assessed on the second half or overtime kickoff, respectively. Previously, such penalties during those situations were not enforced.[47]
  • Punt returners who make a fair catch signal but then muff the ball are now entitled with the opportunity to catch the ball before it hits the ground without interference. If there is interference during such a scenario, the receiving team would be awarded the ball at the spot of the foul, but no penalty yardage would be assessed.[47]
  • The 2009 temporary modification[48] to the rules regarding balls in play that strike an object such as a video board or a guide wire has been made permanent.[47] Prior to 2009, only the down was replayed. The 2009 modification added resetting the game clock to the time when the original play was snapped.[48] This amendment was originally passed in response to a punt hitting the center-hung video display boards of Cowboys Stadium during a 2009 pre-season game.[48]
  • The replay system will now also be allowed to cover whether there was some sort of interference with the ball during a play.[47]
  • If the clock is stopped in the final minute of either half for a replay review, but would not have stopped without the review, there will be a 10-second runoff (similar to when the offensive team commits a penalty inside of one minute in order to preserve time). As with any other 10-second runoff, teams are permitted to take a timeout instead.[47]

Crackdown on illegal hits

After several violent hits throughout the NFL made the news in Week 3, the league announced that it would consider suspending players for illegal hits, such as helmet-to-helmet hits or other blows to the head.[49] (Previously, players could only be fined for such hits.) The league also instructed all officials and referees to have an even higher level of attention toward flagrant hits,.[50] Game officials were also instructed to err on the side of safety, and throw flags even when in doubt.[51]

The crackdown has been controversial. Many defensive players have complained that the league is being too strict in their interpretation of what constitutes an "illegal hit", and that it forces them to behave significantly different than how they were taught to play the game.[49][50] Another concern is the league's instructions to game officials to err on the side of caution, since questionable calls late in close games significantly affect their outcome. However, the medical community has supported the move, believing that it would help reduce concussions and other head injuries.[50]

No suspensions have been handed down as of week 12, however there have been several large fines for these types of hits.

Super Bowl and conference logo, trophy changes

Starting with Super Bowl XLV, the template of all Super Bowl logos will virtually remain the same. The only differences from year to year will be the stadium backdrop and the Roman numerals for the game as well as colors of the area. For Super Bowl XLV, Cowboys Stadium is featured and "XLV" signifying the forty-fifth Super Bowl game.[52]

The NFL will also introduce new Lamar Hunt and George Halas trophies for the AFC and NFC Championship games. The trophies will change from a brown base with an 'A' or 'N' on top of it surrounded by players layered on a frieze upon a wall, to silver trophies in the make of a football.[52] Additionally, both the NFC and AFC logos have been revamped and recolored to reflect the current shield adopted two years earlier and with four stars running down the inside on both logos top to bottom from left to right instead of the six surrounding the AFC and three down the side of the NFC logo as each conference has four divisions. In addition, all event and playoff logos have undergone a complete makeover in a new logo system.[53]

Uniforms

In the 2010 season, the Washington Redskins were the only team who made a major change to their main uniforms, replacing the white pants worn with their burgundy jerseys to gold pants and wore them for home games instead of their white jerseys and red pants.

The Green Bay Packers became the first team to officially unveil a third uniform for 2010, a throwback uniform based on their 1929 uniforms when they won their first NFL championship. The throwbacks are as accurate as possible while complying with current NFL guidelines, with a brown modern-shell helmet in place of the leather helmets of 1929, along with blue jerseys and gold circles with the jersey numbers nested within the circles, and brown pants. Like throwbacks worn in recent seasons by the San Diego Chargers, Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills, New York Jets, and the archrival Minnesota Vikings, these throwbacks will be a permanent addition to the Packers uniforms, unlike throwbacks worn by the Detroit Lions and Pittsburgh Steelers that were intended as one-time deals but made permanent, as well as several one-shot throwbacks in recent years. The new Packers throwbacks replace the previous throwbacks (which comprised the current helmets with the "G" logo and stripes removed, white jerseys with plain green lettering, and tan pants) worn sporadically since the early 2000s.

Also going the throwback route were the Chicago Bears, who harkened back to the Sid Luckman era with a 1940's set, replacing the pumpkin orange third jerseys, and the Indianapolis Colts, who will wear 1955 throwbacks as well. Since the Colts only have two colors, they only have previously worn a throwback jersey once in their history, in 2004. The difference between the 2004 throwback and the 2010 throwback is the helmet color, which reverses the 2004 scheme.

The Arizona Cardinals, who were the only team to not wear a third jersey in any form since the NFL allowed third jerseys in 2002, unveiled a black third jersey to be worn in 2010.

The Philadelphia Eagles have adopted their 1960 championship uniforms that were worn September 12 against the Packers, the team they beat to win their last championship in celebration of the 50th anniversary of that game.

The Tennessee Titans returned to using navy blue jerseys as their third jersey, after a one-year hiatus in which they wore light blue Houston Oilers throwback jerseys in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the American Football League.

The Pittsburgh Steelers wore their throwbacks against the Cleveland Browns on October 17 and against the New England Patriots on November 14.[54]

The Seattle Seahawks have retired the neon green uniform worn for one game in 2009 against Chicago, which was in turn an offshoot from a April Fools Day joke created by Uni Watch founder Paul Lukas that year.[55]

Media

For local broadcasters, see List of current NFL broadcasters.

This is the fifth season under the current television contracts with the league's television partners: CBS (all AFC Sunday afternoon away games and one Thanksgiving game), Fox (all NFC Sunday afternoon away games and one Thanksgiving game), NBC (17 Sunday night games and the kickoff game), ESPN (17 Monday night games over sixteen weeks), NFL Network (eight late-season games on Thursday and Saturday nights, including one Thanksgiving game), and DirecTV's NFL Sunday Ticket package. These contracts run through at least 2013.

In national radio, this is the second and final year on Westwood One's most recent contract extension, which expires at the end of the season.

Nielsen Ratings for the fall 2010 television season have shown viewership increases of up to 10 percent for most of the NFL's broadcast partners; eighteen of the twenty most watched television broadcasts of the season have so far been NFL games.[56]

Stadiums

New Meadowlands Stadium
Arrowhead Stadium after renovations.

New Meadowlands Stadium opened in 2010, replacing Giants Stadium as the home of both the New York Giants and the New York Jets. The new stadium is located a few hundred feet away from the old building in the parking lot of Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Unlike Giants Stadium (in which the Giants were the sole NFL tenant until the 1984 season), the new Meadowlands Stadium will be a 50/50 partnership between both New York teams. The Giants played their first regular season game on September 12 against the Carolina Panthers, while the Jets played the following night against the Baltimore Ravens in the first game of a Monday Night Football doubleheader.

Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Kansas City Chiefs since 1972, underwent a two-year $375 million renovation project which was completed and unveiled in July 2010. The stadium hosted the second game of the Monday Night Football opening weekend doubleheader when the Chiefs played the San Diego Chargers.

M&T Bank Stadium, home of the Baltimore Ravens, installed FieldTurf prior to the 2010 season. The field had been Sportexe Momentum Turf since 2002 and grass before that.

Prior to Week 14, the inflatable roof of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, home of the Minnesota Vikings, buckled and tore as a result of heavy snowfall in Minneapolis, spilling snow onto Mall of America field and rendering the stadium unusable for the remainder of the Vikings' season.[57] The Vikings' scheduled home game against the New York Giants was moved to Detroit's Ford Field and postponed to a 7:20 p.m. EST kickoff on Monday. Though stadium workers were initially "optimistic" that the roof could be repaired before the Vikings faced the Chicago Bears on December 20,[58] stadium officials determined that such a repair would not be possible in that time frame and the game was moved to TCF Bank Stadium.[59][60]

Records and milestones

Coaching changes

Pre-season

Team 2010 Coach 2009 Coach(es) Reason for leaving Story/Accomplishments
Buffalo Bills Chan Gailey, former head coach of the Dallas Cowboys and Georgia Tech Dick Jauron, Perry Fewell (interim for 7 weeks) Fired Jauron was fired after nine games into the 2009 season after compiling a 24-33 (.421) record, including a 3-6 record at the time of his firing, in 3½ years. Fewell, the Bills' defensive coordinator, was the interim head coach for the rest of the season and went 3-4 (.429) in that capacity; he was hired to be defensive coordinator for the New York Giants January 14. Jauron was hired as defensive backs coach for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Gailey, who was last seen in the NFL as the Kansas City Chiefs' offensive coordinator before Todd Haley fired him prior to the 2009 regular season, was named the new Bills coach on January 19; he was recommended to the Bills by former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher.

Washington Redskins Mike Shanahan, former head coach of the Denver Broncos Jim Zorn Fired Zorn, who was first hired to be offensive coordinator but had never been a head coach before being given the coaching reins, went out to a 6-2 start in the first half of 2008, but fell dramatically afterwards, and in his two seasons went 12-20 (.375) as the Redskins coach before being relieved of his duties following the completion of the 2009 season.

On January 5, 2010, Shanahan, the former two-time Super Bowl winning coach with the Denver Broncos, was hired as the Redskins' new coach. Zorn was hired January 30, 2010 to be the quarterbacks coach for the Baltimore Ravens.

Seattle Seahawks Pete Carroll, former USC head coach Jim L. Mora Fired Mora was fired after compiling a 5-11 (.313) record in his only season as head coach as the Seahawks lost the last four games of the 2009 season, being outscored 123-37. Mora will be a color commentator for Fox this season.

Carroll had spent the past eight years as the head coach of the USC Trojans, having won a share of the 2003 and the outright 2004 national championships; however, many of Carroll's achievements at USC may be stricken from the record books due to improprieties involving Reggie Bush. He had previously been the head coach of the New York Jets in 1994 and New England Patriots from 1997 to 1999, with a career 33-31 record.

In-season

Team 2010 Coach Interim Reason for leaving Story/Accomplishments
Dallas Cowboys Wade Phillips Jason Garrett Fired Phillips, son of former NFL head coach Bum Phillips, was fired on November 8 following a 45-7 Week 9 loss against the Green Bay Packers. Garrett was their offensive coordinator and head-coach in waiting prior to being promoted.
Minnesota Vikings Brad Childress Leslie Frazier Fired Childress was fired on November 22 following a Week 11 loss against the Green Bay Packers, 31-3. The Vikings entered week 12 with a 3-7 record, second-to-last in the NFC North. Childress also faced controversy by releasing Randy Moss without the approval of owner Zygi Wilf and lost control over the locker room.[61]
Denver Broncos Josh McDaniels Eric Studesville Fired McDaniels was fired on December 5, following a 10-6 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 13. After a 6-0 start in the 2009 season, the Broncos lost 17 of their next 22 games, and became subject to a videotaping scandal.[62]

Awards

Players of the Week

The following were the players of the week during the 2010 season:

Air, Ground & Rookie

Week FedEx Air Player of the Week FedEx Ground Player of the Week Pepsi Rookie of the Week
15 QB Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles RB Ray Rice, Baltimore Ravens TE Aaron Hernandez, New England Patriots
14 QB Tom Brady, New England Patriots RB Darren McFadden, Oakland Raiders TE Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots
13 QB Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers RB Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville Jaguars LB Sean Lee, Dallas Cowboys
12 QB Matt Cassel, Kansas City Chiefs RB Peyton Hillis, Cleveland Browns QB Sam Bradford, St. Louis Rams
11 QB Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers RB Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville Jaguars PR Bryan McCann, Dallas Cowboys
10 QB Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles RB Fred Jackson, Buffalo Bills QB Tim Tebow, Denver Broncos
9 QB Brett Favre, Minnesota Vikings RB Peyton Hillis, Cleveland Browns WR Jacoby Ford, Oakland Raiders
8 QB Jason Campbell, Oakland Raiders RB Jamaal Charles, Kansas City Chiefs DT Ndamukong Suh, Detroit Lions
7 QB Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons RB Darren McFadden, Oakland Raiders WR Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys
6 QB Kevin Kolb, Philadelphia Eagles RB Chris Ivory, New Orleans Saints RB Chris Ivory, New Orleans Saints
5 QB Shaun Hill, Detroit Lions RB Matt Forte, Chicago Bears QB Max Hall, Arizona Cardinals
4 QB Kyle Orton, Denver Broncos RB LaDainian Tomlinson, New York Jets TE Tony Moeaki, Kansas City Chiefs
3 QB Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles RB Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings QB Sam Bradford, St. Louis Rams
2 QB Matt Schaub, Houston Texans RB LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia Eagles RB Jahvid Best, Detroit Lions
1 QB Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears RB Arian Foster, Houston Texans WR Dexter McCluster, Kansas City Chiefs

References

  1. ^ "2010 season playoffs begain on Jan 8, 2011 to Jan 23, 2011". NFL.com. Retrieved 20 Feb. 2010. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  2. ^ a b "NFL.com: Future Super Bowl sites". Retrieved December 19, 2009. [dead link‍]
  3. ^ "2011 Pro Bowl to be played week before the Super Bowl again". NFL.com. 2 March 2010. Retrieved 2 March 2010.
  4. ^ Bishop, Greg (February 8, 2010). "Precise Under Pressure, Brees Completes His Quest". NY Times. Retrieved February 8, 2010.
  5. ^ "NFL season is Sept. 9 2010 to Jan. 2 2010". NFL.com. Retrieved 20 Feb. 2010. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  6. ^ a b "NFL to make West Coast road format more reasonable". ESPN. Retrieved December 19, 2009.
  7. ^ "2010 AFC opponents". CBS sports. Retrieved December 19, 2009.
  8. ^ "2010 NFC opponents". CBS sports. Retrieved December 19, 2009.
  9. ^ NFL Network "NFL.com to reveal regular-season schedule Tuesday". NFL.com. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  10. ^ "NFL draft will expand to three days in 2010". Retrieved July 23, 2009.
  11. ^ 2010 Hall of Fame Game Boxscore
  12. ^ "Cowboys to face Bengals in Hall of Fame Game on Aug. 8". NFL.com.
  13. ^ Next season's preseason schedule to feature entire 2009 playoff field
  14. ^ "Buffalo Bills To Play One Pre-Season Game in Toronto". WGRZ.com.
  15. ^ "NFL.com to reveal regular-season schedule Tuesday". NFL Network.
  16. ^ Jets/Giants to both open Meadowlands Stadium
  17. ^ http://espn.go.com/nfl/recap?gameId=301010011
  18. ^ San Francisco 49ers tipped for British NFL fixture. BBC. Retrieved 2010-01-15.
  19. ^ Love, Tim (January 15, 2010). "49ers to play Broncos in London, NFL announces". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved January 15, 2010.
  20. ^ Mortensen, Chris. Source: Bills likely to get OK to play game in Toronto ESPN.com, 20 January 2008.
  21. ^ NFL opts not to hold second game in UK in 2010
  22. ^ Vikings-Saints open up NFL season
  23. ^ 18-game NBC slate includes Favre's potential return to Lambeau
  24. ^ http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d81c29d60/article/chargerscolts-week-12-game-will-remain-in-primetime-slot?module=HP_headlines2col Chargers-Colts Week 12 game will remain in prime-time slot
  25. ^ http://content.usatoday.com/communities/thehuddle/post/2010/11/ravens-steelers-will-remain-nfls-sunday-night-game-in-week-13/1 Ravens-Steelers will remain NFL's Sunday night game in Week 13
  26. ^ http://www.profootballweekly.com/2010/11/29/patriots-bears-week-14-game-time-changed Patriots-Bears Week 14 game time changed
  27. ^ http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/12/13/eagles-vikings-moves-to-primetime-in-week-16/ Eagles-Vikings moves to primetime in Week 16
  28. ^ http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d81d32bae/article/blizzard-forces-postponement-of-vikeseagles-game-to-tuesday?module=breaking_news Blizzard forces postponement of Vikes-Eagles game to Tuesday
  29. ^ "Hawaii board relents, takes Pro Bowl offer for 2011, '12". USA Today. March 6, 2009. Retrieved August 12, 2009.
  30. ^ "2010 Pro Bowl to be played in Miami before Super Bowl". ESPN.com. 29 December 2008. Retrieved 14 August 2009.
  31. ^ Colts’ Polian calls new Pro Bowl setup ’stupid’. NFL.com. Retrieved 2010-01-27.
  32. ^ a b c "Hawaii officials accept proposal to host Pro Bowl in 2011, 2012". Retrieved 2009-12-28.
  33. ^ a b Week 14 Clinching Scenarios cbssports.com retrieved 8 December 2010
  34. ^ NFL.com Blogs: Falcons are first NFC team to clinch
  35. ^ Steelers get a playoff berth
  36. ^ Week 16 AFC Playoff Scenarios Dec 21, 2010
  37. ^ Week 16 NFC Scenarios Dec 20, 2010
  38. ^ Week 13 Elimination Scenarios cbssports.com, retrieved 5 Dec 2010
  39. ^ Wilner, Barry (January 30, 2009). 29, 2009-21-04-12 "Union: No reason for NFL lockout". ap.org. {{cite news}}: Check |url= value (help)
  40. ^ a b c "Free-agent status at risk for 212 players". Associated Press. ESPN.com. 2009-12-30. Retrieved 2010-01-05.
  41. ^ Cowboys' Jones rips revenue sharing, pushes for new Vikings stadium. NFL.com, retrieved 2009-09-09.
  42. ^ Carucci, Vic (2009-03). "Commissioner, owners preparing for crucial CBA discussions". NFL.com. Retrieved 2010-01-05. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  43. ^ Banks, Don (2009-03-23). "NFL teams bearing down for major changes for '10 and '11 seasons". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2010-01-05.
  44. ^ a b "Rules proposal passes on 28-4 vote". ESPN. 2010-03-24. Retrieved 2010-03-27.
  45. ^ "NFL's business model evolving". ESPN. 2010-05-24. Retrieved 2010-05-29.
  46. ^ a b "NFL: Owners approve new rules for safety". Philadelphia Inquirer. 2010-03-25. Retrieved 2010-03-27. [dead link‍]
  47. ^ a b c d e f g "NFL approves safety-based changes". ESPN. 2010-03-24. Retrieved 2010-03-27.
  48. ^ a b c "NFL outlines video board policy". CNN. 2009-08-27. Retrieved 2009-08-27. [dead link‍]
  49. ^ a b "N.F.L. Crackdown Tests Limits of Mayhem". New York Times. 2010-10-23. Retrieved 2010-12-07.
  50. ^ a b c "Players confused by NFL crackdown on hard hits". Yahoo! News. 2010-10-20. Retrieved 2010-12-07.
  51. ^ "Anderson: Process to determine fines is 'fair, objective'". NFL.com. 2010-11-10. Retrieved 2010-12-07.
  52. ^ a b Watkins, Calvin (2010-02-04). "NFL unveils new standard logo for Super Bowl XLV at Cowboys Stadium". ESPN.com. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |pubdate= ignored (help)
  53. ^ Lukas, Paul (2010-03-02). "But I Absolutely Refuse to Write About the Draft Caps". uniwatchblog.com. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |pubdate= ignored (help)
  54. ^ http://www.timesonline.com/sports/sports_details/article/1424/2010/september/28/steelers-insider-batch-will-start-again.html
  55. ^ In Which I Go Away for a Few Days and The Whole World Goes Down the Crapper, Paul Lukas, UniWatchBlog.com, 1 April 2009 Retrieved 31 August 2010
  56. ^ Carter, Bill (2010-12-20). NFL games dominate ratings on TV. New York Times. Retrieved 2010-12-20.
  57. ^ http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d81cd0f5d/article/giantsvikings-game-moved-to-monday-because-of-snowstorm?module=breaking_news Giants-Vikings game moved to Monday because of snowstorm
  58. ^ "Giants-Vikings moved to Ford Field". ESPN.
  59. ^ http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/12/14/vikings-working-to-get-tcf-bank-stadium-ready-for-monday/
  60. ^ Monday's Vikings-Bears game will be played at U's stadium; Dome won't be ready, Star Tribune, December 14, 2010, Accessed December 14, 2010.
  61. ^ http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=5838652
  62. ^ http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d81cb2e3b/article/broncos-fire-mcdaniels-name-assistant-studesville-interim-coach?module=HP_headlines

Template:2010 NFL Head Coaches

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