1995 NFL season
The 1995 NFL season was the 76th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 30 teams with the addition of the Carolina Panthers and the Jacksonville Jaguars. The two expansion teams were slotted into the two remaining divisions that previously had only four teams (while the other four had five teams): the AFC Central (Jaguars) and the NFC West (Panthers).
| Regular season | |
|---|---|
| Duration | September 3 – December 25, 1995 |
| Playoffs | |
| Start date | December 30, 1995 |
| AFC Champions | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| NFC Champions | Dallas Cowboys |
| Super Bowl XXX | |
| Date | January 28, 1996 |
| Site | Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona |
| Champions | Dallas Cowboys |
| Pro Bowl | |
| Date | February 4, 1996 |
| Site | Aloha Stadium |
Meanwhile, the two teams in Los Angeles relocated to other cities: the Rams transferred to St. Louis (but would return to Los Angeles in 2016) and the Raiders moved back to Oakland; this would be the start of a 20-year absence for the NFL in Los Angeles. During the course of the season it emerged that the Cleveland Browns would relocate to Baltimore for the 1996 season. The Raiders’ move was not announced until after the schedule had been announced, which resulted in a problem in the third week of the season when both the Raiders and the San Francisco 49ers had games scheduled to air on NBC which ended up overlapping each other. The Raiders game was rescheduled for 10:00 AM PDT in case they were to relocate and NBC was given the doubleheader so that both Bay Area teams had their games televised locally.
The season ended with Super Bowl XXX, when the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 27–17 at the Sun Devil Stadium. They became the first team in NFL history to win three Super Bowls in four years. This season was legendary Miami Dolphins head coach Don Shula’s last season as coach.
Player movement
Retirements
- April 18, 1995: Four-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Joe Montana announced his retirement. He spent the last two seasons of his career with the Kansas City Chiefs.[1]
Draft
The 1995 NFL Draft was held from April 22 to 23, 1995 at New York City's Theater at Madison Square Garden. With the first pick, the Cincinnati Bengals selected running back Ki-Jana Carter from Penn State University.
Expansion Draft
The 1995 NFL expansion draft was held on February 15, 1995.[2] The Jacksonville Jaguars held the first pick overall, while the Carolina Panthers were second, alternating picks as the existing teams made six players available for selection,.[3] The Panthers ultimately picked 35 players, while the Jaguars picked 31. With the first selection in the Expansion Draft, the Jaguars selected quarterback Steve Beuerlein from the Arizona Cardinals. Selecting second, the Panthers obtained cornerback Rod Smith from the New England Patriots.
New referees
Mike Carey and Walt Coleman were promoted to referee. Dale Hamer had to sit out the 1995 season to recover from open heart surgery, while league expansion from 28 to 30 teams required an additional officiating crew.
Major rule changes
- An eligible receiver forced out of bounds by a defensive player may return to the field and automatically become eligible to legally be the first player to touch a forward pass.
- Quarterbacks may now receive communications from the bench from a small radio receiver in their helmets, partly repealing a rule that had been in force since 1956.
Preseason
American Bowl
A series of National Football League pre-season exhibition games that were held at sites outside the United States. Two games were contested in 1995.
| Date | Winning Team | Score | Losing Team | Score | Stadium | City |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 6, 1995 | Denver Broncos | 24 | San Francisco 49ers | 10 | Tokyo Dome |  Tokyo |
| August 12, 1995 | Buffalo Bills | 9 | Dallas Cowboys | 7 | SkyDome | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Toronto |
Hall of Fame Game
The Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, featured the NFL's newest expansions teams, as the Carolina Panthers defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 20-14, was played on July 29, and held at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, the same city where the league was founded. The 1995 Hall of Fame Class included Jim Finks, Henry Jordan, Steve Largent, Lee Roy Selmon and Kellen Winslow
Regular season
Scheduling formula
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Inter-conference |
Highlights of the 1995 season included:
- Thanksgiving: Two games were played on Thursday, November 23, featuring the Minnesota Vikings at Detroit and Kansas City Chiefs at Dallas, with Detroit and Dallas winning.
Final standings
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Tiebreakers
- Indianapolis finished ahead of Miami in the AFC East based on head-to-head sweep (2–0).
- San Diego was the first AFC Wild Card based on head-to-head victory over Indianapolis (1–0).
- Cincinnati finished ahead of Houston in the AFC Central based on better division record (4–4 to Oilers’ 3–5).
- Seattle finished ahead of Denver and Oakland in the AFC West based on best head-to-head record (3–1 to Broncos’ 2–2 and Raiders’ 1–3).
- Denver finished ahead of Oakland in the AFC West based on head-to-head sweep (2–0).
- Philadelphia was the first NFC Wild Card ahead of Detroit based on better conference record (9–3 to Lions’ 7–5).
- San Francisco was the second NFC playoff seed ahead of Green Bay based on better conference record (8–4 to Packers’ 7–5).
- Atlanta was the third NFC Wild Card ahead of Chicago based on better record against common opponents (4–2 to Bears’ 3–3).
- St. Louis finished ahead of Carolina and New Orleans in the NFC West based on best head-to-head record (3–1 to Panthers’ 1–3 and Saints’ 2–2).
- Carolina finished ahead of New Orleans in the NFC West based on better conference record (4–8 to 3–9).
Playoffs
| Dec. 31 – Lambeau Field | Jan. 6 – 3Com Park | |||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Atlanta | 20 | ||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Green Bay | 27 | ||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Green Bay | 37 | Jan. 14 – Texas Stadium | |||||||||||||||
| 2 | San Francisco | 17 | ||||||||||||||||
| NFC | ||||||||||||||||||
| Dec. 30 – Veterans Stadium | 3 | Green Bay | 27 | |||||||||||||||
| Jan. 7 – Texas Stadium | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Dallas | 38 | ||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Detroit | 37 | NFC Championship | |||||||||||||||
| 4 | Philadelphia | 11 | ||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Philadelphia | 58 | Jan. 28 – Sun Devil Stadium | |||||||||||||||
| 1 | Dallas | 30 | ||||||||||||||||
| Wild Card playoffs | ||||||||||||||||||
| Divisional playoffs | ||||||||||||||||||
| Dec. 31 – Jack Murphy Stadium | N1 | Dallas | 27 | |||||||||||||||
| Jan. 7 – Arrowhead Stadium | ||||||||||||||||||
| A2 | Pittsburgh | 17 | ||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Indianapolis | 35 | Super Bowl XXX | |||||||||||||||
| 5 | Indianapolis | 10 | ||||||||||||||||
| 4 | San Diego | 20 | Jan. 14 – Three Rivers Stadium | |||||||||||||||
| 1 | Kansas City | 7 | ||||||||||||||||
| AFC | ||||||||||||||||||
| Dec. 30 – Rich Stadium | 5 | Indianapolis | 16 | |||||||||||||||
| Jan. 6 – Three Rivers Stadium | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Pittsburgh | 20 | ||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Miami | 22 | AFC Championship | |||||||||||||||
| 3 | Buffalo | 21 | ||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Buffalo | 37 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Pittsburgh | 40 | ||||||||||||||||
Milestones
The following players set all-time records during the season:
| Most Touchdowns, season | Emmitt Smith, Dallas (25) |
| Most Passing Attempts, career | Dan Marino, Miami (6,531 at the end of the season) |
| Most Passes Completed, career | Dan Marino, Miami (3,913 at the end of the season) |
| Most Passing Yards, career | Dan Marino, Miami (48,841 at the end of the season) |
| Most Touchdown Passes, career | Dan Marino, Miami (352 at the end of the season) |
| Most Pass Receptions, career | Jerry Rice, San Francisco (942 at the end of the season) |
| Most Pass Receiving Yards Gained, career | Jerry Rice, San Francisco (15,123 at the end of the season) |
Statistical leaders
Team
| Points scored | San Francisco 49ers (457) |
| Total yards gained | Detroit Lions (6,113) |
| Yards rushing | Kansas City Chiefs (2,222) |
| Yards passing | San Francisco 49ers (4,608) |
| Fewest points allowed | Kansas City Chiefs (241) |
| Fewest total yards allowed | San Francisco 49ers (4,398) |
| Fewest rushing yards allowed | San Francisco 49ers (1,061) |
| Fewest passing yards allowed | New York Jets (2,740) |
Individual
| Scoring | Emmitt Smith, Dallas (150 points) |
| Touchdowns | Emmitt Smith, Dallas (25 TDs) |
| Most field goals made | Norm Johnson, Pittsburgh (34 FGs) |
| Rushing | Emmitt Smith, Dallas (1,773 yards) |
| Passing | Jim Harbaugh, Indianapolis (100.7 rating) |
| Passing touchdowns | Brett Favre, Green Bay (38 TDs) |
| Pass receiving | Herman Moore, Detroit (123 catches) |
| Pass receiving yards | Jerry Rice, San Francisco (1,848) |
| Punt returns | David Palmer, Minnesota (13.2 average yards) |
| Kickoff returns | Ron Carpenter, New York Jets (27.7 average yards) |
| Interceptions | Orlando Thomas, Minnesota (9) |
| Punting | Rick Tuten, Seattle (45.0 average yards) |
| Sacks | Bryce Paup, Buffalo (17.5) |
The 1995 season produced four of the top eleven highest single-season totals for receiving yards. The top two receiving yard totals of all time – Jerry Rice's 1,848 & Isaac Bruce's 1,781 – were recorded in 1995. Detroit Lions receiver Herman Moore gained 1,686 yards (6th highest all time) and Dallas Cowboys receiver Michael Irvin gained 1,603 yards (11th most in NFL history).
Awards
| Most Valuable Player | Brett Favre, Quarterback, Green Bay |
| Coach of the Year | Ray Rhodes, Philadelphia |
| Offensive Player of the Year | Brett Favre, Quarterback, Green Bay |
| Defensive Player of the Year | Bryce Paup, Linebacker, Buffalo |
| Offensive Rookie of the Year | Curtis Martin, Running Back, New England |
| Defensive Rookie of the Year | Hugh Douglas, Defensive End, New York Jets |
| NFL Comeback Player of the Year | Jim Harbaugh, Quarterback, Indianapolis and Garrison Hearst, Running Back, Arizona |
| NFL Man of the Year Award | Boomer Esiason, Quarterback, NY Jets |
| Super Bowl Most Valuable Player | Larry Brown, Cornerback, Dallas |
Coaching changes
Offseason
- Denver Broncos: Mike Shanahan replaced the fired Wade Phillips
- Carolina Panthers: Dom Capers became this expansion team's first head coach.
- Houston Oilers: Jeff Fisher became the permanent head coach. Fisher served as interim for the final six games of 1994 after Jack Pardee was fired.
- Jacksonville Jaguars: Tom Coughlin became this expansion team's first head coach.
- Oakland Raiders: Mike White replaced the fired Art Shell for the Raiders' first season since returning to Oakland.
- Philadelphia Eagles: Ray Rhodes replaced the fired Rich Kotite.
- New York Jets: Rich Kotite replaced the fired Pete Carroll.
- Seattle Seahawks: Dennis Erickson replaced the fired Tom Flores.
- St. Louis Rams: Rich Brooks replaced the fired Chuck Knox for the Rams's first season in St. Louis.
In-season
- Buffalo Bills: Elijah Pitts served as interim for three games while Marv Levy recovered from prostate cancer surgery.
Stadium changes
- Carolina Panthers: The expansion Panthers played their first season at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina to their new stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina remained under construction
- Green Bay Packers: This is the first season since 1932 that the Packers played full time in Green Bay, no longer playing select games in Milwaukee
- Jacksonville Jaguars: The expansion Jaguars moved into Jacksonville Municipal Stadium on the site of the former Gator Bowl Stadium
- Oakland Raiders: The relocated Raiders moved back from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum
- St. Louis Rams: The relocated Rams initially moved from Anaheim Stadium to Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis. The Trans World Dome then opened for their fifth regular season home game, with Trans World Airlines acquiring the naming rights
- San Francisco 49ers: Candlestick Park was renamed 3Com Park after the digital electronics manufacturer 3Com acquired the naming rights
Uniform changes
This was the second straight season were more teams adapted from screen printed to stitch on authentic nameplates and numbers on uniforms. Arizona Cardinals, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers & Houston Oilers.
- The inaugural Carolina Panthers uniforms featured gray helmets, blue trim, black jerseys with white numbers and gray pants, and white jerseys with black numbers and white pants. The helmet logo featured a black panther head with blue trim.
- The Dallas Cowboys wore a navy blue version of the white "Double-Star" alternate jerseys they wore in 1994, with blue sleeves and white star logos on the shoulders. The white "Double Star" jersey was discontinued due to a since-repealed NFL policy which allowed teams only one colored jersey and one white jersey except for special occasions.
- The Houston Oilers began wearing their white pants with their white jerseys, discontinuing their blue pants. This was the first time the Oilers wore white pants with white jerseys for a full season since 1980.
- The Indianapolis Colts experimented with wearing blue pants with their white jerseys for their first three games.
- The inaugural Jacksonville Jaguars uniforms featured black helmets, teal jerseys with white numbers, white jerseys with teal numbers, and white pants. The helmet logo featured a jaguar head with a teal tongue.
- The New England Patriots switched from block numbers to a rounded number font with a drop shadow. The "Flying Elvis" helmet logo was repeated on the shoulders, and TV numbers moved to the sleeves.
- The Philadelphia Eagles removed the black trim from their jersey numbers and nameplates.
- The St. Louis Rams removed gold stripping on blue socks.
External links
References
- "April 18: The day Joe Montana said goodbye to football – By Bud Geracie". Mercury News. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
- Smith, Timothy W. (February 16, 1995). "Expansion Teams Pick Big Names, No Names". The New York Times. Retrieved September 23, 2008.
- "NFL NOTES: Familiar Names on Expansion Draft List". San Francisco Chronicle. Associated Press. January 18, 1995. Archived from the original on October 4, 2008. Retrieved September 23, 2008.
- NFL Record and Fact Book (ISBN 1-932994-36-X)
- NFL History 1991–2000 (Last accessed October 17, 2005)
- Total Football: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League (ISBN 0-06-270174-6)
- Steelers Fever – History of NFL Rules (Last accessed October 17, 2005)