2013 NFL season

The 2013 league year began at 4 pm EST on March 12,[1] which marked the start of the league's free agency period.[2] The per-team salary cap was set at US$123,000,000.[3] For the first time the league instituted a negotiating period prior to the start of free agency during which time agents representing prospective unrestricted free agent players (though not the players themselves) were allowed to have contact with team representatives with the purpose of determining a player's market value and to begin contract negotiations. This period, which was referred to by some as the "legal tampering" period, began at midnight on March 9.[4]

Major trades

The following trades are notable as they involved Pro Bowl-caliber players and/or draft picks in the first three rounds:

Offseason

• February 27 – The Chiefs acquired quarterback Alex Smith from the 49ers for the Chiefs' second-round pick in the 2013 draft, 34th overall (which the 49ers later traded to the Titans) and a conditional pick in the 2014 draft (which turned out to be another second-rounder, #56 overall).[7][8] Smith had been the first overall selection of the 2005 NFL Draft, but had been supplanted as the 49ers starting quarterback in mid-2012 by Colin Kaepernick.[7]

Percy Harvin was traded by the Vikings to the Seahawks

• March 11 – Wide receiver Percy Harvin was traded by the Vikings to the Seahawks for the Seahawks' 2013 first-round (#25 overall, with which the Vikings selected Xavier Rhodes) and seventh-round (pick #214) selections as well as the Seahawks' third-round pick in 2014 (the 96th selection).[9] Harvin is an All-Pro and former Offensive Rookie of the Year, but he has also suffered a series of injuries throughout his career and had become disgruntled with the Vikings to the point that he asked the team to trade him.[10] The Seahawks subsequently signed Harvin to a 6-year, $67 million contract extension which includes $25.5 million in guaranteed money.[11]
• March 11 – The 49ers acquired wide receiver Anquan Boldin from the Ravens for a sixth-round selection in the 2013 draft (the 199th overall pick). Boldin, a three-time Pro Bowler and former Offensive Rookie of the Year, had refused to accept a pay cut that the Ravens had requested.[12]

The Jets traded Darrelle Revis to the Buccaneers

• April 21 – Cornerback Darrelle Revis was traded by the Jets to the Buccaneers.[13] The Jets received the Bucs' first round draft pick in 2013, the 13th overall selection (which the Jets used to select Sheldon Richardson) and a conditional pick which would become the Bucs' fourth-round selection in 2014, the 104th overall pick.[14] Revis, a three time All-Pro, was widely considered to be among the league's top defensive players, but he was coming off a knee injury and the Jets did not feel they would be able to retain him after the 2013 season. The Bucs signed Revis to a 6-year, $96 million contract.[13]

In-season

Trent Richardson was acquired by the Colts

• September 18 – In a bit of a shocking mid-season move the Browns traded running back Trent Richardson to the Colts in exchange for the Colts' first-round pick (26th overall) in the 2014 draft. The Browns had moved up in the previous year's draft to grab Richardson with the third overall selection and he was presumed to be a cornerstone of the team.[15]
• October 2 – Offensive tackle Eugene Monroe was traded by the Jaguars to the Ravens in exchange for fourth- and fifth-round selections in the 2014 draft (picks #114 and #159 overall). The Jaguars had selected Monroe eight overall in the 2009 draft.[16]

Dean Blandino was named as the league's new Vice President of Officiating, succeeding Carl Johnson.[19] Referee Alberto Riveron was then promoted to the league's Senior Director of Officiating, a newly created position as a second-in-command under Blandino.[20] Bill Vinovich, who worked the previous season as a substitute referee, was then assigned to head Riveron's former on-field officiating crew.

The following rule changes were approved at the NFL owners' meeting on March 20, 2013:[21][22][23]

• The "no-challenge" rule adopted prior to the 2012 season was modified to eliminate the automatic "no-review" penalty when a coach challenges a play that is subject to automatic review by the replay booth (turnovers, scoring plays, and any play inside of the two-minute warning). This change was prompted after last season's Thanksgiving Day game when Detroit Lions' head coach Jim Schwartz threw a challenge flag on a play where replay clearly showed Houston Texans' running back Justin Forsett's knee touched the ground, but was able to get up and score a touchdown. Due to the way the rule was written at the time the penalty for the errant challenge prevented the play from being reviewed.[24] Under the revised rule teams will be charged a time-out (or an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty if the team is out of time-outs) when a coach throws a challenge flag on a booth-reviewable play, but the play will still be reviewed if the replay booth believes a review is necessary.[22] This change has been referred to as the "Jim Schwartz rule".[25]
• Making it a fumble when a player loses possession of the football while in the act of trying to bring it back to his body. This abolishes the so-called "tuck rule" which was adopted prior to the 1999 season. Under the revised rule it will be ruled a fumble when a quarterback loses possession of the ball after a pump fake while bringing the ball back to his body.[22]
• Tight ends and H-backs will now be permitted to wear uniform numbers 40-49 as well as 80–89. Previously the two positions were treated separately with tight ends allowed to wear only 80-89 and H-backs limited to wearing 40–49.[22]
• "Peel-back" blocks will now result in 15-yard personal foul penalties anywhere on the field. Previously, these type of blocks were permitted within the tackle box.
• On field goal and extra point attempts, long snappers will now be considered defenseless players. In addition, defensive players are prohibited from blocking low at the snap of a scrimmage kick.[22]
• For field goal and extra point attempts the defensive team can have no more than six players on either side of the ball at the snap (5 yard penalty), and players cannot push teammates into blockers (15 yard penalty).[22]
• Any player at least three yards downfield or outside of the "tackle box" who leads with his helmet on a hit will be penalized 15 yards for unnecessary roughness. If both offensive and defensive players lead with helmets on the same play, both will be penalized.[22]

Player safety changes

• Upon recommendation by the league's Head, Neck and Spine safety committee, the NFL notified teams in August that clubs would no longer be allowed to use alternate helmets for throwback uniforms or third jerseys as they had been allowed to do since throwbacks were introduced in 1994.[26] Once players start the season with properly fitted helmets that they are comfortable wearing, the league's Head, Neck, and Spine Committee recommended that players should not switch helmets in mid-season, especially to ones that have not been broken in yet.[26] To comply with these new rules, teams will be allowed to change or remove the decals on their regular helmets for such uniforms.[27]
• All players (except for punters and kickers) were required to wear thigh and knee pads. It was previously mandatory to wear these pads from 1979 through 1994.[28]^:7

Training camps for the 2013 season opened in late July. The Buccaneers camp was the first to open with rookies reporting on July 17. The Cowboys were the first to open camp to veteran players on July 20. All teams were in camp by July 27.[29]

Prior to the start of the regular season, each team played at least four preseason exhibition games. The preseason schedule got underway with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on Sunday, August 4. The Hall of Fame game is a traditional part of the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame induction weekend celebrating new Hall of Fame members. It was played at Fawcett Stadium in Canton, Ohio, which is located adjacent to the Hall of Fame building. In the game, which was televised nationally on NBC, the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Miami Dolphins 24–20.[30] The 2013 Hall of Fame class of Larry Allen, Cris Carter, Curley Culp, Jonathan Ogden, Bill Parcells, Dave Robinson and Warren Sapp was honored during the game.[31] The 65-game preseason schedule concluded on Thursday, August 29.[32]

The 2013 season featured 256 games played out over a seventeen-week schedule which began on the Thursday night following Labor Day. Each of the league's 32 teams played a 16-game schedule which included one bye week for each team between weeks four and twelve. The slate featured seventeen games on Monday night including a doubleheader in the season's opening week. There were also seventeen games played on Thursday, including the National Football League Kickoff game in prime time on September 5 and three games on Thanksgiving Day. The regular season wrapped up with a full slate of 16 games on Sunday, December 29, all of which were intra-divisional matchups.[33]

Scheduling formula

Under the NFL's scheduling formula, each team played each of the other three teams in their own division twice. In addition, a team played against all four teams in one other division from each conference. The final two games on a team's schedule were against the two teams in the team's own conference in the divisions the team was not set to play who finished the previous season in the same rank in their division (e.g. the team which finished first in its division the previous season would play each other team in their conference that also finished first in its respective division). The pre-set division pairings for 2013 were as follows:[34]

The 2013 regular season schedule was released on April 18, 2013.[35]

Regular season highlights

The 2013 regular season began on Thursday, September 5, with the NFL Kickoff Game in which the Denver Broncos hosted the Baltimore Ravens. The game was a rematch of a two-overtime playoff game of the previous season and broadcast on NBC. The Ravens, as the reigning Super Bowl champions, would normally have hosted the kickoff game, however, a scheduling conflict with their Major League Baseball counterparts, the Baltimore Orioles, forced the Ravens to start the season on the road (the Ravens' and Orioles' respective stadiums share parking facilities).[36] The Ravens became the first Super Bowl winner since 2003 to open their title defense on the road.[37] The Broncos defeated the Ravens 49–27 on the strength of a record-setting performance by quarterback Peyton Manning. Manning completed 27 of 42 pass attempts for 462 yards and seven touchdowns. Manning set or tied numerous league records in the game including most touchdown passes in a game (tied with five others) and records for most career games with at least six, five and four touchdown passes.[38]

There were two NFL International Series games held at Wembley Stadium in London. On September 29, the Minnesota Vikings defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 34–27. On October 27, the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 42–10. This season was the first of a four-year agreement for the Jaguars to play a home game in London (an agreement which was later extended an additional four years).

The Chargers and Raiders played an unusual late night game in the season's fifth week on October 6. The game, originally scheduled to start at 1:25 pm PDT, had to be moved to the evening to accommodate stadium schedules — Major League Baseball's Oakland Athletics, co-tenants of O.co Coliseum, had hosted the Game 2 of the 2013 American League Division Series the previous night and stadium crews needed nearly 24 hours to convert the stadium from a baseball to a football configuration.[39] O.co Coliseum was only multi-purpose stadium which hosted both an NFL and an MLB team in 2013.[40] Although the stadium conversion was complete by 3:30 pm local time, an 8:36 pm kickoff was necessary to avoid conflict with NBC's Sunday Night Football, where the 49ers hosted the Texans at Candlestick Park across the San Francisco Bay. The Chargers-Raiders game was the latest start time for a game in NFL history and was broadcast nationwide on the NFL Network.[41]

The league's traditional slate of Thanksgiving Day games was played on Thursday, November 28. The Lions hosted the Packers in the early game at 12:30 pm EST, marking the Packers' 21st Thanksgiving game in Detroit. The Raiders visited the Cowboys in the late afternoon game at 3:30 pm CST. The evening game featured the defending Super Bowl champion Ravens hosting their AFC North rival Steelers at 8:30 pm EST.[35]

The Bills hosted the Falcons in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on December 1. The game was played at Rogers Centre one week after the 101st Grey Cup ended the 2013 Canadian Football League season. On January 9, the Bills and Rogers Communications had announced a five-year extension of the Bills Toronto Series.[42][43]

Wild card round

The wild card round of the playoffs featured the two wild card playoff qualifiers from each conference being hosted by the two lowest seeded divisional winners. The top two seeds in each conference — the Seahawks, Panthers, Broncos and Patriots — all had first-round byes. The games were played January 4–5, 2014.

The weekend's first game on Saturday featured the Colts staging the second biggest comeback in playoff history to defeat the Chiefs by a score of 45–44. The 28-point second half deficit the Colts overcame is exceeded only by the Bills–Oilers playoff game from January 1993 which has become known simply as "The Comeback."[59] It was the first time in any NFL game (regular or postseason) that a team won in regulation play (i.e. not overtime) after having trailed by as many as 28 points.[60] The game was also the highest scoring postseason game to have been decided by a one-point margin[60] as well as the first game in league history to finish with a 45–44 result.[61] The Colts and Chiefs combined to gain 1,049 total yards which established a new single-game postseason record, breaking the record of 1,038 yards that was set by the Bills–Dolphins first-round game on December 30, 1995, and matched in a Saints–Lions first-round matchup on January 7, 2012.[60] The loss was the Chiefs' eighth straight in the playoffs which broke an NFL record for consecutive playoff losses the franchise had previously shared with the Lions.[62]

The Saints beat the Eagles 26–24 in the Saturday night game. It was the Saints' first ever road playoff victory. The Saints built an early 20–7 lead before the Eagles bounced back to take a 24–23 lead with less than five minutes remaining in the game. However, the Saints worked their way down the field while also working the clock on the game's final drive before Shayne Graham kicked the game-winning field goal from 32 yards out as time expired.[63]

The early game on Sunday was the only game of the weekend not decided by three or fewer points with the Chargers defeating the Bengals, 27–10. Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton committed three second-half turnovers which led to the Chargers scoring 20 unanswered points to overcome a 7–10 halftime deficit. The Bengals loss marks a league record third straight year in which the team has lost its playoff opener, and extended the Bengals' streak of playoff futility to 23 seasons. Every other current NFL team has won a playoff game since the Bengals' last playoff victory in January 1991.[64]

In the late afternoon game on Sunday the 49ers defeated the Packers 23–20 on a brutally cold day at Lambeau Field. The temperature at game time was just 5 °F (−15 °C) with a wind chill of −10 °F (−23 °C). Quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who eschewed sleeves and gloves despite the chilly conditions, passed for 227 yards and rushed for 98 more to lead the 49ers to victory in a back-and-forth game. Phil Dawson kicked the winning field goal as time expired. This was the second straight year that the Packers' season had both started and ended with losses to the 49ers.[65]

Divisional round

The divisional round games were played on January 11–12, 2014 and three of the four were rematches of regular season games — only the Patriots and Colts had not met in 2013.[66]

In the early game on Saturday, the Seahawks defeated the Saints 23–15. The Seahawks held a 16–0 lead at halftime, but the Saints came back in the second half to make the game interesting. The Seahawks were able to hold on after a late Saints comeback effort, including an onside kick recovery, fell short. The Seahawks' offense centered around a 28 carry, 140 yard rushing effort from Marshawn Lynch, who also scored on a 31-yard run in the fourth quarter.[67]

Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount and the Patriots defense were the stars of the Patriots 43–22 victory over the Colts in the Saturday night game. Blount rushed for 166 yards and a franchise-record four touchdowns while Colts quarterback Andrew Luck was intercepted four times.[68] Patriots quarterback Tom Brady broke a league record for most playoff games for a starting quarterback with 25 (a record he had previously shared with Brett Favre) and extended his own record of 18 career playoff wins.[69] The victory allowed the Patriots to reach the AFC Championship game for the third straight year as well as the eighth time with Brady and head coach Bill Belichick.[68] Belichick moved into a second-place tie with Don Shula on the all-time postseason head coaching wins list, one victory behind Tom Landry.[70][71]

The 49ers defeated the Panthers by a score of 23–10 in the early Sunday game. The 49ers defense twice stopped the Panthers one yard short of the end zone and also recorded two interceptions and five quarterback sacks. 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick threw for one touchdown and ran for another in the game. The win put the 49ers into their third straight and fifteenth overall conference championship game, matching the Pittsburgh Steelers for most conference championship appearances.[71] Jim Harbaugh became the first head coach in NFL history to take his team to the conference championship game in each of his first three seasons.[72]

In the final game of the divisional round the Broncos beat the Chargers 24–17. It was only the fourth time in the season to date that the Broncos had been held to fewer than 30 points (three of which were against the Chargers), but the Chargers offense could not capitalize.[73] The Broncos held a 17–0 lead in the fourth quarter before the Chargers launched a comeback that was too little and too late.[74] The win put the Broncos into the AFC championship game for the first time since the 2005 season.[75]

Conference championships

In the AFC Championship Game Tom Brady (left) and Peyton Manning (right) met for the 15th time

The conference championships took place on Sunday, January 19, 2014.

The early game featured the Broncos hosting the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game. The game was referred to by many as Manning-Brady XV as it was the fifteenth meeting (the fourth in the playoffs) of the two starting quarterbacks, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.[76] The Broncos defeated Brady and the Patriots 26–16 behind a 400-yard passing performance by Manning. Manning led the Broncos on two long touchdown drives where each used over seven minutes of game time and were the two longest drives in terms of game time of the Broncos season.[77] This was Manning's third career postseason game with 400 or more yards passing, equaling Drew Brees for the most such playoff games in league history.[78] Broncos head coach John Fox, who previously led the Carolina Panthers to Super Bowl XXXVIII in 2004, became the sixth head coach in NFL history to take two different franchises to the Super Bowl.[79]

The NFC Championship Game had the Seahawks hosting the 49ers in the late game. The Seahawks defense forced three turnovers in the fourth quarter which proved to be the difference in the game. The last of these was a pass intended for Michael Crabtree in the endzone which was intercepted by Seahawks linebacker Malcolm Smith off a deflection by cornerback Richard Sherman with just 22 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. The interception preserved a 23–17 Seahawks victory.[80] In an on-field interview immediately after the game with Fox sideline reporter Erin Andrews, Sherman famously directed a rant at Crabtree whom Sherman called a "sorry receiver."[81]

Super Bowl XLVIII

Super Bowl XLVIII featured the top seeded team from each conference for just the second time in twenty years. The Broncos possessed the league's best offense (in terms of both scoring and yards) while the Seahawks had the league's top defense (also in both scoring and yardage).[82] The game was played on February 2, 2014 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, just outside New York City and was televised in the U.S. by Fox with kickoff at 6:32 pm EST. This was the first ever Super Bowl to be staged outdoors in a cold weather environment[28]^:46 although the temperature was a mild 49 degrees at kickoff.[83]

Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch with the Vince Lombardi Trophy at the CenturyLink Field in Seattle, February 5, 2014

The game started disastrously for the Broncos who, despite losing the coin toss, received the opening kickoff. On the game's first play from scrimmage from the Broncos' 14 yard line, Broncos center Manny Ramirez sent a shotgun snap over the head of quarterback Peyton Manning. The ball traveled into the endzone where it was covered by Broncos running back Knowshon Moreno who was touched down for a safety with just 12 seconds of game time elapsed. This was the quickest score ever in a Super Bowl. The Seahawks did not relinquish the lead in a 43–8 victory.[83]

This was the Seahawks first ever league championship since entering the NFL in 1976. Seahawks linebacker Malcolm Smith, who scored on a 69-yard interception return plus had a fumble recovery and tallied 10 tackles, was named the game's Most Valuable Player (MVP).[83]

This was the fifth Super Bowl loss for the Broncos, the most for any franchise.[84] Even in defeat, though, Peyton Manning's record-breaking year continued. He set a record for most passes completed in a Super Bowl with 34.[84] He also moved ahead of Tom Brady into first place on the career playoff passing yardage list with 6,589 yards.[85][86][87] In addition, Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas caught 13 passes to set a single-game Super Bowl record.[84]

The Pro Bowl is the league's all-star game. The league had raised doubts about the future of the exhibition due to concerns over the game's competitiveness in recent years,[88] but on March 20, it was announced that the 2014 Pro Bowl would indeed take place, receiving a one-year reprieve. As in recent years, the game was held the week before the Super Bowl at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. It was played on Sunday, January 26, and broadcast in the U.S. on NBC.[89]

The format for the game was considerably altered in an effort to improve competitiveness. The biggest changes included an "unconferenced" format in which players would be selected regardless of the conference in which their team competes, a draft format to select the teams and various tweaks to increase the excitement of the game itself. Deion Sanders and Jerry Rice served as the non-playing captains for the two competing squads.[89]

Some NFL-related events that made headlines throughout 2013 include:

Harris Poll tabs professional football as America's favorite sport

A nationwide poll conducted by Harris Interactive in December 2013 concluded that pro football is the favorite sport of Americans. Of the respondents asked the question, "If you had to choose, which ONE of these sports would you say is your favorite?", 35% chose pro football. That is up by one percentage point over the results of the previous year. Football has taken the top spot in the annual poll each year since it was first conducted in 1985. Baseball finished second, with 14% naming it as their favorite, followed by college football at 11%.[90]

Former Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez

Aaron Hernandez charged with murder

In August, former Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez was charged with the murder of Odin Lloyd.[91] Hernandez was released by the Patriots following his arrest in the murder investigation in June.[92] In an effort to further distance themselves from the troubled Hernandez, the Patriots offered fans an opportunity to trade-in Hernandez jerseys for another jersey of comparable value.[93] Hernandez would be convicted of the murder charge and sentenced to life imprisonment in April 2015.[94]

Riley Cooper incident

Eagles wide receiver Riley Cooper was caught on video using a racial slur during a music concert. After the video went viral during the team's training camp, Cooper was briefly sent away from the team to seek counseling. The Eagles also levied an undisclosed fine.[95]

Concussion litigation brought by former players

In August, just prior to the start of the season, a US$765,000,000 settlement proposal was announced in a class-action lawsuit brought against the league by former players who contended that the league concealed a link between head injuries sustained by players and traumatic brain injury which may only become apparent later in life.[96][97] The judge in the case later rejected the settlement on the grounds that the amount may not be large enough to cover the needs of all the plaintiffs.[98]

Buccaneers release quarterback Josh Freeman in mid-season

In October, the Buccaneers released quarterback Josh Freeman after trying unsuccessfully to trade him. Freeman had been considered one of the league's best young quarterbacks after leading the Bucs to a 10–6 record in 2010, but he clashed with head coach Greg Schiano (who took over in 2012) and was benched earlier in the year. Despite being just 25 years old, Freeman held franchise records for touchdowns and completions and was second in passing yardage. It had come out earlier in the week that Freeman had been in the league's substance abuse program; Freeman described his participation as voluntary and a result of prescription drugs he was taking to treat ADHD.[99] Shortly after his release, Freeman was signed by the Vikings.[100] Freeman started for the Vikings in week seven, but he posted a passer rating of just 40.6 in that game and did not play another down during the season. He was inactive for nine of the Vikings' final ten games.[101]

Tampa Bay MRSA outbreak

Three Buccaneers players — kicker Lawrence Tynes, guard Carl Nicks and cornerback Johnthan Banks — were diagnosed with Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections during the season.[102] The potentially deadly strain of staph had been encountered by other NFL teams including the Washington Redskins, St. Louis Rams and Cleveland Browns in previous seasons.[103] After the third infection was confirmed there was brief discussion as to whether the Bucs' week six home game against the Eagles would be played, but the decision was made to continue with the scheduled game.[104] The Falcons even took the step of bringing in a hazardous materials crew to disinfect the visitor's locker room after the Bucs' visited Atlanta in week seven.[105]

Dolphins bullying scandal

Dolphins offensive lineman Richie Incognito was suspended by the team in November after allegations surfaced that he bullied fellow lineman Jonathan Martin who left the team earlier in the season due to the impact of Incognito's actions.[106][107]

The league's official investigation into the matter concluded that Martin and other Dolphins employees had been subjected to a "pattern of harassment" at the hands of Incognito as well as fellow linemen John Jerry and Mike Pouncey. The 144-page report, written by league-appointed investigator Ted Wells, called the situation a "classic case of bullying".[107] The report also implicated Dolphins offensive line coach Jim Turner in some of the abuse; Turner was fired by the team shortly after the report's release.[108]

Redskins shut down quarterback Robert Griffin III for season's final three games

Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan made a decision to bench the team's franchise quarterback, Robert Griffin III for the team's final three games of the 2013 season. Griffin had undergone knee surgery after being injured the previous season in which he was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year after being selected second overall in the 2012 draft. Griffin was much less productive in his second season. Shanahan stated that the decision to start Kirk Cousins over Griffin was made to protect Griffin from sustaining another injury, although there was speculation that Shanahan was unhappy about Griffin's friendly relationship with team owner Daniel Snyder.[109] Shanahan was fired after the season ended.[110]

Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson leads all players in licensed product sales

Russell Wilson the second-year quarterback of the Super Bowl champion Seahawks led all NFL players in terms of total licensed product sales (jerseys, T-shirts, figurines, photos, etc.) made from March 2013 through February 2014. The top six players on the list were quarterbacks, including, in order, Peyton Manning (who held the top spot the previous year), Colin Kaepernick, Robert Griffin III, Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady. The only non-quarterback in the top 10 was Wilson's Seahawks teammate, running back Marshawn Lynch.[111]

Deacon Jones' death

Deacon Jones in 1971.

Legendary Hall of Fame defensive lineman Deacon Jones died in June.[112] Shortly thereafter the league honored Jones' legacy by creating the "Deacon Jones Award" to be given annually to the player who records the most quarterback sacks.[113] Colts linebacker Robert Mathis was the inaugural winner of the honor.[114]

Bud Adams' death

Tennessee Titans owner Kenneth S. "Bud" Adams died in October. He was the only owner the franchise, which began in 1960 as the Houston Oilers in the AFL, has ever had. Adams was a second-generation oil tycoon who made his home in Houston, Texas.[115] The team was inherited in equal parts by the families of Adams' three children with Adams' son-in-law Tommy Smith succeeding Adams as the president and CEO of the franchise.[116][117]

Art Donovan

Bum Phillips with former U.S. President George H. W. Bush

L. C. Greenwood

Pat Summerall

Chuck Muncie

Other 2013 deaths

Aside from those mentioned above, the following people associated with the NFL died in 2013: Hall of Fame members Jack Butler, Art Donovan, Mike McCormack and Clarence "Ace" Parker; former coaches Bill Austin, Chuck Fairbanks, John Idzik, John Mazur, Jack Pardee, Jim Sweeney, Bum Phillips and Ray Willsey; former players Scott Adams, Tom Alberghini, Bill Albright, John Alderton, Jim Barton, Hezekiah Braxton, Don Brown, George Brown (1949 New York Yankees of the AAFC), Tom Brown, Ted Burgmeier (1987 Kansas City Chiefs), Jim Canady (1948 Chicago Bears), Rick Casares, Jim Cason, Frank Chamberlin, Todd Christensen, Ken Clark, Walt Clay (1946 Chicago Rockets of the AAFC), Ray Coates (1949 N.Y. Giants), Angelo Coia, Fred Cole (L.A. Chargers), Dave Costa, Bobby Crespino, Billy Cross, Jack Davis, Art DeCarlo, Jack Del Bello (1953 Baltimore Colts), Burt Delavan (1955 Chicago Cardinals), Frank Dempsey, John Didion, Walt Dubzinski (1944 Boston Yanks), Dick Duden, Ron Duncan (1967 Cleveland Browns), Jeff Durkota (1948 Los Angeles Dons of the AAFC), Walt Easley, Allan Ellis, Dick Evey, Joe Francis, Willie Frazier, Sonny Gandee, Frank Gaul, Ronnie Goodwin (1964 Philadelphia Eagles), L. C. Greenwood, Glynn Gregory (1961 Dallas Texans), Earl Gros, Bob Heck (1949 Chicago Hornets), Robert "Bob" Hecker (1952 L.A. Rams), Carey Henley (1962 Buffalo Bills), Tom Higgins, Sr. (1955 Philadelphia Eagles), Harlon Hill, John Holt, Thomas Howard, Jim Hudson, Ken Hutcherson, Claudis James, Dave Jennings, Fred Julian, Bob Kahler, Dave Kocourek, Johnny Kovatch, Chester "Chet" Lagod (1953 N.Y. Giants), Mike LaHood (1969 L.A. Rams), Dave Leggett, Jimmy Lesane (1952 Chicago Bears), Jeff Lewis, Toni Linhart, Bob Livingstone (1948 Chicago Rockets of the AAFC), Tony Lorick, John Maczuzak (1964 Kansas City Chiefs), Errol Mann, Lew Mayne, Frank Maznicki, Geno Mazzanti (1950 Baltimore Colts), Darris McCord, John McCormick, Greg McCrary, David McMillan, Bronzell Miller, Bert Milling (1942 Philadelphia Eagles), Norm Mosley (1948 Pittsburgh Steelers), Chuck Muncie, Hamilton Nichols, Rick Norton, Bob Oliver (1969 Cleveland Browns), Paul Oliver, Francis Peay, Tom Pennington, Gordon Polofsky (1954 Chicago Cardinals), Jim Powers, Ben Pucci, John Reger, Ernie Richardson (1974 Cleveland Browns), Jerry Robinson, Reggie Rogers, Curtis Rouse, Marion Rushing, Tino Sabuco (1949 S.F. 49ers), George Saimes, George Sauer, Jr., Harry Schuh, Pat Shea, Ed Shedlosky (1945 N.Y. Giants), Brian Sisley (1987 N.Y. Giants), Charles Smith (1947 Chicago Cardinals), Harry Smith, Ron Smith, John Sokolosky (1978 Detroit Lions), Bryan Stoltenberg, Roy Stuart, Pat Summerall, Walt Sweeney, Joe Tereshinski, Sr., Bobby Thomason, Frank Tripucka, Bill Troup, Val Joe Walker, Art Weiner, Wilford White, John Wilbur, John F. Wiley Mike Williams (1980 Kansas City Chiefs) Sam Williams, Will Wynn, Bob Yates, Dick Yelvington and Glenn Young; former owner of the Philadelphia Eagles, Jerry Wolman; former minority owner of the San Francisco 49ers, Lou Spadia; former team scout Bud Asher; and former officials Bob Beeks and Jerry Seeman.[118]

The 2013 season saw a number of league records set, most notably:

• A record 11,985 points were scored during the season, with games averaging 46.8 points, the highest average in NFL history (46.5 in 1948).[119]
• A total of 1,338 total touchdowns were scored, surpassing the league-wide record of 1,297, which occurred last season.[119]
• A record 863 field goals were made this year, surpassing the record set last year with 852. Also, kickers converted a record 86.5% of their field goal attempts breaking the record of 84.5% set during the 2008 season.[119]
• With 5,477 passing yards, Peyton Manning broke Drew Brees' 2011 record for passing yards in a season by a single yard.[119]
• Peyton Manning also finished with a season record 55 touchdown passes, surpassing the mark of 50 set by Tom Brady in 2007.[119][120][121]
• In scoring 606 points during the regular season, the Denver Broncos surpassed the NFL record for most points (previously held by the 2007 Patriots who scored 589 points) and became the first team to eclipse the 600 point threshold.[119] The Broncos outscored the next highest scoring team (the Chicago Bears) by 161 points, or more than ten points per game.[122]
• Punter Johnny Hekker of the St. Louis Rams set a single season record with an average of 44.2 net yards per punt, besting the mark of 44.0 yards set by Andy Lee in 2011.[123]

AT&T Stadium – Interior

MetLife Stadium

Lambeau Field

FedExField

Sports Authority Field at Mile High

Notes

• ^a – Played one home game in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
• ^b – Played one home game in London, England.

Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome

2013 marked the final season in which the Minnesota Vikings played their home games at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, as the team will move temporarily to TCF Bank Stadium (home of the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers) while their U.S. Bank Stadium is built at the same site as the Metrodome. The Vikings will play the 2014 and 2015 seasons at TCF Bank Stadium and open their new stadium for the 2016 season.[221] The Vikings had called the Metrodome home since it opened in 1982.

Candlestick Park

This was also the final season in which the San Francisco 49ers played their home games at Candlestick Park, as the team will move into the newly built Levi's Stadium located in Santa Clara, California, for 2014. The 49ers had played in Candlestick since 1971 and the stadium has hosted Monday Night Football 36 times, including the stadium's farewell game on December 23. No other facility had as many Monday Night Football appearances.[222] With the departure of the 49ers, Candlestick Park will be left without any permanent tenants. On February 3, 2013, plans to demolish Candlestick Park were announced and might take place after the final 2013 49ers game.[223][224]

Two stadiums received new naming rights: In January 2013, Cleveland Browns Stadium was renamed FirstEnergy Stadium. The FirstEnergy Corporation, an energy company based in Akron, Ohio, agreed to pay the Cleveland Browns $6 million per year for 17 years to have its name on the team's stadium.[225] In July 2013, Cowboys Stadium was re-branded as AT&T Stadium, though terms of the naming rights deal remain undisclosed.[226]

Several teams made changes to their uniforms or logos prior to the 2013 season:

• The Jacksonville Jaguars revised their logo[227] and unveiled a new uniform design.[228] The new design includes all black home uniforms, white road jerseys and a teal alternate jersey. The new jerseys include "claw marks" on the shoulders and a "JAGS" patch over the heart. The new helmet design features a paint scheme that fades from matte black in the front to gold in the back.[229][230]
• The Miami Dolphins updated their logo and unveiled redesigned uniforms.[231] The new logo features a more streamlined dolphin which loses the football helmet and the "fierce" facial expression.[232] The new uniforms keep the same basic color palette, but there is less use of orange. The facemask color on the team's new helmets has been changed from aqua to white.[233]
• The Minnesota Vikings introduced a slightly tweaked "Norseman" logo[234] and unveiled new uniforms.[235] The colors are barely changed, with a new font for the uniform numbers and asymmetrical stripes on the pants. The new helmets feature matte purple paint with glossy logos and black facemasks.[233]
• The San Diego Chargers introduced some relatively minor uniform alterations.[236] The most noticeable change is the switch to "self-color" collars (where the collars match the jersey body) from the previous contrasting color "neck roll" collar design. There were also some changes to the colors used on the nameplates as well as some changes to the socks. The pants and helmets remain unchanged.[237]
• The New York Giants introduced a new alternate uniform consisting of new white pants which may be worn with the team's existing blue jerseys in place of the usual grey pants.[238] The team wore this new alternate uniform on November 10 against the Oakland Raiders and November 24 against the Dallas Cowboys.[239]
• In honor of the fifteenth anniversary of the team's relocation to Nashville, the Tennessee Titans wore their alternate navy blue jerseys in two home games. This marked the first time since 2008 that the Titans wore the navy blue jerseys which were their primary home jerseys in their early Tennessee seasons before they switched to their current light blue jerseys.[240] The Titans also added a patch commemorating the 15th season in Tennessee to their jerseys.[28]^:63
• The Indianapolis Colts added a jersey patch which celebrates the team's 30th season in Indianapolis.[28]^:63

Due to a new recommendation that a player should use the same helmet for all games, several teams were forced to make changes in their plans to use alternate and throwback jerseys, including the following:

• The Tampa Bay Buccaneers shelved their "Creamsicle" throwback uniforms completely.[27] The Patriots similarly chose not to wear their throwback uniforms at all in 2013.[241]
• The Washington Redskins wore their current helmets (with the center stripe decal removed) along with their throwback uniforms which feature a different shade of burgundy.[242]
• The Green Bay Packers also wore their current helmets with their throwback uniforms, but with the stripes and logo decals removed.[243]
• The Dallas Cowboys decided to wear their blue "away" jerseys at their Thanksgiving Day home game, something they have not done since the 1960s. Traditionally the team has worn their throwback jerseys (which include a white helmet) for the Thanksgiving game.[244]

This was the eighth and final year of the TV contracts with CBS, Fox, NBC, and ESPN before the new nine-year contracts began in 2014. CBS and Fox continued to carry the Sunday afternoon AFC and NFC packages, respectively. NBC carried Sunday Night Football, the kickoff game, and the prime-time Thanksgiving game; and ESPN aired seventeen Monday Night games in sixteen weeks.[245]