2000 NFL season

The 2000 NFL season was the 81st regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXXV when the Baltimore Ravens defeated the New York Giants 34–7 at the Raymond James Stadium.

2000 National Football League season
Regular season
DurationSeptember 3 – December 25, 2000
Playoffs
Start dateDecember 30, 2000
AFC ChampionsBaltimore Ravens
NFC ChampionsNew York Giants
Super Bowl XXXV
DateJanuary 28, 2001
SiteRaymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
ChampionsBaltimore Ravens
Pro Bowl
DateFebruary 4, 2001
SiteAloha Stadium

Week 1 of the season reverted to Labor Day weekend in 2000. It would be the last NFL season to date to start on Labor Day weekend. It would also be the last time until 2015 that CBS televised the late afternoon games in Week 1. This was because both Week 1 of the NFL season and CBS’ coverage of the U.S. Open tennis finals would take place on the same day beginning next season.

Major rule changes

  • In order to cut down on group celebrations, unsportsmanlike conduct penalties and fines will be assessed for celebrations by two or more players.
  • Anyone wearing an eligible number (1 to 49 or 80 to 89) can play quarterback without having to first report to the referee before a play.
    • This rule change resulted in the increase of trick plays teams can employ on offense.
  • The “Bert Emanuel” rule was implemented, stating that when making a catch and falling to the ground, the ball is allowed to touch the ground and still be considered a catch if the player maintains clear control of the ball.

2000 deaths

  • Tom Landry head coach of the Dallas Cowboys as a tribute the cowboys wore a patch of Landry’s hat on their jerseys as a tribute
  • Derrick Thomas Linebacker of the Kansas City Chiefs died in a car crash February 8, 2000.

Uniform and logo changes

  • New England Patriots – New uniforms. Shade of blue darkened considerably, blue pants introduced for road uniforms.
  • Baltimore Ravens – New Ravens wordmark logo. New Ravens Shield logo on sleeve ends & new pants stripping with the "B" logo on hips.
  • Kansas City Chiefs – Red pants on road uniforms for first time since 1988.
  • New Orleans Saints – Updated logo and introduced alternative old gold logo. Returned to gold pants for road uniforms.
  • New York Giants – Re-adopted their 1960s logo. New uniforms; home uniforms feature blue jerseys with white block numbers while road jerseys feature red numbers with blue outlines (reversing previous design). Pants color changes to gray.
  • New York Jets & New York Giants – New grass field in Giants Stadium.
  • St. Louis Rams – New logo and new uniforms. Shades of blue and gold darkened to “New Century Blue” and “Millennium Gold.”

Coaching changes

Final regular season standings

Tiebreakers

  • Green Bay finished ahead of Detroit in the NFC Central based on better division record (5–3 to Lions’ 3–5).
  • New Orleans finished ahead of St. Louis in the NFC West based on better division record (7–1 to Rams’ 5–3).
  • Tampa Bay was the second NFC Wild Card based on head-to-head victory over St. Louis (1–0).

Playoffs

Dec. 31 – PSINet Stadium Jan. 7 – Adelphia Coliseum
5 Denver 3
4 Baltimore 24
4 Baltimore 21 Jan. 14 – Network Associates Coliseum
1 Tennessee 10
AFC
Dec. 30 – Pro Player Stadium 4 Baltimore 16
Jan. 6 – Network Associates Coliseum
2 Oakland 3
6 Indianapolis 17 AFC Championship
3 Miami 0
3 Miami 23* Jan. 28 – Raymond James Stadium
2 Oakland 27
Wild card playoffs
Divisional playoffs
Dec. 30 – Louisiana Superdome A4 Baltimore 34
Jan. 6 – Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
N1 NY Giants 7
6 St. Louis 28 Super Bowl XXXV
3 New Orleans 16
3 New Orleans 31 Jan. 14 – Giants Stadium
2 Minnesota 34
NFC
Dec. 31 – Veterans Stadium 2 Minnesota 0
Jan. 7 – Giants Stadium
1 NY Giants 41
5 Tampa Bay 3 NFC Championship
4 Philadelphia 10
4 Philadelphia 21
1 NY Giants 20


* Indicates overtime victory

AFC

  • Wild-Card playoffs: Miami 23, Indianapolis 17 (OT); Baltimore 21, Denver 3
  • Divisional playoffs: Oakland 27, Miami 0; Baltimore 24, Tennessee 10
  • AFC Championship: Baltimore 16, Oakland 3 at Network Associates Coliseum, Oakland, California, January 14, 2001

NFC

  • Wild-Card playoffs: New Orleans 31, St. Louis 28; Philadelphia 21, Tampa Bay 3
  • Divisional playoffs: Minnesota 34, New Orleans 16; N.Y. Giants 20, Philadelphia 10
  • NFC Championship: N.Y. Giants 41, Minnesota 0 at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, January 14, 2001

Super Bowl

Milestones

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

Record Player/Team Date/Opponent Previous Record Holder[1]
Most Rushing Yards Gained, Game Corey Dillon, Cincinnati (278) October 22, vs. Denver Walter Payton, Chicago vs. Minnesota, November 20, 1977 (275)
Most Pass Receptions, Game Terrell Owens, San Francisco (20) December 17, vs. Chicago Tom Fears, L.A. Rams vs. Green Bay, December 3, 1950 (18)
Most Points, Career Gary Anderson, Minnesota October 22, vs. Buffalo George Blanda 1949–1975 (2,002)
Most Two-Point Conversions by a Team, Game St. Louis (4) October 15, vs. Atlanta Tied by 2 teams (3)
Most Yards Gained by a Team, Season St. Louis (7,075) N/A Miami, 1984 (6,936)
Most Passing Yards Gained by a Team, Season St. Louis (5,232) N/A Miami, 1984 (5,018)

Statistical leaders

Team

Points scoredSt. Louis Rams (540)
Total yards gainedSt. Louis Rams (7,075)
Yards rushingOakland Raiders (2,470)
Yards passingSt. Louis Rams (5,232)
Fewest points allowedBaltimore Ravens (165)
Fewest total yards allowedTennessee Titans (3,813)
Fewest rushing yards allowedBaltimore Ravens (970)
Fewest passing yards allowedTennessee Titans (2,423)

Individual

ScoringMarshall Faulk, St. Louis (160 points)
TouchdownsMarshall Faulk, St. Louis (26 TDs)
Most field goals madeMatt Stover, Baltimore (35 FGs)
RushingEdgerrin James, Indianapolis (1,709 yards)
PassingBrian Griese, Denver (102.9 rating)
Passing touchdownsDaunte Culpepper, Minnesota and Peyton Manning, Indianapolis (33 TDs)
Pass receivingMarvin Harrison, Indianapolis and Muhsin Muhammad, Carolina (102 catches)
Pass receiving yardsTorry Holt, St. Louis (1,635)
Pass receiving touchdownsRandy Moss, Minnesota (15 touchdowns)
Punt returnsJermaine Lewis, Baltimore (16.1 average yards)
Kickoff returnsDarrick Vaughn, Atlanta (27.7 average yards)
InterceptionsDarren Sharper, Green Bay (9)
PuntingDarren Bennett, San Diego (46.2 average yards)
SacksLa'Roi Glover, New Orleans (17)

Awards

Most Valuable PlayerMarshall Faulk, Running back, St. Louis
Coach of the YearJim Haslett, New Orleans
Offensive Player of the YearMarshall Faulk, Running back, St. Louis
Defensive Player of the YearRay Lewis, Linebacker, Baltimore
Offensive Rookie of the YearMike Anderson, Running Back, Denver
Defensive Rookie of the YearBrian Urlacher, Linebacker, Chicago
NFL Comeback Player of the YearJoe Johnson, Defensive End, New Orleans
Walter Payton NFL Man of the YearJim Flanigan, Defensive Tackle, Chicago and Derrick Brooks, Linebacker, Tampa Bay
Super Bowl Most Valuable PlayerRay Lewis, Linebacker, Baltimore

Draft

The 2000 NFL Draft was held from April 15 to 16, 2000 at New York City's Theater at Madison Square Garden. With the first pick, the Cleveland Browns selected defensive end Courtney Brown from Pennsylvania State University.

Notes

  1. "Records". 2005 NFL Record and Fact Book. NFL. 2005. ISBN 978-1-932994-36-0.

References

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