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The 1998 NFL season was the 79th regular season of the National Football League.
The Tennessee Oilers moved their home games from Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis to Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, still awaiting construction on a new stadium (Adelphia Coliseum) in Nashville.
This was the first season that CBS held the rights to televise American Football Conference games, taking over the package from NBC. Meanwhile, this was the first time that ESPN broadcasted all of the Sunday night games throughout the season.
The season ended with Super Bowl XXXIII when the Denver Broncos defeated the Atlanta Falcons.
Major rule changes
- Tinted visors on players' facemasks are banned except for medical need.
- A defensive player can no longer flinch before the snap in an attempt to draw movement from an offensive linemen.
- A team will be penalized immediately for having 12 players in a huddle even if the 12th player goes straight to the sideline as the huddle breaks.
Final standings
W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT= Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against
| Qualified for playoffs |
| AFC East | ||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Jets | 12 | 4 | .750 | 416 | 266 | |
| Miami Dolphins | 10 | 6 | .625 | 321 | 265 | |
| Buffalo Bills | 10 | 6 | .625 | 400 | 333 | |
| New England Patriots | 9 | 7 | .563 | 337 | 329 | |
| Indianapolis Colts | 3 | 13 | .188 | 310 | 444 | |
| AFC Central | ||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 11 | 5 | .688 | 392 | 338 | |
| Tennessee Oilers | 8 | 8 | .500 | 330 | 320 | |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 7 | 9 | .438 | 263 | 303 | |
| Baltimore Ravens | 6 | 10 | .375 | 269 | 335 | |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 3 | 13 | .188 | 268 | 452 | |
| AFC West | ||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
| Denver Broncos | 14 | 2 | .875 | 501 | 309 | |
| Oakland Raiders | 8 | 8 | .500 | 288 | 356 | |
| Seattle Seahawks | 8 | 8 | .500 | 372 | 310 | |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 7 | 9 | .438 | 327 | 363 | |
| San Diego Chargers | 5 | 11 | .313 | 241 | 342 | |
| NFC East | ||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 10 | 6 | .625 | 381 | 275 | |
| Arizona Cardinals | 9 | 7 | .563 | 325 | 378 | |
| New York Giants | 8 | 8 | .500 | 287 | 309 | |
| Washington Redskins | 6 | 10 | .375 | 319 | 421 | |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 3 | 13 | .188 | 161 | 344 | |
| NFC Central | ||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
| Minnesota Vikings | 15 | 1 | .938 | 556 | 296 | |
| Green Bay Packers | 11 | 5 | .688 | 408 | 319 | |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 8 | 8 | .500 | 314 | 295 | |
| Detroit Lions | 5 | 11 | .313 | 306 | 378 | |
| Chicago Bears | 4 | 12 | .250 | 276 | 368 | |
| NFC West | ||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
| Atlanta Falcons | 14 | 2 | .875 | 442 | 289 | |
| San Francisco 49ers | 12 | 4 | .750 | 479 | 328 | |
| New Orleans Saints | 6 | 10 | .375 | 305 | 359 | |
| Carolina Panthers | 4 | 12 | .250 | 336 | 413 | |
| St. Louis Rams | 4 | 12 | .250 | 285 | 378 | |
Tiebreakers
- Miami finished ahead of Buffalo in the AFC East based on better net division points (6 to Bills' 0).
- Oakland finished ahead of Seattle in the AFC West based on head-to-head sweep (2-0).
- Carolina finished ahead of St. Louis in the NFC West based on head-to-head sweep (2-0).
Playoffs
- Home team in capitals
AFC
- Wild-Card playoffs: MIAMI 24, Buffalo 17; JACKSONVILLE 25, New England 10
- Divisional playoffs: DENVER 38, Miami 3; N.Y. JETS 34, Jacksonville 24
- AFC Championship: DENVER 23, N.Y. Jets 10
NFC
- Wild-Card playoffs: Arizona 20, DALLAS 7; SAN FRANCISCO 30, Green Bay 27
- Divisional playoffs: ATLANTA 20, San Francisco 18; MINNESOTA 41, Arizona 21
- NFC Championship: Atlanta 30, MINNESOTA 27 (OT)
Super Bowl XXXIII
- Denver (AFC) 34, Atlanta (NFC) 19, at Pro Player Stadium, Miami, Florida
Statistical leaders
Team
| Points scored | Minnesota Vikings (556) |
| Total yards gained | San Francisco 49ers (6,800) |
| Yards rushing | San Francisco 49ers (2,544) |
| Yards passing | Minnesota Vikings (4,328) |
| Fewest points allowed | Miami Dolphins (265) |
| Fewest total yards allowed | San Diego Chargers (4,208) |
| Fewest rushing yards allowed | San Diego Chargers (1,140) |
| Fewest passing yards allowed | Philadelphia Eagles (2,720) |
Individual
| Scoring | Gary Anderson, Minnesota (164 points) |
| Touchdowns | Terrell Davis, Denver (23 TDs) |
| Most field goals made | Al Del Greco, Tennessee (36 FGs) |
| Rushing | Terrell Davis, Denver (2,008 yards) |
| Passing | Randall Cunningham, Minnesota, (106.0 rating) |
| Passing touchdowns | Steve Young, San Francisco (36 TDs) |
| Pass receiving | O.J. McDuffie, Miami (90 catches) |
| Pass receiving yards | Antonio Freeman, Green Bay (1,424) |
| Punt returns | Deion Sanders, Dallas (15.6 average yards) |
| Kickoff returns | Terry Fair, Detroit (28.0 average yards) |
| Interceptions | Ty Law, New England (8) |
| Punting | Craig Hentrich, Tennessee (47.2 average yards) |
| Sacks | Michael Sinclair, Seattle (16.5) |
Awards
| Most Valuable Player | Terrell Davis, Running Back, Denver |
| Coach of the Year | Dan Reeves, Atlanta |
| Offensive Player of the Year | Terrell Davis, Running Back, Denver |
| Defensive Player of the Year | Reggie White, Defensive End, Green Bay |
| Offensive Rookie of the Year | Randy Moss, Wide Receiver, Minnesota |
| Defensive Rookie of the Year | Charles Woodson, Cornerback, Oakland |
| NFL Comeback Player of the Year | Doug Flutie, Quarterback, Buffalo |
References
- NFL Record and Fact Book (ISBN 193299436X)
- NFL History 1991-2000 (Last accessed October 17, 2005)
- 1998 season in details
- Total Football: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League (ISBN 0062701746)
- Steelers Fever - History of NFL Rules (Last accessed October 17, 2005)
"1998 NFL season"