1984 NFL season
The 1984 NFL season was the 65th regular season of the National Football League. The Colts relocated from Baltimore, Maryland to Indianapolis, Indiana before the season. The Colts new home field was the Hoosier Dome. The New York Jets moved their home games from Shea Stadium in New York City to Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The season ended with Super Bowl XIX when the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Miami Dolphins. This was the first Super Bowl televised by ABC, who entered into the annual championship game rotation with CBS and NBC. This game marked the second shortest distance between the Super Bowl host stadium (Stanford, California) and a Super Bowl team (San Francisco 49ers).[1]
The 49ers became the first team in NFL history to win 15 games in a regular season and to win 18 in an entire season (including the post-season). Additionally, two major offensive records were set this season, with quarterback Dan Marino establishing a new single-season passing yards record with 5,084 (later broken by Drew Brees and Tom Brady in 2011), and Eric Dickerson establishing a new single-season rushing yards record with 2,105.
Also during the season, San Diego Chargers wide receiver Charlie Joiner became the all-time leader in career receptions; he set that mark in a game between the Chargers and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Stadium.
Major rule changes
- Linebackers are permitted to wear numbers 90–99.
- The penalty for a kickoff or onside kick that goes out of bounds is 5 yards from the previous spot and a re-kick must be made. However, if the second (or more) kickoff or onside kick goes out of bounds, the receiving team may choose instead to take possession of the ball at the out of bounds spot.
- Leaping to try to block a field goal or an extra point is illegal unless the defensive player was lined up at the line of scrimmage.
- A kicker or holder who fakes being roughed or run into by a defensive player can receive an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
- Unsportsmanlike conduct will also be called for any prolonged, excessive, or premeditated celebration by individual players or a group of players. This is usually referred to as the "Mark Gastineau Rule" because a major reason why this change was made was to stop him from performing his signature "Sack Dance" every time after he sacked an opposing quarterback.
Regular Season games not broadcast by Network TV
Final standings
W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT = Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against
x – clinched wild card berth, y – clinched division title
Tiebreakers
- N.Y. Giants finished ahead of St. Louis and Dallas in the NFC East based on best head-to-head record (3–1 to Cardinals' 2–2 and Cowboys' 1–3).
- St. Louis finished ahead of Dallas in the NFC East based on better division record (5–3 to Cowboys' 3–5).
Playoffs
Milestones
The following players set all-time records during the season:
| Most Passing Yards Gained, Season | Dan Marino, Miami (5,084) |
| Most Passing Touchdowns, Season | Dan Marino, Miami (48) |
| Most Rushing Yards Gained, Season | Eric Dickerson, Los Angeles Rams (2,105) |
| Most Pass Receptions, Season | Art Monk, Washington (106) |
| Most Rushing Yards Gained, Career | Walter Payton, Chicago (13,309 at the end of the season) |
Awards
| Most Valuable Player | Dan Marino, Quarterback, Miami |
| Coach of the Year | Chuck Knox, Seattle |
| Offensive Player of the Year | Dan Marino, Quarterback, Miami |
| Defensive Player of the Year | Kenny Easley, Safety, Seattle |
| Offensive Rookie of the Year | Louis Lipps, Wide Receiver, Pittsburgh |
| Defensive Rookie of the Year | Bill Maas, Defensive Tackle, Kansas City |
References
- NFL Record and Fact Book (ISBN 1-932994-36-X)
- NFL History 1981–1990 (Last accessed December 4, 2005)
- 1984 season in details
- Total Football: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League (ISBN 0-06-270174-6)
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