1995 NFL season

1995 National Football League season
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
National Football League seasons
 < 1994 1996 > 

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 had only four teams (while the other four had five teams): the AFC Central (Jaguars) and the NFC West (Panthers).

Meanwhile, the two teams in Los Angeles relocated to other cities: the Rams transferred to St. Louis and the Raiders moved back to Oakland. 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 scheduled for 1 PM in case they were to move 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 to become the first team in NFL history to win three Super Bowls in four years.

Major rule changes

Final regular season standings

W = Wins, L = Losses, PCT = Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against. Clinched playoff seeds are marked in parentheses and shaded in green. No ties occurred this season.

AFC East
TeamWLPCTPFPA
(3) Buffalo Bills 106.625350335
(5) Indianapolis Colts 97.563331316
(6) Miami Dolphins 97.563398332
New England Patriots 610.375294377
New York Jets 313.188233384
AFC Central
TeamWLPCTPFPA
(2) Pittsburgh Steelers 115.688407327
Cincinnati Bengals 79.438349374
Houston Oilers 79.438348324
Cleveland Browns 511.313289356
Jacksonville Jaguars 412.250275404
AFC West
TeamWLPCTPFPA
(1) Kansas City Chiefs 133.813358241
(4) San Diego Chargers 97.563321323
Seattle Seahawks 88.500363366
Denver Broncos 88.500388345
Oakland Raiders 88.500348332
NFC East
TeamWLPCTPFPA
(1) Dallas Cowboys 124.750435291
(4) Philadelphia Eagles 106.625318338
Washington Redskins 610.375326359
New York Giants 511.313290340
Arizona Cardinals 412.250275422
NFC Central
TeamWLPCTPFPA
(3) Green Bay Packers 115.688404314
(5) Detroit Lions 106.625436336
Chicago Bears 97.563392360
Minnesota Vikings 88.500412385
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 79.438238335
NFC West
TeamWLPCTPFPA
(2) San Francisco 49ers 115.688457258
(6) Atlanta Falcons 97.563362349
St. Louis Rams 79.438309418
Carolina Panthers 79.438289325
New Orleans Saints 79.438319348

Tiebreakers

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  

Statistical leaders

Team

Points scoredSan Francisco 49ers (457)
Total yards gainedDetroit Lions (6,113)
Yards rushingKansas City Chiefs (2,222)
Yards passingSan Francisco 49ers (4,608)
Fewest points allowedKansas City Chiefs (241)
Fewest total yards allowedSan Francisco 49ers (4,398)
Fewest rushing yards allowedSan Francisco 49ers (1,061)
Fewest passing yards allowedNew York Jets (2,740)

Individual

ScoringEmmitt Smith, Dallas (150 points)
TouchdownsEmmitt Smith, Dallas (25 TDs)
Most field goals madeNorm Johnson, Pittsburgh (34 FGs)
RushingEmmitt Smith, Dallas (1,773 yards)
PassingJim Harbaugh, Indianapolis (100.7 rating)
Passing touchdownsBrett Favre, Green Bay (38 TDs)
Pass receivingHerman Moore, Detroit (123 catches)
Pass receiving yardsJerry Rice, San Francisco (1,848)
Punt returnsDavid Palmer, Minnesota (13.2 average yards)
Kickoff returnsRon Carpenter, New York Jets (27.7 average yards)
InterceptionsOrlando Thomas, Minnesota (9)
PuntingRick Tuten, Seattle (45.0 average yards)
SacksBryce 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).

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)

Awards

Most Valuable PlayerBrett Favre, Quarterback, Green Bay
Coach of the YearRay Rhodes, Philadelphia
Offensive Player of the YearBrett Favre, Quarterback, Green Bay
Defensive Player of the YearBryce Paup, Linebacker, Buffalo
Offensive Rookie of the YearCurtis Martin, Running Back, New England
Defensive Rookie of the YearHugh Douglas, Defensive End, New York Jets

External links

References