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2020 NFL season

[edit]
This page is about the American football season in the United States. For the Gaelic football season in Ireland, see 2020 National Football League (Ireland).

2020 NFL season
Regular season
DurationSeptember 10, 2020 (2020-09-10) – January 3, 2021 (2021-01-03)
Playoffs
Start dateJanuary 9, 2021
Super Bowl LV
DateFebruary 7, 2021
SiteRaymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
Pro Bowl
SiteVirtual (via Madden NFL 21)

The 2020 NFL season is the ongoing 101st season of the National Football League (NFL). The regular season started with the NFL Kickoff Game on September 10, in which defending Super Bowl LIV champion Kansas City defeated Houston. The season is scheduled to conclude with Super Bowl LV, the league's championship game at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on February 7, 2021.

The Oakland Raiders relocated to Las Vegas for the 2020 season, now playing at Allegiant Stadium as the Las Vegas Raiders. The Los Angeles Chargers and Rams also played their inaugural season at the newly-completed SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. After a decades-long controversy, the Washington Redskins retired the use of their name and logo and adopted the temporary name "Washington Football Team" for this season[1][2]

The season has been impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic; the most prominent changes were the cancellation of all preseason games[3] and the 2021 Pro Bowl,[4] the suspension of international games for the year,[5] an allowance for players to opt out of playing the season without violating their contracts (66 players opted out),[6] the playing of games with either a greatly reduced audience or no fans at all, and the postponement and/or rescheduling of multiple games due to positive COVID-19 tests among players and staff. Despite the changes, all 256 regular season games were played within the originally-scheduled 115-day span, with no cancellations.[7]

Player movement

[edit]

The 2020 NFL league year and trading period began on March 18. On March 16, teams were allowed to exercise options for 2020 on players with option clauses in their contracts, submit qualifying offers to their pending restricted free agents, and submit a Minimum Salary Tender to retain exclusive negotiating rights to their players with expiring 2019 contracts and fewer than three accrued seasons of free agent credit. Teams were required to be under the salary cap using the "top 51" definition (in which the 51 highest paid-players on the team's payroll must have a combined salary cap). On March 16, clubs were allowed to contact and begin contract negotiations with the agents of players who were set to become unrestricted free agents.

Positions key
C Center CB Cornerback DB Defensive back DE Defensive end[a]
DL Defensive lineman DT Defensive tackle FB Fullback FS Free safety
G Guard[b] K Kicker[c] KR Kickoff returner LB Linebacker
LS Long snapper MLB Middle linebacker[d] OT Offensive tackle OL Offensive lineman
OLB Outside linebacker[a] NT Nose tackle P Punter PR Punt returner
QB Quarterback RS Return specialist RB Running back S Safety
SS Strong safety TE Tight end WR Wide receiver
  1. ^ a b May sometimes be referred to as an edge rusher (EDGE)
  2. ^ Also known as offensive guard (OG)
  3. ^ Also known as placekicker (PK)
  4. ^ Also known as inside linebacker (ILB)

Free agency

[edit]

Free agency began on March 18. Notable players to change teams included:

Trades

[edit]

The following notable trades were made during the 2020 league year:

  • March 16: Baltimore traded TE Hayden Hurst and a 2020 fourth-round selection to Atlanta for 2020 second and fifth round selections
  • March 18: Houston traded WR DeAndre Hopkins and a 2020 fourth-round selection to Arizona for RB David Johnson, a 2020 second-round selection, and a 2021 fourth-round selection.[8]
  • March 18: Jacksonville traded DE Calais Campbell to Baltimore for a 2020 fifth-round selection.[9]
  • March 18: Minnesota traded WR Stefon Diggs and a 2020 seventh-round selection to Buffalo for 2020 first, fifth, and sixth round selection and a 2021 fourth-round selection.[10]
  • March 18: Tennessee traded DT Jurrell Casey to Denver for a 2020 seventh-round selection.[11]
  • March 18: San Francisco traded DT DeForest Buckner to Indianapolis for a 2020 first-round selection.[12]
  • March 18: Jacksonville traded QB Nick Foles to Chicago for a 2020 fourth-round selection.[13]
  • March 18: Carolina traded G Trai Turner to the Los Angeles Chargers for T Russell Okung.[14]
  • March 18: Jacksonville traded CB A. J. Bouye to Denver for a 2020 fourth-round selection.[15]
  • March 19: Detroit traded CB Darius Slay to Philadelphia for a 2020 third-round selection and 2020 a fifth-round selection.[16]
  • April 9: The Los Angeles Rams traded WR Brandin Cooks and a 2022 fourth-round selection to Houston for a 2020 second-round selection.[17]
  • April 21: New England traded TE Rob Gronkowski and a 2020 seventh-round selection to Tampa Bay in exchange for a fourth-round selection.[18]
  • April 25: Washington traded OT Trent Williams to San Francisco for a 2020 fifth-round selection and a 2021 third-round selection.[19]
  • July 25: The New York Jets traded S Jamal Adams and a 2022 fourth-round selection to Seattle for S Bradley McDougald, 2021 and 2022 first-round selections, and a 2021 third-round selection.[20]
  • August 30: Jacksonville traded DE Yannick Ngakoue to Minnesota for a 2021 second-round selection and a conditional 2021 fifth-round selection.[21]

Notable retirements

[edit]

The following notable players retired prior to the 2020 season:

  • C Travis Frederick – Five-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro (one first-team, two-second-team). Played for Dallas during his entire seven-year career.
  • TE Antonio Gates – Eight-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro (three first-team, two-second-team). Played for the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers during his entire 16-year career.
  • LB Luke Kuechly – Seven-time Pro Bowler, seven-time All-Pro (five first-team, two-second-team), and 2013 Defensive Player of the Year. Played for Carolina during his entire eight-year career.
  • QB Eli Manning – Four-time Pro Bowler, two-time Super Bowl champion and Super Bowl MVP (XLII and XLVI), and first overall selection in the 2004 NFL Draft. Played for the New York Giants during his entire 16-year career.
  • RB Darren Sproles – Three-time Pro Bowler, two-time First-Team All-Pro and Super Bowl LII champion. Played for the San Diego Chargers, New Orleans, and Philadelphia during his 15-year career.[22]
  • OT Joe Staley – Six-time Pro Bowler and three-time Second-Team All-Pro. Played for San Francisco during his entire 13-year career.
  • CB Aqib Talib – Five-time Pro Bowler, two-time All-Pro (one first-team, one second-team), and Super Bowl 50 champion. Played for Tampa Bay, New England, Denver, and the Los Angeles Rams during his 12-year career.[23]
  • FS Eric Weddle – Six-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro (two first-team, three-second-team). Played for the San Diego Chargers, Baltimore, and the Los Angeles Rams during his 13-year career.[24]
  • G Marshal Yanda – Eight-time Pro Bowler, seven-time All-Pro (two first-team, five-second-team), and Super Bowl XLVII champion. Played for Baltimore during his entire 13-year career.[25]

Other retirements

Draft

[edit]
Main article: 2020 NFL Draft

The Draft took place on April 23–25, via videoconferencing; it was originally scheduled to take place in Paradise, Nevada, but was moved due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[48] On April 5, the NFL announced that the draft would be held virtually with coaches and GMs conducting it via phone and internet from home due to team facilities also being closed.[49] Goodell unveiled the first-round picks from his home in Bronxville, New York.[50][51] Cincinnati, by virtue of having the worst record in 2019, held the first overall selection and selected QB Joe Burrow out of LSU.[52]

Opt-outs

[edit]

The NFL and the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) agreed on July 24 to allow players to opt out of playing the 2020 season. A total of 66 players opted out by the August 6 deadline. New England had eight players opt out, the most in the NFL; Atlanta, the Los Angeles Chargers, and Pittsburgh had no players opt out. Players who opted out were not paid for the 2020 season, but received a salary advance of $150,000 taken from their 2021 salary. Players who opted out due to medical conditions received a $350,000 stipend which was not taken from their 2021 salary.[6] The following is a list of all players who have opted out:[53]

Players opting out of 2020 season
Name Position Team
Geronimo Allison WR Detroit
John Atkins DT Detroit
Sam Beal CB New York Giants
Travis Benjamin WR San Francisco
Andrew Billings DT Cleveland
Russell Bodine C Detroit
Brandon Bolden RB New England
Caleb Brantley DT Washington
Chandler Brewer OT Los Angeles Rams
Maurice Canady CB Dallas
Marcus Cannon OT New England
Patrick Chung S New England
Shon Coleman OT San Francisco
Josh Doctson WR New York Jets
Drake Dorbeck OT Cleveland
Laurent Duvernay-Tardif G Kansas City
Ukeme Eligwe LB Las Vegas
Drew Forbes G Cleveland
Devin Funchess WR Green Bay
E. J. Gaines CB Buffalo
Marcus Gilbert OT Arizona
Eddie Goldman DT Chicago
Marquise Goodwin WR Philadelphia
Colby Gossett G Cleveland
Stephen Guidry WR Dallas
Josh Harvey-Clemons LB Washington
Dont'a Hightower LB New England
Allen Hurns WR Miami
Ja'Wuan James OT Denver
D. J. Killings CB Las Vegas
Leo Koloamatangi C New York Jets
Matt LaCosse TE New England
Marqise Lee WR New England
Star Lotulelei DT Buffalo
Jordan Lucas S Chicago
Jordan Mack LB Carolina
Lerentee McCray LB Jacksonville
Anthony McKinney OT Tennessee
Rashaan Melvin CB Jacksonville
Christian Miller LB Carolina
Rolan Milligan S Indianapolis
Skai Moore LB Indianapolis
C. J. Mosley LB New York Jets
Lucas Niang OT Kansas City
Jamize Olawale FB Dallas
Kyle Peko DT Denver
Michael Pierce DT Minnesota
Malcolm Pridgeon G Cleveland
Isaiah Prince OT Cincinnati
Da'Mari Scott WR New York Giants
Brad Seaton OT Tampa Bay
Andre Smith OT Baltimore
Nate Solder OT New York Giants
Marvell Tell CB Indianapolis
De'Anthony Thomas WR Baltimore
Najee Toran OT New England
Josh Tupou OT Cincinnati
Jeremiah Valoaga DE Las Vegas
Eddie Vanderdoes DT Houston
Jason Vander Laan TE New Orleans
Danny Vitale FB New England
Larry Warford G Free agent
Chance Warmack G Seattle
Cole Wick TE New Orleans
Damien Williams RB Kansas City
Albert Wilson WR Miami
Al Woods DT Jacksonville

Officiating changes

[edit]

Referee Walt Anderson was promoted to NFL senior vice president in charge of the officiating training and development program, a newly created position that works independently from the league's head of officiating, Alberto Riveron.[54] Land Clark was promoted to referee to replace Anderson. Clark previously served as a referee in the Pac-12 Conference before joining the NFL in 2018 as a field judge.[55]

Former coach Perry Fewell was named NFL senior vice president of officiating administration. He oversees the day-to-day operations of the officiating department and is the primary contact for coaches' and general managers' officiating questions, among other duties.[56][57]

The NFL and the NFL Referees Association agreed on August 9 to allow officials to opt out of working the 2020 season. Officials who opted out received a $30,000 stipend and guaranteed job protection for 2021.[58] Five on-field officials – line judge Jeff Bergman, back judge Steve Freeman, field judge Greg Gautreaux, field judge Joe Larrew, and back judge Tony Steratore – opted out for the season by the August 13 deadline.[59]

Rule changes

[edit]

Permanent changes announced prior to season

[edit]

The following rule changes for the 2020 season were approved at the NFL Owners' Meeting in May 2020:[60]

  • Extend defenseless player protection to a punt/kick returner who possesses the ball but has not had time to avoid or ward off impending contact with an opponent.
  • Make permanent the expansion of automatic replay reviews to include scoring plays and turnovers negated by a foul, and any successful or unsuccessful try attempt.
  • Prevent teams from committing multiple dead-ball fouls in the fourth quarter or in overtime while the clock is running in an attempt to manipulate the game clock. The clock now starts on the snap following a dead-ball foul. This has been referred to as the "Bill Belichick Rule"[61] for his use of this tactic.
  • Teams may bring three players back from injured reserve after missing eight games, up from two players.
  • The temporary rule change for 2019 allowing for the review of pass interference was not renewed.

Temporary rules for 2020 season

[edit]

The following temporary rule changes were made on September 9 and will only be in place for 2020 and possibly 2021 if COVID-19 protocols remain in place:[62]

  • A player on injured reserve is allowed to return after missing three games, down from eight.
  • Teams may return an unlimited number of players from injured reserve throughout the year, instead of the normal limit of three.
  • Practice squads may include up to 16 players from each team, up from 12.
  • After 4:00 p.m. ET on the Tuesday of a game week, a team may designate up to four practice squad players as "protected," meaning they are not allowed to sign with another team until after their current team plays its next game.
  • The NFL instituted a reserve/COVID-19 list for players who either test positive for COVID-19 or have been exposed to someone who has it. There is no minimum amount of time a player must remain on this list, only until he is medically cleared to play.
  • The NFL administers COVID-19 tests to all players and other essential employees every day of the regular season and postseason except game days.
  • Any player who is on a team's Week 1 roster will earn an accrued season toward free agency as long as he is on full-pay status for at least one regular-season game, down from the normal minimum of six.
Side Judge Jim Quirk (left) wears a mask during a December game and referee Adrian Hill (right) removes his mask to announce a penalty in the same game.

Prior to the season, the league announced that every person at field level must wear a face covering except players actively involved in the game or warming up on the sideline and referees while announcing penalties or other rulings. On October 9, the league announced that coaches who approached officials with their faces uncovered could be penalized 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct.[63]

2020 deaths

[edit]

Members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame

[edit]
Herb Adderley
Adderley, a cornerback, spent 12 years in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys from 1960 to 1972. He was inducted into the Hall in 1980 and died on October 30, age 81.
Willie Davis
Davis, a defensive end, spent 12 years in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns and the Green Bay Packers from 1958 to 1969. He also served as a color commentator for NBC in the early 1970s and was inducted into the Hall in 1981. He also started All-Pro Broadcasting, which owns several stations in Los Angeles and Milwaukee. Davis died on April 15, age 85.
Fred Dean
Dean, a defensive end, spent 11 years with the San Diego Chargers and San Francisco 49ers from 1975 to 1985. He was inducted into the Hall in 2008 and died on October 14, age 68.
Chris Doleman
Doleman, a defensive end, spent 15 years in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta Falcons, and San Francisco 49ers. He was inducted into the Hall in 2012 and died January 28, age 58.
Kevin Greene
Greene, a linebacker, played 15 years in the NFL, spending time with the Los Angeles Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers, Carolina Panthers, and San Francisco 49ers. He was inducted into the Hall in 2016 and died December 21, age 58.
Paul Hornung
Hornung, a running back and placekicker, played ten seasons with the Green Bay Packers, and was an inaugural member of the New Orleans Saints roster but never played due to injury. He was inducted into the Hall in 1986 and died November 13, age 84.
Floyd Little
Little, a former first-round pick and running back, spent his nine-season entire career with the Denver Broncos. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2010, and died on January 1, 2021, age 78.[64]
Bobby Mitchell
Mitchell, a halfback, spent 11 years in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns and Washington Redskins; he was the first black player on Washington's roster, ending owner George Preston Marshall's 30-year color barrier on the team. He served as an executive with the Redskins for decades after his playing career ended and was inducted into the Hall in 1983. Mitchell died on April 5, age 84.
Gale Sayers
Sayers, a running back, spent his entire seven-year career with the Chicago Bears. He was inducted into the Hall in 1977 at the age of 34, the youngest player ever inducted. He died September 23, age 77.
Don Shula
Shula was head coach of the Baltimore Colts and Miami Dolphins for a combined 33 years; he holds the record for both the most regular season wins by a head coach in NFL history (328) and the most total wins including the playoffs (347). Shula was inducted into the Hall in 1997. He died May 4, age 90.
Willie Wood
Wood, a safety who spent his entire 12-year career with the Green Bay Packers, was inducted into the Hall in 1989. He died February 3, age 83.
Larry Wilson
Wilson spent 43 seasons in the NFL, all with the St. Louis, Phoenix and Arizona Cardinals, between 1960 and 2002: 13 as a player and 30 as a front office executive. As a player, Wilson, a free safety, appeared in eight Pro Bowls but never reached the playoffs (excluding one Bert Bell Benefit Bowl appearance). Wilson, a member of the Hall's class of 1978, died September 17, age 82.

Others

[edit]

Preseason

[edit]

Training camps were held from late July through August. By league order, all training camps were held at teams' regular practice facilities.[65]

The Pro Football Hall of Fame Game was scheduled for August 6 between Dallas and Pittsburgh, but was canceled on June 25 due to the pandemic.[66] On July 3, the NFLPA voted to cancel the preseason, which was agreed to by the league later that month.[3][67]

Regular season

[edit]

The NFL released its regular season schedule on May 7.[68] The season was played over a 17-week schedule beginning on September 10. Each of the league's 32 teams played a 16-game schedule, with one bye week for each team. The regular season concluded with a full slate of 16 games on January 3, 2021, all of which were intra-division matchups, as it had been since 2010.

The NFL suspended its international games for the season due to travel restrictions imposed because of the pandemic; the league had previously announced that Jacksonville would host two games at Wembley Stadium in London, Atlanta and Miami would each host a game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, and Arizona would host a game at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. These games were moved back to the teams' respective home stadiums.[5]

Using contingencies similar to those built into the 2011 schedule in the event that season's lockout lasted into September, the 2020 schedule was designed to allow for the possibility that the season could be delayed and shortened in the event that conditions were unsafe to begin play as scheduled. Every game in Week 2 featured teams which share the same bye week later in the season, which would have allowed these games to be made up on the teams' original byes. Weeks 3 and 4 were set up so that there were no divisional games and that every team at home in Week 3 was away in Week 4 and vice versa. This would have allowed the NFL to cancel these two weeks without eliminating any divisional games and keeping each team's home and away games balanced. These scheduling changes, along with eliminating the week off before the Super Bowl and moving the Super Bowl back three weeks, would have allowed the NFL to play a 14-game schedule beginning October 29 while still having the Super Bowl in February.[69][70]

Scheduling formula

[edit]

Under the NFL scheduling formula, each team plays the other three teams in its own division twice. In addition, a team plays against all four teams in one division from each conference. The remaining two games on a team's schedule are against the two remaining teams in the same conference that finished in the same position in their respective divisions the previous season (e.g., the team that finished fourth in its division will play all three other teams in the conference that also finished fourth). The division pairings for 2020 are as follows:

    Intra-conference
AFC East vs AFC West
AFC North vs AFC South
NFC East vs NFC West
NFC North vs NFC South

    Inter-conference
AFC East vs NFC West
AFC North vs NFC East
AFC South vs NFC North
AFC West vs NFC South

Highlights of the 2020 season included:

  • NFL Kickoff Game: The 2020 season began with the Kickoff Game on Thursday, September 10. Defending Super Bowl LIV champion Kansas City hosted and defeated Houston.[71]
  • Thanksgiving: Two games were played on Thursday, November 26, featuring Houston at Detroit and Washington at Dallas, with Houston and Washington winning. Baltimore was scheduled to play at Pittsburgh in the primetime game,[72] but it was postponed to December 2, due to several Ravens players and staff testing positive for COVID-19. This postponement reduced the Thanksgiving slate to two games for the first time since 2005.[73][74]
  • Christmas: As Christmas Eve fell on a Thursday, that week's Thursday Night Football game between Minnesota and New Orleans was moved to a 4:30 p.m. ET start on Christmas Day, with New Orleans winning. This was the NFL's first Friday game since 2009, which was also a Christmas game.[75]

With the final round of the 2020 Masters Tournament (whose rights are held by CBS) rescheduled from its normal April date to November 15, CBS was not given any 1:00 p.m. ET games that day, which fell during Week 10. CBS was given three games in the 4:05 p.m. ET slot, while Fox was given eight Sunday games, including three AFC-away games which generally air on CBS.[76][77]

Saturday flexible scheduling

[edit]

When the entire season schedule was released on May 7, the league announced that in Weeks 15 and 16, two or three of five designated games would be moved to Saturday. A total of four games were broadcast by the NFL Network and one was broadcast by Amazon Prime Video.[78]

Week 15[79]
On November 24, the NFL announced that two games will be moved to Saturday, December 19: Buffalo–Denver at 4:30 p.m. ET and Carolina–Green Bay at 8:15 p.m. ET. The three other games that the NFL had the option of scheduling on Saturday (Detroit–Tennessee, Houston–Indianapolis, and New York Jets–Los Angeles Rams) remained on December 20.

Week 16[80]
On November 30, the NFL announced that three games will be moved to Saturday, December 26: Tampa Bay–Detroit at 1:00 p.m ET, San Francisco–Arizona at 4:30 p.m, and Miami–Las Vegas at 8:15 p.m. The San Francisco–Arizona game was assigned to Amazon. The two other games the NFL had the option of scheduling on Saturday (Cleveland–New York Jets and Denver–Los Angeles Chargers) remained on December 27.

In-season scheduling changes

[edit]
  • Week 4:
  • Week 5:
    • The Denver–New England game, which was originally scheduled for Sunday at 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS, was moved to 4:25 p.m. as part of the NFL's flex scheduling.[85] The game was later postponed to Monday at 5:00 p.m. ET after multiple New England players tested positive for COVID-19.[86] This game was again postponed to October 18 at 1:00 p.m. ET when another New England player tested positive.[87] The game remained on CBS.
    • The Buffalo–Tennessee game, originally scheduled for Sunday at 1:00 p.m. ET was postponed to Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. ET due to several positive COVID-19 tests for Tennessee, remaining on CBS.[86]
  • Week 6:
    • The Kansas City–Buffalo game, originally scheduled for Thursday at 8:20 p.m. ET was moved to Monday at 5:00 p.m. ET, remaining on Fox and NFL Network, to avoid a situation in which the Bills would play games two days apart.[86]
    • The New York Jets–Los Angeles Chargers game, originally scheduled for 4:05 p.m. ET was moved to November 22 at 4:05 p.m. ET, remaining on CBS, to accommodate the Week 5 Denver–New England game.
    • The Miami–Denver game, originally scheduled for 4:05 p.m. ET, was moved to November 22 at 4:05 p.m. ET, remaining on CBS, to accommodate Denver–New England.[87]
  • Week 7:
    • The Pittsburgh–Baltimore game, originally scheduled for October 25 at 1:00 p.m. ET was rescheduled for November 1 at 1:00 p.m. ET, remaining on CBS, to accommodate the Pittsburgh–Tennessee game from Week 4.[82]
    • The Los Angeles Chargers–Miami game, originally scheduled for Sunday at 1:00 p.m. ET was moved to November 15 at 4:05 p.m. ET, remaining on CBS, to accommodate the Denver–New England game from Week 5.[87]
    • The Tampa Bay–Las Vegas game, originally scheduled for Sunday Night Football, was moved to 4:05 p.m. ET on Fox, due to Las Vegas having multiple positive COVID-19 tests and to ensure a SNF game was available in case this game needed to postponed to a later date. The Seattle–Arizona game, originally scheduled for 4:05 p.m. ET on Fox, was moved to SNF.[88]
  • Week 8:
    • The Jacksonville–Los Angeles Chargers game, originally scheduled for Sunday at 4:05 p.m. ET was rescheduled for October 25 at 4:25 p.m. ET, remaining on CBS, to accommodate the Denver–New England game from Week 5.[87]
  • Week 10:
    • The New York Jets–Miami game originally scheduled for Sunday at 4:05 p.m. ET was rescheduled for October 18 at 4:05 p.m. ET, remaining on CBS, to accommodate the Denver–New England game from Week 5. This also eliminated an unusual quirk in the schedule that would have had Miami and New York play each other in consecutive games, separated by their bye week.[87]
    • The Cincinnati–Pittsburgh game originally scheduled for Sunday at 1:00 p.m. ET was rescheduled for 4:25 p.m. ET, remaining on Fox.[77]
  • Week 11:
    • The Los Angeles Chargers–Denver game, originally scheduled for Sunday at 4:05 p.m. ET was moved to November 1 at 4:05 p.m. ET to accommodate the Denver–New England game from Week 5.[87]
    • The Green Bay–Indianapolis game, originally scheduled for Sunday at 1:00 p.m. ET, was moved to 4:25 p.m. ET, remaining on Fox.[89]
  • Week 12:
    • The Baltimore–Pittsburgh game, originally scheduled for Thursday at 8:20 p.m. ET, was postponed three times, ultimately to Wednesday at 3:40 p.m. ET, remaining on NBC, due to several Ravens players and staff testing positive for COVID-19.[90]
  • Week 13:
    • To accommodate the postponed Week 12 Baltimore–Pittsburgh game, the Washington–Pittsburgh game, originally scheduled for Sunday at 1:00 p.m. ET, was postponed to Monday at 5:00 p.m. ET, and the Dallas–Baltimore game, originally scheduled for Thursday at 8:20 p.m. ET, was postponed to Tuesday at 8:15 p.m. ET, with both games remaining on Fox.[91]
  • Week 14:
    • The Green Bay–Detroit game, originally scheduled for Sunday at 1:00 p.m. ET, was moved to 4:25 p.m. ET, remaining on Fox.[92]
  • Week 15:
  • Week 16:
    • The Cincinnati–Houston game, originally scheduled at 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS, was cross-flexed to Fox, remaining at 1:00.[95]
    • The Chicago–Jacksonville game, originally scheduled at 1:00 p.m. ET on Fox, was cross-flexed to CBS, remaining at 1:00.[95]
    • The Los Angeles Rams–Seattle game, originally scheduled at 4:05 p.m. ET on CBS, was cross-flexed to 4:25 p.m. ET on Fox.[95]
    • The Carolina–Washington game, originally scheduled at 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS, was moved to 4:05 p.m. ET, remaining on CBS.
  • Week 17:
    • The Washington–Philadelphia game, originally scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET on Fox, was selected as the final 8:20 p.m. ET NBC Sunday Night Football game of the season.[96]
    • The Tennessee–Houston and Jacksonville–Indianapolis games, originally scheduled at 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS, were moved to 4:25 p.m. ET, remaining on CBS.[96]
    • The New Orleans–Carolina and Green Bay–Chicago games, originally scheduled at 1:00 p.m. ET on Fox, were moved to 4:25 p.m. ET, remaining on Fox.[96]
    • The Los Angeles Chargers–Kansas City game, originally scheduled at 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS, was cross-flexed to 4:25 p.m. ET on Fox.[96]
    • The Arizona–Los Angeles Rams game was cross-flexed to CBS, remaining at 4:25 p.m. ET.[96]

Regular season standings

[edit]

Division

[edit]

Conference

[edit]
AFC
# Team Division W L T PCT DIV CONF SOS SOV STK
Division leaders
1 Kansas City Chiefs West 14 2 0 .875 4–2 10–2 .465 .464 L1
2 Buffalo Bills East 13 3 0 .813 6–0 10–2 .512 .471 W6
3 Pittsburgh Steelers North 12 4 0 .750 4–2 9–3 .475 .448 L1
4[a] Tennessee Titans South 11 5 0 .688 5–1 8–4 .475 .398 W1
Wild Cards
5[b][c] Baltimore Ravens North 11 5 0 .688 4–2 7–5 .494 .401 W5
6[c][d] Cleveland Browns North 11 5 0 .688 3–3 7–5 .451 .406 W1
7[a][b][d] Indianapolis Colts South 11 5 0 .688 4–2 7–5 .443 .384 W1
Did not qualify for the postseason
8 Miami Dolphins East 10 6 0 .625 3–3 7–5 .467 .347 L1
9 Las Vegas Raiders West 8 8 0 .500 4–2 6–6 .539 .477 W1
10[e] New England Patriots East 7 9 0 .438 3–3 6–6 .527 .429 W1
11[e] Los Angeles Chargers West 7 9 0 .438 3–3 6–6 .482 .344 W4
12 Denver Broncos West 5 11 0 .313 1–5 4–8 .566 .388 L3
13 Cincinnati Bengals North 4 11 1 .281 1–5 4–8 .529 .438 L1
14 Houston Texans South 4 12 0 .250 2–4 3–9 .541 .219 L5
15 New York Jets East 2 14 0 .125 0–6 1–11 .594 .656 L1
16 Jacksonville Jaguars South 1 15 0 .063 1–5 1–11 .549 .688 L15
Tiebreakers[f]
  1. ^ a b Tennessee finished ahead of Indianapolis based on division record.
  2. ^ a b Baltimore finished ahead of Indianapolis based on head-to-head victory. Division tiebreaker used to eliminate Cleveland (see below).
  3. ^ a b Baltimore finished ahead of Cleveland based on head-to-head sweep.
  4. ^ a b Cleveland finished ahead of Indianapolis based on head-to-head victory.
  5. ^ a b New England finished ahead of the LA Chargers based on head-to-head victory.
  6. ^ When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest ranked remaining team from each division.
NFC
# Team Division W L T PCT DIV CONF SOS SOV STK
Division leaders
1 Green Bay Packers North 13 3 0 .813 5–1 10–2 .428 .387 W6
2[a] New Orleans Saints South 12 4 0 .750 6–0 10–2 .459 .406 W2
3[a] Seattle Seahawks West 12 4 0 .750 4–2 9–3 .447 .404 W4
4 Washington Football Team East 7 9 0 .438 4–2 5–7 .459 .388 W1
Wild cards
5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers South 11 5 0 .688 4–2 8–4 .488 .392 W4
6 Los Angeles Rams West 10 6 0 .625 3–3 9–3 .494 .484 W1
7[b] Chicago Bears North 8 8 0 .500 2–4 6–6 .488 .336 L1
Did not qualify for the postseason
8[b] Arizona Cardinals West 8 8 0 .500 2–4 6–6 .475 .441 L2
9 Minnesota Vikings North 7 9 0 .438 4–2 5–7 .504 .366 W1
10[c] San Francisco 49ers West 6 10 0 .375 3–3 4–8 .549 .448 L1
11[c][d] New York Giants East 6 10 0 .375 4–2 5–7 .502 .427 W1
12[d] Dallas Cowboys East 6 10 0 .375 2–4 5–7 .471 .333 L1
13[e] Carolina Panthers South 5 11 0 .313 1–5 4–8 .531 .388 L1
14[e] Detroit Lions North 5 11 0 .313 1–5 4–8 .508 .350 L4
15 Philadelphia Eagles East 4 11 1 .281 2–4 4–8 .537 .469 L3
16 Atlanta Falcons South 4 12 0 .250 1–5 2–10 .551 .391 L5
Tiebreakers[f]
  1. ^ a b New Orleans finished ahead of Seattle based on conference record.
  2. ^ a b Chicago finished and clinched the 7th and final playoff spot ahead of Arizona based on better win percentage in common games (against Detroit, the NY Giants, Carolina, and the LA Rams, Chicago finished 3–2, while Arizona finished 1–4).
  3. ^ a b San Francisco finished ahead of the NY Giants based on head-to-head victory. Division tie break was initially used to eliminate Dallas (see below).
  4. ^ a b NY Giants won tiebreaker over Dallas based on division record.
  5. ^ a b Carolina finished ahead of Detroit based on head-to-head victory.
  6. ^ When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest-ranked remaining team from each division.

Postseason

[edit]
Main article: 2020–21 NFL playoffs

The 2020 playoffs began on the weekend of January 9–10, 2021 with the Wild Card Round. Under the new NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), the playoffs expanded to 14 teams. There are three Wild Card teams per conference, and only the top seed in each conference received a first-round bye. Three games were played each day.[97]

In the Divisional Round scheduled for January 16–17, the top seed in the conference will host the lowest remaining seed, and the other two remaining teams will play each other, with the higher seed hosting. The winners of those games will advance to the Conference Championships scheduled for January 24. Super Bowl LV is scheduled for February 7 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

In case a COVID-19 outbreak forces the postponements of playoff games, the bye week after the Conference Championships could be eliminated and the Super Bowl could be moved back as far as February 28.[69]

The 2021 Pro Bowl was originally scheduled for January 31 at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada. However, on October 14, the game was canceled due to COVID-19 concerns. Pro Bowl rosters for the 2020 season were released on December 21, and the league plans to hold a virtual event to honor the players chosen. Players selected will be used in a broadcast playthrough in the video game Madden NFL 21 instead.[98] This will mark the first time since the 1949 season in which a Pro Bowl is not held.[4]

Bracket

[edit]
Jan 10 – Nissan Stadium Jan 16 – Bills Stadium
5 Baltimore 20
4 Tennessee 13
5 Baltimore 3
Jan 24 – Arrowhead Stadium
Jan 9 – Bills Stadium 2 Buffalo 17
AFC
7 Indianapolis 24 2 Buffalo 24
Jan 17 – Arrowhead Stadium
2 Buffalo 27 1 Kansas City 38
AFC Championship
Jan 10 – Heinz Field 6 Cleveland 17
1 Kansas City 22
6 Cleveland 48
Divisional playoffs Feb 7 – Raymond James Stadium
3 Pittsburgh 37
Wild Card playoffs
A1 Kansas City 9
Jan 9 – FedExField Jan 17 – Mercedes-Benz Superdome N5 Tampa Bay 31
Super Bowl LV
5 Tampa Bay 31
4 Washington 23
5 Tampa Bay 30
Jan 24 – Lambeau Field
Jan 10 – Mercedes-Benz Superdome 2 New Orleans 20
NFC
7 Chicago 9 5 Tampa Bay 31
Jan 16 – Lambeau Field
2 New Orleans 21 1 Green Bay 26
NFC Championship
Jan 9 – Lumen Field 6 LA Rams 18
1 Green Bay 32
6 LA Rams 30
3 Seattle 20
This bracket:

Notable events

[edit]

New Collective Bargaining Agreement

[edit]

In March 2020, the NFL and the NFLPA agreed to a new CBA that will run through 2030.[99] The previous CBA, signed in 2011, would have expired after this season.[100]

Major changes in the new CBA include:[101]

  • Expanding the playoffs from 12 to 14 teams beginning this season.
  • Allowing the league to expand the regular season from 16 to 17 games beginning in 2021 at the earliest, along with a corresponding reduction of the preseason from four games to three.
  • Increasing the players' share of the league's overall revenue from 47% to 48% starting in 2021. This will increase to 48.8% if the regular season expands to 17 games.[102]
  • Increasing team rosters from 53 to 55 players and game day rosters from 46 to 48 players, with a minimum of eight offensive linemen. Practice squads increased from 10 to 12 players in 2020 and will increase to 14 players in 2022.
  • Allowing players to become eligible for pensions after three accrued seasons, down from four previously.[103]
  • Fully guaranteeing fifth-year options for first round picks if picked up by the team. In addition, the fifth year option salary can rise based on the player's performance in his first three seasons. Previously, it was only tied to when he was selected in the draft.[104]
  • Shortening the drug test window from four months to two weeks at the start of training camp and eliminating automatic suspensions solely based on positive tests.
  • Establishing a "neutral decision-maker" to replace the NFL Commissioner on ruling most discipline cases.
  • Improving teams' training facilities and establishing a network of hospitals in teams' home cities with free healthcare for current and former players.[105]

Washington Redskins' name change

[edit]
See also: Washington Redskins name controversy

On July 1, following renewed attention to racial justice in wake of the George Floyd protests, a letter signed by 87 shareholders and investors was sent to sponsors of the then-Washington Redskins and NFL including Nike, FedEx, and Pepsi urging them to cut ties unless the team name was changed.[106] Around the same time, several retail companies began to remove Redskins merchandise from their stores.[107][108] In response, the team underwent a review of its name and logo. On July 23, the team announced that it would retire its name and logo.[1] The team is playing as the "Washington Football Team" until a permanent name is chosen sometime after the 2020 season.[2]

Shooting of Jacob Blake

[edit]
Main article: 2020 American athlete strikes

In response to the shooting of Jacob Blake, Detroit canceled its scheduled practice on August 25.[109] Nine other teams canceled their scheduled practices on August 27.[110] Several teams that did not cancel practice issued statements about unity. The Jacksonville Jaguars canceled their scheduled afternoon activities.[111]

COVID-19 outbreaks

[edit]
  • On September 30, it was reported that ten Tennessee players and staff members tested positive for COVID-19. Tennessee closed its practice facility through October 3 as the team continued testing and contact tracing. Tennessee's most recent opponent, Minnesota, also closed their facility as a precaution until they received more test results.[112] The league postponed Tennessee's October 4 game against Pittsburgh to October 25[81] and later postponed their October 11 game against Buffalo to October 13.[86]
  • On October 3, it was reported that New England QB Cam Newton and Kansas City practice squad QB Jordan Ta'amu tested positive for COVID-19.[113] The October 4 New England-Kansas City game was postponed to October 5 in order to determine if there were any additional positive tests on either team, which there were not.[83] New England CB Stephon Gilmore tested positive for COVID-19 after this game, resulting in New England's October 11 game against Denver to be postponed initially to October 12, to allow for additional testing and tracing of New England players and staff.[86] After another Patriots player tested positive, the game was postponed again to October 18. This required the league to reschedule six games across multiple weeks affecting Denver, New England, and four other teams.[114]
  • On October 21, it was reported that Las Vegas OT Trent Brown tested positive for COVID-19. Five other players, who were close contacts of Brown, were also placed on the COVID-19 reserve list. Las Vegas' game against Tampa Bay was moved out of that week's Sunday Night Football game to ensure another game could be played in this timeslot.[115]
  • On October 24, Buffalo tight end Dawson Knox tested positive for the virus. He and three other players, including all of the team's tight ends except Tyler Kroft, were placed on the COVID-19 reserve list. Buffalo played its game against the New York Jets as scheduled, with fullback Reggie Gilliam serving as a backup tight end.[116]
  • On November 23, Baltimore running backs Mark Ingram Jr. and J. K. Dobbins both tested positive for COVID-19. Through the rest of the week and into the next week, a total of 18 players either tested positive or had COVID exposures, making them ineligible to play. The Ravens' Thanksgiving night game was delayed, first to Sunday afternoon then to Tuesday night, December 1, and then Wednesday afternoon December 2. Others to test positive were QB Lamar Jackson, OL Patrick Mekari, C Matt Skura, FB Patrick Ricard, LS Morgan Cox, TE Mark Andrews, WR Willie Snead, DE Calais Campbell, and NT Brandon Williams.[117][118]
  • On November 28, Denver quarterbacks Drew Lock, Brett Rypien, and Blake Bortles were ruled ineligible to play for the Broncos Week 12 game against New Orleans after coming into close contact with Jeff Driskel who had tested positive for the virus; the team was also unable to sign a replacement free agent quarterback due to inability to clear testing protocols in time. This led to the Broncos elevating wide receiver Kendall Hinton from the practice squad to play quarterback.[119][120] Hinton went 1/9 with 13 passing yards and two interceptions.[121]

Records, milestones, and notable statistics

[edit]

Week 1

  • Drew Brees broke the career record for pass attempts with his 10,170th attempt. The previous record of 10,169 attempts was held by Brett Favre.[122]
  • Tom Brady became the third player to attempt 10,000 passes, joining Brees and Favre.
  • Frank Gore broke the NFL record for the most regular season games played by a running back, with 227. The previous record of 226 was held by Emmitt Smith.[123]
  • Russell Wilson became the second player to pass for at least 30,000 yards and rush for over 4,000 yards in his career, joining Steve Young.[124]
  • The Baltimore Ravens set an NFL record by winning their third consecutive season-opener by 30+ points.[125]

Week 2

Week 3

  • Ryan Fitzpatrick became the first quarterback to defeat the same opponent as a member of six different teams after leading Miami to a win over Jacksonville. Fitzpatrick also defeated Jacksonville as a starting quarterback for Cincinnati, Buffalo, Tennessee, Houston, and the New York Jets.[130]
  • Philip Rivers became the sixth player to pass for 60,000 career yards.[131]
  • Rivers also became the sixth player to record 400 career passing touchdowns.[131]
  • Russell Wilson set a record for the most touchdown passes in his team's first three games with 14. The previous record of 13 was held by Patrick Mahomes.[132]
  • Wilson also became the fifth player in NFL history to throw for at least five touchdown passes in consecutive games.[132]
  • Mike Evans became the third player in NFL history to finish a game with two catches for two yards and two touchdowns.[133]
  • Patrick Mahomes became the fastest player to reach 10,000 career passing yards, doing so in 34 games. The previous record of 36 was held by Kurt Warner.[134]
  • The Atlanta Falcons became the first NFL team to lose two games in a season after leading by at least 15 points entering the fourth quarter.[135]
  • The Chicago Bears became the first NFL team to win two games in the same season after trailing by at least 16 points in the fourth quarter.[136]

Week 4

  • Tom Brady became the second player to pass for 550 career touchdowns, joining Drew Brees.
  • Brady also became the oldest player to throw five touchdown passes in a game at 43 years, 62 days. The record was previously held by Warren Moon who did so at 40 years, 342 days of age.[137]
  • Dak Prescott became the first player to record 450+ passing yards in three consecutive games.[138]
  • Prescott also set the record for the most passing yards in a two- and three-game stretch, with 974 and 1,424, respectively.[138]
  • Lamar Jackson became the fastest quarterback to reach 5,000 career passing yards and 2,000 career rushing yards, doing so in 35 games. The previous record of 39 was held by Michael Vick.[139]
  • Joe Burrow became the first rookie to record 300+ passing yards in three consecutive games.[140]
  • Aaron Rodgers became the 11th player to complete 4,000 career passes.[141]
  • Russell Wilson tied the record for the most touchdown passes in his team's first four games with 16. The record was previously set by Peyton Manning.[142]

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7

Week 9

  • Patrick Mahomes became the fastest player to reach 100 passing touchdowns, doing so in 40 games. The record was previously held by Dan Marino who did so in 44 games.[150]
  • Lamar Jackson tied the record for quarterback win-loss record through 30 games started, at 25–5 (.833). The record was previously set by Marino.[151]
  • The Tampa Bay Buccaneers broke the NFL record for the fewest rushing attempts in a game, with five. The previous record of six was shared by four teams.[152]
  • The Baltimore Ravens broke the record for most consecutive games scoring 20 or more points, with 31, dating back to 2018. The previous record of 30 was held by the 2012–14 Denver Broncos.[153]

Week 10

Week 12

  • Callie Brownson, the Cleveland Browns chief of staff, became the first woman to serve as a position coach in NFL history when she served as interim tight ends coach in the Browns' game.[157]
  • Aaron Rodgers became the 11th player to pass for 50,000 career yards.

Week 13

Week 14

Week 15

Week 16

Week 17

  • Tom Brady set the record for most regular season starts by a quarterback, with 299. The previous record of 298 was held by Brett Favre.
  • Philip Rivers passed Dan Marino for fifth place on the all-time passing touchdowns list.
  • Lamar Jackson became the first quarterback to have 1,000 rushing yards in consecutive seasons.
  • Derrick Henry became the eighth player to have 2,000 rushing yards in a season.
  • Mike Evans became the first player to reach 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first seven seasons.[171]
  • Matt Prater set the record for most career field goals of at least 50 yards, with 59. The previous record of 58 was held by Sebastian Janikowski.[172]
  • The Washington Football Team tied the 2010 Seattle Seahawks' record for the worst winning percentage by a playoff-qualifying team (7–9 (.438)) and became the first team to reach the playoffs after starting the season with a 2–7 record. None of the 262 previous teams to start a season with a 2–7 record qualified for the playoffs.[173]
  • For the first time in NFL history, home teams had a losing record, finishing the year with a record of 127–128–1 (.498).[174]
  • The Cleveland Browns qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2002, ending the NFL's longest active postseason drought at 17 seasons.

Wild Card Round

  • The Cleveland Browns tied the record for the most points in the first quarter of a playoff game, with 28. The record was previously set by the 1969 Oakland Raiders.
  • Ben Roethlisberger recorded the fourth 500-yard passing game of his career, extending his own record. He also became the second player with 500 passing yards a postseason game, joining Tom Brady.
  • Roethlisberger also set the record for most completions in a game (regular season or postseason), with 47. The previous record of 45 was shared by Drew Bledsoe and Jared Goff.
  • Tom Brady became the oldest player to throw a touchdown pass in a postseason game, at 43 years, 159 days.

Awards

[edit]

All-Pro team

[edit]
Further information: 2020 All-Pro Team

The following players were named First Team All-Pro by the Associated Press:

Offense
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay
Running back Derrick Henry, Tennessee
Wide receiver Davante Adams, Green Bay
Stefon Diggs, Buffalo
Tyreek Hill, Kansas City
Tight end Travis Kelce, Kansas City
Left tackle David Bakhtiari, Green Bay
Left guard Quenton Nelson, Indianapolis
Center Corey Linsley, Green Bay
Right guard Brandon Scherff , Washington
Right tackle Jack Conklin, Cleveland
Defense
Edge rusher T. J. Watt, Pittsburgh
Myles Garrett, Cleveland
Interior lineman Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams
DeForest Buckner, Indianapolis
Linebacker Fred Warner, San Francisco
Bobby Wagner, Seattle
Shaquille Leonard, Indianapolis
Cornerback Xavien Howard, Miami
Jalen Ramsey, Los Angeles Rams
Safety Tyrann Mathieu, Kansas City
Minkah Fitzpatrick, Pittsburgh
Budda Baker, Arizona
Special teams
Placekicker Jason Sanders, Miami
Punter Jake Bailey, New England
Kick returner Cordarrelle Patterson, Chicago
Punt returner Gunner Olszewski, New England
Special teams George Odum, Indianapolis
Long snapper Morgan Cox, Baltimore

Players of the week/month

[edit]

The following were named the top performers during the 2020 season:

Week/
Month 		Offensive
Player of the Week/Month 		Defensive
Player of the Week/Month 		Special Teams
Player of the Week/Month
AFC NFC AFC NFC AFC NFC
1[175] Lamar Jackson QB
(Ravens) 		Russell Wilson QB
(Seahawks) 		Casey Hayward CB
(Chargers) 		Ryan Kerrigan DE
(Washington) 		Daniel Carlson K
(Raiders) 		Thomas Morstead P
(Saints)
2[176] Josh Allen QB
(Bills) 		Dak Prescott QB
(Cowboys) 		T. J. Watt LB
(Steelers) 		Micah Kiser LB
(Rams) 		Harrison Butker K
(Chiefs) 		Michael Dickson P
(Seahawks)
3[177] Patrick Mahomes QB
(Chiefs) 		Russell Wilson QB
(Seahawks) 		Xavier Rhodes CB
(Colts) 		Shaquil Barrett LB
(Buccaneers) 		Stephen Gostkowski K
(Titans) 		Matt Prater K
(Lions)
Sept.[178] Josh Allen QB
(Bills) 		Russell Wilson QB
(Seahawks) 		T. J. Watt LB
(Steelers) 		Lavonte David LB
(Buccaneers) 		Stephen Gostkowski K
(Titans) 		Jack Fox P
(Lions)
4[179] Joe Mixon RB
(Bengals) 		Tom Brady QB
(Buccaneers) 		Myles Garrett DE
(Browns) 		Za'Darius Smith LB
(Packers) 		Brandon McManus K
(Broncos) 		Mike Boone RB
(Vikings)
5[180] Chase Claypool WR
(Steelers) 		Kyler Murray QB
(Cardinals) 		Patrick Queen LB
(Ravens) 		Aaron Donald DT
(Rams) 		Jason Sanders K
(Dolphins) 		Wil Lutz K
(Saints)
6[181] Derrick Henry RB
(Titans) 		Matt Ryan QB
(Falcons) 		Calais Campbell DE
(Ravens) 		Budda Baker S
(Cardinals) 		Brandon McManus K
(Broncos) 		Cairo Santos K
(Bears)
7[182] Baker Mayfield QB
(Browns) 		Kyler Murray QB
(Cardinals) 		Jerry Hughes DE
(Bills) 		Devin White LB
(Buccaneers) 		Byron Pringle WR/KR
(Chiefs) 		Johnny Hekker P
(Rams)
Oct.[183] Derrick Henry RB
(Titans) 		Tom Brady QB
(Buccaneers) 		Myles Garrett DE
(Browns) 		Budda Baker S
(Cardinals) 		Jason Sanders K
(Dolphins) 		Johnny Hekker P
(Rams)
8[184] Patrick Mahomes QB
(Chiefs) 		Dalvin Cook RB
(Vikings) 		Stephon Tuitt DE
(Steelers) 		Bobby Wagner LB
(Seahawks) 		Jakeem Grant WR/KR
(Dolphins) 		Ryan Succop K
(Buccaneers)
9[185] Josh Allen QB
(Bills) 		Dalvin Cook RB
(Vikings) 		Jeffery Simmons DE
(Titans) 		Foyesade Oluokun LB
(Falcons) 		Nick Folk K
(Patriots) 		Graham Gano K
(Giants)
10[186] Ben Roethlisberger QB
(Steelers) 		DeAndre Hopkins WR
(Cardinals) 		Jeff Heath S
(Raiders) 		Leonard Floyd LB
(Rams) 		E. J. Speed LB
(Colts) 		Matt Prater K
(Lions)
11[187] Deshaun Watson QB
(Texans) 		Robert Woods WR
(Rams) 		Olivier Vernon DE
(Browns) 		Brian Burns DE
(Panthers) 		Rodrigo Blankenship K
(Colts) 		Tress Way P
(Washington)
12[188] Tyreek Hill WR
(Chiefs) 		Kirk Cousins QB
(Vikings) 		A. J. Klein LB
(Bills) 		Jacob Tuioti-Mariner DT
(Falcons) 		Nick Folk K
(Patriots) 		Robbie Gould K
(49ers)
Nov.[189] Patrick Mahomes QB
(Chiefs) 		Dalvin Cook RB
(Vikings) 		T. J. Watt LB
(Steelers) 		Cameron Jordan DE
(Saints) 		Jason Sanders K
(Dolphins) 		Younghoe Koo K
(Falcons)
13[190] Josh Allen QB
(Bills) 		Aaron Rodgers QB
(Packers) 		Kyle Van Noy LB
(Dolphins) 		Leonard Williams DE
(Giants) 		Gunner Olszewski WR/PR
(Patriots) 		Dustin Hopkins K
(Washington)
14[191] Lamar Jackson QB
(Ravens) 		Cam Akers RB
(Rams) 		Kenny Moore CB
(Colts) 		Haason Reddick LB
(Cardinals) 		Diontae Spencer WR/PR
(Broncos) 		Tress Way P
(Washington)
15[192] Josh Allen QB
(Bills) 		Kyler Murray QB
(Cardinals) 		DeForest Buckner DT
(Colts) 		Devin White LB
(Buccaneers) 		Tommy Townsend P
(Chiefs) 		Michael Dickson P
(Seahawks)
16[193] Stefon Diggs WR
(Bills) 		Alvin Kamara RB
(Saints) 		Mike Hilton CB
(Steelers) 		Fred Warner LB
(49ers) 		Jason Sanders K
(Dolphins) 		Joseph Charlton P
(Panthers)
17[194] Derrick Henry RB
(Titans) 		Kirk Cousins QB
(Vikings) 		Shaquille Leonard LB
(Colts) 		Leonard Williams DE
(Giants) 		Maxx Crosby DE
(Raiders) 		Ryan Succop K
(Buccaneers)
Dec./Jan.[195] Josh Allen QB
(Bills) 		Aaron Rodgers QB
(Packers) 		DeForest Buckner DT
(Colts) 		Chase Young DE
(Washington) 		Daniel Carlson K
(Raiders) 		Cairo Santos K
(Bears)
Week FedEx Air
Player of the Week
(Quarterbacks)[196] 		FedEx Ground
Player of the Week
(Running backs)[196] 		Pepsi Zero Sugar
Rookie of the Week[197]
1 Russell Wilson
(Seahawks) 		Clyde Edwards-Helaire
(Chiefs) 		C. J. Henderson CB
(Jaguars)
2 Josh Allen
(Bills) 		Aaron Jones
(Packers) 		Justin Herbert QB
(Chargers)
3 Russell Wilson
(Seahawks) 		Dalvin Cook
(Vikings) 		Brandon Aiyuk WR
(49ers)
4 Tom Brady
(Buccaneers) 		Joe Mixon
(Bengals) 		Justin Herbert QB
(Chargers)
5 Derek Carr
(Raiders) 		Todd Gurley
(Falcons) 		Justin Herbert QB
(Chargers)
6 Ryan Tannehill
(Titans) 		Derrick Henry
(Titans) 		Justin Jefferson WR
(Vikings)
7 Joe Burrow
(Bengals) 		Jeff Wilson
(49ers) 		Justin Herbert QB
(Chargers)
8 Patrick Mahomes
(Chiefs) 		Dalvin Cook
(Vikings) 		Justin Herbert QB
(Chargers)
9 Josh Allen
(Bills) 		Dalvin Cook
(Vikings) 		Justin Herbert QB
(Chargers)
10 Ben Roethlisberger
(Steelers) 		Ronald Jones II
(Buccaneers) 		Jedrick Wills OT
(Browns)
11 Justin Herbert
(Chargers) 		Derrick Henry
(Titans) 		Justin Herbert QB
(Chargers)
12 Patrick Mahomes
(Chiefs) 		Derrick Henry
(Titans) 		Antonio Gibson RB
(Washington)
13 Baker Mayfield
(Browns) 		Aaron Jones
(Packers) 		Tua Tagovailoa QB
(Dolphins)
14 Drew Lock
(Broncos) 		Derrick Henry
(Titans) 		Tua Tagovailoa QB
(Dolphins)
15 Josh Allen
(Bills) 		Derrick Henry
(Titans) 		Justin Herbert QB
(Chargers)
16 Brandon Allen
(Bengals) 		Alvin Kamara
(Saints) 		A. J. Dillon RB
(Packers)
17 Tom Brady
(Buccaneers) 		Jonathan Taylor
(Colts) 		Justin Herbert QB
(Chargers)
Month Rookie of the Month
Offensive Defensive
Sept.[178] James Robinson RB
(Jaguars) 		Antoine Winfield Jr. S
(Buccaneers)
Oct.[183] Justin Herbert QB
(Chargers) 		Jeremy Chinn S
(Panthers)
Nov.[189] Justin Herbert QB
(Chargers) 		Jeremy Chinn S
(Panthers)
Dec.[195] Jonathan Taylor RB
(Colts) 		Chase Young DE
(Washington)

Head coaching and front office personnel changes

[edit]

Head coaches

[edit]

Off-season

[edit]
Team Departing coach Interim coach Incoming coach Reason for leaving Notes
Carolina Panthers Ron Rivera Perry Fewell Matt Rhule Fired Rivera was fired on December 3, 2019, after going 5–7 (.417) in the first 12 games of the season. In 8+ seasons as the Panthers head coach, he went 79–67–1 (.541), with four playoff appearances including three NFC South division titles and one Super Bowl appearance.

Fewell, the defensive backs coach, took over on an interim basis and went 0–4 the rest of the season.[198]

Rhule, who spent the previous seven seasons as college football head coach of Temple and Baylor with a 47–43 (.522) record, was hired on January 7.[199][200]

Cleveland Browns Freddie Kitchens Kevin Stefanski Kitchens was fired on December 29, 2019, after going 6–10 (.375) in one season as head coach.[201]

Stefanski, who previously served as the offensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings, was hired on January 13. He was on the Vikings staff for 14 years.[202] This is his first head coaching position at any level.

Dallas Cowboys Jason Garrett Mike McCarthy Contract expired On January 5, the Cowboys announced they would not renew Garrett's contract, which expired January 14. The Cowboys were 85–67 (.559) in 91⁄2 seasons under Garrett, making the playoffs 3 times but never advancing past the divisional round.[203]

McCarthy was hired as the Cowboys' new coach on January 6. In 12+ seasons as the Green Bay Packers head coach, he had a record of 135–85–2 (.613) with nine playoff appearances and one Super Bowl title.[204][205]

New York Giants Pat Shurmur Joe Judge Fired Shurmur was fired on December 30, 2019, after going 9–23 (.281) in two seasons as the Giants' head coach, with no playoff appearances.[206]

Judge was hired on January 8, after serving as the special teams coordinator for the New England Patriots from 2015 to 2019, as well as the wide receivers coach in 2019. This is his first head coaching position at any level.[207][208]

Washington Football Team Jay Gruden Bill Callahan Ron Rivera After an 0–5 start, Gruden was fired on October 7, 2019. He had a 35–49–1 (.418) record for his 5+ season tenure with the organization, with one playoff appearance.[209]

Callahan, the team's assistant head coach/offensive line coach, was previously the head coach of the Oakland Raiders in 2002 and 2003, with a record of 15–17 (.469) and one Super Bowl appearance; he finished out the 2019 season with a 3–8 (.273) record.[210]

Rivera, who had spent most of the previous nine seasons as head coach of the Carolina Panthers, was hired on January 1, 2020.[211]

In-season

[edit]
Team Departing coach Reason for leaving Interim replacement Notes
Houston Texans Bill O'Brien Fired Romeo Crennel After an 0–4 start, O'Brien was fired on October 5. He had a 52–48 (.520) record during his 6+ season tenure with the Texans, with four AFC South titles.[212]

Crennel, the team's associate head coach, was previously the head coach of the Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs, with a combined record of 28–55 (.337) and no playoff appearances. At age 73, he is the oldest head coach in NFL history.[143]

Atlanta Falcons Dan Quinn Raheem Morris After an 0–5 start, Quinn was fired on October 11. He had a 43–42 (.506) record during his 5+ season tenure with the Falcons, with two playoff appearances and one Super Bowl appearance.[213]

Morris, the team's defensive coordinator, was previously the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with a record of 17–31 (.354) and no playoff appearances.[214]

Detroit Lions Matt Patricia Darrell Bevell Patricia was fired on November 28. He had a 13–29–1 (.314) record during his 2+ season tenure with the Lions, with no playoff appearances and finishing both complete season in last place in the NFC North.[215]

Bevell, the team's offensive coordinator, was promoted to interim head coach. This is his first head coaching position.[215]

Front office personnel

[edit]

Off-season

[edit]
Team Position Departing office holder Incoming office holder Reason for leaving Notes
Cleveland Browns GM John Dorsey Andrew Berry Mutual decision Dorsey and the Browns parted ways on December 31, 2019, after three seasons.[216] Berry was hired on January 28, 2020 as general manager and executive vice president of football operations. He served as the Philadelphia Eagles' vice president of football operations in 2019, and had worked for the Browns from 2016 to 2018 as vice president of player personnel. At age 32, he is the youngest general manager in NFL history.[217]
Jacksonville Jaguars EVP-FO Tom Coughlin Position eliminated Fired Coughlin was fired on December 18, 2019, after three seasons with the Jaguars.[218] The team announced after the season that Coughlin's position will not be filled.[219]
Washington Football Team President Bruce Allen Jason Wright Allen was fired December 30, 2019, after ten years with the team.[220] Wright, a former NFL running back who later served as a partner at the management consulting firm McKinsey & Company, was hired on August 17, 2020. He is the first black team president in NFL history.[221]

In-season

[edit]
Team Position 2020 office holder Reason for leaving Interim replacement Notes
Houston Texans GM Bill O'Brien Fired Jack Easterby O'Brien was named general manager of the team during the 2020 offseason, after splitting general manager duties with Easterby, the executive vice president of football operations, and other team executives in 2019. His tenure was lowlighted by trading away star WR Deandre Hopkins.[212]

Easterby took over GM duties for the rest of the season.[222]

Atlanta Falcons Thomas Dimitroff None After an 0–5 start, Dimitroff was fired on October 11 after 12 seasons.[213]
Detroit Lions Bob Quinn Quinn was fired on November 28 after 5 seasons.[215] A combination of front office personnel will handle GM duties for the remainder of the season.
Jacksonville Jaguars David Caldwell Trent Baalke Caldwell was fired on November 29 after 8 seasons.[223]

Baalke, the team's director of player personnel, would serve as interim GM through the end of the season.[223]

Carolina Panthers Marty Hurney TBA Hurney was fired on December 21 after 14+ seasons in two stints (2002–12, 2017–20). In his time with the Panthers he was responsible for drafting star players such as Cam Newton, Luke Kuechly, and Thomas Davis.[224]

Stadiums

[edit]

Stadium changes

[edit]

COVID-19 restrictions

[edit]
Washington fans in November 2020
MetLife Stadium without fans in October 2020

The NFL is allowing teams to admit spectators to games if allowed under local health orders. As of October 26, 18 teams had confirmed plans to admit spectators at a reduced capacity for home games. The majority of teams played without spectators through September and into October. Most teams left open the possibility of spectators later in the season if conditions improve.[231][232] Commissioner Roger Goodell and the league's competition committee assessed that having spectators did not create a competitive advantage despite some coaches and executives disagreeing.[233]

If spectators are admitted, they must wear face masks and may be required to sign a liability waiver.[234] On-field entertainment is prohibited, including cheerleaders, mascots, marching bands, flag wavers, and end zone-to-end zone American flag displays.[235] To reduce the proximity of spectators to the field, the league requires the first six to eight rows of seats to be blocked with tarps.[236] Halftime shows may be held, but only off-site, or as done on Thanksgiving, pre-recorded before the game.[237]

On May 13, California officials indicated that they might not allow the Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams or San Francisco 49ers to play at their home stadiums. Las Vegas' Allegiant Stadium and Arizona's State Farm Stadium were listed as possible relocation sites for these teams.[238][239] All three teams were ultimately allowed to begin the season at their home stadiums without spectators; however, the 49ers were forced to move their final three home games to State Farm Stadium after Santa Clara County, where the 49ers' home stadium is located, banned all contact sports in response to a local rise of COVID-19 cases.[240][241]

The NFL initially mandated the use of artificial crowd noise inside all stadiums with attendance below 10,000, consisting of non-dynamic ambience that would play at 70 decibels.[242] The audio is monitored by the league and teams may face sanctions if they are found to have manipulated it (such as by changing its volume).[243][244][245] On September 25, these rules were adjusted, allowing the ambiance to be played at up to 80 decibels. The volume must be determined before the game and remain consistent through the entire game. The minimum attendance required to turn off the crowd noise was reduced to 2,500.[246] As part of Microsoft's sponsorship of the NFL, a "Fan Mosaic" feature powered by Microsoft Teams will be featured on stadium video boards during select games.[247]

Team Home games with spectators allowed Limitations Source
Arizona 2 Played their first three home games behind closed doors; admitted up to 1,200 fans for next two games; played their last three regular season home games behind closed doors again. [248][231][249][250]
Atlanta 6 Played their Week 1 home opener behind closed doors. The team tested stadium operations and protocols by hosting 500 friends, family, and associates in Week 3 in order to determine the capacity limit for the team's Week 5 game. Allowed up to 10,000 fans for each additional home game. [251]
Baltimore 1 Played their first three home games behind closed doors; allowed up to 3,000 fans in lower bowl seats along with fans in suites during Week 8. Fans were again prohibited from attending games starting Week 11. [252][253]
Buffalo 0* New York state health orders prohibit spectators at any sporting event. Local officials recommended a 10% capacity, up to 7,000 fans; Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo indicated initial willingness to approve the plan if social distancing is upheld but eventually ruled out spectators for the entire regular season after a rise in cases. After Buffalo clinched a home playoff game and cases began to subside, Cuomo gave approval for Buffalo to host 6,772 fans in the Wild Card and Divisional Rounds, with social distancing measures in place, pre-game rapid antigen testing mandatory at spectator expense, and no repeat attendees. [254][255][256][257]
Carolina 7 Played behind closed doors for their home opener; admitted up to 5,240 fans (7% capacity) for the remainder of the season. [258]
Chicago 0 [234][259]
Cincinnati 7 Played without spectators in its home opener, then admitted up to 6,000 spectators for its next home game, and admitted 12,000 for each home game thereafter. [260]
Cleveland 8 Admitted 6,000 spectators for its first two home games and 12,000 for each home game thereafter. [260]
Dallas 8 Allowed up to 20,000 fans—25% of AT&T Stadium's seating capacity. [261]
Denver 5 Played with a limited crowd of 500 friends, family, and associates during their home opener. The team allowed up to 5,700 spectators (7.5% of Empower Field at Mile High's seating capacity) for the next four home games, but reverted to playing without spectators for the final three home games due to a rise in COVID-19 cases in Colorado. [262][263][264][265]
Detroit 0 [234][232]
Green Bay 0* Played behind closed doors the entire regular season. Will allow 6,000 spectators for their Divisional Round playoff game. [266][267]
Houston 7 Played behind closed doors for their Week 2 home opener; allowed up to 13,300 fans (20% capacity) for remaining home games.. [268]
Indianapolis 8 Allowed 2,500 spectators for their home opener. Allowed spectators at 15% capacity for remaining games. [234][269][270]
Jacksonville 8 Allowed spectators at 25% capacity. [234][231]
Kansas City 8* Allowed spectators at 22% capacity. The team only offered individual tickets during the first few weeks of the season, and admitted season ticketholders thereafter. [271][231]
Las Vegas 0 [272]
Los Angeles Chargers 0 [273]
Los Angeles Rams
Miami 8 In May, the team unveiled a concept for how it would adapt Hard Rock Stadium to suit safety recommendations and restrict attendance to 15,000. The team will admit 13,000 for each home game. On October 7, Governor of Florida Ron DeSantis gave clearance to allow full attendance in stadiums; however, the Dolphins chose to maintain its 13,000 fan limit. [234][274][275]
Minnesota 0 Played behind closed doors for the entire season, though the team has admitted a limited number of family members of team staff since Week 3. [276][277]
New England 0 [278][279]
New Orleans 5* Played behind closed doors for their first three home games. Louisiana gave approval for the Saints to have fans in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome starting with Week 3; however, the city denied the Saints permission to have fans for their next two games. The Saints were allowed to have up to 3,000 fans beginning in Week 7. This was increased to 6,000 for Weeks 10 and 11 but reverted to 3,000 for the rest of the season. [234][280][281]
New York Giants 0 MetLife Stadium prohibited spectators at sporting events per an executive order from Governor of New Jersey Phil Murphy. [234][232]
New York Jets
Philadelphia 3 Played their first two home games behind closed doors. The team allowed 7,500 fans beginning with Week 6 for the following three home games. Beginning in Week 12, games were played without spectators again after the city of Philadelphia imposed restrictions on crowd sizes on November 16. [234][282][283]
Pittsburgh 3 Played their first two home games behind closed doors; Allowed up to 5,500 fans from Weeks 5-10. Beginning in Week 12, games were played without spectators again as the state of Pennsylvania passed new restrictions on large gatherings. While the state originally planned to allow a limited number of spectators for their home playoff game(s), the team announced on January 7 that attendance would be limited to family and associates. [232][284][285][286][287]
San Francisco 0 Played behind closed doors for the entire season. On November 28, Santa Clara County banned all contact sports, including 49ers practices and games, in the county, forcing the relocation of the team's final three home games to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, which were also played without spectators. [232][288]
Seattle 0 [289]
Tampa Bay 7 Played their Week 2 home opener behind closed doors; for Week 4, only season-ticket holders who had season tickets since 1998 or earlier were allowed to attend; beginning in Week 6, spectator capacity is limited to 25%. [290][232]
Tennessee 7* Played behind closed doors for their home opener, then allowed a limited amount of fans — between 10 and 15% capacity — for their October home games. [291]
Washington 1 Played the first four home games behind closed doors; the team allowed up to 3,000 season ticket holders to attend the game on Week 9. Fans were again prohibited from attending games starting Week 11. [292][232][293]
* The team plans to admit spectators to their home playoff game(s).

Uniforms

[edit]

Uniform changes

[edit]

Eight teams unveiled uniform changes, ranging from minor adjustments to full rebrands.

  • Atlanta: On April 8, the Falcons unveiled new uniforms, featuring a matte shell helmet, a larger helmet logo, silver facemasks, new fonts for the numbers, and a prominent "ATL" placed above the numbers. The team returned to black as the primary jersey color. A new alternate jersey features a red gradient.[294]
  • Cleveland: On April 15, the Browns revealed new uniforms that reverted to the design used prior to 2015. Some elements of the 2015 style were retained, including the brighter shade of orange, the modernized version of block numbers, and brown facemasks.[295]
  • Indianapolis: On April 13, the Colts announced that serifs were added to their jersey numbers similar to the design used in the 1950s and 1960s and revealed a new modernized wordmark and secondary logo that features the outline of Indiana carved out of a "C". They also introduced a new color, anvil black.[296]
  • Los Angeles Chargers: On March 24, the Chargers announced that they would eliminate navy blue from their official branding, building on their 2019 change of the primary jersey color to powder blue. They also debuted a modified logo and a new wordmark to reflect this.[297] On April 21, the Chargers revealed new uniforms, which use elements from previous sets, including numbers on the helmets and the addition of a navy blue alternate set.[298]
  • Los Angeles Rams: On March 23, the Rams unveiled new logos and color scheme. The new colors are brighter shades of the royal blue and gold used on their 1999 throwback jerseys, dubbed "Rams Royal" and "Sol" by the team, respectively. The team's new logo features a stylized "LA" with a ram's horn spiraling out from the top of the "A".[299] The team unveiled new uniforms on May 13. Notable features include the addition of an off-white "Bone" away jersey, team wordmark logo patches on the right side of the chest and a unique fabric for the numbers. The helmet also has a metallic "Rams Royal" colored shell and a new ram horn design to match the logos.
  • New England: The Patriots former all-blue alternate design became the primary home uniform set, with updated block letters and numbers and blue/red/white socks. A corresponding white jersey was also unveiled and will also be paired with the blue pants. Both uniforms feature truncated shoulder striping as a nod to the "Pat Patriot" uniforms.[300]
  • Tampa Bay: On April 7, the Buccaneers unveiled new uniforms resembling the ones used from 1997 to 2013, including that design's block numbers, black masks, pewter pants, and all-white road set. Some elements of the previous design remain, including the enlarged flag-and-crossed-swords logo and the secondary ship logo on the sleeves. The team also unveiled an all-pewter alternate uniform.[301]
  • Washington: On July 23, the franchise announced it would play the season as the "Washington Football Team" and dropped the Redskins logo while retaining the color scheme. The team's uniforms essentially remained the same, but without the helmet stripe and with the logo being replaced by the player's jersey number in gold, as well as a "Washington" wordmark on the chest replacing "Redskins."[302] In December the team began wearing white jerseys over white pants on the road for the first time since 2009.[303]

Patches

[edit]
  • Arizona: A patch to commemorate the death of Hall of Famer Larry Wilson, with his number 8 enclosed in either a black circle (red and white jersey) or white circle (black jersey).[304]
  • Dallas: An "Established in 1960" patch to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the team's inception.[305]
  • Las Vegas: A patch to commemorate the team's inaugural season in Las Vegas.[306]
  • Miami: A patch to commemorate the death of Hall of Fame head coach Don Shula, featuring his name and the number 347 to signify his NFL record career victories.[307]
  • New York Jets: A patch to commemorate the death of philanthropist Betty Wold Johnson — the mother of Jets CEO Christopher Johnson.[308][309]
  • Washington: A patch to commemorate the death of Hall of Famer Bobby Mitchell, with his number 49 enclosed in a black circle.[310]

Media

[edit]

Broadcast rights

[edit]

Television

[edit]

This was the seventh year under the current broadcast contracts with CBS, ESPN, Fox, and NBC. This includes "cross-flexing" (switching) Sunday afternoon games between CBS and Fox before or during the season, regardless of the conference of the visiting team. NBC continues to air Sunday Night Football and the Kickoff Game. ESPN continued to air Monday Night Football and a Wild Card Game, with the latter being simulcast on ABC. ESPN and ABC were also scheduled to air the 2021 Pro Bowl, but the game was canceled. Fox continues to air Thursday Night Football alongside NFL Network.[311] CBS and NBC acquired rights to the two new Wild Card Round games, with each paying around $70 million for the additional game.[312][313]

CBS will televise Super Bowl LV. NBC was originally scheduled to broadcast the game under the current rotation. However, NBC traded the game to CBS in exchange for Super Bowl LVI, which will fall during the 2022 Winter Olympics, the first to be scheduled during an ongoing Olympic Games (NBC also holds the U.S. broadcast rights to the Olympics).[314]

To coincide with the 50th anniversary of Monday Night Football, ESPN simulcast the Week 2 New Orleans–Las Vegas game as an ESPN Megacast on ABC (simulcasting the main ESPN broadcast as its first regular season contest since 2005) and ESPN2 airing an alternate broadcast with various guests joining throughout the game.[315][316] On November 27, it was reported that two more MNF games would be simulcast on ABC on December 7 and 28.[317]

As of the 2019 season, local stations in markets with NFL teams have been allowed on to air another NFL game opposite the game involving that city's home team on a limited basis. Cities were initially limited to two such games per season. This was expanded to four in 2020.[318]

Although ESPN's current MNF deal expires in 2021 and the contracts with CBS, Fox, and NBC end in 2022, the NFL may begin negotiations on new broadcast deals in 2020.[319] Prior to this season, the league had the option to cancel DirecTV's exclusive contract to air NFL Sunday Ticket, the league's out-of-market sports package.[320] However, the NFL did not opt out.[321]

In the United Kingdom, Sky Sports renewed its broadcast rights to the NFL under a five-year deal, marking its 25th season of coverage. It also announced that it would devote its multiplex channel Sky Sports Action exclusively to NFL programming and coverage during the season, temporarily rebranding it as Sky Sports NFL. It marks the first time that the NFL has partnered on a league-oriented channel in an international market.[322][323] ViacomCBS-owned free-to-air channel Channel 5 also acquired rights to air Monday Night Football, marking the league's return to the network for the first time since 2009, with a Los Angeles-based studio show featuring Maurice Jones-Drew, and a weekly magazine show, NFL End Zone, hosted by Cori Yarckin.[324]

Digital

[edit]

On April 29, Amazon renewed its digital rights to Thursday Night Football through the 2022 season, maintaining the existing arrangement to simulcast the 11 games aired by Fox on Prime Video and for free on Twitch, and offer alternative broadcasts of the games on the two services. It also added exclusive worldwide rights to one late-season game per-season, which was produced by CBS and simulcast on over-the-air stations in the two teams' home markets.[311] Amazon also acquired rights to simulcast one NFC Wild Card game assigned to CBS.[325]

This season, the TNF games included a new "Scout's Feed" broadcast featuring extended play analysis by Bucky Brooks and Daniel Jeremiah, and a new "NFL Next Live" feed on Twitch hosted by Cari Champion and Andrew Hawkins which featured viewer interactivity. The British English broadcasts were dropped this season. For supplemental content, Amazon is expanding its Tuesday-night studio program NFL Next, and introducing two new interactive programs on Twitch — the Hawkins and Kyle Long-hosted NFL Comment Box, and the Chad Johnson and Kyle Long-hosted The NFL Machine, which features presentations of content from the NFL Films archives.[326]

Personnel

[edit]

Tony Romo, CBS' lead color commentator, renewed his contract in a long-term, $17 million per-year deal, the most lucrative contract for a commentator in NFL history.[327]

CBS parted ways with #2 commentator Dan Fouts and replaced him with Fox's #2 commentator Charles Davis.[328] Fox utilized Daryl Johnston in this spot.[329]

To reduce his workload and travel, NBC Sunday Night Football lead commentator Al Michaels will take several games off in favor of Mike Tirico.[245][330]

ESPN replaced its former Monday Night Football commentator team of Joe Tessitore and Booger McFarland with Steve Levy, Brian Griese, and Louis Riddick.[331][332] Levy and Griese had been a broadcast team for ESPN's college football coverage prior to their Monday Night Football assignment, Levy also served as ESPN's lead XFL play-by-play voice. Fellow college football announcing duo Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit called the first game of the Week 1 MNF doubleheader.[332] Herbstreit also worked the ESPN2 Monday Night Megacast broadcast with Rece Davis during the Week 2 MNF game.

After using a homophobic slur during a Cincinnati Reds game, Thom Brennaman was removed from Fox's NFL broadcasts for 2020.[333] Brennaman, who also worked for the Reds, was suspended from doing games "until further notice". He later resigned from that role.[334] Kevin Kugler replaced Brennaman.[335]

This was the final season for Chris Spielman at Fox, as before Week 14, he left Fox to take a front office position with the Lions, effective immediately. #6 co-analyst Brock Huard, who was a new addition to Fox's Sunday commentator roster, along with Adam Amin, Jonathan Vilma, and Greg Jennings, would move up to the #5 slot with Kevin Kugler to replace Spielman.

Impact of COVID-19 on production

[edit]

Broadcasters are allowed up to 46 staff members at each game. Sideline reporters are not allowed on the field.[235] CBS,[336] Fox, and NBC have commentators on-site,[245] but some production is conducted remotely from the networks' headquarters.[245][336] The NFL requires personnel returning from outside of the United States to quarantine for 14 days before returning to work; Fox commentator Kenny Albert missed the first two weeks of the season due to this requirement. He previously was in Canada working NBC's coverage of the National Hockey League playoffs through September 10.[337][338]

The league is providing an enhanced artificial crowd noise track to be used by its broadcasters, separate from the crowd noise that is used at stadiums below 2,500 in attendance. The soundtrack uses crowd audio collected by NFL Films from past games involving the home team, including general ambience, team-specific chants, and contextual reactions. It is mixed by a local sound engineer at the stadium in synchronization with the game.[339][242] Fox had explored the possibility of masking empty stands with CGI crowds.[340][341] Fox introduced such a system on-air for its Major League Baseball broadcasts,[342] and later announced that it planned to employ the technology for selected NFL games.[343]

NBC ruled out virtual fans, citing the large number of camera angles that would have to be configured for it. The network added a 180-degree 8K resolution camera to the Skycam unit for "intimate" overhead views, supplanting wide-angle shots that would expose stands with little to no spectators.[344][345] At games played with no spectators, CBS plans to allow its Skycam to be in positions over the stands that are not usually allowed in order to provide new angles.[336]

The pandemic has also affected pre-game shows: ESPN's Monday Night Countdown and NFL Network's NFL GameDay were broadcast from their respective networks' studios, rather than traveling to game sites.[346] Fox NFL Sunday panelist Jimmy Johnson is contributing from his home in Florida, rather than join the rest of the panel at the Fox studio in Los Angeles.[347] As a precautionary measure for unspecified circumstances, the normal panels for Fox NFL Kickoff and Fox NFL Sunday did not appear in-studio for Week 11, with Chris Myers, Reggie Bush, and Charles Woodson replacing them, and the affected personnel appearing remotely.[348][349]

Two commentators were unable to pass their network's COVID-19 protocols and each had to miss one game: Al Michaels for NBC in Week 15 and Tony Romo for CBS in Week 17.[350]

Most watched regular season games

[edit]
Rank Date Matchup Network Viewers (millions) TV rating[351] Window Significance
1 November 26, 4:30 ET Washington Football Team 41–16 Dallas Cowboys Fox 30.3 12.0 Thanksgiving Cowboys–Washington rivalry
2 September 13, 4:25 ET Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23–34 New Orleans Saints 25.9 13.1 Late DH[a] Buccaneers–Saints rivalry, Tom Brady's Buccaneers debut
3 November 22, 4:25 ET Green Bay Packers 31–34 Indianapolis Colts 23.9 12.7 Late DH[b]
4 November 26, 12:30 ET Houston Texans 41–25 Detroit Lions CBS 23.4 10.6 Thanksgiving
5 November 29, 4:25 ET Kansas City Chiefs 27–24 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23.1 12.8 Late DH[c]
6 January 3, 2021, 4:25 ET Green Bay Packers 35–16 Chicago Bears Fox 23.0 12.2 Late DH[d] Bears–Packers rivalry
7 December 20, 4:25 ET Kansas City Chiefs 32–29 New Orleans Saints CBS 22.9 12.7 Late DH[e]
8 October 25, 4:25 ET San Francisco 49ers 33–6 New England Patriots 22.9 12.4 Late DH[f] Jimmy Garoppolo's return to New England
9 October 11, 4:25 ET New York Giants 34–37 Dallas Cowboys 22.8 12.2 Late DH[g] Cowboys–Giants rivalry
10 September 27, 4:25 ET Dallas Cowboys 31–38 Seattle Seahawks Fox 22.8 11.8 Late DH[h]

*Note — Late DH matchups listed in table are the matchups that were shown to the largest percentage of the market.

  1. ^ TB/NO was shown in 91% of the markets during the late doubleheader time slot of Fox coverage.
  2. ^ GB/IND was shown in 83% of the markets during the late doubleheader time slot of Fox coverage.
  3. ^ KC/TB was shown in 100% of the markets during the late doubleheader time slot of CBS coverage.
  4. ^ GB/CHI was shown in 76% of the markets during the late doubleheader time slot of Fox coverage.
  5. ^ KC/NO was shown in 100% of the markets during the late doubleheader time slot of CBS coverage.
  6. ^ SF/NE was shown in 50% of the markets during the late doubleheader time slot of CBS coverage.
  7. ^ NYG/DAL was shown in 86% of the markets during the late doubleheader time slot of CBS coverage.
  8. ^ DAL/SEA was shown in 72% of the markets during the late doubleheader time slot of Fox coverage.

References

[edit]
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* Category:National Football League seasons NFL NFL NFL season

2020 Kansas City Chiefs season

[edit]
2020 Kansas City Chiefs season
OwnerThe Hunt family
General managerBrett Veach
Head coachAndy Reid
Home fieldArrowhead Stadium
Results
Record14–2
Division place1st AFC West
Playoff finishTBD Divisional Playoffs (vs. Browns)
Pro Bowlers
7
AP All-Pros
5
Uniform

The 2020 season is the Kansas City Chiefs' 51st in the National Football League (NFL), their 61st season overall and their eighth under head coach Andy Reid. The Chiefs, who won Super Bowl LIV the previous season, will attempt to be the first team to repeat as Super Bowl champions since the New England Patriots won Super Bowl XXXVIII and Super Bowl XXXIX, and the eighth team overall to repeat. The Chiefs qualified for the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season, tying a franchise record set from 1990 to 1995 and won the division for the fifth consecutive year. They finished with a best in franchise history and best in the league for the season 14–2 record.

Season summary

[edit]

In the offseason, the Chiefs released their longest tenured player in franchise history, punter Dustin Colquitt, who had been with the team since 2005. Colquitt was later signed to the Chiefs practice squad shortly before the playoffs.

On August 17, 2020, the Chiefs announced that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, their stadium will be filled at about 22% capacity, or about 16,000 fans. Additionally, fans in attendance will be required to wear a face covering when they are not actively eating or drinking. Season tickets were not sold, however, season ticket holders from 2019 that have not cancelled season tickets already, will still have the option to buy season tickets in 2021.[1]

After a 34–20 Week 3 win over the Baltimore Ravens, the Chiefs set a franchise record for consecutive wins including the playoffs with 12.[2] The streak was snapped two weeks later at 13 with a Week 5 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.[3] Following a Week 4 victory over the New England Patriots, the Chiefs became the first team in NFL history to open their season 4–0 in four consecutive seasons.[4] The Chiefs clinched their fifth consecutive AFC West title after defeating the Miami Dolphins in Week 14. The victory also gave the Chiefs their first 12–1 record in franchise history.[5] A Week 16 victory over the Atlanta Falcons gave the Chiefs their franchise record 14th win. It also clinched home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Chiefs finished the season undefeated on the road for the first time in franchise history and with a 14–2 overall record, the best in the NFL during the season.

NFL Top 100

[edit]
Main article: NFL Top 100 Players of 2020

The Chiefs had six players named to the Top 100. Tight end Travis Kelce is the only player who was ranked higher than the previous season. Defending Super Bowl MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes was the highest rated Chiefs player on the list at fourth. Mahomes selection of fourth drew criticism from multiple NFL analysts and fans.[6] SB Nation’s Chiefs site Arrowhead Pride said they will no longer report on the top 100 following Mahomes being selected fourth.[7]

Rank Player Position Change
4 Patrick Mahomes Quarterback Steady 0
18 Travis Kelce Tight end Increase 3
22 Tyreek Hill Wide receiver Decrease 3
39 Tyrann Mathieu Safety NR
52 Chris Jones Defensive tackle Decrease 16
95 Frank Clark Defensive end Decrease 10

Offseason

[edit]

Coaching staff changes

[edit]
2020 Kansas City Chiefs Coaching staff changes
Old coach Position New coach
Vacant Passing game coordinator Mike Kafka*
Rod Wilson Assistant special teams
coordinator		 Andy Hill

*Mike Kafka will continue serving in his role as quarterbacks coach, but will have additional duties as passing game coordinator

Players added

[edit]

Below are players signed following the conclusion of the 2019 season, some of the players signed spent a portion of the 2019 NFL season on the practice squad and/or active roster.

2020 Kansas City Chiefs Players added
Player Position
Taco Charlton DE
Adrian Colbert S
Felton Davis WR
Gehrig Dieter* WR
Jody Fortson* WR
Antonio Hamilton CB
Darius Harris LB
Daniel Helm TE
Braxton Hoyett* DT
Nick Keizer* TE
Daniel Kilgore C
Chris Lammons* CB
Devaroe Lawrence* DT
John Lovett FB
Elijah McGuire* RB
Tyler Newsome P
Kelechi Osemele G
Mike Remmers T
Ricky Seals-Jones TE
Emmanuel Smith* LB
Andrew Soroh S
Jordan Ta'amu QB
Tedric Thompson S
Tim Ward DE
DeAndré Washington RB

*Indicates player finished the previous season on the Chiefs' practice squad

Players lost

[edit]

Below are players who were on the roster at the end of the 2019 season, but were either released or did not re-sign after their contract expired.

2020 Kansas City Chiefs Players lost
Player Position
Blake Bell TE
Morris Claiborne CB
Dustin Colquitt P
Felton Davis WR
Kendall Fuller CB
Darron Lee OLB
Jordan Lucas S
Marcus Marshall RB
LeSean McCoy RB
Emmanuel Ogbah DE
Reggie Ragland LB
Keith Reaser CB
Terrell Suggs DE
Spencer Ware RB
Xavier Williams DT
Stefen Wisniewski G
David Wells TE

Draft

[edit]
Main article: 2020 NFL Draft
2020 Kansas City Chiefs Draft
Round Selection Player Position College
1 32 Clyde Edwards-Helaire Running back LSU
2 63 Willie Gay Linebacker Mississippi State
3 96 Lucas Niang Tackle TCU
4 138 L'Jarius Sneed Safety Louisiana Tech
5 177 Mike Danna Defensive end Michigan
7 237 BoPete Keyes Cornerback Tulane

Trades

  • The Chiefs traded linebacker Dee Ford to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for their 2nd round draft pick (63rd overall).
  • The Chiefs traded their 2nd round selection (64th overall), in addition to 2019 draft picks, to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for defensive end Frank Clark and a 2019 draft pick.
  • The Chiefs traded their 6th round selection (211th overall) to the New York Jets in exchange for linebacker Darron Lee
  • The Chiefs traded their 7th round selection (246th overall) to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for safety Jordan Lucas.
  • The Chiefs traded their 6th round pick in 2021 NFL Draft to the Tennessee Titans in exchange for their 237th pick in the 2020 draft.

Undrafted free agents

[edit]
2020 Kansas City Chiefs Undrafted Free Agents
Player Position College
Andre Baccellia WR Washington
Hakeem Bailey CB West Virginia
Rodney Clemons S SMU
Omari Cobb LB Marshall
Jarvaris Davis CB Auburn
Yasir Durant OL Missouri
Jovahn Fair OL Temple
Maurice Ffrench WR Pittsburgh
Aleva Hifo WR BYU
Lavert Hill CB Michigan
Jalen Julius S Mississippi State
Kalija Lipscomb WR Vanderbilt
Shea Patterson QB Michigan
Justice Shelton-Mosley WR Vanderbilt
Tommy Townsend P Florida
Tershawn Wharton DT Missouri S&T
Cody White WR Michigan State
Darryl Williams C Mississippi State
Bryan Wright LB Cincinnati

Signed and released in the offseason

[edit]

Below are players who were signed and released in the offseason before playing a game for the Chiefs in the 2020 season. These players were not a part of the final roster cut downs prior to the start of the regular season.

2020 Kansas City Chiefs Signed and released in the offseason
Player Position
Anthony Lanier DT
Alizé Mack TE
Shea Patterson QB
Kyle Shurmur QB
Mike Weber RB
Cody White WR
JaVarius Davis CB
Jovahn Fair G
Jalen Julius S
John Lovett FB
Tyler Newsome P
Byran Wright LB
Andrew Soroh S
Aleva Hifo WR
Andre Baccellia WR
Hakeem Bailey CB
Emmanuel Smith LB

COVID-19 opt-outs

[edit]

On July 24, 2020, NFL owners and the NFL Players Association approved giving players the option to opt out of playing during the entire 2020 season as precaution due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The players listed below opted-out before the August 6 deadline and did not play.[8]

2020 Kansas City Chiefs COVID-19 opt-outs
Player Position
Laurent Duvernay-Tardif G
Damien Williams RB
Lucas Niang OT

Final roster cutdown

[edit]

The following players were released to bring the roster to the league mandated 53 players before week 1. In addition to the following 24 players being released, the Chiefs also placed two players on the reserve/suspended list and placed one player on the PUP list.

2020 Kansas City Chiefs Final roster cutdown
Player Position
Jackson Barton T
Rodney Clemons DB
Omari Cobb LB
Adrian Colbert S
Gehrig Dieter WR
Maurice Ffrench WR
Jody Fortson WR
Darius Harris LB
Daniel Helm TE
Lavert Hill DB
Braxton Hoyett DT
Ryan Hunter G
Chris Lammons CB
Devaroe Lawrence DT
Kalija Lipscomb WR
Elijah McGuire RB
Matt Moore QB
Greg Senat T
Justice Shelton-Mosley WR
Breeland Speaks DE
Jordan Ta'amu QB
Tim Ward DE
DeAndré Washington RB
Darryl Williams OL

In-season transactions

[edit]

All transactions listed in this section occurred after the Chiefs released their initial 53 player roster.

Suspensions served

[edit]

The players listed below served a suspension at some point during the season. The length, reason, and weeks served are all listed below.

2020 Kansas City Chiefs Suspensions served
Player Position Reason Length Weeks served
Bashaud Breeland[9] CB Personal conduct and
positive test for marijuana		 4 games 1–4
Mike Pennel[10] DT Positive test for PEDs 2 games 1–2

Signings

[edit]
2020 Kansas City Chiefs In-season signings
Player Position
Le'Veon Bell RB

Practice squad elevations

[edit]
2020 Kansas City Chiefs Practice squad elevations
Player Position Current status
Braxton Hoyett DT Ravens PS
DeAndré Washington RB Dolphins roster
Darius Harris LB Chiefs roster
Danny Isidora G Steelers roster
Marcus Kemp WR Dolphins PS
Bryan Witzmann G Chiefs PS
Gehrig Dieter WR Chiefs PS
Tim Ward DE Chiefs roster
Chris Lammons CB Chiefs roster
Stefen Wisniewski G Chiefs roster
Deandre Baker CB Chiefs PS
Emmanuel Smith LB Chiefs PS
Omari Cobb LB Chiefs PS

Trades

[edit]
2020 Kansas City Chiefs trades
Team Player/pick
Received 		Compensation
Miami Dolphins 6th round pick
2021 NFL Draft		 RB DeAndré Washington
7th round pick 2021 NFL Draft

Cuts

[edit]
2020 Kansas City Chiefs cuts
Player Position
Tedric Thompson CB
Ricky Seals-Jones* TE

*Signed to practice squad after release

Injured reserve returns

[edit]

The following players spent a portion of the season on injured reserve and were eventually activated off of it.

2020 Kansas City Chiefs Injured reserve returns
Player Position Date added Date removed
Khalen Saunders DT September 19 October 24
L'Jarius Sneed CB September 30 November 21
Mike Danna DT October 10 October 31
Alex Okafor DE October 24 November 21

Staff

[edit]
Kansas City Chiefs staff
Front office
  • Chairman/CEO – Clark Hunt
  • President – Mark Donovan
  • General manager – Brett Veach
  • Assistant general manager – Mike Borgonzi
  • Senior vice president of football operations and strategy – Chris Shea
  • Senior director of player personnel – Mike Bradway
  • Director of player personnel/pro – Tim Terry
  • Director of player personnel/college – Ryne Nutt
  • Senior personnel executive – Willie Davis
  • Co-directors of college scouting – Pat Sperduto and David Hinson
  • Assistant director of football administration – Jack Wolov
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
  • Offensive coordinator – Matt Nagy
  • Pass game coordinator – Joe Bleymaier
  • Quarterbacks – David Girardi
  • Running backs – Todd Pinkston
  • Assistant running backs – Porter Ellett
  • Wide receivers – Connor Embree
  • Tight ends – Tom Melvin
  • Offensive line – Andy Heck
  • Assistant offensive line – Corey Matthaei
  • Offensive assistant – Kevin Saxton
  • Offensive quality control/assistant quarterbacks – Dan Williams
  
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
  • Assistant special teams – Andy Hill
Coaching support staff
  • Statistical analysis coordinator – Mike Frazier
  • Football research analyst – Mark Richards
Strength and conditioning
  • Vice President of sports medicine and performance – Rick Burkholder
  • Head strength and conditioning/director of sports science – Ryan Reynolds
  • Assistant strength and conditioning – Greg Carbin
  • Assistant strength and conditioning – Tyler Judkins
  • Assistant strength and conditioning – Spencer Reid

→ Coaching staff
→ Front office
→ More NFL staffs

Current roster

[edit]
Kansas City Chiefs roster
Quarterbacks (QB)

Running backs (RB)

Wide receivers (WR)

Tight ends (TE)

Offensive linemen (OL)

Defensive linemen (DL)

Linebackers (LB)

Defensive backs (DB)

Special teams

Practice squad

Reserve


As of December 24, 2024. Rookies in italics.

53 active, 10 reserve, 16 practice squad (+2 exempt)

Preseason cancellation

[edit]

The Chiefs' preseason schedule was announced on May 7, but was later cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[11]

Week Date Opponent Venue Result
1 August 15 Cincinnati Bengals Arrowhead Stadium Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2 August 22 at Arizona Cardinals State Farm Stadium
3 August 29 at Dallas Cowboys AT&T Stadium
4 September 3 Green Bay Packers Arrowhead Stadium

Regular season

[edit]

Schedule

[edit]

As the defending Super Bowl champions, the Chiefs earned the right to host the NFL Kickoff Game, which occurred on September 10.
The Chiefs' 2020 schedule was announced on May 7.[11]

Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap
1 September 10 Houston Texans W 34–20 1–0 Arrowhead Stadium Recap
2 September 20 at Los Angeles Chargers W 23–20 (OT) 2–0 SoFi Stadium Recap
3 September 28 at Baltimore Ravens W 34–20 3–0 M&T Bank Stadium Recap
4[A] October 5 New England Patriots W 26–10 4–0 Arrowhead Stadium Recap
5 October 11 Las Vegas Raiders L 32–40 4–1 Arrowhead Stadium Recap
6[B] October 19 at Buffalo Bills W 26–17 5–1 Bills Stadium Recap
7 October 25 at Denver Broncos W 43–16 6–1 Empower Field at Mile High Recap
8 November 1 New York Jets W 35–9 7–1 Arrowhead Stadium Recap
9 November 8 Carolina Panthers W 33–31 8–1 Arrowhead Stadium Recap
10 Bye
11 November 22 at Las Vegas Raiders W 35–31 9–1 Allegiant Stadium Recap
12 November 29 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 27–24 10–1 Raymond James Stadium Recap
13 December 6 Denver Broncos W 22–16 11–1 Arrowhead Stadium Recap
14 December 13 at Miami Dolphins W 33–27 12–1 Hard Rock Stadium Recap
15 December 20 at New Orleans Saints W 32–29 13–1 Mercedes-Benz Superdome Recap
16 December 27 Atlanta Falcons W 17–14 14–1 Arrowhead Stadium Recap
17 January 3 Los Angeles Chargers L 21–38 14–2 Arrowhead Stadium Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

[edit]

Week 1: vs. Houston Texans

[edit]

NFL Kickoff Game

Week One: Houston Texans at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Texans 7 0 01320
Chiefs 0 17 71034

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

Game information

Week 2: at Los Angeles Chargers

[edit]
Week Two: Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Chargers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34OTTotal
Chiefs 0 6 311323
Chargers 7 7 33020

at SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California

Game information

Week 3: at Baltimore Ravens

[edit]
Week Three: Kansas City Chiefs at Baltimore Ravens – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Chiefs 6 21 0734
Ravens 3 7 3720

at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland

Game information

Week 4: vs. New England Patriots

[edit]
Week Four: New England Patriots at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Patriots 0 3 0710
Chiefs 6 0 71326

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

Game information

Week 5: vs. Las Vegas Raiders

[edit]
Week Five: Las Vegas Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Raiders 3 21 01640
Chiefs 7 17 0832

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

Game information

In what turned into a high-scoring affair, Derek Carr and the Las Vegas Raiders outdueled Mahomes and the Chiefs to hand Kansas City its first loss of 2020. The stunning upset dropped the Chiefs to 4-1 on the season and snapped Kansas City's franchise-record 13 game winning streak.

Week 6: at Buffalo Bills

[edit]
Week Six: Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Chiefs 7 6 7626
Bills 3 7 0717

at Bills Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

Game information

Week 7: at Denver Broncos

[edit]
Week Seven: Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Chiefs 10 14 61343
Broncos 6 3 0716

at Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado

Game information

Week 8: vs. New York Jets

[edit]
Week Eight: New York Jets at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Jets 3 6 009
Chiefs 14 7 7735

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

  • Date: November 1
  • Game time: Noon CST
  • Game weather: Sunny, 52 °F (11 °C)
  • Game attendance: 11,932
  • Referee: Land Clark
  • TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Trent Green and Melanie Collins
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 9: vs. Carolina Panthers

[edit]
Week Nine: Carolina Panthers at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Panthers 7 10 01431
Chiefs 3 10 71333

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

Game information

Week 11: at Las Vegas Raiders

[edit]
Week Eleven: Kansas City Chiefs at Las Vegas Raiders – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Chiefs 7 7 71435
Raiders 14 3 01431

at Allegiant Stadium, Paradise, Nevada

  • Date: November 22
  • Game time: 7:20 p.m. CST/5:20 p.m. PST
  • Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
  • Game attendance: 0
  • Referee: Carl Cheffers
  • TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya, and Terry McAulay
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 12: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

[edit]
Week Twelve: Kansas City Chiefs at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Chiefs 17 3 7027
Buccaneers 0 7 31424

at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

  • Date: November 29
  • Game time: 4:25 p.m. EST/3:25 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Clear, 81 °F (27 °C)
  • Game attendance: 15,950
  • Referee: Shawn Hochuli
  • TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson and Gene Steratore
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 13: vs. Denver Broncos

[edit]
Week Thirteen: Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Broncos 3 7 6016
Chiefs 3 6 10322

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

  • Date: December 6
  • Game time: 7:20 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Clear, 41 °F (5 °C)
  • Game attendance: 12,578
  • Referee: Alex Kemp
  • TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya and Terry McAulay
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 14: at Miami Dolphins

[edit]
Week Fourteen: Kansas City Chiefs at Miami Dolphins – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Chiefs 0 14 16333
Dolphins 7 3 01727

at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

  • Date: December 13
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/Noon CST
  • Game weather: Sunny, 81 °F (27 °C)
  • Game attendance: 13,057
  • Referee: Clay Martin
  • TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 15: at New Orleans Saints

[edit]
Week Fifteen: Kansas City Chiefs at New Orleans Saints – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Chiefs 7 7 71132
Saints 0 9 61429

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

  • Date: December 20
  • Game time: 3:25 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
  • Game attendance: 3,000
  • Referee: Scott Novak
  • TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson and Gene Steratore
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 16: vs. Atlanta Falcons

[edit]
Week Sixteen: Atlanta Falcons at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Falcons 0 7 0714
Chiefs 0 7 01017

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

  • Date: December 27
  • Game time: Noon CST
  • Game weather: 49 °F (9 °C)
  • Game attendance: 13,470
  • Referee: Craig Wrolstad
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, Daryl Johnston and Pam Oliver
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 17: vs. Los Angeles Chargers

[edit]
Week Seventeen: Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Chargers 7 17 7738
Chiefs 7 7 0721

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

Standings

[edit]

Division

[edit]
AFC West
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(1) Kansas City Chiefs 14 2 0 .875 4–2 10–2 473 362 L1
Las Vegas Raiders 8 8 0 .500 4–2 6–6 434 478 W1
Los Angeles Chargers 7 9 0 .438 3–3 6–6 384 426 W4
Denver Broncos 5 11 0 .313 1–5 4–8 323 446 L3

Conference

[edit]
AFC
# Team Division W L T PCT DIV CONF SOS SOV STK
Division leaders
1 Kansas City Chiefs West 14 2 0 .875 4–2 10–2 .465 .464 L1
2 Buffalo Bills East 13 3 0 .813 6–0 10–2 .512 .471 W6
3 Pittsburgh Steelers North 12 4 0 .750 4–2 9–3 .475 .448 L1
4[a] Tennessee Titans South 11 5 0 .688 5–1 8–4 .475 .398 W1
Wild Cards
5[b][c] Baltimore Ravens North 11 5 0 .688 4–2 7–5 .494 .401 W5
6[c][d] Cleveland Browns North 11 5 0 .688 3–3 7–5 .451 .406 W1
7[a][b][d] Indianapolis Colts South 11 5 0 .688 4–2 7–5 .443 .384 W1
Did not qualify for the postseason
8 Miami Dolphins East 10 6 0 .625 3–3 7–5 .467 .347 L1
9 Las Vegas Raiders West 8 8 0 .500 4–2 6–6 .539 .477 W1
10[e] New England Patriots East 7 9 0 .438 3–3 6–6 .527 .429 W1
11[e] Los Angeles Chargers West 7 9 0 .438 3–3 6–6 .482 .344 W4
12 Denver Broncos West 5 11 0 .313 1–5 4–8 .566 .388 L3
13 Cincinnati Bengals North 4 11 1 .281 1–5 4–8 .529 .438 L1
14 Houston Texans South 4 12 0 .250 2–4 3–9 .541 .219 L5
15 New York Jets East 2 14 0 .125 0–6 1–11 .594 .656 L1
16 Jacksonville Jaguars South 1 15 0 .063 1–5 1–11 .549 .688 L15
Tiebreakers[f]
  1. ^ a b Tennessee finished ahead of Indianapolis based on division record.
  2. ^ a b Baltimore finished ahead of Indianapolis based on head-to-head victory. Division tiebreaker used to eliminate Cleveland (see below).
  3. ^ a b Baltimore finished ahead of Cleveland based on head-to-head sweep.
  4. ^ a b Cleveland finished ahead of Indianapolis based on head-to-head victory.
  5. ^ a b New England finished ahead of the LA Chargers based on head-to-head victory.
  6. ^ When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest ranked remaining team from each division.

Postseason

[edit]
See also: 2020–21 NFL playoffs
Playoff round Date Time (CT) Opponent (seed) Result Record Venue TV Recap
Wild Card First-round bye
Divisional January 17, 2021 2:05 p.m. Cleveland Browns (6) Arrowhead Stadium CBS Preview

Game summaries

[edit]

AFC Divisional Playoffs: vs. (6) Cleveland Browns

[edit]
AFC Divisional Playoffs: (6) Cleveland Browns at (1) Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Browns 0 0 000
Chiefs 0 0 000

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Due to positive COVID-19 tests from Chiefs' practice squad quarterback Jordan Ta'amu and Patriots' quarterback Cam Newton, the NFL announced the game would be postponed to give both teams time to see if any other players had caught the virus. Following all additional tests coming back negative, the NFL announced the game would be played on October 5.[12]
  2. ^ a b The Chiefs' Week 6 game at the Buffalo Bills was moved to from October 15 (Thursday) to October 19 (Monday), due to a COVID-19 outbreak within the Titans' organization that forced the Bills–Titans game during Week 5 to be rescheduled from October 11 to October 13.[13]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Chiefs Announce Single-Game Ticket On-Sale Date; Finalize Health and Safety Plans for Fans at Arrowhead". Chiefs.com.
  2. ^ "10 Quick Facts Following the Chiefs' Week 3 Victory Over Baltimore Upon Further Review". Chiefs.com.
  3. ^ "10 Quick Facts Following the Chiefs' Week 3 Victory Over Baltimore | Upon Further Review". Chiefs.com.
  4. ^ "10 Quick Facts About the Chiefs' Week 4 Victory Over New England | Upon Further Review". Chiefs.com.
  5. ^ "Chiefs clinch fifth straight AFC West title with win over Dolphins; Steelers secure playoff berth". NFL.com.
  6. ^ "Twitter dumbfounded by Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes' ranking in NFL Top 100". USAToday.com.
  7. ^ "Arrowhead Pride to no longer cover NFL Network's "NFL Top 100". ArrowheadPride.com.
  8. ^ "Players opting out of 2020 NFL season because of coronavirus concerns: Tracking the full list". ESPN.com.
  9. ^ "Chiefs starter Bashaud Breeland hit with four-game suspension that will keep him off field until October". CBSSports.com.
  10. ^ "Chiefs' Mike Pennel suspended two games". NBCSports.com.
  11. ^ a b Shook, Nick (July 27, 2020). "Roger Goodell writes letter to NFL fans as training camps start across U.S." NFL. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  12. ^ Baca, Michael (October 4, 2020). "Patriots-Chiefs game rescheduled for Monday night; Falcons-Packers now at 8:50 p.m. ET". NFL. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  13. ^ "NFL ANNOUNCES SCHEDULE CHANGES". NFL Communications. October 11, 2020. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
[edit]

Kansas City Category:Kansas City Chiefs seasons Kansas City Chiefs Category:AFC West championship seasons

2020-21 NFL Playoffs

[edit]

2020–21 NFL playoffs
DatesJanuary 9 – February 7, 2021
Season2020
Teams14
Games played13
Super Bowl LV site
Defending championsKansas City Chiefs
NFL playoffs
← 2019–20 2021–22 →

The 2020–21 NFL playoffs is the playoff tournament for the 2020 season. It began on January 9, 2021 and will conclude with Super Bowl LV on February 7 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

The league expanded its playoff system from a 12-team to a 14-team tournament, adding a third wild card team for each conference for the first time since the 2001 season, and only awarding each conference's top seed a first round bye. The Wild Card round was thus extended from two to three games per day.[1]

The playoffs may be affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. In case of an outbreak, postseason rounds could be delayed, the bye week before the Super Bowl could be eliminated and the game itself could be postponed to as late as February 28.[2][3] On November 10, 2020, NFL owners approved a plan to implement a 16-team playoff format, with no teams getting a bye, should the virus force the cancellation of "meaningful" regular season games.[4] However, this did not occur, and the 14-team playoff format ultimately went ahead as expected.

Participants

[edit]
Further information: NFL playoffs § Current playoff system

Within each conference, the four division winners and the top three non-division winners with the best overall regular season records qualified for the playoffs. The four division winners are seeded 1–4 based on their overall won-lost-tied record, and the wild card teams are seeded 5–7. The NFL does not use a fixed bracket playoff system, and there are no restrictions regarding teams from the same division matching up in any round. In the first round, dubbed the Wild Card playoffs or Super Wild Card Weekend, the second-seeded division winner hosts the seventh seed wild card, the third seed hosts the sixth seed, and the fourth seed hosts the fifth seed. The 1 seed from each conference receives a first-round bye. In the second round, the Divisional playoffs, the number 1 seed hosts the lowest-seeded surviving team from the first round (seed 4, 5, 6, or 7), while the other two surviving teams play each other, with the higher-seeded team hosting. The two surviving teams from each conference's divisional playoff games then meet in the respective AFC and NFC Conference Championships, hosted by the higher seed. Although the Super Bowl, the championship round of the playoffs, is played at a neutral site, the designated home team is based on an annual rotation by conference.[5]

Playoff seeds
Seed AFC NFC
1 Kansas City Chiefs (West winner) Green Bay Packers (North winner)
2 Buffalo Bills (East winner) New Orleans Saints (South winner)
3 Pittsburgh Steelers (North winner) Seattle Seahawks (West winner)
4 Tennessee Titans (South winner) Washington Football Team (East winner)
5 Baltimore Ravens (wild card) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (wild card)
6 Cleveland Browns (wild card) Los Angeles Rams (wild card)
7 Indianapolis Colts (wild card) Chicago Bears (wild card)


Bracket

[edit]
Jan 10 – Nissan Stadium Jan 16 – Bills Stadium
5 Baltimore 20
4 Tennessee 13
5 Baltimore 3
Jan 24 – Arrowhead Stadium
Jan 9 – Bills Stadium 2 Buffalo 17
AFC
7 Indianapolis 24 2 Buffalo 24
Jan 17 – Arrowhead Stadium
2 Buffalo 27 1 Kansas City 38
AFC Championship
Jan 10 – Heinz Field 6 Cleveland 17
1 Kansas City 22
6 Cleveland 48
Divisional playoffs Feb 7 – Raymond James Stadium
3 Pittsburgh 37
Wild Card playoffs
A1 Kansas City 9
Jan 9 – FedExField Jan 17 – Mercedes-Benz Superdome N5 Tampa Bay 31
Super Bowl LV
5 Tampa Bay 31
4 Washington 23
5 Tampa Bay 30
Jan 24 – Lambeau Field
Jan 10 – Mercedes-Benz Superdome 2 New Orleans 20
NFC
7 Chicago 9 5 Tampa Bay 31
Jan 16 – Lambeau Field
2 New Orleans 21 1 Green Bay 26
NFC Championship
Jan 9 – Lumen Field 6 LA Rams 18
1 Green Bay 32
6 LA Rams 30
3 Seattle 20
This bracket:

Schedule

[edit]

In the case of a COVID-19 outbreak, playoff games or entire postseason rounds could be postponed, the bye week after the Conference Championships could be eliminated, and the Super Bowl could be moved up to three weeks later to February 28.

Away team Score Home Team Date Kickoff[6]
(ET / UTC–5)		 TV[7][8][9]
Wild Card playoffs
Indianapolis Colts 24–27 Buffalo Bills January 9, 2021 1:05 p.m. CBS
Los Angeles Rams 30–20 Seattle Seahawks January 9, 2021 4:40 p.m. Fox
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31–23 Washington Football Team January 9, 2021 8:15 p.m. NBC
Baltimore Ravens 20–13 Tennessee Titans January 10, 2021 1:05 p.m. ABC/ESPN/Freeform
Chicago Bears 9–21 New Orleans Saints January 10, 2021 4:40 p.m. CBS/Nick/Prime Video
Cleveland Browns 48–37 Pittsburgh Steelers January 10, 2021 8:15 p.m. NBC/Peacock
Divisional playoffs
Los Angeles Rams Green Bay Packers January 16, 2021 4:35 p.m. Fox
Baltimore Ravens Buffalo Bills January 16, 2021 8:15 p.m. NBC
Cleveland Browns Kansas City Chiefs January 17, 2021 3:05 p.m. CBS
Tampa Bay Buccaneers New Orleans Saints January 17, 2021 6:40 p.m. Fox
Conference Championships
Lower-seeded NFC team Higher-seeded NFC team January 24, 2021 3:05 p.m. Fox
Lower-seeded AFC team Higher-seeded AFC team January 24, 2021 6:40 p.m. CBS
Super Bowl LV
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
AFC Champion NFC Champion February 7, 2021 6:30 p.m. CBS

Wild Card playoffs

[edit]

Saturday, January 9, 2021

[edit]

AFC: Buffalo Bills 27, Indianapolis Colts 24

[edit]
Indianapolis Colts vs. Buffalo Bills – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Colts 3 7 01424
Bills 7 7 31027

at Bills Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

Game information

Buffalo built up a 24–10 second half lead and held off an Indianapolis fourth quarter rally to earn their first playoff win since the 1995 season.[11]

In the first quarter, Colts quarterback Philip Rivers' completions to T. Y. Hilton and Michael Pittman Jr. for gains for 23 and 22 yards set up the first score on a 30-yard field goal by Rodrigo Blankenship.[12] Buffalo responded with an 8-play, 85-yard drive, featuring a 36-yard completion from Josh Allen to Stefon Diggs. Allen finished the drive with a 3-yard touchdown pass to tight end Dawson Knox, giving the Bills a 7–3 lead with less than 2 minutes left in the quarter.

On a second quarter drive, Rivers completed a 32-yard pass to Pittman, while running back Jonathan Taylor caught a 6-yard pass and rushed four times for 17 yards, the last carry a 1-yard touchdown run to put the Colts up 10–7. Then after a punt, Indianapolis drove to a first and goal from the Bills 4-yard line; after a 2-yard pass and a 1-yard run, Taylor was tackled for a 3-yard loss by Tre'Davious White and Taron Johnson. Deciding to attempt a fourth-down conversion, Indianapolis turned the ball over as Rivers' pass to Pittman Jr. was incomplete.[13] Taking the ball back with 1:46 left in the half, Allen completed passes to Gabriel Davis for gains of 37 and 19 yards, while also picking up 16 yards on a scramble as he led the team 96 yards in 10 plays to score on a 5-yard touchdown run with 20 seconds left before halftime, giving Buffalo a 14–10 lead.

Buffalo took the second half kickoff and drove 44 yards in 9 plays, with Allen completing two passes to Cole Beasley for 23 yards and a 16-yard pass to Diggs. Tyler Bass finished the possession with a 46-yard field goal,[12] that increased the team's lead to 17–10. Indianapolis responded with a drive to the Bills' 15-yard line, only to have Blankenship miss a 33-yard field goal attempt.[12] Buffalo then drove 77 yards in 9 plays to go up 24–10 on Allen's 35-yard touchdown completion to Diggs, with 14:17 left.

On the second play of the Colts' next possession, Nyheim Hines took off for a 29-yard run, and then Taylor rushed for 20 yards. The Colts were on the move and did not stop until Rivers finished the drive with a 9-yard touchdown pass to tight end Zach Pascal,[12] making the score 24–16. After a Bills penalty moved the ball to the 1-yard line on the extra point attempt, the Colts decided to try a 2-point conversion. Linebacker Matt Milano broke up the play by getting through the line and dropping Taylor for a 1-yard loss. Buffalo then responded with a pair of 16-yard receptions by Diggs and Beasley that set up Bass' 54-yard field goal,[12] increasing the Bills' lead to 27–16 with just over 8 minutes left. Faced with 3rd and 7 on their ensuing drive, the Colts fooled Buffalo's defense with a draw play, in which Hines took a delayed handoff and ran 33 yards to the Bills' 27-yard line. On the next play, Rivers completed a 27-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jack Doyle; Rivers threw the ball to Doyle again on a 2-point conversion, making the score 27–24.

Buffalo took the ball back and drove to the Colts' 34-yard line, but Colts defensive end Denico Autry sacked Allen and forced a fumble.[13] Bills tackle Daryl Williams recovered the ball, but the team lost 18 yards and ended up having to punt with 2:38 left, giving the Colts a chance to drive for a winning or tying score. The Colts proceeded to drive to the Buffalo 46-yard line, converting two fourth downs along the way. On the second one, Pascal made a diving catch for 17 yards on fourth and 10, then appeared to fumble the ball as he got up, which Buffalo recovered. However, officials ruled him down by contact after making the catch, and this was upheld by replay review.[14] Still, Buffalo's defense managed to hang on after this, forcing a 1-yard loss and three straight incompletions, and ultimately ran out the clock to win the game.

Allen finished the game 26-for-35 for 324 yards and two touchdowns, while also leading the Bills in rushing with 11 carries for 54 yards and a touchdown. Diggs caught 6 passes for 128 yards and a touchdown. Rivers was 27-for-46 for 309 yards and two touchdowns. Taylor was the top rusher for the game with 21 carries for 76 yards and a touchdown, while Hines had 75 yards on 6 rushes and Pittman caught 5 passes for 90 yards. Colts linebacker Shaquille Leonard had 9 solo tackles and 3 assists. The Bills won despite being outgained in total yards 472 to 397.

NFC: Los Angeles Rams 30, Seattle Seahawks 20

[edit]
Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Rams 3 17 01030
Seahawks 0 10 3720

at Lumen Field, Seattle, Washington

Game information

Rams starting quarterback Jared Goff came into this game as a backup to John Wolford – due to a broken thumb on his throwing hand suffered in week 16[16] – but a neck injury suffered by Wolford on the Rams' second possession resulted in Goff returning to the starting lineup.[17] Though Goff completed less than half his passes, he led the Rams to victory, with running back Cam Akers accumulating 176 scrimmage yards.[18]

Wolford was knocked out of the game on the Rams' second possession,[17] but only after completing a pair of passes to Cooper Kupp for gains of 15 and 13 yards that set up Matt Gay's 40-yard field goal, giving the team a 3–0 lead. In the second quarter, Michael Dickson's 48-yard punt pinned the Rams back on their own 5-yard line. Following a three-and-out, Johnny Hekker's 44-yard punt gave Seattle good field position on their own 49-yard line, where they proceeded to drive 19 yards and tie the game on a 50-yard field goal by Jason Myers. Los Angeles struck back with Goff's 44-yard completion to Kupp setting up Gay's second field goal, a 39-yard kick. Then they increased their lead to 13–3 when Darious Williams intercepted a pass from Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson and returned it 42 yards for a touchdown.[19] Wilson quickly recovered, leading the team 79 yards in five plays and scoring on a 51-yard touchdown pass to DK Metcalf.[20] On Los Angeles' next possession, Akers had a 44-yard reception and a 20-yard carry before taking the ball into the end zone on a 5-yard run,[20] giving the Rams a 20–10 lead with 2 minutes left in the half.

Seattle cornerback D. J. Reed returned the second half kickoff 58 yards to Los Angeles' 41-yard line, setting up a 52-yard field goal by Myers that cut the score to 20–13. After six consecutive drives resulted in punts, Goff's 20-yard completion to Robert Woods started up a 9-play, 52-yard drive that ended on a 36-yard field goal from Gay, giving the Rams a 23–13 lead with 11:37 remaining. Then after a punt from each team, Rams linebacker Samson Ebukam forced a fumble from Reed on a punt return, which Micah Kiser recovered for Los Angeles on the Seahawks' 36-yard line, where the Rams went on to a 30–13 lead on Goff's 15-yard touchdown pass to Woods.[20] Wilson responded with a 23-yard scramble and a 28-yard completion to Freddie Swain before throwing a 12-yard touchdown completion to Metcalf,[20] with 2:34 left.

Goff was 9-for-19 for 155 yards and a touchdown,[17] while defensive tackle Aaron Donald had two sacks, despite having to leave the game with a rib injury.[17] Wilson was held to 11-for-27 for 174 yards,[20] with two touchdowns – both to Metcalf, who had five receptions for 96 yards – and an interception, as well as 50 yards on 4 carries; linebacker Bobby Wagner had 11 solo tackles, 5 assists, and 1 sack.

NFC: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31, Washington Football Team 23

[edit]
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Washington Football Team – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Buccaneers 9 9 01331
Washington 0 7 9723

at FedExField, Landover, Maryland

Game information

Tampa Bay racked up 507 yards of offense, 3 sacks, and forced 2 turnovers as they earned their first postseason victory since winning Super Bowl XXXVII.[22]

Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady completed a 30-yard pass to Mike Evans and a 17-yard throw to Chris Godwin as he led the team to a 29-yard Ryan Succop field goal on the game's opening drive.[23] Then after a punt from each team, Tampa Bay defensive back Sean Murphy-Bunting intercepted a pass from Taylor Heinicke,[23] on the Buccaneers' 42-yard line. Tampa Bay then drove 58 yards in six plays to score on Brady's 36-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Brown,[22] giving the team a 9–0 lead after Succop's extra point was blocked by Jeremy Reaves. But Heinicke started the next drive with completions to Logan Thomas and Terry McLaurin for gains of 24 and 18 yards,[23] respectively, before J. D. McKissic finished it off with a 2-yard touchdown run,[23] making the score 9–7 with 12:58 left in the half. Dustin Hopkins' short kickoff gave the Buccaneers a first down on their own 39-yard line. On the next play, Brown took a pitch on an end-around and ran for a 22-yard gain. Three plays later, Brady threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Godwin,[24] giving the Buccaneers a 15–7 lead after their two point conversion attempt failed. Then after a punt, Brady completed 3-of-5 passes for 65 yards on an 82-yard drive that ended with Succop's 23-yard field goal,[23] giving Tampa Bay an 18–7 lead at halftime.

Washington cut their deficit to 18–10 with the opening drive of the third quarter, converting Heinicke's 29-yard completion to Thomas into a 36-yard Hopkins field goal.[23] Later in the period, Washington defensive tackle Daron Payne forced a fumble from Ke'Shawn Vaughn that Jon Bostic recovered[24] for Washington on their 39-yard line. Heinicke then completed a 19-yard pass to Cam Sims and rushed for a 13-yard gain before taking the ball into the end zone himself on an 8-yard touchdown run, cutting the deficit to 18–16 after an unsuccessful 2-point try.[23] Tampa Bay responded with a 9-play, 55-yard drive, the longest a 23-yard catch by tight end Cameron Brate. Succop finished it off with a 38-yard field goal,[23] giving the Buccaneers a 21–16 lead with 13:38 left. Following a Washington punt, Brady completed passes to Evans for gains of 20 and 19 yards, while Leonard Fournette rushed three times for 22 yards, the last carry a 3-yard touchdown run that put his team up 28–16.[23] On Washington's next drive, Heinicke completed 8-of-10 passes for 71 yards and finishing the drive with an 11-yard touchdown completion to Sims.[23] With the score now 28–23 and 4:57 left, Brady completed passes of 35 yards to Evans and 16 yards to Godwin, setting up Succop's 37-yard field goal with 2:49 left. Washington then drove across midfield, but after two incompletions and an 11-yard sack by Lavonte David,[24] Heinicke's 4th down pass was incomplete, enabling Tampa Bay to run out the rest of the game clock.

Brady completed 22-for-40 passes for 381 yards and two touchdowns, Fournette rushed for 93 yards and a touchdown, while also catching 4 passes for 39 yards. Evans caught 6 passes for 119 yards,[22] and David had 8 solo tackles and a sack. In his second NFL start, Heinicke completed 26-for-44 passes for 306 yards with a touchdown and an interception,[22] and he was also Washington's leading rusher with 6 carries for 46 yards and a touchdown.[23][25] Sims had 7 receptions for 104 yards, and Reaves blocked an extra point and had 9 solo tackles.

Sunday, January 10, 2021

[edit]

AFC: Baltimore Ravens 20, Tennessee Titans 13

[edit]
Baltimore Ravens vs. Tennessee Titans – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Ravens 0 10 7320
Titans 10 0 0313

at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee

Game information

In a game between the two teams with the most rushing yards during the 2020 season,[27] Baltimore came out on top, outgaining the Titans in total yards 401–209, and holding them to just 51 yards on the ground. Tennessee running back Derrick Henry, the NFL's leading rusher in 2020, was held to just 40 yards on 18 carries.[28][29]

Tennessee opened up the scoring on their second possession with a 10-play, 75-yard drive, featuring a 28-yard completion from Ryan Tannehill to A. J. Brown, before Brown's 10-yard touchdown catch made the score 7–0.[30] Then on Baltimore's next drive, Tennessee defensive back Malcolm Butler intercepted a pass from Lamar Jackson on the Tennessee 28-yard line. Tannehill went on to complete a 35-yard pass to Anthony Firkser that set up Stephen Gostkowski's 45-yard field goal giving the Titans a 10–0 first quarter lead.[29] Baltimore responded by moving the ball 65 yards in 12 plays, including a 28-yard completion from Jackson to receiver Marquise Brown. Justin Tucker finished the drive with a 33-yard field goal,[29] that made the score 10–3 five minutes into the second quarter. Then after a punt by the Titans, the Ravens tied the score at 10–10 with Jackson's 48-yard touchdown run.[29]

Baltimore took a 17–10 lead with their opening drive of the second half, with Jackson completing 4-of-4 passes for 30 yards and rushing four times for 34 yards, on the way to J. K. Dobbins' 4-yard touchdown run.[29] Following a pair of punts, a roughing the passer penalty against Baltimore defensive end Derek Wolfe turned A. J. Brown's 18-yard reception into a 33-yard gain. Tennessee went on to make the score 17–13 with Gostkowski's 25-yard field goal,[29] on the last play of the third quarter. Baltimore responded with a drive to the Titans' 34-yard line, but Tucker missed a 52-yard field goal.[29] Following a punt, Jackson completed 3-of-3 passes for 30 yards and rushed for 14 yards, setting up a successful 51-yard field goal for Tucker, giving the Ravens a 20–13 lead with 4:23 left.[29] Marcus Peters ended Tennessee's next drive with an interception of Tannehill,[29] enabling the Ravens' offense to run out the clock with four running plays, including a 33-yard run from Jackson.

Jackson completed 17-for-24 passes for 179 yards with an interception,[29] and was the game's leading rusher with 16 carries for 136 yards and a touchdown.[29] Marquise Brown was the game's leading receiver with 7 catches for 109 yards. Tannehill finished the day 18-for-26 for 165 yards, a touchdown, and an interception; Tennessee linebacker Harold Landry had 8 tackles, 2 assists, and 2 sacks.

NFC: New Orleans Saints 21, Chicago Bears 9

[edit]
Main article: 2021 NFC Wild Card game (Chicago–New Orleans)
Chicago Bears vs. New Orleans Saints – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Bears 0 3 069
Saints 7 0 7721

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

Game information

New Orleans held Chicago to just 239 yards and a single field goal until the closing seconds of the fourth quarter as they progressed to the Divisional round.[32]

In the first quarter, Saints receiver Deonte Harris returned a punt 7 yards to the New Orleans 45-yard line, before he caught a 17-yard pass as his team drove 50 yards on 8 plays to score on Drew Brees's 11-yard touchdown throw to Michael Thomas.[32] Chicago seemed primed to respond, as Mitchell Trubisky completed a 28-yard pass to Javon Wims,[33] on the Saints' 40-yard line. On the next play, the Bears ran a trick play in which running back David Montgomery took the snap out of the wildcat formation and gave the ball to Cordarrelle Patterson, who then pitched the ball to Trubisky.[33] The play initially worked perfectly, as Trubisky threw the ball to a wide open Wims in the end zone, only to see him drop the pass.[32] This turned out to be crucial as the drive ended in a turnover on downs on the Saints' 34-yard line. New Orleans then drove to the Bears' 32-yard line, but Wil Lutz missed a 52-yard field goal attempt. In the second quarter, Bears safety Tashaun Gipson forced a fumble from Taysom Hill that John Jenkins recovered for Chicago,[34] on the Saints' 24-yard line. This led to Cairo Santos' 36-yard field goal that made the score 7–3; the next four drives ended in punts, with no additional scoring to the half.[35]

After the Bears punted on the first drive of the third quarter, Brees completed 6-of-7 passes for 72 yards, the longest being a 38-yard throw to Thomas. He finished the drive with a 6-yard touchdown completion to running back Latavius Murray,[32] giving the Saints a 14–3 lead.[34] The Bears had to punt again after three plays, and Harris returned it 11 yards to New Orleans' 36-yard line. From there, the Saints drove 64 yards in 15 plays to go up 21–3 on Alvin Kamara's 3-yard touchdown run with 8:50 left.[34] Following another Bears punt, New Orleans drove all the way to the Chicago 1-yard line, but ended up turning the ball over on downs. In the final 2:19 of the game, the Bears drove 99 yards in 11 plays and scored on the final play of the game, with Trubisky's 19-yard touchdown pass to Jimmy Graham.

Brees completed 28-for-39 passes for 265 yards and 2 touchdowns,[32] Kamara had 23 carries for 99 yards and a touchdown,[34] along with 2 receptions for 17 yards; Harris caught 7 passes for 83 yards and returned 3 punts for 22 yards. Trubisky finished the game 19-for-29 for 199 yards and a touchdown.[32]

AFC: Cleveland Browns 48, Pittsburgh Steelers 37

[edit]
Cleveland Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Browns 28 7 01348
Steelers 0 10 131437

at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Game information

Despite missing four players and five coaches – including head coach Kevin Stefanski[37] – due to positive COVID-19 tests, Cleveland built up a 35–10 first half lead, forced five turnovers, and held on to earn their first playoff win since the 1994 season.[38] This was also the Browns' first playoff appearance since 2002, their first road win against the Steelers since 2003, and their first road playoff win since 1969.[39][40]

The Browns took a 7–0 lead on the first play from scrimmage when a high snap from Pittsburgh center Maurkice Pouncey sailed over quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's head and went into the end zone, where safety Karl Joseph recovered the ball for a touchdown.[38] Then on Pittsburgh's next drive, cornerback M. J. Stewart intercepted a pass from Roethlisberger,[38] giving the Browns the ball on the Steelers' 46-yard line. Two plays later, Baker Mayfield threw a short pass to Jarvis Landry in the middle of the field and he ran it 40 yards into the end zone to increase Cleveland's lead to 14–0.[38] Pittsburgh then had to punt after three plays, and the Browns drove 65 yards in 6 plays, the longest a 20-yard run from Nick Chubb. Kareem Hunt finished the drive with an 11-yard touchdown run,[38] to put the Browns up 21–0. Then, Roethlisberger threw another interception, this one to safety Sheldrick Redwine, who returned it 30 yards to the Steelers' 15-yard line.[38] This set up Hunt's 8-yard touchdown run that gave the Browns a 28–0 first quarter lead[38] – tying an NFL playoff record for points in the first quarter.[39]

In the second quarter, Roethlisberger threw his third interception to defensive end Porter Gustin,[38] that gave the Browns the ball on their 47-yard line, but the Steelers' defense were able to force a punt.[38] Pittsburgh then drove 89 yards in 13 plays, featuring a 27-yard completion from Roethlisberger to receiver James Washington. Running back James Conner also made some crucial plays, converting a 4th and 1 on the Browns' 2-yard line with a 1-yard run, and then running the ball into the end zone on the next play to make the score 28–7. D'Ernest Johnson returned the resulting kickoff 33 yards to the Browns' 36-yard line. Then, after Mayfield scrambled to convert a 3rd and 6, he completed a 21-yard pass to Chubb to the Steelers' 32-yard line. Three plays later, Mayfield finished the possession with a 7-yard touchdown pass to tight end Austin Hooper,[38] giving the Browns a 35–7 lead with 37 seconds left in the half. Still, Pittsburgh managed to respond, driving 32 yards in five plays to score on Chris Boswell's 49-yard field goal,[38] for a halftime score of 35–10.

In the third quarter, the Browns punted on their opening drive, and Roethlisberger completed eight consecutive passes for 84 yards, the last a 17-yard touchdown completion to tight end Eric Ebron, cutting the score to 35–16 after a failed 2-point conversion attempt.[38] Following another Browns' punt, Roethlisberger completed passes to JuJu Smith-Schuster for gains of 15 and 27 yards as the team drove 68 yards in 12 plays. Faced with 4th and goal on the Browns' 5-yard line, Roethlisberger threw another pass to Smith-Schuster for a touchdown,[38] cutting their deficit to 35–23.

After a Browns punt, the Steelers drove to a 4th and 1 on their 46-yard line in the closing seconds of the third quarter. From there, Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin decided to let the play clock run down to zero in an attempt to draw the Browns offside, and then punt the ball on 4th and 6.[41] Tomlin later received criticism for declining to attempt a fourth down conversion.[42][43] Cleveland got the ball seconds into the fourth quarter, and increased their lead to 42–23, with Mayfield completing passes to Landry for gains of 17 and 14 yards before finishing the drive with a 40-yard touchdown pass to Chubb. Roethlisberger completed four consecutive passes for 76 yards for the Steelers, the last a 29-yard touchdown pass to rookie receiver Chase Claypool.[38] This made the score 42–29 with 6:39 left, following another failed 2-point try.[38] The Browns stepped up to cut off any chance of a comeback; Johnson returned the kickoff 30 yards to the Browns' 35-yard line, sparking a 13-play, 59-yard drive that ended with Cody Parkey's 24-yard field goal that put the team up 45–29. Then, linebacker Sione Takitaki recorded Cleveland's fourth interception of the day,[38] picking off a pass from Roethlisberger and returning it 23 yards to the Steelers' 25-yard line. This led to another Parkey field goal that gave the Browns a 48–29 lead with 2:54 left. Roethlisberger led the Steelers 77 yards in 8 plays, including his 33-yard completion to Smith-Schuster on 4th and 10, on the way to his 7-yard touchdown pass to Claypool.[38] Then, his 2-point conversion pass to Connor made the score 48–37. The Browns recovered Pittsburgh's ensuing onside kick attempt and ran out the rest of the clock.

Mayfield finished his first career playoff game with 21-for-34 for 263 yards and three touchdowns. Landry was his top target with 5 catches for 92 yards and a touchdown. Chubb was the top rusher of the day with 18 carries for 76 yards, while also catching 4 passes for 69 yards and a touchdown. Stewart had 9 tackles (1 for loss) and an interception. Roethlisberger completed 47-of-68 passes for 501 yards and 4 touchdowns, with 4 interceptions. His 47 completions set an NFL record, his 68 passes set an NFL postseason record, and his 501 yards was the second highest total in postseason history.[44] Smith-Schuster had 13 receptions for 157 yards and a touchdown, while Diontae Johnson added 11 receptions for 117 yards.

Divisional playoffs

[edit]

Saturday, January 16, 2021

[edit]

NFC: Los Angeles Rams at Green Bay Packers

[edit]
Los Angeles Rams vs. Green Bay Packers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Rams 0 0 000
Packers 0 0 000

at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

AFC: Baltimore Ravens at Buffalo Bills

[edit]
Baltimore Ravens vs. Buffalo Bills – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Ravens 0 0 000
Bills 0 0 000

at Bills Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

Sunday, January 17, 2021

[edit]

AFC: Cleveland Browns at Kansas City Chiefs

[edit]
Cleveland Browns vs. Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Browns 0 0 000
Chiefs 0 0 000

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

NFC: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints

[edit]
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. New Orleans Saints – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Buccaneers 0 0 000
Saints 0 0 000

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

Television coverage

[edit]

All playoff games will be televised nationally on network television.

CBS and NBC acquired the rights to the two new Wild Card Round games.[45][46][47] The coverage of the rest of the Wild Card round essentially remains the same, with ESPN producing coverage of one Wild Card game and simulcasting it on ABC; and CBS, NBC, and Fox televising each of the other three remaining Wild Card games.[48]

CBS aired an alternate broadcast for its new Wild Card game on sister network Nickelodeon, oriented toward a youth audience,[49][50] called by Noah Eagle (son of CBS commentator Ian Eagle) and Nate Burleson, joined by All That cast members Gabrielle Nevaeh Green and Lex Lumpkin as a booth analyst and sideline reporter respectively. It featured explanations of rules (with Iain Armitage, in character as Sheldon Cooper from CBS sitcom Young Sheldon, making appearances to explain penalties), customized on-air graphics, and augmented reality effects — including Nickelodeon's signature green slime on touchdowns.[51][52] The telecast received critical praise from fans on social media and sportscasters, including those working for competing networks, on introducing children who otherwise may have never watched a football game before watching a game for the first time.[51][52][53]

ESPN also carried additional Megacast broadcasts for its Wild Card game, including the "Film Room" on ESPN2 featuring extended analysis of plays, ESPN+ carrying "Between the Lines" (which included extended analysis from a sports betting perspective), and a "watch party" on Freeform (which featured appearances by entertainment and pop culture personalities, and a halftime performance by DJ Khaled from Miami).[54][55] NBC additionally aired its Wild Card game on streaming service Peacock and in Spanish on Telemundo.[49][50]

Fox has exclusive coverage of both NFC Divisional games and the NFC Championship Game. Coverage of the AFC Divisional games is split between CBS and NBC. CBS then has exclusive coverage of the AFC Championship Game and the Super Bowl.

Playoff games TV ratings

[edit]
Rank Round Date Road team Score Home team Network Viewers (millions)[56] TV rating
1 Wild Card Round January 10, 2021, 4:40 ET Chicago Bears 9–21 New Orleans Saints CBS/Nick 30.6 15.4
2 Wild Card Round January 10, 2021, 8:15 ET Cleveland Browns 48–37 Pittsburgh Steelers NBC 26.0 13.4
3 Wild Card Round January 10, 2021, 1:05 ET Baltimore Ravens 20–13 Tennessee Titans ABC/ESPN 24.8 14.1
4 Wild Card Round January 9, 2021, 4:40 ET Los Angeles Rams 30–20 Seattle Seahawks Fox 24.6 12.7
5 Wild Card Round January 9, 2021, 8:15 ET Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31–23 Washington Football Team NBC 21.4 11.5
6 Wild Card Round January 9, 2021, 1:05 ET Indianapolis Colts 24–27 Buffalo Bills CBS 20.1 11.6

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Attendance at the game was limited to 6,772 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New York.[10]
  2. ^ Game played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Washington.[15]
  3. ^ Game played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Maryland.[21]
  4. ^ Attendance was limited to 21% of the total capacity of Nissan Stadium (14,520), due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Tennessee.[26]
  5. ^ Attendance was limited to 3,000 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Louisiana.[31]
  6. ^ Game played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Pennsylvania.[36]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Seifert, Kevin (March 31, 2020). "NFL owners vote to approve expanded 14-team playoff format". ESPN. Archived from the original on April 1, 2020. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
  2. ^ Fraser, Sam (May 7, 2020). "NFL is ready to call an audible or two if coronavirus forces schedule changes". Los Angeles Times.
  3. ^ Schefter, Adam (May 7, 2020). "Sources: Super Bowl LV could provide the NFL a pandemic scheduling solution". ESPN.
  4. ^ Kerr, Jeff (November 10, 2020). "NFL owners approve contingency plan to expand playoffs to 16 teams if COVID-19 causes cancellations". CBS Sports. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
  5. ^ "What to Know About the NFL's New Expanded Postseason Format". si.com. January 9, 2021. Retrieved December 11, 2022.
  6. ^ "18 teams remain in the playoff picture... who will make it to #SuperWildCard weekend? #NFLPlayoffs". twitter.com. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
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  8. ^ "SUPER WILD CARD WEEKEND SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED". NFLCommunications.com (Press release). NFL Enterprises. January 7, 2021. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  9. ^ Around the NFL staff (January 10, 2021). "NFL announces playoff game schedule for Divisional Round". NFL.com. NFL Enterprises, LLC. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
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  39. ^ a b Trotter, Jake (January 10, 2021). "Cleveland Browns beat Pittsburgh Steelers for 1st playoff win since 1994". ESPN.com. ESPN Inc. Associated Press. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
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  41. ^ Marczi, Matthew (January 11, 2021). "Ben Roethlisberger 'Was Prepared To Go For It' On 4th-And-1 Punt: 'That Was Coach's Decision'". Steelers Depot. CafeMedia. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
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  43. ^ Ochoa, RJ (January 11, 2021). "Mike Tomlin's decision to punt against the Browns was the ultimate cowardice". SB Nation. Vox Media. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  44. ^ DeArdo, Bryan (January 10, 2021). "Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger sets NFL playoff passing record in wild-card playoff loss to Browns". CBS Sports. CBS. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  45. ^ "New NFL Wild Cards Costing CBS, NBC Around $70M". Sports Business Daily. Archived from the original on April 2, 2020. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
  46. ^ Steinberg, Brian (March 31, 2020). "CBS, NBC Nab New NFL Wild-Card Games in Expanded Season". Variety. Archived from the original on July 10, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  47. ^ "NFL CLUBS APPROVE EXPANSION OF POSTSEASON". nflcommunications.com. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  48. ^ "CBS Sports, Nickelodeon team up to air 'NFL Wild Card Game on Nickelodeon' on Jan. 10". NFL.com. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  49. ^ a b "New NFL Wild Cards Costing CBS, NBC Around $70M". Sports Business Daily. Archived from the original on April 2, 2020. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
  50. ^ a b Steinberg, Brian (March 31, 2020). "CBS, NBC Nab New NFL Wild-Card Games in Expanded Season". Variety. Archived from the original on July 10, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  51. ^ a b "Nickelodeon's NFL Wild Card broadcast was fun, goofy, and needs to be done again". Awful Announcing. January 11, 2021. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  52. ^ a b Agrest, Jeff (January 7, 2021). "Nickelodeon broadcast of Bears-Saints wild-card game will be like nothing you've seen". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  53. ^ Keown, Tim (January 11, 2021). "The Bears-Saints Nickelodeon game was goofy -- and the most fun NFL broadcast of the year". ESPN.com. ESPN Inc. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  54. ^ "NFL Wild Card 'MegaCast': Freeform Books DJ Khaled Halftime Show, 'Watch Party' With Network Stars". TVLine. January 4, 2021. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  55. ^ "ESPN's Wild Card Megacast features Film Room, data/gambling broadcast". Awful Announcing. January 4, 2021. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  56. ^ "THE NFL TV RATINGS PAGE". SportsMediaWatch.com. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
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Playoffs NFL playoffs Category:National Football League playoffs NFL

10th Annual NFL Honors

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Super Bowl LV (55)

[edit]
"2021 Super Bowl" redirects here. For the Super Bowl at the completion of the 2021 season, see Super Bowl LVI.

Super Bowl LV
DateFebruary 7, 2021
StadiumRaymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
Ceremonies
Halftime showThe Weeknd[1]
TV in the United States
NetworkCBS
ESPN Deportes (Spanish language)
AnnouncersJim Nantz (play-by-play)
Tony Romo (analyst)
Tracy Wolfson, Evan Washburn and Jay Feely (sideline reporters)
Gene Steratore (rules analyst)[citation needed]
Radio in the United States
NetworkWestwood One

Super Bowl LV, the 55th Super Bowl and the 51st modern-era National Football League (NFL) championship game, will decide the league champion for the 2020 NFL season. With pending developments on the COVID-19 pandemic and how it affects the 2020 season, the game is scheduled to be played on February 7, 2021, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.[2] This will be the fifth Super Bowl hosted by the Tampa area and the third held at Raymond James Stadium. The game will be televised nationally by CBS. It will be the fourth time that the Super Bowl was in the same state in back-to-back years, since Super Bowl LIV took place at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.[3]

Host city selection process

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Raymond James Stadium

On May 19, 2015, the league announced the five finalists for hosting Super Bowl LIII in 2019 and Super Bowl LIV in 2020. NFL team owners voted on these cities on May 24 2016, with the first round of voting to determine the host for Super Bowl LIII, and the second round deciding the site for Super Bowl LIV. In a development not known in advance, a third round of voting was added to select a Super Bowl LV hosting site.[4] Atlanta and Miami were awarded Super Bowls LIII and LIV respectively, removing them from the running for LV. Los Angeles was not eligible for Super Bowl LIII, as their stadium was under construction and would not yet be finished; it was eligible for LIV and LV, and opted to bid only on the latter.[5]

The two candidates were:

Los Angeles was originally chosen as the host site for Super Bowl LV in a vote on May 24, 2016.[5][6][7] However, due to construction delays, authorities announced that the stadium would not be completed until the start of the 2020 NFL season.[8] On May 23, 2017, NFL owners voted unanimously, with the Rams' approval, to move Super Bowl LV to Tampa. The City of Inglewood will instead host Super Bowl LVI in 2022.[9]

Contingency plans for the COVID-19 pandemic

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As of the start of the 2020 NFL season, the league had forbidden on-field entertainment, such as halftime shows and national anthem performances at games with spectators. These elements, which have historically been cornerstones of the Super Bowl entertainment, would be produced off-site if restrictions remain in place.[10] On November 12, it was announced that The Weeknd was to perform at the halftime show.[11]

The state of Florida removed capacity restrictions for sporting events in October, although the three Florida-based teams have voluntarily maintained 20-25% capacity limits.[12] As of late October 2020, the NFL was planning a minimum attendance of 20% of capacity, in hopes that a larger capacity would be possible by game day.[13]

Broadcasting

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United States

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Super Bowl LV will be televised by CBS. Although NBC was to air this game under the current rotation, they traded the game to CBS in exchange for Super Bowl LVI, which falls during the 2022 Winter Olympics and is the first to be scheduled during an ongoing Olympic Games (this also upholds a gentleman's agreement between the NFL's broadcasters to not counterprogram the Super Bowl,[14] as NBC also holds the U.S. broadcast rights to the Olympics). CBS will, to an extent, also benefit from holding rights to the Super Bowl in the same year that it holds rights to the NCAA Final Four, which is cycled with WarnerMedia Entertainment channels on a two-year cycle with TBS, as well as the AFC Championship Game in primetime, which contractually alternates between afternoon and primetime on a two-year cycle with the NFC Championship Game on Fox.[15][16]

CBS is expected to introduce a rebranding of the CBS Sports division during Super Bowl LV, as part of a larger brand unification process between the network's main divisions.[17][18]

For the third consecutive Super Bowl televised by CBS, ESPN Deportes will air a Spanish-language broadcast.[19]

Lead-out programs

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On December 3, 2020, CBS announced that its lead-out program will be the series premiere of The Equalizer.[20]

International

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In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the game will be televised on the free-to-air channel BBC One, and paid-subscription channels Sky Sports Mix and Sky Sports NFL.[21]

In Germany, Austria and Switzerland, free-to-air channel ProSieben will broadcast the event through its ran format.[22]

Subscription streaming platform DAZN will also stream the Super Bowl.

Entertainment

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Halftime show

[edit]
Main article: Super Bowl LV halftime show

The Halftime show will be headlined by The Weeknd.[1][11][23]

See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "The Weeknd to headline Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show at Raymond James Stadium". NFL.com (Press release). NFL Enterprises, LLC. November 12, 2020. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
  2. ^ Fraser, Sam (May 7, 2020). "NFL is ready to call an audible or two if coronavirus forces schedule changes". Los Angeles Times.
  3. ^ "2019 Super Bowl LIII Location and Date". Retrieved February 4, 2018.
  4. ^ Battista, Judy (May 23, 2016). Future Super Bowl sites, Las Vegas among topics at NFL meeting. NFL.com. Retrieved May 23, 2016.
  5. ^ a b "NFL awards 2021 Super Bowl to Los Angeles". Los Angeles Times. May 24, 2016. Retrieved May 24, 2016.
  6. ^ Rosenthal, Gregg. "Atlanta, South Florida, L.A. chosen to host Super Bowls". NFL.com. Retrieved May 24, 2016.
  7. ^ "NFL awards future Super Bowls to Atlanta, South Florida and Los Angeles". CBS Sports. May 24, 2016. Retrieved May 24, 2016.
  8. ^ Farmer, Sam; Fenno, Nathan (May 18, 2017). "Inglewood football stadium's opening will be delayed a year because of record rainfall". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
  9. ^ "Super Bowl LV relocated to Tampa; L.A. will host SB LVI". NFL.com. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
  10. ^ Breech, John (August 19, 2020). "NFL to ban cheerleaders, mascots, reporters and multiple other groups from sideline for 2020 season". CBS Sports. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  11. ^ a b Belson, Ken; Rosman, Katherine; Sisario, Ben (November 12, 2020). "N.F.L. Announces the Weeknd for Its Super Bowl Halftime Show". The New York Times. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
  12. ^ Shapiro, Michael. "Dolphins to Keep Capacity at 13,000 Despite Governor's Decision". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
  13. ^ "NFL plans to hold fan capacity to 20% for Super Bowl, with masks mandatory". ESPN.com. October 28, 2020. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  14. ^ "Goal of spectacle colors NFL's thinking about Super Bowl halftime show". Chicago Tribune. February 6, 2011. Retrieved January 30, 2013.
  15. ^ "CBS, NBC in 'Freaky Friday' Super Bowl swap". adage.com. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  16. ^ Steinberg, Brian (March 13, 2019). "CBS, NBC to Swap Super Bowl Broadcasts". Variety. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  17. ^ "CBS rethinks iconic eye in new branding strategy". adage.com. October 8, 2020. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
  18. ^ Steinberg, Brian (October 8, 2020). "CBS Casts New Eye on Audiences Who Don't Watch Its Programs on Regular TV". Variety. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
  19. ^ "ESPN Deportes nabs Spanish-language rights to Super Bowl, AFC Championship in 2021". Awful Announcing. October 12, 2020. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
  20. ^ "'The Equalizer' Starring Queen Latifah Lands Post-Super Bowl Slot On CBS; 'FBI' Midseason Return Set Post-AFC Championship Game". Deadline. December 3, 2020. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  21. ^ @NFLUK (September 9, 2020). "The lineup is complete. Plenty of places to watch 🏈 in the 🇬🇧 All the options 👇 #NFLisBACK" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  22. ^ "Die NFL-Saison 2020 live auf ProSieben und ProSieben MAXX und im kostenlosen Livestream auf ran.de". ran.de. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  23. ^ "Super Bowl LV: The Weeknd announced as Pepsi Halftime Show performer". CBSSports.com. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
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55 Category:2020 National Football League season Category:2021 in American football Category:2021 in American television Category:2021 in sports in Florida Category:21st century in Tampa, Florida Category:American football in Florida Category:February 2021 sports events in the United States Category:Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports Category:Scheduled sports events Category:Sports competitions in Tampa, Florida --Poolson1029 (talk) 23:50, 13 January 2021 (UTC)[reply]

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