2007 NFL season

This article documents a current sports-related event. Information may change as the event progresses.

The 2007 season of the National Football League (NFL) is the 88th season played by the major professional American football league in the United States. Regular-season play started with the opening Kickoff game on September 6 2007 at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, Indiana, between the New Orleans Saints and the Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts,^[1] which the Colts won by the score of 41-10, and will conclude on Sunday December 30 of that year. The playoffs will begin on January 5 2008, and will end with the league championship game, Super Bowl XLII, at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on February 3 2008. The season will formally conclude with the annual Pro Bowl all-star game on February 10 2008 — moving back to Sunday after being held on a Saturday during the 2006 NFL season.^[2]

Schedule

On March 26 2007, the league announced the aforementioned opening Saints-Colts Kickoff game on September 6 that would be telecast on NBC. Pre-game activities featured Indiana native John Mellencamp, Faith Hill and Kelly Clarkson. The entertainment portion of events started 30 minutes earlier than the scheduled start time of the game, leading up to the unveiling of the Colts' Super Bowl XLI championship banner. The opening events were simulcast on NFL Network.

The Dallas Cowboys hosted the New York Giants in the first Sunday night game September 9 at 8:15 p.m. US EDT. Monday Night Football on ESPN kicked off with a doubleheader on September 10 with the Cincinnati Bengals hosting the Baltimore Ravens at 7:00 p.m. US EDT, and the San Francisco 49ers hosting the Arizona Cardinals at 10:15 p.m. US EDT. The 49ers paid tribute to three-time Super Bowl winning head coach Bill Walsh, who died July 30, in that game; more details can be found below.

For the second year in a row, three games will also be held on the United States' Thanksgiving Day (November 22). In addition to the traditional games hosted by the Detroit Lions and Cowboys (with those teams respectively playing the Green Bay Packers and the New York Jets, with the Packers-Lions game starting at 12:30 p.m. US EST and the Jets-Cowboys game kicking off at 4:15 p.m. US EST respectively), the Colts will face the Atlanta Falcons in the Georgia Dome with kickoff scheduled for 8:15 p.m. US EST.^[1]

Based on the NFL's scheduling formula, the intraconference and interconference matchups for 2007 will be:^[3]

Hall of Fame Game

The Hall of Fame Game was played in Canton, Ohio on Sunday August 5 2007, with the Pittsburgh Steelers defeating the Saints by a score of 20-7; the game was televised by the NFL Network, replacing NBC, who had been previously scheduled to broadcast the China Bowl exhibition game from Beijing, China. However, the league postponed that game until 2009.

Flex scheduling

The NFL enters its second year of flexible scheduling in the final weeks of the season. In each of the Sunday night contests from Weeks 11 through 17, NBC has the option of switching its Sunday night matchup for a more favorable contest, up to 12 days before the game's start.^[4] prior to the game. In addition to an extra week of flexible scheduling (because of the conflict with scheduling Christmas Eve last year), the NFL slightly changed its flex-schedule procedure. In 2006, the league did not reveal its predetermined Sunday night game; the reason given by the league was to avoid embarrassing the teams switched out for a more compelling game.^[5] In 2007, the league announced all predetermined matchups, with a footnote on the games subject to flex scheduling.^[6] Also, the network that carries the "doubleheader" week game (either CBS or FOX) will be able to switch one game per week into the 4:15 PM (US EDT) time slot, except in the final week, when NBC will select one game for the 8:15 PM slot, and both CBS and FOX will have doubleheader games on December 30th.

Going global

In October 2006, NFL club owners approved a plan to stage up to two international regular season games per season beginning in 2007 and continuing through at least 2011.^[7] On February 2 2007, the league announced that the Week Eight contest between the New York Giants and the Miami Dolphins will be played at Wembley Stadium in London on October 28 at 5 p.m. UTC, which is 1:00 p.m. US EDT)^[8][9] As the Giants are the away-team designate from the NFC, Fox will broadcast the game in the USA according to league broadcast contract rules.^[10]

The league was scheduled to hold a preseason game called the "China Bowl" on August 8th, 2007 between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks at Workers Stadium in Beijing, China. However, with all efforts being put into the London regular season game, plans have been postponed until 2009 as Beijing will host the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Current regular season standings

Standings as of 9:44 am EDT, October 17, 2007

W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT = Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against

Rule changes

The following rule changes were passed at the league's annual owners meeting in Phoenix, Arizona during the week of March 25-March 28:

• The instant replay system, used since the 1999 season, was finally made as permanent officiating tool.^[11] Previously, it was renewed on a biennial basis.
• The system has also been upgraded to use high-definition technology. However, the systems at Texas Stadium (Dallas Cowboys), RCA Dome (Indianapolis Colts), and Giants Stadium (New York Giants and Jets) will not receive the HDTV updates since those stadiums will be replaced over the next few years.^[12] One reason that the technology was improved was that fans with high-definition televisions at home were having better views on replays than the officials and according to Dean Blandino, the NFL's instant replay director "that could have bit us in the rear if we continued [with the old system]." In addition, the amount of time allotted for the referee to review a play was reduced from 90 seconds to one minute.^[13]
• After a play is over, players who spike the ball in the field of play, other than in the end zone, will receive a 5-yard penalty.^[13]
• Forward passes that unintentionally hit an offensive lineman will no longer be an illegal touching penalty, but deliberate actions are still penalized.^[13]
• Roughing-the-passer penalties will not be called on a defender engaged with a quarterback who simply extends his arms and shoves the passer to the ground.^[13]
• During situations where crowd noise becomes a problem (when it becomes too loud that it prevents the offensive team from hearing its signals), the offense can no longer ask the referee to reset the play clock.^[13]
• It is necessary to have the ball touch the pylon or break the plane above the pylon to count as a touchdown. Previously, a player just had to have some portion of his body over the goal line or pylon to count a touchdown^[14]

Upcoming key dates

• October 28: Second international regular season game (first played outside North America); Giants vs. Dolphins at Wembley Stadium in London, England, televised on FOX. (The game will not be telecast in Minnesota, Detroit, Chicago, or Philadelphia; this counts as a home game for the Dolphins.)
• December 30: Regular season concludes.
• January 5 2008: Postseason begins.
• February 3: Super Bowl XLII, University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona.
• February 10: 2008 Pro Bowl, Aloha Stadium; Honolulu, Hawaiʻi.

Television

See also: NFL on television

This is the second year of the current television contracts with NBC, CBS, Fox, ESPN, and the NFL Network. The pre-game shows have made some changes, with former Steelers coach Bill Cowher joining host James Brown, Boomer Esaison, Shannon Sharpe and Dan Marino on CBS's The NFL Today. On FOX, after one season on the road, FOX NFL Sunday will return to Los Angeles as Curt Menefee will take over as full-time host. Chris Rose, who had been doing in in-game updates of other NFL games, has been reverted to a part-time play-by-play role. The sole exception for the pre-game show being based in LA will be for the Giants-Dolphins game on October 28th in London, as the show will be on location.

The biggest changes are at NBC and ESPN. Michael Irvin's contract with ESPN was not renewed, and former coach Bill Parcells returns to the network after four years as Cowboys head coach. Another pair of former Cowboys, Emmitt Smith and Keyshawn Johnson (who also holds a Super Bowl Ring from 2003 as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers), will also provide roles in the studio for Sunday NFL Countdown and Monday Night Countdown. The biggest change though, is at Monday Night Football. Joe Theismann is out after seventeen years in the booth between the Sunday and Monday Night packages, and former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback and current Philadelphia Soul (AFL) president Ron Jaworski will take his place alongside Mike Tirico and Tony Kornheiser. Part of the reason that Jaworski replaced Theismann was because of his chemistry with Kornheiser on Pardon The Interruption, where Jaworski was a frequent guest during the football season. In addition, all Monday Night shows (save PTI) are now based in ESPN's headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut instead of on-site as a money-saving measure.

NBC's Football Night in America also has two big changes. MSNBC Countdown anchor Keith Olbermann will join Bob Costas and Cris Collinsworth as another co-host, while Sterling Sharpe exits as a studio analyst, and former New York Giants running back Tiki Barber takes his place. And in another minor change, Faith Hill takes over singing "Waiting All Day For Sunday Night" for Pink.

Coaching changes

Seven major head coaching changes have been made, including five new faces on the sidelines and two former coaches getting new chances.

• Bobby Petrino takes over as coach of the Falcons, replacing Jim Mora, coming over from the University of Louisville, leading them to the 2006 Big East championship and a win in the FedEx Orange Bowl. Mora is now defensive backs coach/ assistant head coach for the Seattle Seahawks.
• Ken Whisenhunt, who had been considered the favorite to become the Pittsburgh Steelers' head coach, surprised everyone in Pittsburgh and became head coach in Arizona, replacing Dennis Green.
• Cam Cameron, former head coach at Indiana University and offensive coordinator with the San Diego Chargers was named head coach in Miami, replacing the departed Nick Saban, who returned to college football and coach the University of Alabama.
• Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin was named the new head coach of the Steelers as Bill Cowher's replacement, becoming the seventh African-American head coach in the league, and the first black head coach in the Steelers' 75-year history.
• Lane Kiffin, former offensive coordinator at Southern California was named by the Oakland Raiders at age 31, the youngest head coach in NFL history, replacing Art Shell, who was fired after one year in his second term as head coach. Kiffin's father, Monte Kiffin, is the defensive coordinator for the Buccaneers.
• Former Chargers' defensive coordinator Wade Phillips was named the Cowboys' new head coach, replacing the retired Bill Parcells and is the oldest of the seven coaches hired. Parcells is now under contract with ESPN.
• The Chargers named former 49ers' offensive coordinator Norv Turner as their new head coach, replacing Marty Schottenheimer who was fired due to dysfunction and philosophical differences within the Chargers organization. Turner's head coaching résumé includes the Washington Redskins from 1994 to 2000, and the Raiders in 2004 and 2005.

Milestones

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

The following players may break league records during the rest of the 2007 season:

• Peyton Manning needs 15 passing touchdowns to join John Elway, Fran Tarkenton, Favre, and Marino with at least 300 career touchdown passes in league history.

News

Player conduct off the field

For more details on this topic, see National Football League player conduct controversy.

The NFLPA, led by their president Gene Upshaw and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell are going to be working with player conduct in the form of suspensions for off the field conduct in light of the more than fifty arrests by local law enforcement since the start of the 2006 season. The hardest hit so far came on April 10 when Adam "Pacman" Jones of the Tennessee Titans was suspended for the entire season for his five arrests, the most blatant while in Las Vegas for the NBA All-Star Weekend in February where he caused a riot by throwing money at a gentlemen's club. That same day, Chris Henry of the Cincinnati Bengals was suspended for the first eight games of the season for his run-ins with the legal system. The other big name that has been caught in the web of controversy was Falcons' quarterback Michael Vick. Vick was charged on July 24 with dogfighting and animal abuse, and has been suspended indefinitely following a guilty plea in the case. ^[16]

Spygate

During the New England Patriots game at the New York Jets on September 9th, a member of the Patriots video staff was caught on the New England sideline with a camera taping across the field at the Jets' defensive staff signaling in plays from the sideline. The NFL seized the camera and videotape, ejecting the cameraman as well. On September 14th, Goddell slapped the Patriots with a $250,000 (US) fine, head coach Bill Belicheck was fined $500,000 and the team would forefit either their first round pick (if they made the playoffs) or their second and third round selections (if they fail to make the playofs) in the 2008 Draft. Furthermore, papers that Belechick had in his office were turned over to the league, and it was announced on September 21st that all documents were destroyed, and no further punishment as of this time will be handed out.

Etc.

The NFL's updated shield icon, going into effect after the 2008 NFL Draft.

• This will be the final season the classic NFL Shield logo, which has not changed since 1980, will be used. An updated version will be put into use starting with the 2008 NFL Draft in April. The new logo design features eight stars (one for each division) instead of the current 25 stars, the football now resembles that on the top of the Vince Lombardi Trophy, given to the Super Bowl champion and the lettering and point has been updated and modified to that of the league's current typeface for other logos.
• The 2007 season will be the last in the RCA Dome for the Indianapolis Colts, who moved there from Baltimore in 1984. The franchise will move to the new Lucas Oil Stadium in time for the 2008 season.
• The Redskins are celebrating their 75th anniversary season as the franchise was founded in 1932 as the Boston Braves, and wore Vince Lombardi-styled uniforms against the New York Giants on September 23. The Philadelphia Eagles and their cross-state rival Pittsburgh Steelers are also celebrating their 75th anniversaries, having been founded in 1933. The Eagles wore replicas of their inaugural season uniforms against the Detroit Lions on September 23, while the Steelers wore 1960 uniforms against the Buffalo Bills on September 16 and and will do so again when the Baltimore Ravens visit on November 5.
• The Minnesota Vikings will don 1970's uniforms against the Packers on September 30, and the Jets will honor their historic predecessors on October 14 against the Eagles by wearing the New York Titans' 1960 through 1962 uniforms. The team did not become the Jets until 1963. The Cowboys will again wear their 1960 uniforms on Thanksgiving against the Jets and in one other game this season, and the Bills plan to don their 1960's throwbacks against Dallas October 7 and New England on November 18.
• San Francisco 49ers coach Mike Nolan and Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio will both wear a suit on the sidelines for all of the team's home games to honor his father, former 49ers and Saints coach Dick Nolan. In 2006, both coaches were allowed to wear a suit on the sidelines for a maximum of two home games. Del Rio did not wear a suit in the September 16th game against the Falcons due to the extreme heat in Jacksonville that day.
• The 49ers honored the late Bill Walsh, coach of their wins in Super Bowls XVI, XIX and XXIII by wearing throwback uniforms from the 1980s in their opener on September 10h against the Arizona Cardinals. Mike Nolan has been considering wearing the 1980s uniforms for the entire season to honor Walsh's memory.

The commemorative patch the Chiefs will wear to honor their late founder, Lamar Hunt.

• The Kansas City Chiefs will honor their late former owner and team founder Lamar Hunt by wearing special American Football League logo patches on their jerseys with the letters "LH" emblazoned inside the logo's football.
• Teams that have permanent captains will be allowed (on a team-by-team basis) to wear a "C" patch (similar to those in ice hockey) on their right shoulder. The patch is in team colors with four stars under the "C". A gold star is placed on a bar below the "C" signaling how many years (with a maximum of four years) that player has been captain.

Death of Marquise Hill

On the evening of May 27 2007, Marquise Hill, a defensive end with the New England Patriots and his friend, Ashley Blazio^[17], fell off a jet ski in Lake Pontchartrain, north of New Orleans. Neither was wearing a personal flotation nor tracking device. The friend was rescued and sent to Tulane Medical Center. Coast Guard units searched the area, and Hill's body was found by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries around 2:15 PM CDT on May 28.

Hill had spent much of his time in the days after Hurricane Katrina helping residents rebuild their homes.^[18] He was the first Patriots player to die while still a member of the team.^[19] In his memory, the Pats are wearing a decal on their helmets with #91 in a black circle.

References

See also

• 2007 NFL Draft
• Super Bowl XLII

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