Katana VentraIP

Regular season

September 4[1] – December 28, 2008

January 3, 2009

February 1, 2009[2]

February 8, 2009

Super Bowl XLIII, the league's championship game, was at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, on February 1, 2009,[2] with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming out victorious over the Arizona Cardinals and winning their NFL-record sixth Vince Lombardi Trophy.


Conversely, the Detroit Lions became the first NFL team with a winless season since the strike-shortened 1982 NFL season, finishing their season 0–16. For the first time since the NFL expanded to the sixteen-game season in 1978, three teams won two or fewer games: the Lions, the Kansas City Chiefs, and the St. Louis Rams. Previously two teams won two or fewer games in 1979, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1992, and 2001. Also, for the first time since the 1985 Denver Broncos, a team finishing with an 11–5 record missed the playoffs — the defending AFC champion New England Patriots.


The regular season began on September 4 with the defending Super Bowl XLII champion New York Giants defeating the Washington Redskins.

Draft[edit]

The 2008 NFL Draft was held from April 26 to 27, 2008 at New York City's Radio City Music Hall. With the first pick, the Miami Dolphins selected offensive tackle Jake Long from the University of Michigan.

New referees[edit]

Gerald Austin and Larry Nemmers retired. Carl Cheffers and Alberto Riveron were promoted to referee. Ron Blum also retired from line judge position.

One defensive player will be allowed to wear a radio similar to the one worn by the quarterback to communicate with the coaching staff on the field.

The "force-out" rule on catches made near the sidelines has been eliminated. A receiver now must come down with the ball and both feet in bounds for a pass to be ruled complete; previously, passes would be ruled complete if the receiver was pushed by a defender while in the air and the official judged that he would have come down in bounds had he not been pushed. However, if a receiver is wrapped up in mid-air by a defender and carried out of bounds before both feet touch the ground, the official can still rule the play a completion.

[4]

The 5-yard incidental grabbing of the face mask penalty has been eliminated; incidental contact will not result in a penalty, though intentional grabbing of the face mask will remain a 15-yard personal foul.

Teams that win the opening coin toss now have the option to defer the decision until the start of the second half, the same as in college and .

Canadian football

Field goal attempts that bounce off the goal post are now reviewable under .

instant replay

Legal forward hand offs that touch the ground and attempted snaps when the ball hits the ground before the quarterback touches it are now considered fumbles; previously, forward hand offs were treated as incomplete passes, while a snap that hit the ground before the quarterback touched it was a 5-yard illegal procedure penalty.

The following rule changes were passed at the league's annual owners' meeting in Palm Beach, Florida, during the week of March 31:[3]

Preseason[edit]

In preseason games, the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Game was played August 3 between the Indianapolis Colts and Washington Redskins, which aired on NBC.[5] Washington won the game, 30–16.[6] Other preseason highlights included the first game of the Toronto Series, which was played August 14 between the Buffalo Bills and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Toronto's Rogers Centre. The Bills won that game, 24–21.[7]

Regular season[edit]

Formula[edit]

Based on the NFL's scheduling formula, the intraconference and interconference matchups for 2008 were:[8]

Most points scored: , 463

New Orleans

Fewest points scored: , 204

Cleveland

Most total offensive yards: New Orleans, 6,571

Fewest total offensive yards: Cincinnati, 3,926

Most total passing yards: New Orleans, 4,977

Fewest total passing yards: , 2,369

Oakland

Most rushing yards: , 2,518

New York Giants

Fewest rushing yards: , 1,178

Arizona

Stadium changes[edit]

In addition to the Bills playing one home game in Toronto's Rogers Centre, this was the first season that the Indianapolis Colts played their home games at Lucas Oil Stadium.[58]


2008 was the final year that the Dallas Cowboys played at Texas Stadium; they moved to Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, in 2009.[59]


McAfee Coliseum reverted to the Oakland Coliseum after McAfee declined to renew the naming rights. In addition, Monster Park reverted to Candlestick Park permanently after the naming right deal with Monster Cable expired, per the terms of Proposition H, passed by San Francisco voters in 2004, that prohibited the city from accepting another naming rights deals for that stadium.[60]

Super Bowl XLIII

2008 NFL Draft

2008 NFL season at NFL.com

Football Outsiders 2008 DVOA Rankings