2013 NFL season

Player movement

The 2013 league year began at 4 pm EST on March 12, which marked the start of the league's free agency period. The per-team salary cap was set at . For the first time the league instituted a negotiating period prior to the start of free agency during which time agents representing prospective unrestricted free agent players (though not the players themselves) were allowed to have contact with team representatives with the purpose of determining a player's market value and to begin contract negotiations. This period, which was referred to by some as the "legal tampering" period, began at midnight on March 9.

Free agency

A total of 524 players were eligible for some form of free agency. Among the high-profile players who changed teams via free agency included:

• Quarterbacks Matt Cassel (Kansas City to Minnesota), Ryan Fitzpatrick (Buffalo to Tennessee), Matt Hasselbeck (Tennessee to Indianapolis), Brian Hoyer (Arizona to Cleveland) and Kevin Kolb (Arizona to Buffalo)
• Running backs Ahmad Bradshaw (New York Giants to Indianapolis), Reggie Bush (Miami to Detroit), Shonn Greene (New York Jets to Tennessee), Steven Jackson (St. Louis to Atlanta) and Rashard Mendenhall (Pittsburgh to Arizona)
• Wide receivers Danny Amendola (St. Louis to New England), Darrius Heyward-Bey (Oakland to Indianapolis), Greg Jennings (Green Bay to Minnesota), Mike Wallace (Pittsburgh to Miami) and Wes Welker (New England to Denver)
• Tight ends Martellus Bennett (New York Giants to Chicago), Jared Cook (Tennessee to St. Louis), Dustin Keller (New York Jets to Miami) and Delanie Walker (San Francisco to Tennessee)
• Offensive tackles Jermon Bushrod (New Orleans to Chicago), Gosder Cherilus (Detroit to Indianapolis) and Jake Long (Miami to St. Louis)
• Guards Andy Levitre (Buffalo to Tennessee) and Louis Vasquez (Denver to San Diego)
• Defensive ends Cliff Avril (Detroit to Seattle), Michael Bennett (Tampa Bay to Seattle), Elvis Dumervil (Denver to Baltimore), Dwight Freeney (Indianapolis to San Diego) and Osi Umenyiora (New York Giants to Atlanta)
• Defensive tackles Desmond Bryant (Oakland to Cleveland), Ricky Jean-Francois (San Francisco to Indianapolis), Jason Jones (Seattle to Detroit) and Sammie Lee Hill (Detroit to Tennessee)
• Linebackers Connor Barwin (Houston to Philadelphia), James Harrison (Pittsburgh to Cincinnati), Paul Kruger (Baltimore to Cleveland) and Philip Wheeler (Oakland to Miami)
• Cornerbacks Brent Grimes (Atlanta to Miami), Keenan Lewis (Pittsburgh to New Orleans), Dunta Robinson (Atlanta to Kansas City), Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (Arizona to Denver) and Sean Smith (Miami to Kansas City)
• Safeties Patrick Chung (New England to Philadelphia), Dashon Goldson (San Francisco to Tampa Bay), LaRon Landry (New York Jets to Indianapolis) and Glover Quin (Houston to Detroit).

Eight players were assigned the non-exclusive franchise tag by their teams, which ensured that the team would receive compensation were the player to sign a contract with another team. These players were Brandon Albert (Chiefs), Jairus Byrd (Bills), Ryan Clady (Broncos), Michael Johnson (Bengals), Pat McAfee (Colts), Henry Melton (Bears), Anthony Spencer (Cowboys) and Randy Starks (Dolphins). None of these players changed teams.

Major trades

The following trades are notable as they involved Pro Bowl-caliber players and/or draft picks in the first three rounds:

;Offseason

• February 27 – The Chiefs acquired quarterback Alex Smith from the 49ers for the Chiefs' second-round pick in the 2013 draft, 34th overall (which the 49ers later traded to the Titans) and a conditional pick in the 2014 draft (which turned out to be another second-rounder, #56 overall). Smith had been the first overall selection of the 2005 NFL draft, but had been supplanted as the 49ers starting quarterback in mid-2012 by Colin Kaepernick.

• March 11 – Wide receiver Percy Harvin was traded by the Vikings to the Seahawks for the Seahawks' 2013 first-round (#25 overall, with which the Vikings selected Xavier Rhodes) and seventh-round (pick No. 214) selections as well as the Seahawks' third-round pick in 2014 (the 96th selection). Harvin is an All-Pro and former Offensive Rookie of the Year, but he has also suffered a series of injuries throughout his career and had become disgruntled with the Vikings to the point that he asked the team to trade him. The Seahawks subsequently signed Harvin to a 6-year, $67 million contract extension which includes $25.5 million in guaranteed money.
• March 11 – The 49ers acquired wide receiver Anquan Boldin from the Ravens for a sixth-round selection in the 2013 draft (the 199th overall pick). Boldin, a three-time Pro Bowler and former Offensive Rookie of the Year, had refused to accept a pay cut that the Ravens had requested.

• April 21 – Cornerback Darrelle Revis was traded by the Jets to the Buccaneers. The Jets received the Bucs' first round draft pick in 2013, the 13th overall selection (which the Jets used to select Sheldon Richardson) and a conditional pick which would become the Bucs' fourth-round selection in 2014, the 104th overall pick. Revis, a three time All-Pro, was widely considered to be among the league's top defensive players, but he was coming off a knee injury and the Jets did not feel they would be able to retain him after the 2013 season. The Bucs signed Revis to a 6-year, $96 million contract.

;In-season

• September 18 – In a bit of a shocking mid-season move the Browns traded running back Trent Richardson to the Colts in exchange for the Colts' first-round pick (26th overall) in the 2014 draft. The Browns had moved up in the previous year's draft to grab Richardson with the third overall selection and he was presumed to be a cornerstone of the team.
• October 2 – Offensive tackle Eugene Monroe was traded by the Jaguars to the Ravens in exchange for fourth- and fifth-round selections in the 2014 draft (picks #114 and #159 overall). The Jaguars had selected Monroe eight overall in the 2009 draft.

Draft

The 2013 NFL draft was held April 25–27, 2013, in New York City. Prior to the draft the NFL Scouting Combine, where draft-eligible players were evaluated by team personnel, was held in Indianapolis on February 20–26.

Officiating changes

Dean Blandino was named as the league's new Vice President of Officiating, succeeding Carl Johnson. Referee Alberto Riveron was then promoted to the league's Senior Director of Officiating, a newly created position as a second-in-command under Blandino. Bill Vinovich, who worked the previous season as a substitute referee, was then assigned to head Riveron's former on-field officiating crew.

Rule changes

The following rule changes were approved at the NFL owners' meeting on March 20, 2013:

• The "no-challenge" rule adopted prior to the season was modified to eliminate the automatic "no-review" penalty when a coach challenges a play that is subject to automatic review by the replay booth (turnovers, scoring plays, and any play inside of the two-minute warning). This change was prompted after last season's Thanksgiving Day game when Detroit Lions' head coach Jim Schwartz threw a challenge flag on a play where replay clearly showed Houston Texans' running back Justin Forsett's knee touched the ground, but was able to get up and score a touchdown. Due to the way the rule was written at the time the penalty for the errant challenge prevented the play from being reviewed. Under the revised rule teams will be charged a time-out (or an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty if the team is out of time-outs) when a coach throws a challenge flag on a booth-reviewable play, but the play will still be reviewed if the replay booth believes a review is necessary. This change has been referred to as the "Jim Schwartz rule".
• Making it a fumble when a player loses possession of the football while in the act of trying to bring it back to his body. This abolishes the so-called "tuck rule" which was adopted prior to the season. Under the revised rule it will be ruled a fumble when a quarterback loses possession of the ball after a pump fake while bringing the ball back to his body.
• Tight ends and H-backs will now be permitted to wear uniform numbers 40–49 as well as 80–89. Previously the two positions were treated separately with tight ends allowed to wear only 80–89 and H-backs limited to wearing 40–49.
• "Peel-back" blocks will now result in 15-yard personal foul penalties anywhere on the field. Previously, these types of blocks were permitted within the tackle box.
• On field goal and extra point attempts, long snappers will now be considered defenseless players. In addition, defensive players are prohibited from blocking low at the snap of a scrimmage kick.
• For field goal and extra point attempts the defensive team can have no more than six players on either side of the ball at the snap (5 yard penalty), and players cannot push teammates into blockers (15 yard penalty).
• Any player at least three yards downfield or outside of the "tackle box" who leads with his helmet on a hit will be penalized 15 yards for unnecessary roughness. If both offensive and defensive players lead with helmets on the same play, both will be penalized.

;Player safety changes

• Upon recommendation by the league's Head, Neck and Spine safety committee, the NFL notified teams in August that clubs would no longer be allowed to use alternate helmets for throwback uniforms or third jerseys as they had been allowed to do since throwbacks were introduced in . Once players start the season with properly fitted helmets that they are comfortable wearing, the league's Head, Neck, and Spine Committee recommended that players should not switch helmets in mid-season, especially to ones that have not been broken in yet. To comply with these new rules, teams will be allowed to change or remove the decals on their regular helmets for such uniforms.
• All players (except for punters and kickers) were required to wear thigh and knee pads. It was previously mandatory to wear these pads from through .

Preseason

Training camps for the 2013 season opened in late July. The Buccaneers camp was the first to open with rookies reporting on July 17. The Cowboys were the first to open camp to veteran players on July 20. All teams were in camp by July 27.

Prior to the start of the regular season, each team played at least four preseason exhibition games. The preseason schedule got underway with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on Sunday, August 4. The Hall of Fame game is a traditional part of the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame induction weekend celebrating new Hall of Fame members. It was played at Fawcett Stadium in Canton, Ohio, which is located adjacent to the Hall of Fame building. In the game, which was televised nationally on NBC, the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Miami Dolphins 24–20. The 2013 Hall of Fame class of Larry Allen, Cris Carter, Curley Culp, Jonathan Ogden, Bill Parcells, Dave Robinson and Warren Sapp was honored during the game. The 65-game preseason schedule concluded on Thursday, August 29.

Regular season

The 2013 season featured 256 games played out over a seventeen-week schedule which began on the Thursday night following Labor Day. Each of the league's 32 teams played a 16-game schedule which included one bye week for each team between weeks four and twelve. The slate featured seventeen games on Monday night including a doubleheader in the season's opening week. There were also seventeen games played on Thursday, including the National Football League Kickoff game in prime time on September 5 and three games on Thanksgiving Day. The regular season wrapped up with a full slate of 16 games on Sunday, December 29, all of which were intra-divisional matchups.

;Scheduling formula Under the NFL's scheduling formula, each team played each of the other three teams in their own division twice. In addition, a team played against all four teams in one other division from each conference. The final two games on a team's schedule were against the two teams in the team's own conference in the divisions the team was not set to play who finished the previous season in the same rank in their division (e.g. the team which finished first in its division the previous season would play each other team in their conference that also finished first in its respective division). The pre-set division pairings for 2013 were as follows:

The 2013 regular season schedule was released on April 18, 2013.

;Regular season highlights The 2013 regular season began on Thursday, September 5, with the NFL Kickoff Game in which the Denver Broncos hosted the Baltimore Ravens. The game was a rematch of a two-overtime playoff game of the previous season and broadcast on NBC. The Ravens, as the reigning Super Bowl champions, would normally have hosted the kickoff game, however, a scheduling conflict with their Major League Baseball counterparts, the Baltimore Orioles, forced the Ravens to start the season on the road (the Ravens' and Orioles' respective stadiums share parking facilities). The Ravens became the first Super Bowl winner since to open their title defense on the road. The Broncos defeated the Ravens 49–27 on the strength of a record-setting performance by quarterback Peyton Manning. Manning completed 27 of 42 pass attempts for 462 yards and seven touchdowns. Manning set or tied numerous league records in the game including most touchdown passes in a game (tied with five others) and records for most career games with at least six, five and four touchdown passes.

There were two NFL International Series games held at Wembley Stadium in London. On September 29, the Minnesota Vikings defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 34–27. On October 27, the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 42–10. This season was the first of a four-year agreement for the Jaguars to play a home game in London (an agreement which was later extended an additional four years).

The San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders played an unusual late night game in the season's fifth week on October 6. The game, originally scheduled to start at 1:25 pm PDT, had to be moved to the evening to accommodate stadium schedules – Major League Baseball's Oakland Athletics, co-tenants of O.co Coliseum, had hosted the Game 2 of the 2013 American League Division Series the previous night and stadium crews needed nearly 24 hours to convert the stadium from a baseball to a football configuration. O.co Coliseum was only multi-purpose stadium which hosted both an NFL and an MLB team in 2013. Although the stadium conversion was complete by 3:30 pm local time, an 8:36 pm kickoff was necessary to avoid conflict with NBC's Sunday Night Football, where the San Francisco 49ers hosted the Houston Texans at Candlestick Park across the San Francisco Bay. The Chargers-Raiders game was the latest start time for a game in NFL history and was broadcast nationwide on the NFL Network.

The league's traditional slate of Thanksgiving Day games was played on Thursday, November 28. The Detroit Lions hosted the Green Bay Packers in the early game at 12:30 pm EST, marking the Packers' 21st Thanksgiving game in Detroit. The Oakland Raiders visited the Dallas Cowboys in the late afternoon game at 3:30 pm CST. The evening game featured the defending Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens hosting their AFC North rival Pittsburgh Steelers at 8:30 pm EST.

The Buffalo Bills hosted the Atlanta Falcons in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on December 1. The game was played at Rogers Centre one week after the 101st Grey Cup ended the 2013 Canadian Football League season. On January 9, the Bills and Rogers Communications had announced a five-year extension of the Bills Toronto Series.

In-season scheduling changes

The following regular season games were moved either by way of flexible scheduling, severe weather, or for other reasons:

• Week 5: The San Diego–Oakland game was moved from 4:25 p.m. ET to 11:35 p.m. ET. The Raiders' Major League Baseball counterparts, the Oakland Athletics, hosted Game 2 of the 2013 American League Division Series on the previous night (October 5), and officials at O.co Coliseum needed almost 24 hours to convert the stadium from a baseball to a football configuration (O.co Coliseum was the last venue to host both an NFL and an MLB team before the Raiders moved to Las Vegas). The later start time also avoided a conflict with NBC's Sunday Night Football, where San Francisco hosted Houston at Candlestick Park across the San Francisco Bay at 8:40 p.m. ET. Additionally, the Chargers–Raiders game was televised on the NFL Network instead of CBS.
• Week 7: The Houston–Kansas City game was moved from 1:00 p.m. ET to 4:25 p.m. ET.
• Week 11: The Kansas City–Denver game, originally scheduled as CBS's only late 4:05 p.m. ET singleheader game, was flexed into the 8:30 p.m. ET slot on NBC Sunday Night Football. CBS originally selected this matchup as one of their "protected games" from flex-scheduling, but later allowed the league to flex it so it could be seen by a national audience. The original Sunday night contest, the Green Bay–New York Giants game, was then moved back to the 4:25 p.m. ET doubleheader time slot on Fox, while the San Diego–Miami game was moved from 1:00 p.m. ET to the 4:05 p.m. ET singleheader slot.
• Week 13: The Denver–Kansas City game was moved from 1:00 p.m. ET to 4:25 p.m. ET, while the New England–Houston game was switched from 4:25 p.m. ET to 1:00 p.m. ET.
• Week 14: The Carolina–New Orleans game, originally scheduled at 1:00 p.m. ET on Fox, was flexed into the 8:30 p.m. ET time slot on NBC. The original Sunday night contest, the Atlanta–Green Bay game, was then changed to 1:00 p.m. ET on Fox. It was the second time the Packers were stripped of a prime-time appearance this season, large in-part due to an injury sustained to Aaron Rodgers.
• Week 15: The New Orleans–St. Louis and Arizona–Tennessee games were moved from 1:00 p.m. ET to 4:25 p.m. ET.
• Week 16: The Chicago–Philadelphia game, originally scheduled at 1:00 p.m. ET on Fox, was flexed into the 8:30 p.m. ET time slot on NBC. Although the original Sunday night contest, the New England–Baltimore game, featured two playoff contending teams, it was moved to 4:25 p.m. ET to allow CBS to also air a more competitive game.
• Week 17: The Philadelphia–Dallas game, originally scheduled at 1:00 p.m. ET, was selected as the final NBC Sunday Night Football game, which for the third consecutive season decided the NFC East division champion. The Buffalo–New England game was moved to the 4:25 p.m. ET time slot on CBS while the Green Bay–Chicago game (which decided the NFC North division champion) and Tampa Bay–New Orleans game were moved to 4:25 p.m. ET on Fox.

Regular season standings

Division

Conference

Postseason

Main article: 2013–14 NFL playoffs

;Wild card round The wild card round of the playoffs featured the two wild card playoff qualifiers from each conference being hosted by the two lowest seeded divisional winners. The top two seeds in each conference – the Seahawks, Panthers, Broncos and Patriots – all had first-round byes. The games were played January 4–5, 2014.

The weekend's first game on Saturday featured the Colts staging the second biggest comeback in playoff history to defeat the Chiefs by a score of 45–44. The 28-point second half deficit the Colts overcame is exceeded only by the Bills–Oilers playoff game from January 1993 which has become known simply as "The Comeback". It was the first time in any NFL game (regular or postseason) that a team won in regulation play (i.e. not overtime) after having trailed by as many as 28 points. The game was also the highest scoring postseason game to have been decided by a one-point margin as well as the first game in league history to finish with a 45–44 result. The Colts and Chiefs combined to gain 1,049 total yards which established a new single-game postseason record, breaking the record of 1,038 yards that was set by the Bills–Dolphins first-round game on December 30, 1995, and matched in a Saints–Lions first-round matchup on January 7, 2012. The loss was the Chiefs' eighth straight in the playoffs which broke an NFL record for consecutive playoff losses the franchise had previously shared with the Lions.

The Saints beat the Eagles 26–24 in the Saturday night game. It was the Saints' first ever road playoff victory. The Saints built an early 20–7 lead before the Eagles bounced back to take a 24–23 lead with less than five minutes remaining in the game. However, the Saints worked their way down the field while also working the clock on the game's final drive before Shayne Graham kicked the game-winning field goal from 32 yards out as time expired.

The early game on Sunday was the only game of the weekend not decided by three or fewer points with the Chargers defeating the Bengals, 27–10. Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton committed three second-half turnovers which led to the Chargers scoring 20 unanswered points to overcome a 7–10 halftime deficit. The Bengals loss marks a league record third straight year in which the team has lost its playoff opener, and extended the Bengals' streak of playoff futility to 23 seasons. Every other current NFL team has won a playoff game since the Bengals' last playoff victory in January 1991.

In the late afternoon game on Sunday the 49ers defeated the Packers 23–20 on a brutally cold day at Lambeau Field. The temperature at game time was just 5 F with a wind chill of -10 F. Quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who eschewed sleeves and gloves despite the chilly conditions, passed for 227 yards and rushed for 98 more to lead the 49ers to victory in a back-and-forth game. Phil Dawson kicked the winning field goal as time expired. This was the second straight year that the Packers' season had both started and ended with losses to the 49ers.

;Divisional round The divisional round games were played on January 11–12, 2014 and three of the four were rematches of regular season games – only the Patriots and Colts had not met in 2013.

In the early game on Saturday, the Seahawks defeated the Saints 23–15. The Seahawks held a 16–0 lead at halftime, but the Saints came back in the second half to make the game interesting. The Seahawks were able to hold on after a late Saints comeback effort, including an onside kick recovery, fell short. The Seahawks' offense centered around a 28 carry, 140 yard rushing effort from Marshawn Lynch, who also scored on a 31-yard run in the fourth quarter.

Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount and the Patriots defense were the stars of the Patriots 43–22 victory over the Colts in the Saturday night game. Blount rushed for 166 yards and a franchise-record four touchdowns while Colts quarterback Andrew Luck was intercepted four times. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady broke a league record for most playoff games for a starting quarterback with 25 (a record he had previously shared with Brett Favre) and extended his own record of 18 career playoff wins. The victory allowed the Patriots to reach the AFC Championship Game for the third straight year as well as the eighth time with Brady and head coach Bill Belichick.

The 49ers defeated the Panthers by a score of 23–10 in the early Sunday game. The 49ers defense twice stopped the Panthers one yard short of the end zone and also recorded two interceptions and five quarterback sacks. 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick threw for one touchdown and ran for another in the game. The win put the 49ers into their third straight and fifteenth overall conference championship game, matching the Pittsburgh Steelers for most conference championship appearances. Jim Harbaugh became the first head coach in NFL history to take his team to the conference championship game in each of his first three seasons.

In the final game of the divisional round the Broncos beat the Chargers 24–17. It was only the fourth time in the season to date that the Broncos had been held to fewer than 30 points (three of which were against the Chargers), but the Chargers offense could not capitalize. The Broncos held a 17–0 lead in the fourth quarter before the Chargers launched a comeback that was too little and too late. The win put the Broncos into the AFC championship game for the first time since the 2005 season.

;Conference championships The conference championships took place on Sunday, January 19, 2014.

The early game featured the Broncos hosting the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game. The game was referred to by many as Manning-Brady XV as it was the fifteenth meeting (the fourth in the playoffs) of the two starting quarterbacks, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. The Broncos defeated Brady and the Patriots 26–16 behind a 400-yard passing performance by Manning. Manning led the Broncos on two long touchdown drives where each used over seven minutes of game time and were the two longest drives in terms of game time of the Broncos season. This was Manning's third career postseason game with 400 or more yards passing, equaling Drew Brees for the most such playoff games in league history. Broncos head coach John Fox, who previously led the Carolina Panthers to Super Bowl XXXVIII in 2004, became the sixth head coach in NFL history to take two different franchises to the Super Bowl.

The NFC Championship Game had the Seahawks hosting the 49ers in the late game. The Seahawks defense forced three turnovers in the fourth quarter which proved to be the difference in the game. The last of these was a pass intended for Michael Crabtree in the endzone which was intercepted by Seahawks linebacker Malcolm Smith off a deflection by cornerback Richard Sherman with just 22 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. The interception preserved a 23–17 Seahawks victory. In an on-field interview immediately after the game with Fox sideline reporter Erin Andrews, Sherman famously directed a rant at Crabtree whom Sherman called a "sorry receiver".

Super Bowl XLVIII

Super Bowl XLVIII featured the top seeded team from each conference for just the second time in twenty years. The Broncos possessed the league's best offense (in terms of both scoring and yards) while the Seahawks had the league's top defense (also in both scoring and yardage). The game was played on February 2, 2014, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, just outside New York City and was televised in the U.S. by Fox with kickoff at 6:32 pm EST. This was the first ever Super Bowl to be staged outdoors in a cold weather environment

The game started disastrously for the Broncos who, despite losing the coin toss, received the opening kickoff. On the game's first play from scrimmage from the Broncos' 14 yard line, Broncos center Manny Ramirez sent a shotgun snap over the head of quarterback Peyton Manning. The ball traveled into the endzone where it was covered by Broncos running back Knowshon Moreno who was touched down for a safety with just 12 seconds of game time elapsed. This was the quickest score ever in a Super Bowl. The Seahawks did not relinquish the lead in a 43–8 victory.

This was the Seahawks first ever league championship since entering the NFL in . Seahawks linebacker Malcolm Smith, who scored on a 69-yard interception return plus had a fumble recovery and tallied 10 tackles, was named the game's Most Valuable Player (MVP).

This was the fifth Super Bowl loss for the Broncos, the most for any franchise. Even in defeat, though, Peyton Manning's record-breaking year continued. He set a record for most passes completed in a Super Bowl with 34. In addition, Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas caught 13 passes to set a single-game Super Bowl record.

Playoffs bracket

Pro Bowl

Main article: 2014 Pro Bowl

The Pro Bowl is the league's all-star game. The league had raised doubts about the future of the exhibition due to concerns over the game's competitiveness in recent years, but on March 20, it was announced that the 2014 Pro Bowl would indeed take place, receiving a one-year reprieve. As in recent years, the game was held the week before the Super Bowl at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. It was played on Sunday, January 26, and broadcast in the U.S. on NBC.

The format for the game was considerably altered in an effort to improve competitiveness. The biggest changes included an "unconferenced" format in which players would be selected regardless of the conference in which their team competes, a draft format to select the teams and various tweaks to increase the excitement of the game itself. Deion Sanders and Jerry Rice served as the non-playing captains for the two competing squads.

Notable events

Some NFL-related events that made headlines throughout 2013 include: ;Harris Poll tabs professional football as America's favorite sport A nationwide poll conducted by Harris Interactive in December 2013 concluded that pro football is the favorite sport of Americans. Of the respondents asked the question, "If you had to choose, which ONE of these sports would you say is your favorite?", 35% chose pro football. That is up by one percentage point over the results of the previous year. Football has taken the top spot in the annual poll each year since it was first conducted in 1985. Baseball finished second, with 14% naming it as their favorite, followed by college football at 11%.

;Aaron Hernandez charged with murder In August, former Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez was charged with the murder of Odin Lloyd. Hernandez was released by the Patriots following his arrest in the murder investigation in June. In an effort to further distance themselves from the troubled Hernandez, the Patriots offered fans an opportunity to trade-in Hernandez jerseys for another jersey of comparable value. Hernandez would be convicted of the murder charge and sentenced to life imprisonment in April 2015.

;Riley Cooper incident Eagles wide receiver Riley Cooper was caught on video using a racial slur during a music concert. After the video went viral during the team's training camp, Cooper was briefly sent away from the team to seek counseling. The Eagles also levied an undisclosed fine.

;Concussion litigation brought by former players In August, just prior to the start of the season, a settlement proposal was announced in a class-action lawsuit brought against the league by former players who contended that the league concealed a link between head injuries sustained by players and traumatic brain injury which may only become apparent later in life. The judge in the case later rejected the settlement on the grounds that the amount may not be large enough to cover the needs of all the plaintiffs.

;Buccaneers release quarterback Josh Freeman in mid-season In October, the Buccaneers released quarterback Josh Freeman after trying unsuccessfully to trade him. Freeman had been considered one of the league's best young quarterbacks after leading the Bucs to a 10–6 record in 2010, but he clashed with head coach Greg Schiano (who took over in 2012) and was benched earlier in the year. Despite being just 25 years old, Freeman held franchise records for touchdowns and completions and was second in passing yardage. It had come out earlier in the week that Freeman had been in the league's substance abuse program; Freeman described his participation as voluntary and a result of prescription drugs he was taking to treat ADHD. Shortly after his release, Freeman was signed by the Vikings. Freeman started for the Vikings in week seven, but he posted a passer rating of just 40.6 in that game and did not play another down during the season. He was inactive for nine of the Vikings' final ten games.

;Tampa Bay MRSA outbreak Three Buccaneers players – kicker Lawrence Tynes, guard Carl Nicks and cornerback Johnthan Banks – were diagnosed with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections during the season. The potentially deadly strain of staph had been encountered by other NFL teams including the Washington Redskins, St. Louis Rams and Cleveland Browns in previous seasons. After the third infection was confirmed there was brief discussion as to whether the Bucs' week six home game against the Eagles would be played, but the decision was made to continue with the scheduled game. The Falcons even took the step of bringing in a hazardous materials crew to disinfect the visitor's locker room after the Bucs' visited Atlanta in week seven.

;Dolphins bullying scandal Dolphins offensive lineman Richie Incognito was suspended by the team in November after allegations surfaced that he bullied fellow lineman Jonathan Martin who left the team earlier in the season due to the impact of Incognito's actions.

The league's official investigation into the matter concluded that Martin and other Dolphins employees had been subjected to a "pattern of harassment" at the hands of Incognito as well as fellow linemen John Jerry and Mike Pouncey. The 144-page report, written by league-appointed investigator Ted Wells, called the situation a "classic case of bullying". The report also implicated Dolphins offensive line coach Jim Turner in some of the abuse; Turner was fired by the team shortly after the report's release.

;Redskins shut down quarterback Robert Griffin III for season's final three games Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan made a decision to bench the team's franchise quarterback, Robert Griffin III for the team's final three games of the 2013 season. Griffin had undergone knee surgery after being injured the previous season in which he was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year after being selected second overall in the 2012 draft. Griffin was much less productive in his second season. Shanahan stated that the decision to start Kirk Cousins over Griffin was made to protect Griffin from sustaining another injury, although there was speculation that Shanahan was unhappy about Griffin's friendly relationship with team owner Daniel Snyder. Shanahan was fired after the season ended.

;Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson leads all players in licensed product sales Russell Wilson the second-year quarterback of the Super Bowl champion Seahawks led all NFL players in terms of total licensed product sales (jerseys, T-shirts, figurines, photos, etc.) made from March 2013 through February 2014. The top six players on the list were quarterbacks, including, in order, Peyton Manning (who held the top spot the previous year), Colin Kaepernick, Robert Griffin III, Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady. The only non-quarterback in the top 10 was Wilson's Seahawks teammate, running back Marshawn Lynch.

;Deacon Jones's death

Legendary Hall of Fame defensive lineman Deacon Jones died in June. Shortly thereafter the league honored Jones' legacy by creating the "Deacon Jones Award" to be given annually to the player who records the most quarterback sacks. Colts linebacker Robert Mathis was the inaugural winner of the honor, and Trey Hendrickson is the current holder.

;Bud Adams's death Tennessee Titans owner Kenneth S. "Bud" Adams died in October. He was the only owner the franchise, which began in 1960 as the Houston Oilers in the AFL, has ever had. Adams was a second-generation oil tycoon who made his home in Houston, Texas. The team was inherited in equal parts by the families of Adams's three children with Adams's son-in-law Tommy Smith succeeding Adams as the president and CEO of the franchise.

;Other 2013 deaths Aside from those mentioned above, the following people associated with the NFL died in 2013:

• Scott Adams
• Tom Alberghini
• Bill Albright
• John Alderton
• Bud Asher
• Bill Austin
• Jim Barton
• Bob Beeks (former official)
• Hezekiah Braxton
• Don Brown
• George Brown (1949 New York Yankees of the AAFC)
• Tom Brown
• Ted Burgmeier (1987 Kansas City Chiefs)
• Jack Butler
• Jim Canady (1948 Chicago Bears)
• Rick Casares
• Jim Cason
• Frank Chamberlin
• Todd Christensen
• Ken Clark
• Walt Clay (1946 Chicago Rockets of the AAFC)
• Ray Coates (1949 N.Y. Giants)
• Angelo Coia
• Fred Cole (L.A. Chargers)
• Dave Costa
• Bobby Crespino
• Billy Cross
• Jack Davis
• Art DeCarlo
• Jack Del Bello (1953 Baltimore Colts)
• Burt Delavan (1955 Chicago Cardinals)
• Frank Dempsey
• John Didion
• Art Donovan
• Walt Dubzinski (1944 Boston Yanks)*
• Dick Duden
• Ron Duncan (1967 Cleveland Browns)
• Jeff Durkota (1948 Los Angeles Dons of the AAFC)
• Walt Easley
• Allan Ellis
• Dick Evey
• Chuck Fairbanks
• Joe Francis
• Willie Frazier
• Sonny Gandee
• Frank Gaul
• Ronnie Goodwin (1964 Philadelphia Eagles)
• L. C. Greenwood
• Glynn Gregory (1961 Dallas Texans)
• Earl Gros
• Bob Heck (1949 Chicago Hornets)
• Robert "Bob" Hecker (1952 L.A. Rams)
• Carey Henley (1962 Buffalo Bills)
• Tom Higgins, Sr. (1955 Philadelphia Eagles
• Harlon Hill
• John Holt
• Thomas Howard
• Jim Hudson
• Ken Hutcherson
• John Idzik
• Claudis James
• Dave Jennings
• Fred Julian
• Bob Kahler
• Dave Kocourek
• Johnny Kovatch
• Chester "Chet" Lagod (1953 N.Y. Giants)
• Mike LaHood (1969 L.A. Rams)
• Dave Leggett
• Jimmy Lesane (1952 Chicago Bears)
• Jeff Lewis
• Toni Linhart
• Bob Livingstone (1948 Chicago Rockets of the AAFC)
• Tony Lorick
• John Maczuzak (1964 Kansas City Chiefs)
• Errol Mann
• Lew Mayne
• John Mazur
• Frank Maznicki
• Geno Mazzanti (1950 Baltimore Colts)
• Darris McCord
• John McCormick
• Mike McCormack
• Greg McCrary
• David McMillan
• Bronzell Miller
• Bert Milling (1942 Philadelphia Eagles)
• Norm Mosley (1948 Pittsburgh Steelers)
• Chuck Muncie
• Hamilton Nichols
• Rick Norton
• Bob Oliver (1969 Cleveland Browns)
• Paul Oliver
• Jack Pardee
• Clarence "Ace" Parker
• Francis Peay
• Tom Pennington
• Bum Phillips
• Gordon Polofsky (1954 Chicago Cardinals)
• Jim Powers
• Ben Pucci
• John Reger
• Ernie Richardson (1974 Cleveland Browns)
• Jerry Robinson
• Reggie Rogers
• Curtis Rouse
• Marion Rushing
• Tino Sabuco (1949 S.F. 49ers)
• George Saimes
• George Sauer, Jr.
• Harry Schuh
• Jerry Seeman
• Pat Shea
• Ed Shedlosky (1945 N.Y. Giants)
• Brian Sisley (1987 N.Y. Giants)
• Charles Smith (1947 Chicago Cardinals)
• Harry Smith
• Ron Smith
• John Sokolosky (1978 Detroit Lions)
• Lou Spadia (former team scout)
• Bryan Stoltenberg
• Roy Stuart
• Pat Summerall
• Jim Sweeney
• Walt Sweeney
• Joe Tereshinski Sr.
• Bobby Thomason
• Frank Tripucka
• Bill Troup
• Val Joe Walker
• Art Weiner
• Wilford White
• John Wilbur
• John F. Wiley
• Mike Williams (1980 Kansas City Chiefs)
• Sam Williams
• Ray Willsey
• Jerry Wolman former owner of the Philadelphia Eagles
• Will Wynn
• Bob Yates
• Dick Yelvington
• Glenn Young (former minority owner and general manager of the San Francisco 49ers)

Records, milestones, and notable statistics

The 2013 season saw a number of league records set, most notably:

• A record 11,985 points were scored during the season, with games averaging 46.8 points, the highest average in NFL history. The previous record of 46.5 points per game was set in .
• A total of 1,338 total touchdowns were scored, surpassing the league-wide record of 1,297, which occurred in .
• A record 863 field goals were made this season, surpassing the record of 852 set in . Also, kickers converted a record 86.5% of their field goal attempts breaking the record of 84.5% set during the season.
• Peyton Manning set the record for most passing yards in a season, with 5,477. The previous record of 5,476 was held by Drew Brees.
• Manning also set the record for most touchdown passes in a season, with 55. The previous record of 50 was held by Tom Brady.
• The Denver Broncos set the record for most points in a season, with 606. The previous record of 589 was held by the 2007 New England Patriots. The Broncos outscored the next highest scoring team (the Chicago Bears) by 161 points, or more than ten points per game.
• Eleven teams scored at least 400 points this season, setting a record. The previous record of nine teams was set in and .
• Andrew Luck set the record for most passing yards in a player's first two seasons, with 8,196. The previous record was held by Cam Newton.
• The Denver Broncos became the first team to have five players score at least ten touchdowns in the same season: Demaryius Thomas (14), Knowshon Moreno (13), Julius Thomas (12), Eric Decker (11) and Wes Welker (10). No team had previously had more than three such players.
• Tom Brady extended his record for the most division titles for a starting quarterback, with 11.
• Andre Johnson, of the tied the record for most seasons with at least 100 receptions, with five, sharing the record with Wes Welker.
• Peyton Manning set a record for most touchdown passes without an interception to start a season with 20.
• John Hekker of set a single season record with an average of 44.2 net yards per punt, The previous record of 44.0 yards was held by Andy Lee.

;Week 1

• Peyton Manning tied the record for most passing touchdowns in a game, with seven, sharing the record with five other players.
• Manning set the record for most career games with at least six touchdown passes, with three. He shared the previous record of two with George Blanda, Charley Johnson, and Y.A. Tittle.

;Week 2

• Peyton Manning became the third player with 60,000 passing yards in a career, joining Brett Favre and Dan Marino. Manning achieved the mark in his 226th game, making him the fastest to reach the milestone.

;Week 4

• Blair Walsh set the record for most consecutive 50+ yard field goals made without a miss, with 12. He previously shared the record with Robbie Gould and Tony Zendejas.
• Matthew Stafford set the record for most passing yards in a player's first 50 games, with 13,976. The previous record of 13,864 was held by Kurt Warner.

;Week 5

• Peyton Manning set the record for most touchdown passes before his first interception of the season, with 20. The previous record of 16 was held by Milt Plum. Manning's 20 touchdown passes through five games are also a league record. In addition, the 414 yards passing Manning compiled bring his career total to 61,371 eclipsing Dan Marino for second place on the career passing yardage list behind only Brett Favre.
• Charles Woodson tied the record for most defensive touchdowns in a career, with 13, sharing the Darren Sharper and Rod Woodson.

;Week 6

• Robbie Gould tied the record for most consecutive 50+ yard field goals made without a miss, with 12, sharing the record with Blair Walsh.
• The Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs each started the season 6–0, making this just the second time since the introduction of the division format in that two teams from the same division have maintained perfect records through six games. The only other pair of teams to have achieved this feat are the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions which each made it to 10–0.
• Reggie Wayne caught five passes to become the ninth player to have 1,000 receptions.
• The Indianapolis Colts became the first team to have two players with 1,000 receptions: Wayne and Marvin Harrison.

;Week 7

• Tony Romo set the record for most passing yards in a quarterback's first 100 starts, with 27,485 .

;Week 8

• Vikings kick returner Cordarrelle Patterson set a league record for the longest kickoff return at 109 yards. This return also ties the record for longest play of any type.
• Terrelle Pryor set the record for longest run by a quarterback, with a 93-yard run.
• Larry Fitzgerald of the Cardinals became the youngest player to have 800 receptions, at age 30 years, 57 days.

;Week 9

• Nick Foles tied the record for most touchdown passes in a game, with seven, sharing the record with six other players. He is the first player to accomplish this feat while attaining a perfect passer rating for the game.

;Week 10

• The New Orleans Saints set a record for most first downs in a game, with 40. The previous record of 39 was held by the 1988 New York Jets.

;Week 11

• London Fletcher set the record for most consecutive starts by a linebacker, with 209. The previous record of 208 was held by Derrick Brooks.
• Tom Brady became the sixth player in NFL history to reach 4,000 career passes completed.

;Week 12

• Larry Fitzgerald set the record for youngest player to reach 11,000 receiving yards, at age 30 years, 85 days. The previous record of 30 years, 222 days, was held by Randy Moss.
• Linebacker Robert Mathis of the Colts recorded his 40th strip/sack against the Cardinals. This set a new record, passing Jason Taylor for most strip/sacks in NFL history.
• The Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings played to a 26–26 tie. This was the first tie game in which both teams scored in the overtime period.

;Week 13

• Josh Gordon became the first player to have at least 200 receiving yards in two consecutive games.
• Gordon and Alshon Jeffery each had at least ten receptions and 200 yards, and two touchdowns. This marked the first time in which two players reached these marks on the same day.
• Tom Brady set the record for most touchdown passes for a player under the leadership of a single head coach with his 353rd touchdown under Bill Belichick. The previous record of 352 was held by Dan Marino under Don Shula.
• Adam Vinatieri became the second player to score at least 800 points with two different franchises, joining Morten Andersen.
• Vinitieri also tied the record for most seasons scoring at least 100 points, with 16, sharing the record with Jason Elam.

;Week 14

• Matt Prater set the record for longest field goal, with a 64-yard kick. The previous record of 63 yards was shared by four players.
• Drew Brees became the fifth player to reach 50,000 career passing yards. Brees became the fastest to reach the milestone, doing so in 183 games. The previous record of 191 games was held by Peyton Manning.
• With his seventh game of the year with four or more touchdown passes, Peyton Manning set an NFL record for most such games in a season. He broke the record set in by Dan Marino and equaled by Manning himself in .

;Week 15

• All teams playing on Sunday, December 15, combined to score 763 points, setting a record for most points scored in a single day. The previous record of 759 points occurred on January 1, 2012.
• Jamaal Charles became the first running back in NFL history with four receiving touchdowns in one game. He also became the first player at any position to have four receiving touchdowns and a rushing touchdown in the same game.
• Tony Gonzalez became the first tight end and the fifth player overall in NFL history to reach 15,000 receiving yards.
• Calvin Johnson became the first player to have 5,000 receiving yards in a three-season span (2011–2013).

;Week 16

• Luke Kuechly tied the record for most tackles in a game, with 24 (since tackles became an official stat in ), sharing the record with David Harris.

;Wild card round

• The Indianapolis Colts achieved the second-largest comeback win in a postseason game, erasing a 28-point deficit against the Kansas City Chiefs. It was the first time in any NFL game (regular or postseason) that a team won in regulation play after having trailed by at least 28 points.
• The Colts and Chiefs set the record record for most combined total yards in a payoff game, with 1,049. The previous record of 1,038 yards was shared by the 1995 Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills and the 2011 Detroit Lions and New Orleans Saints.
• The Chiefs set a record for the longest losing streak in postseason games, with eight. They shared the previous record of seven with the Detroit Lions.

;Divisional round

• Tom Brady set the record for most postseason starts by a quarterback, with his 25th start. He shared the previous record of 24 with Brett Favre.
• LeGarrette Blount became the first player to rush for at least 125 yards and four touchdowns in a postseason game.

;Conference championship games

• The San Francisco 49ers tied the record for most conference championship game appearances, with their 15th appearance. They share the record with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
• Jim Harbaugh became the first head coach to take his team to a conference championship game in each of his first three seasons.
• Peyton Manning tied the record for most playoff games with at least 400 passing yards, with three, sharing the record with Drew Brees.

;Super Bowl XLVIII

• John Fox became the sixth head coach to lead two different franchises to the Super Bowl. He previously coached the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl XXXVIII.
• The Seattle Seahawks recorded the fastest score in a Super Bowl with a safety 12 seconds into the game. The previous record of 14 seconds was held by the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI.
• The Seahawks set the record for the longest time holding a lead in a Super Bowl, at 59 minutes, 48 seconds of game time.
• The Denver Broncos set the record for most Super Bowl losses with five. They shared the record of four with the Buffalo Bills, Minnesota Vikings, and New England Patriots
• Peyton Manning set a Super Bowl record for passes completed with 34.
• Manning move into first place on the career playoff passing yardage list with 6,589 yards, passing Tom Brady.
• Demaryius Thomas caught 13 passes to set a single-game Super Bowl record.

Regular season statistical leaders

Awards and statistics

Individual season awards

The 3rd NFL Honors, saluting the best players and plays from 2013 season, was held on February 1, 2014, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.

All-Pro team

The following players were named first team All-Pro by the Associated Press:

|}

Players of the week/month

The following were named the top performers during the 2013 season:

Team statistical leaders

;Offense

• Most points scored: Denver, 606 points (37.9 points/game)
• Fewest points scored: Jacksonville, 247 points (15.4 points/game)
• Most total offense: Denver, 7,317 yards (457.3 yards/game)
• Least total offense: Tampa Bay, 4,432 yards (277 yards/game)
• Most total passing: Denver, 5,444 yards (340.3 yards/game)
• Least total passing: Tampa Bay, 2,820 yards (176.3 yards/game)
• Most rushing: Philadelphia, 2,566 yards (160.4 yards/game)
• Least rushing: Atlanta, 1,247 yards (77.9 yards/game)

;Defense{{cite web |title=2013 NFL Opposition & Defensive Statistics

• Fewest points allowed: Seattle, 231 points (14.4 points/game)
• Most points allowed: Minnesota, 480 (30 points/game)
• Fewest total yards allowed (defense): Seattle, 4,378 yards (273.6 yards/game)
• Most total yards allowed (defense): Dallas, 6,645 yards (415.3 yards/game)
• Fewest passing yards allowed: Seattle, 2,752 (172 yards/game)
• Most passing yards allowed (defense): Philadelphia, 4,636 yards (289.8 yards/game)
• Fewest rushing yards allowed (defense): Arizona, 1,351 yards (84.4 yards/game)
• Most rushing yards allowed (defense): Chicago, 2,583 yards (161.4 yards/game)

Head coach/front office changes

Head coach

;Offseason

;In-season The following head coaches were replaced in-season:

Front office

;Offseason

Attendance

;Notes

• – 80,000 without people watching on screens at the party decks.
• – 640,000 without people watching on screens at the party decks.
• – Played one home game in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
• – Played one home game in London, England.

Stadium changes

2013 marked the final season in which the Minnesota Vikings played their home games at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, as the team moved temporarily to TCF Bank Stadium (home of the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers) while their U.S. Bank Stadium was built at the same site as the Metrodome. The Vikings played the 2014 and 2015 seasons at TCF Bank Stadium and opened their new stadium for the 2016 season. The Vikings had called the Metrodome home since it opened in 1982.

This was also the final season in which the San Francisco 49ers played their home games at Candlestick Park, as the team moved into the newly built Levi's Stadium located in Santa Clara, California, for . The 49ers had played in Candlestick since 1971 and the stadium hosted Monday Night Football 36 times, including the stadium's farewell game on December 23. No other facility had as many Monday Night Football appearances. With the departure of the 49ers, Candlestick Park was left without any permanent tenants. On February 3, 2013, plans to demolish Candlestick Park were announced and took place after the final 2013 49ers game.

Two stadiums received new naming rights: In January 2013, Cleveland Browns Stadium was renamed FirstEnergy Stadium. The FirstEnergy Corporation, an energy company based in Akron, Ohio, agreed to pay the Cleveland Browns $6 million per year for 17 years to have its name on the team's stadium. In July 2013, Cowboys Stadium was re-branded as AT&T Stadium, though terms of the naming rights deal remain undisclosed.

Uniforms

Several teams made changes to their uniforms or logos prior to the 2013 season:

• The Jacksonville Jaguars revised their logo and unveiled a new uniform design. The new design includes all black home uniforms, white road jerseys and a teal alternate jersey. The new jerseys include "claw marks" on the shoulders and a "JAGS" patch over the heart. The new helmet design features a paint scheme that fades from matte black in the front to gold in the back.
• The Miami Dolphins updated their logo and unveiled redesigned uniforms. The new logo features a more streamlined dolphin which loses the football helmet and the "fierce" facial expression. The new uniforms keep the same basic color palette, but there is less use of orange. The facemask color on the team's new helmets has been changed from aqua to white.
• The Minnesota Vikings introduced a slightly tweaked "Norseman" logo and unveiled new uniforms. The colors are barely changed, with a new font for the uniform numbers and asymmetrical stripes on the pants. The new helmets feature matte purple paint with glossy logos and black facemasks.
• The San Diego Chargers introduced some relatively minor uniform alterations. The most noticeable change is the switch to "self-color" collars (where the collars match the jersey body) from the previous contrasting color "neck roll" collar design. There were also some changes to the colors used on the nameplates as well as some changes to the socks. The pants and helmets remain unchanged.
• The New York Giants introduced a new alternate uniform consisting of new white pants which may be worn with the team's existing blue jerseys in place of the usual grey pants. The team wore this new alternate uniform on November 10 against the Oakland Raiders and November 24 against the Dallas Cowboys.
• In honor of the fifteenth anniversary of the team's relocation to Nashville, the Tennessee Titans wore their alternate navy blue jerseys in two home games. This marked the first time since that the Titans wore the navy blue jerseys which were their primary home jerseys in their early Tennessee seasons before they switched to their current light blue jerseys. The Titans also added a patch commemorating the 15th season in Tennessee to their jerseys.
• The Indianapolis Colts added a jersey patch which celebrates the team's 30th season in Indianapolis.

Due to a new recommendation that a player should use the same helmet for all games, several teams were forced to make changes in their plans to use alternate and throwback jerseys, including the following:

• The Tampa Bay Buccaneers shelved their "Creamsicle" throwback uniforms completely.
• The Washington Redskins wore their current helmets (with the center stripe decal removed) along with their throwback uniforms which feature a different shade of burgundy.
• The Green Bay Packers also wore their current helmets with their throwback uniforms, but with the stripes and logo decals removed.
• The Dallas Cowboys decided to wear their blue "away" jerseys at their Thanksgiving Day home game, something they have not done since the 1960s. Traditionally the team has worn their throwback jerseys (which include a white helmet) for the Thanksgiving game.

U.S. television coverage

This was the eighth and final year of the television contracts with CBS, Fox, NBC, and ESPN before the new nine-year contracts began in 2014. CBS and Fox continued to carry the Sunday afternoon AFC and NFC packages, respectively. NBC carried Sunday Night Football, the kickoff game, and the prime-time Thanksgiving game; and ESPN aired seventeen Monday Night games in sixteen weeks.

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93. Schapiro, Rich. (February 22, 2014). "Eagles' Riley Cooper caught hell for yelling N-word at Kenny Chesney concert". [[Daily News (New York)]].
94. Breslow, Jason M.. (August 29, 2013). "NFL Reaches $765 Million Settlement In Concussion Lawsuit". [[PBS]].
95. "NFL, retired players resolve concussion litigation; Court-appointed mediator hails "historic" agreement". [[Irell & Manella]].
96. Breslow, Jason M.. (January 14, 2014). "Judge Rejects $765 Million NFL Concussion Settlement". [[PBS]].
97. Stroud, Rick. (October 3, 2013). "Bucs have released QB Josh Freeman". [[Tampa Bay Times]].
98. Burke, Chris. (October 7, 2013). "Josh Freeman signs with Minnesota Vikings".
99. Tomasson, Chris. (April 16, 2014). "Josh Freeman to join Giants after disastrous Vikings tenure". [[St. Paul Pioneer Press]].
100. Yasinskas, Pat. (October 12, 2013). "Third Buc tests positive for MRSA". [[ESPN]].
101. Pells, Eddie. (October 27, 2013). "Outbreak of MRSA in Tampa Bay brings disease back to the forefront in NFL". [[The Advocate (Louisiana).
102. Wilson, Ryan. (October 12, 2013). "Eagles-Buccaneers game a go despite latest MRSA outbreak". [[CBS Sports]].
103. (October 20, 2013). "Visiting locker room in Atlanta cleaned for MRSA after Bucs leave". [[WTVT.
104. Pennington, Bill. (November 8, 2013). "Prized for His Aggression, Incognito Struggled to Stay in Bounds". [[The New York Times]].
105. Shpigel, Ben. (February 14, 2014). "'A Classic Case of Bullying' on the Dolphins, Report Finds". [[The New York Times]].
106. Hanzus, Dan. (February 19, 2014). "Jim Turner fired by Miami Dolphins after Wells report". [[NFL.com]].
107. (December 11, 2013). "Robert Griffin III shut down for rest of season; Washington Redskins will start Kirk Cousins on Sunday". [[The Washington Post]].
108. (December 30, 2013). "Redskins fire Mike Shanahan after 3-13 year; GM Bruce Allen to lead search for replacement". [[The Washington Post]].
109. (April 28, 2014). "Russell Wilson tops NFLPI Top 50 Player Sales List". [[National Football League Players Association]].
110. Thursby, Keith. (June 3, 2013). "David 'Deacon' Jones dies at 74; Fearsome L.A. Rams lineman". [[Los Angeles Times]].
111. (June 24, 2013). "NFL Creates "Deacon Jones Award"". [[National Football League]].
112. (January 2, 2014). "Robert Mathis Wins Inaugural Deacon Jones Award". [[National Football League]].
113. Barron, David. (October 21, 2013). "Titans owner Bud Adams dies at 90". [[Houston Chronicle]].
114. Climer, David. (October 22, 2013). "With Bud Adams' death, what lies ahead for Titans?". [[USA Today]].
115. (October 30, 2013). "Titans' Succession Plan Keeps Team In Bud Adams' Family". [[Sports Business Daily]].
116. (December 30, 2013). "Record Breaking 2013 Season Had It All". [[National Football League.
117. Wesseling, Chris. (December 22, 2013). "Peyton Manning breaks NFL record with 51st touchdown pass". [[National Football League]].
118. (December 22, 2013). "Seven from Sunday – Week 16". [[National Football League]].
119. "2013 NFL Standings, Team & Offensive Statistics". [[Pro-Football-Reference.com]].
120. (December 23, 2013). "What to Look For – A Look Back (Week 5)". [[National Football League]].
121. Miklasz, Bernie. (December 30, 2013). "Hekker sets NFL punting record". [[St. Louis Post-Dispatch]].
122. (September 11, 2013). "Broncos QB Peyton Manning, Chiefs LB Justin Houston & Jets K Nick Folk Named AFC Players of Week 1". [[National Football League.
123. (September 15, 2013). "Seven from Sunday – Week 2". [[National Football League]].
124. Mayer, Larry. (September 8, 2013). "Bennett rebounds from drop with impressive TD". [[Chicago Bears.
125. Alper, Josh. (October 11, 2013). "All's well with Robbie Gould, Devin Hester after sideline argument". [[Profootballtalk.com.
126. Scoggins, Chip. (September 30, 2013). "One worrisome miss serves as wart on Walsh's record day". [[Star Tribune]].
127. Rothstein, Michael. (September 29, 2013). "Matthew Stafford sets two NFL records". [[ESPN]].
128. (October 7, 2013). "Denver Broncos QB Peyton Manning breaks NFL passing records". [[KUSA (TV)]].
129. (October 7, 2013). "What to Look For – A Look Back (Week 5)". [[National Football League.
130. (October 6, 2013). "Seven From Sunday – Week 5". [[National Football League.
131. Blair, Scott. (October 7, 2013). "Raiders' Charles Woodson on TD record: 'It says I'm one of the greatest ever'". [[NBC Sports]] on [[Yahoo! Sports.
132. (October 13, 2013). "Seven from Sunday – Week 6". [[National Football League.
133. (October 15, 2013). "The Week that Was – Week 6". [[National Football League.
134. (October 20, 2013). "Seven from Sunday – Week 7". [[National Football League.
135. Burke, Chris. (October 27, 2013). "Cordarrelle Patterson ties NFL record with 109–yard kickoff return". [[Sports Illustrated]].
136. Farrar, Doug. (October 27, 2013). "Terrelle Pryor starts Raiders-Steelers game with longest QB run in NFL history". [[Sports Illustrated]].
137. (October 27, 2013). "Seven From Sunday – Week 8". [[National Football League.
138. (November 3, 2013). "Nick Foles ties NFL record with seven TD passes vs. Raiders". [[NFL.com]].
139. Hanzus, Dan. (November 11, 2013). "Drew Brees, Saints unstoppable in blowout of Cowboys". [[National Football League]].
140. (November 17, 2013). "Seven from Sunday – Week 11". [[National Football League]].
141. (November 19, 2013). "The Week that Was – Week 11". [[National Football League]].
142. (November 24, 2013). "Seven from Sunday – Week 12". [[National Football League]].
143. Bowen, Kevin. (November 25, 2013). "Notebook: Mathis Sets NFL Record". [[Indianapolis Colts]].
144. (November 24, 2013). "Vikings and Packers play to a 26-26 tie". [[Sports Illustrated]].
145. (December 1, 2013). "Seven from Sunday – Week 13". [[National Football League]].
146. (December 2, 2013). "Elias Says...Brady & Belichick Unsurpassed". [[ESPN]].
147. Chappell, Mike. (December 1, 2013). "On Adam Vinatieri: 'Greatest to ever do what he does'". [[The Indianapolis Star]].
148. (December 8, 2013). "Seven from Sunday – Week 14". [[National Football League]].
149. (December 9, 2013). "Elias Says...Brees Reaches Major Milestone". [[ESPN]].
150. (December 16, 2013). "Elias Says...Highest Scoring Day In NFL History". [[ESPN]].
151. (December 15, 2013). "Seven from Sunday – Week 15". [[National Football League]].
152. (December 17, 2013). "The Week That Was – Week 15". [[National Football League]].
153. (January 4, 2014). "Chiefs break NFL record for consecutive playoff defeats". [[The Kansas City Star]].
154. (January 11, 2014). "LeGarrette Blount runs for 4 TDs as Patriots clobber Colts". [[ESPN]].
155. (January 12, 2014). "Colin Kaepernick leads Niners past Panthers, back into NFC title game". [[ESPN]].
156. (January 20, 2014). "What To Look For - A Look Back". [[National Football League]].
157. "NFL Career Playoffs Passing Yards Leaders". [[Pro-football-reference.com]].
158. Nguyen, Joe. (January 28, 2013). "Peyton Manning in striking distance of playoff passing yards record". [[The Denver Post]].
159. (February 2, 2014). "Flying high: Seahawks dominate Broncos in SB XLVIII rout". [[ESPN]].
160. "NFL Stats: Player". NFL.com.
161. (February 1, 2014). "'NFL Honors' complete list of winners". National Football League.
162. "Awards Announced at "3rd Annual NFL Honors" Super Bowl Eve on FOX". [[National Football League]].
163. Covitz, Randy. (January 16, 2014). "Pro Football Writers select Chiefs' John Dorsey as NFL executive of the year". [[The Kansas City Star]].
164. (February 2, 2014). "Seahawks' Malcolm Smith makes big plays, wins MVP award". [[The Seattle Times]].
165. (January 3, 2014). "2013 All-Pro Team". [[Associated Press]].
166. (September 11, 2013). "49ers WR Anquan Boldin, Rams DE Robert Quinn & WR-PR Dwayne Harris Named NFC Players of Week 1". [[National Football League.
167. (September 18, 2013). "Chargers QB Philip Rivers, Bills DE Mario Williams & Broncos PR/WR Trindon Holliday Named AFC Players of Week 2". [[National Football League.
168. (September 18, 2013). "Packers QB Aaron Rodgers, Seahawks CB Richard Sherman & Bears KR-PR Devin Hester Named NFC Players of Week 2". [[National Football League.
169. (September 25, 2013). "Broncos QB Peyton Manning, Chiefs LB Justin Houston & Cleveland P Spencer Lanning Named AFC Players of Week 3". [[National Football League.
170. (September 25, 2013). "Saint TE Jimmy Graham, Panthers DE Greg Hardy and Lions P Sam Martin named NFC Players of Week 3". [[National Football League.
171. (October 2, 2013). "Chargers QB Philip Rivers, Titans CB Alterraun Verner & Chiefs PR Dexter McCluster Named AFC Players of Week 4". [[National Football League.
172. (October 2, 2013). "Saint QB Drew Brees, Cardinals CB Patrick Peterson and Seahawks K Steven Hauschka named NFC Players of Week 4". [[National Football League.
173. (October 3, 2013). "Broncos QB Peyton Manning, Chiefs LB Justin Houston & Broncos KR Trindon Holliday Named AFC Players of Month for September". [[National Football League.
174. (October 3, 2013). "Saints TE Jimmy Graham, Seahawks CB Richard Sherman & Vikings KR Cordarrelle Patterson NFC Players of Month for September". [[National Football League.
175. (October 9, 2013). "Jets QB Geno Smith, Raiders S Charles Woodson & Browns PR Travis Benjamin named AFC Players of Week 5". [[National Football League.
176. (October 9, 2013). "Eagles WR De Sean Jackson, 49ers CD Tramaine Brock & Packers K Mason Crosby named NFC Players of Week 5". [[National Football League.
177. (October 16, 2013). "Bengals QB Andy Dalton, Chiefs LB Tamba Hali & Charger K Nick Novak named AFC Players of Week 6". [[National Football League.
178. (October 16, 2013). "Eagles QB Nick Foles, Panthers LB Thomas Davis & Cowboys KR-PR Dwayne Harris named NFC Players of Week 6". [[National Football League.
179. (October 23, 2013). "Colts QB Andrew Luck, Bills DE Mario Williams & Steelers K Shaun Suisham named AFC Players of Week 7". [[National Football League.
180. (October 23, 2013). "Falcons QB Matt Ryan, Cowboys LB Sean Lee & 49ers P Andy Lee named NFC Players of Week 7". [[National Football League.
181. (October 30, 2013). "Lions WR Calvin Johnson, Giants CB Terrell Thomas & Vikings KR Cordarrelle Patterson named NFC Players of Week 8". [[National Football League.
182. (October 31, 2013). "Bengals QB Andy Dalton, Colts LB Robert Mathis & Patriots K Stephen Gostkowski named AFC Players of Month for October". [[National Football League.
183. (October 31, 2013). "Lions WR Calvin Johnson, Cowboys LB Sean Lee & Packers K Mason Crosby named NFC Players of Month for October". [[National Football League.
184. (November 6, 2013). "Browns QB Jason Campbell, Dolphins DE Cameron Wake & Jets K Nick Folk named AFC Players of Week 9". [[National Football League.
185. (November 6, 2013). "Eagles QB Nick Foles, Bears DE Shea McClellin & Seahawks PR Golden Tate named NFC Players of Week 9". [[National Football League.
186. Patra, Kevin. (November 13, 2013). "Tavon Austin, Drew Brees among Week 10 winners". [[NFL.com]].
187. (November 20, 2013). "Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger, Bengals LB Vontaze Burfict & Colt K Adam Vinatieri named AFC Players of Week 11". [[National Football League.
188. (November 20, 2013). "Buccaneers RB Bobby Rainey, Giants DE Jason Pierre-Paul & Eagles P Donnie Jones named NFC Players of Week 11". [[National Football League.
189. Wesseling, Chris. (November 27, 2013). "Nick Foles, Big Ben lead NFL players of the month". [[NFL.com]].
190. Patra, Kevin. (December 4, 2013). "Russell Wilson, Eric Decker among players of the week". [[NFL.com]].
191. Patra, Kevin. (December 11, 2013). "Josh McCown, John Abraham lead players of the week". [[NFL.com]].
192. Patra, Kevin. (December 18, 2013). "Michael Thomas, Sherman lead NFL players of the week". [[NFL.com]].
193. Hanzus, Dan. (December 24, 2013). "Peyton Manning, Luke Kuechly earn Week 16 awards". [[NFL.com]].
194. (December 31, 2013). "Week 17 AFC Players of the Week". [[National Football League.
195. (December 31, 2013). "Week 17 NFC Players of the Week". [[National Football League.
196. (January 2, 2014). "AFC December Players of the Month". [[National Football League.
197. (January 2, 2014). "NFC December Players of the Month". [[National Football League.
198. "FedEx Air and Ground Players of the Week". [[NFL.com]].
199. "Pepsi Next Rookie of the Week". [[NFL.com]].
200. (October 3, 2013). "Texans WR DeAndre Hopkins & Bills LB Kiko Alonso Named NFL Rookies of Month for September". [[National Football League.
201. (October 31, 2013). "Packers RB Eddie Lacy & Cardinals S Tyrann Mathieu Named NFL Rookies of Month for October". [[National Football League.
202. (January 2, 2014). "NFL Rookies of Month for December". [[National Football League.
203. Rosenthal, Gregg. (December 31, 2012). "Cardinals fire Ken Whisenhunt, GM Rod Graves". [[NFL.com]].
204. Baum, Bob. (January 17, 2013). "Cardinals hire Bruce Arians as head coach". [[Yahoo! Sports]].
205. Somers, Kent. (January 1, 2013). "Arizona Cardinals fire head coach Ken Whisenhunt, general manager Rod Graves". [[The Arizona Republic]].
206. Somers, Kent. (December 31, 2012). "Arizona Cardinals suffer worst loss in franchise history against Seattle Seahawks". [[The Arizona Republic]].
207. Maiorana, Sal. (December 31, 2012). "Bills fire coach Chan Gailey". [[USA Today]].
208. Copeland, Kareem. (January 6, 2013). "Doug Marrone named next Buffalo Bills head coach". [[NFL.com]].
209. Gailey chose not to pursue further coaching after the dismissal and retired.Graham, Tim (January 6, 2014). [http://bills.buffalonews.com/2014/01/06/one-year-later-chan-gailey-says-hes-almost-certainly-retired/ One year later, Chan Gailey says he's almost certainly retired] {{Webarchive. link. (January 12, 2015 . ''The Buffalo News''. Retrieved January 12, 2015.)
210. Samuel, Ebenezer. (December 31, 2012). "Andy Reid, Lovie Smith, Norv Turner and Romeo Crennel among NFL coaches fired on Black Monday". [[Daily News (New York)]].
211. Wright, Michael C.. (January 16, 2013). "Bears hire Alouettes' Marc Trestman". [[ESPN]].
212. (December 31, 2012). "Vote: Who is to blame for Bears' collapse?". [[ESPN]].
213. Davis, Nate. (December 31, 2012). "Browns fire coach Pat Shurmur, GM Tom Heckert". [[USA Today]].
214. Cabot, Mary Kay. (January 10, 2013). "Cleveland Browns hire Rob Chudzinski as head coach". [[The Plain Dealer]].
215. Katzowitz, Josh. (January 10, 2013). "Jaguars fire coach Mike Mularkey". [[CBS Sports]].
216. O'Halloran, Ryan. (January 18, 2013). "Jaguars' coaching search ends with Gus Bradley". [[The Florida Times-Union]].
217. (December 31, 2012). "Chiefs fire Romeo Crennel". [[ESPN]].
218. (January 4, 2013). "Andy Reid is new Chiefs coach". [[ESPN]].
219. Garafolo, Mike. (December 31, 2012). "Eagles fire Andy Reid after 14 seasons". [[USA Today]].
220. (January 16, 2013). "Eagles hire Chip Kelly as coach". [[ESPN]].
221. (January 1, 2013). "Norv Turner, A.J. Smith fired". [[ESPN]].
222. (January 16, 2013). "Chargers hire Mike McCoy". [[ESPN]].
223. Hogan, Nakia. (October 22, 2012). "New Orleans Saints interim coach Joe Vitt returns to take over coaching duties". [[The Times-Picayune]].
224. Garafolo, Mike. (January 22, 2013). "NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell reinstates Saints coach Sean Payton". [[USA Today]].
225. Klis, Mike. (November 5, 2013). "Broncos name Jack Del Rio interim head coach while John Fox recovers". [[The Denver Post]].
226. Klis, Mike. (November 2, 2013). "Broncos coach John Fox to undergo aortic valve replacement surgery". [[The Denver Post]].
227. Klis, Mike. (December 8, 2013). "John Fox started day of first game back with Bob Marley, Chevy Chase". [[The Denver Post]].
228. Sessler, Marc. (December 6, 2013). "Gary Kubiak fired as Houston Texans head coach". [[NFL.com]].
229. Patra, Kevin. (November 6, 2013). "Wade Phillips picked as Houston Texans' interim coach". [[NFL.com]].
230. Smith, Brian T.. (November 5, 2013). "Kubiak leaves hospital, won't coach Texans game Sunday". [[Houston Chronicle]].
231. Rieken, Kristie. (November 24, 2013). "Jaguars send Texans to 9th straight loss, 13-6". [[Houston Chronicle]].
232. (January 8, 2013). "Cards promote Steve Keim to GM". [[ESPN]].
233. (January 8, 2013). "Cards fire Ken Whisenhunt, Graves". [[ESPN]].
234. (January 6, 2003). "Cardinals fire GM, two assistants". [[Sports Illustrated]].
235. "Rod Graves bio". [[Pro-Football-Reference.com]].
236. Gaughan, Mark. (May 13, 2013). "Nix says time right to step down". [[The Buffalo News]].
237. Gaughan, Mark. (May 16, 2013). "Bills promote Whaley to take over as GM". [[The Buffalo News]].
238. Gaughan, Mark. (January 1, 2013). "Brandon takes reins for 'new era'". [[The Buffalo News]].
239. (January 9, 2013). "Bio: Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman". The Charlotte Observer.
240. Cabot, Mary Kay. (January 18, 2013). "Former Cleveland Browns personnel executive Mike Lombardi hired as Browns Vice President of Player Personnel". [[The Plain Dealer]].
241. "Tom Heckert bio". [[Pro-Football-Reference.com]].
242. Brinson, Will. (December 31, 2012). "Jaguars fire GM Gene Smith". [[CBS Sports]].
243. O'Halloran, Ryan. (January 8, 2013). "Jaguars hire David Caldwell as GM". [[The Florida Times-Union]].
244. (December 31, 2012). "Jaguars fire GM Gene Smith". [[ESPN]].
245. Garafolo, Mike. (January 4, 2013). "GM Scott Pioli fired by Chiefs". [[USA Today]].
246. (January 14, 2014). "Chiefs introduce GM John Dorsey". [[ESPN]].
247. "Scott Pioli bio". [[Pro-Football-Reference.com]].
248. Hendricks, Martin. (September 17, 2009). "Green Bay suits Dorsey just fine". [[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]].
249. Shpigel, Ben. (December 31, 2012). "Ryan Stays; Tannenbaum Goes; Other Answers Are Scarce". [[The New York Times]].
250. Shpigel, Ben. (January 19, 2013). "Jets Name Leaders in Front Office and Offense". [[The New York Times]].
251. Gehlken, Michael. (January 9, 2013). "Chargers choose Tom Telesco for GM". [[U-T San Diego]].
252. Hanzus, Dan. (January 1, 2013). "A.J. Smith: San Diego Chargers were right to fire me". [[NFL.com]].
253. "A.J. Smith bio". [[Pro-Football-Reference.com]].
254. "NFL Attendance – 2013". [[ESPN]].
255. Zulgad, Judd. (January 2, 2013). "Ground will be broken on Vikings' new stadium during the 2013 season". [[KSTP (AM).
256. Price, Taylor. (April 19, 2012). "49ers Break Ground on Santa Clara Stadium". [[San Francisco 49ers.
257. Booth, Randy. (February 23, 2013). "Candlestick Park, home of 49ers, scheduled for demolition after 2013 season". [[SB Nation]].
258. Funk, John. (January 17, 2013). "Cleveland Browns' stadium deal with FirstEnergy averages about $6 million a year for 17 years". [[The Plain Dealer]].
259. (July 25, 2013). "Cowboys Stadium to be renamed AT&T Stadium". [[USA Today]].
260. Strauss, Chris. (February 5, 2013). "Jacksonville Jaguars decide to make logo even tamer". [[USA Today]].
261. (April 23, 2013). "Jacksonville Jaguars and Nike unveil new uniform design for 2013". [[Nike, Inc.]].
262. Lukas, Paul. (April 23, 2013). "Uni Watch analysis: New Jaguars uniforms". [[ESPN]].
263. (April 24, 2013). "SEE IT: Jacksonville Jaguars unveil new Nike uniforms". [[Daily News (New York)]].
264. (April 25, 2013). "Miami Dolphins 2013 Nike Elite 51 uniform". [[Nike, Inc.]].
265. Davis, Craig. (April 24, 2013). "Dolphins' new look goes back to the future". [[Sun-Sentinel]].
266. Lukas, Paul. (April 25, 2013). "Assessing the Vikings', Dolphins' new unis". [[ESPN]].
267. Sessler, Marc. (February 14, 2013). "Minnesota Vikings give Norseman logo facelift for 2013". [[NFL.com]].
268. (April 23, 2013). "Minnesota Vikings and Nike unveil new uniform design for 2013 season". [[Nike, Inc.]].
269. Henne, Ricky. (June 2, 2013). "Chargers Tweak Jerseys for First Time Since 2007". [[San Diego Chargers]].
270. Sessler, Marc. (June 26, 2013). "San Diego Chargers announce alterations to uniforms". [[NFL.com]].
271. Salomone, Dan. (May 31, 2013). "Giants Unveil New Alternate White Pants". [[New York Giants]].
272. Salomone, Dan. (August 28, 2013). "Giants announce dates for alternate pants". [[New York Giants]].
273. Wyatt, Jim. (July 27, 2013). "Titans to bring back navy blue". [[The Tennessean]].
274. Reiss, Mike. (November 10, 2013). "Quick-hit thoughts around NFL & Patriots". [[ESPN]].
275. Chase, Chris. (November 3, 2013). "New NFL rule ruins Redskins' iconic throwback uniforms". [[USA Today]].
276. Florio, Mike. (September 18, 2013). "Vikings, Packers will wear throwbacks with their standard helmets". [[Profootballtalk.com]].
277. Chase, Chris. (November 28, 2013). "Cowboys will wear blue jerseys at home for first time in decades". [[USA Today]].
278. Best, Neil. (December 14, 2011). "NFL renews lucrative TV deals". [[Newsday]].