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* '''Week 10''': The [[2011 Detroit Lions season|Lions]]–[[2011 Chicago Bears season|Bears]] game was moved from 1:00 p.m. [[North American Eastern Time Zone|EST]] to 4:15 p.m. EST.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d823a55b8/article/bearslions-week-10-meeting-moved-to-415-pm-et-on-fox | title=Bears-Lions Week 10 meeting moved to 4:15 p.m. ET on Fox | work=NFL.com | accessdate=2011-10-31}}</ref>
* '''Week 10''': The [[2011 Detroit Lions season|Lions]]–[[2011 Chicago Bears season|Bears]] game was moved from 1:00 p.m. [[North American Eastern Time Zone|EST]] to 4:15 p.m. EST.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d823a55b8/article/bearslions-week-10-meeting-moved-to-415-pm-et-on-fox | title=Bears-Lions Week 10 meeting moved to 4:15 p.m. ET on Fox | work=NFL.com | accessdate=2011-10-31}}</ref>
* '''Week 11''': The [[2011 Tennessee Titans season|Titans]]–[[2011 Atlanta Falcons season|Falcons]] game was moved from 1:00 p.m. EST to 4:15 p.m. EST.<ref name="TitansFalconsColtsPatriots">{{cite web | url=http://www.profootballweekly.com/2011/11/08/nfl-flexes-colts-patriots-out-of-snf-game | title=NFL flexes Colts-Patriots out of SNF game | work=profootballweekly.com | accessdate=2011-11-08}}</ref>
* '''Week 11''': The [[2011 Tennessee Titans season|Titans]]–[[2011 Atlanta Falcons season|Falcons]] game was moved from 1:00 p.m. EST to 4:15 p.m. EST.<ref name="TitansFalconsColtsPatriots">{{cite web | url=http://www.profootballweekly.com/2011/11/08/nfl-flexes-colts-patriots-out-of-snf-game | title=NFL flexes Colts-Patriots out of SNF game | work=profootballweekly.com | accessdate=2011-11-08}}</ref>
* '''Week 13''': The [[2011 Indianapolis Colts season|Colts]]–[[2011 New England Patriots season|Patriots]] game was moved from the 8:20 p.m. EST time slot on [[NBC Sunday Night Football]] to 1:00 p.m. EST on [[NFL on CBS|CBS]]. The [[2011 Detroit Lions season|Lions]]–[[2011 New Orleans Saints season|Saints]] game, originally scheduled at 1:00 p.m. EST on [[NFL on Fox|Fox]], was flexed into the 8:20 p.m. slot on NBC, in place of the originally-scheduled Colts–Patriots game. The [[2011 Baltimore Ravens season|Ravens]]–[[2011 Cleveland Browns season|Browns]] game was changed from 1:00 p.m. EST to 4:05 p.m. EST, while the [[2011 Denver Broncos season|Broncos]]–[[2011 Minnesota Vikings season|Vikings]] game was changed from 4:05 p.m. EST to 1:00 p.m. EST.<ref name="TitansFalconsColtsPatriots"/><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.profootballweekly.com/2011/11/21/nfl-moves-lions-at-saints-into-prime-time | title=NFL moves Lions at Saints into prime time | work=profootballweekly.com | accessdate=2011-11-21}}</ref>
* '''Week 13''': The [[2011 Indianapolis Colts season|Colts]]–[[2011 New England Patriots season|Patriots]] game was moved from the 8:20 p.m. EST time slot on [[NBC Sunday Night Football]] to 1:00 p.m. EST on [[NFL on CBS|CBS]]. The [[2011 Detroit Lions season|Lions]]–[[2011 New Orleans Saints season|Saints]] game, originally scheduled at 1:00 p.m. EST on [[NFL on Fox|Fox]], was flexed into the 8:20 p.m. slot on NBC, in place of the originally-scheduled Colts–Patriots game. The [[2011 Baltimore Ravens season|Ravens]]–[[2011 Cleveland Browns season|Browns]] game was changed from 1:00 p.m. EST to 4:05 p.m. EST. The [[2011 Denver Broncos season|Broncos]]–[[2011 Minnesota Vikings season|Vikings]] game was changed from 4:05 p.m. EST to 1:00 p.m. EST, and will air on Fox instead of CBS, due to the fact that Fox only had two games in the early time slot.<ref name="TitansFalconsColtsPatriots"/><ref>{{cite web | url=http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/7265289/week-13-flex-detroit-lions-new-orleans-saints-now-night-denver-broncos-minnesota-vikings-fox | title=NFL announces Week 13 flex plan | work=espn.com | accessdate=2011-11-21}}</ref>


==Regular season standings==
==Regular season standings==

Revision as of 19:22, 21 November 2011

2011 NFL season
Regular season
DurationSeptember 8, 2011 – January 1, 2012
Playoffs
Start dateJanuary 7, 2012
Super Bowl XLVI
DateFebruary 5, 2012
SiteLucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
Pro Bowl
DateJanuary 29, 2012
SiteAloha Stadium, Halawa, Honolulu, Hawaii

The 2011 NFL season, the 92nd regular season of the National Football League, began on Thursday, September 8, 2011 with the Super Bowl XLV champion Green Bay Packers defeating the New Orleans Saints 42–34 at Lambeau Field and will end with Super Bowl XLVI, the league's championship game, on February 5, 2012 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Due to a labor dispute between league owners and players, a lockout began on March 11 and ended on July 25, lasting 18 weeks and 4 days. Although it initially threatened to postpone or cancel the season, the only game that was canceled was the August 7 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game.

Labor dispute

Main article: 2011 NFL lockout

A lockout lasted from March 11 to July 25. It occurred primarily during the offseason for 18 weeks and 4 days. The only game that was eventually canceled was the August 7 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game because of the insufficient time the teams had to prepare for that contest after the lockout ended.

This labor dispute initially began after NFL owners unanimously voted in 2008 not to continue with the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) following the 2010 season, after previously voting to extend it in 2006.[1] Just before the CBA expired on March 3, both the players and the league owners agreed to extend the negotiations by one week.[2] However, talks eventually broke down, and on March 11, the union formally decertified,[3] after which a group of players filed an antitrust lawsuit against the league.[4] In response to the decertification, the league officially locked out the players.[5][6]

After a series of legal challenges questioning the legitimacy of the lockout, league owners eventually approved a new collective bargaining agreement on July 21; the players association's executive board approved the new CBA on July 25, with the players voting to ratify it on August 4.[7] NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith signed the agreement the next day, ending the lockout.[8]

Schedule

The preseason schedule was released April 12, 2011. The Hall of Fame Game, had it been played, would have featured the Chicago Bears against the St. Louis Rams in only the second time since 1971 that the game would have featured two teams from the same conference.[9] Instead, the preseason began with the San Diego Chargers hosting the Seattle Seahawks on August 11; the remainder of the preseason and all other games was played as originally scheduled (with the exception of the preseason Jets-Giants game, which was postponed two days due to Hurricane Irene).

The 2011 season began on Thursday, September 8, 2011 at Lambeau Field, with the Super Bowl XLV champion Green Bay Packers hosting the New Orleans Saints in the kickoff game; the last regular season games will be held on Sunday, January 1, 2012; the playoffs will start on Saturday January 7, 2012; and Super Bowl XLVI, the league's championship game, on February 5, 2012 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Under the NFL's scheduling formula, intraconference and interconference matchups will be:

When the league was arranging the schedule in Spring 2011, they added some cushion just in case the labor dispute lasted into September and the planned start of the regular season. For example, every contest in Week 3 had teams which shared the same bye week later in the season, which would have allowed these games to be made up on what were originally the teams' byes. Weeks 2 and 4 were set up so that there were neither any divisional rivalry games nor teams on bye in those weeks, which would have kept the season as fair as possible if those games had to be canceled.[10] Also, no byes were scheduled in Week 10, but four teams will then have a bye in Week 11.[11]

This season's International Series game featured the Chicago Bears facing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (in their second International Series appearance) at Wembley Stadium in London on October 23, one week earlier than usual, with the Buccaneers serving as the home team.[12] The Bears won 24-18.[13]

Under the terms of the Bills Toronto Series agreement, the Buffalo Bills defeated the Washington Redskins at the Rogers Centre in Toronto Sunday, October 30 by a score of 23-0. Although this was within the bounds of the 2011 CFL season, neither of the two Southern Ontario CFL teams are playing on the same day, and both played away games that weekend. The 2011–12 season marks the 20th anniversary of the teams' meeting in Super Bowl XXVI, won by the Redskins.

The Detroit Lions hosted their first Monday Night Football game since 2001, when they faced the Chicago Bears on Columbus Day/Canadian Thanksgiving (the Detroit-Windsor market straddles the U.S.-Canadian border).[14] Detroit defeated Chicago, 24–13, for the team's fifth straight win, the most Lions wins to start a season since the team's glory years in the 1950s, continuing a streak that has been seen as a pleasant surprise after over a decade of mediocrity.[15]

The Miami Dolphins will travel to Dallas to face the Cowboys and the Detroit Lions will host the Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers for the traditional 2011 Thanksgiving Classic games. The Thanksgiving nightcap on the NFL Network will be the San Francisco 49ers traveling to play the Baltimore Ravens; this is the first Thanksgiving game for the 49ers since 1972, the first ever for the Ravens, and a game that puts 1st-year 49ers' head coach Jim Harbaugh against his brother, Ravens' head coach John Harbaugh.

Christmas Day, December 25, 2011, falls on Sunday. The league's general policy when this happens is to hold the majority of its games during the day on Christmas Eve and hold over one or two feature games for Sunday night; in the case of 2011, it will be one game. The Chicago Bears will face the Green Bay Packers on Christmas evening on NBC.

New Year's Day, January 1, 2012, also falls on a Sunday, and the NFL will play its entire Week 17 schedule that day. The major college Bowl games usually played on New Year's Day, as well as the NHL Winter Classic, will instead be played on Monday, January 2. For the second straight year, Week 17 will only feature divisional match-ups.

The New York Giants visited the Washington Redskins on September 11, 2011—the first Sunday of the regular season—to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the September 11 attacks (both Washington, D.C. and New York City were targeted in the attacks), as well as the first such anniversary since the killing of Osama bin Laden.[16] Due to the close proximity of Baltimore with Washington, D.C. as well as the close proximity of Pittsburgh with the site where United Airlines Flight 93 crashed on 9/11, the Pittsburgh Steelers visited the archrival Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. It marked the first time the two teams played in a season-opening game since 2003, as their heated rivalry usually prompts their games to be scheduled later in the season. There had been some speculation that the Giants and their same-city rival, the New York Jets, could have played each other that day, since the two were scheduled to play each other in 2011; the Jets were the designated home team at MetLife Stadium in the match-up which had been predetermined due to the NFL's scheduling formula.[17] However, the Jets instead hosted the Dallas Cowboys.[18]

Scheduling changes

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

  • Week 10: The Lions–Bears game was moved from 1:00 p.m. EST to 4:15 p.m. EST.[19]
  • Week 11: The Titans–Falcons game was moved from 1:00 p.m. EST to 4:15 p.m. EST.[20]
  • Week 13: The Colts–Patriots game was moved from the 8:20 p.m. EST time slot on NBC Sunday Night Football to 1:00 p.m. EST on CBS. The Lions–Saints game, originally scheduled at 1:00 p.m. EST on Fox, was flexed into the 8:20 p.m. slot on NBC, in place of the originally-scheduled Colts–Patriots game. The Ravens–Browns game was changed from 1:00 p.m. EST to 4:05 p.m. EST. The Broncos–Vikings game was changed from 4:05 p.m. EST to 1:00 p.m. EST, and will air on Fox instead of CBS, due to the fact that Fox only had two games in the early time slot.[20][21]

Regular season standings

AFC East
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(1) New England Patriots 13 3 0 .813 5–1 10–2 513 342 W8
New York Jets 8 8 0 .500 3–3 6–6 394 382 L3
Miami Dolphins 6 10 0 .375 3–3 5–7 348 330 W1
Buffalo Bills 6 10 0 .375 1–5 4–8 372 434 L1
AFC North
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(2) Baltimore Ravens 12 4 0 .750 6–0 9–3 378 266 W2
(5) Pittsburgh Steelers 12 4 0 .750 4–2 9–3 325 227 W2
(6) Cincinnati Bengals 9 7 0 .563 2–4 6–6 344 323 L1
Cleveland Browns 4 12 0 .250 0–6 3–9 218 307 L6
AFC South
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(3) Houston Texans 10 6 0 .625 4–2 8–4 381 278 L3
Tennessee Titans 9 7 0 .563 3–3 7–5 325 317 W2
Jacksonville Jaguars 5 11 0 .313 3–3 4–8 243 329 W1
Indianapolis Colts 2 14 0 .125 2–4 2–10 243 430 L1
AFC West
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(4) Denver Broncos 8 8 0 .500 3–3 6–6 309 390 L3
San Diego Chargers 8 8 0 .500 3–3 7–5 406 377 W1
Oakland Raiders 8 8 0 .500 3–3 6–6 359 433 L1
Kansas City Chiefs 7 9 0 .438 3–3 4–8 212 338 W1
NFC East
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(4) New York Giants 9 7 0 .563 3–3 5–7 394 400 W2
Philadelphia Eagles 8 8 0 .500 5–1 6–6 396 328 W4
Dallas Cowboys 8 8 0 .500 2–4 6–6 372 347 L2
Washington Redskins 5 11 0 .313 2–4 5–7 288 367 L2
NFC North
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(1) Green Bay Packers 15 1 0 .938 6–0 12–0 560 359 W2
(6) Detroit Lions 10 6 0 .625 3–3 6–6 474 387 L1
Chicago Bears 8 8 0 .500 3–3 7–5 353 341 W1
Minnesota Vikings 3 13 0 .188 0–6 3–9 340 449 L1
NFC South
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(3) New Orleans Saints 13 3 0 .813 5–1 9–3 547 339 W8
(5) Atlanta Falcons 10 6 0 .625 3–3 7–5 402 350 W1
Carolina Panthers 6 10 0 .375 2–4 3–9 406 427 L1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4 12 0 .250 2–4 3–9 307 494 L10
NFC West
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(2) San Francisco 49ers 13 3 0 .813 5–1 10–2 380 229 W3
Arizona Cardinals 8 8 0 .500 4–2 7–5 312 348 W1
Seattle Seahawks 7 9 0 .438 3–3 6–6 321 315 L2
St. Louis Rams 2 14 0 .125 0–6 1–11 193 407 L7

Postseason

Playoff-clinching scenarios for Week 12

Rule changes

The following are rule changes that were passed at the league's annual owners meeting in March. All changes went into effect once the labor dispute was resolved.

  • Changes were made regarding kickoffs to limit injuries. First, kickoffs will be moved from the 30 back up to the 35-yard line, repealing a 1994 rule change. In addition, players on the kickoff coverage team cannot line up more than 5 yards behind the kickoff line, minimizing running starts and thus reducing the speed of collisions.[22] Other changes were also proposed, but a number of players and coaches expressed concern they would actually significantly reduce, if not eliminate, the number of kickoff returns.[23][24] Proposals that would have brought touchbacks out to the 25 instead of the 20, and eliminated all wedge blocks were not adopted.[22] Despite this rule, the Bears kicked off from the 30-yard line twice in their preseason game against the Bills until the league forced them to stop.
  • All replay reviews of scoring plays during the entire game can now be initiated by the replay booth official. Coaches will no longer have to use one of their challenges if a scoring play occurs outside of the two-minute warning.[22][23] Because the play is now "unchallengable" by coaches, attempting to do so will result in a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, which several coaches were flagged for during the season.
  • Nicknamed the "Boise State Rule", all playing fields must remain green, and not be in another color like the blue "Smurf Turf" at Boise State's Bronco Stadium, unless approval is granted by the league. This was passed in response to a few sponsors who requested to change the colors in a few stadiums.[25]

The following rule changes were adopted at the NFL Owners' Meeting on May 24, 2011:

  • Hits to the head of a passer by an opponent’s hands, arms or other parts of the body will not be fouls unless they are forcible blows, modifying the existing rule that any contact to a passer's head, regardless of the reason, is penalized as a personal foul (15 yards).
  • Players will be prohibited from "launching" (leaving both feet prior to contact to spring forward and upward into an opponent or using any part of the helmet to initiate forcible contact against any part of the opponent’s body) to level a defenseless player, as well as "forcibly hitting the neck or head area with the helmet, facemask, forearm or shoulder regardless of whether the defensive player also uses his arms to tackle the defenseless player by encircling or grasping him.", and lowering the head and make forcible contact with the top/crown or forehead/"hairline" parts of the helmet against any part of the defenseless player’s body. Offenders will be penalized 15 yards for unnecessary roughness and ejected from the game if the contact is deemed flagrant.

A "defenseless player" is defined as a:

  • Player in the act of or just after throwing a pass.
  • Receiver attempting to catch a pass or one who has not completed a catch and hasn’t had time to protect himself or hasn’t clearly become a runner. If the receiver/runner is capable of avoiding or warding off the impending contact of an opponent, he is no longer a defenseless player.
  • Runner whose forward progress has been stopped and is already in the grasp of a tackler.
  • Kickoff or punt returner attempting to field a kick in the air.
  • Player on the ground at the end of a play.
  • Kicker/punter during the kick or return.
  • Quarterback any time after a change of possession (i.e. turnover).
  • Player who receives a “blindside” block when the blocker is moving toward his own end-line and approaches the opponent from behind or the side.[26]

Game-day testing

  • Game-day testing for performance-enhancing drugs. The NFL is adding game-day testing for performance-enhancing substances but not recreational drugs this season under the new collective bargaining agreement.[27]

Media

This will be the sixth season under the current television contracts with the league's television partners: CBS (all AFC afternoon away games), Fox (all NFC afternoon away games), NBC (17 Sunday Night Football games and the kickoff game), ESPN (17 Monday Night Football games over sixteen weeks), NFL Network (eight late-season games on Thursday night and Saturday nights), and DirecTV's NFL Sunday Ticket package. These contracts run through at least 2013. ESPN extended its contract for Monday Night Football on September 8, during the opening week of the season. The new contract will extend the rights for eight seasons, giving the network rights until 2021. The new deal, valued between $14.2 billion and $15.2 billion, also gives them rights to expanded highlights, international and digital rights, the Pro Bowl beginning with the 2015 installment, and possibly a Wildcard playoff game.[28]

The 2011 NFL season version of "musical chairs" is bringing some changes. At CBS, Dick Enberg officially retired (he now does San Diego Padres games for 4SD), and Marv Albert replaces him, coming over from Westwood One radio. Gus Johnson has also departed CBS and will begin calling play-by-play for Fox, mostly college games as well on FX. ESPN lost both of their sideline reporters from 2010: Michele Tafoya to NBC, where she replaces the departing Andrea Kremer, and Suzy Kolber to ESPN2's new NFL32 show, which she will host. ESPN, who had reduced the roles of its sideline reporters in recent years in response to NFL rule changes, will use only one sideline reporter for the 2011 season; Wendi Nix will be the sole sideline reporter for Monday Night Football.

On December 22, 2010, the league announced that its national radio contract with Westwood One, which was acquired by Dial Global in the 2011 offseason, has been extended through 2014.[29] The league also extended its contract with Sirius XM Radio through 2015.[30] In addition to these contracts, and in a first for an NFL team, the Dallas Cowboys have signed a deal to allow for nationwide broadcasts of all of its home and away games broadcast on Compass Media Networks, in addition to its existing local radio network. Compass also acquired exclusive national broadcast rights to both the International Series and Toronto Series contests.[31]

The league did not announce plans to compensate their media partners had the season been shortened or canceled as a result of the work stoppage. NBC had ordered several low-cost reality television shows for the 2011–12 TV season in the event that Sunday Night Football could not be played, but other networks had not made public any contingency plans in the event NFL games could not be televised (in the case of CBS and Fox, the Sunday afternoon time slots could have been left unfilled and turned over to the affiliates, likely to be used for time buys by minor and extreme sports organizations, or locally-programmed infomercials or movies as they are during the offseason). A work stoppage could have potentially cost these networks billions of dollars in ad revenue and other entertainment platforms that depend on the games being played. (Under the NFL's television contracts, the networks must still pay the league a rights fee regardless of whether or not the league plays any games; a March 2 ruling states that this money must be put into escrow and not be spent.)[32] Meanwhile, the United Football League had set aside a portion of their television contract for their 2011 UFL season, as a potential package of replacement programs for the networks;[33] while CBS and Fox briefly negotiated with the UFL regarding the package, neither network committed to carrying the games, forcing the UFL to postpone its season by a month.

Uniforms

The first Sunday of the season fell on the tenth anniversary of the September 11 attacks. To commemorate that event, players, coaches, game officials, and sideline personnel wore a special NFL 9/11 ribbon.[34]

The New York Giants plan to adopt a new throwback uniform as their new alternate uniform. The throwback would replace their red alternate jerseys that the team wore from 2004–2007.[35]

2011 will mark the last season that the Denver Broncos will be wearing their navy blue jerseys as their primary colored jersey, as the team will designate their orange jerseys—the team's alternate home jersey since 2002 — as their new primary home jersey color for the 2012. The move was made due to overwhelming fan support to return to using orange as the team's primary home jersey color, which harkens back to the days of the Orange Crush Defense, as well as John Elway's return to the organization as the team's executive vice president of football operations. The team had considered making the switch for the 2011 season, but were too late to notify the NFL of the changes.[36] The aforementioned navy blue jerseys, which had been the team's primary home jersey since they were first introduced in 1997, will switch to alternate designation in 2012.[37]

The Buffalo Bills introduced redesigned uniforms for the upcoming NFL season on June 24, 2011. The charging buffalo remains as the team's primary logo. Earlier reports, leaked by a Madden NFL 12 trailer and said to be confirmed by the league, indicated the team would be adopting the uniforms the team wore between 1975 and 1983.[38] The new uniforms were officially unveiled at a fan appreciation event at Ralph Wilson Stadium.[39] This was the first full redesign of the Bills' uniforms since 2002. The Bills also announced that their week 9 game against the New York Jets featured the Bills wearing their white away uniforms at home for the first time since the 1986 season, as part of a whiteout promotion.[40]

The New England Patriots will wear a patch bearing the initials MHK in honor of Myra Kraft, the wife of owner Robert Kraft.[41] Myra Kraft died in July after a battle with cancer. The team will also wear their red throwback uniforms in Week 5 vs. the New York Jets, and their white jerseys at home against the Dallas Cowboys in week 6 to force the Cowboys to be in their rarely worn road blue jerseys.

The St. Louis Rams wore their throwback uniforms in week 8 against the New Orleans Saints. The decision was done by fan voting.[42]

As per tradition, both the Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys will wear their throwbacks on Thanksgiving Day (November 24) at home against the Green Bay Packers and the Miami Dolphins, respectively.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will wear their orange throwback uniforms during week 13 against Carolina.[43]

The Cleveland Browns will wear their white uniform at home for 2011.[44]

The Oakland Raiders began to wear stickers featuring "AL" on their helmets after owner Al Davis died on October 8, 2011.[45]

End of the Reebok Era

This will be the last season that Reebok will supply uniforms, caps along with performance and fan apparel exclusively for all 32 teams in the league, as Nike and New Era will have the rights to manufacture on-field uniforms and fan apparel, with Nike handling uniforms and performance apparel, and New Era with on-field caps, beginning in 2012. For Reebok, this will end a 10-year exclusivity association that began in 2001.

Coaching changes

The uncertain labor issues and the possibility of a lockout were speculated to have a minimizing effect on coaching changes prior to the 2011 season, with owners predicted to be more hesitant than usual to hire a high-price, high-profile head coach.[46] Nevertheless, eight coaches were fired either during or immediately after the 2010 NFL season, compared to three in the year prior; only one of the new hires (John Fox) had ever been a head coach in the NFL prior to their hirings or promotions. However, Leslie Frazier, and Jason Garrett did get some experience as interim coaches during the 2010 season, with Garrett being successful in his debut season, going 5-3 in his tenure, improving the 1-7 Cowboys to a 6-10 season.

Team 2010 Coach
at start of season 		2010 Interim 2011 Replacement Reason for leaving Story/Accomplishments
Dallas Cowboys Wade Phillips Jason Garrett Fired Phillips, son of former NFL head coach Bum Phillips, was fired on November 8, 2010, following a 45–7 Week 9 loss against the Green Bay Packers, leaving Dallas with a 35–24 (.593) record. Phillips was later hired as defensive coordinator of the Houston Texans. On January 5, 2011, Jason Garrett, the team's offensive coordinator and presumptive head coach in waiting, was named the Head coach for the 2011 season.
Minnesota Vikings Brad Childress Leslie Frazier Fired Childress was fired on November 22, 2010, following a Week 11 loss against the Green Bay Packers, 31–3. The Vikings entered week 12 with a 3–7 record, second-to-last in the NFC North after a 12-4 season a year ago. Childress also faced controversy by releasing Randy Moss without the approval of owner Zygi Wilf and lost control over the locker room.[47] Childress amassed a record of 40–37 (.519) record during his time in Minnesota. Frazier, the Vikings' defensive coordinator since 2007, was named head coach following the end of the 2010 season.
Denver Broncos Josh McDaniels Eric Studesville John Fox Fired McDaniels was fired on December 5, 2010, following a 10–6 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 13. After a 6–0 start in the 2009 season, the Broncos lost 17 of their next 22 games, and became subject to a videotaping scandal.[48] McDaniels's record was 11–17 (.393) as coach of the Broncos. McDaniels was later hired by the St. Louis Rams to be their offensive coordinator.[49]
San Francisco 49ers Mike Singletary Jim Tomsula Jim Harbaugh Fired Singletary compiled a record of 18–22 (.462) during his 2½ years as head coach of the 49ers and was criticized for his lack of focus on the team's offense.[50][51] Singletary is now the Linebackers coach for the Minnesota Vikings.[52]

Harbaugh, a former NFL quarterback, came from the Stanford Cardinal football team, where he led the Cardinal to a 12–1 record in 2010 behind the arm of top quarterback prospect Andrew Luck, culminating in a victory in the Orange Bowl. (Luck was expected to declare for the 2011 NFL Draft if Harbaugh left, but decided to stay at Stanford.)

Carolina Panthers John Fox Ron Rivera Expired contract The Panthers announced on December 31, 2010, two days before the final game of the 2010 season, that his contract will not be renewed for 2011.[53] Fox spent nine seasons with Carolina, including an appearance in Super Bowl XXXVIII, and leaves Carolina with a total record of 78–76 (.506).

Rivera had spent the previous three seasons as defensive coordinator for the San Diego Chargers.

Cleveland Browns Eric Mangini Pat Shurmur Fired The Browns announced on Monday January 3, 2011, the day after the end of the 2010 regular season that Eric Mangini will not be returning to coach the Browns.[54] Mangini led the Browns to back to back 5–11 seasons and an overall record of 10–22 (.313), the second-worst in Browns history.[55] On January 13 Browns announced that they hired Pat Shurmur, who spent the last two seasons with the St. Louis Rams and from 1999–2008 with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Oakland Raiders Tom Cable Hue Jackson Expired contract The Raiders announced on Tuesday January 4, 2011, that they will not exercise the option on Tom Cable's contract. He finishes with a 17–27 (.386) record, which included an 8–8 record in 2010, while going undefeated against division rivals, being the first team to go 6-0 against division opponents and miss the playoffs. On January 17, the Raiders announced that Hue Jackson, their previous offensive coordinator will replace Cable, who was later hired as the Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Line Coach for the Seattle Seahawks.
Tennessee Titans Jeff Fisher Mike Munchak Resigned On January 27, it was formally announced by the Tennessee Titans that Jeff Fisher would not return to coach the team in 2011,[56] following a dispute with quarterback Vince Young. Fisher, whose time with the team dated back to when it was still the Houston Oilers, had the longest tenure as head coach with one team among active head coaches in the league at the time of his dismissal. In 17 years with the Oilers and Titans, Fisher compiled a record of 147–126 (.538) and led the Titans to Super Bowl XXXIV. Mike Munchak, who joined the Oilers in 1982 and has remained with the team as a player or coach every year since (serving most recently as offensive line coach), was promoted to the head coach position as Fisher's replacement.

Records and milestones

Awards

Players of the Week/Month

The following were the players of the week during the 2011 season:

Week FedEx Air
Player of the Week[64]
(Quarterbacks) 		FedEx Ground
Player of the Week[64]
(Running Backs) 		Pepsi
Rookie of the Week[65]
1 Tom Brady (NE) LeSean McCoy (Phi) WR Randall Cobb (GB)
2 Matthew Stafford (Det) Fred Jackson (Buf) WR Denarius Moore (Oak)
3 Joe Flacco (Bal) Darren McFadden (Oak) OL Stefen Wisniewski (Oak)
4 Aaron Rodgers (GB) Matt Forté (Chi) QB Cam Newton (Car)
5 Aaron Rodgers (GB) Adrian Peterson (Min) LB Aldon Smith (SF)
6 Aaron Rodgers (GB) Frank Gore (SF) LB Aldon Smith (SF)
7 Aaron Rodgers (GB) DeMarco Murray (Dal) RB DeMarco Murray (Dal)
8 Ben Roethlisberger (Pit) LeSean McCoy (Phi) DE Marcell Dareus (Buf)
9 Aaron Rodgers (GB) Willis McGahee (Den) QB Andy Dalton (Cin)
10
Week/
Month 		Offensive
Player of the Week/Month 		Defensive
Player of the Week/Month 		Special Teams
Player of the Week/Month
AFC NFC AFC NFC AFC NFC
1 Tom Brady[66] Aaron Rodgers[67] Terrell Suggs[66] Brian Urlacher[67] Sebastian Janikowski[66] Ted Ginn, Jr.[67]
2[68] Tom Brady Tony Romo Antonio Cromartie Roman Harper Josh Cribbs Jason Hanson
3 Darren McFadden[69] Eli Manning[70] Ray Lewis[69] Ronde Barber[70] Rian Lindell[69] Dan Bailey[70]
Sept.[71] Ryan Fitzpatrick Aaron Rodgers D'Qwell Jackson Sean Lee Sebastian Janikowski Jason Hanson
4 Arian Foster[72] Aaron Rodgers[72] Jarret Johnson[73] Brian Orakpo[74] Ryan Succop [75] Devin Hester[76]
5 Ben Roethlisberger[77] Adrian Peterson[78] George Wilson[77] Patrick Willis[78] Sebastian Janikowski[77] Mason Crosby[78]
6 Rashard Mendenhall[79] Ahmad Bradshaw[80] Darelle Revis[79] Kurt Coleman[80] Jacoby Ford[79] Devin Hester[80]
7 Arian Foster[81] Drew Brees[82] Brandon Flowers[81] Lance Briggs[82] Josh Scobee[81] Mason Crosby[82]
8 Ben Roethlisberger[83] LeSean McCoy[84] Derrick Johnson[85] Cliff Avril[84] Brandon Tate[86] Robert Quinn[84]
Oct. [87] Arian Foster Aaron Rodgers LaMarr Woodley Jared Allen Joe McKnight Devin Hester
9 Matt Moore[88] Aaron Rodgers[89] David Harris[90] Mathias Kiwanuka[89] Eddie Royal[91] Patrick Peterson[89]
10
Month Rookie of the Month
Offensive Defensive
Sept.[71] Cam Newton Ryan Kerrigan
Oct.[87] Andy Dalton Aldon Smith

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