The 1995 season was one of change in the NFL. The league expanded the schedule to 17 games. They expanded the playoff field and changed the format. They went from 28 teams to 32. The league had only planned to expand to 30 teams with the additions of the Jaguars and Panthers. There was a late push during the 1994 post season from the ownership groups of the Texans and Ravens to add franchises in those markets. The NFL has long wanted a team to return to Baltimore. With news that the Oilers will be leaving Houston after the 1996 season, the league wanted to keep a hold on that market as well. This spurred the league to take quick action and formulate a plan to add both teams to the league. They operated at a disadvantage as they were not able to participate in the NFL draft or early goings of free agency.
| 1995 Recap |
| RK (LW) | Team | Record | Next Game |
| 1 () |  Dallas Cowboys | 15-2 | The Dallas Cowboys continue to be the class of the NFL. They enter the post season with the league's best record. They also finished 1st in offensive yards, 3rd in PPG, 1st in total defense, and 2nd in points allowed. Despite a slow start that resulted in Aikman throwing just 2 TDs and 7 interceptions the teams first 5 games, He would finish as the NFC's 5th highest rated passer and throw 16 TDs to 7 Ints over the team's next 12 games. Emmitt Smith continued to be the driving force of the offense as he tallied almost 2K yards and 18 TDs. Irvin would finish 2nd in the NFC in receiving yards while young WR Kevin Williams broke out to catch 89 passes for over 1K yards and led the team with 9 TDs. Defensively Prime Time made an immediate impact on the Cowboys. His team high 5 INTs punished any teams who tried to test him. Charles Haley led the pass rush with 17.5 sacks while Tolbert, Lett, and Hennings all recorded at least 9.5 sacks themselves. |
| 2 () |  Pittsburgh Steelers | 14-3 | Individual recap below |
| 3 () |  San Francisco 49ers | 13-4 | Steve Young led the 49ers to another double digit win season as he captured his second straight MVP Season. The 49ers led the league in points scored, passing TDs, and passing yards. Their defense was second only to Dallas in yards surrendered. Even though he missed 3 total games and parts of 2 others Jerry Rice still led the league in receiving TDs as his 18 was 4 more than the second closest. With Rice in and out of the line up veteran John Taylor recorded his most productive season of his career as he hauled in 103 passes for over 1k yards. TE Brent Jones also contributed with a 1k campaign himself. |
| 4 () |  Kansas City Chiefs | 12-5 | The Kansas City Chiefs find themselves as the #2 seed as they enter the playoffs. With an offense that controls the flow of the game and limits mistakes they allowed their defense to thrive. Neil Smith and Derrick Thomas combined for 35 sacks between them as their defense gave up the fewest yards in the conference and the fewest points in the league. Dale Carter led the AFC in interceptions as the KC defense just smothered it's opponents, |
| 5 () |  Miami Dolphins | 12-5 | Dan Marino guided the Dolphins to a 12 win season by having one of his best seasons in his career. His QB Rating of 103.9 led the NFL and was the 2nd highest of his career behind his magical 1984 season. He helped lead the dolphins to the second highest scoring offense in the AFC and his 34 TDs are the 3rd most in his career and now give him 5 such seasons in which he has thrown for 30+ TDs in a season. His 4,106 yards give him his 6th such season in his storied career. Miami will look to make the most of this run as Don Shula enters his final postseason as an NFL coach and Marino enters the back fairway of his career. |
| 6 () |  Detroit Lions | 12-5 | The Detroit Lions caught fire during the 1995 regular season. Barry Sanders was unstoppable. Amassing 2,023 rushing yards while averaging 6.1 yards per carry. He led the league in yards after contact and almost doubled the next guy in line. QB Scott Mitchell was the NFC's second highest rated passer and proved the powers to be right for his lucrative deal last season. Amassing the third most yards in the league and the 5th most points the Lions were able to allow their defense to play with a lead. This allowed them to be tied for 5th in interceptions as teams were forced to play catch up. Will the Lions be able to get to the NFC title game for the first time since 1991? |
| 7 () |  Philadelphia Eagles | 11-6 | The Eagles were powered by a rushing attack that ranked 3rd in the league behind only the Cowboys and Lions. They were 2nd in the league in rushing TDs and ranked 10th in points per game league wide. This effective rushing attack allowed for QB Randall Cunningham to dial up play action passes and lead him to having his best season since 1990 as he tossed 22 TDs to just 11 INTs and started and completed every game for the first time since 1990. OC John Gruden has earned some buzz around being a hot candidate for HC openings around the league this cycle. Defensively, William Fuller led the way with 15.5 sacks as the unit ranked 10th in total defense. |
| 8 () |  Green Bay Packers | 11-6 | The Packers fell one game short of a division title in 1995, but will have a chance to play Detroit for the right to move on in the WC round. HC Mike Holmgren has turned the Packers into annual contenders at this point. QB Brett Favre recorded his second straight 30+ TD season. Favre caught fire late in the season and will help the Packers be a tough out. Over his last 5 games he threw for 14 TDs and just 1 INT while helping the Pack score 40+ points 3 times in that span. SS LeRoy Butler led the league in INTs while the duo of Reggie White and Sean Jones combined for 31.5 sacks defensively. |
| 9 () |  Denver Broncos | 11-6 | HC Mike Shanahan has the Broncos back in the playoffs after a the group missed it in '94. The rookie HC has been instrumental in QB John Elway having his 2nd highest TD total of his career and his career high in yards. Rookie RB Terrell Davis was fantastic as well as he ran for 1,382 yards and 13 TDs. The Broncos sported the 9th highest yardage offense in the league. |
| 10 () |  Buffalo Bills | 10-7 | Nobody circles the wagon like the Bills. After missing the playoffs last season the Bills fought hard to get back in the tournament in 1995. Looking to re-establish themselves as the dominant AFC power, they'll have to do it the long way. The Bills had the 5th most offensive yards in the league and gave up the 8th fewest. Thurman Thomas looked like a rejuvenated man has he averaged 5.0 yards per carry. Jim Kelly threw for 23 TDs with many of them coming when the team needed them most. Defensively the Bills waged war on opposing QBs as they tallied 65 sacks as a team. |
| 11 () |  Seattle Seahawks | 10-7 | After the first month of 1995 the Seahawks found themselves 0-4. QB Rick Mirer was struggling mightily and the defense gave up 24+ in 3 of their 4 losses. A 4 game win streak righted the ship but back to back losses before the bye week had the team at 4-6 with 7 to play. A 6-1 finish with a win over a tough KC team and their only loss being a three point loss to the 49ers has vaulted this team into the post season. Mirer had 14 interceptions at the bye week he has thrown just 3 since and has ran his Passing TD total to 25 on the season, the third most in a single season by a Seahawk QB. RB Chris Warren ran for nearly 1,500 yards while WRs Brian Blades and Joey Galloway both eclipsed 75 catches and 1,000 yards themselves. Tez Kennedy continues to be a dominant force on the DL for Seattle as he logged 20 TFLs and another 5.0 sacks to it. |
| 12 () |  Cleveland Browns | 10-7 | Bill Bellichick has the Browns back in the post season. QB Vinny Testaverde had the best season of his career as he posted a career high QB rating of 86.8, career high of 3,829 yards, a career high 60% completion percentage, and a career high 24 TDs. All of this with big free agent signing WR Andre Rison struggling to find a home in the Browns offense. Only averaging 32.7 receiving yards per game, but he did find the endzone a team high 7 times. Speculation is that he may be cut after the season due to performance and his voicing his frustration in the locker room. Both McCardell and Jackson passed 1,000 yards receiving. DE Anthony Pleasant had 13.5 sacks on a defense that gave up some yards but largely kept scores down enough for the offense to compete. The offense ranked 8th in PPG and 13th in yards. |
| 13 () |  Tennessee Titans | 9-8 | The Houston Oilers had an interesting season. They are in the midst of a transitional period.....but seem to have benefit from being realigned into the weakest division in the AFC. The Oilers boasted the Coach of the year in Jeff FIsher who helped his team sport the 4th best defense in yards allowed (2nd in the AFC) and the 5th best in the NFL (3rd in the AFC) in points allowed. The team even made a change at a QB despite being in the running for the division title. After QB Chris Chandler suffered an injury rookie Steve McNair entered the line up and led a 4th quarter comeback. He has been named the starter ever since. In his 91 attempts he has completed 63% of his passes, averaged 8.2 yards per attempt, thrown 5 TDs, and posted a rating of 98.6. While Chandler wasn't killing the Oilers with his play, he certainly wasn't making many. His rating was 77.9 while only completing 53% of his passes and averaging 6.1 yards per attempt. His 17 TDs vs 8 INTs is deceiving as many of his TD passes came on PAP around the goal line. |
| 14 () |  New Orleans Saints | 9-8 | The Saints are another team who benefitted form realignment. Their division title came down to a week 18 duel with the upstart Panthers. Winner would be crowned. QB Jim Everett had continued his renaissance in NO. He posted a QB rating of 87.3, threw for 28 TDs , and completed 62% of his passes on his way to 3,766 yards. Young RB Mario Bates eclipsed 1,200 yards for the Saints as TE Wesley Walls led all TEs with 91 receptions and 2nd with 1,016 yards. Defensively the Saints finished 10th in points allowed which allowed the Saints to win a ton of close games at the end. |
| 15 () |  Chicago Bears | 9-8 | Many could argue that had the Bears been in the NFC South, they'd be the division winner and in the playoffs. The Bears struggled at the end of the season and the impact of being in the deepest division in the NFC was felt. The Bears finished 3-4 in their final 7 with losses to the Packers and Lions in critical division showdowns. There is cause for hope though. Dave Wannstedt seems to have found his QB in Erik Kramer who threw for nearly 3,800 yards and 25 TDs. WR Curtis Conway finally came into his own with over 98 catches for over 1300 yards and 10 scores. Rookie RB Salaam showed himself to be a physical runner who was near the league lead in broken tackles. A few moves and the Bears could be a legit contender in 1996. |
| 16 () |  Minnesota Vikings | 9-8 | The Vikings could have the same argument as the Bears. The Vikings offense was outstanding. Warren Moon threw for 36 TDs, Cris Carter led the league in receiving yards, Jake Reed had 14 TDs., and Robert Smith had over 1,000 yards on the ground. The problem? They couldn't keep teams out of the endzone. The Vikings gave up 410 points. That was the 5th worst total in all of football. If the Vikings are going to make any sort of progress, they will need to get better on defense while hoping Warren Moon can continue to play at a high level as he gets another year older. |
| 17 () |  Atlanta Falcons | 8-8-1 | The Falcons sported an exciting offense in their own right......they just struggled to score TDs. They ranked 17th in points per game despite being 2nd in pass yards. They struggled with consistency on the ground after Heyward was lost for the season. Jeff George and his two 100 catch WRs (Mathis and Metcalf) were able to move the ball inside the 20 almost at will, but once the field shrank they couldn't score. The Falcons also gave up the most yards in football in 1995. They will need to find ways to run the ball with their RnS offense and stop people more consistently if they want to be a division winner in 1996. |
| 18 () |  Oakland Raiders | 8-9 | Jeff Hostetler quietly had one of the best seasons of any QB in 1995. He threw for almost 3900 yards and 24TDs. Posting a rating of 94.4. The Raiders where the Bears of the AFC. Glimpses of promise, but struggled to keep their footing late while playing in the best division in their conference. |
| 19 () |  San Diego Chargers | 8-9 | The Chargers were the poster boy of inconsistency in the NFL this season. Their defense kept them in games but the offense failed to generate enough points. Not enough big plays from the group. While Natrone Means continued to be a big physical runner, he only averaged 3.5 yards per play. Shawn Jefferson was the only WR to eclipse 800 yards and QB Stan Humphries only averaged 6.4 yards per attempted and couldn't get much going downfield. |
| 20 () |  Carolina Panthers | 8-9 | HC Dom Capers was a legit CoY candidate and if his teams wins week 18, he's probably it. He guided his expansion team to an 8 win season. The most ever by such team. Rookie QB Kerry Collins was inserted into the line up and showed off his big arm with 2,864 yards and 14 TDs vs 13 INTs.. They will look to him to make a big jump in 1996. The Panthers also sported 2 1,000 yard receivers in Mark Carrier and Willie Green. The team will need to invest in its running game to take the offense another level up. Defensively OLBs Darion Conner and Lamar Lathon both had 11 sacks to give them book ends for the foreseeable future. Vet ILB Sam Mills logged 123 tackles and an INT as he patrolled the middle. The Panthers look like they are going to be a legitimate threat sooner rather than later. |
| 21 () |  Indianapolis Colts | 7-10 | The Colts had one of the weirdest seasons in recent memory. They had a positive point differential, but still finished 3 games under .500. The Colts are very likely the best team in that division, but you can't expect to make the playoffs when you go 2-8 in one score games. |
| 22 () |  New York Giants | 7-10 | The New York Giants are at a cross roads. Dave Brown led the NFC in interceptions. They threw 30 of them as a team. Defensively Michael Strahan recorded a team high 11.5 sacks. There is friction brewing in the Giants organization between HC Dan Reeves and the front office. There is talk that he may decide to leave on his own if he doesn't get more say in play acquisition. |
| 23 () |  Jacksonville Jaguars | 7-10 | Tom Coughlin has the Jaguars headed in the right direction. They need more pieces, but it seems they found their QB. Mark Brunell threw for over 200 yards per start and threw for 18 TDs in 13 games. They will need to add punch to their pass rush and their run game. They have the right guy, just need to get him players. |
| 24 () |  New England Patriots | 6-11 | The Patriots had a very disappointing season. After a 1994 that showed that Bledsoe was the best young QB in the conference and had the Pats in the playoffs they regressed. Despite being ranked 5th in conference in yards per game, they only averaged 17.6 ppg. This was due to turnovers. Bledsoe's 23 interceptions led the league and he only recorded 16 TDs despite not missing a snap. Bill Parcells will need to get Beldsoe more consistent WRs to help create space while also improving his defense that finished in the bottom 8 in points allowed. |
| 25 () |  St. Louis Rams | 6-11 | The Rams inaugural season in St. Louis was not a great start. The Rams scored only 16 PPG in '95. They will need to add pieces that better fit Coach Brooks philiosophy. QB Chris Miller looks fine statistically, but watching the games you would see he struggled with his down field accuracy. Former rookie of the year RB Jerome Bettis looked washed up alread as he barley averaged 3.5 yards per carry and only had 5 TDs. Player acquisition is paramount if the Rams want to create a fanbase in St. Louis and contend sooner rather than later. |
| 26 () |  Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 6-11 | Sam Wyche was the first domino to fall. He was let go after their week 18 contest. The next man for the Bucs job will have some interesting defense talent to work with, but the jury is out on offensive talent on the roster. |
| 27 () |  Cincinnati Bengals | 6-11 | David Shula's Bengals have their QB. Jeff Blake threw for 28 TDs and 4,292 yards. When asked what the Bengals need to compete in 1996, Shula responded with depth. Injuries decimated the offensive line and running back rooms. Not a single back averaged more than 41.6 yards per game due to injuries. They need their running game to be effective so they can score more points when the field shrinks. Defensively Shula believes they need to acquire depth and top end talent. The unit gave up over 400 yards and struggled to get off the field all season. |
| 28 () |  Washington Redskins | 6-11 | Norv Turner needs more production from his running game. A team that employs Terry Allen shouldn't have 5 rushing TDs as team in a season. Allen only averaged 3.1 yards per carry as well. While the offensive line played poorly, some in the building are wondering if Allen is done. He will likely get another season to show he has more gas in the tank. QB Gus Frerotte showed some signs that he could be the right QB for this team. He threw for 22 TDs, but he must be more consistent with his accuracy and you hope those 18 INTs get down closer to 11-12 next season. |
| 29 () |  Baltimore Ravens | 4-12-1 | The Ravens were a mess......YET they found a way to win 4 games and almost a fifth. QB Cody Carlson struggled util an injury sidelined him. Tracy Ham replaced him at QB and showed some life. He threw for 348 yards and 3 scores against the #1 seeded Steelers late in the season. The jury is out, but one has to think he will get a shot to be the QB next season. That will have to be for another coach though. HC Al Luginbill has stepped down as HC and taken the GM role within the team. The Ravens were in a bad spot due to late admittance into the league schedule for this season, but they fought hard and won some games. They will need to add a lot of players as many of their guys who played for them were long in the tooth over the hill players or guys that were playing in the world league. |
| 30 () |  New York Jets | 3-14 | Rich Kotite will be given another season. Like the Giants, the Jets are riddled with QB problems as well. You have to think that they will target someone in free agency. They, like many bad teams, need players. |
| 31 () |  Houston Texans | 2-15 | The Texans just didn't have much talent under HC Mouse Davis. He will be back and given time to build. They need WRs, OL, and more at QB if they are going to employ the Run and Shoot. Defensively they gave up the second most points. Hard to win games when you do that. Both QBs Doug Flutie and Jeff Garcia are expected to be back and compete for playing time. Expect another addition to the QB room. |
| 32 () |  Arizona Cardinals | 2-15 | A downright dreadful season in Arizone that costs Buddy Ryan his job. For as good of a career that Dave Krieg has had, he couldn't elevate the talent around him and looks like his days as a starter are done. His 19 INTs was near the top of the league. Garrison Hearst led all RBs in fumbles with 7 of them. The pass rush from Arizona was non-existent. They amassed a total of 22 on the season. They only forced 10 turnovers all season. They gave up the most points in the league. This team looked like it simply quit on Ryan. |
12-18-2023, 09:06 AM
