1991 NFL season

The 1991 NFL season was the 72nd regular season of the National Football League. It was the final season for legendary coach Chuck Noll. The season ended with Super Bowl XXVI when the Washington Redskins defeated the Buffalo Bills 37–24 at the Metrodome in Minnesota. This was the second of four consecutive Super Bowl losses for Buffalo.

1991 National Football League season
Regular season
DurationSeptember 1 – December 23, 1991
Playoffs
Start dateDecember 28, 1991
AFC ChampionsBuffalo Bills
NFC ChampionsWashington Redskins
Super Bowl XXVI
DateJanuary 26, 1992
SiteMetrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
ChampionsWashington Redskins
Pro Bowl
DateFebruary 2, 1992
SiteAloha Stadium

Draft

The 1991 NFL Draft was held from April 21 to 22, 1991 at New York City's Marriott Marquis. With the first pick, the Dallas Cowboys selected defensive tackle Russell Maryland from the University of Miami.

Officiating changes

Art McNally resigned as the league's Director of Officiating during the offseason. He had held the position since 1968.[1] Longtime NFL referee Jerry Seeman, who worked the previous season's Super Bowl XXV, was named as McNally's replacement.[2]

Jim Tunney retired after 31 years as an NFL official. He remains the only referee to have worked consecutive Super Bowls (XI, and XII).

Gene Barth died on October 11, 1991.[3] For the remainder of the 1991 season, NFL officials wore a black armband on their left sleeve with the white number 14 to honor him.

Bernie Kukar, Larry Nemmers (the side judge for Super Bowl XXV), and Stan Kemp were promoted to referee to replace Barth, Seeman, and Tunney.

Major rule changes
Source: Total Football: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League (ISBN 0-06-270174-6). pp 1583–1592.
  • The definition of a drop kick, field goal, and punt is modified: all three can only be attempted from behind the line of scrimmage.
  • If a foul by a player causes an injury to an opponent, a team time out will not be charged to the penalized team anytime during the game instead of only during the last two minutes of a half.
  • The game clock will not start until the next snap following any change of possession, even if the player went out of bounds.
  • Officials will immediately blow the play dead when a defensive player is offsides before the snap and clearly rushes beyond the offensive line in such a way that he becomes an unabated threat to the quarterback.
  • A touchback will be ruled when a player fumbles the ball in the field of play and it goes out of bounds in the opponent's end zone.
  • A touchback, not a safety, will also be ruled when a player fumbles the ball in his own end zone and the opponent is the one that knocks the fumble out of bounds in the end zone.
  • An offensive player cannot deliberately bat a backward pass forward.

Final regular season standings

Tiebreakers
  • N.Y. Jets finished ahead of Miami in the AFC East based on head-to-head sweep (2–0).
  • Chicago was the first NFC Wild Card based on better conference record than Dallas (9–3 to Cowboys’ 8–4).
  • Atlanta finished ahead of San Francisco in the NFC West based on head-to-head sweep (2–0), and was the third NFC Wild Card ahead of Philadelphia based on better conference record (7–5 to Eagles’ 6–6).

Playoffs
Main article: 1991–92 NFL playoffs
Dec. 29 – Soldier Field Jan. 5 – Pontiac Silverdome
5 Dallas 17
5 Dallas 6
4 Chicago 13 Jan. 12 – Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
2 Detroit 38
NFC
Dec. 28 – Louisiana Superdome 2 Detroit 10
Jan. 4 – Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
1 Washington 41
6 Atlanta 27 NFC Championship
6 Atlanta 7
3 New Orleans 20 Jan. 26 – Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
1 Washington 24
Wild card playoffs
Divisional playoffs
Dec. 29 – Astrodome N1 Washington 37
Jan. 4 – Mile High Stadium
A1 Buffalo 24
6 NY Jets 10 Super Bowl XXVI
3 Houston 24
3 Houston 17 Jan. 12 – Rich Stadium
2 Denver 26
AFC
Dec. 28 – Arrowhead Stadium 2 Denver 7
Jan. 5 – Rich Stadium
1 Buffalo 10
5 LA Raiders 6 AFC Championship
4 Kansas City 14
4 Kansas City 10
1 Buffalo 37

Awards
Most Valuable PlayerThurman Thomas, Running Back, Buffalo
Coach of the YearWayne Fontes, Detroit
Offensive Player of the YearThurman Thomas, Running Back, Buffalo
Defensive Player of the YearPat Swilling, Linebacker, New Orleans
Offensive Rookie of the YearLeonard Russell, Running Back, New England
Defensive Rookie of the YearMike Croel, Linebacker, Denver
NFL Comeback Player of the YearJim McMahon, Quarterback, Philadelphia
NFL Man of the YearAnthony Muñoz, Offensive Tackle, Cincinnati
Super Bowl Most Valuable PlayerMark Rypien, Quarterback, Washington

Coaching changes

Offseason

In-season

Uniform changes
  • The NFL shield was added to the yoke of the jerseys and the left thigh of the pants. The NFL shield was also added to the right breast of the officiating uniforms.
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References
  1. "Forty years later, NFL official denies 'Immaculate Reception' conspiracy". USA TODAY. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
  2. "Former NFL referee, league supervisor of officials Jerry Seeman dies at age 77". Associated Press. StarTribune.com. November 25, 2013. Archived from the original on November 29, 2013.
  3. "Gene F. Barth Dies; Was NFL Official For 20 Years", St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 13, 1991, Edition: L5, Page: 14F
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