1996 NFL season

The 1996 NFL season was the 77th regular season of the National Football League and the season was marked by notable controversies from beginning to end. The season ended with Super Bowl XXXI when the Green Bay Packers defeated the New England Patriots.

Notable events
When Art Modell, owner of the Cleveland Browns, wanted to relocate his team to Baltimore in a surprise move first reported on by the Boston Globe on November 4 of 1995, the ensuing press furor and public relations mess forced the league to intercede and make an agreement with him and the Cities of Cleveland and Baltimore before the new season had barely begun. In the belated agreement, the name, colors and history of the Browns were to remain in Cleveland, while the relocated club would technically be a new league franchise; the city of Cleveland would be given another new franchise in the next few years, or a relocated existing franchise. Either way, the beloved Cleveland Browns would continue, while the Baltimore Ravens began their new history when the 1996 season started.

One of the most memorable aspects of the 1996 season was that the Carolina Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars, each in just their second year of existence, both advanced to their respective conference championship games. 1996 marked the third year the NFL salary cap was in force and also marked the end of a domination era in the NFL as it was the first season since 1991 (and only the second since 1987) in which neither the Dallas Cowboys nor the San Francisco 49ers played in the NFC Championship Game.

The season ended with Super Bowl XXXI when the Green Bay Packers defeated the New England Patriots in a close game decided when a third quarter kick-off was returned for a touchdown by Packers' kick returner, Desmond Howard. For that, and his excellent performance on kick-off and punt returns throughout the game, Howard was named Super Bowl MVP, the only time (as of 2011) that a special teams player has earned that distinction.

All that was nearly overshadowed by the press feeding frenzy reporting and commenting on the rumor (Between the AFC championship game up to and into the broadcast coverage of Super Bowl XXXI itself) that iconic coach Bill Parcells was planning on breaking his contract with the New England Patriots because he did not get along well with owner Robert Kraft, who had helped turn around New England's image after years of ownership that was either dismal or absent. In the event, Parcells did not even return with the players, and telephone records showed he was talking to the Jets in the days before and the day of the Super Bowl itself. This documentary evidence lead to the league awarding the Patriots multiple draft picks in compensation for the "tampering" by the Jets, which is but a continuation of oneupsmanship that has gone on for years between the hated rivals.

Season changes

 * New Orleans Saints – New numbers on uniforms. On home uniform old gold numbers with white trim, and road uniforms old gold numbers with black trim, similar to team's original jerseys worn from 1967–69, but with a lighter shade of gold. 30th anniversary patch worn on the left chest.
 * Philadelphia Eagles – New Logo. New uniforms, with "midnight green" color.
 * Dallas Cowboys – New Color road uniforms.
 * Baltimore Ravens – New team in new city. Formerly the Cleveland Browns. Purple jerseys with white numbers trimmed in black and gold at home; white jerseys with black numbers trimmed in purple and gold on the road. Black pants worn with both jerseys.
 * San Francisco 49ers – New uniforms. Darker red, white pants, and updated team logo. 50th season logo on uniform.
 * Minnesota Vikings – Changes in uniforms. Vikings logo on sleeve ends of home uniforms. Added yellow trim to numbers.

Coaching changes

 * Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Tony Dungy new head coach. Replaced Sam Wyche who was fired after the 1995 season.
 * Miami Dolphins – Jimmy Johnson new head coach. Replaced Don Shula who was retired after the 1995 season.
 * Indianapolis Colts – Lindy Infante new head coach. Replaced Ted Marchibroda who was offered a job to the Baltimore Ravens.
 * Cincinnati Bengals – Dave Shula was fired by mid season and was replaced by interim head coach Bruce Coslet.
 * New Orleans Saints – Jim Mora resigned at mid season and was replaced by interim head coach Rick Venturi.
 * Baltimore Ravens – Ted Marchibroda new head coach. Replaced Bill Belichick who was fired in the 1995 season in the Cleveland Browns era.

Major rule changes

 * In order to reduce injuries, hits with the helmet or to the head will be personal fouls and subject to fines.

Final regular season standings
W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT = Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against

Clinched playoff seeds are marked in parentheses and shaded in green

Tiebreakers

 * Jacksonville was the second AFC Wild Card ahead of Indianapolis and Kansas City based on better conference record (7–5 to Colts' 6–6 and Chiefs' 5–7).
 * Indianapolis was the third AFC Wild Card based on head-to-head victory over Kansas City (1–0).
 * Cincinnati finished ahead of Houston in the AFC Central based on better net division points (19 to Oilers' 11).
 * Oakland finished ahead of Seattle in the AFC West based on better division record (3–5 to Seahawks' 2–6).
 * Dallas finished ahead of Philadelphia in the NFC East based on better record against common opponents (8–5 to Eagles' 7–6).
 * Minnesota was the third NFC Wild Card based on better conference record than Washington (8–4 to Redskins' 6–6).
 * Carolina finished ahead of San Francisco in the NFC West based on head-to-head sweep (2–0).
 * Atlanta finished ahead of New Orleans in the NFC West based on head-to-head sweep (2–0).

Playoffs

 * Home team in capitals

AFC

 * Wild-Card playoffs: Jacksonville 30, BUFFALO 27; PITTSBURGH 42, Indianapolis 14
 * Divisional playoffs: Jacksonville 30, DENVER 27; NEW ENGLAND 28, Pittsburgh 3
 * AFC Championship: NEW ENGLAND 20, Jacksonville 6 at Foxboro Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts, January 12, 1997

NFC

 * Wild-Card playoffs: DALLAS 40, Minnesota 15; SAN FRANCISCO 14, Philadelphia 0
 * Divisional playoffs: GREEN BAY 35, San Francisco 14; CAROLINA 26, Dallas 17
 * NFC Championship: GREEN BAY 30, Carolina 13 at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin, January 12, 1997

Super Bowl

 * Super Bowl XXXI: Green Bay (NFC) 35, New England (AFC) 21, at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana, January 26, 1997