The 2005 season
The Pittsburgh Steelers won the Super Bowl after the 2005 season, beating the Seattle Seahawks 21-10 at Ford Field.
They went 11-5 in the regular season and got in as a wild card. The conference championships: the Seattle Seahawks beat the Carolina Panthers 34-14; the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Denver Broncos 34-17.
The Indianapolis Colts had the best record at 14-2, but lost in the divisional round; the Houston Texans finished bottom at 2-14.
The Seattle Seahawks scored the most points (452) and the Chicago Bears conceded the fewest (202). The longest winning run: the Indianapolis Colts, 13 in a row (weeks 1-14).
The biggest upset: the Miami Dolphins, 13.5-point underdogs, beat the San Diego Chargers 23-21 in week 14, one of 12 wins by teams getting 7 or more points. The widest margin: the Green Bay Packers beat the New Orleans Saints 52-3 in week 5. The most points in one game: 82, when the Indianapolis Colts beat the Cincinnati Bengals 45-37 in week 11.
At 41.2 points a game it is the lowest-scoring season since 2002. 48% of games were decided by one score (8 points or fewer). 14 games went to overtime.
Play-offs
Wild card round
- Carolina Panthers 23-0 New York Giants · upset, 3-point underdog won
- Jacksonville Jaguars 3-28 New England Patriots
- Pittsburgh Steelers 31-17 Cincinnati Bengals
- Washington Redskins 17-10 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Divisional round
- Carolina Panthers 29-21 Chicago Bears · upset, 3-point underdog won
- New England Patriots 13-27 Denver Broncos
- Pittsburgh Steelers 21-18 Indianapolis Colts · upset, 8.5-point underdog won
- Washington Redskins 10-20 Seattle Seahawks
Conference championships
- Carolina Panthers 14-34 Seattle Seahawks
- Pittsburgh Steelers 34-17 Denver Broncos · upset, 3.5-point underdog won
Super Bowl
Final standings
AFC
| Team | W | L | Pct | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New England Patriots · Lost divisional round | 10 | 6 | .625 | +41 |
| Miami Dolphins | 9 | 7 | .563 | +1 |
| Buffalo Bills | 5 | 11 | .313 | -96 |
| New York Jets | 4 | 12 | .250 | -115 |
| Team | W | L | Pct | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Bengals · Lost wild card round | 11 | 5 | .688 | +71 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers · Won Super Bowl | 11 | 5 | .688 | +131 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 6 | 10 | .375 | -34 |
| Cleveland Browns | 6 | 10 | .375 | -69 |
| Team | W | L | Pct | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis Colts · Lost divisional round | 14 | 2 | .875 | +192 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars · Lost wild card round | 12 | 4 | .750 | +92 |
| Tennessee Titans | 4 | 12 | .250 | -122 |
| Houston Texans | 2 | 14 | .125 | -171 |
| Team | W | L | Pct | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos · Lost conference championship | 13 | 3 | .813 | +137 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 10 | 6 | .625 | +78 |
| San Diego Chargers | 9 | 7 | .563 | +106 |
| Oakland Raiders | 4 | 12 | .250 | -93 |
NFC
| Team | W | L | Pct | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Giants · Lost wild card round | 11 | 5 | .688 | +108 |
| Washington Redskins · Lost divisional round | 10 | 6 | .625 | +66 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 9 | 7 | .563 | +17 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 6 | 10 | .375 | -78 |
| Team | W | L | Pct | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bears · Lost divisional round | 11 | 5 | .688 | +58 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 9 | 7 | .563 | -38 |
| Detroit Lions | 5 | 11 | .313 | -91 |
| Green Bay Packers | 4 | 12 | .250 | -46 |
| Team | W | L | Pct | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Lost wild card round | 11 | 5 | .688 | +26 |
| Carolina Panthers · Lost conference championship | 11 | 5 | .688 | +132 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 8 | 8 | .500 | +10 |
| New Orleans Saints | 3 | 13 | .188 | -163 |
| Team | W | L | Pct | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle Seahawks · Lost Super Bowl | 13 | 3 | .813 | +181 |
| St Louis Rams | 6 | 10 | .375 | -66 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 5 | 11 | .313 | -76 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 4 | 12 | .250 | -189 |
Regular season only. Pct counts a tie as half a win. Div, Conf, Non-Conf: records against division, conference and other-conference opponents. Strk: current run of wins (W), losses (L) or ties (T). Last 5: oldest to newest. Teams level on Pct are ordered by division record, then points difference, which can differ from the official standings. Data: nflverse.
Season in numbers
| Measure | 2005 | Average since 2002 |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 41.2 | 44.7 |
| Home win rateNeutral-site games excluded; a tie counts as half. | 59% | 56% |
| One-score gamesDecided by 8 points or fewer. | 48% | 51% |
| Favourites wonAgainst the closing line; pick’ems and ties left out. | 75% | 66% |
| Overtime games | 14 (5%) | 6% |
Regular season only. Average: every completed season since 2002 except this one. Data: nflverse.