The 2006 season
The Indianapolis Colts won the Super Bowl after the 2006 season, beating the Chicago Bears 29-17 at Dolphin Stadium.
They went 12-4 in the regular season and won the AFC South. The conference championships: the Indianapolis Colts beat the New England Patriots 38-34; the Chicago Bears beat the New Orleans Saints 39-14.
The San Diego Chargers had the best record at 14-2, but lost in the divisional round; the Oakland Raiders finished bottom at 2-14.
The San Diego Chargers scored the most points (492) and the Baltimore Ravens conceded the fewest (201). The longest winning run: the San Diego Chargers, 10 in a row (weeks 8-17).
The biggest upset: the Detroit Lions, 13.5-point underdogs, beat the Dallas Cowboys 39-31 in week 17, one of 16 wins by teams getting 7 or more points. The widest margin: the Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 41-0 in week 4. The most points in one game: 90, when the San Diego Chargers beat the Cincinnati Bengals 49-41 in week 10.
At 41.3 points a game it ranks among the three lowest-scoring since 2002. 49% of games were decided by one score (8 points or fewer). 11 games went to overtime.
Play-offs
Wild card round
Divisional round
- Indianapolis Colts 15-6 Baltimore Ravens · upset, 4-point underdog won
- New England Patriots 24-21 San Diego Chargers · upset, 5-point underdog won
- Philadelphia Eagles 24-27 New Orleans Saints
- Seattle Seahawks 24-27 Chicago Bears (OT)
Conference championships
Super Bowl
Final standings
AFC
| Team | W | L | Pct | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New England Patriots · Lost conference championship | 12 | 4 | .750 | +148 |
| New York Jets · Lost wild card round | 10 | 6 | .625 | +21 |
| Buffalo Bills | 7 | 9 | .438 | -11 |
| Miami Dolphins | 6 | 10 | .375 | -23 |
| Team | W | L | Pct | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Ravens · Lost divisional round | 13 | 3 | .813 | +152 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 8 | 8 | .500 | +42 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 8 | 8 | .500 | +38 |
| Cleveland Browns | 4 | 12 | .250 | -118 |
| Team | W | L | Pct | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis Colts · Won Super Bowl | 12 | 4 | .750 | +67 |
| Tennessee Titans | 8 | 8 | .500 | -76 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 8 | 8 | .500 | +97 |
| Houston Texans | 6 | 10 | .375 | -99 |
| Team | W | L | Pct | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego Chargers · Lost divisional round | 14 | 2 | .875 | +189 |
| Kansas City Chiefs · Lost wild card round | 9 | 7 | .563 | +16 |
| Denver Broncos | 9 | 7 | .563 | +14 |
| Oakland Raiders | 2 | 14 | .125 | -164 |
NFC
| Team | W | L | Pct | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Eagles · Lost divisional round | 10 | 6 | .625 | +70 |
| Dallas Cowboys · Lost wild card round | 9 | 7 | .563 | +75 |
| New York Giants · Lost wild card round | 8 | 8 | .500 | -7 |
| Washington Redskins | 5 | 11 | .313 | -69 |
| Team | W | L | Pct | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bears · Lost Super Bowl | 13 | 3 | .813 | +172 |
| Green Bay Packers | 8 | 8 | .500 | -65 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 6 | 10 | .375 | -45 |
| Detroit Lions | 3 | 13 | .188 | -93 |
| Team | W | L | Pct | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans Saints · Lost conference championship | 10 | 6 | .625 | +91 |
| Carolina Panthers | 8 | 8 | .500 | -35 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 7 | 9 | .438 | -36 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 4 | 12 | .250 | -142 |
| Team | W | L | Pct | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle Seahawks · Lost divisional round | 9 | 7 | .563 | -6 |
| St Louis Rams | 8 | 8 | .500 | -14 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 7 | 9 | .438 | -114 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 5 | 11 | .313 | -75 |
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 | 2006 | Average since 2002 |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 41.3 | 44.7 |
| Home win rateNeutral-site games excluded; a tie counts as half. | 53% | 56% |
| One-score gamesDecided by 8 points or fewer. | 49% | 51% |
| Favourites wonAgainst the closing line; pick’ems and ties left out. | 59% | 67% |
| Overtime games | 11 (4%) | 6% |
Regular season only. Average: every completed season since 2002 except this one. Data: nflverse.