THE WHY BEHIND THE GAME
2003 NFL standings.
The race for the postseason starts here.
In the 2003 regular season, the New England Patriots had the best record (14–2). 12 teams reached the playoffs, and the New England Patriots beat the Carolina Panthers 32–29 in the Super Bowl.
AFC
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | Diff | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New England Patriots | 14 | 2 | 0 | .875 | 348 | 238 | +110 | Won Super Bowl |
| Miami Dolphins | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 311 | 261 | +50 | — |
| New York Jets | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 283 | 299 | -16 | — |
| Buffalo Bills | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 243 | 279 | -36 | — |
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | Diff | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Ravens | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 391 | 281 | +110 | Lost Wild Card |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 346 | 384 | -38 | — |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 300 | 327 | -27 | — |
| Cleveland Browns | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 254 | 322 | -68 | — |
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | Diff | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis Colts | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 447 | 336 | +111 | Lost conference championship |
| Tennessee Titans | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 435 | 324 | +111 | Lost Divisional |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 276 | 331 | -55 | — |
| Houston Texans | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 255 | 380 | -125 | — |
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | Diff | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City Chiefs | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 484 | 332 | +152 | Lost Divisional |
| Denver Broncos | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 381 | 301 | +80 | Lost Wild Card |
| Oakland Raiders | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 270 | 379 | -109 | — |
| San Diego Chargers | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 313 | 441 | -128 | — |
NFC
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | Diff | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Eagles | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 374 | 287 | +87 | Lost conference championship |
| Dallas Cowboys | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 289 | 260 | +29 | Lost Wild Card |
| Washington Commanders | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 287 | 372 | -85 | — |
| New York Giants | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 243 | 387 | -144 | — |
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | Diff | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green Bay Packers | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 442 | 307 | +135 | Lost Divisional |
| Minnesota Vikings | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 416 | 353 | +63 | — |
| Chicago Bears | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 283 | 346 | -63 | — |
| Detroit Lions | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 270 | 379 | -109 | — |
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | Diff | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carolina Panthers | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 325 | 304 | +21 | Lost Super Bowl |
| New Orleans Saints | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 340 | 326 | +14 | — |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 301 | 264 | +37 | — |
| Atlanta Falcons | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 299 | 422 | -123 | — |
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | Diff | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis Rams | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 447 | 328 | +119 | Lost Divisional |
| Seattle Seahawks | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 404 | 327 | +77 | Lost Wild Card |
| San Francisco 49ers | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 384 | 337 | +47 | — |
| Arizona Cardinals | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 225 | 452 | -227 | — |
Counted by WHYNFL from the final score of every 2003 regular-season and playoff game. Order within a division is win percentage, then point differential; the NFL's full tiebreaker procedure is not applied, so tied clubs may appear in a different order from the official standings. Playoff results come from the postseason games themselves.