NFL Cheerleader Playoffs is a television show that debuted in 2006 on the NFL Network. The official channel of the National Football League premiered each episode on Saturdays at 3 p.m. Eastern Time (ET).
The competition was produced by IMG's television production division. Matt Gallant was the host, and Ian Eagle, Chad Johnson, and Carrie Milbank are reporters.
The playoffs were taped between July 17 and July 21, 2006 at Six Flags New England in Agawam, Massachusetts. Two-person teams of cheerleaders from 25 of the NFL's 32 teams participated in a four-event series of competitions.
The first two events test the cheerleaders' athletic abilities in events like the 100-yard dash, kayaking, tandem cycling, and the obstacle course. The third event is a trivia challenge called "Know Your NFL". The final competition is a one-minute dance routine, similar to what they normally perform on NFL sidelines.
There were six first-round episodes, five with four teams and one with five. The top two teams from each show (based on the point system below) advanced to the second round. Three winners moved to the third round, with the top two teams going head-to-head in the final. Each member of the winning team of cheerleaders received $5,000 cash and a Nautilus exercise machine, made by Bowflex.
Point system
The total combined points will determine the standings. * Episode 6 was the only show to have five competing teams.
Episodes
The following are the final standings for each episode.
First round
In this round, the top two teams (both in bold) advanced to the second round. Episode 1 (aired September 14, 2006) Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Denver Broncos, Jacksonville Jaguars, Dallas Cowboys Episode 2 (aired September 21, 2006) Atlanta Falcons, San Diego Chargers, Oakland Raiders, Seattle Seahawks Episode 3 (aired September 28, 2006) St. Louis Rams, Tennessee Titans, San Francisco 49ers, Miami Dolphins Episode 4 (aired October 5, 2006) Buffalo Bills, Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles, Houston Texans NOTES: The Bills won all four individual competitions with a perfect score of 300 points. The Vikings and the Eagles tied for second; the Vikings advanced based on a higher individual judges' score in the dance competition. Episode 5 (aired October 12, 2006) Washington Redskins, Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts, Carolina Panthers NOTE: A Panthers cheerleader, identified only as Shannon, suffered a leg injury during the obstacle course and had to withdraw from competition, along with her teammate, Misty. Episode 6 (aired October 21, 2006) New Orleans Saints, Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots, Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens
Second round
In this round, the top team (in bold) advanced to the semi-finals.
Episode 7 (aired October 28, 2006) St. Louis Rams, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Kansas City Chiefs Episode 8 (aired November 4, 2006) San Diego Chargers, Denver Broncos, Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints Episode 9 (aired November 11, 2006) Atlanta Falcons, Washington Redskins, Tennessee Titans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers NOTE: A Buccaneers cheerleader, identified only as Catherine, suffered a knee injury during the roller skating race and had to withdraw from competition, along with her teammate, Monica, prior to the dance event.
Semi-finals Round
In this round, the top two teams (in bold) advanced to the finals.
Episode 10 (aired November 18, 2006) San Diego Chargers, Atlanta Falcons, St. Louis Rams NOTE: Originally only two teams were to advance to the finals. The Falcons and the Rams both tied for second with 195 points. Both teams had identical judges' scores in the dance competition which was the tiebreaker, so all three teams advanced.
Final Round
Episode 11 (aired November 23, 2006) In a rematch of episode 10, the San Diego Chargers team (Casie and Shantel) defeated the Atlanta Falcons and St. Louis Rams squads to win the overall championship. This time, all the teams finished in a three-way tie, with 210 points. The Chargers were declared the winners based on winning the dance competition.
This show aired at 6 p.m. ET, one hour before the start of pregame coverage of NFL Network's first Thursday Night Football game.
Did not participate
The following six NFL teams in 2006 did not have cheerleaders: Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, New York Giants, and Pittsburgh Steelers. The Jets do have cheerleaders, but the "New York Jets Flight Crew" did not become a full squad until 2007. The Detroit Lions Cheerleaders were not founded until 2016.
