Mixing
1997 NFL season
| Regular season | |
|---|---|
| Duration | August 31, 1997 – December 22, 1997 |
| Playoffs | |
| Start date | December 27, 1997 |
| AFC Champions | Denver Broncos |
| NFC Champions | Green Bay Packers |
| Super Bowl XXXII | |
| Date | January 25, 1998 |
| Site | Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California |
| Champions | Denver Broncos |
| Pro Bowl | |
| Date | February 1, 1998 |
| Site | Aloha Stadium |
The 1997 NFL season was the 78th regular season of the National Football League. The Oilers relocated from Houston, Texas to Nashville, Tennessee. The newly renamed Tennessee Oilers played their home games during this season at the Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee while construction of a new stadium in Nashville started. Houston would rejoin the NFL with the expansion Texans in 2002.
This was the last season to date that TNT broadcast NFL games, as well as the last for NBC until 2006. When the TV contracts were renewed near the end of the season, Fox retained the National Football Conference package, CBS took over the American Football Conference package and ESPN won the right to televise all of the Sunday night games.
Due to Game 7 of the 1997 World Series, the Chicago Bears–Miami Dolphins game at Pro Player Stadium was delayed one day to Monday, October 27.
The Denver Broncos and Tampa Bay Buccaneers both changed their uniforms, and the new uniforms for both teams were introduced during this season.
The season ended with Super Bowl XXXII when the Denver Broncos defeated the Green Bay Packers 31–24 at Qualcomm Stadium. This broke the National Football Conference's streak of thirteen consecutive Super Bowl victories, the last American Football Conference win having been the Los Angeles Raiders defeating the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XVIII.
Contents
1 Stadiums
2 New uniforms
3 Coaching changes
4 Major rule changes
5 Final regular season standings
5.1 Tiebreakers
6 Players of the Month
6.1 AFC
6.2 NFC
7 Playoffs
8 Statistical leaders
8.1 Team
8.2 Individual
9 Awards
10 Draft
11 Coaches
11.1 American Football Conference
11.2 National Football Conference
12 External links
13 References
Stadiums
Washington Redskins – New stadium called Jack Kent Cooke Stadium.
Tennessee Oilers – Moved from Houston to Tennessee. Played at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.
New uniforms
Pittsburgh Steelers – New font style numbers to match those on the helmets; Steelers logo patch on uniform.
Baltimore Ravens – New style numbers with shadow in the back; wore white pants with home uniforms.
Cincinnati Bengals – Brighter orange on uniform; new Logo, and Bengals logo on sleeve ends.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – New logo and uniforms; Pewter pants and red home jerseys. Orange was maintained as a pinstripe.
Jacksonville Jaguars – New font style numbers; black side panels on uniforms.
Atlanta Falcons – New Logo; new striping on pants; red numbers with black trim on road uniforms.
San Diego Chargers – White pants with road uniforms.
Denver Broncos – New Logo and uniforms, with navy replacing orange as the primary color.
Miami Dolphins – New Logo with darker aqua; new shadow in the numbers.
Coaching changes
St. Louis Rams – Dick Vermeil; replaced Rich Brooks who was fired after the 1996 season.
New Orleans Saints – Mike Ditka; replaced interim head coach Rick Venturi who replaced the resigning Jim Mora that same year.
New York Giants – Jim Fassel; replaced Dan Reeves who was fired after the '96 season.
Atlanta Falcons – Dan Reeves; replaced June Jones who was fired after the '96 season.
New York Jets – Bill Parcells; replaced Rich Kotite who was fired after the '96 season.
Detroit Lions – Bobby Ross; replaced Wayne Fontes who was fired after the '96 season.
San Francisco 49ers – Steve Mariucci; replaced George Seifert who resigned after the '96 season.
New England Patriots – Pete Carroll; replaced Bill Parcells who accepted the job to coach the Jets.
Oakland Raiders – Joe Bugel; replaced Mike White who was fired after the '96 season.
San Diego Chargers – Kevin Gilbride; replaced Bobby Ross who was fired after the '96 season.
Major rule changes
- When a team fakes a punt and throws the ball downfield, pass interference will not be called on the two outside defenders who are actually trying to block a coverage man from getting downfield and might not even know the ball has been thrown.
- In order to reduce taunting and excessive celebrations, no player may remove his helmet while on the playing field except during timeouts, between quarters, and in the case of an injury. Violating the rule results in a 15-yard penalty. This is known as the "Emmitt Smith rule" after the Dallas Cowboys' running back's habit of taking his helmet off every time he scored a touchdown.
Final regular season standings
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Tiebreakers
- Miami finished ahead of NY Jets in the AFC East based on head-to-head sweep (2–0).
- Pittsburgh finished ahead of Jacksonville in the AFC Central based on better net division points (78 to Jaguars’ 23).
- Oakland finished ahead of San Diego in the AFC West based on better division record (2–6 to Chargers’ 1–7).
- San Francisco was the top NFC playoff seed based on better conference record than Green Bay (11–1 to Packers’ 10–2).
- Detroit finished ahead of Minnesota in the NFC Central based on head-to-head sweep (2–0).
- Carolina finished ahead of Atlanta in the NFC West based on head-to-head sweep (2–0).
Players of the Month
AFC
| 1997 | Offensive | Defensive | Special Teams |
|---|---|---|---|
| September | RB – Terrell Davis, Denver | LB – Chris Slade, New England | K – Matt Stover, Baltimore |
| October | RB – Jerome Bettis, Pittsburgh | DE – Bruce Smith, Buffalo | K – Greg Davis, San Diego |
| November | QB – John Elway, Denver | S – Jerome Woods, Kansas City | WR-PR – Eric Metcalf, San Diego |
| December | WR – Keenan McCardell, Jacksonville | LB – Derrick Thomas, Kansas City | K – Pete Stoyanovich, Kansas City |
NFC
| 1997 | Offensive | Defensive | Special Teams |
|---|---|---|---|
| September | WR – Jake Reed, Minnesota | DT – Warren Sapp, Tampa Bay | K – Richie Cunningham, Dallas |
| October | RB – Barry Sanders, Detroit | DT – John Randle, Minnesota | P – Matt Turk, Washington |
| November | RB – Barry Sanders, Detroit | DT – Dana Stubblefield, San Francisco | K – Doug Brien, New Orleans |
| December | RB – Barry Sanders, Detroit | CB – Jason Sehorn, New York Giants | RB-KR – Byron Hanspard, Atlanta |
Playoffs
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Dec. 28 – Houlihan's Stadium | | Jan. 4 – Lambeau Field | | | | | | |||||||||||
| 5 | Detroit | 10 | ||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Tampa Bay | 7 | ||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Tampa Bay | 20 | | | Jan. 11 – 3Com Park | |||||||||||||
| 2 | Green Bay | 21 | | |||||||||||||||
NFC | ||||||||||||||||||
| Dec. 27 – Giants Stadium | 2 | Green Bay | 23 | |||||||||||||||
| Jan. 3 – 3Com Park | ||||||||||||||||||
| | 1 | San Francisco | 10 | | ||||||||||||||
| 6 | Minnesota | 23 | NFC Championship | |||||||||||||||
| 6 | Minnesota | 22 | ||||||||||||||||
| 3 | N.Y. Giants | 22 | | Jan. 25 – Qualcomm Stadium | ||||||||||||||
| 1 | San Francisco | 38 | | |||||||||||||||
Wild card playoffs | | |||||||||||||||||
Divisional playoffs | ||||||||||||||||||
| Dec. 27 – Mile High Stadium | N2 | Green Bay | 24 | |||||||||||||||
| Jan. 4 – Arrowhead Stadium | ||||||||||||||||||
| | A4 | Denver | 31 | |||||||||||||||
| 5 | Jacksonville | 17 | Super Bowl XXXII | |||||||||||||||
| 4 | Denver | 14 | ||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Denver | 42 | | | Jan. 11 – Three Rivers Stadium | |||||||||||||
| 1 | Kansas City | 10 | | |||||||||||||||
AFC | ||||||||||||||||||
| Dec. 28 – Foxboro Stadium | 4 | Denver | 24 | |||||||||||||||
| Jan. 3 – Three Rivers Stadium | ||||||||||||||||||
| | 2 | Pittsburgh | 21 | | ||||||||||||||
| 6 | Miami | 3 | AFC Championship | |||||||||||||||
| 3 | New England | 6 | ||||||||||||||||
| 3 | New England | 17 | | |||||||||||||||
| 2 | Pittsburgh | 7 | | |||||||||||||||
Statistical leaders
Team
| Points scored | Denver Broncos (472) |
| Total yards gained | Denver Broncos (5,872) |
| Yards rushing | Pittsburgh Steelers (2,479) |
| Yards passing | Seattle Seahawks (3,959) |
| Fewest points allowed | Kansas City Chiefs (232) |
| Fewest total yards allowed | San Francisco 49ers (4,013) |
| Fewest rushing yards allowed | Pittsburgh Steelers (1,318) |
| Fewest passing yards allowed | Dallas Cowboys (2,522) |
Individual
| Scoring | Mike Hollis, Jacksonville (134 points) |
| Touchdowns | Karim Abdul-Jabbar, Miami (16 TDs) |
| Most field goals made | Richie Cunningham, Dallas (34 FGs) |
| Rushing | Barry Sanders, Detroit, (2,053 yards) |
| Passing | Steve Young, San Francisco (104.7 rating) |
| Passing touchdowns | Brett Favre, Green Bay (35 TDs) |
| Pass receiving | Tim Brown, Oakland and Herman Moore, Detroit (104 catches) |
| Pass receiving yards | Rob Moore, Arizona (1,584) |
| Punt returns | Jermaine Lewis, Baltimore (15.6 average yards) |
| Kickoff returns | Michael Bates, Carolina (27.3 average yards) |
| Interceptions | Ryan McNeil, St. Louis (9) |
| Punting | Mark Royals, New Orleans (45.9 average yards) |
| Sacks | John Randle, Minnesota (15.5) |
Awards
| Most Valuable Players | Brett Favre, Quarterback, Green Bay and Barry Sanders, Running back, Detroit |
| Coach of the Year | Jim Fassel, New York Giants |
| Offensive Player of the Year | Barry Sanders, Running back, Detroit |
| Defensive Player of the Year | Dana Stubblefield, Defensive tackle, San Francisco |
| Offensive Rookie of the Year | Warrick Dunn, Running back, Tampa Bay |
| Defensive Rookie of the Year | Peter Boulware, Linebacker, Baltimore |
| NFL Comeback Player of the Year | Robert Brooks, Wide Receiver, Green Bay |
| NFL Man of the Year | Troy Aikman, Quarterback, Dallas |
| Super Bowl Most Valuable Player | Terrell Davis, Running Back, Denver |
Draft
The 1997 NFL Draft was held from April 19 to 20, 1997 at New York City's Theater at Madison Square Garden. With the first pick, the St. Louis Rams selected offensive tackle Orlando Pace from Ohio State University.
Coaches
American Football Conference
Baltimore Ravens: Ted Marchibroda
Buffalo Bills: Marv Levy
Cincinnati Bengals: Bruce Coslet
Denver Broncos: Mike Shanahan
Indianapolis Colts: Lindy Infante
Jacksonville Jaguars: Tom Coughlin
Kansas City Chiefs: Marty Schottenheimer
Miami Dolphins: Jimmy Johnson
New England Patriots: Pete Carroll
New York Jets: Bill Parcells
Oakland Raiders: Joe Bugel
Pittsburgh Steelers: Bill Cowher
San Diego Chargers: Kevin Gilbride
Seattle Seahawks: Dennis Erickson
Tennessee Oilers: Jeff Fisher
National Football Conference
Arizona Cardinals: Vince Tobin
Atlanta Falcons: Dan Reeves
Carolina Panthers: Dom Capers
Chicago Bears: Dave Wannstedt
Dallas Cowboys: Barry Switzer
Detroit Lions: Bobby Ross
Green Bay Packers: Mike Holmgren
Minnesota Vikings: Dennis Green
New Orleans Saints: Mike Ditka
New York Giants: Jim Fassel
Philadelphia Eagles: Ray Rhodes
San Francisco 49ers: Steve Mariucci
St. Louis Rams: Dick Vermeil
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Tony Dungy
Washington Redskins: Norv Turner
External links
- Football Outsiders 1997 DVOA Ratings and Commentary
References
- "The Official national Football League: 1998 Record and Fact Book." Workman Publishing Co. New York. July 1998.
NFL Record and Fact Book (.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
ISBN 1-932994-36-X)
NFL History 1991–2000 (Last accessed October 17, 2005)
Total Football: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League (
ISBN 0-06-270174-6)
Steelers Fever – History of NFL Rules (Last accessed October 17, 2005)
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