1997 New England Patriots season
38th season in franchise history
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The 1997 season was the New England Patriots' 28th season in the National Football League (NFL) and the 38th overall. They finished the season with a 10–6 record and a division title before losing in the playoffs to the Pittsburgh Steelers. This was the last season in which New England won the division title without Tom Brady or Bill Belichick until 2025.
| 1997 New England Patriots season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Robert Kraft |
| Head coach | Pete Carroll |
| Offensive coordinator | Larry Kennan |
| Defensive coordinator | Steve Sidwell |
| Home stadium | Foxboro Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 10–6 |
| Division place | 1st AFC East |
| Playoffs | Won Wild Card Playoffs (vs. Dolphins) 17–3 Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Steelers) 6–7 |
| All-Pros | LB Chris Slade (2nd team) |
| Pro Bowlers | T Bruce Armstrong QB Drew Bledsoe TE Ben Coates LB Chris Slade ST Larry Whigham |
In January, when the Patriots were preparing to face the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XXXI, it was suspected head coach Bill Parcells was looking to move to another team after the game where he would have more say over personnel matters.[1] In the 1996 NFL draft, Parcells' relationship with owner Robert Kraft soured when Kraft selected wide receiver Terry Glenn. After the Patriots' loss in Super Bowl XXXI, Parcells resigned from the Patriots, using the phrase "If they want you to cook the dinner, at least they ought to let you shop for some of the groceries."[2] Due to an earlier renegotiation that had eliminated the 1997 season from Parcells' contract, NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue ruled Parcells could not be a head coach for another team in 1997.[3] Parcells instead moved to the New York Jets as a "consultant", taking assistant head coach Bill Belichick with him to be the Jets' head coach; Kraft called this a "transparent farce" and accused the Jets of tampering with Parcells.[3] The NFL ruled in the Patriots' favor and the Patriots received third and fourth-round picks in the 1997 NFL draft, a second-round pick in the 1998 NFL draft, and a first-round pick in the 1999 NFL draft in compensation for allowing Parcells to become the Jets' head coach.[3]
Taking Parcells' place with the Patriots was Pete Carroll, who had coincidentally been the Jets' head coach in 1994. The Patriots began the season 5–1 but then stumbled to a 6–5 record. They rebounded to finish 10–6 and first in the AFC East for the second straight season. With the third seed in the AFC playoffs, the Patriots defeated the Miami Dolphins 17–3 in the Wild Card Game but were defeated by the Pittsburgh Steelers, 7–6, on the road the next week.
1997 NFL draft
| Round | Overall | Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 29 | Chris Canty | Cornerback | Kansas State |
| 2 | 59 | Brandon Mitchell | Defensive tackle | Texas A&M |
| 3[a] | 61 | Sedrick Shaw | Running back | Iowa |
| 3 | 89 | Chris Carter | Safety | Texas |
| 4[a] | 97 | Damon Denson | Offensive guard | Michigan |
| 4 | 125 | Ed Ellis | Offensive tackle | Buffalo |
| 5 | 159 | Vernon Crawford | Linebacker | Florida State |
| 6 | 192 | Tony Gaiter | Wide receiver | Miami (FL) |
| 7 | 230 | Scott Rehberg | Offensive guard | Central Michigan |
Staff
| 1997 New England Patriots staff | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
| |||||
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 31 | San Diego Chargers | W 41–7 | 1–0 | Foxboro Stadium | 60,190 | |
| 2 | September 7 | at Indianapolis Colts | W 31–6 | 2–0 | RCA Dome | 53,632 | |
| 3 | September 14 | New York Jets | W 27–24 (OT) | 3–0 | Foxboro Stadium | 60,072 | |
| 4 | September 21 | Chicago Bears | W 31–3 | 4–0 | Foxboro Stadium | 59,873 | |
| 5 | Bye | ||||||
| 6 | October 6 | at Denver Broncos | L 13–34 | 4–1 | Mile High Stadium | 75,821 | |
| 7 | October 12 | Buffalo Bills | W 33–6 | 5–1 | Foxboro Stadium | 59,802 | |
| 8 | October 19 | at New York Jets | L 19–24 | 5–2 | Giants Stadium | 71,061 | |
| 9 | October 27 | Green Bay Packers | L 10–28 | 5–3 | Foxboro Stadium | 59,972 | |
| 10 | November 2 | at Minnesota Vikings | L 18–23 | 5–4 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | 62,917 | |
| 11 | November 9 | at Buffalo Bills | W 31–10 | 6–4 | Rich Stadium | 65,783 | |
| 12 | November 16 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | L 7–27 | 6–5 | Houlihan's Stadium | 70,479 | |
| 13 | November 23 | Miami Dolphins | W 27–24 | 7–5 | Foxboro Stadium | 59,002 | |
| 14 | November 30 | Indianapolis Colts | W 20–17 | 8–5 | Foxboro Stadium | 58,507 | |
| 15 | December 7 | at Jacksonville Jaguars | W 26–20 | 9–5 | Alltel Stadium | 73,446 | |
| 16 | December 13 | Pittsburgh Steelers | L 21–24 (OT) | 9–6 | Foxboro Stadium | 60,013 | |
| 17 | December 22 | at Miami Dolphins | W 14–12 | 10–6 | Pro Player Stadium | 74,379 | |
| Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. | |||||||
Postseason
Schedule
| Round | Date | Opponent (Seed) | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Card | December 28 | Miami Dolphins (6) | W 17–3 | 1–0 | Foxboro Stadium | 60,041 |
| Divisional | January 3 | at Pittsburgh Steelers (2) | L 6–7 | 1–1 | Three Rivers Stadium | 61,228 |
Standings
| AFC East | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | STK | |
| (3) New England Patriots | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 369 | 289 | W1 |
| (6) Miami Dolphins | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 339 | 327 | L2 |
| New York Jets | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 348 | 287 | L1 |
| Buffalo Bills | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 255 | 367 | L3 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 3 | 13 | 0 | .188 | 313 | 401 | L1 |
Notable games
- August 31 v San Diego Chargers:
The Pete Carroll era of the Patriots started with a bang as Drew Bledsoe threw for 340 yards and four touchdowns in a 41–7 runaway. Stan Humphries managed a touchdown throw but was pulled in the fourth quarter for Jim Everett; Everett was intercepted and Willie Clay ran back a 53-yard touchdown.
- September 14 v New York Jets:
The first game against former Patriots coach Bill Parcells came on Sunday Night Football with the Patriots 2–0 and the Jets 1–1. The game became a grinder in which the lead tied or changed seven times. Drew Bledsoe threw touchdowns to Ben Coates and Lovett Purnell but threw two picks (one returned by Mo Lewis for a touchdown) and was limited to just 162 passing yards. His Jets counterpart Neil O'Donnell ran in one touchdown and threw another to Keyshawn Johnson that tied the game in the fourth, but was sacked seven times; the Jets also coughed up three fumbles. Curtis Martin's running game erupted to 199 yards and a touchdown, but the Patriots faced Jets kicker John Hall in the final sixteen seconds with the game tied at 24. Hall's field goal try was blocked and in overtime the Patriots drove down field and Adam Vinatieri nailed a 34-yard field goal for the 27–24 Patriots win.
- Monday Night Football October 6 v Denver Broncos:
The first game between the last two unbeaten NFL teams since 1973[5] after the Buccaneers lost on Sunday, the Broncos won for the tenth straight time over the Patriots, 34–13. Despite throwing two interceptions and being limited to just 192 passing yards, John Elway ran in a touchdown and Terrell Davis rushed for 171 yards and two scores.
- October 19 @ New York Jets:
The 5–1 Patriots fell to Parcells' Jets 24–19 as the Jets outscored the Patriots 21–14 in the second half. Neil O'Donnell was flagged for intentional grounding in the endzone for a Patriots safety, then was pulled for Glenn Foley; Foley threw for 200 yards and a touchdown.
Final roster
| New England Patriots 1997 final roster | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
|
Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
|
Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
|
Reserve lists
53 active, 3 inactive, 5 practice squad
| |||||
Notes
- The Patriots received third- and fourth-round picks in 1997, a second-round pick in 1998, and a first-round pick in 1999 from the New York Jets as compensation for the Jets' 1997 signing of Bill Parcells as head coach.[4]