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1997 Detroit Lions season

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1997 Detroit Lions season
OwnerWilliam Clay Ford Sr.
General managerChuck Schmidt
Head coachBobby Ross
Home fieldPontiac Silverdome
Results
Record9–7
Division place3rd NFC Central
Playoff finishLost Wild Card Playoffs
(at Buccaneers) 10–20
Pro Bowlers
5
AP All-Pros
4
  • WR Herman Moore (1st team)
  • RB Barry Sanders (1st team)
  • DE Robert Porcher (1st team)
  • K Jason Hanson (2nd team)
Uniform

The 1997 Detroit Lions season was their 68th in the National Football League (NFL).

The Lions rebounded from a disastrous 1996 season, finishing 9–7 and qualifying for the playoffs for the fifth time in seven seasons – the best stretch in franchise history.

Bobby Ross replaced Wayne Fontes as head coach. The highlight of the season was Barry Sanders becoming the third player in NFL history to rush for at least 2,000 yards in a season. Sanders shared the 1997 Associated Press MVP Award with Packers quarterback Brett Favre.

As a team, the Lions set an NFL rushing record, gaining 5.51 yards per rushing attempt.[1] The Lions scored 379 points in 1997, the fourth-most of any team in the league.[2]

Offseason

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NFL draft

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Main article: 1997 NFL draft
1997 Detroit Lions draft
Round Pick Player Position College Notes
1 5 Bryant Westbrook  Cornerback Texas
2 35 Juan Roque  Tackle Arizona State
2 54 Kevin Abrams  Cornerback Syracuse
4 130 Matt Russell  Linebacker Colorado
5 135 Pete Chryplewicz  Tight end Notre Dame
5 161 Duane Ashman  Defensive end Virginia
6 168 Tony Ramirez  Guard Northern Colorado
7 206 Terry Battle  Running back Arizona State
7 232 Marcus Harris  Wide receiver Wyoming
7 239 Richard Jordan  Linebacker Missouri Southern
      Made roster    *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

Undrafted free agents

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1997 Undrafted free agents of note
Player Position College
Chris Dittoe Quarterback Indiana

Personnel

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Staff

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1997 Detroit Lions staff

Front office

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

Defensive coaches
  • Defensive coordinator – Larry Peccatiello
  • Defensive line – Brian Baker
  • Linebackers – Gary Moeller
  • Secondary – Richard Selcer
  • Defensive assistant/assistant strength – Don Clemons
  • Quality Control–Defense – Dennis Murphy

Special teams coaches

  • Special teams – Chuck Priefer
  • Offensive/special teams assistant – Stan Kwan

Strength and conditioning


Roster

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1997 Detroit Lions roster
Quarterbacks (QB)

Running backs (RB)

Wide receivers (WR)

Tight ends (TE)

Offensive linemen (OL)

Defensive linemen (DL)

Linebackers (LB)

Defensive backs (DB)

Special teams

Practice squad


53 active, 6 inactive, 4 practice squad Reserve

Rookies in italics

Regular season

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The final game of the regular season, on December 21, was marked by emotional highs and lows. Entering the game at 8–7 and needing a win to secure a playoff berth, the Lions played host to the 9–6 New York Jets, who like the Lions would be eliminated from the playoffs with a loss (although the Jets still had a chance to win the AFC East and get a home playoff game). In addition, Barry Sanders entered the game with a chance to potentially break the NFL’s single season rushing record – Sanders entered the game with 1,869 rushing yards, leaving him 131 from 2,000 and 237 away from what would have been a record setting 2,106 yards, topping Eric Dickerson’s 2,105 set in 1984. The Lions won the game 13–10, clinching the playoff spot and eliminating the Jets from the playoffs. A fourth-quarter touchdown run by Sanders proved decisive, and he finished with 184 yards to top out at 2,053 for the year – with Sanders rushing for an even 2,000 yards over the final 14 games. Sanders became only the third man to rush for 2,000 yards in a season after O. J. Simpson and Dickerson and had rushed for the second most yards in a season (since then Terrell Davis, Jamal Lewis, Chris Johnson, and Adrian Peterson have accomplished the feat; through the 2021 season, Sanders’ total is the fourth highest total behind Dickerson's 2,105, Peterson’s 2,096 in 2012, and Lewis’ 2,066 in 2003).

The mood, however, was somewhat tempered due to a career-ending injury suffered by Lions’ linebacker Reggie Brown. Brown was assisting on a tackle made on Jets running back Adrian Murrell when his head was struck by another player's leg. Brown suffered a spinal cord injury on the play and lost consciousness. At one point Brown actually stopped breathing and nearly died on the field, but was resuscitated. Brown did not move for seventeen minutes, and was eventually carried by ambulance out of the Silverdome. Brown was diagnosed with a spinal cord contusion and never played in the NFL again, although surgery did enable him to continue to be mobile. Brown's injury evoked memories of former Lion Mike Utley's paralyzing injury in 1991 and former Jet Dennis Byrd’s broken neck in 1992. Brown was also not the only Lion to suffer a career ending neck injury in 1997, as defensive back Harry Colon suffered damage to his neck during an earlier game against the New York Giants.[3]

Schedule

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Week Date Opponent Result Record Attendance
1 August 31 Atlanta Falcons W 28–17 1–0 61,244
2 September 7 Tampa Bay Buccaneers L 24–17 1–1 58,234
3 September 14 at Chicago Bears W 32–7 2–1 59,147
4 September 21 at New Orleans Saints L 35–17 2–2 50,116
5 September 28 Green Bay Packers W 26–15 3–2 78,110
6 October 5 at Buffalo Bills L 22–13 3–3 78,025
7 October 12 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 27–9 4–3 72,095
8 October 19 New York Giants L 26–20 (OT) 4–4 70,069
9 Bye
10 November 2 at Green Bay Packers L 20–10 4–5 60,126
11 November 9 at Washington Redskins L 30–7 4–6 75,261
12 November 16 Minnesota Vikings W 38–15 5–6 68,910
13 November 23 Indianapolis Colts W 32–10 6–6 62,803
14 November 27 Chicago Bears W 55–20 7–6 77,904
15 December 7 at Miami Dolphins L 33–30 7–7 72,266
16 December 14 at Minnesota Vikings W 14–13 8–7 60,982
17 December 21 New York Jets W 13–10 9–7 77,624
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

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Week 17

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1 234Total
Jets 10 000 10
• Lions 0 337 13
  • Date: December 21
  • Location: Pontiac Silverdome • Detroit, Michigan
  • Game start: 4:00 p.m.
  • Game weather: indoors (dome)
  • TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg, Phil Simms and Paul Maguire
Scoring summary
1NYJJohn Hall 32-yard field goalJets 3–0
1NYJAdrian Murrell 14-yard run (John Hall kick)Jets 10–0
2DETJason Hanson 44-yard field goalJets 10–3
3DETJason Hanson 25-yard field goalJets 10–6
4DETBarry Sanders 15-yard run (Jason Hanson kick)Lions 13–10

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Standings

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NFC Central
W L T PCT PF PA STK
(2) Green Bay Packers 13 3 0 .813 422 282 W5
(4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers 10 6 0 .625 299 263 W1
(5) Detroit Lions 9 7 0 .563 379 306 W2
(6) Minnesota Vikings 9 7 0 .563 354 359 W1
Chicago Bears 4 12 0 .250 263 421 L1

Playoffs

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NFC Wild Card Game: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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NFC Wild Card Game: Detroit Lions at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Lions 0 0 3710
Buccaneers 3 10 7020

at Houlihan's Stadium, Tampa, Florida

Tampa Bay won their first playoff game since 1979 with quarterback Trent Dilfer's 9-yard touchdown pass to receiver Horace Copeland, running back Mike Alstott's 31-yard touchdown run, and two field goals. Their defense limited Lions quarterback Scott Mitchell to just 10 of 25 completions for 78 yards.

Awards and honors

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References

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  1. ^ Pro-Football-Reference.com: In a single season, from 1978 to 2011, in the regular season, sorted by descending Yds/Rushing Att.
  2. ^ Pro-Football-Reference: 1997 Detroit Lions
  3. ^ "Lions' Harry Colon Injured".
  4. ^ Pro-Football-Reference.com
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