1997 NFL season

The 1997 NFL season was the 78th regular season of the National Football League. The Oilers relocated from Houston, Texas to Nashville, Tennessee. But the newly-renamed Tennessee Oilers played their home games during this season at the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tennessee while a new stadium in Nashville began construction.

This was the last season that both NBC and the TNT network held rights to broadcast NFL games. When the TV contracts were renewed near the end of the season, 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 moved back one day to Monday, October 27.

The season ended with Super Bowl XXXII when the Denver Broncos defeated the Green Bay Packers.

[edit] 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 and between quarters. 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.

[edit] Final standings

W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT= Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against

[edit] Tiebreakers

• Miami finished ahead of N.Y. 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).

[edit] Playoffs

Main article: NFL playoffs, 1997-98

Home team in capitals

[edit] AFC

• Wild-Card playoffs: DENVER 42, Jacksonville 17; NEW ENGLAND 17, Miami 3
• Divisional playoffs: PITTSBURGH 7, New England 6; Denver 14, KANSAS CITY 10
• AFC Championship: Denver 24, PITTSBURGH 21

[edit] NFC

• Wild-Card playoffs: Minnesota 23, N.Y. GIANTS 22; TAMPA BAY 20, Detroit 10
• Divisional playoffs: SAN FRANCISCO 38, Minnesota 22; GREEN BAY 21, Tampa Bay 7
• NFC Championship: Green Bay 23, SAN FRANCISCO 10

[edit] Super Bowl XXXII

• Denver (AFC) 31, Green Bay (NFC) 24, at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California

[edit] Statistical leaders

[edit] Team

[edit] Individual

[edit] Awards

[edit] References

• NFL Record and Fact Book (ISBN 193299436X)
• NFL History 1991-2000 (Last accessed October 17, 2005)
• Total Football: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League (ISBN 0062701746)
• Steelers Fever - History of NFL Rules