1997 New England Patriots season

1997 New England Patriots season
Head coach	Pete Carroll
Owner	Robert Kraft
Home field	Foxboro Stadium
Results
Record	10–6
Division place	1st AFC East
Playoff finish	Won Wild Card Playoffs (Dolphins) 17–3 Lost Divisional Playoffs (Steelers) 7–6
Pro Bowlers	T Bruce Armstrong QB Drew Bledsoe TE Ben Coates LB Chris Slade SpT Larry Whigham
AP All-Pros	LB Chris Slade (2nd team)

The 1997 New England Patriots season was the 28th season for the team in the National Football League and 38th season overall. They finished the season with a 10–6 record and a division title but lost in the playoffs to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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 against Parcells' wishes.^[1] 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.^[1] 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.^[1] 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.^[1]

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 featured a 6–5 record later in the season. The Patriots managed 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 in the Wild Card Playoffs but were defeated by the Pittsburgh Steelers, 7–6, on the road the next week.

1997 NFL Draft

1997 New England Patriots Draft Selections

Round	Overall	Player	Position	College
1	29	Chris Canty	Cornerback	Kansas State
2	59	Brandon Mitchell	Defensive tackle	Texas A&M
3[3]	61	Sedrick Shaw	Running back	Iowa
3	89	Chris Carter	Safety	Texas
4[3]	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

New England Patriots 1997 staff
Front Office Chairman/CEO – Robert Kraft Vice President – Jonathan Kraft Vice President of Business Operations – Andy Wasynczuk Vice President of Player Personnel – Bobby Grier Director of College Scouting – Larry Cook Director of Pro Scouting – Dave Uyrus Head Coaches Head Coach – Pete Carroll Offensive Coaches Offensive Coordinator – Larry Kennan Assistant Head Coach/Quarterbacks – Carl Smith Running Backs – Kirby Wilson Wide Receivers – Steve Walters Tight Ends – Jeff Davidson Offensive Line – Paul Boudreau			Defensive Coaches Defensive Coordinator – Steve Sidwell Defensive Line – Ray Hamilton Linebackers – Bo Pelini Defensive Backs – Ron Lynn Defensive Assistant – Andre Patterson Special Teams Coaches Special Teams – Dante Scarnecchia Strength and Conditioning Strength and Conditioning – Johnny Parker

Schedule

Week	Date	Location	Opponent	Result	Record	TV Time	Attendance
1	August 31, 1997	Foxboro Stadium	San Diego Chargers	W 41–7	1–0	NBC 1:00 pm	60,190
2	September 7, 1997	RCA Dome	Indianapolis Colts	W 31–6	2–0	NBC 1:00 pm	53,632
3	September 14, 1997	Foxboro Stadium	New York Jets	W 27–24 (OT)	3–0	TNT 8:00 pm	60,072
4	September 21, 1997	Foxboro Stadium	Chicago Bears	W 31–3	4–0	FOX 1:00 pm	59,873
5	Bye
6	October 6, 1997	Mile High Stadium	Denver Broncos	L 13–34	4–1	ABC 9:00 pm	75,821
7	October 12, 1997	Foxboro Stadium	Buffalo Bills	W 33–6	5–1	NBC 1:00 pm	59,802
8	October 19, 1997	The Meadowlands	New York Jets	L 19–24	5–2	NBC 1:00 pm	71,061
9	October 27, 1997	Foxboro Stadium	Green Bay Packers	L 10–28	5–3	ABC 9:00 pm	59,972
10	November 2, 1997	Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome	Minnesota Vikings	L 18–23	5–4	NBC 1:00 pm	62,917
11	November 9, 1997	Rich Stadium	Buffalo Bills	W 31–10	6–4	NBC 4:00 pm	65,783
12	November 16, 1997	Houlihan's Stadium	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	L 7–27	6–5	NBC 1:00 pm	70,479
13	November 23, 1997	Foxboro Stadium	Miami Dolphins	W 27–24	7–5	NBC 1:00 pm	59,002
14	November 30, 1997	Foxboro Stadium	Indianapolis Colts	W 20–17	8–5	NBC 4:00 pm	58,507
15	December 7, 1997	Jacksonville Municipal Stadium	Jacksonville Jaguars	W 26–20	9–5	NBC 1:00 pm	73,446
16	December 13, 1997	Foxboro Stadium	Pittsburgh Steelers	L 21–24 (OT)	9–6	NBC 4:00 pm	60,013
17	December 22, 1997	Joe Robbie Stadium	Miami Dolphins	W 14–12	10–6	ABC 9:00 pm	74,379
AFC Wild Card Playoff Game	December 28, 1997	Foxboro Stadium	Miami Dolphins	W 17–3	1–0	NBC 12:30 pm	60,041
AFC Divisional Playoff Game	January 3, 1998	Three Rivers Stadium	Pittsburgh Steelers	L 6–7	1–1	NBC 12:30 pm	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 nWillie 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^[4] 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 11 Drew Bledsoe 16 Scott Zolak Running Backs 41 Keith Byars FB/TE 29 Derrick Cullors ^UR 33 Sam Gash FB 35 Marrio Grier FB 28 Curtis Martin 29 Dave Meggett KR 23 Sedrick Shaw ^R Wide Receivers 82 Vincent Brisby 80 Troy Brown 17 Tony Gaiter ^R 88 Terry Glenn 84 Shawn Jefferson 83 Dietrich Jells Tight Ends 87 Ben Coates 85 Lovett Purnell		Offensive Linemen 78 Bruce Armstrong T 61 Damon Denson G ^R 66 Ed Ellis T ^R 67 Mike Gisler C 63 Heath Irwin G 68 Max Lane G 77 Zefross Moss T 71 Todd Rucci G 60 Scott Rehberg T ^R 64 Dave Wohlabaugh C Defensive Linemen 90 Chad Eaton DT 96 Mike D. Jones DE 55 Willie McGinest DE 98 Brandon Mitchell DT ^R 74 Chris Sullivan DE 95 Henry Thomas DT 97 Mark Wheeler DT 72 Devin Wyman DT		Linebackers 54 Tedy Bruschi OLB 59 Todd Collins OLB 99 Vernon Crawford OLB ^R 52 Ted Johnson ILB 58 Marty Moore ILB 51 Bernard Russ LB ^UR 53 Chris Slade OLB Defensive Backs 26 Chris Canty CB ^R 42 Chris Carter FS ^R 32 Willie Clay FS 31 Jimmy Hitchcock CB 21 Steve Israel CB 24 Ty Law CB 36 Lawyer Milloy SS 25 Larry Whigham FS Special Teams 19 Tom Tupa P 75 Danny Villa LS/G  4 Adam Vinatieri K		Reserve Lists data possibly incomplete 86 Mike Bartrum TE/LS (IR) 92 Ferric Collons DE (IR) 38 Steve Lofton CB (IR) Practice Squad data incomplete Notations R: 1997 Rookie UR: 1997 Undrafted Rookie Italicized players are not on the 53-man roster.

Notes and references

1. Wilner, Barry (December 2000). "Take That!". Football Digest. Retrieved December 16, 2007.
2. Vecsey, George (February 1, 1997). "Parcells Seeking New Kitchen". The New York Times. Retrieved June 17, 2009.
3. 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. Patriots.com summary
4. Last Undefeated NFL Teams in Each Season

External links

• Season page on Pro Football Reference