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1997 Dallas Cowboys season
NFL team season
NFL team season
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| team | Dallas Cowboys |
| year | 1997 |
| record | 6–10 |
| division_place | 4th NFC East |
| owner | Jerry Jones |
| general manager | Jerry Jones |
| coach | Barry Switzer |
| off_coach | Ernie Zampese |
| def_coach | Dave Campo |
| stadium | Texas Stadium |
| playoffs | Did not qualify |
| pro bowlers | G Larry Allen |
| G Nate Newton | |
| CB Deion Sanders (did not play) | |
| S Darren Woodson (did not play) | |
| uniform | File:Dallas Cowboys Uniforms 2013-2014.png |
| shortnavlink | Cowboys seasons |
G Nate Newton CB Deion Sanders (did not play) S Darren Woodson (did not play)
The 1997 Dallas Cowboys season was the franchise's 38th season in the National Football League (NFL) and was its fourth under head coach Barry Switzer. Before the season, the Cowboys were considered among the favorites to represent the NFC in Super Bowl XXXII. Instead, the team regressed significantly.
The Cowboys not only failed to improve on their 10–6 record from 1996, they finished with a 6-10 record. It was their first losing season since 1990, and as a result the Cowboys failed to qualify for the playoffs after six consecutive seasons of postseason appearances, including their three Super Bowl victories during the decade. A series of countless off-the-field incidents, lack of discipline, and rumors of infighting between quarterback Troy Aikman and head coach Barry Switzer plagued the team throughout the year. Switzer would resign from the Cowboys at the end of the campaign.
Offseason
NFL draft
Main article: 1997 NFL draft
Roster
| Dallas Cowboys 1997 roster |
|---|
| Quarterbacks |
Regular season
Though the season began well with an impressive win against the Pittsburgh Steelers and a 3–1 start, the Cowboys would soon see a sharp decline that included five consecutive losses to close out the year. A series of countless off-the-field incidents, lack of discipline, and rumors of infighting between quarterback Troy Aikman and head coach Barry Switzer plagued the team throughout the year. In a season filled with injuries and controversy, which also saw a tearful Michael Irvin promising change following a tough loss to the New York Giants in the final regular season game, Switzer would later resign after the season. Notable additions to the team were linebacker Dexter Coakley.
Schedule
| Dallas Cowboys | year=1997 | border=2}}" | Week | Dallas Cowboys | year=1997 | border=2}}" | Date | Dallas Cowboys | year=1997 | border=2}}" | Opponent | Dallas Cowboys | year=1997 | border=2}}" | Result | Dallas Cowboys | year=1997 | border=2}}" | Record | Dallas Cowboys | year=1997 | border=2}}" | Venue | Dallas Cowboys | year=1997 | border=2}}" | Recap | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 31 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | W 37–7 | 1–0 | Three Rivers Stadium | Recap | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| September 7 | at Arizona Cardinals | L 22–25 (OT) | 1–1 | Sun Devil Stadium | Recap | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Philadelphia Eagles | W 21–20 | 2–1 | Texas Stadium | Recap | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bye | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| September 28 | Chicago Bears | W 27–3 | 3–1 | Texas Stadium | Recap | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| October 5 | at New York Giants | L 17–20 | 3–2 | Giants Stadium | Recap | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| at Washington Redskins | L 16–21 | 3–3 | Jack Kent Cooke Stadium | Recap | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| October 19 | Jacksonville Jaguars | W 26–22 | 4–3 | Texas Stadium | Recap | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| October 26 | at Philadelphia Eagles | L 12–13 | 4–4 | Veterans Stadium | Recap | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| November 2 | at San Francisco 49ers | L 10–17 | 4–5 | Candlestick Park | Recap | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| November 9 | Arizona Cardinals | W 24–6 | 5–5 | Texas Stadium | Recap | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| November 16 | Washington Redskins | W 17–14 | 6–5 | Texas Stadium | Recap | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| November 23 | at Green Bay Packers | L 17–45 | 6–6 | Lambeau Field | Recap | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tennessee Oilers | L 14–27 | 6–7 | Texas Stadium | Recap | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Carolina Panthers | L 13–23 | 6–8 | Texas Stadium | Recap | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| December 14 | at Cincinnati Bengals | L 24–31 | 6–9 | Cinergy Field | Recap | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| December 21 | New York Giants | L 7–20 | 6–10 | Texas Stadium | Recap | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. |
Game summaries
Week 1
- Michael Irvin 7 Rec, 153 Yds
Standings
Awards and records
- Troy Aikman, Walter Payton Man of the Year Award
Publications
The Football Encyclopedia
Total Football
Cowboys Have Always Been My Heroes
References
References
- [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/199708310pit.htm Pro-Football-Reference.com]. Retrieved 2014-Oct-20.
This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.
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