The 1997 Washington Redskins season was the franchise's 66th season in the National Football League (NFL) and their 62nd in Washington, D.C. The team failed to improve on their 9–7 record from 1996 and finished 8–7–1, knocking them out of playoff contention for the fifth straight year. This was the Redskins' first season playing in their new stadium, Jack Kent Cooke Stadium, that would be later called FedExField. In an infamous game with the New York Giants on November 23, 1997, The Redskins missed the potential game-winning 54-yard field goal when Scott Blanton shanked the ball wide right, it what would have been a 37-yard field goal. However, Michael Westbrook was called for unsportsmanlike conduct and crazy sequences lead the Redskins to their first tie since 1971.
| 1997 Washington Redskins season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Jack Kent Cooke's estate |
| President | John Kent Cooke |
| General manager | Charley Casserly |
| Head coach | Norv Turner |
| Offensive coordinator | Norv Turner |
| Defensive coordinator | Mike Nolan |
| Home field | Jack Kent Cooke Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 8–7–1 |
| Division place | 2nd NFC East |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
| |
| 1997 Washington Redskins draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17 | Kenard Lang | Defensive end | Miami (FL) | |
| 2 | 51 | Greg Jones | Linebacker | Colorado | |
| 3 | 80 | Derek Smith | Linebacker | Arizona State | |
| 4 | 115 | Albert Connell | Wide receiver | Texas A&M | |
| 5 | 132 | Jamel Williams | Safety | Nebraska | |
| 5 | 140 | Keith Thibodeaux | Cornerback | Northwestern State | |
| 5 | 148 | Twan Russell | Linebacker | Miami (FL) | |
| 5 | 162 | Brad Badger | Guard | Stanford | |
| Made roster | |||||
|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
|
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 31, 1997 | atCarolina Panthers | W 24–10 | 1–0 |
72,633
|
| 2 | September 7, 1997 | atPittsburgh Steelers | L 14–13 | 1–1 |
58,059
|
| 3 | September 14, 1997 | Arizona Cardinals | W 19–13 | 2–1 |
78,270
|
| 4 | Bye | ||||
| 5 | September 28, 1997 | Jacksonville Jaguars | W 24–12 | 3–1 |
74,421
|
| 6 | October 5, 1997 | atPhiladelphia Eagles | L 24–10 | 3–2 |
67,008
|
| 7 | October 13, 1997 | Dallas Cowboys | W 21–16 | 4–2 |
76,159
|
| 8 | October 19, 1997 | atTennessee Oilers | L 28–14 | 4–3 |
31,042
|
| 9 | October 26, 1997 | Baltimore Ravens | L 20–17 | 4–4 |
75,067
|
| 10 | November 2, 1997 | atChicago Bears | W 31–8 | 5–4 |
53,032
|
| 11 | November 9, 1997 | Detroit Lions | W 30–7 | 6–4 |
75,162
|
| 12 | November 16, 1997 | atDallas Cowboys | L 17–14 | 6–5 |
64,559
|
| 13 | November 23, 1997 | New York Giants | T 7–7 | 6–5–1 |
75,703
|
| 14 | November 30, 1997 | St. Louis Rams | L 23–20 | 6–6–1 |
74,772
|
| 15 | December 7, 1997 | atArizona Cardinals | W 38–28 | 7–6–1 |
41,537
|
| 16 | December 13, 1997 | atNew York Giants | L 30–10 | 7–7–1 |
77,571
|
| 17 | December 21, 1997 | Philadelphia Eagles | W 35–32 | 8–7–1 |
75,939
|
| NFC East | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | STK |
| (3) New York Giants | 10 | 5 | 1 | .656 | 307 | 265 | W3 |
| Washington Redskins | 8 | 7 | 1 | .531 | 327 | 289 | W1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 6 | 9 | 1 | .406 | 317 | 372 | L3 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 304 | 314 | L5 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 283 | 379 | W1 |
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