| 1997 Carolina Panthers season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Jerry Richardson |
| General manager | Bill Polian |
| Head coach | Dom Capers |
| Home field | Ericsson Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 7–9 |
| Division place | 2nd NFC West |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers | TEWesley Walls |
| AP All-Pros | KRMichael Bates 1st team TEWesley Walls 2nd team |
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The 1997 Carolina Panthers season was the franchise's 3rd season in the National Football League and the 3rd under head coach Dom Capers. They failed to improve upon their 12–4 record in 1996, and make it to the playoffs for the second time in franchise history and finished 7–9. The Panthers appeared on Monday Night Football for the first time in franchise history, where they faced the Dallas Cowboys and won by a score of 23–13.[1]
| 1997 Carolina Panthers draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 | Rae Carruth | Wide receiver | Colorado | |
| 2 | 56 | Mike Minter | Safety | Nebraska | |
| 3 | 87 | Kinnon Tatum | Linebacker | Notre Dame | |
| 4 | 122 | Tarek Saleh | Linebacker | Wisconsin | |
| 6 | 187 | Matt Finkes | Defensive end | Ohio State | |
| 7 | 228 | Kris Mangum | Tight end | Mississippi | |
| Made roster | |||||
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Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
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Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
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| Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
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Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
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Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
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Reserve lists
53 active, 5 inactive, 3 practice squad
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| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 31 | Washington Redskins | L 10–24 | 0–1 | Ericsson Stadium | 72,633 |
| 2 | September 7 | atAtlanta Falcons | W 9–6 | 1–1 | Georgia Dome | 51,829 |
| 3 | September 14 | atSan Diego Chargers | W 26–7 | 2–1 | Qualcomm Stadium | 63,149 |
| 4 | September 21 | Kansas City Chiefs | L 14–35 | 2–2 | Ericsson Stadium | 67,402 |
| 5 | September 29 | San Francisco 49ers | L 21–34 | 2–3 | Ericsson Stadium | 70,972 |
| 6 | Bye | |||||
| 7 | October 12 | atMinnesota Vikings | L 14–21 | 2–4 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | 62,625 |
| 8 | October 19 | atNew Orleans Saints | W 13–0 | 3–4 | Louisiana Superdome | 50,963 |
| 9 | October 26 | Atlanta Falcons | W 21–12 | 4–4 | Ericsson Stadium | 54,675 |
| 10 | November 2 | Oakland Raiders | W 38–14 | 5–4 | Ericsson Stadium | 71,064 |
| 11 | November 9 | atDenver Broncos | L 0–34 | 5–5 | Mile High Stadium | 71,408 |
| 12 | November 16 | atSan Francisco 49ers | L 19–27 | 5–6 | 3Com Park | 61,500 |
| 13 | November 23 | atSt. Louis Rams | W 16–10 | 6–6 | Trans World Dome | 64,609 |
| 14 | November 30 | New Orleans Saints | L 13–16 | 6–7 | Ericsson Stadium | 57,957 |
| 15 | December 8 | atDallas Cowboys | W 23–13 | 7–7 | Texas Stadium | 63,251 |
| 16 | December 14 | Green Bay Packers | L 10–31 | 7–8 | Ericsson Stadium | 70,887 |
| 17 | December 20 | St. Louis Rams | L 18–30 | 7–9 | Ericsson Stadium | 58,101 |
| Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. | ||||||
| NFC West | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | STK |
| (1) San Francisco 49ers | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 375 | 265 | L1 |
| Carolina Panthers | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 265 | 314 | L2 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 320 | 361 | L1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 237 | 327 | L1 |
| St. Louis Rams | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 299 | 359 | W1 |
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| Franchise |
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| Stadiums |
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| Culture and lore |
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| Rivalries |
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| Hall of Honor |
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| Wild card berths (2) |
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| Division championships (6) |
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| Conference championships (2) |
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| Retired numbers |
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| Media |
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| Current league affiliations |
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Italics indicates Super Bowl appearance |
