| 1997 Pittsburgh Steelers season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Bill Cowher |
| Home field | Three Rivers Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 11-5 |
| Division Place | 1st in AFC Central |
| Playoff finish | Lost to the Denver Broncos for the AFC Championship |
| Pro Bowlers |
6
|
| AP All-Pros |
5
|
| Team MVP | Jerome Bettis |
| Team ROY | Chad Scott |
| Timeline | |
| Previous season | Next season |
| 1996 | 1998 |
The 1997 Pittsburgh Steelers season was considered a transitional year due to many key free agent losses in the offseason, as well as the first season of Kordell Stewart starting at quarterback.
However, the Steelers finished with an 11-5 record, their fourth consecutive AFC Central crown, and their sixth straight playoff appearance. In doing so, Steelers head coach Bill Cowher tied Hall of Fame coach Paul Brown with most consecutive playoff appearances to start a head coaching career in the NFL -- a record Cowher still co-owns with Brown, as the Steelers missed the playoffs the following year.
The Steelers had 572 rushing attempts in 1997, the most in the 1990s.[1] Their 2,479 total rushing yards were the third-most of the decade by any team.
The Steelers would host the AFC Championship game for the third time in four years. However, they would ultimately lose to the wild-card Denver Broncos in the AFC Title game.
The Steelers saw many key free-agents leave the team, the biggest being cornerback Rod Woodson, whose ten-year tenure with the team ended due to a dispute over money with the Rooney family. Woodson would sign with the San Francisco 49ers as a result, though the Steelers would see him again in the following four seasons afterward as a member of the rival Baltimore Ravens. Other free-agent losses included Chad Brown, Ernie Mills, Andre Hastings, Deon Figures, and Brentson Buckner, among others. The team did manage to keep its other prized free-agent besides Woodson, locking up Jerome Bettis (who they had acquired in a trade with the St. Louis Rams the year before) with a four-year deal.
The team also had a transition at quarterback. After pushing Bill Cowher play exclusively at quarterback, Kordell Stewart was handed the starting job and dropping his "Slash" role on the team. Stewart would have success with the team this season, but would be inconsistent afterwards.
The team also made some minor changes to the uniforms this season, the first changes since gold pants were adopted as part of the white jerseys in 1972. The jersey numbers, previously having the old-style block numbering, were switched to the rounder style (Futura Condensed) as seen on the helmets. In addition, the Steelers logo was added to the left shoulder. The uniforms have remained the same since these changes as of 2007.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Location | Time (ET) | TV | Result | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sunday August 31 | Dallas Cowboys | Three Rivers Stadium | 1:00 pm | FOX | L 37–7 | 0-1 |
| 2 | Sunday September 7 | Washington Redskins | Three Rivers Stadium | 1:00 pm | FOX | W 14–13 | 1-1 |
| 3 | Sunday September 14 | Bye | |||||
| 4 | Monday September 22 | at Jacksonville Jaguars | Alltel Stadium | 9:00 pm | ABC | L 30–21 | 1-2 |
| 5 | Sunday September 28 | Tennessee Oilers | Three Rivers Stadium | 1:00 pm | NBC | W 37–24 | 2-2 |
| 6 | Sunday October 5 | at Baltimore Ravens | Memorial Stadium | 1:00 pm | NBC | W 42–34 | 3-2 |
| 7 | Sunday October 12 | Indianapolis Colts | Three Rivers Stadium | 8:00 pm | TNT | W 24–22 | 4-2 |
| 8 | Sunday October 19 | at Cincinnati Bengals | Cinergy Field | 4:00 pm | NBC | W 26–10 | 5-2 |
| 9 | Sunday October 26 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Three Rivers Stadium | 4:00 pm | NBC | W 23–17 (OT) | 6-2 |
| 10 | Monday November 3 | at Kansas City Chiefs | Arrowhead Stadium | 9:00 pm | ABC | L 13–10 | 6-3 |
| 11 | Sunday November 9 | Baltimore Ravens | Three Rivers Stadium | 8:00 pm | ESPN | W 37–0 | 7-3 |
| 12 | Sunday November 16 | Cincinnati Bengals | Three Rivers Stadium | 1:00 pm | NBC | W 20–3 | 8-3 |
| 13 | Sunday November 23 | at Philadelphia Eagles | Veterans Stadium | 1:00 pm | NBC | L 23–20 | 8-4 |
| 14 | Sunday November 30 | at Arizona Cardinals | Sun Devil Stadium | 4:00 pm | NBC | W 26–20 (OT) | 9-4 |
| 15 | Sunday December 7 | Denver Broncos | Three Rivers Stadium | 1:00 pm | NBC | W 35–24 | 10-4 |
| 16 | Saturday December 13 | at New England Patriots | Foxboro Stadium | 4:00 pm | NBC | W 24–21 (OT) | 11-4 |
| 17 | Sunday December 21 | at Tennessee Oilers | Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium | 1:00 pm | NBC | L 16–6 | 11-5 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowboys | 0 | 17 | 17 | 3 | 37 |
| Steelers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Scoring Drives:
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redskins | 0 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 13 |
| Steelers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Scoring Drives:
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steelers | 7 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| Jaguars | 7 | 10 | 3 | 10 | 30 |
at Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida
Scoring Drives:
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oilers | 0 | 6 | 3 | 15 | 24 |
| Steelers | 10 | 21 | 3 | 3 | 37 |
at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Scoring Drives:
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steelers | 0 | 7 | 14 | 21 | 42 |
| Ravens | 14 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 34 |
at Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
Scoring Drives:
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colts | 10 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 22 |
| Steelers | 0 | 17 | 7 | 0 | 24 |
at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Scoring Drives:
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steelers | 0 | 13 | 7 | 6 | 26 |
| Bengals | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
at Cinergy Field, Cincinnati, Ohio
Scoring Drives:
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaguars | 0 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
| Steelers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 6 | 23 |
at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Scoring Drives:
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steelers | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Chiefs | 0 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
Scoring Drives:
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ravens | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steelers | 10 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 37 |
at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Scoring Drives:
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bengals | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Steelers | 3 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 20 |
at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Scoring Drives:
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steelers | 3 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 20 |
| Eagles | 14 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 23 |
at Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Scoring Drives:
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steelers | 7 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 26 |
| Cardinals | 0 | 3 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 20 |
at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona
Scoring Drives:
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broncos | 14 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 24 |
| Steelers | 7 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 35 |
at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Scoring Drives:
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steelers | 0 | 7 | 3 | 11 | 3 | 24 |
| Patriots | 0 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
at Foxboro Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
Scoring Drives:
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steelers | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| Oilers | 3 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 16 |
at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, Memphis, Tennessee
Scoring Drives:
| AFC Central | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 372 | 307 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 394 | 318 |
| Tennessee Oilers | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 333 | 310 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 355 | 405 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 6 | 9 | 1 | .406 | 326 | 345 |
Both of the Steelers post-season matchups were rematches from the regular season. The Steelers had a first-round bye, then faced the AFC East champion (and defending AFC champion) New England Patriots at home. The game, which was a homecoming for young Patriots players & Pittsburgh area natives Ty Law and Curtis Martin (Martin was in fact playing in his last game with New England before signing with the New York Jets that offseason), was also a rematch of the previous year's AFC Divisional matchup, which took place in Foxborough.
After defeating the Pats, the Steelers would lose to the eventual Super Bowl XXXII champion Denver Broncos 24-21 in Elway's last trip to Pittsburgh.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patriots | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| Steelers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Scoring Drives:
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broncos | 7 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
| Steelers | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Scoring Drives:
See: 1998 Pro Bowl
|
|||||
| AFC | East | Central | West | East | Central | West | NFC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo | Baltimore | Denver | Arizona | Chicago | Atlanta | ||
| Indianapolis | Cincinnati | Kansas City | Dallas | Detroit | Carolina | ||
| Miami | Jacksonville | Oakland | NY Giants | Green Bay | New Orleans | ||
| New England | Pittsburgh | San Diego | Philadelphia | Minnesota | St. Louis | ||
| NY Jets | Tennessee | Seattle | Washington | Tampa Bay | San Francisco | ||
| 1997 NFL Draft • NFL Playoffs • Pro Bowl • Super Bowl XXXII | |||||||