1997 San Francisco 49ers season
| 1997 San Francisco 49ers season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Steve Mariucci |
| Home field | Candlestick Park |
| Results | |
| Record | 13–3 |
| Division place | 1st NFC West |
| Playoff finish |
Won Divisional Playoffs (Vikings) 38–22 Lost NFC Championship (Packers) 10–23 |
The 1997 San Francisco 49ers season was the team's 48th year with the National Football League. The franchise appeared in the NFC Championship Game for the fifth time in the 1990s. This season marked their last appearance in the NFC title game until the 2011 season. The team's playoff run was ended by the Green Bay Packers for the third straight year.
Offseason
NFL Draft
| 1997 San Francisco 49ers draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26 | Jim Druckenmiller | Quarterback | Virginia Tech | |
| 2 | 55 | Marc Edwards | Fullback | Notre Dame | |
| 3 | 77 | Greg Clark | Tight end | Stanford | |
| Made roster * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career | |||||
Undrafted free agents
| Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|
| Ryan Longwell | Kicker | California |
| Brandon Noble | Defensive tackle | Penn State |
Personnel
Staff
| 1997 San Francisco 49ers staff | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
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Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
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Roster
Regular season
Opening the 1997 season with new coach Steve Mariucci and halfback Garrison Hearst, the 49ers seemed to have shored up their one major weakness from the season before. Also, additions Kevin Gogan to the offensive line and Rod Woodson to the defense were clear improvements over last season's roster. However, in the first game of the season at Tampa Bay, both quarterback Steve Young and receiver Jerry Rice went down with injuries. Rice appeared to be out for the season with a serious knee injury and Young, with yet another concussion, had discussed retirement.
Young eventually came back, as did Rice for 1 1⁄2 quarters (before getting another unrelated injury to his knee), and the team, with the league's number one defense leading the way, pulled together and finished strongly at 13–3.
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | TV Time | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 31, 1997 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | L 6–13 | FOX 4:05et | |
| 2 | September 7, 1997 | at St. Louis Rams | W 15–12 | FOX 1:00et/12:00ct | |
| 3 | September 14, 1997 | New Orleans Saints | W 33–7 | FOX 4:15et/1:15pt | |
| 4 | September 21, 1997 | Atlanta Falcons | W 34–17 | FOX 4:15et/1:15pt | |
| 5 | September 29, 1997 (Mon) | at Carolina Panthers | W 34–21 | ABC 9:00et | |
| 6 | BYE WEEK | ||||
| 7 | October 12, 1997 | St. Louis Rams | W 30–10 | FOX 4:15et/1:15pt | |
| 8 | October 19, 1997 | at Atlanta Falcons | W 35–28 | FOX 1:00et | |
| 9 | October 26, 1997 | at New Orleans Saints | W 23–0 | FOX 1:00et/12:00ct | |
| 10 | November 2, 1997 | Dallas Cowboys | W 17–10 | FOX 4:15et/1:15pt | |
| 11 | November 10, 1997 (Mon) | at Philadelphia Eagles | W 24–12 | ABC 9:00et | |
| 12 | November 16, 1997 | Carolina Panthers | W 27–19 | FOX 4:15et/1:15pt | |
| 13 | November 23, 1997 | San Diego Chargers | W 17–10 | NBC 4:15et/1:15pt | |
| 14 | November 30, 1997 | at Kansas City Chiefs | L 9–44 | FOX 1:00et/12:00ct | |
| 15 | December 7, 1997 | Minnesota Vikings | W 28–17 | FOX 4:15et/1:15pt | |
| 16 | December 15, 1997 (Mon) | Denver Broncos | W 34–17 | ABC 9:00et/6:00pt | |
| 17 | December 21, 1997 | at Seattle Seahawks | L 9–38 | ESPN 8:15et/5:15pt |
Standings
| NFC West | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Playoffs
Toward the end of the season, things appeared to be going well for the team's postseason prospects. However, in the second to last game of the season, Rice was injured again and deemed out for the playoffs. Similarly, the team's offensive heart for the season, running back Garrison Hearst, had a broken collar bone through the post season and did not return to full health prior to the end of the season.
Despite not having either their leading receiver or their starting running back, the 49ers were able to make it to their 7th NFC championship in 10 years. However, not having an elite receiver or solid running back showed glaringly in their loss to the Packers in the conference championship (Hearst returned, but his injury was clearly still a problem as he only played a few ineffective snaps).
NFC Divisional Game vs. Minnesota Vikings
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vikings | 7 | 0 | 7 | 8 | 22 |
| 49ers | 7 | 14 | 10 | 7 | 38 |
at 3Com Park
- Date: January 3, 1998
- Game time: 1 p.m. PDT
- Game weather: 54 degrees, relative humidity 88%, wind 13 mph
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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NFC Championship Game vs. Green Bay Packers
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Packers | 3 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 23 |
| 49ers | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
at 3Com Park
- Date: January 11, 1998
- Game time: 1 p.m. PDT
- Game weather: 54 degrees, relative humidity 90%, wind 10 mph
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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The 49ers and Packers meet for the 3rd year in a row in the playoffs, and for the 3rd year in a row, the Packers defeat the 49ers. The 49ers were battling multiple injuries in the game, including missing star wide receiver Jerry Rice. The lack of depth on offense showed throughout the game, as the offense generated just 3 points. The only touchdown of the game for the 49ers was when Chuck Levy returned a 95-yard kick off return for a touchdown. But by then, the Packers had a commanding 23-10 lead in the 4th quarter. With the loss, the 49ers finish the year at 14-4.
Awards and records
- Steve Young, Led NFL, Passer Rating, 104.7 Rating [2]