1997 Denver Broncos season

{{main article|1997 NFL draft}}

{{NFL team draft start

| year = 1997

| teamname = Denver Broncos

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 1

| pick = 28

| player = Trevor Pryce

| position = Defensive tackle

| college = Clemson

| notes =

| probowl = yes

| maderoster = yes

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 3

| pick = 67

| player = Dan Neil

| position = Guard

| college = Texas

| notes =

| maderoster = yes

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 4

| pick = 124

| player = Cory Gilliard

| position = Cornerback

| college = Ball State

| notes =

| maderoster = no

}}

{{NFL team draft end

| hof = no

}}

Having lost a disappointing playoff game to Jacksonville the year before, many thought this might be John Elway's last chance to win a Super Bowl. They started off the season by winning their first six games, beating the Chiefs, Seahawks, Rams, Bengals, Falcons and Patriots in the first game between the last two unbeaten NFL teams since 1973.{{Cite web |url=http://www.footballgeography.com/?p=3190 |title=Last Undefeated NFL Teams in Each Season |access-date=2012-12-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130117230829/http://www.footballgeography.com/?p=3190 |archive-date=2013-01-17 |url-status=dead }} They then lost to the Raiders, then defeated the Bills, Seahawks, and Panthers. They then lost to the Chiefs, beat the Raiders and the Chargers, lost to the Steelers and the 49ers, but finished the season with a win against the Chargers.

They made the playoffs as a wildcard and advanced against the Jaguars and Chiefs and defeated the Steelers in the 1997 AFC Championship Game. They then won Super Bowl XXXII against the Packers 31–24, only the second team since the NFL/AFL merger in 1970 to ever win a Super Bowl as a wildcard, and the first AFC team to win the title since the Los Angeles Raiders in Super Bowl XVIII following the 1983 season. The win was a big morale boost to Denver and the Broncos, who had suffered through four previous Super Bowl losses, and especially Elway, who had led three of those defeats.

The 1997 Broncos were tenth in the league in total passing yards with 3704 and fourth in the league in total rushing yards with 2378. They finished with 6082 total yards, first in the NFL. They were fourth in total yards given up with 4969. They were also first in total points scored with 472. They were seventh in total points allowed with 287.

The team's 12–4 record is their fifth-best 16-game season in franchise history.

During the season John Elway threw for 3635 yards and Terrell Davis rushed for 1750 yards. Rod Smith had 70 receptions for 1180 yards and Ed McCaffrey had 45 receptions for 590 yards. Tight end Shannon Sharpe has 72 receptions for 1107 yards. Kicker Jason Elam kicked 26 field goals out of 36 attempted. Davis, Elway, Tom Nalen, Sharpe, and Neil Smith made the Pro Bowl.

{{NFL final staff

| year = 1997

| team = Denver Broncos

| front_office =

• President and chief executive officer – Pat Bowlen
• General manager – John Beake
• Director of player personnel – Neal Dahlen
• Director of pro scouting – Jack Elway
• Director of college scouting – Ted Sundquist
• College Scouting Consultant – Jerry Frei
• College Scout – Dave Gettleman

| head_coach =

• Head coach – Mike Shanahan
• Assistant head coach/offensive line – Alex Gibbs

| offensive =

• Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks – Gary Kubiak
• Running backs – Bobby Turner
• Wide receivers – Mike Heimerdinger
• Tight ends – Brian Pariani
• Assistant offensive line/Assistant Strength and Conditioning – Barney Chavous
• Offensive assistant – Dwain Painter
• Offensive assistant – Ricky Porter

| defensive =

• Defensive coordinator – Greg Robinson
• Defensive line – George Dyer
• Linebackers – Frank Bush
• Defensive backs – Ed Donatell
• Defensive assistant – Rick Smith
• Pass Rush Specialist – John Teerlinck

| special_teams =

• Special teams – Rick Dennison

| strength =

• Strength and conditioning – Rich Tuten
• Assistant Strength and Conditioning – Greg Saporta

}}

{{NFL season roster

| year = 1997

| team = Denver Broncos

| quarterbacks =

{{NFLplayer| 6|Bubby Brister}}

{{NFLplayer| 7|John Elway}}

{{NFLplayer| 8|Jeff Lewis|d=American football}}

| running_backs =

{{NFLplayer|30|Terrell Davis}}

{{NFLplayer|29|Howard Griffith|FB}}

{{NFLplayer|22|Vaughn Hebron|KR}}

{{NFLplayer|31|Derek Loville}}

{{NFLplayer|37|Anthony Lynn}}

{{NFLplayer|42|Detron Smith|FB}}

| wide_receivers =

{{NFLplayer|83|Flipper Anderson}}

{{NFLplayer|85|Willie Green|d=American football}}

{{NFLplayer|81|Patrick Jeffers}}

{{NFLplayer|87|Ed McCaffrey}}

{{NFLplayer|80|Rod Smith|d=wide receiver}}

{{NFLplayer|88|Sir Mawn Wilson|rookie=y}}

| tight_ends =

{{NFLplayer|89|Dwayne Carswell}}

{{NFLplayer|86|Byron Chamberlain}}

{{NFLplayer|84|Shannon Sharpe}}

| offensive_linemen =

{{NFLplayer|70|Jamie Brown|d=American football|T}}

{{NFLplayer|63|David Diaz-Infante|G/C/LS}}

{{NFLplayer|75|Brian Habib|G}}

{{NFLplayer|77|Tony Jones|d=offensive tackle|T}}

{{NFLplayer|66|Tom Nalen|C}}

{{NFLplayer|62|Dan Neil|d=American football|rookie=y|G}}

{{NFLplayer|69|Mark Schlereth|G}}

{{NFLplayer|74|Harry Swayne|T}}

{{NFLplayer|65|Gary Zimmerman|T}}

| defensive_linemen =

{{NFLplayer|96|Harald Hasselbach|DE}}

{{NFLplayer|72|Ernest Jones|d=defensive lineman|DE/DT}}

{{NFLplayer|97|Mike Lodish|DT}}

{{NFLplayer|93|Trevor Pryce|rookie=y|DT}}

{{NFLplayer|99|David Richie|rookie=y|DT}}

{{NFLplayer|90|Neil Smith|d=American football|DE}}

{{NFLplayer|98|Maa Tanuvasa|DT}}

{{NFLplayer|94|Keith Traylor|NT}}

{{NFLplayer|91|Alfred Williams|DE}}

| linebackers =

{{NFLplayer|57|Allen Aldridge|MLB}}

{{NFLplayer|56|Keith Burns|d=American football player|MLB}}

{{NFLplayer|59|Glenn Cadrez|OLB}}

{{NFLplayer|50|Jon Hesse|rookie=y|OLB}}

{{NFLplayer|51|John Mobley|OLB}}

{{NFLplayer|53|Bill Romanowski|OLB}}

{{NFLplayer|58|Steve Russ|OLB}}

| defensive_back =

{{NFLplayer|27|Steve Atwater|FS}}

{{NFLplayer|34|Tyrone Braxton|SS}}

{{NFLplayer|39|Ray Crockett|CB}}

{{NFLplayer|33|Dedrick Dodge|FS}}

{{NFLplayer|23|Darrien Gordon|CB/PR}}

{{NFLplayer|21|Randy Hilliard|CB}}

{{NFLplayer|25|Darrius Johnson|CB}}

{{NFLplayer|26|Tim McKyer|CB}}

{{NFLplayer|32|Tony Veland|SS}}

| special_teams =

{{NFLplayer| 1|Jason Elam|K}}

{{NFLplayer|16|Tom Rouen|P}}

| reserve_lists =

{{NFLplayer|79|Jumpy Geathers|DT|IR}}

{{NFLplayer|20|Tory James|CB|IR}}

{{NFLplayer|60|K. C. Jones|d=American football|rookie=y|C|IR}}

{{NFLplayer|24|Selwyn Jones|CB|IR}}

{{NFLplayer|78|Matt Lepsis|rookie=y|T|NF-Inj.}}

| practice_squad =

{{NFLplayer|--|Chris Banks|d=American football|G}}

{{NFLplayer|55|Hillary Butler|LB}}

{{NFLplayer|48|George Coghill|d=American football|rookie=y|S}}

{{NFLplayer|82|David Gamble|d=American football|WR}}

{{NFLplayer|--|Randy Bierman|T}}

53 active, 5 inactive, 5 practice squad

}}

{{cite web |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/den/1997_roster.htm |title=1997 Denver Broncos starters and roster |work=Pro-Football-Reference.com |access-date=November 20, 2014 }}

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{{1997 AFC West standings}}

{{Main|1997–98_NFL_playoffs#AFC:_Denver_Broncos_42,_Jacksonville_Jaguars_17}}

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In the 1997 AFC Wildcard Playoff weekend, the Broncos were paired against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Broncos viewed this game as a chance to avenge the previous season's Divisional Playoff loss of 30–27 to the Jaguars, an early exit in a year the Broncos were favored to win the Super Bowl. Ultimately, 21 unanswered 4th quarter points saw the Broncos seize the win and a playoff berth against the Division Champion Kansas City Chiefs. Broncos go to the Divisional Round and win to the Chiefs 14-10. Win in the AFC Championship Game to the Steelers 24-21. And in Super Bowl XXXII Win to the Green Bay Packers 31-24.

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{{AFB game box end}} Broncos go to the AFC Championship Game and win to the Steelers 24-21. And win Super Bowl XXXII to the Packers 31-24.

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{{AFB game box end}} Broncos go to Super Bowl XXXII to the Packers and

win 31-24.

{{Main|Super Bowl XXXII}}

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|Location=Qualcomm Stadium

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{{AFB game box end}} Broncos win and in 1998 finished 14-2 to win Super Bowl XXXIII to the Falcons 34-19.

• Terrell Davis, Super Bowl MVP{{Cite web |title=Super Bowl MVPs - Super Bowl History - National Football League |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/superbowl/history/mvps |access-date=2025-01-20 |website=ESPN.com}}
• John Elway, Franchise Record, Most Touchdowns in One Season, 27 Touchdown Passes NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, NY, {{ISBN|0-7611-2480-2}}, p. 44{{Cite web |title=Denver Broncos Single-Season Passing Leaders |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/den/single-season-passing.htm |access-date=2025-03-08 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}

{{Reflist}}

• [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/den/1997.htm] at Pro-Football-Reference.com

{{Super Bowl champions}}

{{Denver Broncos}}

{{Denver Broncos seasons}}

{{Super Bowl XXXII}}

{{1997 NFL season by team}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:1997 Denver Broncos Season}}

Category:Denver Broncos seasons

Category:American Football Conference championship seasons

Category:Super Bowl champion seasons

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