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1997 Philadelphia Eagles season

{{short description|NFL team season}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2013}}

{{Infobox NFL season

| team = Philadelphia Eagles

| year = 1997

| record = 6–9–1

| division_place = 3rd NFC East

| coach = Ray Rhodes

| owner = Jeffrey Lurie

| stadium = Veterans Stadium

| playoffs = Did not qualify

| pro_bowlers = WR Irving Fryar

| shortnavlink = Eagles seasons

}}

The 1997 Philadelphia Eagles season was the franchise's 65th season in the National Football League. The team failed to improve on their previous output of 10–6, going only 6–9–1 and failing to reach the playoffs for the first time in three seasons. This was the season where the team was sponsored by the "Starters" brand.

Lowlights of the 1997 campaign include a disheartening one-point loss at Dallas in week 3, where starter Ty Detmer led the Birds on a potential game-winning drive late in regulation, only to see holder Tommy Hutton botch the hold on what would have been the deciding field goal from ex-Cowboys kicker Chris Boniol. In Week 7, the Eagles lost their first-ever game against the three-season-old Jacksonville Jaguars, and on November 10, in a Monday Night Football 24–12 home loss against San Francisco, a fan was spotted firing a flare gun in the upper deck. Six days later, at Memorial Stadium, the Eagles and Ravens engaged in a 10–10 tie. This was Eagles' first tie since 1986 against the Cardinals.

One bright spot during the year came on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, when second-year Bobby Hoying stepped in under center and threw for a career-high 313 yards and four touchdowns in a 44–42 win against the Cincinnati Bengals.

The 1997 campaign was notable in that it ended a 13-year radio partnership between broadcasters Merrill Reese and former Eagle Stan Walters on 94 WIP. Mike Quick became the color commentator the following season.

Offseason

= NFL draft =

{{main|1997 NFL draft}}

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

! colspan=6 style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Philadelphia Eagles|year=1997|border=2}}"| 1997 Philadelphia Eagles draft

RoundSelectionPlayerPositionCollege
align=center

! 1

25

| Jon Harris

DEVirginia
align=center

! 2

57

| James Darling

LBWashington State
align=center

! 3

71

| Duce Staley

RBSouth Carolina
align=center

! 4

119

| Damien Robinson

FSIowa
align=center

!rowspan="2"| 5

! 152

| N. D. Kalu

DERice
align=center

! 155

| Luther Broughton

TEFurman
align=center

!rowspan="2"| 6

190

| Antwuan Wyatt

WRBethune-Cookman
align=center

! 198

| Ed Jasper

DTTexas A&M
align=center

!rowspan="5"| 7

207

| Koy Detmer

QBColorado
align=center

! 225

| Byron Capers

DBFlorida State
align=center

! 227

| Deauntae Brown

DBCentral State (OH)

Staff

{{NFL final staff

| year = 1997

| team = Philadelphia Eagles

| front_office =

| head_coach =

| offensive =

| defensive =

| special_teams =

| strength =

}}

Roster

{{NFL season roster

| year = 1997

| team = Philadelphia Eagles

| quarterbacks =

{{NFLplayer|14|Ty Detmer}}

{{NFLplayer| 7|Bobby Hoying}}

{{NFLplayer| 9|Rodney Peete}}

| running_backs =

{{NFLplayer|30|Charlie Garner}}

{{NFLplayer|28|Mel Gray|d=return specialist|PR}}

{{NFLplayer|22|Duce Staley|rookie=y|KR}}

{{NFLplayer|34|Kevin Turner|d=running back|FB}}

{{NFLplayer|32|Ricky Watters}}

| wide_receivers =

{{NFLplayer|86|Russell Copeland}}

{{NFLplayer|80|Irving Fryar}}

{{NFLplayer|82|Chris T. Jones}}

{{NFLplayer|84|Freddie Solomon|PR}}

{{NFLplayer|83|Michael Timpson}}

| tight_ends =

{{NFLplayer|87|Jason Dunn|d=American football}}

{{NFLplayer|88|Jimmie Johnson|d=American football}}

{{NFLplayer|89|Chad Lewis}}

| offensive_linemen =

{{NFLplayer|62|Ian Beckles|G}}

{{NFLplayer|76|Barrett Brooks|T}}

{{NFLplayer|73|Jerry Crafts|G}}

{{NFLplayer|75|Troy Drake|T}}

{{NFLplayer|61|Steve Everitt|C}}

{{NFLplayer|64|Sean Love|G}}

{{NFLplayer|71|Jermane Mayberry|T}}

{{NFLplayer|65|Bubba Miller|C/G}}

{{NFLplayer|72|Joe Panos|G}}

| defensive_linemen =

{{NFLplayer|95|Richard Dent|DE}}

{{NFLplayer|97|Rhett Hall|DT}}

{{NFLplayer|90|Jon Harris|d=American football|rookie=y|DE}}

{{NFLplayer|74|Ed Jasper|rookie=y|DT}}

{{NFLplayer|79|Greg Jefferson|DE}}

{{NFLplayer|98|Jimmie Jones|DT}}

{{NFLplayer|53|N. D. Kalu|rookie=y|DE}}

{{NFLplayer|59|Mike Mamula|DE}}

{{NFLplayer|78|Hollis Thomas|DT}}

{{NFLplayer|96|Al Wallace|rookie=y|DE}}

| linebackers =

{{NFLplayer|93|Darion Conner|OLB}}

{{NFLplayer|57|James Darling|d=American football|rookie=y|OLB}}

{{NFLplayer|55|Ray Farmer|OLB}}

{{NFLplayer|58|DeShawn Fogle|rookie=y|OLB}}

{{NFLplayer|54|Jeff Herrod|MLB}}

{{NFLplayer|51|William Thomas|d=linebacker|OLB}}

{{NFLplayer|50|James Willis|d=American football|MLB}}

| defensive_back =

{{NFLplayer|25|Willie Clark|d=American football|CB}}

{{NFLplayer|20|Brian Dawkins|FS}}

{{NFLplayer|38|Charles Dimry|CB}}

{{NFLplayer|43|Randy Kinder|CB}}

{{NFLplayer|24|Tim McTyer|rookie=y|CB}}

{{NFLplayer|45|Matt Stevens|d=safety|SS}}

{{NFLplayer|23|Troy Vincent|CB}}

{{NFLplayer|36|Mike Zordich|SS}}

| special_teams =

{{NFLplayer|18|Chris Boniol|K}}

{{NFLplayer| 4|Tom Hutton|d=American football|P}}

{{NFLplayer|68|Morris Unutoa|LS}}

| reserve_lists =

{{NFLplayer|77|Richard Cooper|d=American football|T|IR}}

{{NFLplayer|10|Koy Detmer|rookie=y|QB|IR}}

{{NFLplayer|47|Charles Emanuel|rookie=y|S|IR}}

{{NFLplayer|46|Fred Ford|d=defensive back|CB|IR}}

{{NFLplayer|48|Andre President|TE|IR}}

{{NFLplayer|56|Darrin Smith|LB|IR}}

{{NFLplayer|21|Bobby Taylor|d=American football|CB|IR}}

{{NFLplayer|39|Corey Walker|rookie=y|RB|IR}}

{{NFLplayer|85|Antwuan Wyatt|rookie=y|WR|IR}}

53 active, 9 inactive, 2 practice squad

| practice_squad =

{{NFLplayer|63|Patrick Augafa|rookie=y|C}}

{{NFLplayer|26|Anthony Rice|rookie=y|CB}}

}}

Regular season

= Schedule =

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Philadelphia Eagles|year=1997|border=2}}"| Week

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Philadelphia Eagles|year=1997|border=2}}"| Date

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Philadelphia Eagles|year=1997|border=2}}"| Opponent

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Philadelphia Eagles|year=1997|border=2}}"| Result

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Philadelphia Eagles|year=1997|border=2}}"| Record

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Philadelphia Eagles|year=1997|border=2}}"| Attendance

style="background: #fcc"

! 1

| August 31, 1997

| at New York Giants

| L 31–17

| 0–1

| 77,344

style="background: #cfc"

! 2

| September 7, 1997

| Green Bay Packers

| W 10–9

| 1–1

| 66,803

style="background: #fcc"

! 3

| September 15, 1997

| at Dallas Cowboys

| L 21–20

| 1–2

| 63,942

4

| colspan="5" style="text-align:center;"| Bye

style="background: #fcc"

! 5

| September 28, 1997

| at Minnesota Vikings

| L 28–19

| 1–3

| 55,149

style="background: #cfc"

! 6

| October 5, 1997

| Washington Redskins

| W 24–10

| 2–3

| 67,008

style="background: #fcc"

! 7

| October 12, 1997

| at Jacksonville Jaguars

| L 38–21

| 2–4

| 69,150

style="background: #cfc"

! 8

| October 19, 1997

| Arizona Cardinals

| W 13–10 {{small|(OT)}}

| 3–4

| 66,860

style="background: #cfc"

! 9

| October 26, 1997

| Dallas Cowboys

| W 13–12

| 4–4

| 67,106

style="background: #fcc"

! 10

| November 2, 1997

| at Arizona Cardinals

| L 31–21

| 4–5

| 39,549

style="background: #fcc"

! 11

| November 10, 1997

| San Francisco 49ers

| L 24–12

| 4–6

| 67,133

style="background: #ffc"

! 12

| November 16, 1997

| at Baltimore Ravens

| T 10–10 {{small|(OT)}}

| 4–6–1

| 63,546

style="background: #cfc"

! 13

| November 23, 1997

| Pittsburgh Steelers

| W 23–20

| 5–6–1

| 67,166

style="background: #cfc"

! 14

| November 30, 1997

| Cincinnati Bengals

| W 44–42

| 6–6–1

| 66,623

style="background: #fcc"

! 15

| December 7, 1997

| New York Giants

| L 31–21

| 6–7–1

| 67,084

style="background: #fcc"

! 16

| December 14, 1997

| at Atlanta Falcons

| L 20–17

| 6–8–1

| 42,866

style="background: #fcc"

! 17

| December 21, 1997

| at Washington Redskins

| L 35–32

| 6–9–1

| 75,939

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

= Standings =

{{1997 NFC East standings}}

Notes

{{reflist|group="note"}}

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

{{Philadelphia Eagles}}

{{Philadelphia Eagles seasons}}

{{1997 NFL season by team}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:1997 Philadelphia Eagles season}}

Category:Philadelphia Eagles seasons

Philadelphia Eagles

Philadelphia Eagles