| Team: | Kansas City Chiefs |
| Year: | 1997 |
| Record: | 13–3 |
| Division Place: | 1st AFC West |
| Coach: | Marty Schottenheimer |
| General Manager: | Carl Peterson |
| Owner: | Lamar Hunt |
| Stadium: | Arrowhead Stadium |
| Playoffs: | Lost Divisional Playoffs (vs. Broncos) 10–14 |
| Shortnavlink: | Chiefs seasons |
The 1997 season was the Kansas City Chiefs' 28th in the National Football League (NFL) and their 38th overall. The Chiefs improved on their 9–7 record from 1996, and finished with a 13–3 record and as AFC West division champions. The Rich Gannon–Elvis Grbac quarterback controversy was a focal point of the team's season.[1] It brewed throughout the entire season and arguably cost the Chiefs a victory in the playoffs. The Chiefs were defeated by division rival and eventual Super Bowl champion, Denver Broncos, in the 1997 playoffs. 1997 was the final season the Chiefs appeared in the playoffs during the 1990s and for the next several seasons, they fell into futility. They did not return to the playoffs until 2003.
This was the last season that head coach Marty Schottenheimer would coach the team into the playoffs, with the loss to Denver in the divisional round 14–10 capping off many years of disappointing playoff struggles. This was also the final season for future Hall of Fame running back Marcus Allen.
See main article: article and 1997 NFL draft. [2]
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pittsburgh Steelers | L 14–28 | 0–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | 72,726 | Recap | ||
| 2 | at New Orleans Saints | L 7–26 | 0–2 | Louisiana Superdome | 55,211 | Recap | ||
| 3 | Carolina Panthers | W 30–10 | 1–2 | Arrowhead Stadium | 76,972 | Recap | ||
| 4 | at St. Louis Rams | L 13–14 | 1–3 | Trans World Dome | 63,936 | Recap |
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 31 | at Denver Broncos | L 3–19 | 0–1 | Mile High Stadium | 75,600 | Recap | |
| 2 | at Oakland Raiders | W 28–27 | 1–1 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | 61,523 | Recap | ||
| 3 | September 14 | Buffalo Bills | W 22–16 | 2–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | 78,169 | Recap | |
| 4 | September 21 | at Carolina Panthers | W 35–14 | 3–1 | Ericsson Stadium | 67,402 | Recap | |
| 5 | September 28 | Seattle Seahawks | W 20–17 | 4–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | 77,877 | Recap | |
| 6 | October 5 | at Miami Dolphins | L 14–17 | 4–2 | Pro Player Stadium | 71,794 | Recap | |
| 7 | Bye | |||||||
| 8 | San Diego Chargers | W 31–3 | 5–2 | Arrowhead Stadium | 77,196 | Recap | ||
| 9 | October 26 | at St. Louis Rams | W 28–20 | 6–2 | Trans World Dome | 64,864 | Recap | |
| 10 | Pittsburgh Steelers | W 13–10 | 7–2 | Arrowhead Stadium | 78,301 | Recap | ||
| 11 | November 9 | at Jacksonville Jaguars | L 10–24 | 7–3 | Alltel Stadium | 70,444 | Recap | |
| 12 | November 16 | Denver Broncos | W 24–22 | 8–3 | Arrowhead Stadium | 77,963 | Recap | |
| 13 | November 23 | at Seattle Seahawks | W 19–14 | 9–3 | Kingdome | 66,264 | Recap | |
| 14 | November 30 | San Francisco 49ers | W 44–9 | 10–3 | Arrowhead Stadium | 77,535 | Recap | |
| 15 | December 7 | Oakland Raiders | W 30–0 | 11–3 | Arrowhead Stadium | 76,379 | Recap | |
| 16 | December 14 | at San Diego Chargers | W 29–7 | 12–3 | Qualcomm Stadium | 54,594 | Recap | |
| 17 | December 21 | New Orleans Saints | W 25–13 | 13–3 | Arrowhead Stadium | 66,772 | Recap | |
See also: 1997–98 NFL playoffs.
| Round | Date | Opponent (seed) | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Card | First-round bye | |||||||
| Divisional | January 4, 1998 | Denver Broncos (4) | L 10–14 | 0–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | 76,965 | Recap | |