The
1997 season was the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The tea ...
' 28th in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(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
The American Football Conference – Western Division or AFC West is one of the four divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The division comprises the Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Las ...
division champions. The
Rich Gannon
Richard Joseph Gannon (born December 20, 1965) is an American former football quarterback who played 18 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Subsequently, he was a sports commentator with CBS Sports for 16 years.
Gannon was born in ...
–
Elvis Grbac
Elvis M. Grbac (born August 13, 1970) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons, most notably with the Kansas City Chiefs. He played college football at Michigan, where he won the ...
quarterback controversy was a focal point of the team's season.
[Gretz, Bob]
Quarterbacks and controversy
''KCChiefs.com'', November 1, 2006 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
The Super Bowl is the annual American football game that determines the champion of the National Football League (NFL). The game culminates a season that begins in the previous calendar year, and is the conclusion of the NFL playoffs. The winn ...
,
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
, 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
File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...
.
This was the last season that head coach
Marty Schottenheimer
Martin Edward Schottenheimer (; September 23, 1943 – February 8, 2021) was an American football linebacker and coach who served as a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) from 1984 to 2006. He was the head coach of the Kansas City ...
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
Marcus LeMarr Allen (born March 26, 1960) is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the Los Angeles Raiders. Considered one of the greatest goal line and short-y ...
.
Offseason
NFL draft
Personnel
Staff
Roster
Preseason
Regular season
Schedule
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Game summaries
Week 1: at Denver Broncos
Week 2: at Oakland Raiders
Week 3: vs. Buffalo Bills
Week 4: at Carolina Panthers
Week 5: vs. Seattle Seahawks
Week 6: at Miami Dolphins
Week 8: vs. San Diego Chargers
Week 9: at St. Louis Rams
Week 10: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 11: at Jacksonville Jaguars
Week 12: vs. Denver Broncos
Week 13: at Seattle Seahawks
Week 14: vs. San Francisco 49ers
Week 15: vs. Oakland Raiders
Week 16: at San Diego Chargers
Week 17: vs. New Orleans Saints
Standings
Postseason
Schedule
Game summaries
AFC Divisional Playoffs: vs. (4) Denver Broncos
See also
*
Rich Gannon/Elvis Grbac quarterback controversy
References
{{1997 NFL season by team
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The tea ...
1997 Kansas City Chiefs season
AFC West championship seasons
Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...