1997 San Francisco 49ers season

Offseason

NFL draft

Main article: 1997 NFL draft

Undrafted free agents

Personnel

Staff

• Owner – Edward J. DeBartolo, Jr.

• President – Carmen Policy

• Vice-president/Director of Football Operations – Dwight Clark

• Director of player personnel – Vinny Cerrato

• Head coach – Steve Mariucci

• Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks – Marty Mornhinweg

• Running backs – Tom Rathman

• Wide receivers – Larry Kirksey

• Tight ends – Patrick Morris

• Offensive line – Bobb McKittrick

• Offensive quality control – Greg Knapp

• Defensive coordinator – John Marshall

• Defensive line – Dwaine Board

• Linebackers – Richard Smith

• Defensive backs – Jim Mora

• Defensive assistant – Bill McPherson

• Defensive quality control – Jaime Hill

• Special teams Coordinator – George Stewart

• Physical development coordinator – Jerry Attaway

• Strength development coordinator – Michael Barnes

Roster

53 active, 5 inactive, 3 practice squad

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 the previous 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, discussed retirement.

Young eventually came back, as did Rice for quarters in the second-to-last game of the season (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

Game summaries

Week 1: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Steve Mariucci's debut game as 49ers head coach did not go well as Steve Young was sacked by Warren Sapp on San Francisco's first drive and was benched due to injury for Jeff Brohm until the fourth quarter. Brohm made no difference in the 13–6 Bucs win. Jerry Rice’s season all but ended in injury after four catches for 38 yards.

Week 2: at St. Louis Rams

Jim Druckenmiller started for Young as the Niners entered the TWA Dome. The Rams scored first on a field goal while San Francisco's first drive saw a missed attempt; Druckenmiller completed only ten passes (on 28 throws) and three of them were on this drive but later in the second he completed a 25-yard touchdown (it would be the only touchdown of his NFL career). The Rams led 12–7 on four Jeff Wilkins field goals until after a Lawrence Phillips fumble with 12 minutes remaining, when Garrison Hearst burst in a 35-yard Niners score on the resulting San Francisco possession. The Rams failed on fourth down in the final five minutes to seal the 15–12 Niners win.

Week 3: vs. New Orleans Saints

The Niners' first home game of the year was another win over the Saints, who were led this time by ex-Bears coach Mike Ditka. Despite being sacked five times Steve Young completed eighteen passes for 220 yards and three touchdowns. Saints quarterbacks threw a combined six interceptions in the game.

Week 4: vs. Atlanta Falcons

Young again blew past 30 points scored as the Niners routed the Falcons 34–7. Young completed 17 of 24 passes for 336 yards and two touchdowns, one a 56-yarder to Terrell Owens.

Week 5: vs. Carolina Panthers

After just one win in four career games against the Panthers in Carolina's first two seasons, the Niners upended the slumping Panthers 34–21. The Niners jumped to a 27–7 lead as they intercepted Kerry Collins three times.

Week 7: vs. St. Louis Rams

The Niners crushed the Rams at 3Com Park 30–10 as they held Tony Banks to just nine completions while sacking him four times.

Week 8: at Atlanta Falcons

A week after getting their first win of the season (against New Orleans) the Falcons hosted the Niners and their first drive ended in a 27-yard touchdown throw by Jamal Anderson to Bert Emanuel. The Niners scored three straight touchdowns and kept answering ensuing Falcons touchdowns with more of their own. With the score 35–28 San Francisco, the Falcons attempted an onside kick but the Niners recovered and won the game.

Week 9:at New Orleans Saints

The Niners traveled 470 miles southwest to the Superdome and flustered the 2–6 Saints yet again. Three Saints quarterbacks could only muster 109 yards with a pick and a fumble as the Niners rolled 23–0.

Week 10: vs. Dallas Cowboys

The playoff-level intensity of the 1992–96 period was gone as the faltering Cowboys limped into 3Com Park at 4–4 and led in the third quarter 10–7, but the surging Niners scored ten more points and then intercepted Troy Aikman in the game's final minute on a pass intended for Stepfret Williams. The 17–10 Niners win would in essence be a last hurrah for the rivalry that had dominated the league earlier in the decade. It was also the 49ers' last win over the Cowboys at home until 2022.

Week 11: at Philadelphia Eagles

The Niners traveled to Veterans Stadium and won 24–12, snaring three Eagles turnovers and scoring on a Merton Hanks fumble return and a Chuck Levy punt return.

Week 12: vs. Carolina Panthers

The Niners picked off Kerry Collins three more times and held the Panthers under 260 total yards as they reached ten straight wins 23–19.

Week 13: vs. San Diego Chargers

The collapse of San Diego's season after a 4–4 start continued as only a Paul Bradford fumble-return score marred San Francisco's 17–10 win.

Week 14: at Kansas City Chiefs

Three years after their loss to Joe Montana at Arrowhead Stadium, the Niners were crushed 44–9 as Rich Gannon threw three touchdowns and Steve Young threw three interceptions, and Jeff Brohm threw a pick-six.

Week 15: vs. Minnesota Vikings

Steve Young rebounded with two touchdowns in a 28–17 win over the Vikings. In a harbinger of the Vikings' subsequent season, Randall Cunningham played the whole game and had two touchdowns.

Week 16: vs. Denver Broncos

The Niners reached thirteen wins by crushing the Super Bowl-bound Denver Broncos 34–17. The Broncos led 17–14 in the third quarter but after a Niners field goal John Elway was picked off by Merton Hanks and Hanks scored. Another Niners field goal and a fumble-return score by Kevin Greene salted away the San Francisco win. Jerry Rice returned for this one game and had three catches and a touchdown.

Week 17: at Seattle Seahawks

Having secured the top playoff seed, the Niners played all three of their quarterbacks at the Kingdome, and the frustrated Seahawks ended their 8–8 season on a high note as Warren Moon erupted for four touchdowns in only his second career win (38–9) in six games against San Francisco (the other win was a 10–7 win with the Oilers in 1993).

Standings

Postseason

Schedule

Toward the end of the season, things appeared to be going well for the team's postseason prospects. But 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 postseason and did not return to full health before 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 game in 10 years. But not having an elite receiver or solid running back showed glaringly in their loss to the Packers in the conference championship game; Hearst returned, but his injury was still a problem as he only played a few ineffective snaps.

NFC Divisional Game vs. (6) Minnesota Vikings

First quarter

• SF - William Floyd 1-yard rush (Gary Anderson kick). 49ers 7–0
• Min - Cris Carter 66 yard pass from Randall Cunningham (Eddie Murray kick). Tie 7–7 Second quarter
• SF - Terry Kirby 1-yard rush (Gary Anderson kick). 49ers 14–7
• SF - Ken Norton 23-yard interception return (Gary Anderson kick). 49ers 21–7 Third quarter
• SF - Gary Anderson 34 yard field goal. 49ers 24–7
• Min - Cris Carter 3 yard pass from Randall Cunningham (Eddie Murray kick). 49ers 24–14
• SF - Terrell Owens 15 yard pass from Steve Young (Gary Anderson kick). 49ers 31–14 Fourth quarter
• SF - Terry Kirby 1-yard rush (Gary Anderson kick). 49ers 38–14
• Min - Matthew Hatchette 13 yard pass from Randall Cunningham (2 point successful). 49ers 38–22 Vikings
• Randall Cunningham. 18-40, 331 yards, 3 TD, 1 Int
• Cris Carter. 6 Rec, 93 yards, 2 TD 49ers
• Steve Young. 21-30, 224 yards, 1 TD, 0 Int.
• Terry Kirby. 25 rush, 120 yards, 2 TD.
• JJ Stokes. 9 rec, 101 yards

NFC Championship Game vs. (2) Green Bay Packers

First quarter

• GB - Ryan Longwell 19 yard field goal. *** Packers 3–0*** Second quarter
• GB - Antonio Freeman 27 yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick). *** Packers 10–0***
• SF - Gary Anderson 34 yard field goal. *** Packers 10–3***
• GB - Ryan Longwell 43 yard field goal. *** Packers 13–3*** Third quarter no scoring Fourth quarter
• GB - Ryan Longwell 25 yard field goal. *** Packers 16–3***
• GB - Dorsey Levens 5-yard rush (Ryan Longwell kick). *** Packers 23–3***
• SF - Chuck Levy 95 yard kickoff return. (Gary Anderson kick). *** Packers 23–10*** Packers
• Brett Favre. 16-27, 222 yards, 1 TD, 0 Int
• Dorsey Levens. 27 rush, 114 yards, 1 TD 49ers
• Steve Young. 23-38, 250 yards, 0 TD, 1 Int
• Terrell Owens. 6 rec, 100 yards Turnovers
• Packers - 0
• 49ers - 2

The 49ers and Packers met in the playoffs for the 3rd year in a row, and for the 3rd year in a row, the Packers defeated 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 Chuck Levy's 95-yard kick return for a touchdown. But by then, the Packers had a commanding 23–10 lead in the 4th quarter. With the loss, the 49ers finished the year at 14–4. As of 2025, this marks the 49ers last playoff loss to the Packers.

Awards and records

• Steve Young, Led NFL, Passer Rating, 104.7 Rating

References

References

1. "1997 San Francisco 49ers Media Guide".
2. '' NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book'', Workman Publishing Co, New York, NY, {{ISBN. 0-7611-2480-2, p. 450