1997 Detroit Lions

The 1997 season marked the Lions qualifying for the playoffs. Bobby Ross replaced Wayne Fontes as head coach. The highlight of the season was Barry Sanders becoming the third player in NFL history to rush for at least 2,000 yards in a season. Sanders shared the 1997 Associated Press MVP Award with Packers quarterback Brett Favre.

As a team, the Lions set an NFL rushing record, gaining 5.51 yards per rushing attempt. The Lions scored 379 points in 1997, the fourth-most of any team in the league.

Regular season
The final game of the regular season, on December 21, was marked by emotional highs and lows. Sanders' 184-yard performance, including a 4th quarter touchdown, gave the Lions a 13-10 win over the New York Jets. However, the crowd was stunned when Lions LB Reggie Brown was injured while tacking Jets RB Adrian Murrell. Brown lay motionless on the Silverdome turf for 17 minutes, briefly losing consciousness. The incident brought back memories of the career-ending injuries of former Lions center Mike Utley in 1991 and Jets safety Dennis Byrd in 1992. CPR saved Brown's life on the field, and emergency surgery allowed him to recover, although he would never play in the NFL again.

NFC Wild Card game
Tampa Bay won their first playoff game since 1979 with quarterback Trent Dilfer's 9-yard touchdown pass to receiver Horace Copeland, running back Mike Alstott's 31-yard touchdown run, and two field goals. Their defense limited Lions quarterback Scott Mitchell to just 10 of 25 completions for 78 yards.

Awards and honors

 * Barry Sanders, All-Pro
 * Barry Sanders, NFC Pro Bowl Selection
 * Barry Sanders, NFL MVP