NFL 1997

1.       Terrell Davis: Was the Super Bowl MVP of SB XXXII. He ran for the 2^nd most yards in a Super Bowl with 153 and most rushing TDs with three. He had to the go-ahead TD run with 1:45 remaining in the game.

 

He was a consensus All-Pro choice and Pro Bowler.

During the regular season, Davis scored a NFL high 15 rushing touchdowns.

He was second in the league in rushing yards (1,750), yards from scrimmage (2,038) and carries (369).

 He had two 200+ yard games (vs. Buffalo and Cincinnati) and ten of his 15 games played over 100.

In the Broncos Wild Card route of Jacksonville 42-17, TD compiled 184 yards. He scored twice; the second putting Denver ahead 21-0 in the second quarter.

His 4^th quarter TD (his second on the day) gave Denver their 14-10 final margin over top seed Kansas City in the divisional round. He finished with 101 yards on the day.

Denver would win the AFC 24-21 on the road in Pittsburgh behind 138 yards and a score from Davis.

Broncos were 12-4, finishing a game behind Kansas City in the AFC West. They led the NFL scoring over 29 points per game.

Denver would go on to win their first Super Bowl ever 31-24 over the defending champion Packers.

2.       Brett Favre: Was named Co-MVP by the AP, his third straight MVP. He was consensus first team All-Pro and a Pro Bowler. 

He led the NFL in TDs (35) for the third straight season.

 Favre was 2^nd in yards (3,867), 3^rd in rating (92.6), and 4^th in completions (304).

#4 set a career high with five touchdowns against Minnesota.

In the divisional round against Tampa Bay Favre threw for 190 and a TD, and ran in a two-point conversion.

The Packers knocked the 49ers out of the playoffs for the 3^rd straight season. In 1997 it was for the right to go to the Super Bowl.

Favre threw 222 yards and a first half TD that gave Green Bay a 10-0 lead they would never relinquish.

In the Super Bowl, Favre threw for three TDs including the game tying score to Antonio Freeman  less than two minutes into the 4^th quarter. He finished the day 25-42 for 256 yards.

Green Bay won the NFC Central again with 13-3 record; tops in the NFC.

They beat the Bucs 21-7 and the 49ers 23-10 to win their 2^nd straight NFC crown. The Pack were 2^nd in the NFL scoring 26.4 points per game.

3.       Barry Sanders: Was named MVP by AP (co), Sporting News, and the Pro Football Writers.

He became the 3^rd player ever with 2,000 rushing yards in a season. He finished the season with 2,058, the second most ever in season.

His 2,358 yards from scrimmage were most ever in season.

Sanders was 2^nd in the NFL with a 6.1 yards per carry average. He was 3^rd with 14 TDs, and 4^th with 325 carries.

The final 14 games Sanders played were 100 yard rushing efforts, an NFL record.

He also had two 200 yard games including 215 and 2 TDs vs. the Bucs

To get to 2,000 Sanders ran for 184 yards against the Jets. He sealed the 13-10 win with the 2,000 yards  and a 53 yard scamper for good measure.

The Lions finished the season 9-7 and missed the playoffs in a tie-breaker to the Vikings.