1997 Jacksonville Jaguars season

The 1997 Jacksonville Jaguars season was the franchise's 3rd season in the National Football League and the 3rd under head coach Tom Coughlin. The team looked to reach the AFC Championship for the second straight year following a surprising run in 1996. The Jaguars improved upon their previous 9-7 record and won 11 games. They made the playoffs as a wild card team, playing the Denver Broncos on the road for the second straight year. This time they lost to the Broncos 42–17, bringing the Jaguars’ season to an end.

The team also made a couple of changes to the uniforms. They changed the numbers to new font style numbers and added black side panels to the uniforms. During the offseason, the team had changed the font style numbers on the jerseys to a skinnier style with a black drop shadow in the back of the numbers. During the team's 1997 preseason games there were several complaints that the announcers and the viewers had a hard time recognizing the numbers on the players, so the team decided to make the jersey numbers wider and removed the drop shadow numbers by the beginning of the regular season.

Schedule
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

AFC Wild Card Playoffs: vs (4) Denver Broncos
After upsetting the Broncos in the playoffs in the previous year, the Jaguars fell short in the re-match. John Elway lead the Broncos to a 42–17 win over the visiting Jaguars, throwing for 223 yards and a touchdown. Mark Brunell was 18 for 32 for 203 yards, but had no touchdowns on top of an interception. Similar to the year before when the Broncos could not stop Natrone Means and the Jaguars running game, the Jaguars struggled all game to contain the Broncos running attack. Terrell Davis carried 31 times for 184 yards and two touchdowns. Nonetheless, the game was close throughout, as the Broncos led by only 21-17 late in the 3rd. But the Broncos would score 21 unanswered points in the 4th quarter, ending the Jaguars season.

Awards and records

 * Mike Hollis, franchise record (tied), most field goals in one game, 5 field goals (November 30, 1997)
 * Mike Hollis, franchise record, most field goals in one season (tied), 31 field goals
 * Mike Hollis, franchise record, most points in one season, 134 points
 * James Stewart, franchise record, most touchdowns in one game, 5 touchdowns (October 12, 1997)
 * James Stewart, franchise record, most points in one game, 30 points (October 12, 1997)