1997 Washington Redskins season
Introduction


The ** [Washington Redskins](/wiki/Washington_Redskins "Washington Redskins") [season](/wiki/List_of_Washington_Redskins_seasons "List of Washington Redskins seasons")** was the franchise's 66th season in the [National Football League](/wiki/National_Football_League "National Football League") (NFL) and their 62nd in [Washington, D.C.](/wiki/Washington%2C_D.C. "Washington, D.C.") The team failed to improve on their 9–7 record from 1996 and finished 8–7–1, knocking them out of playoff contention for the fifth straight year. This was the Redskins' first season playing in their new stadium, [Jack Kent Cooke Stadium](/wiki/Jack_Kent_Cooke_Stadium "Jack Kent Cooke Stadium"), that would be later called FedExField. In an infamous game with the [New York Giants](/wiki/1997_New_York_Giants_season "1997 New York Giants season") on November 23, 1997, The Redskins missed the potential game\-winning 54\-yard field goal when [Scott Blanton](/wiki/Scott_Blanton "Scott Blanton") shanked the ball wide right, it what would have been a 37\-yard field goal. However, [Michael Westbrook](/wiki/Michael_Westbrook "Michael Westbrook") was called for unsportsmanlike conduct and crazy sequences lead the Redskins to their first tie since 1971\.


What were some of the team's strengths during that season?