 The Cowboys thumped the Vikings 40–15 in the first round of the playoffs, then traveled to Carolina, where they lost to the upstart Panthers 26-17 after Irvin and Sanders left the game with injuries.Preseason pundits again put the Cowboys at the top of the NFC in 1997.However, Dallas finished the season with a disappointing 6–10 record as continued discipline and off-field problems became major distractions.