NFL GameDay '97 is a sports game in which players can participate in realistic American football matches, utilizing precise controls to execute complex plays and maneuvers. In this game, the setting is the NFL season, featuring all teams, stadiums, and over 1,500 players, with options to simulate season-ending injuries, conduct drafts, and create custom players. It stands out with its advanced gameplay mechanics, including expanded camera control for strategic viewing, highly accurate controls enabling diving catches, one-handed grabs, and dynamic player interactions such as running out of bounds or colliding with coaches, and multiplayer support for up to seven players via multitap.