1979 Kansas City Chiefs season

1979 Kansas City Chiefs season
Owner	Lamar Hunt
General manager	Jim Schaaf
Head coach	Marv Levy
Home field	Arrowhead Stadium
Results
Record	7–9
Division place	5th AFC West
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Pro Bowlers	1 P Bob Grupp
All-Pros	1 P Bob Grupp (2nd team)

The 1979 Kansas City Chiefs season was the franchise's 10th season in the National Football League, the 17th as the Kansas City Chiefs, and the 20th overall. They improved on their 4–12 record from 1978 to a 7–9 record, but a last-place finish in the AFC West. The Chiefs missed the playoffs for the eighth straight year due to the four other teams ahead of them in their division all finishing with winning records.

Kansas City owned a pair of picks in the first round of the 1979 draft, selecting defensive end Mike Bell and quarterback Steve Fuller. By the season's third game, Fuller had supplanted Mike Livingston as the club's starter.

With Fuller at the helm, the Chiefs owned a 4–2 record after six games, but a five-game midseason losing streak ended the attempt. Despite finishing fifth in the AFC West for a second straight season, Kansas City's 7–9 record was a notable accomplishment considering the fact that the division's other four clubs all posted winning records for a second consecutive season.

The Chiefs closed the season by dropping a 3–0 decision at Tampa Bay on December 16 in one of the most water-logged contests in franchise annals. As both clubs struggled to move the ball under monsoon-like conditions (Kansas City was held to 80 total yards), a field goal late in the fourth quarter by the Buccaneers' Neil O'Donoghue averted the NFL's first scoreless tie since 1943, allowing Tampa Bay to win the NFC Central division championship after a three-game losing streak.

The Chiefs set a dubious NFL record for the season, with the fewest passing yards (1,660, 103.8 per game) in a 16-game season.

Offseason

NFL Draft

Main article: 1979 NFL draft

1979 Kansas City Chiefs draft
Round	Pick	Player	Position	College	Notes
1	2	Mike Bell	Defensive end	Colorado State
1	23	Steve Fuller	Quarterback	Clemson
4	85	Frank Manumaleuga	Linebacker	San Jose State
5	112	Earl Gant	Running back	Missouri
6	140	Spider Gaines	Wide receiver	Washington
7	167	Ken Kremer	Defensive end	Ball State
8	195	Mike Williams	Running back	New Mexico
8	218	Robert Brewer	Guard	Temple
9	222	James Folston	Tight end	Cameron
9	229	Joe Robinson	Offensive tackle	Ohio State
10	251	Mike DuPree	Linebacker	Florida
10	260	Gearld Jackson	Safety	Mississippi State
10	268	Larry Willis	Wide receiver	Alcorn State
11	277	Stan Rome	Wide receiver	Clemson
12	302	Michael Forrest	Running back	Arkansas
Made roster

Roster

1979 Kansas City Chiefs roster

Quarterbacks (QB)  4 Steve Fuller  9 Bill Kenney 10 Mike Livingston Running backs (RB) 35 Horace Belton -- Ben Cowins 23 Earl Gant 34 Wilbert Haslip 22 Ted McKnight FB 40 Mike Williams FB Wide receivers (WR) 80 Johnnie Dirden 89 Henry Marshall 87 Stan Rome 86 J.T. Smith Tight ends (TE) 85 Ed Beckman 84 Al Dixon 81 Tony Samuels

Offensive linemen (OL) 56 Charlie Ane C 79 Larry Brown T -- John Choma G 65 Tom Condon G 77 Charlie Getty T 70 Jim Nicholson T 58 Jack Rudnay C 73 Bob Simmons G 76 Rod Walters G Defensive linemen (DL) 90 Curtis Anderson DE 75 Sylvester Hicks DE 91 Ken Kremer DT 71 Dave Lindstrom DE 61 Don Parrish DT 67 Art Still DE

Linebackers (LB) 57 Jerry Blanton 52 Thomas Howard, Sr. 51 Charles Jackson 54 Frank Manumaleuga 53 Whitney Paul 50 Cal Peterson 55 Dave Rozumek 59 Gary Spani Defensive backs (DB) 25 Gary Barbaro FS 42 M. L. Carter CB 41 Herb Christopher SS 44 Tim Collier CB 24 Gary Green CB 49 Gerald Jackson SS 20 Horace Perkins CB Special teams  1 Bob Grupp P  3 Jan Stenerud K

Reserve 99 Mike Bell DE (IR) 83 Steve Gaunty WR (IR) -- Robert Gaines WR (NF-Ill.) 60 Matt Herkenhoff T (IR) 82 Bill Kellar WR (IR) 21 Arnold Morgado RB (IR) 32 Tony Reed RB (IR) 31 Jerry Reese SS (IR) -- Joe Robinson T (IR) 88 Walter White TE (IR) Rookies in italics

Preseason

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Attendance	Recap
1	August 4	at Green Bay Packers	L 10–14	0–1	Lambeau Field	53,994	Recap
2	August 9	Philadelphia Eagles	W 24–21	1–1	Arrowhead Stadium	33,378	Recap
3	August 18	St. Louis Cardinals	W 20–3	2–1	Arrowhead Stadium	43,214	Recap
4	August 23	at Minnesota Vikings	W 25–0	3–1	Metropolitan Stadium	39,578	Recap

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Attendance	Recap
1	September 2	Baltimore Colts	W 14–0	1–0	Arrowhead Stadium	50,442	Recap
2	September 9	Cleveland Browns	L 24–27	1–1	Arrowhead Stadium	42,181	Recap
3	September 16	at Houston Oilers	L 6–20	1–2	Houston Astrodome	45,684	Recap
4	September 23	Oakland Raiders	W 35–7	2–2	Arrowhead Stadium	67,821	Recap
5	September 30	at Seattle Seahawks	W 24–6	3–2	Kingdome	61,169	Recap
6	October 7	at Cincinnati Bengals	W 10–7	4–2	Riverfront Stadium	40,041	Recap
7	October 14	Denver Broncos	L 10–24	4–3	Arrowhead Stadium	74,292	Recap
8	October 21	New York Giants	L 17–21	4–4	Arrowhead Stadium	44,362	Recap
9	October 28	at Denver Broncos	L 3–20	4–5	Mile High Stadium	74,908	Recap
10	November 4	San Diego Chargers	L 14–20	4–6	Arrowhead Stadium	59,353	Recap
11	November 11	Pittsburgh Steelers	L 3–30	4–7	Arrowhead Stadium	70,132	Recap
12	November 18	at Oakland Raiders	W 24–21	5–7	Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum	53,596	Recap
13	November 25	at San Diego Chargers	L 7–28	5–8	San Diego Stadium	50,078	Recap
14	December 2	Seattle Seahawks	W 37–21	6–8	Arrowhead Stadium	42,160	Recap
15	December 9	at Baltimore Colts	W 10–7	7–8	Memorial Stadium	25,684	Recap
16	December 16	at Tampa Bay Buccaneers	L 0–3	7–9	Tampa Stadium	63,624	Recap
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. Baltimore Colts

Week 1: Baltimore Colts at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Colts	0	0	0	0	0
Chiefs	0	7	0	7	14

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

• Date: September 2
• Game time: 3:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Sunny, 88 °F (31 °C)
• Game attendance: 50,442
• Referee: Jerry Seeman
• TV announcers (NBC): Jay Randolph and Paul Maguire
• Box score

Game information

First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter KC – Ted McKnight 1-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 12:18. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 39 yards, 1:40. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter KC – Ted McKnight 70-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 8:05. Chiefs 14–0. Drive: 3 plays, 79 yards, 1:13. Top passers BAL – Bert Jones – 14/26, 120 yards, INT KC – Mike Livingston – 9/18, 79 yards Top rushers BAL – Joe Washington – 16 rushes, 63 yards KC – Ted McKnight – 10 rushes, 79 yards Top receivers BAL – Joe Washington – 13 receptions, 130 yards KC – Ted McKnight – 4 receptions, 30 yards

Week 2: vs. Cleveland Browns

Week 2: Cleveland Browns at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Browns	10	7	3	7	27
Chiefs	0	0	7	17	24

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

• Date: September 9
• Game time: 3:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Clear, 84 °F (29 °C)
• Game attendance: 42,181
• Referee: Jerry Markbreit
• TV announcers (NBC): Stu Nahan and Paul Maguire
• Box score

Game information

First quarter CLE – Don Cockroft 27-yard field goal, 5:17. Browns 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 64 yards, 4:12. CLE – Reggie Rucker 17-yard pass from Brian Sipe (Don Cockroft kick), 0:44. Browns 10–0. Drive: 7 plays, 64 yards, 1:46. Second quarter CLE – Ozzie Newsome 20-yard pass from Brian Sipe (Don Cockroft kick), 1:16. Browns 17–0. Drive: 6 plays, 77 yards, 1:33. Third quarter CLE – Don Cockroft 32-yard field goal, 3:30. Browns 20–0. Drive: 8 plays, 46 yards, 3:50. KC – J. T. Smith 17-yard pass from Steve Fuller (Jan Stenerud kick), 0:00. Browns 20–7. Drive: 8 plays, 47 yards, 3:30. Fourth quarter KC – Tony Reed 9-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 8:52. Browns 20–14. Drive: 11 plays, 85 yards, 4:20. KC – Ted McKnight 1-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 5:30. Chiefs 21–20. Drive: 7 plays, 32 yards, 2:29. KC – Jan Stenerud 30-yard field goal, 2:19. Chiefs 24–20. Drive: 7 plays, 13 yards, 2:54. CLE – Reggie Rucker 21-yard pass from Brian Sipe (Don Cockroft kick), 0:52. Browns 27–24. Drive: 8 plays, 76 yards, 1:27. Top passers CLE – Brian Sipe – 19/35, 243 yards, 3 TD, INT KC – Steve Fuller – 14/25, 148 yards, TD Top rushers CLE – Mike Pruitt – 14 rushes, 77 yards KC – Ted McKnight – 14 rushes, 44 yards Top receivers CLE – Ozzie Newsome – 6 receptions, 77 yards, TD KC – J. T. Smith – 5 receptions, 65 yards, TD

Week 3: at Houston Oilers

Week 3: Kansas City Chiefs at Houston Oilers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chiefs	0	6	0	0	6
Oilers	7	10	0	3	20

at Houston Astrodome, Houston, Texas

• Date: September 16
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
• Game attendance: 45,684
• Referee: Chuck Heberling
• TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones and Len Dawson
• Box score

Game information

First quarter HOU – Earl Campbell 4-yard run (Toni Fritsch kick), 4:40. Oilers 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 44 yards, 1:28. Second quarter KC – J. T. Smith 55-yard punt return (kick blocked), 14:45. Oilers 7–6. HOU – Tim Wilson 24-yard pass from Gifford Nielsen (Toni Fritsch kick), 7:55. Oilers 14–6. Drive: 5 plays, 70 yards, 2:15. HOU – Toni Fritsch 28-yard field goal, 0:10. Oilers 17–6. Drive: 7 plays, 17 yards, 0:54. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter HOU – Toni Fritsch 23-yard field goal, 8:53. Oilers 20–6. Drive: 13 plays, 65 yards, 5:40. Top passers KC – Steve Fuller – 11/27, 138 yards, 4 INT HOU – Gifford Nielsen – 12/18, 173 yards, TD Top rushers KC – Tony Reed – 11 rushes, 50 yards HOU – Earl Campbell – 32 rushes, 131 yards, TD Top receivers KC – Tony Reed – 3 receptions, 37 yards HOU – Mike Barber – 3 receptions, 66 yards

Week 4: vs. Oakland Raiders

Week 4: Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Raiders	0	0	0	7	7
Chiefs	14	0	7	14	35

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

• Date: September 23
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Sunny, 77 °F (25 °C)
• Game attendance: 67,821
• Referee: Ben Dreith
• TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones and Len Dawson
• Box score

Game information

First quarter KC – Steve Gaunty 19-yard pass from Steve Fuller (Jan Stenerud kick), 6:09. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 70 yards, 7:02. KC – J. T. Smith 88-yard punt return (Jan Stenerud kick), 3:03. Chiefs 14–0. Second quarter No scoring plays. Third quarter KC – Gary Barbaro 70-yard interception return (Jan Stenerud kick), 1:35. Chiefs 21–0. Fourth quarter KC – Arnold Morgado 1-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 5:31. Chiefs 28–0. Drive: 15 plays, 58 yards, 9:35. OAK – Derrick Jensen 1-yard pass from Jim Plunkett (Jim Breech kick), 3:33. Chiefs 28–7. Drive: 5 plays, 46 yards, 1:58. KC – Arnold Morgado 3-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 1:01. Chiefs 35–7. Drive: 1 play, 3 yards, 0:03. Top passers OAK – Ken Stabler – 10/19, 91 yards, 2 INT KC – Steve Fuller – 9/17, 92 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers OAK – Mark van Eeghen – 8 rushes, 35 yards KC – Ted McKnight – 15 rushes, 52 yards Top receivers OAK – Raymond Chester – 4 receptions, 67 yards KC – Tony Reed – 2 receptions, 19 yards

Week 5: at Seattle Seahawks

Week 5: Kansas City Chiefs at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chiefs	0	10	0	14	24
Seahawks	3	0	3	0	6

at Kingdome, Seattle, Washington

• Date: September 30
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. PDT
• Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
• Game attendance: 61,169
• Referee: Fred Wyant
• TV announcers (NBC): Jay Randolph and Paul Maguire
• Box score

Game information

First quarter SEA – Efrén Herrera 38-yard field goal, 12:29. Seahawks 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 47 yards, 2:21. Second quarter KC – Ted McKnight 23-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 13:49. Chiefs 7–3. Drive: 1 play, 23 yards, 0:06. KC – Jan Stenerud 36-yard field goal, 7:16. Chiefs 10–3. Drive: 5 plays, 19 yards, 2:03. Third quarter SEA – Efrén Herrera 20-yard field goal, 4:56. Chiefs 10–6. Drive: 11 plays, 78 yards, 6:28. Fourth quarter KC – Mike Williams 3-yard pass from Steve Fuller (Jan Stenerud kick), 9:03. Chiefs 17–6. Drive: 5 plays, 20 yards, 2:42. KC – Ted McKnight 84-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 1:27. Chiefs 24–6. Drive: 3 plays, 89 yards, 0:25. Top passers KC – Steve Fuller – 8/12, 42 yards, TD, INT SEA – Jim Zorn – 23/38, 187 yards, INT Top rushers KC – Ted McKnight – 12 rushes, 147 yards, 2 TD SEA – Sherman Smith – 12 rushes, 53 yards Top receivers KC – Ed Beckman – 1 reception, 12 yards SEA – Dan Doornink – 10 receptions, 70 yards

Week 6: at Cincinnati Bengals

Week 6: Kansas City Chiefs at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chiefs	0	10	0	0	10
Bengals	0	0	7	0	7

at Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

• Date: October 7
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Sunny and cool, 53 °F (12 °C)
• Game attendance: 40,041
• Referee: Cal Lepore
• TV announcers (KCMO-Kansas City): Jack Harry, Ed Budde, and Nick Monroe
• Box score

Game information

First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter KC – Mike Williams 1-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick) 3:39. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 48 yards, 2:31. KC – Jan Stenerud 46-yard field goal, 0:05. Chiefs 10–0. Drive: 6 plays, 36 yards, 1:40. Third quarter CIN – Ken Anderson 1-yard run (Chris Bahr kick), 5:39. Chiefs 10–7. Drive: 8 plays, 37 yards, 3:21. Fourth quarter No scoring plays. Top passers KC – Steve Fuller – 7/12, 118 yards CIN – Ken Anderson – 12/23, 100 yards Top rushers KC – Ted McKnight – 14 rushes, 41 yards CIN – Pete Johnson – 15 rushes, 41 yards Top receivers KC – Tony Reed – 3 receptions, 76 yards CIN – Don Bass – 3 receptions, 41 yards

Week 7: vs. Denver Broncos

Week 7: Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Broncos	3	7	7	7	24
Chiefs	0	0	0	10	10

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

• Date: October 14
• Game time: 3:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Overcast, 59 °F (15 °C)
• Game attendance: 74,292
• Referee: Fred Silva
• TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones and Len Dawson
• Box score

Game information

First quarter DEN – Jim Turner 28-yard field goal, 0:04. Broncos 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 47 yards, 4:21. Second quarter DEN – Bill Thompson 2-yard fumble return (Jim Turner kick), 0:17. Broncos 10–0. Third quarter DEN – Haven Moses 16-yard pass from Craig Morton (Jim Turner kick), 9:46. Broncos 17–0. Drive: 4 plays, 71 yards, 2:18. Fourth quarter KC – Jan Stenerud 44-yard field goal, 9:57. Broncos 17–3. Drive: 6 plays, 8 yards, 1:51. DEN – Rick Upchurch 7-yard pass from Craig Morton (Jim Turner kick), 2:51. Broncos 24–3. Drive: 10 plays, 81 yards, 4:08. KC – Arnold Morgado 1-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 0:56. Broncos 24–10. Drive: 9 plays, 59 yards, 1:55. Top passers DEN – Craig Morton – 17/30, 218 yards, 2 TD, INT KC – Steve Fuller – 8/17, 56 yards, INT Top rushers DEN – Jon Keyworth – 8 rushes, 44 yards KC – Ted McKnight – 5 rushes, 42 yards Top receivers DEN – Haven Moses – 4 receptions, 107 yards, TD KC – Tony Reed – 6 receptions, 36 yards

Week 8: vs. New York Giants

Week 8: New York Giants at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Giants	0	0	14	7	21
Chiefs	3	7	0	7	17

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

• Date: October 21
• Game time: 3:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Sunny, 86 °F (30 °C)
• Game attendance: 44,362
• Referee: Dick Jorgensen
• TV announcers (CBS): Curt Gowdy and Hank Stram
• Box score

Game information

First quarter KC – Jan Stenerud 25-yard field goal, 13:09. Chiefs 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 0:51. Second quarter KC – Arnold Morgado 1-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 11:27. Chiefs 10–0. Drive: 10 plays, 67 yards, 4:20. Third quarter NYG – Earnest Gray 53-yard pass from Phil Simms (Joe Danelo kick), 11:27. Chiefs 10–7. Drive: 3 plays, 43 yards, 0:28. NYG – Billy Taylor 3-yard run (Joe Danelo kick), 1:18. Giants 14–10. Drive: 8 plays, 68 yards, 3:48. Fourth quarter KC – Henry Marshall 38-yard pass from Mike Livingston (Jan Stenerud kick), 3:28. Chiefs 17–14. Drive: 1 play, 38 yards, 0:08. NYG – Harry Carson 22-yard fumble return (Joe Danelo kick), 1:42. Giants 21–17. Top passers NYG – Phil Simms – 12/26, 151 yards, TD, INT KC – Mike Livingston – 22/38, 294 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers NYG – Doug Kotar – 11 rushes, 58 yards KC – Tony Reed – 20 rushes, 106 yards Top receivers NYG – Earnest Gray – 4 receptions, 107 yards, TD KC – Tony Reed – 8 receptions, 103 yards

Week 9: at Denver Broncos

Week 9: Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chiefs	0	0	3	0	3
Broncos	7	7	6	0	20

at Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado

• Date: October 28
• Game time: 2:00 p.m. MST
• Game weather: Sunny, 62 °F (17 °C)
• Game attendance: 74,908
• Referee: Jerry Markbreit
• TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones and Len Dawson
• Box score

Game information

First quarter DEN – Jim Jensen 25-yard pass from Craig Morton (Jim Turner kick), 9:36. Broncos 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:18. Second quarter DEN – Rick Upchurch 5-yard pass from Craig Morton (Jim Turner kick), 11:52. Broncos 14–0. Drive: 4 plays, 12 yards, 2:16. Third quarter DEN – Rick Upchurch 32-yard pass from Jon Keyworth (kick blocked), 9:42. Broncos 20–0. Drive: 3 plays, 63 yards, 1:28. KC – Jan Stenerud 27-yard field goal, 1:54. Broncos 20–3. Drive: 14 plays, 63 yards, 7:38. Fourth quarter No scoring plays. Top passers KC – Steve Fuller – 12/20, 92 yards, INT DEN – Craig Morton – 20/32, 254 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers KC – Tony Reed – 10 rushes, 41 yards DEN – Larry Canada – 5 rushes, 26 yards Top receivers KC – Tony Samuels – 4 receptions, 28 yards DEN – Riley Odoms – 7 receptions, 114 yards

Week 10: vs. San Diego Chargers

Week 10: San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers	10	0	3	7	20
Chiefs	0	0	0	14	14

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

• Date: November 4
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Sunny, 65 °F (18 °C)
• Game attendance: 59,353
• Referee: Jim Tunney
• TV announcers (NBC): Jay Randolph and Paul Maguire
• Box score

Game information

First quarter SD – John Jefferson 13-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Mike Wood kick), 11:21. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 2:34. SD – Mike Wood 31-yard field goal, 2:59. Chargers 10–0. Drive: 12 plays, 71 yards, 6:37. Second quarter No scoring plays. Third quarter SD – Mike Wood 26-yard field goal, 3:03. Chargers 13–0. Drive: 14 plays, 58 yards, 7:32. Fourth quarter KC – Steve Fuller 18-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 14:06. Chargers 13–7. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:57. SD – Clarence Williams 5-yard run (Mike Wood kick), 5:45. Chargers 20–7. Drive: 14 plays, 73 yards, 8:21. KC – J. T. Smith 24-yard pass from Steve Fuller (Jan Stenerud kick), 3:05. Chargers 20–14. Drive: 7 plays, 73 yards, 2:40. Top passers SD – Dan Fouts – 28/44, 236 yards, TD, 2 INT KC – Steve Fuller – 15/26, 170 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers SD – Lydell Mitchell – 13 rushes, 43 yards KC – Tony Reed – 11 rushes, 47 yards Top receivers SD – John Jefferson – 6 receptions, 56 yards KC – J. T. Smith – 4 receptions, 56 yards, TD

Week 11: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Week 11: Pittsburgh Steelers at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	10	10	0	10	30
Chiefs	0	0	3	0	3

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

• Date: November 11
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Sunny, 43 °F (6 °C)
• Game attendance: 70,132
• Referee: Fred Wyant
• TV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui and John Brodie
• Box score

Game information

First quarter PIT – John Stallworth 26-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick), 11:13. Steelers 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 46 yards, 1:41. PIT – Matt Bahr 31-yard field goal, 6:17. Steelers 10–0. Drive: 6 plays, 29 yards, 2:11. Second quarter PIT – Lynn Swann 16-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick), 11:19. Steelers 17–0. Drive: 10 plays, 71 yards, 5:39. PIT – Matt Bahr 20-yard field goal, 0:03. Steelers 20–0. Drive: 19 plays, 64 yards, 6:28. Third quarter KC – Jan Stenerud 42-yard field goal, 9:14. Steelers 20–3. Drive: 8 plays, 35 yards, 3:37. Fourth quarter PIT – Matt Bahr 37-yard field goal, 10:25. Steelers 23–3. Drive: 10 plays, 59 yards, 4:48. PIT – Larry Brown 1-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick), 3:03. Steelers 30–3. Drive: 9 plays, 42 yards, 5:43. Top passers PIT – Terry Bradshaw – 17/29, 232 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT KC – Steve Fuller – 9/20, 89 yards, INT Top rushers PIT – Franco Harris – 20 rushes, 68 yards KC – Mike Williams – 6 rushes, 19 yards Top receivers PIT – John Stallworth – 4 receptions, 88 yards, TD KC – J. T. Smith – 3 receptions, 47 yards

Week 12: at Oakland Raiders

Week 12: Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chiefs	7	3	14	0	24
Raiders	0	7	7	7	21

at Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California

• Date: November 18
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. PST
• Game weather: Clear, 61 °F (16 °C)
• Game attendance: 53,596
• Referee: Jerry Seeman
• TV announcers (NBC): Merle Harmon and George Kunz
• Box score

Game information

First quarter KC – Horace Belton 3-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 6:01. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 51 yards, 3:23. Second quarter KC – Jan Stenerud 41-yard field goal, 12:27. Chiefs 10–0. Drive: 7 plays, 18 yards, 3:18. OAK – Mark van Eeghen 2-yard pass from Ken Stabler (Jim Breech kick), 1:07. Chiefs 10–7. Drive: 11 plays, 60 yards, 3:36. Third quarter KC – Tony Samuels fumble recovery in endzone (Jan Stenerud kick), 6:49. Chiefs 17–7. Drive: 15 plays, 92 yards, 8:11. KC – Henry Marshall 23-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 4:59. Chiefs 24–7. Drive: 1 play, 23 yards, 0:07. OAK – Derrick Ramsey 16-yard pass from Ken Stabler (Jim Breech kick), 0:10. Chiefs 24–14. Drive: 9 plays, 76 yards, 4:40. Fourth quarter OAK – Cliff Branch 3-yard pass from Ken Stabler (Jim Breech kick), 7:28. Chiefs 24–21. Drive: 10 plays, 64 yards, 4:19. Top passers KC – Steve Fuller – 11/15, 122 yards OAK – Ken Stabler – 27/44, 296 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT Top rushers KC – Mike Williams – 28 rushes, 109 yards OAK – Mark van Eeghen – 12 rushes, 38 yards Top receivers KC – Mike Williams – 4 receptions, 54 yards OAK – Dave Casper – 7 receptions, 91 yards

Week 13: at San Diego Chargers

Week 13: Kansas City Chiefs at San Diego Chargers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chiefs	7	0	0	0	7
Chargers	7	7	7	7	28

at San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California

• Date: November 25
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. PST
• Game weather: Sunny, 68 °F (20 °C)
• Game attendance: 50,078
• Referee: Bob Frederic
• TV announcers (NBC): Sam Nover and Bob Trumpy
• Box score

Game information

First quarter KC – Mike Williams 8-yard pass from Steve Fuller (Jan Stenerud kick), 8:58. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 72 yards, 6:02. SD – Charlie Joiner 29-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Mike Wood kick), 4:20. Tied 7–7. Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 4:38. Second quarter SD – John Jefferson 42-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Mike Wood kick), 2:29. Chargers 14–7. Drive: 8 plays, 91 yards, 3:48. Third quarter SD – Bob Klein 8-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Mike Wood kick), 5:05. Chargers 21–7. Drive: 14 plays, 82 yards, 6:26. Fourth quarter SD – Artie Owens 8-yard run (Mike Wood kick), 8:11. Chargers 28–7. Drive: 14 plays, 87 yards, 6:37. Top passers KC – Steve Fuller – 14/22, 144 yards, TD, INT SD – Dan Fouts – 27/43, 350 yards, 3 TD, INT Top rushers KC – Ted McKnight – 9 rushes, 24 yards SD – Clarence Williams – 13 rushes, 63 yards Top receivers KC – Henry Marshall – 2 receptions, 43 yards SD – Charlie Joiner – 9 receptions, 123 yards, TD

Week 14: vs. Seattle Seahawks

Week 14: Seattle Seahawks at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Seahawks	0	0	7	14	21
Chiefs	14	10	6	7	37

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

• Date: December 2
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Sunny, 32 °F (0 °C)
• Game attendance: 42,160
• Referee: Red Cashion
• TV announcers (NBC): Jay Randolph and Paul Maguire
• Box score

Game information

First quarter KC – J.T. Smith 28-yard pass from Steve Fuller (Jan Stenerud kick). Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 68 yards, 3:29. KC – Ted McKnight 5-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 5:43. Chiefs 14–0. Drive: 1 play, 10 yards, 0:10. Second quarter KC – Earl Gant 2-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 14:57. Chiefs 21–0. Drive: 13 plays, 43 yards, 5:33. KC – Jan Stenerud 27-yard field goal, 0:18. Chiefs 24–0. Drive: 8 plays, 40 yards, 4:07. Third quarter KC – Jan Stenerud 31-yard field goal, 11:29. Chiefs 27–0. Drive: 7 plays, 51 yards, 2:23. SEA – Jeff Moore 1-yard run (Efrén Herrera kick), 10:11. Chiefs 27–7. Drive: 5 plays, 69 yards, 1:18. KC – Jan Stenerud 22-yard field goal, 2:41. Chiefs 30–7. Drive: 13 plays, 37 yards, 7:40. Fourth quarter KC – Ted McKnight 3-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 13:18. Chiefs 37–7. Drive: 6 plays, 59 yards, 3:22. SEA – Dan Doornink 1-yard run (Efrén Herrera kick), 10:12. Chiefs 37–14. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 3:06. SEA – Jeff Moore 12-yard run (Efrén Herrera kick), 2:10. Chiefs 37–21. Drive: 3 plays, 20 yards, 0:14. Top passers SEA – Jim Zorn – 22/45, 239 yards, 3 INT KC – Steve Fuller – 10/23, 137 yards, TD Top rushers SEA – Jim Zorn – 2 rushes, 21 yards KC – Earl Gant – 21 rushes, 67 yards, TD Top receivers SEA – Steve Largent – 9 receptions, 120 yards KC – J.T. Smith – 4 receptions, 60 yards, TD

Week 15: at Baltimore Colts

Week 15: Kansas City Chiefs at Baltimore Colts – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chiefs	7	0	0	3	10
Colts	7	0	0	0	7

at Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland

• Date: December 9
• Game time: 2:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Sunny, clear, cold, 43 °F (6 °C)
• Game attendance: 25,684
• Referee: Gene Barth
• TV announcers (NBC): Phil Stone and Mike Lucci
• Box score

Game information

First quarter KC – Ted McKnight 5-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 5:16. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 19 yards, 2:06. BAL – Joe Washington 43-yard pass from Greg Landry (Steve Mike-Mayer kick), 1:17. Tied 7–7. Drive: 3 plays, 47 yards, 0:50. Second quarter No scoring plays. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter KC – Jan Stenerud 43-yard field goal, 11:16. Chiefs 10–7. Drive: 5 plays, 54 yards, 2:08. Top passers KC – Steve Fuller – 11/21, 90 yards BAL – Greg Landry – 16/36, 240 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers KC – Ted McKnight – 14 rushes, 97 yards, TD BAL – Joe Washington – 21 rushes, 51 yards Top receivers KC – Earl Gant – 5 receptions, 33 yards BAL – Joe Washington – 6 receptions, 70 yards, TD

Week 16: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week 16: Kansas City Chiefs at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chiefs	0	0	0	0	0
Buccaneers	0	0	0	3	3

at Tampa Stadium, Tampa, Florida

• Date: December 16
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Rain, 67 °F (19 °C)
• Game attendance: 63,624
• Referee: Jerry Seeman
• TV announcers (NBC): Jay Randolph and Paul Maguire
• Box score

Game information

First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter No scoring plays. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter TB – Neil O'Donoghue 19-yard field goal, 8:50. Buccaneers 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 63 yards, 6:49. Top passers KC – Steve Fuller – 7/13, 46 yards, INT TB – Doug Williams – 5/13, 51 yards, 2 INT Top rushers KC – Earl Gant – 6 rushes, 25 yards TB – Ricky Bell – 39 rushes, 137 yards Top receivers KC – Earl Gant – 3 receptions, 24 yards TB – Jerry Eckwood – 2 receptions, 26 yards

Standings

AFC West
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
San Diego Chargers(1)	12	4	0	.750	6–2	9–3	411	246	W2
Denver Broncos(5)	10	6	0	.625	4–4	7–5	289	262	L2
Seattle Seahawks	9	7	0	.563	3–5	6–6	378	372	W2
Oakland Raiders	9	7	0	.563	3–5	5–7	365	337	L1
Kansas City Chiefs	7	9	0	.438	4–4	7–7	238	262	L1

Awards and records

• Bob Grupp, NFL Leader, Punting, 43.6 average yards per punt