1978 Kansas City Chiefs season

1978 Kansas City Chiefs season
Owner	Lamar Hunt
General manager	Jim Schaaf
Head coach	Marv Levy
Home field	Arrowhead Stadium
Results
Record	4–12
Division place	5th AFC West
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Pro Bowlers	None
AP All-Pros	None

The 1978 Kansas City Chiefs season was the franchise's 9th season in the National Football League, the 16th as the Kansas City Chiefs, and the 19th overall. It began with the hiring of new head coach Marv Levy, formerly of the Canadian Football League's Montreal Alouettes. With the NFL expanding its schedule to 16 games, the Chiefs finished with a 4–12 record and 5th in the AFC West.

Coach Levy's systematic restocking of a relatively barren defensive roster began with a 1978 draft class that included a pair of future Chiefs franchise hall of famers in defensive end Art Still and linebacker Gary Spani. Running back Ed Podolak, who was the club's all-time leading rusher at the time, retired in the offseason on June 15.

Perhaps Levy's most unconventional tactic in rebuilding the Chiefs was installing the Wing-T offense. "It was a situation where we took over a team that had the worst defensive record in the history of the National Football League," Levy explained. "We wanted to keep that defense off the field, so we ran the ball 60 times a game." The 1978 Chiefs team ran and ran often, posting franchise records with 663 rushing attempts and 2,986 ground yards. Levy's squad ran the ball a staggering 69 times in a 24–23 Opening Day win at Cincinnati on September 3, the most rushing attempts in an NFL contest since 1948. Five different players had 100-yard rushing games during the year, including running back Tony Reed, who finished the season with 1,053 yards to become the team's first 1,000-yard back since 1967. Despite the squad's Opening Day success, the club lost 10 of its next 11 games, including a pair of overtime decisions. However, the team showed signs of improvement with the defense recording a 23–0 shutout against San Diego on November 26 as the club concluded its first 16-game schedule with a 4–12 mark.

Offseason

NFL Draft

Main article: 1978 NFL Draft

1978 Kansas City Chiefs Draft

Round	Selection	Player	Position	College
1	2	Art Still	Defensive end	Kentucky
2	29	Sylvester Hicks	Defensive end	Tennessee State
3	58	Gary Spani	Linebacker	Kansas State
4	85	Daniel Johnson	Linebacker	Tennessee State
4	104	Pete Woods	Quarterback	Missouri
5	112	Jerrold McRae	Wide receiver	Tennessee State
5	118	Dwight Carey	Defensive tackle	Texas–Arlington
5	134	Robert Woods	Wide receiver	Grambling State
7	168	Ricky Odom	Defensive back	USC
7	184	Bill Kellar	Wide receiver	Stanford
8	195	John Henry White	Running back	Louisiana Tech
9	224	Larry Brown	Tackle	Miami (FL)
10	251	Earl Bryant	Defensive end	Jackson State
11	280	Ray Milo	Defensive back	New Mexico State
12	307	Willie Brock	Center	Colorado

Roster

1978 Kansas City Chiefs roster

	Quarterbacks 11 Tony Adams 10 Mike Livingston Running backs 22 Ted McKnight FB 21 Arnold Morgado 32 Tony Reed 42 MacArthur Lane FB Wide receivers 80 Larry Dorsey 89 Henry Marshall 86 J.T. Smith 82 Bill Kellar Tight ends 85 Ed Beckman 81 Tony Samuels 88 Walter White		Offensive linemen 56 Charlie Ane C 65 Tom Condon G 77 Charlie Getty T 60 Matt Herkenhoff T 70 Jim Nicholson T 58 Jack Rudnay C 73 Bob Simmons G 76 Rod Walters G Defensive linemen 75 Sylvester Hicks DE 71 Dave Lindstrom DE 74 Jeff Lloyd DE 61 Don Parrish DT 67 Art Still DE		Linebackers 54 Jimbo Elrod 52 Thomas Howard, Sr. 51 Charles Jackson 64 Whitney Paul 55 Dave Rozumek 50 Clarence Sanders 59 Gary Spani Defensive backs 25 Gary Barbaro FS 48 Ted Burgmeier 41 Herb Christopher SS 44 Tim Collier CB 46 Tim Gray SS 24 Gary Green CB Special teams  7 Zenon Andrusyshyn P  3 Jan Stenerud K		Reserve lists 82 Bill Kellar WR (IRTooltip Injured reserve) -- Pete Woods QB (IRTooltip Injured reserve) Practice squad Rookies in italics

Preseason

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Attendance	Recap
1	August 5	at Green Bay Packers	W 17–14	1–0	Lambeau Field	54,453	Recap
2	August 12	Minnesota Vikings	W 17–13	2–0	Arrowhead Stadium	41,092	Recap
3	August 20	at New England Patriots	L 7–24	2–1	Schaefer Stadium	39,043	Recap
4	August 26	St. Louis Cardinals	L 7–12	2–2	Arrowhead Stadium	40,884	Recap

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Attendance	Recap
1	September 3	at Cincinnati Bengals	W 24–23	1–0	Riverfront Stadium	41,810	Recap
2	September 10	Houston Oilers	L 17–20	1–1	Arrowhead Stadium	40,213	Recap
3	September 17	at New York Giants	L 10–26	1–2	Giants Stadium	70,546	Recap
4	September 24	Denver Broncos	L 17–23 (OT)	1–3	Arrowhead Stadium	60,593	Recap
5	October 1	at Buffalo Bills	L 13–28	1–4	Rich Stadium	47,310	Recap
6	October 8	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	L 13–30	1–5	Arrowhead Stadium	38,201	Recap
7	October 15	at Oakland Raiders	L 6–28	1–6	Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum	50,759	Recap
8	October 22	Cleveland Browns	W 17–3	2–6	Arrowhead Stadium	41,157	Recap
9	October 29	at Pittsburgh Steelers	L 24–27	2–7	Three Rivers Stadium	48,185	Recap
10	November 5	Oakland Raiders	L 10–20	2–8	Arrowhead Stadium	75,418	Recap
11	November 12	at San Diego Chargers	L 23–29 (OT)	2–9	San Diego Stadium	41,395	Recap
12	November 19	Seattle Seahawks	L 10–13	2–10	Arrowhead Stadium	35,252	Recap
13	November 26	San Diego Chargers	W 23–0	3–10	Arrowhead Stadium	26,248	Recap
14	December 3	Buffalo Bills	W 14–10	4–10	Arrowhead Stadium	25,781	Recap
15	December 10	at Denver Broncos	L 3–24	4–11	Mile High Stadium	74,149	Recap
16	December 17	at Seattle Seahawks	L 19–23	4–12	Kingdome	58,490	Recap
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: at Cincinnati Bengals

Week 1: Kansas City Chiefs at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Chiefs	7	10	7	0	24
Bengals	0	9	0	14	23

at Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

• Date: September 3
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Sunny, 75 °F (24 °C)
• Game attendance: 41,810
• Referee: Bob Frederic
• TV announcers (NBC): Jim Simpson and Paul Warfield
• Box score

Game information

First quarter KC – Tony Reed 1-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 1:03. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 18 plays, 83 yards, 9:59. Second quarter CIN – Don Bass fumble recovery in endzone (kick aborted), 10:38. Chiefs 7–6. KC – Ted McKnight 26-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 7:26. Chiefs 14–6. Drive: 7 plays, 55 yards, 3:01. CIN – Chris Bahr 42-yard field goal, 4:58. Chiefs 14–9. Drive: 4 plays, –1 yard, 0:55. KC – Jan Stenerud 19-yard field goal, 0:18. Chiefs 17–9. Drive: 15 plays, 76 yards, 4:32. Third quarter KC – Arnold Morgado 4-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 8:57. Chiefs 24–9. Drive: 10 plays, 59 yards, 4:31. Fourth quarter CIN – Archie Griffin 26-yard pass from John Reaves (Chris Bahr kick), 4:59. Chiefs 24–16. Drive: 8 plays, 60 yards, 2:29. CIN – Scott Perry 25-yard return of blocked punt (Chris Bahr kick), 1:49. Chiefs 24–23. Top passers KC – Mike Livingston – 8/10, 67 yards CIN – John Reaves – 10/24, 159 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers KC – Mark Bailey – 26 rushes, 106 yards CIN – Archie Griffin – 9 rushes, 50 yards Top receivers KC – Walter White – 6 receptions, 57 yards CIN – Archie Griffin – 2 receptions, 37 yards, TD

Week 2: vs Houston Oilers

Week 2: Houston Oilers at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Oilers	3	3	0	14	20
Chiefs	0	10	7	0	17

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

• Date: September 10
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Cloudy, 86 °F (30 °C)
• Game attendance: 40,213
• Referee: Ben Dreith
• TV announcers (NBC): Marv Albert and Ed Podolak
• Box score

Game information

First quarter HOU – Toni Fritsch 33-yard field goal, 9:53. Oilers 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 49 yards, 5:07. Second quarter HOU – Toni Fritsch 49-yard field goal, 8:51. Oilers 6–0. Drive: 12 plays, 35 yards, 6:09. KC – Jan Stenerud 41-yard field goal, 3:53. Oilers 6–3. Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 4:58. KC – Ted McKnight 3-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 1:22. Chiefs 10–6. Drive: 5 plays, 59 yards, 1:12. Third quarter KC – Tony Reed 19-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 9:53. Chiefs 17–6. Drive: 10 plays, 69 yards, 5:07. Fourth quarter HOU – Earl Campbell 1-yard run (Toni Fritsch kick), 14:23. Chiefs 17–13. Drive: 7 plays, 53 yards, 3:43. HOU – Earl Campbell 2-yard run (Toni Fritsch kick), 1:53. Oilers 20–17. Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 4:34. Top passers HOU – Dan Pastorini – 7/12, 47 yards KC – Mike Livingston – 9/14, 60 yards, INT Top rushers HOU – Earl Campbell – 22 rushes, 107 yards, 2 TD KC – Tony Reed – 16 rushes, 141 yards, TD Top receivers HOU – Mike Barber – 1 reception, 17 yards KC – Tony Reed – 4 receptions, 31 yards

Week 3: at New York Giants

Week 3: Kansas City Chiefs at New York Giants – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Chiefs	0	7	0	3	10
Giants	14	6	3	3	26

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

• Date: September 17
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Clear, 70 °F (21 °C)
• Game attendance: 70,546
• Referee: Cal Lepore
• TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg and Merlin Olsen
• Box score

Game information

First quarter NYG – Bobby Hammond 6-yard pass from Joe Pisarcik (Joe Danelo kick), 10:36. Giants 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 71 yards, 4:24. NYG – Johnny Perkins 21-yard pass from Joe Pisarcik (Joe Danelo kick), 1:55. Giants 14–0. Drive: 5 plays, 32 yards, 1:12. Second quarter KC – Ted McKnight 2-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 11:15. Giants 14–7. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 5:40. NYG – Larry Csonka 1-yard run (kick blocked), 0:45. Giants 20–7. Drive: 4 plays, 51 yards, 0:24. Third quarter NYG – Joe Danelo 41-yard field goal, 0:59. Giants 23–7. Drive: 5 plays, 34 yards, 2:15. Fourth quarter KC – Jan Stenerud 24-yard field goal, 12:27. Giants 23–10. Drive: 7 plays, 74 yards, 3:27. NYG – Joe Danelo 40-yard field goal, 1:06. Giants 26–10. Drive: 13 plays, 47 yards, 6:21. Top passers KC – Mike Livingston – 15/28, 171 yards, INT NYG – Joe Pisarcik – 15/25, 175 yards, 2 TD Top rushers KC – Tony Reed – 14 rushes, 114 yards NYG – Doug Kotar – 10 rushes, 79 yards Top receivers KC – MacArthur Lane – 6 receptions, 43 yards NYG – Al Dixon – 4 receptions, 73 yards

Week 4: vs. Denver Broncos

Week 4: Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Broncos	7	3	7	0	6	23
Chiefs	7	3	7	0	0	17

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

• Date: September 24
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Clear, 83 °F (28 °C)
• Game attendance: 60,593
• Referee: Chuck Heberling
• TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones and Len Dawson
• Box score

Game information

First quarter DEN – Riley Odoms 42-yard pass from Craig Morton (Jim Turner kick), 12:06. Broncos 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 64 yards, 2:54. KC – Mike Livingston 1-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 7:53. Tied 7–7. Drive: 7 plays, 53 yards, 4:13. Second quarter DEN – Jim Turner 42-yard field goal, 1:08. Broncos 10–7. Drive: 8 plays, 42 yards, 3:55. KC – Jan Stenerud 46-yard field goal, 0:00. Tied 10–10. Drive: 6 plays, 31 yards, 1:08. Third quarter KC – Tony Reed 15-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 8:47. Chiefs 17–10. Drive: 4 plays, 45 yards, 2:08. DEN – Larry Canada 3-yard run (Jim Turner kick), 2:56. Tied 17–17. Drive: 10 plays, 50 yards, 5:51. Fourth quarter No scoring plays. Overtime DEN – Dave Preston 1-yard run, 4:32. Broncos 23–17. Drive: 13 plays, 60 yards, 6:43. Top passers DEN – Craig Morton – 12/21, 138 yards, TD, INT KC – Mike Livingston – 7/10, 89 yards, INT Top rushers DEN – Larry Canada – 19 rushes, 94 yards, TD KC – Tony Reed – 17 rushes, 79 yards, TD Top receivers DEN – Riley Odoms – 4 receptions, 60 yards, TD KC – Tony Reed – 4 receptions, 53 yards

Week 5: at Buffalo Bills

Week 5: Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Chiefs	6	0	0	7	13
Bills	0	21	7	0	28

at Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

• Date: October 1
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Cloudy, 65 °F (18 °C)
• Game attendance: 47,310
• Referee: Gordon McCarter
• TV announcers (NBC): Marv Albert and Ed Podolak
• Box score

Game information

First quarter KC – Jan Stenerud 42-yard field goal, 6:19. Chiefs 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, 1 yard, 0:56. KC – Jan Stenerud 27-yard field goal, 1:20. Chiefs 6–0. Drive: 6 plays, 47 yards, 3:16. Second quarter BUF – Bob Chandler 20-yard pass from Joe Ferguson (Tom Dempsey kick), 7:52. Bills 7–6. Drive: 7 plays, 40 yards, 2:17. BUF – Terry Miller 8-yard run (Tom Dempsey kick), 2:20. Bills 14–6. Drive: 6 plays, 66 yards, 3:51. BUF – Bob Chandler 22-yard pass from Joe Ferguson (Tom Dempsey kick), 0:49. Bills 21–6. Drive: 2 plays, 63 yards, 0:54. Third quarter BUF – Curtis Brown 22-yard run (Tom Dempsey kick), 4:50. Bills 28–6. Drive: 7 plays, 87 yards, 3:37. Fourth quarter KC – Ted McKnight 41-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 6:16. Bills 28–13. Drive: 5 plays, 71 yards, 1:48. Top passers KC – Tony Adams – 7/12, 80 yards BUF – Joe Ferguson – 15/18, 210 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers KC – MacArthur Lane – 17 rushes, 144 yards BUF – Terry Miller – 18 rushes, 67 yards, TD Top receivers KC – Walter White – 5 receptions, 60 yards BUF – Bob Chandler – 7 receptions, 116 yards, 2 TD

Week 6: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week 6: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Buccaneers	0	10	0	20	30
Chiefs	3	0	0	10	13

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

• Date: October 8
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Sunny, 72 °F (22 °C)
• Game attendance: 38,201
• Referee: Gene Barth
• TV announcers (CBS): Jim Thacker and Roman Gabriel
• Box score

Game information

First quarter KC – Jan Stenerud 25-yard field goal, 13:16. Chiefs 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, 9 yards, 1:38. Second quarter TB – Neil O'Donoghue 22-yard field goal, 6:02. Tied 3–3. Drive: 9 plays, 62 yards, 4:12. TB – Morris Owens 10-yard pass from Doug Williams (Neil O'Donoghue kick), 0:31. Buccaneers 10–3. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 0:45. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter KC – Jan Stenerud 30-yard field goal, 13:37. Buccaneers 10–6. Drive: 14 plays, 62 yards, 7:23. TB – Jimmy DuBose 1-yard run (kick failed, wide left), 7:09. Buccaneers 16–6. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 6:28. TB – Louis Carter 3-yard run (Neil O'Donoghue kick), 4:20. Buccaneers 23–6. Drive: 5 plays, 23 yards, 2:10. KC – Henry Marshall 26-yard pass from Tony Adams (Jan Stenerud kick), 3:06. Buccaneers 23–13. Drive: 4 plays, 24 yards, 1:00. TB – Jimmy DuBose 1-yard run (Neil O'Donoghue kick), 1:58. Buccaneers 30–13. Drive: 5 plays, 47 yards, 1:08. Top passers TB – Doug Williams – 14/23, 226 yards, TD KC – Tony Adams – 15/28, 136 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers TB – Jimmy DuBose – 21 rushes, 75 yards, 2 TD KC – Tony Reed – 12 rushes, 42 yards Top receivers TB – Larry Mucker – 3 receptions, 81 yards KC – Henry Marshall – 5 receptions, 89 yards, TD

Week 7: at Oakland Raiders

Week 7: Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Chiefs	0	0	0	6	6
Raiders	7	7	0	14	28

at Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California

• Date: October 15
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. PDT
• Game weather: Partly cloudy, 65 °F (18 °C)
• Game attendance: 50,759
• Referee: Fred Silva
• TV announcers (KMBC-Kansas City): Jay Randolph and Mike Haffner
• Box score

Game information

First quarter OAK – Mark van Eeghen 3-yard run (Errol Mann kick), 0:00. Raiders 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 70 yards, 5:58. Second quarter OAK – Dave Casper 4-yard pass from Ken Stabler (Errol Mann kick), 4:39. Raiders 14–0. Drive: 4 plays, 50 yards, 2:28. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter OAK – Mark van Eeghen 1-yard run (Errol Mann kick), 7:39. Raiders 21–0. Drive: 7 plays, 70 yards, 4:11. OAK – Charlie Phillips 42-yard interception return (Errol Mann kick), 4:33. Raiders 28–0. KC – Larry Dorsey 16-yard pass from Tony Adams (kick blocked), 1:30. Raiders 28–6. Drive: 8 plays, 69 yards, 2:53. Top passers KC – Tony Adams – 16/29, 133 yards, TD, INT OAK – Ken Stabler – 15/20, 222 yards, TD Top rushers KC – Tony Reed – 12 rushes, 49 yards OAK – Mark van Eeghen – 20 rushes, 76 yards, 2 TD Top receivers KC – Tony Reed – 7 receptions, 91 yards OAK – Cliff Branch – 4 receptions, 76 yards

Week 8: vs. Cleveland Browns

Week 8: Cleveland Browns at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Browns	3	0	0	0	3
Chiefs	3	7	0	7	17

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

• Date: October 22
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Cloudy, 75 °F (24 °C)
• Game attendance: 41,157
• Referee: Jerry Markbreit
• TV announcers (NBC): Jim Simpson and Paul Warfield
• Box score

Game information

First quarter CLE – Don Cockroft 20-yard field goal, 11:06. Browns 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 16 yards, 3:54. KC – Jan Stenerud 21-yard field goal, 3:11. Tied 3–3. Drive: 6 plays, 24 yards, 2:10. Second quarter KC – Arnold Morgado 8-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 2:05. Chiefs 10–3. Drive: 10 plays, 86 yards, 5:22. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter KC – Arnold Morgado 2-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 1:57. Chiefs 17–3. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 5:22. Top passers CLE – Brian Sipe – 7/11, 40 yards, INT KC – Mike Livingston – 8/13, 57 yards Top rushers CLE – Mike Pruitt – 10 rushes, 57 yards KC – Tony Reed – 14 rushes, 97 yards Top receivers CLE – Greg Pruitt – 6 receptions, 34 yards KC – Horace Belton – 1 receptions 22 yards

Week 9: at Pittsburgh Steelers

Week 9: Kansas City Chiefs at Pittsburgh Steelers – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Chiefs	3	0	14	7	24
Steelers	7	13	7	0	27

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Date: October 29
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Sunny, 48 °F (9 °C)
• Game attendance: 48,185
• Referee: Red Cashion
• TV announcers (NBC): Jay Randolph and Paul Maguire
• Box Score

Game information

First quarter KC – Jan Stenerud 25-yard field goal, 12:39. Chiefs 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 2:00. PIT – Franco Harris 1-yard run (Roy Gerela kick), 6:02. Steelers 7–3. Drive: 13 plays, 77 yards, 6:37. Second quarter PIT – Franco Harris 11-yard run (Roy Gerela kick), 9:45. Steelers 14–3. Drive: 13 plays, 83 yards, 7:12. PIT – John Stallworth 23-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (kick failed, wide right), 4:36. Steelers 20–3. Drive: 6 plays, 42 yards, 3:16. Third quarter KC – Ted McKnight 14-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 12:17. Steelers 20–10. Drive: 6 plays, 58 yards, 2:43. KC – Tony Reed 16-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 10:29. Steelers 20–17. Drive: 3 plays, 25 yards, 0:52. PIT – Donnie Shell 17-yard fumble return (Roy Gerela kick), 0:27. Steelers 27–17. Fourth quarter KC – Arnold Morgado 2-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 1:56. Steelers 27–24. Drive: 9 plays, 62 yards, 3:31. Top passers KC – Mike Livingston – 15/28, 148 yards, 2 INT PIT – Terry Bradshaw – 7/13, 109 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers KC – Arnold Morgado – 19 rushes, 74 yards, TD PIT – Franco Harris – 25 rushes, 90 yards, 2 TD Top receivers KC – Tony Reed – 6 receptions, 64 yards PIT – Lynn Swann – 5 receptions, 80 yards

Week 10: vs Oakland Raiders

Week 10: Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Raiders	0	7	0	13	20
Chiefs	0	0	3	7	10

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

• Date: November 5
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Overcast, 69 °F (21 °C)
• Game attendance: 75,418
• Referee: Bob Frederic
• TV announcers (NBC): Jay Randolph and Ed Podolak
• Box score

Game information

First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter OAK – Raymond Chester 4-yard pass from Ken Stabler (Errol Mann kick), 8:05. Raiders 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 44 yards, 4:15. Third quarter KC – Jan Stenerud 42-yard field goal, 8:48. Raiders 7–3. Drive: 13 plays, 45 yards, 6:12. Fourth quarter OAK – Arthur Whittington 25-yard run (Errol Mann kick), 11:22. Raiders 14–3. Drive: 11 plays, 76 yards, 4:59. KC – Tony Reed 14-yard pass from Mike Livingston (Jan Stenerud kick), 6:49. Raiders 14–10. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 2:30. OAK – Mark van Eeghen 1-yard run (kick blocked), 0:10. Raiders 20–10. Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 6:39. Top passers OAK – Ken Stabler – 17/24, 182 yards, TD, 3 INT KC – Mike Livingston – 9/27, 107 yards, TD, 3 INT Top rushers OAK – Arthur Whittington – 26 rushes, 134 yards, TD KC – Arnold Morgado – 16 rushes, 54 yards Top receivers OAK – Dave Casper – 7 receptions, 112 yards KC – Tony Reed – 4 receptions, 38 yards, TD

Week 11: at San Diego Chargers

Week 11: Kansas City Chiefs at San Diego Chargers – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Chiefs	0	6	7	10	0	23
Chargers	6	7	7	3	6	29

at San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California

• Date: November 12
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. PST
• Game weather: Clear, 64 °F (18 °C)
• Game attendance: 41,395
• Referee: Fred Wyant
• TV announcers (NBC): Jay Randolph and Mike Haffner
• Box score

Game information

First quarter SD – Hank Bauer 1-yard run (kick blocked), 3:49. Chargers 6–0. Drive: 9 plays, 53 yards, 5:18. Second quarter KC – Jan Stenerud 39-yard field goal, 8:22. Chargers 6–3. Drive: 9 plays, 59 yards, 4:40. SD – Hank Bauer 1-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick), 1:58. Chargers 13–3. Drive: 12 plays, 68 yards, 6:24. KC – Jan Stenerud 20-yard field goal, 0:01. Chargers 13–6. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 1:57. Third quarter KC – Arnold Morgado 1-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 10:55. Tied 13–13. Drive: 6 plays, 30 yards, 3:13. SD – John Jefferson 46-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick), 5:09. Chargers 20–13. Drive: 2 plays, 52 yards, 0:49. Fourth quarter KC – Arnold Morgado 5-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 5:22. Tied 20–20. Drive: 8 plays, 37 yards, 2:55. SD – Rolf Benirschke 28-yard field goal, 1:27. Chargers 23–20. Drive: 8 plays, 59 yards, 3:55. KC – Jan Stenerud 47-yard field goal, 0:02. Tied 23–23. Drive: 8 plays, 40 yards, 1:25. Overtime SD – John Jefferson 14-yard pass from Dan Fouts, 0:00. Chargers 29–23. Drive: 7 plays, 38 yards, 1:43. Top passers KC – Mike Livingston – 19/28, 224 yards SD – Dan Fouts – 13/20, 188 yards, 2 TD Top rushers KC – Arnold Morgado – 29 rushes, 115 yards, 2 TD SD – Lydell Mitchell – 29 rushes, 144 yards Top receivers KC – Tony Reed – 9 receptions, 91 yards SD – John Jefferson – 7 receptions, 130 yards, 2 TD

Week 12: vs. Seattle Seahawks

Week 12: Seattle Seahawks at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Seahawks	3	7	3	0	13
Chiefs	0	3	0	7	10

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

• Date: November 19
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Overcast, 36 °F (2 °C)
• Game attendance: 35,252
• Referee: Chuck Heberling
• TV announcers (NBC): Marv Albert and Paul Maguire
• Box score

Game information

First quarter SEA – Efrén Herrera 40-yard field goal, 0:44. Seahawks 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 30 yards, 2:54. Second quarter SEA – David Sims 10-yard run (Efrén Herrera kick), 13:56. Seahawks 10–0. Drive: 4 plays, 35 yards, 1:01. KC – Jan Stenerud 20-yard field goal, 0:04. Seahawks 10–3. Drive: 10 plays, 77 yards, 1:49. Third quarter SEA – Efrén Herrera 18-yard field goal, 9:08. Seahawks 13–3. Drive: 10 plays, 61 yards, 5:52. Fourth quarter KC – Ted McKnight 1-yard pass from Mike Livingston (Jan Stenerud kick), 10:09. Seahawks 13–10. Drive: 13 plays, 86 yards, 6:15. Top passers SEA – Jim Zorn – 14/23, 142 yards KC – Mike Livingston – 18/33, 231 yards, TD Top rushers SEA – Sherman Smith – 12 rushes, 84 yards KC – Tony Reed – 15 rushes, 50 yards Top receivers SEA – Steve Largent – 6 receptions, 89 yards KC – Henry Marshall – 4 receptions, 78 yards

Week 13: vs. San Diego Chargers

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

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers	0	0	0	0	0
Chiefs	0	17	3	3	23

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

• Date: November 26
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Rainy, 38 °F (3 °C)
• Game attendance: 26,248
• Referee: Ben Dreith
• TV announcers (NBC): Jay Randolph and Mike Haffner
• Box score

Game information

First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter KC – Jan Stenerud 32-yard field goal, 7:17. Chiefs 3–0. Drive: 6 plays, 18 yards, 2:40. KC – Henry Marshall 29-yard pass from Mike Livingston (Jan Stenerud kick), 1:42. Chiefs 10–0. Drive: 8 plays, 67 yards, 3:09. KC – Larry Dorsey 6-yard pass from Mike Livingston (Jan Stenerud kick), 0:17. Chiefs 17–0. Drive: 7 plays, 47 yards, 0:44. Third quarter KC – Jan Stenerud 37-yard field goal, 11:12. Chiefs 20–0. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 1:23. Fourth quarter KC – Jan Stenerud 35-yard field goal, 11:36. Chiefs 23–0. Drive: 8 plays, 30 yards, 4:05. Top passers SD – James Harris – 15/41, 164 yards, 5 INT KC – Mike Livingston – 13/21, 136 yards, 2 TD Top rushers SD – Lydell Mitchell – 14 rushes, 58 yards KC – Tony Reed – 11 rushes, 104 yards Top receivers SD – John Jefferson – 3 receptions, 43 yards KC – Henry Marshall – 2 receptions, 36 yards, TD

Week 14: vs. Buffalo Bills

Week 14: Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Bills	0	7	3	0	10
Chiefs	7	0	7	0	14

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

• Date: December 3
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Cloudy, 21 °F (−6 °C)
• Game attendance: 25,781
• Referee: Fred Silva
• TV announcers (NBC): Jay Randolph and Mike Haffner
• Box score

Game information

First quarter KC – Ted McKnight 17-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 3:30. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 42 yards, 3:58. Second quarter BUF – Frank Lewis 40-yard pass from Joe Ferguson (Tom Dempsey kick), 4:05. Tied 7–7. Drive: 8 plays, 83 yards, 4:04. Third quarter BUF – Tom Dempsey 22-yard field goal, 4:22. Bills 10–7. Drive: 15 plays, 76 yards, 8:06. KC – Walter White 3-yard pass from Mike Livingston (Jan Stenerud kick), 0:00. Chiefs 14–10. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 4:22. Fourth quarter No scoring plays. Top passers BUF – Joe Ferguson – 14/25, 207 yards, TD, 3 INT KC – Mike Livingston – 12/21, 99 yards, TD, INT Top rushers BUF – Terry Miller – 15 rushes, 57 yards KC – Tony Reed – 16 rushes, 97 yards Top receivers BUF – Frank Lewis – 7 receptions, 126 yards, TD KC – Henry Marshall – 3 receptions, 40 yards

Week 15: at Denver Broncos

Week 15: Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos – Game summary

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

at Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado

• Date: December 10
• Game time: 2:00 p.m. MST
• Game weather: Partly sunny, 35 °F (2 °C)
• Game attendance: 74,149
• Referee: Don Wedge
• TV announcers (NBC): Jay Randolph and Paul Maguire
• Box score

Game information

First quarter KC – Jan Stenerud 23-yard field goal, 7:59. Chiefs 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 28 yards, 3:15. DEN – Lonnie Perrin 4-yard pass from Craig Morton (Jim Turner kick), 3:50. Broncos 7–3. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:09. Second quarter No scoring plays. Third quarter DEN – Jim Turner 38-yard field goal, 8:41. Broncos 10–3. Drive: 9 plays, 49 yards, 6:19. DEN – Riley Odoms 23-yard pass from Craig Morton (Jim Turner kick), 1:34. Broncos 17–3. Drive: 5 plays, 61 yards, 2:17. Fourth quarter DEN – Riley Odoms 29-yard pass from Craig Morton (Jim Turner kick), 5:32. Broncos 24–3. Drive: 6 plays, 91 yards, 1:55. Top passers KC – Mike Livingston – 19/29, 115 yards, INT DEN – Craig Morton – 19/22, 283 yards, 3 TD, INT Top rushers KC – Tony Reed – 13 rushes, 44 yards DEN – Larry Canada – 4 rushes, 61 yards Top receivers KC – Walter White – 6 receptions, 31 yards DEN – Riley Odoms – 7 receptions, 165 yards, 2 TD

Week 16: at Seattle Seahawks

Week 16: Kansas City Chiefs at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Chiefs	3	7	7	2	19
Seahawks	7	13	0	3	23

at Kingdome, Seattle, Washington

• Date: December 17
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. PST
• Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
• Game attendance: 58,490
• Referee: Bob Frederic
• TV announcers (NBC): Jay Randolph and Ed Podolak
• Box score

Game information

First quarter SEA – Steve Largent 57-yard pass from Jim Zorn (Efrén Herrera kick), 9:15. Seahawks 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 90 yards, 1:35. KC – Jan Stenerud 33-yard field goal, 6:16. Seahawks 7–3. Drive: 8 plays, 31 yards, 2:47. Second quarter SEA – Al Hunter 1-yard run (kick blocked), 8:56. Seahawks 13–3. Drive: 12 plays, 85 yards, 4:38. SEA – Al Hunter 55-yard run (Efrén Herrera kick), 5:12. Seahawks 20–3. Drive: 6 plays, 86 yards, 2:00. KC – Arnold Morgado 1-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 1:58. Seahawks 20–10. Drive: 2 plays, 1 yard, 0:23. Third quarter KC – Tony Reed 62-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 7:39. Seahawks 20–17. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 1:33. Fourth quarter SEA – Efrén Herrera 31-yard field goal, 6:47. Seahawks 23–17. Drive: 11 plays, 56 yards, 5:42. KC – Herman Weaver OB in end zone, forced by Ed Beckman for a Safety, 0:15. Seahawks 23–19. Top passers KC – Mike Livingston – 5/19, 66 yards, 2 INT SEA – Jim Zorn – 18/29, 256 yards, TD, INT Top rushers KC – Tony Reed – 11 rushes, 121 yards, TD SEA – Al Hunter – 27 rushes, 133 yards, 2 TD Top receivers KC – Henry Marshall – 1 reception, 40 yards SEA – Steve Largent – 3 receptions, 81 yards, TD

Standings

AFC West
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
Denver Broncos(3)	10	6	0	.625	7–1	8–4	282	198	L1
Oakland Raiders	9	7	0	.563	3–5	5–7	311	283	W1
Seattle Seahawks	9	7	0	.563	4–4	6–6	345	358	W1
San Diego Chargers	9	7	0	.563	5–3	7–5	355	309	W3
Kansas City Chiefs	4	12	0	.250	1–7	4–10	243	327	L2