1978 Kansas City Chiefs season

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
	← 1977; Chiefs seasons; 1979 →;

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.^[1]

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.^[1] "We wanted to keep that defense off the field, so we ran the ball 60 times a game."^[1] The 1978 Chiefs team ran and ran often, posting franchise records with 663 rushing attempts and 2,986 ground yards.^[1] 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.^[1] 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.^[1] 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.^[1]

Offseason

NFL Draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	College
1978 Kansas City Chiefs draft
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	Cornerback	USC
7	184	Bill Kellar	Wide receiver	Stanford
8	195	John Henry White	Running back	Louisiana Tech
9	224	Larry Brown	Offensive tackle	Miami (FL)
10	251	Earl Bryant	Defensive end	Jackson State
11	280	Ray Milo	Safety	New Mexico State
12	307	Willie Brock	Center	Colorado
Made roster * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

Roster

**1978 Kansas City Chiefs roster**
Quarterbacks (QB) 11 Tony Adams 10 Mike Livingston Running backs (RB) 39 Mark Bailey FB 42 MacArthur Lane FB 22 Ted McKnight FB 21 Arnold Morgado 34 Eddie Payton 32 Tony Reed Wide receivers (WR) 80 Larry Dorsey 89 Henry Marshall 83 Jerrold McRae 86 J.T. Smith Tight ends (TE) 85 Ed Beckman 81 Tony Samuels 88 Walter White		Offensive linemen (OL) 56 Charlie Ane C 79 Larry Brown T 65 Tom Condon G 77 Charlie Getty T 60 Matt Herkenhoff T 58 Jack Rudnay C 73 Bob Simmons G 76 Rod Walters G Defensive linemen (DL) 75 Sylvester Hicks DE 72 Stan Johnson DE 71 Dave Lindstrom DE 74 Jeff Lloyd DE 61 Don Parrish DT 67 Art Still DE		Linebackers (LB) 54 Jimbo Elrod 52 Thomas Howard, Sr. 64 Whitney Paul 55 Dave Rozumek 50 Clarence Sanders 59 Gary Spani Defensive backs (DB) 25 Gary Barbaro FS 48 Ted Burgmeier SS 44 Tim Collier CB 46 Tim Gray SS 24 Gary Green CB 27 Ray Milo S Special teams 7 Zenon Andrusyshyn P 3 Jan Stenerud K				Reserve 40 Ricky Davis SS (IR) 62 Darius Helton G (IR) 51 Charles Jackson LB (IR) 82 Bill Kellar WR (IR) 70 Jim Nicholson T (IR) -- Pete Woods QB (IR) 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

Quarter	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

Quarter	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

Quarter	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

Quarter	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

Quarter	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

Quarter	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

Quarter	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

Quarter	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

Quarter	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

Quarter	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

Quarter	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

Quarter	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

Quarter	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

Quarter	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

Quarter	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

Quarter	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
view talk edit	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