# 1997 Kansas City Chiefs season

The 1997 season was the Kansas City Chiefs' 28th in the National Football League (NFL) and their 38th overall. The Chiefs improved on their 9–7 record from 1996, and finished with a 13–3 record and as AFC West division champions. The Rich Gannon–Elvis Grbac quarterback controversy was a focal point of the team's season. It brewed throughout the entire season and arguably cost the Chiefs a victory in the playoffs. The Chiefs were defeated by division rival and eventual Super Bowl champion, Denver Broncos, in the 1997 playoffs. 1997 was the final season the Chiefs appeared in the playoffs during the 1990s and for the next several seasons, they fell into futility. They did not return to the playoffs until 2003.
This was the last season that head coach Marty Schottenheimer would coach the team into the playoffs, with the loss to Denver in the divisional round 14–10 capping off many years of disappointing playoff struggles. This was also the final season for future Hall of Fame running back Marcus Allen.

## Offseason
### NFL draft

1997 Kansas City Chiefs draft :
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College |
| 1 | 13 | Tony Gonzalez * $^†$ | Tight end | California |
| 2 | 47 | Kevin Lockett | Wide receiver | Kansas State |
| 4 | 110 | Pat Barnes | Quarterback | California |
| 6 | 163 | June Henley | Running back | Kansas |
| 6 | 195 | Isaac Byrd | Wide receiver | Kansas |
| 7 | 214 | Nathan Parks | Offensive tackle | Stanford |
| Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career ||||||

## Preseason

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap |
| 1 | August 2 | Pittsburgh Steelers | L 14–28 | 0–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | 72,726 | Recap |
| 2 | August 9 | at New Orleans Saints | L 7–26 | 0–2 | Louisiana Superdome | 55,211 | Recap |
| 3 | August 14 | Carolina Panthers | W 30–10 | 1–2 | Arrowhead Stadium | 76,972 | Recap |
| 4 | August 22 | at St. Louis Rams | L 13–14 | 1–3 | Trans World Dome | 63,936 | Recap |

## Regular season
### Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap |
| 1 | August 31 | at Denver Broncos | L 3–19 | 0–1 | Mile High Stadium | 75,600 | Recap |
| 2 | September 8 | at Oakland Raiders | W 28–27 | 1–1 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | 61,523 | Recap |
| 3 | September 14 | Buffalo Bills | W 22–16 | 2–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | 78,169 | Recap |
| 4 | September 21 | at Carolina Panthers | W 35–14 | 3–1 | Ericsson Stadium | 67,402 | Recap |
| 5 | September 28 | Seattle Seahawks | W 20–17 (OT) | 4–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | 77,877 | Recap |
| 6 | October 5 | at Miami Dolphins | L 14–17 | 4–2 | Pro Player Stadium | 71,794 | Recap |
| 7 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 8 | October 16 | San Diego Chargers | W 31–3 | 5–2 | Arrowhead Stadium | 77,196 | Recap |
| 9 | October 26 | at St. Louis Rams | W 28–20 | 6–2 | Trans World Dome | 64,864 | Recap |
| 10 | November 3 | Pittsburgh Steelers | W 13–10 | 7–2 | Arrowhead Stadium | 78,301 | Recap |
| 11 | November 9 | at Jacksonville Jaguars | L 10–24 | 7–3 | Alltel Stadium | 70,444 | Recap |
| 12 | November 16 | Denver Broncos | W 24–22 | 8–3 | Arrowhead Stadium | 77,963 | Recap |
| 13 | November 23 | at Seattle Seahawks | W 19–14 | 9–3 | Kingdome | 66,264 | Recap |
| 14 | November 30 | San Francisco 49ers | W 44–9 | 10–3 | Arrowhead Stadium | 77,535 | Recap |
| 15 | December 7 | Oakland Raiders | W 30–0 | 11–3 | Arrowhead Stadium | 76,379 | Recap |
| 16 | December 14 | at San Diego Chargers | W 29–7 | 12–3 | Qualcomm Stadium | 54,594 | Recap |
| 17 | December 21 | New Orleans Saints | W 25–13 | 13–3 | Arrowhead Stadium | 66,772 | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

### Game summaries
#### Week 1: at Denver Broncos

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Broncos | 3 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 19 |
at Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado
* Date: August 31
* Game time: 3:00 p.m. CDT/2:00 p.m. MDT
* Game weather: Partly cloudy, 82 °F (28 °C)
* Game attendance: 75,600
* Referee: Ed Hochuli
* TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg, Paul Maguire, Phil Simms and Jim Gray
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DEN – Jason Elam 35-yard field goal, 4:30. Broncos 3–0. Drive: 14 plays, 48 yards, 6:12.
Second quarter
DEN – Jason Elam 36-yard field goal, 6:09. Broncos 6–0. Drive: 16 plays, 77 yards, 8:38.
DEN – Jason Elam 25-yard field goal, 0:13. Broncos 9–0. Drive: 8 plays, 83 yards, 1:39.
Third quarter
KC – Pete Stoyanovich 20-yard field goal, 1:24. Broncos 9–3. Drive: 11 plays, 77 yards, 6:04.
Fourth quarter
DEN – Terrell Davis 10-yard run (Jason Elam kick), 12:55. Broncos 16–3. Drive: 6 plays, 49 yards, 3:29.
DEN – Jason Elam 53-yard field goal, 3:44. Broncos 19–3. Drive: 10 plays, 55 yards, 5:31.
Top passers
KC – Elvis Grbac – 14/25, 115 yards, INT
DEN – John Elway – 17/28, 246 yards
Top rushers
KC – Greg Hill – 7 rushes, 92 yards
DEN – Terrell Davis – 26 rushes, 101 yards, TD
Top receivers
KC – Lake Dawson – 2 receptions, 30 yards
DEN – Rod Smith – 5 receptions, 122 yards :

#### Week 2: at Oakland Raiders

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 3 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 28 |
| Raiders | 7 | 3 | 17 | 0 | 27 |
at Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California
* Date: September 8
* Game time: 8:00 p.m. CDT/6:00 p.m. PDT
* Game weather: Partly cloudy, 74 °F (23 °C)
* Game attendance: 61,523
* Referee: Gary Lane
* TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels, Frank Gifford, Dan Dierdorf and Lynn Swann
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
OAK – Napoleon Kaufman 10-yard run (Cole Ford kick), 6:45. Raiders 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 81 yards, 4:50.
KC – Pete Stoyanovich 23-yard field goal, 2:14. Raiders 7–3. Drive: 9 plays, 69 yards, 4:31.
Second quarter
KC – Kimble Anders 5-yard pass from Elvis Grbac (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 8:42. Chiefs 10–7. Drive: 6 plays, 44 yards, 2:59.
OAK – Cole Ford 32-yard field goal, 1:03. Tied 10–10. Drive: 12 plays, 77 yards, 2:49.
KC – Pete Stoyanovich 24-yard field goal, 0:02. Chiefs 13–10. Drive: 6 plays, 83 yards, 1:01.
Third quarter
OAK – Rickey Dudley 37-yard pass from Jeff George (Cole Ford kick), 13:03. Raiders 17–13. Drive: 3 plays, 76 yards, 1:57.
OAK – Rickey Dudley 16-yard pass from Jeff George (Cole Ford kick), 10:23. Raiders 24–13. Drive: 3 plays, 54 yards, 0:42.
OAK – Cole Ford 34-yard field goal, 9:50. Raiders 27–13. Drive: 4 plays, 0 yards, 0:22.
KC – Pete Stoyanovich 23-yard field goal, 5:26. Raiders 27–16. Drive: 8 plays, 61 yards, 4:24.
KC – Darren Anderson 55-yard interception return (pass failed), 1:05. Raiders 27–22.
Fourth quarter
KC – Andre Rison 32-yard pass from Elvis Grbac (pass failed), 0:03. Chiefs 28–27. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 0:55.
Top passers
KC – Elvis Grbac – 21/35, 212 yards, 2 TD
OAK – Jeff George – 19/39, 295 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
KC – Kimble Anders – 5 rushes, 55 yards
OAK – Napoleon Kaufman – 22 rushes, 84 yards, TD
Top receivers
KC – Andre Rison – 8 receptions, 162 yards, TD
OAK – Tim Brown – 11 receptions, 155 yards :

#### Week 3: vs. Buffalo Bills

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills | 0 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 16 |
| Chiefs | 6 | 3 | 0 | 13 | 22 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: September 14
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Clear, 77 °F (25 °C)
* Game attendance: 78,169
* Referee: Tom White
* TV announcers (NBC): Mike Breen and James Lofton
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Pete Stoyanovich 46-yard field goal, 8:20. Chiefs 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 54 yards, 5:03.
KC – Pete Stoyanovich 45-yard field goal, 1:08. Chiefs 6–0. Drive: 6 plays, 30 yards, 2:38.
Second quarter
BUF – Steve Christie 46-yard field goal, 7:49. Chiefs 6–3. Drive: 9 plays, 32 yards, 3:30.
KC – Pete Stoyanovich 42-yard field goal, 1:03. Chiefs 9–3. Drive: 9 plays, 47 yards, 1:07.
Third quarter
BUF – Andre Reed 77-yard pass from Todd Collins (Steve Christie kick), 12:15. Bills 10–9. Drive: 2 plays, 86 yards, 0:48.
Fourth quarter
BUF – Steve Christie 33-yard field goal, 14:29. Bills 13–9. Drive: 6 plays, 57 yards, 1:42.
KC – Tamarick Vanover 94-yard kickoff return (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 14:13. Chiefs 16–13.
BUF – Steve Christie 30-yard field goal, 11:52. Tied 16–16. Drive: 5 plays, 49 yards, 2:21.
KC – Tony Richardson 1-yard pass from Elvis Grbac (kick blocked), 6:55. Chiefs 22–16. Drive: 6 plays, 50 yards, 2:55.
Top passers
BUF – Todd Collins – 22/43, 297 yards, TD, 2 INT
KC – Elvis Grbac – 20/37, 179 yards, TD
Top rushers
BUF – Antowain Smith – 11 rushes, 30 yards
KC – Greg Hill – 17 rushes, 59 yards
Top receivers
BUF – Andre Reed – 4 receptions, 113 yards, TD
KC – Andre Rison – 5 receptions, 75 yards :

#### Week 4: at Carolina Panthers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 7 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 35 |
| Panthers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
at Ericsson Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
* Date: September 21
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Cloudy, 71 °F (22 °C)
* Game attendance: 67,402
* Referee: Dale Hamer
* TV announcers (NBC): Dan Hicks and Jim Mora
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Kimble Anders 55-yard pass from Elvis Grbac (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 0:38. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 58 yards, 1:38.
Second quarter
KC – Andre Rison 18-yard pass from Elvis Grbac (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 9:32. Chiefs 14–0. Drive: 5 plays, 56 yards, 1:30.
CAR – Fred Lane 8-yard run (John Kasay kick), 3:59. Chiefs 14–7. Drive: 5 plays, 49 yards, 2:17.
Third quarter
KC – Marcus Allen 1-yard run (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 6:32. Chiefs 21–7. Drive: 4 plays, 14 yards, 1:21.
Fourth quarter
KC – Tony Richardson 3-yard pass from Elvis Grbac (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 14:19. Chiefs 28–7. Drive: 4 plays, 30 yards, 1:42.
KC – Mark McMillian 62-yard interception return (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 13:42. Chiefs 35–7.
CAR – Wesley Walls 19-yard pass from Kerry Collins (John Kasay kick), 5:46. Chiefs 35–14. Drive: 7 plays, 70 yards, 1:53.
Top passers
KC – Elvis Grbac – 16/29, 224 yards, 3 TD, INT
CAR – Kerry Collins – 24/47, 328 yards, TD, 4 INT
Top rushers
KC – Kimble Anders – 7 rushes, 42 yards
CAR – Anthony Johnson – 11 rushes, 39 yards
Top receivers
KC – Kimble Anders – 4 receptions, 94 yards, TD
CAR – Rae Carruth – 8 receptions, 110 yards, :

#### Week 5: vs. Seattle Seahawks

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Seahawks | 7 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| Chiefs | 0 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 20 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: September 28
* Game time: 3:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Clear, 79 °F (26 °C)
* Game attendance: 77,877
* Referee: Walt Coleman
* TV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui and Jim Mora
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
SEA – Joey Galloway 41-yard pass from Warren Moon (Todd Peterson kick), 8:33. Seahawks 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 53 yards, 1:18.
Second quarter
SEA – Todd Peterson 44-yard field goal, 9:34. Seahawks 10–0. Drive: 14 plays, 61 yards, 8:26.
KC – Marcus Allen 8-yard run (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 5:11. Seahawks 10–7. Drive: 8 plays, 77 yards, 4:23.
Third quarter
KC – Marcus Allen 1-yard run (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 7:03. Chiefs 14–10. Drive: 11 plays, 79 yards, 6:09.
SEA – James McKnight 54-yard pass from Warren Moon (Todd Peterson kick), 5:24. Seahawks 17–14. Drive: 3 plays, 78 yards, 1:29.
Fourth quarter
KC – Pete Stoyanovich 29-yard field goal, 13:14. Tied 17–17. Drive: 13 plays, 58 yards, 7:10.
Overtime
KC – Pete Stoyanovich 41-yard field goal, 1:56. Chiefs 20–17. Drive: 9 plays, 27 yards, 4:33.
Top passers
SEA – Warren Moon – 19/26, 252 yards, 2 TD, INT
KC – Elvis Grbac – 24/38, 274 yards, 3 INT
Top rushers
SEA – Lamar Smith – 12 rushes, 78 yards
KC – Marcus Allen – 19 rushes, 78 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
SEA – Mike Pritchard – 4 receptions, 88 yards
KC – Andre Rison – 7 receptions, 78 yards :

#### Week 6: at Miami Dolphins

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Dolphins | 7 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 17 |
at Pro Player Stadium, Miami, Florida
* Date: October 5
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 84 °F (29 °C)
* Game attendance: 71,794
* Referee: Johnny Grier
* TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones, Bob Trumpy and Randy Cross
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIA – Karim Abdul-Jabbar 10-yard run (Olindo Mare kick), 5:35. Dolphins 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 44 yards, 2:21.
Second quarter
KC – Andre Rison 18-yard pass from Elvis Grbac (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 10:54. Tied 7–7. Drive: 12 plays, 65 yards, 6:09.
KC – Tony Gonzalez 21-yard pass from Elvis Grbac (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 5:40. Chiefs 14–7. Drive: 6 plays, 54 yards, 3:04.
MIA – Bernie Parmalee 7-yard pass from Dan Marino (Olindo Mare kick), 1:11. Tied 14–14. Drive: 9 plays, 95 yards, 4:29.
Third quarter
No scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
MIA – Olindo Mare 29-yard field goal, 5:40. Dolphins 17–14. Drive: 11 plays, 60 yards, 4:34.
Top passers
KC – Elvis Grbac – 23/30, 177 yards, 2 TD
MIA – Dan Marino – 19/31, 259 yards, TD
Top rushers
KC – Marcus Allen – 7 rushes, 25 yards
MIA – Karim Abdul-Jabbar – 17 rushes, 38 yards, TD
Top receivers
KC – Andre Rison – 8 receptions, 86 yards, TD
MIA – O. J. McDuffie – 5 receptions, 86 yards :

#### Week 8: vs. San Diego Chargers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Chiefs | 7 | 17 | 0 | 7 | 31 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: October 16
* Game time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Clear, 61 °F (16 °C)
* Game attendance: 77,196
* Referee: Dick Hantak
* TV announcers (TNT): Verne Lundquist, Pat Haden, Mark May and Craig Sager
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Elvis Grbac 1-yard run (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 3:17. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 62 yards, 2:47.
Second quarter
KC – Andre Rison 10-yard pass from Elvis Grbac (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 6:50. Chiefs 14–0. Drive: 7 plays, 54 yards, 3:49.
KC – Andre Rison 5-yard pass from Elvis Grbac (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 2:21. Chiefs 21–0. Drive: 6 plays, 36 yards, 2:21.
KC – Pete Stoyanovich 45-yard field goal, 0:02. Chiefs 24–0. Drive: 7 plays, 32 yards, 0:41.
Third quarter
SD – Greg Davis 26-yard field goal, 0:37. Chiefs 24–3. Drive: 14 plays, 61 yards, 7:06.
Fourth quarter
KC – Marcus Allen 6-yard run (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 10:34. Chiefs 31–3. Drive: 6 plays, 29 yards, 3:32.
Top passers
SD – Jim Everett – 9/25, 137 yards, 2 INT
KC – Elvis Grbac – 20/40, 235 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
SD – Gary Brown – 12 rushes, 59 yards
KC – Marcus Allen – 7 rushes, 29 yards, TD
Top receivers
SD – Freddie Jones – 4 receptions, 81 yards
KC – Andre Rison – 8 receptions, 86 yards, 2 TD :

#### Week 9: at St. Louis Rams

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 6 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 28 |
| Rams | 7 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 20 |
at Trans World Dome, St. Louis, Missouri
* Date: October 26
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 64,864
* Referee: Bob McElwee
* TV announcers (NBC): Joel Meyers and Beasley Reece
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Pete Stoyanovich 25-yard field goal, 12:35. Chiefs 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, 24 yards, 1:24.
STL – Isaac Bruce 12-yard pass from Tony Banks (Jeff Wilkins kick), 4:59. Rams 7–3. Drive: 9 plays, 79 yards, 4:48.
KC – Pete Stoyanovich 52-yard field goal, 0:54. Rams 7–6. Drive: 10 plays, 42 yards, 4:05.
Second quarter
KC – Lake Dawson 10-yard pass from Elvis Grbac (Elvis Grbac–Tamarick Vanover pass), 10:40. Chiefs 14–7. Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 3:33.
KC – Pete Stoyanovich 41-yard field goal, 5:57. Chiefs 17–7. Drive: 4 plays, 0 yards, 1:53.
STL – Lawrence Phillips 1-yard run (Jeff Wilkins kick), 1:48. Chiefs 17–14. Drive: 8 plays, 70 yards, 4:09.
Third quarter
KC – Pete Stoyanovich 39-yard field goal, 10:09. Chiefs 20–14. Drive: 10 plays, 60 yards, 4:51.
KC – Marcus Allen 2-yard run (Elvis Grbac–Tony Gonzalez pass), 7:01. Chiefs 28–14. Drive: 4 plays, 22 yards, 2:07.
Fourth quarter
STL – Jeff Wilkins 25-yard field goal, 11:12. Chiefs 28–17. Drive: 12 plays, 40 yards, 5:31.
STL – Jeff Wilkins 49-yard field goal, 5:07. Chiefs 28–20. Drive: 6 plays, 52 yards, 1:12.
Top passers
KC – Elvis Grbac – 20/37, 204 yards, TD
STL – Tony Banks – 18/30, 268 yards, TD
Top rushers
KC – Donnell Bennett – 8 rushes, 32 yards
STL – Lawrence Phillips – 23 rushes, 67 yards, TD
Top receivers
KC – Tony Gonzalez – 4 receptions, 53 yards
STL – Isaac Bruce – 5 receptions, 94 yards, TD :

#### Week 10: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Steelers | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Chiefs | 0 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: November 3
* Game time: 8:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Partly cloudy, 37 °F (3 °C)
* Game attendance: 78,301
* Referee: Ed Hochuli
* TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels, Frank Gifford, Dan Dierdorf and Lynn Swann
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
PIT – Courtney Hawkins 44-yard pass from Kordell Stewart (Norm Johnson kick), 8:05. Steelers 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 79 yards, 3:43.
PIT – Norm Johnson 27-yard field goal, 0:32. Steelers 10–0. Drive: 9 plays, 38 yards, 3:25.
Second quarter
KC – Pete Stoyanovich 35-yard field goal, 9:13. Steelers 10–3. Drive: 12 plays, 60 yards, 6:19.
KC – Pete Stoyanovich 44-yard field goal, 2:54. Steelers 10–6. Drive: 11 plays, 38 yards, 4:23.
KC – Danan Hughes 14-yard pass from Marcus Allen (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 1:40. Chiefs 13–10. Drive: 5 plays, 45 yards, 0:55.
Third quarter
No scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
No scoring plays.
Top passers
PIT – Kordell Stewart – 11/21, 101 yards, TD, INT
KC – Elvis Grbac – 16/29, 172 yards, INT
Top rushers
PIT – Jerome Bettis – 17 rushes, 103 yards
KC – Marcus Allen – 10 rushes, 49 yards
Top receivers
PIT – Courtney Hawkins – 5 receptions, 76 yards, TD
KC – Tony Gonzalez – 4 receptions, 56 yards :

#### Week 11: at Jacksonville Jaguars

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| Jaguars | 7 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
at Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida
* Date: November 9
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Clear, 59 °F (15 °C)
* Game attendance: 70,444
* Referee: Jerry Markbreit
* TV announcers (NBC): Dan Hicks, Jim Kelly and James Lofton
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
JAX – Pete Mitchell 5-yard pass from Mark Brunell (Mike Hollis kick), 11:30. Jaguars 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 52 yards, 3:30.
Second quarter
JAX – James Stewart 1-yard run (Mike Hollis kick), 13:03. Jaguars 14–0. Drive: 5 plays, 93 yards, 2:37.
KC – Pete Stoyanovich 45-yard field goal, 11:01. Jaguars 14–3. Drive: 5 plays, 22 yards, 2:03.
JAX – Natrone Means 14-yard run (Mike Hollis kick), 6:57. Jaguars 21–3. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 4:03.
JAX – Mike Hollis 52-yard field goal, 1:15. Jaguars 24–3. Drive: 6 plays, 30 yards, 0:50.
Third quarter
No scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
KC – Danan Hughes 7-yard fumble return (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 9:49. Jaguars 24–10. Drive: 10 plays, 89 yards, 4:58.
Top passers
KC – Rich Gannon – 29/50, 314 yards, 2 INT
JAX – Mark Brunell – 9/20, 199 yards, TD
Top rushers
KC – Marcus Allen – 3 rushes, 37 yards
JAX – Natrone Means – 14 rushes, 62 yards, TD
Top receivers
KC – Tony Gonzalez – 7 receptions, 69 yards
JAX – Jimmy Smith – 4 receptions, 112 yards :

#### Week 12: vs. Denver Broncos

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Broncos | 3 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 22 |
| Chiefs | 0 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 24 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: November 16
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Clear and cold, 31 °F (−1 °C)
* Game attendance: 77,963
* Referee: Bill Carollo
* TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg, Paul Maguire, Phil Simms and Jim Gray
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DEN – Jason Elam 21-yard field goal, 4:43. Broncos 3–0. Drive: 15 plays, 61 yards, 7:23.
Second quarter
DEN – Shannon Sharpe 5-yard pass from John Elway (Jason Elam kick), 14:56. Broncos 10–0. Drive: 7 plays, 98 yards, 3:40.
DEN – Jason Elam 38-yard field goal, 6:27. Broncos 13–0. Drive: 9 plays, 44 yards, 5:27.
KC – Marcus Allen 6-yard run (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 4:28. Broncos 13–7. Drive: 4 plays, 18 yards, 1:59.
KC – Danan Hughes 5-yard pass from Rich Gannon (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 1:08. Chiefs 14–13. Drive: 4 plays, 45 yards, 1:51.
Third quarter
KC – Marcus Allen 1-yard run (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 8:04. Chiefs 21–13. Drive: 5 plays, 36 yards, 1:37.
DEN – Jason Elam 38-yard field goal, 4:36. Chiefs 21–16. Drive: 8 plays, 45 yards, 3:28.
Fourth quarter
DEN – Jason Elam 28-yard field goal, 14:14. Chiefs 21–19. Drive: 10 plays, 49 yards, 4:00.
DEN – Jason Elam 34-yard field goal, 1:00. Broncos 22–21. Drive: 6 plays, 59 yards, 1:00.
KC – Pete Stoyanovich 54-yard field goal, 0:00. Chiefs 24–22. Drive: 6 plays, 36 yards, 1:00.
Top passers
DEN – John Elway – 18/31, 232 yards, TD
KC – Rich Gannon – 11/21, 98 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
DEN – Terrell Davis – 34 rushes, 127 yards
KC – Marcus Allen – 16 rushes, 43 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
DEN – Rod Smith – 7 receptions, 114 yards
KC – Andre Rison – 4 receptions, 44 yards :

#### Week 13: at Seattle Seahawks

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 7 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 19 |
| Seahawks | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
at Kingdome, Seattle, Washington
* Date: November 23
* Game time: 3:00 p.m. CST/1:00 p.m. PST
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 66,264
* Referee: Larry Nemmers
* TV announcers (NBC): Mike Breen and James Lofton
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Marcus Allen 1-yard run (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 9:52. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 76 yards, 5:08.
SEA – Joey Galloway 20-yard pass from Warren Moon (Todd Peterson kick), 2:46. Tied 7–7. Drive: 13 plays, 77 yards, 7:06.
Second quarter
KC – Pete Stoyanovich 22-yard field goal, 12:15. Chiefs 10–7. Drive: 11 plays, 65 yards, 5:31.
SEA – Steve Broussard 22-yard run (Todd Peterson kick), 1:06. Seahawks 14–10. Drive: 8 plays, 62 yards, 3:40.
Third quarter
KC – Rich Gannon 1-yard run (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 9:26. Chiefs 17–14. Drive: 8 plays, 54 yards, 3:46.
Fourth quarter
KC – Punt blocked by Joe Horn out of bounds in end zone for a Safety, 11:25. Chiefs 19–14.
Top passers
KC – Rich Gannon – 15/28, 175 yards
SEA – Warren Moon – 20/37, 248 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
KC – Donnell Bennett – 7 rushes, 35 yards
SEA – Steve Broussard – 7 rushes, 33 yards, TD
Top receivers
KC – Andre Rison – 6 receptions, 90 yards
SEA – James McKnight – 4 receptions, 66 yards :

#### Week 14: vs. San Francisco 49ers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| 49ers | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 9 |
| Chiefs | 7 | 21 | 0 | 16 | 44 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: November 30
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Cloudy, 45 °F (7 °C)
* Game attendance: 77,535
* Referee: Gary Lane
* TV announcers (Fox): Pat Summerall, John Madden and Pam Oliver
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Andre Rison 6-yard pass from Rich Gannon (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 7:03. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 38 yards, 2:48.
SF – Gary Anderson 33-yard field goal, 0:55. Chiefs 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 72 yards, 6:08.
Second quarter
KC – Tony Gonzalez 2-yard pass from Rich Gannon (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 9:06. Chiefs 14–3. Drive: 12 plays, 69 yards, 6:49.
KC – Marcus Allen 3-yard run (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 7:04. Chiefs 21–3. Drive: 1 play, 3 yards, 0:03.
KC – Ted Popson 1-yard pass from Marcus Allen (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 0:26. Chiefs 28–3. Drive: 7 plays, 57 yards, 2:42.
SF – Gary Anderson 33-yard field goal, 0:00. Chiefs 28–6. Drive: 3 plays, 43 yards, 0:26.
Third quarter
SF – Gary Anderson 40-yard field goal, 12:17. Chiefs 28–9. Drive: 6 plays, 54 yards, 2:43.
Fourth quarter
KC – Andre Rison 29-yard pass from Rich Gannon (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 12:40. Chiefs 35–9. Drive: 7 plays, 58 yards, 3:20.
KC – Terry Kirby tackled in end zone by Joe Phillips and Donnie Edwards for a Safety, 8:26. Chiefs 37–9.
KC – Mark McMillian 12-yard interception return (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 4:13. Chiefs 44–9.
Top passers
SF – Steve Young – 17/23, 184 yards, INT
KC – Rich Gannon – 12/21, 186 yards, 3 TD, INT
Top rushers
SF – Garrison Hearst – 7 rushes, 85 yards
KC – Greg Hill – 19 rushes, 54 yards
Top receivers
SF – Terrell Owens – 6 receptions, 67 yards
KC – Andre Rison – 5 receptions, 117 yards, 2 TD :

#### Week 15: vs. Oakland Raiders

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Raiders | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chiefs | 10 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 30 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: December 7
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Overcast with fog, 28 °F (−2 °C)
* Game attendance: 76,379
* Referee: Ron Blum
* TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones and Bob Trumpy
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Pete Stoyanovich 44-yard field goal, 11:21. Chiefs 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 42 yards, 3:39.
KC – Donnell Bennett 9-yard run (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 3:05. Chiefs 10–0. Drive: 12 plays, 91 yards, 6:55.
Second quarter
KC – Pete Stoyanovich 27-yard field goal, 13:26. Chiefs 13–0. Drive: 9 plays, 25 yards, 3:46.
KC – Rich Gannon 5-yard run (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 2:13. Chiefs 20–0. Drive: 13 plays, 72 yards, 7:32.
Third quarter
No scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
KC – Pete Stoyanovich 40-yard field goal, 14:21. Chiefs 23–0. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 4:00.
KC – Tony Richardson 2-yard pass from Rich Gannon (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 6:42. Chiefs 30–0. Drive: 9 plays, 84 yards, 5:57.
Top passers
OAK – Jeff George – 8/18, 102 yards
KC – Rich Gannon – 15/21, 225 yards, TD
Top rushers
OAK – Harvey Williams – 3 rushes, 16 yards
KC – Donnell Bennett – 24 rushes, 85 yards, TD
Top receivers
OAK – James Jett – 3 receptions, 42 yards
KC – Andre Rison – 5 receptions, 93 yards :

#### Week 16: at San Diego Chargers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 29 |
| Chargers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
* Date: December 14
* Game time: 3:00 p.m. CST/1:00 p.m. PST
* Game weather: Clear and sunny, 68 °F (20 °C)
* Game attendance: 54,594
* Referee: Bernie Kukar
* TV announcers (NBC): Tom Hammond and Randy Cross
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Marcus Allen 1-yard run (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 3:02. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:10.
Second quarter
SD – Eric Metcalf 14-yard pass from Craig Whelihan (Greg Davis kick), 14:09. Tied 7–7. Drive: 9 plays, 53 yards, 3:53.
KC – Lake Dawson 21-yard pass from Rich Gannon (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 8:05. Chiefs 14–7. Drive: 6 plays, 59 yards, 2:14.
Third quarter
KC – Pete Stoyanovich 40-yard field goal, 10:43. Chiefs 17–7. Drive: 8 plays, 42 yards, 4:17.
KC – Todd Philcox sacked in end zone by Derrick Thomas for a Safety, 5:41. Chiefs 19–7.
KC – Pete Stoyanovich 48-yard field goal, 1:42. Chiefs 22–7. Drive: 9 plays, 34 yards, 3:59.
Fourth quarter
KC – Mark McMillian 87-yard interception return (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 6:46. Chiefs 29–7.
Top passers
KC – Rich Gannon – 8/25, 116 yards, TD
SD – Craig Whelihan – 13/20, 137 yards, TD
Top rushers
KC – Marcus Allen – 8 rushes, 44 yards, TD
SD – Gary Brown – 16 rushes, 57 yards
Top receivers
KC – Andre Rison – 2 receptions, 52 yards
SD – Tony Martin – 7 receptions, 66 yards :

#### Week 17: vs. New Orleans Saints

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Saints | 0 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 13 |
| Chiefs | 3 | 9 | 0 | 13 | 25 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: December 21
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Drizzle, 32 °F (0 °C)
* Game attendance: 54,594
* Referee: Walt Coleman
* TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck and Bill Maas
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Pete Stoyanovich 30-yard field goal, 3:23. Chiefs 3–0. Drive: 15 plays, 67 yards, 7:48.
Second quarter
KC – Pete Stoyanovich 25-yard field goal, 8:27. Chiefs 6–0. Drive: 11 plays, 43 yards, 5:46.
KC – Tamarick Vanover 82-yard punt return (pass failed), 5:47. Chiefs 12–0.
Third quarter
NO – Keith Poole 32-yard pass from Billy Joe Hobert (Doug Brien kick), 5:57. Chiefs 12–7. Drive: 7 plays, 62 yards, 3:42.
Fourth quarter
KC – Marcus Allen 3-yard run (pass failed), 11:21. Chiefs 18–7. Drive: 3 plays, 8 yards, 1:38.
KC – Ted Popson 3-yard pass from Rich Gannon (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 9:31. Chiefs 25–7. Drive: 3 plays, 7 yards, 1:27.
NO – Keith Poole 14-yard pass from Danny Wuerffel (run failed), 2:23. Chiefs 25–13. Drive: 8 plays, 78 yards, 3:31.
Top passers
NO – Billy Joe Hobert – 11/21, 141 yards, TD, 3 INT
KC – Elvis Grbac – 5/14, 51 yards
Top rushers
NO – Ray Zellars – 18 rushes, 47 yards
KC – Marcus Allen – 9 rushes, 50 yards, TD
Top receivers
NO – Eric Guliford – 4 receptions, 53 yards
KC – Kimble Anders – 4 receptions, 26 yards :

### Standings

AFC West :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | STK |
| $^{(1)}$ Kansas City Chiefs | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 375 | 232 | W6 |
| $^{(4)}$ Denver Broncos | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 472 | 287 | W1 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 365 | 362 | W2 |
| Oakland Raiders | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 324 | 419 | L5 |
| San Diego Chargers | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 266 | 425 | L8 |

## Postseason
### Schedule

| Round | Date | Opponent (seed) | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap |
| Wild Card | First-round bye | First-round bye | First-round bye | First-round bye | First-round bye | First-round bye | First-round bye |
| Divisional | January 4, 1998 | Denver Broncos (4) | L 10–14 | 0–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | 76,965 | Recap |

### Game summaries
#### AFC Divisional Playoffs: vs. (4) Denver Broncos

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Broncos | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Chiefs | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: January 4
* Game time: 3:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Overcast, 32 °F (0 °C)
* Game attendance: 76,965
* Referee: Jerry Markbreit
* TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg, Phil Simms, Paul Maguire and Jim Gray
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
DEN – Terrell Davis 1-yard run (Jason Elam kick), 1:56. Broncos 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 4:51.
Third quarter
KC – Pete Stoyanovich 20-yard field goal, 9:42. Broncos 7–3. Drive: 11 plays, 67 yards, 5:18.
KC – Tony Gonzalez 12-yard pass from Elvis Grbac (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 0:10. Chiefs 10–7. Drive: 4 plays, 65 yards, 1:35.
Fourth quarter
DEN – Terrell Davis 1-yard run (Jason Elam kick), 12:32. Broncos 14–10. Drive: 6 plays, 49 yards, 1:38.
Top passers
DEN – John Elway – 10/19, 170 yards
KC – Elvis Grbac – 24/37, 160 yards, TD
Top rushers
DEN – Terrell Davis – 25 rushes, 101 yards, 2 TD
KC – Marcus Allen – 12 rushes, 37 yards
Top receivers
DEN – Ed McCaffrey – 3 receptions, 56 yards
KC – Andre Rison – 8 receptions, 110 yards :