# 1979 Kansas City Chiefs season

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

1979 Kansas City Chiefs draft :
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College |
| 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 ||||||

## 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

| 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

| 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

| 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

| 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

| 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

| 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

| 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

| 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

| 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

| 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

| 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

| 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

| 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

| 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

| 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

| 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 :
| viewtalkedit | 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