# 1990 Kansas City Chiefs season

The 1990 Kansas City Chiefs season was the franchise's 21st season in the National Football League, the 28th as the Kansas City Chiefs and the 31st overall. The team improved from an 8–7–1 record to an 11–5 record and Wild Card spot in the 1991 playoffs. In Marty Schottenheimer's first playoff appearance with the Chiefs, they lost to the Miami Dolphins 17–16 in the wild-card round. Starting with the home opener, the Chiefs began an NFL-record 19 consecutive seasons with every home game sold out. The streak was finally broken in the final home game of the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs season versus Cleveland.

## Season notes

The success of the 1989 season carried into 1990, and the Chiefs put together a successful season to return to the playoffs for only the second time since 1971. The season began on August 4 when Buck Buchanan, a key ingredient of the team's 1969 Super Bowl championship season was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
On opening day, The Chiefs beat the Minnesota Vikings 24–21. On September 17, Stephone Paige catches 10 passes for 206 yards, but the Chiefs still lost to the Denver Broncos, 24–23 on Monday Night Football.
On October 14, Barry Word rushes for a team-record 200 yards against the Detroit Lions at Arrowhead. Kansas City won 43–24 to give the Chiefs a 4–2 record. Word would eventually gain 1,021 yards rushing for the season while Paige caught 65 passes for 1,021 yards. Quarterback Steve DeBerg had his best season ever as a Chief as he passed for 3,444 yards and 23 touchdowns.
On November 11, Derrick Thomas who would get 20 quarterback sacks for the year, sacked Seattle Seahawks quarterback Dave Krieg for an NFL-record seven sacks. On the game's last play, Derrick nearly had his 8th sack, but Krieg eluded him and threw a game-winning touchdown as the Seahawks won 17–16. Derrick Thomas later said, "The thing I most remember about that game, is the sack I didn't get, that's the one that still haunts me." His record of seven sacks in one game is now seen as one of NFL's most "unbreakable records".
On December 9, the Chiefs had two big fourth-down calls and scored two touchdowns. Chiefs coach Marty Schottenheimer let his team make two big plays that ultimately led to Kansas City's 31–20 win over the Denver Broncos, which clinched a playoff spot.
The first big play was a fourth-and-goal at the Denver 1-yard line, and Barry Word carried the ball into the end zone to give the Chiefs a 17–13 lead. The second fourth-down attempt resulted in a 27-yard touchdown pass from Steve DeBerg to Robb Thomas and put the game away in the fourth quarter. DeBerg passed for 254 yards and three touchdowns in the game. Kansas City trailed 13–10 at the half but scored 21 second-half points to take control of the game.
The win improved their record to 9–4 and control of the AFC West Race. However, the next week the Chiefs lost to Houston, putting the Raiders Back into First place. The Chiefs won their next game at San Diego to Clinch an AFC playoff spot. The Chiefs then defeated the Chicago Bears 21-19 to finish 11–5, the team's best record since 1971. The Raiders held onto first winning in the final week. Defense carried the Chiefs to the playoffs thanks to Pro Bowlers Derrick Thomas, Albert Lewis and Kevin Ross.
Next was the Miami Dolphins in the AFC Wild-Card Playoff Game, which the team led 16-3 but lost 17–16. Kicker Nick Lowery missed short on a 52-yard FG in the final seconds that would have won the game.

## Offseason
### Draft

1990 Kansas City Chiefs draft :
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College |
| 1 | 13 | Percy Snow | Linebacker | Michigan State |
| 2 | 40 | Tim Grunhard * | Center | Notre Dame |
| 4 | 96 | Fred Jones | Wide receiver | Grambling State |
| 5 | 124 | Derrick Graham | Guard | Appalachian State |
| 5 | 127 | Ken Hackemack | Offensive tackle | Texas |
| 6 | 152 | Tom Sims | Defensive tackle | Pittsburgh |
| 7 | 180 | Dave Szott * | Guard | Penn State |
| 9 | 235 | Michael Owens | Running back | Syracuse |
| 10 | 263 | Craig Hudson | Tight end | Wisconsin |
| 11 | 291 | Ernest Thompson | Running back | Georgia Southern |
| 12 | 318 | Tony Jeffery | Wide receiver | San Jose State |
| Made roster * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career ||||||

### Undrafted free agents

1990 Undrafted Free Agents of note :
| Player | Position | College |
| Bryan Barker | Punter | Santa Clara |
| Willie Davis | Wide receiver | Central Arkansas |

## Preseason

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap |
| 1 | August 11 | vs Los Angeles Rams | L 3–19 | 0–1 | Olympiastadion (West Berlin) | 55,429 | Recap |
| 2 | August 18 | New York Jets | L 0–20 | 0–2 | Arrowhead Stadium | 40,448 | Recap |
| 3 | August 24 | at Detroit Lions | L 21–35 | 0–3 | Pontiac Silverdome | 50,293 | Recap |
| 4 | August 31 | Green Bay Packers | W 27–14 | 1–3 | Arrowhead Stadium | 42,806 | Recap |

## Regular season
### Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap |
| 1 | September 9 | Minnesota Vikings | W 24–21 | 1–0 | Arrowhead Stadium | 68,363 | Recap |
| 2 | September 17 | at Denver Broncos | L 23–24 | 1–1 | Mile High Stadium | 75,277 | Recap |
| 3 | September 23 | at Green Bay Packers | W 17–3 | 2–1 | Lambeau Field | 58,817 | Recap |
| 4 | September 30 | Cleveland Browns | W 34–0 | 3–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | 75,462 | Recap |
| 5 | October 7 | at Indianapolis Colts | L 19–23 | 3–2 | Hoosier Dome | 54,950 | Recap |
| 6 | October 14 | Detroit Lions | W 43–24 | 4–2 | Arrowhead Stadium | 74,312 | Recap |
| 7 | October 21 | at Seattle Seahawks | L 7–19 | 4–3 | Kingdome | 60,358 | Recap |
| 8 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 9 | November 4 | Los Angeles Raiders | W 9–7 | 5–3 | Arrowhead Stadium | 70,951 | Recap |
| 10 | November 11 | Seattle Seahawks | L 16–17 | 5–4 | Arrowhead Stadium | 71,285 | Recap |
| 11 | November 18 | San Diego Chargers | W 27–10 | 6–4 | Arrowhead Stadium | 63,717 | Recap |
| 12 | November 25 | at Los Angeles Raiders | W 27–24 | 7–4 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | 65,710 | Recap |
| 13 | December 2 | at New England Patriots | W 37–7 | 8–4 | Foxboro Stadium | 26,280 | Recap |
| 14 | December 9 | Denver Broncos | W 31–20 | 9–4 | Arrowhead Stadium | 74,347 | Recap |
| 15 | December 16 | Houston Oilers | L 10–27 | 9–5 | Arrowhead Stadium | 61,756 | Recap |
| 16 | December 23 | at San Diego Chargers | W 24–21 | 10–5 | Jack Murphy Stadium | 45,135 | Recap |
| 17 | December 29 | at Chicago Bears | W 21–10 | 11–5 | Soldier Field | 60,262 | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

### Game summaries
#### Week 1: vs. Minnesota Vikings

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
| Chiefs | 14 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: September 9
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Clear, 89 °F (32 °C)
* Game attendance: 68,363
* Referee: Howard Roe
* TV announcers (CBS): James Brown and Randy Cross
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Bill Jones 4-yard pass Steve DeBerg (Nick Lowery kick), 11:43. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 14 yards, 2:21.
KC – Todd McNair 22-yard pass Steve DeBerg (Nick Lowery kick), 8:31. Chiefs 14–0. Drive: 3 plays, 29 yards, 1:28.
MIN – Herschel Walker 6-yard pass Wade Wilson (Donald Igwebuike kick), 3:11. Chiefs 14–7. Drive: 9 plays, 76 yards, 5:20.
Second quarter
MIN – Steve Jordan 26-yard pass Wade Wilson (Donald Igwebuike kick), 8:20. Tied 14–14. Drive: 7 plays, 78 yards, 3:52.
KC – Nick Lowery 43-yard field goal, 0:00. Chiefs 17–14. Drive: 9 plays, 50 yards, 1:41.
Third quarter
MIN – Herschel Walker 8-yard pass Wade Wilson (Donald Igwebuike kick), 6:53. Vikings 21–17. Drive: 12 plays, 89 yards, 6:10.
Fourth quarter
KC – Christian Okoye 2-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 9:35. Chiefs 24–21. Drive: 12 plays, 78 yards, 5:32.
Top passers
MIN – Wade Wilson – 18/36, 248 yards, 3 TD, INT
KC – Steve DeBerg – 16/28, 196 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
MIN – Herschel Walker – 14 rushes, 68 yards
KC – Christian Okoye – 28 rushes, 92 yards, TD
Top receivers
MIN – Steve Jordan – 4 receptions, 90 yards, TD
KC – Todd McNair – 6 receptions, 57 yards, TD :

#### Week 2: at Denver Broncos

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 3 | 6 | 0 | 14 | 23 |
| Broncos | 7 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 24 |
at Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado
* Date: September 17
* Game time: 8:00 p.m. CDT/7:00 p.m. MDT
* Game weather: Mostly Fair, 63 °F (17 °C)
* Game attendance: 75,277
* Referee: Jim Tunney
* TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels, Frank Gifford and Dan Dierdorf
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Nick Lowery 39-yard field goal, 3:18. Chiefs 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 1:47.
DEN – Bobby Humphrey 37-yard run (David Treadwell kick), 0:48. Broncos 7–3. Drive: 5 plays, 76 yards, 2:30.
Second quarter
KC – Nick Lowery 29-yard field goal, 11:33. Broncos 7–6. Drive: 10 plays, 63 yards, 4:15.
DEN – Bobby Humphrey 6-yard run (David Treadwell kick), 7:07. Broncos 14–6. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 4:26.
KC – Nick Lowery 31-yard field goal, 0:04. Broncos 14–9. Drive: 8 plays, 30 yards, 3:11.
Third quarter
DEN – John Elway 2-yard run (David Treadwell kick), 6:49. Broncos 21–9. Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 5:03.
Fourth quarter
KC – Stephone Paige 16-yard pass from Steve DeBerg (Nick Lowery kick), 8:01. Broncos 21–16. Drive: 3 plays, 17 yards, 1:44.
KC – Stephone Paige 83-yard pass from Steve DeBerg (Nick Lowery kick), 1:44. Chiefs 23–21. Drive: 1 play, 79 yards, 0:12.
DEN – David Treadwell 22-yard field goal, 0:00. Broncos 24–23. Drive: 10 plays, 79 yards, 1:44.
Top passers
KC – Steve DeBerg – 26/45, 395 yards, 2 TD
DEN – John Elway – 14/30, 263 yards
Top rushers
KC – Christian Okoye – 20 rushes, 69 yards
DEN – Bobby Humphrey – 19 rushes, 132 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
KC – Stephone Paige – 10 receptions, 206 yards, 2 TD
DEN – Vance Johnson – 6 receptions, 150 yards :

#### Week 3: at Green Bay Packers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 17 |
| Packers | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
* Date: September 23
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Partly Cloudy, 52 °F (11 °C)
* Game attendance: 58,817
* Referee: Gordon McCarter
* TV announcers (NBC): Joel Meyers and Ahmad Rashad
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
GB – Chris Jacke 46-yard field goal, 5:51. Packers 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 57 yards, 9:09.
KC – Christian Okoye 5-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 0:59. Chiefs 7–3. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:52.
Third quarter
No scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
KC – Nick Lowery 20-yard field goal, 10:31. Chiefs 10–3. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 1:38.
KC – Stan Petry 33-yard interception return (Nick Lowery kick), 2:59. Chiefs 17–3.
Top passers
KC – Steve DeBerg – 9/21, 127 yards
GB – Don Majkowski – 19/31, 171 yards, 2 INT
Top rushers
KC – Christian Okoye – 23 rushes, 122 yards, TD
GB – Brent Fullwood – 13 rushes, 47 yards
Top receivers
KC – Robb Thomas – 2 receptions, 38 yards
GB – Herman Fontenot – 6 receptions, 60 yards :

#### Week 4: vs. Cleveland Browns

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Browns | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chiefs | 7 | 17 | 10 | 0 | 34 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: September 30
* Game time: 3:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Clear, 68 °F (20 °C)
* Game attendance: 75,462
* Referee: Pat Haggerty
* TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg and Bill Walsh
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Robb Thomas 47-yard pass from Steve DeBerg (Nick Lowery kick), 3:30. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 58 yards, 1:25.
Second quarter
KC – Nick Lowery 39-yard field goal, 12:31. Chiefs 10–0. Drive: 8 plays, 37 yards, 3:47.
KC – Chris Martin 31-yard return of blocked punt (Nick Lowery kick), 4:54. Chiefs 17–0.
KC – Emile Harry 6-yard pass from Steve DeBerg (Nick Lowery kick), 0:19. Chiefs 24–0. Drive: 6 plays, 19 yards, 3:10.
Third quarter
KC – Nick Lowery 34-yard field goal, 2:18. Chiefs 27–0. Drive: 7 plays, 64 yards, 4:49.
KC – Kevin Ross 4-yard return of blocked punt (Nick Lowery kick), 0:41. Chiefs 34–0.
Fourth quarter
No scoring plays.
Top passers
CLE – Mike Pagel – 14/27, 159 yards, INT
KC – Steve DeBerg – 12/21, 189 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
CLE – Leroy Hoard – 11 rushes, 40 yards
KC – Christian Okoye – 17 rushes, 41 yards
Top receivers
CLE – Reggie Langhorne – 7 receptions, 82 yards
KC – Stephone Paige – 4 receptions, 90 yards :

#### Week 5: at Indianapolis Colts

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 10 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 19 |
| Colts | 0 | 10 | 0 | 13 | 23 |
at Hoosier Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana
* Date: October 7
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 54,960
* Referee: Bob McElwee
* TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones and Todd Christensen
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Nick Lowery 37-yard field goal, 5:44. Chiefs 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 26 yards, 5:24.
KC – Robb Thomas 21-yard pass from Steve DeBerg (Nick Lowery kick), 2:40. Chiefs 10–0. Drive: 3 plays, 20 yards, 1:22.
Second quarter
KC – Nick Lowery 39-yard field goal, 10:09. Chiefs 13–0. Drive: 8 plays, 24 yards, 3:42.
IND – Dean Biasucci 38-yard field goal, 3:03. Chiefs 13–3. Drive: 8 plays, 28 yards, 4:38.
IND – Albert Bentley 9-yard pass from Jack Trudeau (Dean Biasucci kick), 1:47. Chiefs 13–10. Drive: 1 play, 9 yards, 0:06.
KC – Nick Lowery 44-yard field goal, 0:00. Chiefs 16–10. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 1:47.
Third quarter
KC – Nick Lowery 35-yard field goal, 3:27. Chiefs 19–10. Drive: 9 plays, 29 yards, 4:06.
Fourth quarter
IND – Dean Biasucci 21-yard field goal, 12:31. Chiefs 19–13. Drive: 7 plays, 84 yards, 2:42.
IND – Albert Bentley 10-yard run (Dean Biasucci kick), 5:53. Colts 20–19. Drive: 4 plays, 21 yards, 1:37.
IND – Dean Biasucci 18-yard field goal, 0:23. Colts 23–19. Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 1:48.
Top passers
KC – Steve DeBerg – 16/36, 212 yards, TD, 3 INT
IND – Jack Trudeau – 18/28, 205 yards, TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
KC – Christian Okoye – 23 rushes, 69 yards
IND – Albert Bentley – 20 rushes, 84 yards, TD
Top receivers
KC – Emile Harry – 4 receptions, 59 yards
IND – Jessie Hester – 5 receptions, 95 yards :

#### Week 6: vs. Detroit Lions

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 14 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 24 |
| Chiefs | 3 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 43 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: October 14
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Clear, 66 °F (19 °C)
* Game attendance: 74,312
* Referee: Jerry Seeman
* TV announcers (CBS): Brad Nessler and Dan Jiggetts
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Nick Lowery 21-yard field goal, 9:30. Chiefs 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 5:30.
DET – Barry Sanders 47-yard pass Bob Gagliano (Rich Karlis kick), 9:07. Lions 7–3. Drive: 1 play, 47 yards, 0:23.
DET – Barry Sanders 13-yard run (Rich Karlis kick), 2:02. Lions 14–3. Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 4:40.
Second quarter
KC – Jonathan Hayes 1-yard pass Steve DeBerg (Nick Lowery kick), 11:39. Lions 14–10. Drive: 10 plays, 79 yards, 5:23.
KC – Christian Okoye 4-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 5:55. Chiefs 17–14. Drive: 6 plays, 67 yards, 2:38.
Third quarter
KC – Nick Lowery 32-yard field goal, 9:47. Chiefs 20–14. Drive: 7 plays, 20 yards, 2:54.
KC – Bob Gagliano sacked in end zone by Bill Maas for a Safety, 9:33. Chiefs 22–14.
KC – Christian Okoye 1-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 7:22. Chiefs 29–14. Drive: 4 plays, 56 yards, 2:00.
Fourth quarter
DET – Rich Karlis 21-yard field goal, 11:49. Chiefs 29–17. Drive: 10 plays, 72 yards, 4:16.
KC – Barry Word 53-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 9:28. Chiefs 36–17. Drive: 4 plays, 76 yards, 2:21.
DET – James Wilder 8-yard pass from Andre Ware (Rich Karlis kick), 6:26. Chiefs 36–24. Drive: 7 plays, 62 yards, 3:02.
KC – Barry Word 1-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 0:22. Chiefs 43–24. Drive: 11 plays, 79 yards, 6:04.
Top passers
DET – Bob Gagliano – 8/17, 156 yards, TD, INT
KC – Steve DeBerg – 15/26, 256 yards, TD
Top rushers
DET – Barry Sanders – 16 rushes, 90 yards, TD
KC – Barry Word – 18 rushes, 200 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
DET – Barry Sanders – 5 receptions, 135 yards, TD
KC – Emile Harry – 4 receptions, 86 yards :

#### Week 7: at Seattle Seahawks

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Seahawks | 0 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 19 |
at Kingdome, Seattle, Washington
* Date: October 21
* Game time: 3:00 p.m. CDT/1:00 p.m. PDT
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 60,358
* Referee: Howard Roe
* TV announcers (NBC): Jim Donovan and Joe Namath
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
KC – J. J. Birden 33-yard pass from Steve DeBerg (Nick Lowery kick), 0:58. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 91 yards, 3:11.
SEA – Norm Johnson 39-yard field goal, 0:00. Chiefs 7–3. Drive: 6 plays, 24 yards, 0:58.
Third quarter
SEA – Norm Johnson 27-yard field goal, 2:06. Chiefs 7–6. Drive: 7 plays, 26 yards, 3:10.
Fourth quarter
SEA – Norm Johnson 39-yard field goal, 9:25. Seahawks 9–7. Drive: 11 plays, 56 yards, 4:59.
SEA – Norm Johnson 43-yard field goal, 3:00. Seahawks 12–7. Drive: 8 plays, 20 yards, 4:30.
SEA – John Williams 4-yard run (Norm Johnson kick), 1:54. Seahawks 19–7. Drive: 3 plays, 11 yards, 0:47.
Top passers
KC – Steve DeBerg – 23/34, 213 yards, TD
SEA – Dave Krieg – 13/35, 132 yards, 4 INT
Top rushers
KC – Barry Word – 7 rushes, 35 yards
SEA – Derrick Fenner – 15 rushes, 75 yards
Top receivers
KC – Stephone Paige – 9 receptions, 80 yards
SEA – John Williams – 4 receptions, 52 yards :

#### Week 9: vs. Los Angeles Raiders

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Raiders | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Chiefs | 6 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 9 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: November 4
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Cloudy, 37 °F (3 °C)
* Game attendance: 70,951
* Referee: Jim Tunney
* TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg and Bill Walsh
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Nick Lowery 36-yard field goal, 3:00. Chiefs 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, –1 yard, 2:05.
KC – Nick Lowery 48-yard field goal, 0:06. Chiefs 6–0. Drive: 4 plays, –7 yards, 2:39.
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
No scoring plays.
Third quarter
No scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
RAI – Steve Smith 2-yard run (Jeff Jaeger kick), 14:58. Raiders 7–6. Drive: 6 plays, 26 yards, 1:52.
KC – Nick Lowery 41-yard field goal, 11:58. Chiefs 9–7. Drive: 6 plays, 42 yards, 3:00.
Top passers
RAI – Jay Schroeder – 10/31, 139 yards, INT
KC – Steve DeBerg – 10/21, 59 yards
Top rushers
RAI – Bo Jackson – 10 rushes, 40 yards
KC – Barry Word – 15 rushes, 85 yards
Top receivers
RAI – Willie Gault – 3 receptions, 55 yards
KC – Alfredo Roberts – 3 receptions, 31 yards :

#### Week 10: vs. Seattle Seahawks

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Seahawks | 0 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 17 |
| Chiefs | 0 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 16 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: November 11
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Clear, 63 °F (17 °C)
* Game attendance: 71,285
* Referee: Tom White
* TV announcers (NBC): Jim Donovan and Paul Maguire
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
KC – Nick Lowery 25-yard field goal, 13:02. Chiefs 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 25 yards, 4:07.
SEA – Norm Johnson 43-yard field goal, 7:53. Tied 3–3. Drive: 8 plays, 48 yards, 5:09.
KC – Nick Lowery 30-yard field goal, 0:07. Chiefs 6–3. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 1:32.
Third quarter
SEA – Jeff Chadwick 54-yard pass from Dave Krieg (Norm Johnson kick), 12:33. Seahawks 10–6. Drive: 4 plays, 76 yards, 2:27.
KC – Nick Lowery 24-yard field goal, 2:46. Seahawks 10–9. Drive: 15 plays, 74 yards, 9:39.
KC – Dan Saleaumua fumble recovery in endzone (Nick Lowery kick), 1:35. Chiefs 16–10.
Fourth quarter
SEA – Paul Skansi 25-yard pass from Dave Krieg (Norm Johnson kick), 0:00. Seahawks 17–16. Drive: 4 plays, 65 yards, 0:48.
Top passers
SEA – Dave Krieg – 16/23, 306 yards, 2 TD
KC – Steve DeBerg – 16/30, 124 yards
Top rushers
SEA – John Williams – 10 rushes, 36 yards
KC – Christian Okoye – 21 rushes, 85 yards
Top receivers
SEA – John Williams – 4 receptions, 89 yards
KC – Robb Thomas – 7 receptions, 53 yards :

#### Week 11: vs. San Diego Chargers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| Chiefs | 10 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 27 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: November 18
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Cloudy, 54 °F (12 °C)
* Game attendance: 63,717
* Referee: Dick Hantak
* TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones and Todd Christensen
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
KC – J. J. Birden 90-yard pass from Steve DeBerg (Nick Lowery kick), 5:31. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 92 yards, 1:49.
KC – Nick Lowery 36-yard field goal, 5:31. Chiefs 10–0. Drive: 4 plays, –4 yards, 2:04.
SD – John Carney 36-yard field goal, 5:31. Chiefs 10–3. Drive: 11 plays, 50 yards, 7:15.
Second quarter
KC – Bill Jones 2-yard pass from Steve DeBerg (Nick Lowery kick), 7:44. Chiefs 17–3. Drive: 12 plays, 78 yards, 6:15.
Third quarter
SD – Derrick Walker 2-yard pass from Billy Joe Tolliver (John Carney kick), 8:43. Chiefs 17–10. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 6:17.
KC – Nick Lowery 37-yard field goal, 2:11. Chiefs 20–10. Drive: 7 plays, 22 yards, 2:56.
Fourth quarter
KC – Bill Jones 6-yard pass from Steve DeBerg (Nick Lowery kick), 10:28. Chiefs 27–10. Drive: 4 plays, 30 yards, 2:00.
Top passers
SD – Billy Joe Tolliver – 21/38, 203 yards, TD, 2 INT
KC – Steve DeBerg – 11/24, 171 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
SD – Ronnie Harmon – 5 rushes, 41 yards
KC – Barry Word – 17 rushes, 90 yards
Top receivers
SD – Anthony Miller – 6 receptions, 93 yards
KC – J. J. Birden – 1 reception, 90 yards, TD :

#### Week 12: at Los Angeles Raiders

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 0 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 27 |
| Raiders | 0 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California
* Date: November 25
* Game time: 3:00 p.m. CST/1:00 p.m. PST
* Game weather: Hazy, 78 °F (26 °C)
* Game attendance: 65,170
* Referee: Jerry Markbreit
* TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg and Bill Walsh
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
KC – Nick Lowery 35-yard field goal, 12:11. Chiefs 3–0. Drive: 6 plays, 18 yards, 2:39.
RAI – Marcus Allen 3-yard run (Jeff Jaeger kick), 9:14. Raiders 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 90 yards, 5:26.
KC – Emile Harry 19-yard pass from Steve DeBerg (Nick Lowery kick), 0:39. Chiefs 10–7. Drive: 5 plays, 52 yards, 1:24.
RAI – Jeff Jaeger 50-yard field goal, 0:00. Tied 10–10. Drive: 3 plays, 36 yards, 0:59.
Third quarter
KC – Bill Jones 11-yard pass from Steve DeBerg (Nick Lowery kick), 12:11. Chiefs 17–10. Drive: 2 plays, 11 yards, 0:12.
RAI – Marcus Allen 10-yard run (Jeff Jaeger kick), 6:47. Tied 17–17. Drive: 9 plays, 72 yards, 5:24.
KC – Nick Lowery 36-yard field goal, 0:51. Chiefs 20–17. Drive: 9 plays, 71 yards, 5:56.
Fourth quarter
KC – Bill Jones 11-yard pass from Steve DeBerg (Nick Lowery kick), 6:32. Chiefs 27–17. Drive: 9 plays, 73 yards, 5:27.
RAI – Marcus Allen 5-yard run (Jeff Jaeger kick), 4:19. Chiefs 27–24. Drive: 5 plays, 81 yards, 2:13.
Top passers
KC – Steve DeBerg – 12/21, 149 yards, 3 TD
RAI – Jay Schroeder – 9/18, 202 yards
Top rushers
KC – Barry Word – 17 rushes, 52 yards
RAI – Marcus Allen – 15 rushes, 76 yards, 3 TD
Top receivers
KC – Stephone Paige – 3 receptions, 54 yards
RAI – Ethan Horton – 4 receptions, 96 yards :

#### Week 13: at New England Patriots

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 13 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 37 |
| Patriots | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
at Foxboro Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
* Date: November 25
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Cloudy, 55 °F (13 °C)
* Game attendance: 26,280
* Referee: Bob McElwee
* TV announcers (NBC): Joel Meyers and Ahmad Rashad
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Stephone Paige 86-yard pass from Steve DeBerg (Nick Lowery kick), 14:39. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 1 play, 86 yards, 0:21.
KC – Nick Lowery 19-yard field goal, 8:55. Chiefs 10–0. Drive: 7 plays, 70 yards, 3:52.
KC – Nick Lowery 32-yard field goal, 2:39. Chiefs 13–0. Drive: 10 plays, 60 yards, 5:17.
Second quarter
KC – Nick Lowery 45-yard field goal, 11:33. Chiefs 16–0. Drive: 7 plays, 59 yards, 3:11.
KC – Robb Thomas 11-yard pass from Steve DeBerg (Nick Lowery kick), 0:30. Chiefs 23–0. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 5:05.
Third quarter
KC – Christian Okoye 1-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 9:52. Chiefs 30–0. Drive: 2 plays, 14 yards, 0:42.
NE – Marv Cook 2-yard pass from Tommy Hodson (Jason Staurovsky kick), 0:25. Chiefs 30–7. Drive: 12 plays, 53 yards, 4:47.
Fourth quarter
KC – Christian Okoye 1-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 7:31. Chiefs 37–7. Drive: 7 plays, 48 yards, 4:14.
Top passers
KC – Steve DeBerg – 15/21, 331 yards, 2 TD
NE – Tommy Hodson – 20/39, 211 yards, TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
KC – Barry Word – 19 rushes, 112 yards
NE – John Stephens – 10 rushes, 33 yards
Top receivers
KC – Stephone Paige – 7 receptions, 151 yards, TD
NE – Irving Fryar – 5 receptions, 62 yards :

#### Week 14: vs. Denver Broncos

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Broncos | 0 | 13 | 0 | 7 | 20 |
| Chiefs | 7 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 31 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: December 9
* Game time: 3:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Clear, 66 °F (19 °C)
* Game attendance: 74,347
* Referee: Gordon McCarter
* TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones and Bill Walsh
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Stephone Paige 48-yard pass from Steve DeBerg (Nick Lowery kick), 11:54. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 84 yards, 3:06.
Second quarter
DEN – Shannon Sharpe 5-yard pass from John Elway (kick failed, wide left), 7:46. Chiefs 7–6. Drive: 8 plays, 53 yards, 4:53.
DEN – Mike Young 16-yard pass from John Elway (David Treadwell kick), 1:28. Broncos 13–7. Drive: 11 plays, 85 yards, 4:16.
KC – Nick Lowery 33-yard field goal, 0:03. Broncos 13–10. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 1:25.
Third quarter
KC – Barry Word 1-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 8:28. Chiefs 17–13. Drive: 8 plays, 38 yards, 4:17.
Fourth quarter
KC – Danta Whitaker 1-yard pass from Steve DeBerg (Nick Lowery kick), 14:37. Chiefs 24–13. Drive: 6 plays, 65 yards, 2:22.
DEN – Bobby Humphrey 2-yard run (David Treadwell kick), 9:51. Chiefs 24–20. Drive: 7 plays, 43 yards, 4:30.
KC – Robb Thomas 27-yard pass from Steve DeBerg (Nick Lowery kick), 2:28. Chiefs 31–20. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 7:13.
Top passers
DEN – John Elway – 24/36, 328 yards, 2 TD, INT
KC – Steve DeBerg – 18/27, 254 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
DEN – Bobby Humphrey – 21 rushes, 56 yards, TD
KC – Barry Word – 16 rushes, 72 yards, TD
Top receivers
DEN – Mark Jackson – 5 receptions, 90 yards
KC – Stephone Paige – 3 receptions, 75 yards, TD :

#### Week 15: vs. Houston Oilers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Oilers | 7 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 27 |
| Chiefs | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: December 16
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Cloudy, 38 °F (3 °C)
* Game attendance: 61,756
* Referee: Red Cashion
* TV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui and Bob Trumpy
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
HOU – Tony Jones 24-yard pass from Warren Moon (Teddy Garcia kick), 9:27. Oilers 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 85 yards, 2:15.
Second quarter
HOU – Teddy Garcia 32-yard field goal, 8:13. Oilers 10–0. Drive: 9 plays, 49 yards, 5:47.
KC – J. J. Birden 62-yard pass from Steve DeBerg (Nick Lowery kick), 0:18. Oilers 10–7. Drive: 2 plays, 74 yards, 0:15.
Third quarter
HOU – Haywood Jeffires 87-yard pass from Warren Moon (Teddy Garcia kick), 7:20. Oilers 17–7. Drive: 3 plays, 92 yards, 1:44.
KC – Nick Lowery 35-yard field goal, 3:19. Oilers 17–10. Drive: 8 plays, 48 yards, 4:01.
Fourth quarter
HOU – Teddy Garcia 26-yard field goal, 14:57. Oilers 20–10. Drive: 6 plays, 68 yards, 3:22.
HOU – Tony Jones 2-yard pass from Warren Moon (Teddy Garcia kick), 8:32. Oilers 27–10. Drive: 9 plays, 73 yards, 3:44.
Top passers
HOU – Warren Moon – 27/45, 527 yards, 3 TD
KC – Steve DeBerg – 15/30, 241 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
HOU – Lorenzo White – 8 rushes, 32 yards
KC – Barry Word – 19 rushes, 88 yards
Top receivers
HOU – Haywood Jeffires – 9 receptions, 245 yards, TD
KC – J. J. Birden – 2 receptions, 86 yards, TD :

#### Week 16: at San Diego Chargers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 7 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 24 |
| Chargers | 7 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
at Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego, California
* Date: December 23
* Game time: 3:00 p.m. CST/1:00 p.m. PST
* Game weather: Clear, Cold, 53 °F (12 °C)
* Game attendance: 45,135
* Referee: Jerry Seeman
* TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones and Todd Christensen
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Stephone Paige 8-yard pass from Steve DeBerg (Nick Lowery kick), 8:54. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 6:06.
SD – Anthony Miller 14-yard pass from Billy Joe Tolliver (John Carney kick), 1:37. Tied 7–7. Drive: 12 plays, 71 yards, 7:17.
Second quarter
KC – Barry Word 11-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 11:12. Chiefs 14–7. Drive: 9 plays, 77 yards, 5:25.
KC – Todd McNair 40-yard pass from Steve DeBerg (Nick Lowery kick), 1:08. Chiefs 21–7. Drive: 9 plays, 78 yards, 4:53.
Third quarter
SD – Rod Bernstine 3-yard run (John Carney kick), 8:52. Chiefs 21–14. Drive: 11 plays, 66 yards, 6:08.
Fourth quarter
SD – Kitrick Taylor 55-yard punt return (John Carney kick), 14:39. Tied 21–21.
KC – Nick Lowery 32-yard field goal, 2:46. Chiefs 24–21. Drive: 8 plays, 85 yards, 5:05.
Top passers
KC – Steve DeBerg – 19/27, 251 yards, 2 TD
SD – Billy Joe Tolliver – 18/27, 165 yards, TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
KC – Barry Word – 28 rushes, 106 yards, TD
SD – Rod Bernstine – 15 rushes, 76 yards, TD
Top receivers
KC – Todd McNair – 3 receptions, 111 yards, TD
SD – Ronnie Harmon – 7 receptions, 72 yards :

#### Week 17: at Chicago Bears

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 6 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 21 |
| Bears | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
* Date: December 29
* Game time: 11:30 a.m. CST
* Game weather: 44 °F (7 °C)
* Game attendance: 60,262
* Referee: Johnny Grier
* TV announcers (NBC): Marv Albert and Paul Maguire
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Nick Lowery 19-yard field goal, 9:50. Chiefs 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 69 yards, 5:10.
CHI – Kevin Butler 24-yard field goal, 3:56. Tied 3–3. Drive: 12 plays, 69 yards, 5:54.
KC – Nick Lowery 30-yard field goal, 1:44. Chiefs 6–3. Drive: 5 plays, 33 yards, 2:12.
Second quarter
KC – Nick Lowery 43-yard field goal, 6:57. Chiefs 9–3. Drive: 12 plays, 55 yards, 7:09.
CHI – Johnny Bailey 95-yard punt return (Kevin Butler kick), 1:59. Bears 10–9.
KC – Nick Lowery 32-yard field goal, 0:04. Chiefs 12–10. Drive: 11 plays, 59 yards, 1:55.
Third quarter
KC – Christian Okoye 3-yard run (kick failed, wide right), 2:42. Chiefs 18–10. Drive: 12 plays, 66 yards, 5:56.
Fourth quarter
KC – Nick Lowery 38-yard field goal, 9:12. Chiefs 21–10. Drive: 4 plays, –2 yards, 2:13.
Top passers
KC – Steve DeBerg – 25/32, 276 yards
CHI – Mike Tomczak – 5/23, 85 yards
Top rushers
KC – Barry Word – 18 rushes, 73 yards
CHI – Neal Anderson – 11 rushes, 68 yards
Top receivers
KC – Todd McNair – 9 receptions, 69 yards
CHI – Wendell Davis – 2 receptions, 50 yards :

### Standings

AFC West :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| $^{(2)}$ Los Angeles Raiders | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 6–2 | 9–3 | 337 | 268 | W5 |
| $^{(5)}$ Kansas City Chiefs | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 5–3 | 7–5 | 369 | 257 | W2 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 4–4 | 7–5 | 306 | 286 | W2 |
| San Diego Chargers | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–6 | 5–9 | 315 | 281 | L3 |
| Denver Broncos | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 3–5 | 4–8 | 331 | 374 | W1 |

## Postseason

In a scene that would be repeated throughout the 1990s the Chiefs had a great regular season but failed miserably in the post-season. In the Wild Card playoff game, the Chiefs blew a 16–3 lead as the Dolphins scored two touchdowns to take a lead. With 2:28 left in the game, the Dolphins capped an 85-yard drive with quarterback Dan Marino's 12-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Mark Clayton to take a 17-16 lead. The Chiefs had one last chance for a win, but Christian Okoye's long run was called back due to a questionable holding call. Kicker Nick Lowery, who had 139 points all season and a Pro Bowl berth missed a 52-yard field goal coming up two feet short, ending the Chiefs season.

### Schedule

| Round | Date | Opponent (seed) | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap |
| Wild Card | January 5, 1991 | at Miami Dolphins (4) | L 16–17 | 0–1 | Joe Robbie Stadium | 67,276 | Recap |

### Game summaries
#### AFC Wild Card Playoffs: at (4) Miami Dolphins

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 3 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 16 |
| Dolphins | 0 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 17 |
at Joe Robbie Stadium, Miami, Florida
* Date: January 5
* Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST/3:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Partly Cloudy, 81 °F (27 °C)
* Game attendance: 67,276
* Referee: Pat Haggerty
* TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels, Frank Gifford, Dan Dierdorf and Bob Griese
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Nick Lowery 27-yard field goal, 5:04. Chiefs 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 28 yards, 3:55.
Second quarter
MIA – Pete Stoyanovich 58-yard field goal, 14:55. Tied 3–3. Drive: 9 plays, 40 yards, 5:09.
KC – Stephone Paige 26-yard pass from Steve DeBerg (Nick Lowery kick), 1:54. Chiefs 10–3. Drive: 4 plays, 61 yards, 1:42.
Third quarter
KC – Nick Lowery 25-yard field goal, 4:46. Chiefs 13–3. Drive: 11 plays, 63 yards, 5:05.
KC – Nick Lowery 38-yard field goal, 2:50. Chiefs 16–3. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 1:39.
Fourth quarter
MIA – Tony Paige 1-yard pass from Dan Marino (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 12:18. Chiefs 16–10. Drive: 10 plays, 66 yards, 5:32.
MIA – Mark Clayton 10-yard pass from Dan Marino (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 3:28. Dolphins 17–16. Drive: 11 plays, 85 yards, 7:11.
Top passers
KC – Steve DeBerg – 17/30, 269 yards, TD, INT
MIA – Dan Marino – 19/30, 221 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
KC – Christian Okoye – 13 rushes, 83 yards
MIA – Sammie Smith – 20 rushes, 82 yards
Top receivers
KC – Stephone Paige – 8 receptions, 142 yards, TD
MIA – Mark Clayton – 5 receptions, 66 yards, TD :