# 1988 Kansas City Chiefs season

The 1988 Kansas City Chiefs season was the franchise's 19th season in the National Football League and the 29th overall.
Bill Kenney opened the team's initial two games at quarterback, but was replaced by Steve DeBerg for the second half against Seattle. DeBerg guided the team to a 20–13 win against Denver in his initial start as a member of the Chiefs. However, six losses, and a tie followed as Kenney and DeBerg jostled for the starting job.
As the season drew to a close, it became apparent the winds of change were blowing across the organization. President Jack Steadman resigned on December 8, while general manager Jim Schaaf was relieved of his duties the same day. Steadman was later named chairman of the board. On the field, the Chiefs finished the year at 4–11–1 as questions swirled regarding head coach Frank Gansz's future and who would fill the club's leadership void. One day after the season's conclusion, former Philadelphia Eagles and United States Football League executive Carl Peterson was named the club's president/general manager and chief operating officer on December 19.

## Offseason

The spring was marked by several notable trades as the club jockeyed to improve on its 4–11 finish in 1987. Todd Blackledge was traded to Pittsburgh on March 29 and 12-year veteran quarterback Steve DeBerg was acquired from Tampa Bay on March 31. The Chiefs moved up one spot in the first round of the draft to select defensive end Neil Smith with the second overall pick.

### NFL draft

1988 Kansas City Chiefs draft :
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College |
| 1 | 2 | Neil Smith * | Defensive end | Nebraska |
| 3 | 59 | Kevin Porter | Safety | Auburn |
| 4 | 96 | Johnny Ray Ambrose | Wide receiver | Mississippi |
| 6 | 139 | James Saxon | Running back | San Jose State |
| 7 | 170 | Troy Stedman | Linebacker | Washburn |
| 8 | 197 | Alfredo Roberts | Tight end | Miami (FL) |
| 9 | 224 | Azizuddin Abdur-Ra'oof | Wide receiver | Maryland |
| 10 | 251 | Kenny Gamble | Running back | Colgate |
| 11 | 282 | Danny McManus | Quarterback | Florida State |
| Made roster * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career ||||||

## Preseason

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap |
| 1 | August 6 | Cincinnati Bengals | W 34–21 | 1–0 | Arrowhead Stadium | 31,947 | Recap |
| 2 | August 13 | at Atlanta Falcons | W 27–13 | 2–0 | Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium | 23,369 | Recap |
| 3 | August 19 | at Green Bay Packers | T 21–21 (OT) | 2–0–1 | Milwaukee County Stadium | 32,361 | Recap |
| 4 | August 25 | Phoenix Cardinals | L 21–41 | 2–1–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | 36,883 | Recap |

## Regular season
### Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap |
| 1 | September 4 | Cleveland Browns | L 3–6 | 0–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | 55,654 | Recap |
| 2 | September 11 | at Seattle Seahawks | L 10–31 | 0–2 | Kingdome | 61,512 | Recap |
| 3 | September 18 | Denver Broncos | W 20–13 | 1–2 | Arrowhead Stadium | 63,268 | Recap |
| 4 | September 25 | San Diego Chargers | L 23–24 | 1–3 | Arrowhead Stadium | 45,498 | Recap |
| 5 | October 2 | at New York Jets | T 17–17 (OT) | 1–3–1 | Giants Stadium | 66,110 | Recap |
| 6 | October 9 | at Houston Oilers | L 6–7 | 1–4–1 | Houston Astrodome | 39,134 | Recap |
| 7 | October 16 | Los Angeles Raiders | L 17–27 | 1–5–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | 77,078 | Recap |
| 8 | October 23 | Detroit Lions | L 6–7 | 1–6–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | 66,926 | Recap |
| 9 | October 30 | at Los Angeles Raiders | L 10–17 | 1–7–1 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | 36,103 | Recap |
| 10 | November 6 | at Denver Broncos | L 11–17 | 1–8–1 | Mile High Stadium | 74,227 | Recap |
| 11 | November 13 | Cincinnati Bengals | W 31–28 | 2–8–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | 34,614 | Recap |
| 12 | November 20 | Seattle Seahawks | W 27–24 | 3–8–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | 33,152 | Recap |
| 13 | November 27 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | L 10–16 | 3–9–1 | Three Rivers Stadium | 42,057 | Recap |
| 14 | December 4 | New York Jets | W 38–34 | 4–9–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | 30,059 | Recap |
| 15 | December 11 | at New York Giants | L 12–28 | 4–10–1 | Giants Stadium | 69,807 | Recap |
| 16 | December 18 | at San Diego Chargers | L 13–24 | 4–11–1 | Jack Murphy Stadium | 26,339 | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

### Game summaries
#### Week 1: vs. Cleveland Browns

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Browns | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| Chiefs | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: September 4
* Game time: 3:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Mostly Cloudy, 77 °F (25 °C)
* Game attendance: 55,654
* Referee: Jim Tunney
* TV announcers (NBC): Gary Gerould and Reggie Rucker
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
KC – Nick Lowery 33-yard field goal, 3:11. Chiefs 3–0. Drive: 6 plays, 27 yards, 3:10.
CLE – Matt Bahr 19-yard field goal, 0:00. Tied 3–3. Drive: 12 plays, 81 yards, 2:59.
Third quarter
No scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
CLE – Matt Bahr 38-yard field goal, 0:25. Browns 6–3. Drive: 13 plays, 72 yards, 5:54.
Top passers
CLE – Gary Danielson – 18/29, 170 yards, INT
KC – Bill Kenney – 11/29, 106 yards, 2 INT
Top rushers
CLE – Tim Manoa – 14 rushes, 70 yards
KC – Paul Palmer – 12 rushes, 28 yards
Top receivers
CLE – Webster Slaughter – 5 receptions, 61 yards
KC – Alfredo Roberts – 3 receptions, 34 yards :

#### Week 2: at Seattle Seahawks

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| Seahawks | 3 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 31 |
at Kingdome, Seattle, Washington
* Date: September 11
* Game time: 3:00 p.m. CDT/1:00 p.m. PDT
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 61,512
* Referee: Jerry Markbreit
* TV announcers (NBC): Sam Nover and Jon Morris
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
SEA – Norm Johnson 18-yard field goal, 6:44. Seahawks 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 47 yards, 5:49.
KC – Nick Lowery 27-yard field goal, 1:11. Tied 3–3. Drive: 7 plays, 14 yards, 2:53.
Second quarter
SEA – Curt Warner 1-yard run (Norm Johnson kick), 9:37. Seahawks 10–3. Drive: 12 plays, 59 yards, 6:24.
SEA – Curt Warner 3-yard run (Norm Johnson kick), 2:26. Seahawks 17–3. Drive: 10 plays, 53 yards, 5:43.
SEA – Brian Blades 17-yard pass from Dave Krieg (Norm Johnson kick), 0:51. Seahawks 24–3. Drive: 4 plays, 18 yards, 0:57.
SEA – Jacob Green fumble recovery in end zone (Norm Johnson kick), 0:37. Seahawks 31–3.
Third quarter
No scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
KC – Stephone Paige 15-yard pass from Steve DeBerg (Nick Lowery kick), 13:51. Seahawks 31–10. Drive: 12 plays, 72 yards, 4:20.
Top passers
KC – Steve DeBerg – 22/38, 244 yards, TD, 3 INT
SEA – Dave Krieg – 14/22, 114 yards, TD
Top rushers
KC – Paul Palmer – 14 rushes, 44 yards
SEA – Curt Warner – 20 rushes, 72 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
KC – Paul Palmer – 8 receptions, 105 yards
SEA – Brian Blades – 3 receptions, 39 yards, TD :

#### Week 3: vs. Denver Broncos

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Broncos | 3 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 13 |
| Chiefs | 3 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 20 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: September 18
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Cloudy and Rain, 73 °F (23 °C)
* Game attendance: 63,268
* Referee: Jerry Seeman
* TV announcers (NBC): Jim Donovan and Joe Namath
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Nick Lowery 50-yard field goal, 9:40. Chiefs 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 0:55.
DEN – Rich Karlis 23-yard field goal, 0:57. Tied 3–3. Drive: 11 plays, 46 yards, 5:05.
Second quarter
KC – Carlos Carson 6-yard pass from Steve DeBerg (Nick Lowery kick), 8:21. Chiefs 10–3. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 3:13.
DEN – Tony Dorsett 8-yard run (Rich Karlis kick), 2:52. Tied 10–10. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 5:20.
Third quarter
KC – Paul Palmer 14-yard pass from Steve DeBerg (Nick Lowery kick), 6:04. Chiefs 17–10. Drive: 14 plays, 77 yards, 8:56.
Fourth quarter
DEN – Rich Karlis 42-yard field goal, 9:34. Chiefs 17–13. Drive: 10 plays, 57 yards, 3:03.
KC – Nick Lowery 29-yard field goal, 3:47. Chiefs 20–13. Drive: 11 plays, 64 yards, 5:38.
Top passers
DEN – John Elway – 15/32, 213 yards, 2 INT
KC – Steve DeBerg – 21/35, 259 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
DEN – Tony Dorsett – 10 rushes, 35 yards, TD
KC – Paul Palmer – 22 rushes, 80 yards
Top receivers
DEN – Orson Mobley – 4 receptions, 59 yards
KC – Paul Palmer – 7 receptions, 84 yards, TD :

#### Week 4: vs. San Diego Chargers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 14 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 24 |
| Chiefs | 0 | 14 | 9 | 0 | 23 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: September 25
* Game time: 3:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Sunny, 78 °F (26 °C)
* Game attendance: 45,498
* Referee: Pat Haggerty
* TV announcers (NBC): Ray Scott and Merlin Olsen
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
SD – Quinn Early 38-yard pass from Babe Laufenberg (Vince Abbott kick), 5:11. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 5:20.
SD – Gary Anderson 30-yard run (Vince Abbott kick), 1:08. Chargers 14–0. Drive: 6 plays, 60 yards, 1:45.
Second quarter
KC – Paul Palmer 71-yard pass from Steve DeBerg (Nick Lowery kick), 14:49. Chargers 14–7. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 1:19.
KC – Stephone Paige 2-yard pass from Steve DeBerg (Nick Lowery kick), 0:18. Tied 14–14. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 1:07.
Third quarter
KC – Paul Palmer 6-yard pass from Steve DeBerg (Nick Lowery kick), 5:08. Chiefs 21–14. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 5:13.
KC – Babe Laufenberg sacked in end zone by Bill Maas for a Safety, 3:35. Chiefs 23–14.
Fourth quarter
SD – Vince Abbott 47-yard field goal, 8:13. Chiefs 23–17. Drive: 6 plays, 37 yards, 2:19.
SD – Lionel James 9-yard pass from Babe Laufenberg (Vince Abbott kick), 0:52. Chargers 24–23. Drive: 13 plays, 61 yards, 5:50.
Top passers
SD – Babe Laufenberg – 13/25, 167 yards, 2 TD, INT
KC – Steve DeBerg – 20/38, 261 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
SD – Gary Anderson – 23 rushes, 131 yards, TD
KC – Paul Palmer – 17 rushes, 76 yards
Top receivers
SD – Quinn Early – 3 receptions, 63 yards, TD
KC – Paul Palmer – 5 receptions, 122 yards, 2 TD :

#### Week 5: at New York Jets

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Chiefs | 0 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 17 |
| Jets | 3 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
* Date: October 2
* Game time: 4:00 p.m. EDT/3:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Cloudy, 78 °F (26 °C)
* Game attendance: 66,110
* Referee: Ben Dreith
* TV announcers (NBC): Merle Harmon and Al DeRogatis
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
NYJ – Pat Leahy 23-yard field goal, 4:34. Jets 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 74 yards, 4:45.
Second quarter
NYJ – Johnny Hector 4-yard run (Pat Leahy kick), 9:00. Jets 10–0. Drive: 8 plays, 60 yards, 3:52.
Third quarter
KC – Nick Lowery 34-yard field goal, 8:07. Jets 10–3. Drive: 8 plays, 57 yards, 3:49.
Fourth quarter
NYJ – Johnny Hector 1-yard run (Pat Leahy kick), 14:56. Jets 17–3. Drive: 5 plays, 31 yards, 1:56.
KC – Carlos Carson 80-yard pass from Steve DeBerg (Nick Lowery kick), 14:32. Jets 17–10. Drive: 1 play, 80 yards, 0:20.
KC – Emile Harry 8-yard pass from Steve DeBerg (Nick Lowery kick), 0:51. Tied 17–17. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 3:10.
Overtime
No scoring plays.
Top passers
KC – Steve DeBerg – 17/34, 312 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
NYJ – Ken O'Brien – 27/48, 288 yards, INT
Top rushers
KC – Christian Okoye – 12 rushes, 51 yards
NYJ – Freeman McNeil – 22 rushes, 154 yards
Top receivers
KC – Carlos Carson – 5 receptions, 162 yards, TD
NYJ – Mickey Shuler – 12 receptions, 152 yards :

#### Week 6: at Houston Oilers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Oilers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
at Astrodome, Houston, Texas
* Date: October 9
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 39,134
* Referee: Fred Silva
* TV announcers (NBC): Jay Randolph and Reggie Rucker
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Nick Lowery 28-yard field goal, 1:34. Chiefs 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 70 yards, 4:59.
Second quarter
KC – Nick Lowery 51-yard field goal, 6:41. Chiefs 6–0. Drive: 7 plays, 39 yards, 4:37.
Third quarter
HOU – Brent Pease 4-yard run (Tony Zendejas kick), 2:42. Oilers 7–6. Drive: 9 plays, 63 yards, 4:05.
Fourth quarter
No scoring plays.
Top passers
KC – Steve DeBerg – 15/30, 163 yards, 2 INT
HOU – Brent Pease – 3/14, 26 yards, 3 INT
Top rushers
KC – Herman Heard – 7 rushes, 46 yards
HOU – Mike Rozier – 27 rushes, 141 yards
Top receivers
KC – Carlos Carson – 3 receptions, 54 yards
HOU – Alonzo Highsmith – 1 reception, 9 yards :

#### Week 7: vs. Los Angeles Raiders

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Raiders | 7 | 7 | 0 | 13 | 27 |
| Chiefs | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 17 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: October 16
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Sunny, 67 °F (19 °C)
* Game attendance: 77,078
* Referee: Bob McElwee
* TV announcers (NBC): Tom Hammond and Joe Namath
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
RAI – Marcus Allen 1-yard run (Chris Bahr kick), 2:52. Raiders 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 27 yards, 4:19.
Second quarter
RAI – Steve Smith 1-yard run (Chris Bahr kick), 10:10. Raiders 14–0. Drive: 12 plays, 45 yards, 6:09.
KC – Paul Palmer 48-yard pass from Steve DeBerg (Nick Lowery kick), 8:35. Raiders 14–7. Drive: 4 plays, 73 yards, 1:25.
Third quarter
No scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
KC – Nick Lowery 43-yard field goal, 14:56. Raiders 14–10. Drive: 7 plays, 14 yards, 2:47.
RAI – Trey Junkin 4-yard pass from Steve Beuerlein (kick blocked), 10:55. Raiders 20–10. Drive: 3 plays, 11 yards, 0:52.
RAI – Bo Jackson 1-yard run (Chris Bahr kick), 5:49. Raiders 27–10. Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 3:20.
KC – Stephone Paige 25-yard pass from Steve DeBerg (Nick Lowery kick), 1:22. Raiders 27–17. Drive: 5 plays, 69 yards, 0:53.
Top passers
RAI – Steve Beuerlein – 4/7, 70 yards, TD
KC – Steve DeBerg – 16/30, 269 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
RAI – Bo Jackson – 21 rushes, 70 yards, TD
KC – Christian Okoye – 10 rushes, 55 yards
Top receivers
RAI – Mervyn Fernandez – 2 receptions, 48 yards
KC – Paul Palmer – 5 receptions, 103 yards, TD :

#### Week 8: vs. Detroit Lions

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Chiefs | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: October 23
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Clear and Sunny, 58 °F (14 °C)
* Game attendance: 66,926
* Referee: Tom Dooley
* TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel and Ken Stabler
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
KC – Nick Lowery 38-yard field goal, 11:12. Chiefs 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 60 yards, 5:32.
DET – Jeff Chadwick 14-yard pass from Rusty Hilger (Eddie Murray kick), 2:31. Lions 7–3. Drive: 6 plays, 47 yards, 4:25.
Third quarter
KC – Nick Lowery 43-yard field goal, 13:14. Lions 7–6. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 1:17.
Fourth quarter
No scoring plays.
Top passers
DET – Rusty Hilger – 8/18, 111 yards, TD, 2 INT
KC – Bill Kenney – 17/29, 154 yards, INT
Top rushers
DET – Tony Paige – 12 rushes, 47 yards
KC – Christian Okoye – 9 rushes, 33 yards
Top receivers
DET – Jeff Chadwick – 2 receptions, 32 yards, TD
KC – Stephone Paige – 5 receptions, 63 yards :

#### Week 9: at Los Angeles Raiders

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
| Raiders | 7 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 17 |
at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California
* Date: October 30
* Game time: 3:00 p.m. CST/1:00 p.m. PST
* Game weather: Clear, 70 °F (21 °C)
* Game attendance: 36,103
* Referee: Johnny Grier
* TV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui and Bob Trumpy
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
RAI – Bo Jackson 22-yard run (Chris Bahr kick), 7:30. Raiders 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 78 yards, 6:21.
Second quarter
KC – Paul Palmer 3-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 5:41. Tied 7–7. Drive: 15 plays, 74 yards, 9:13.
RAI – Marcus Allen 1-yard run (Chris Bahr kick), 1:23. Raiders 14–7. Drive: 11 plays, 67 yards, 4:18.
Third quarter
No scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
RAI – Chris Bhar 42-yard field goal, 14:24. Raiders 17–7. Drive: 11 plays, 69 yards, 5:32.
KC – Nick Lowery 45-yard field goal, 3:13. Raiders 17–10. Drive: 13 plays, 53 yards, 4:09.
Top passers
KC – Bill Kenney – 7/14, 47 yards
RAI – Steve Beuerlein – 18/29, 248 yards, INT
Top rushers
KC – Paul Palmer – 14 rushes, 56 yards
RAI – Bo Jackson – 17 rushes, 80 yards, TD
Top receivers
KC – Stephone Paige – 3 receptions, 27 yards,
RAI – Tim Brown – 8 receptions, 95 yards :

#### Week 10: at Denver Broncos

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 11 |
| Broncos | 0 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 17 |
at Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado
* Date: November 6
* Game time: 3:00 p.m. CST/2:00 p.m. MST
* Game weather: Partly Cloudy, 63 °F (17 °C)
* Game attendance: 74,227
* Referee: Gordon McCarter
* TV announcers (NBC): Gary Gerould and Reggie Rucker
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Tony Dorsett tackled in end zone by Dino Hackett for a Safety, 8:13. Chiefs 2–0.
Second quarter
DEN – Vance Johnson 6-yard pass from John Elway (Rich Karlis kick), 14:55. Broncos 7–2. Drive: 12 plays, 71 yards, 6:27.
DEN – Sammy Winder 1-yard run (Rich Karlis kick), 1:57. Broncos 14–2. Drive: 3 plays, 21 yards, 0:30.
KC – Nick Lowery 46-yard field goal, 0:26. Broncos 14–5. Drive: 9 plays, 54 yards, 1:31.
Third quarter
KC – Nick Lowery 29-yard field goal, 2:29. Broncos 14–8. Drive: 7 plays, 32 yards, 3:03.
Fourth quarter
DEN – Rich Karlis 42-yard field goal, 13:58. Broncos 17–8. Drive: 11 plays, 55 yards, 3:31.
KC – Nick Lowery 34-yard field goal, 8:50. Broncos 17–11. Drive: 10 plays, 64 yards, 5:08.
Top passers
KC – Bill Kenney – 16/27, 193 yards, INT
DEN – John Elway – 14/28, 183 yards, TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
KC – Herman Heard – 8 rushes, 27 yards
DEN – Tony Dorsett – 10 rushes, 44 yards
Top receivers
KC – Carlos Carson – 4 receptions, 51 yards
DEN – Vance Johnson – 6 receptions, 72 yards, TD :

#### Week 11: vs. Cincinnati Bengals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bengals | 7 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 28 |
| Chiefs | 6 | 3 | 10 | 12 | 31 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: November 13
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Sunny, 59 °F (15 °C)
* Game attendance: 34,614
* Referee: Jerry Seeman
* TV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui and Bob Trumpy
* Recap
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Nick Lowery 37-yard field goal, 10:00. Chiefs 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 61 yards, 5:00.
CIN – Ickey Woods 4-yard run (Jim Breech kick), 6:25. Bengals 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 74 yards, 3:35.
KC – Nick Lowery 35-yard field goal, 1:19. Bengals 7–6. Drive: 9 plays, 63 yards, 5:06.
Second quarter
KC – Nick Lowery 23-yard field goal, 1:57. Chiefs 9–7. Drive: 23 plays, 87 yards, 12:15.
CIN – Stanley Wilson 5-yard run (Jim Breech kick), 0:14. Bengals 14–9. Drive: 9 plays, 71 yards, 1:43.
Third quarter
CIN – Boomer Esiason 5-yard run (Jim Breech kick), 7:14. Bengals 21–9. Drive: 7 plays, 51 yards, 3:57.
KC – Stephone Paige 17-yard pass from Steve DeBerg (Nick Lowery kick), 5:19. Bengals 21–16. Drive: 5 plays, 82 yards, 1:55.
CIN – Stanford Jennings 98-yard kickoff return (Jim Breech kick), 5:01. Bengals 28–16.
KC – Nick Lowery 47-yard field goal, 1:16. Bengals 28–19. Drive: 8 plays, 54 yards, 3:45.
Fourth quarter
KC – Punt blocked by Albert Lewis out of bounds in end zone for a Safety, 6:06. Bengals 28–21.
KC – Christian Okoye 1-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 1:16. Tied 28–28. Drive: 12 plays, 64 yards, 4:50.
KC – Nick Lowery 39-yard field goal, 0:02. Chiefs 31–28. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 1:03.
Top passers
CIN – Boomer Esiason – 11/22, 157 yards, INT
KC – Steve DeBerg – 22/37, 285 yards, TD
Top rushers
CIN – Ickey Woods – 13 rushes, 76 yards, TD
KC – Christian Okoye – 16 rushes, 102 yards, TD
Top receivers
CIN – Tim McGee – 3 receptions, 60 yards
KC – Carlos Carson – 7 receptions, 86 yards :

#### Week 12: vs. Seattle Seahawks

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Seahawks | 0 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 24 |
| Chiefs | 7 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 27 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: November 20
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Sunny, 34 °F (1 °C)
* Game attendance: 33,152
* Referee: Bob McElwee
* TV announcers (NBC): Gary Gerould and Jimmy Cefalo
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
KC – James Saxon 2-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 1:54. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 15 plays, 81 yards, 9:10.
Second quarter
KC – Christian Okoye 2-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 4:24. Chiefs 14–0. Drive: 2 plays, 51 yards, 0:13.
SEA – Ray Butler 12-yard pass from Dave Krieg (Norm Johnson kick), 1:01. Chiefs 14–7. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 3:15.
Third quarter
SEA – Terry Taylor 27-yard interception return (Norm Johnson kick), 14:04. Tied 14–14.
KC – Nick Lowery 34-yard field goal, 2:18. Chiefs 17–14. Drive: 10 plays, 44 yards, 4:57.
Fourth quarter
KC – Steve DeBerg 1-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 14:38. Chiefs 24–14. Drive: 4 plays, 19 yards, 0:40.
SEA – Norm Johnson 32-yard field goal, 10:13. Chiefs 24–17. Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards, 4:47.
SEA – Brian Blades 14-yard pass from Dave Krieg (Norm Johnson kick), 4:20. Tied 24–24. Drive: 7 plays, 59 yards, 3:09.
KC – Nick Lowery 40-yard field goal, 0:46. Chiefs 27–24. Drive: 13 plays, 51 yards, 3:24.
Top passers
SEA – Dave Krieg – 20/30, 225 yards, 2 TD, INT
KC – Steve DeBerg – 16/26, 203 yards, 2 INT
Top rushers
SEA – John Williams – 11 rushes, 50 yards
KC – Herman Heard – 16 rushes, 84 yards
Top receivers
SEA – Brian Blades – 7 receptions, 89 yards, TD
KC – Stephone Paige – 5 receptions, 106 yards :

#### Week 13: at Pittsburgh Steelers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
| Steelers | 6 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 16 |
at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
* Date: November 27
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Partly Cloudy, 51 °F (11 °C)
* Game attendance: 42,057
* Referee: Dick Jorgensen
* TV announcers (NBC): Gary Gerould and Reggie Rucker
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
PIT – Gary Anderson 23-yard field goal, 7:05. Steelers 3–0. Drive: 19 plays, 74 yards, 7:55.
PIT – Gary Anderson 20-yard field goal, 0:12. Steelers 6–0. Drive: 10 plays, 64 yards, 4:01.
Second quarter
KC – Stephone Paige 4-yard pass from Steve DeBerg (Nick Lowery kick), 8:15. Chiefs 7–6. Drive: 14 plays, 74 yards, 6:54.
PIT – Merril Hoge 10-yard run (Gary Anderson kick), 1:06. Steelers 13–7. Drive: 9 plays, 62 yards, 4:01.
Third quarter
PIT – Gary Anderson 22-yard field goal, 0:21. Steelers 16–7. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 6:18.
Fourth quarter
KC – Nick Lowery 26-yard field goal, 6:34. Steelers 16–10. Drive: 9 plays, 66 yards, 3:22.
Top passers
KC – Steve DeBerg – 23/42, 278 yards, TD, INT
PIT – Bubby Brister – 13/27, 122 yards, INT
Top rushers
KC – Christian Okoye – 9 rushes, 58 yards
PIT – Merril Hoge – 15 rushes, 76 yards, TD
Top receivers
KC – Herman Heard – 7 receptions, 99 yards
PIT – Charles Lockett – 4 receptions, 60 yards :

#### Week 14: vs. New York Jets

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Jets | 10 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 34 |
| Chiefs | 14 | 7 | 0 | 17 | 38 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: December 4
* Game time: 3:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Sunny, 44 °F (7 °C)
* Game attendance: 30,059
* Referee: Fred Wyant
* TV announcers (NBC): Marv Albert and Paul Maguire
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Carlos Carson 40-yard pass from Steve DeBerg (Nick Lowery kick), 12:17. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 2:43.
KC – Stephone Paige 41-yard pass from Steve DeBerg (Nick Lowery kick), 4:03. Chiefs 14–0. Drive: 6 plays, 49 yards, 4:22.
NYJ – Mickey Shuler 40-yard pass from Pat Ryan (Pat Leahy kick), 1:33. Chiefs 14–7. Drive: 6 plays, 67 yards, 2:19.
NYJ – Pat Leahy 33-yard field goal, 0:27. Chiefs 14–10. Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 1:07.
Second quarter
KC – Stephone Paige 33-yard pass from Steve DeBerg (Nick Lowery kick), 4:58. Chiefs 21–10. Drive: 1 play, 33 yards, 0:06.
NYJ – Al Toon 2-yard pass from Pat Ryan (Pat Leahy kick), 1:53. Chiefs 21–17. Drive: 8 plays, 64 yards, 2:54.
NYJ – Pat Leahy 32-yard field goal, 0:06. Chiefs 21–20. Drive: 8 plays, 24 yards, 1:08.
Third quarter
NYJ – Johnny Hector 6-yard run (Pat Leahy kick), 5:58. Jets 27–21. Drive: 8 plays, 82 yards, 3:45.
Fourth quarter
KC – Nick Lowery 21-yard field goal, 14:38. Jets 27–24. Drive: 12 plays, 70 yards, 6:12.
NYJ – Johnny Hector 1-yard run (Pat Leahy kick), 8:12. Jets 34–24. Drive: 11 plays, 65 yards, 6:12.
KC – Christian Okoye 1-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 5:22. Jets 34–31. Drive: 6 plays, 70 yards, 2:40.
KC – James Saxon 1-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 0:02. Chiefs 38–34. Drive: 14 plays, 68 yards, 2:55.
Top passers
NYJ – Pat Ryan – 13/25, 198 yards, 2 TD
KC – Steve DeBerg – 16/25, 167 yards, 3 TD, INT
Top rushers
NYJ – Freeman McNeil – 13 rushes, 76 yards
KC – Christian Okoye – 16 rushes, 68 yards, TD
Top receivers
NYJ – Al Toon – 5 receptions, 102 yards, TD
KC – Stephone Paige – 4 receptions, 113 yards, 2 TD :

#### Week 15: at New York Giants

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 0 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 12 |
| Giants | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 28 |
at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
* Date: December 11
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Mostly Cloudy, 20 °F (−7 °C)
* Game attendance: 69,807
* Referee: Jim Tunney
* TV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui and Bob Trumpy
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
NYG – Mark Bavaro 12-yard pass from Phil Simms (Paul McFadden kick), 9:00. Giants 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 61 yards, 6:00.
Second quarter
KC – Nick Lowery 31-yard field goal, 0:17. Giants 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 26 yards, 4:01.
Third quarter
KC – Nick Lowery 51-yard field goal, 12:22. Giants 7–6. Drive: 5 plays, 27 yards, 4:38.
NYG – Mark Bavaro 24-yard pass from Phil Simms (Paul McFadden kick), 6:53. Giants 14–6. Drive: 4 plays, 43 yards, 2:07.
KC – Nick Lowery 46-yard field goal, 4:45. Giants 14–9. Drive: 8 plays, 33 yards, 2:08.
KC – Nick Lowery 41-yard field goal, 0:00. Giants 14–12. Drive: 11 plays, 52 yards, 2:15.
Fourth quarter
NYG – Ottis Anderson 2-yard run (Paul McFadden kick), 9:38. Giants 21–12. Drive: 10 plays, 56 yards, 5:22.
NYG – Maurice Carthon 5-yard run (Paul McFadden kick), 2:30. Giants 28–12. Drive: 8 plays, 51 yards, 5:24.
Top passers
KC – Steve DeBerg – 15/35, 174 yards
NYG – Phil Simms – 6/15, 93 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
KC – Herman Heard – 13 rushes, 46 yards
NYG – Joe Morris – 31 rushes, 140 yards
Top receivers
KC – Jonathan Hayes – 5 receptions, 64 yards
NYG – Mark Bavaro – 2 receptions, 36 yards, 2 TD :

#### Week 16: at San Diego Chargers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| Chargers | 10 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 24 |
at Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego, California
* Date: December 18
* Game time: 3:00 p.m. CST/1:00 p.m. PST
* Game weather: Partly Cloudy, 62 °F (17 °C)
* Game attendance: 26,339
* Referee: Johnny Grier
* TV announcers (NBC): Jay Randolph and Dave Rowe
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Paul Palmer 26-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 13:31. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 1:23.
SD – Gary Anderson 9-yard run (Steve DeLine kick), 8:21. Tied 7–7. Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 5:01.
KC – Jonathan Hayes 4-yard pass from Steve DeBerg (kick aborted), 2:46. Chiefs 13–7. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 5:23.
SD – Steve DeLine 45-yard field goal, 0:08. Chiefs 13–10. Drive: 7 plays, 35 yards, 2:28.
Second quarter
SD – Mark Malone 5-yard run (Steve DeLine kick), 3:06. Chargers 17–13. Drive: 12 plays, 64 yards, 7:20.
Third quarter
SD – Jamie Holland 94-yard kickoff return (Steve DeLine kick), 14:44. Chargers 24–13.
Fourth quarter
No scoring plays.
Top passers
KC – Steve DeBerg – 17/36, 187 yards, TD, 2 INT
SD – Mark Malone – 6/10, 91 yards
Top rushers
KC – James Saxon – 15 rushes, 63 yards
SD – Gary Anderson – 34 rushes, 217 yards, TD
Top receivers
KC – Stephone Paige – 5 receptions, 87 yards
SD – Anthony Miller – 2 receptions, 33 yards :

### Standings

AFC West :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| Seattle Seahawks$^{(3)}$ | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 6–2 | 8–4 | 339 | 329 | W2 |
| Denver Broncos | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 3–5 | 5–7 | 327 | 352 | W1 |
| Los Angeles Raiders | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 6–2 | 6–6 | 325 | 369 | L2 |
| San Diego Chargers | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 3–5 | 4–8 | 231 | 332 | W2 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 4 | 11 | 1 | .281 | 2–6 | 4–9–1 | 254 | 320 | L2 |