# 1986 Kansas City Chiefs season

The 1986 Kansas City Chiefs season marked the franchise's 17th season in the National Football League and the 27th overall. The season concluded with a 10–6 record, representing the team's best performance since 1971. This successful run earned The Chiefs a wild card playoff berth, although their postseason journey was cut short by a New York Jets 35–15.
Former linebacker Willie Lanier was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame on August 2. On the field, the pieces started coming together for head coach John Mackovic. His offense displayed plenty of scoring punch, while the club's defense and special teams became increasingly effective. With the team sitting at 3–3, Bill Kenney replaced Todd Blackledge for the second half of the season in a game against San Diego, guiding the club to a 42–41 victory. That win was the first of four consecutive triumphs with Kenney at the helm, the club's longest winning streak since 1980. Poised with a 7–3 record after 10 games, three straight losses in November put the Chiefs playoff chances in jeopardy. Two December wins gave Kansas City a 9–6 mark, putting the Chiefs on the verge of their first postseason berth in 15 years.
The defining moment of the season came in the regular season finale at Pittsburgh on December 21. Despite being outgained in total yardage by a 515–171 margin, the Chiefs were able to notch a 24–19 victory as all of the team's points came via special teams on a blocked punt return, a field goal, a kickoff return and a blocked field goal return. With a 10–6 record the Chiefs earned an AFC Wild Card berth, winning a tiebreaker with Seattle. Kenney was injured in the fourth quarter of the Steelers contest, meaning Blackledge drew the starting assignment for the club's first playoff contest since 1971, a 35–15 loss vs the New York Jets.
Mackovic was fired after the season.

## Offseason
### NFL draft

1986 Kansas City Chiefs Draft :
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | College |
| 1 | 7 | Brian Jozwiak | Guard | West Virginia |
| 2 | 35 | Dino Hackett | Linebacker | Appalachian State |
| 3 | 63 | Leonard Griffin | Defensive end | Grambling State |
| 4 | 87 | Tom Baugh | Center | Southern Illinois |
| 4 | 90 | Chas Fox | Wide receiver | Furman |
| 6 | 141 | Kent Hagood | Running back | South Carolina |
| 8 | 196 | Lewis Colbert | Punter | Auburn |
| 9 | 229 | Gary Baldinger | Defensive end | Wake Forest |
| 10 | 257 | Ike Readon | Nose tackle | Hampton |
| 11 | 285 | Aaron Pearson | Linebacker | Mississippi State |

## Preseason

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap |
| 1 | August 9 | Cincinnati Bengals | W 20–0 | 1–0 | Arrowhead Stadium | 30,067 | Recap |
| 2 | August 16 | at St. Louis Cardinals | W 27–26 | 2–0 | Busch Stadium | 30,305 | Recap |
| 3 | August 23 | Buffalo Bills | L 6–13 | 2–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | 39,911 | Recap |
| 4 | August 30 | at New Orleans Saints | L 10–13 | 2–2 | Louisiana Superdome | 47,945 | Recap |

## Regular season
### Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap |
| 1 | September 7 | Cincinnati Bengals | W 24–14 | 1–0 | Arrowhead Stadium | 43,430 | Recap |
| 2 | September 14 | at Seattle Seahawks | L 17–23 | 1–1 | Kingdome | 61,068 | Recap |
| 3 | September 21 | Houston Oilers | W 27–13 | 2–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | 43,699 | Recap |
| 4 | September 28 | at Buffalo Bills | W 20–17 | 3–1 | Rich Stadium | 67,555 | Recap |
| 5 | October 5 | Los Angeles Raiders | L 17–24 | 3–2 | Arrowhead Stadium | 74,430 | Recap |
| 6 | October 12 | at Cleveland Browns | L 7–20 | 3–3 | Cleveland Stadium | 71,278 | Recap |
| 7 | October 19 | San Diego Chargers | W 42–41 | 4–3 | Arrowhead Stadium | 55,767 | Recap |
| 8 | October 26 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 27–20 | 5–3 | Arrowhead Stadium | 36,230 | Recap |
| 9 | November 2 | at San Diego Chargers | W 24–23 | 6–3 | Jack Murphy Stadium | 48,518 | Recap |
| 10 | November 9 | Seattle Seahawks | W 27–7 | 7–3 | Arrowhead Stadium | 53,268 | Recap |
| 11 | November 16 | at Denver Broncos | L 17–38 | 7–4 | Mile High Stadium | 75,745 | Recap |
| 12 | November 23 | at St. Louis Cardinals | L 14–23 | 7–5 | Busch Stadium | 29,680 | Recap |
| 13 | November 30 | Buffalo Bills | L 14–17 | 7–6 | Arrowhead Stadium | 31,492 | Recap |
| 14 | December 7 | Denver Broncos | W 37–10 | 8–6 | Arrowhead Stadium | 47,019 | Recap |
| 15 | December 14 | at Los Angeles Raiders | W 20–17 | 9–6 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | 60,952 | Recap |
| 16 | December 21 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | W 24–19 | 10–6 | Three Rivers Stadium | 47,150 | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

### Game summaries
#### Week 1: vs. Cincinnati Bengals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bengals | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Chiefs | 7 | 0 | 14 | 3 | 24 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: September 7
* Game time: 3:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 56 °F (13 °C)
* Game attendance: 43,430
* Referee: Chuck Heberling
* TV announcers (NBC): Len Berman and John Hannah
* Recap
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Deron Cherry blocked punt recovery in endzone (Nick Lowery kick), 13:18. Chiefs 7–0.
Second quarter
CIN – Cris Collinsworth 15-yard pass from Boomer Esiason (Jim Breech kick), 10:53. Tied 7–7.
Third quarter
KC – Jeff Smith 15-yard pass Todd Blackledge (Nick Lowery kick), 11:30. Chiefs 14–7.
KC – Walt Arnold fumble recovery in endzone (Nick Lowery kick), 0:29. Chiefs 21–7.
Fourth quarter
CIN – Cris Collinsworth 28-yard pass from Boomer Esiason (Jim Breech kick), 7:50. Chiefs 21–14.
KC – Nick Lowery 18-yard field goal, 1:32. Chiefs 24–14.
Top passers
CIN – Boomer Esiason – 22/43, 263 yards, 2 TD, INT
KC – Todd Blackledge – 13/28, 190 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
CIN – James Brooks – 13 rushes, 40 yards
KC – Herman Heard – 10 rushes, 62 yards
Top receivers
CIN – Cris Collinsworth – 6 receptions, 75 yards, 2 TD
KC – Stephone Paige – 5 receptions, 93 yards :

#### Week 2: at Seattle Seahawks

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 3 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 17 |
| Seahawks | 0 | 13 | 10 | 0 | 23 |
at Kingdome, Seattle, Washington
* Date: September 14
* Game time: 3:00 p.m. CDT/1:00 p.m. PDT
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 61,068
* Referee: Dick Hantak
* TV announcers (NBC): Jay Randolph and Jimmy Cefalo
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Nick Lowery 42-yard field goal, 10:31. Chiefs 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 48 yards, 4:20.
Second quarter
SEA – Norm Johnson 35-yard field goal, 14:57. Tied 3–3. Drive: 10 plays, 46 yards, 4:37.
SEA – Norm Johnson 34-yard field goal, 11:51. Seahawks 6–3. Drive: 7 plays, 18 yards, 1:52.
SEA – Daryl Turner 6-yard pass from Dave Krieg (Norm Johnson kick), 2:56. Seahawks 13–3. Drive: 9 plays, 47 yards, 5:25.
Third quarter
KC – Carlos Carson 70-yard pass from Todd Blackledge (Nick Lowery kick), 9:23. Seahawks 13–10. Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 1:25.
SEA – Norm Johnson 53-yard field goal, 6:34. Seahawks 16–10. Drive: 9 plays, 37 yards, 2:41.
SEA – Curt Warner 1-yard run (Norm Johnson kick), 3:47. Seahawks 23–10. Drive: 2 plays, 5 yards, 0:48.
Fourth quarter
KC – Jeff Smith 1-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 0:04. Seahawks 23–17. Drive: 12 plays, 66 yards, 2:44.
Top passers
KC – Todd Blackledge – 15/29, 183 yards, TD, 2 INT
SEA – Dave Krieg – 21/35, 203 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
KC – Mike Pruitt – 6 rushes, 28 yards
SEA – Curt Warner – 25 rushes, 80 yards, TD
Top receivers
KC – Carlos Carson – 2 receptions, 80 yards, TD
SEA – Steve Largent – 5 receptions, 62 yards :

#### Week 3: vs. Houston Oilers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Oilers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 13 |
| Chiefs | 3 | 10 | 14 | 0 | 27 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: September 21
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Mostly Sunny, 87 °F (31 °C)
* Game attendance: 43,699
* Referee: Gene Barth
* TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones and Jimmy Cefalo
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Nick Lowery 47-yard field goal, 11:11. Chiefs 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 56 yards, 3:49.
Second quarter
KC – Carlos Carson 29-yard pass from Todd Blackledge (Nick Lowery kick), 14:03. Chiefs 10–0. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 1:48.
KC – Nick Lowery 45-yard field goal, 0:00. Chiefs 13–0. Drive: 3 plays, 29 yards, 0:24.
Third quarter
KC – Herman Heard 11-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 11:54. Chiefs 20–0. Drive: 4 plays, 27 yards, 1:41.
KC – Greg Hill 26-yard interception return (Nick Lowery kick), 10:47. Chiefs 27–0.
HOU – Jeff Donaldson fumble recovery in endzone (Tony Zendejas kick), 2:33. Chiefs 27–7.
Fourth quarter
HOU – Warren Moon 1-yard run (kick blocked), 13:36. Chiefs 27–13. Drive: 6 plays, 46 yards, 2:24.
Top passers
HOU – Warren Moon – 18/40, 229 yards, 2 INT
KC – Todd Blackledge – 6/23, 160 yards, TD
Top rushers
HOU – Chuck Banks – 10 rushes, 43 yards
KC – Herman Heard – 8 rushes, 43 yards, TD
Top receivers
HOU – Ernest Givins – 4 receptions, 76 yards
KC – Carlos Carson – 3 receptions, 98 yards, TD :

#### Week 4: at Buffalo Bills

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
| Bills | 7 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 17 |
at Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
* Date: September 28
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Sunny, 72 °F (22 °C)
* Game attendance: 67,555
* Referee: Jerry Seeman
* TV announcers (NBC): Tom Davis and Dave Rowe
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
BUF – Robb Riddick 41-yard run (Scott Norwood kick), 11:07. Bills 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 3:51.
KC – Nick Lowery 24-yard field goal, 4:03. Bills 7–3. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 6:55.
Second quarter
KC – Stephone Paige 26-yard pass from Todd Blackledge (Nick Lowery kick), 1:23. Chiefs 10–7. Drive: 5 plays, 53 yards, 2:15.
Third quarter
BUF – Ronnie Harmon 14-yard pass from Jim Kelly (Scott Norwood kick), 7:09. Bills 14–10. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:23.
Fourth quarter
BUF – Scott Norwood 32-yard field goal, 11:39. Bills 17–10. Drive: 13 plays, 68 yards, 8:05.
KC – Paul Coffman 1-yard pass from Todd Blackledge (Nick Lowery kick), 4:18. Tied 17–17. Drive: 13 plays, 72 yards, 8:13.
KC – Nick Lowery 46-yard field goal, 1:07. Chiefs 20–17. Drive: 6 plays, 17 yards, 2:51.
Top passers
KC – Todd Blackledge – 17/27, 210 yards, 2 TD
BUF – Jim Kelly – 24/38, 291 yards, TD, 3 INT
Top rushers
KC – Boyce Green – 9 rushes, 52 yards
BUF – Robb Riddick – 13 rushes, 79 yards, TD
Top receivers
KC – Stephone Paige – 3 receptions, 85 yards, TD
BUF – Robb Riddick – 5 receptions, 67 yards :

#### Week 5: vs. Los Angeles Raiders

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Raiders | 0 | 7 | 14 | 3 | 24 |
| Chiefs | 10 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: October 5
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Partly Sunny, 60 °F (16 °C)
* Game attendance: 74,430
* Referee: Bob Frederic
* TV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui and Bob Trumpy
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Nick Lowery 24-yard field goal, 9:42. Chiefs 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 6 yards, 2:56.
KC – Boyce Green 18-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 5:56. Chiefs 10–0. Drive: 4 plays, 34 yards, 1:37.
Second quarter
KC – Paul Coffman 1-yard pass from Todd Blackledge (Nick Lowery kick), 12:27. Chiefs 17–0. Drive: 10 plays, 66 yards, 5:37.
RAI – Dokie Williams 12-yard pass from Marc Wilson (Chris Bahr kick), 4:20. Chiefs 17–7. Drive: 6 plays, 37 yards, 2:40.
Third quarter
RAI – Napoleon McCallum 12-yard run (Chris Bahr kick), 10:18. Chiefs 17–14. Drive: 5 plays, 43 yards, 2:27.
RAI – Jessie Hester 18-yard pass from Jim Plunkett (Chris Bahr kick), 5:43. Raiders 21–17. Drive: 5 plays, 46 yards, 1:52.
Fourth quarter
RAI – Chris Bahr 19-yard field goal, 2:55. Raiders 24–17. Drive: 11 plays, 62 yards, 5:36.
Top passers
RAI – Jim Plunkett – 8/10, 108 yards, TD
KC – Todd Blackledge – 9/21, 77 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
RAI – Napoleon McCallum – 19 rushes, 69 yards, TD
KC – Boyce Green – 8 rushes, 39 yards, TD
Top receivers
RAI – Dokie Williams – 6 receptions, 90 yards, TD
KC – Jeff Smith – 5 receptions, 51 yards :

#### Week 6: at Cleveland Browns

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Browns | 0 | 7 | 10 | 3 | 20 |
at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
* Date: October 12
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Sunshine, 66 °F (19 °C)
* Game attendance: 71,278
* Referee: Bob McElwee
* TV announcers (NBC): Gary Gerould and Butch Johnson
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
KC – Stephone Paige 26-yard pass from Todd Blackledge (Nick Lowery kick), 14:54. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 4:58.
CLE – Earnest Byner 16-yard pass from Bernie Kosar (Matt Bahr kick), 9:52. Tied 7–7. Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 5:02.
Third quarter
CLE – Ozzie Newsome 6-yard pass from Bernie Kosar (Matt Bahr kick), 10:08. Browns 14–7. Drive: 3 plays, 52 yards, 2:56.
CLE – Matt Bahr 34-yard field goal, 6:39. Browns 17–7. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 1:41.
Fourth quarter
CLE – Matt Bahr 36-yard field goal, 12:33. Browns 20–7. Drive: 9 plays, 63 yards, 4:39.
Top passers
KC – Todd Blackledge – 11/26, 109 yards, TD, INT
CLE – Bernie Kosar – 22/35, 287 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
KC – Mike Pruitt – 9 rushes, 20 yards
CLE – Earnest Byner – 19 rushes, 35 yards
Top receivers
KC – Stephone Paige – 2 receptions, 34 yards, TD
CLE – Reggie Langhorne – 3 receptions, 59 yards :

#### Week 7: vs. San Diego Chargers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 7 | 17 | 7 | 10 | 41 |
| Chiefs | 7 | 21 | 7 | 7 | 42 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: October 19
* Game time: 3:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Sunny, 75 °F (24 °C)
* Game attendance: 55,767
* Referee: Dick Jorgensen
* TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones and Jimmy Cefalo
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Stephone Paige 45-yard pass from Todd Blackledge (Nick Lowery kick), 9:38. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 1 play, 45 yards, 0:06.
SD – Gary Anderson 7-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick), 3:41. Tied 7–7. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 5:47.
Second quarter
KC – Lloyd Burruss 56-yard interception return (Nick Lowery kick), 9:53. Chiefs 14–7.
KC – Kevin Ross 21-yard fumble return (Nick Lowery kick), 9:41. Chiefs 21–7.
SD – Buford McGee 1-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick), 4:41. Chiefs 21–14. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:51.
KC – Lloyd Burruss 47-yard interception return (Nick Lowery kick), 2:42. Chiefs 28–14.
SD – Rolf Benirschke 30-yard field goal, 1:06. Chiefs 28–17. Drive: 8 plays, 35 yards, 1:27.
SD – Leslie O'Neal 5-yard interception return (Rolf Benirschke kick), 0:56. Chiefs 28–24.
Third quarter
KC – Stephone Paige 16-yard pass from Bill Kenney (Nick Lowery kick), 12:57. Chiefs 35–24. Drive: 2 plays, 20 yards, 0:44.
SD – Gary Anderson 2-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick), 6:46. Chiefs 35–31. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 6:04.
Fourth quarter
SD – Rolf Benirschke 21-yard field goal, 14:06. Chiefs 35–34. Drive: 13 plays, 76 yards, 5:48.
KC – Boyce Green 1-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 10:18. Chiefs 42–34. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:43.
SD – Gary Anderson 12-yard pass from Mark Herrmann (Rolf Benirschke kick), 3:42. Chiefs 42–41. Drive: 5 plays, 34 yards, 0:58.
Top passers
SD – Dan Fouts – 19/33, 200 yards, TD, 3 INT
KC – Bill Kenney – 6/9, 97 yards, TD
Top rushers
SD – Tim Spencer – 10 rushes, 57 yards
KC – Mike Pruitt – 10 rushes, 35 yards
Top receivers
SD – Gary Anderson – 11 receptions, 92 yards, 2 TD
KC – Stephone Paige – 3 receptions, 66 yards, 2 TD :

#### Week 8: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Buccaneers | 3 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 20 |
| Chiefs | 7 | 3 | 10 | 7 | 27 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: October 26
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Overcast, 53 °F (12 °C)
* Game attendance: 36,230
* Referee: Ben Dreith
* TV announcers (CBS): Tim Ryan and Terry Bradshaw
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
TB – Donald Igwebuike 49-yard field goal, 10:43. Buccaneers 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 48 yards, 4:18.
KC – Mike Pruitt 1-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 3:52. Chiefs 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 6:42.
Second quarter
TB – Calvin Magee 10-yard pass from Steve Young (Donald Igwebuike kick), 7:55. Buccaneers 10–7. Drive: 2 plays, 11 yards, 0:11.
TB – Donald Igwebuike 39-yard field goal, 5:07. Buccaneers 13–7. Drive: 4 plays, –4 yards, 1:18.
KC – Nick Lowery 26-yard field goal, 0:05. Buccaneers 13–10. Drive: 13 plays, 71 yards, 4:58.
Third quarter
KC – Nick Lowery 20-yard field goal, 10:59. Tied 13–13. Drive: 8 plays, 74 yards, 4:01.
KC – Stephone Paige 3-yard pass from Bill Kenney (Nick Lowery kick), 5:55. Chiefs 20–13. Drive: 7 plays, 15 yards, 3:44.
Fourth quarter
TB – James Wilder 3-yard run (Donald Igwebuike kick), 12:52. Tied 20–20. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 6:06.
KC – Jeff Smith 32-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 10:35. Chiefs 27–20. Drive: 4 plays, 67 yards, 2:09.
Top passers
TB – Steve Young – 11/20, 124 yards, TD, INT
KC – Bill Kenney – 15/29, 230 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
TB – James Wilder – 25 rushes, 110 yards, TD
KC – Jeff Smith – 3 rushes, 42 yards, TD
Top receivers
TB – Jerry Bell – 5 receptions, 61 yards
KC – Henry Marshall – 5 receptions, 91 yards :

#### Week 9: at San Diego Chargers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 0 | 0 | 7 | 17 | 24 |
| Chargers | 2 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 23 |
at Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego, California
* Date: November 2
* Game time: 3:00 p.m. CST/1:00 p.m. PST
* Game weather: Sunny and Clear, 78 °F (26 °C)
* Game attendance: 48,518
* Referee: Fred Wyant
* TV announcers (NBC): Fred Roggin and Dave Rowe
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
SD – Rick Donnalley fumble out of bounds in end zone for a Safety, 12:11. Chargers 2–0.
Second quarter
SD – Wes Chandler 7-yard pass from Tom Flick (Rolf Benirschke kick), 13:31. Chargers 9–0. Drive: 6 plays, 16 yards, 3:34.
SD – Tim Spencer 4-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick), 10:42. Chargers 16–0. Drive: 6 plays, 30 yards, 2:24.
Third quarter
KC – Jeff Smith 1-yard pass from Bill Kenney (Nick Lowery kick), 4:08. Chargers 16–7. Drive: 10 plays, 30 yards, 4:26.
Fourth quarter
KC – Emile Harry 5-yard pass from Bill Kenney (Nick Lowery kick), 7:43. Chargers 16–14. Drive: 6 plays, 30 yards, 2:01.
KC – Mike Pruitt 1-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 1:46. Chiefs 21–16. Drive: 7 plays, 67 yards, 1:52.
SD – Tom Flick 1-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick), 1:02. Chargers 23–21. Drive: 6 plays, 37 yards, 0:33.
KC – Nick Lowery 37-yard field goal, 0:07. Chiefs 24–23. Drive: 6 plays, 50 yards, 0:50.
Top passers
KC – Bill Kenney – 21/32, 287 yards, 2 TD
SD – Tom Flick – 4/17, 42 yards, TD, 4 INT
Top rushers
KC – Jeff Smith – 10 rushes, 41 yards
SD – Gary Anderson – 25 rushes, 100 yards
Top receivers
KC – Henry Marshall – 7 receptions, 90 yards
SD – Wes Chandler – 3 receptions, 40 yards, TD :

#### Week 10: vs. Seattle Seahawks

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Seahawks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Chiefs | 0 | 17 | 7 | 3 | 27 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: November 9
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Clear, 40 °F (4 °C)
* Game attendance: 53,268
* Referee: Jerry Markbreit
* TV announcers (NBC): Len Berman and Dave Rowe
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
KC – Walt Arnold 2-yard pass from Bill Kenney (Nick Lowery kick), 13:40. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 13 plays, 62 yards, 4:50.
KC – Nick Lowery 35-yard field goal, 5:51. Chiefs 10–0. Drive: 11 plays, 51 yards, 6:11.
KC – Stephone Paige 8-yard pass from Bill Kenney (Nick Lowery kick), 1:00. Chiefs 17–0. Drive: 9 plays, 72 yards, 3:01.
Third quarter
KC – Carlos Carson 25-yard pass from Bill Kenney (Nick Lowery kick), 9:54. Chiefs 24–0. Drive: 6 plays, 63 yards, 2:56.
Fourth quarter
KC – Nick Lowery 37-yard field goal, 12:12. Chiefs 27–0. Drive: 8 plays, 19 yards, 3:12.
SEA – Steve Largent 38-yard pass from Gale Gilbert (Norm Johnson kick), 7:17. Chiefs 27–7. Drive: 9 plays, 68 yards, 4:46.
Top passers
SEA – Gale Gilbert – 13/26, 140 yards, TD
KC – Bill Kenney – 22/41, 256 yards, 3 TD, 3 INT
Top rushers
SEA – Curt Warner – 11 rushes, 16 yards
KC – Larry Moriarty – 11 rushes, 43 yards
Top receivers
SEA – Steve Largent – 4 receptions, 72 yards, TD
KC – Stephone Paige – 5 receptions, 60 yards, TD :

#### Week 11: at Denver Broncos

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 0 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 17 |
| Broncos | 21 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 38 |
at Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado
* Date: November 16
* Game time: 3:00 p.m. CST/2:00 p.m. MST
* Game weather: Sunny, 62 °F (17 °C)
* Game attendance: 75,745
* Referee: Jim Tunney
* TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones and Jimmy Cefalo
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DEN – Steve Wilson 43-yard pass from Chris Norman (Rich Karlis kick), 10:55. Broncos 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 50 yards, 2:57.
DEN – Andre Townsend 7-yard fumble return (Rich Karlis kick), 6:02. Broncos 14–0.
DEN – Gerald Willhite 1-yard run (Rich Karlis kick), 5:45. Broncos 21–0. Drive: 1 play, 1 yard, 0:03.
Second quarter
DEN – Gerald Willhite 70-yard punt return (Rich Karlis kick), 9:06. Broncos 28–0.
DEN – Rich Karlis 37-yard field goal, 4:10. Broncos 31–0. Drive: 7 plays, 34 yards, 2:52.
KC – Henry Marshall 15-yard pass from Bill Kenney (Nick Lowery kick), 1:24. Broncos 31–7. Drive: 7 plays, 83 yards, 2:46.
Third quarter
KC – Carlos Carson 27-yard pass from Bill Kenney (Nick Lowery kick), 12:55. Broncos 31–14. Drive: 1 play, 27 yards, 0:06.
DEN – Gerald Willhite 1-yard run (Rich Karlis kick), 7:53. Broncos 38–14. Drive: 6 plays, 49 yards, 3:54.
KC – Nick Lowery 37-yard field goal, 5:51. Broncos 38–17. Drive: 4 plays, 0 yards, 2:02.
Fourth quarter
No scoring plays.
Top passers
KC – Bill Kenney – 18/42, 179 yards, 2 TD, INT
DEN – John Elway – 15/29, 196 yards
Top rushers
KC – Mike Pruitt – 8 rushes, 34 yards
DEN – Sammy Winder – 17 rushes, 40 yards
Top receivers
KC – Carlos Carson – 4 receptions, 97 yards, TD
DEN – Orson Mobley – 3 receptions, 51 yards :

#### Week 12: at St. Louis Cardinals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 14 |
| Cardinals | 6 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 23 |
at Busch Memorial Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri
* Date: November 23
* Game time: 3:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Cloudy, 45 °F (7 °C)
* Game attendance: 29,680
* Referee: Red Cashion
* TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones and Jimmy Cefalo
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
STL – Roy Green 5-yard pass from Neil Lomax (pass failed), 3:43. Cardinals 6–0. Drive: 9 plays, 77 yards, 3:59.
Second quarter
STL – Eric Schubert 20-yard field goal, 2:58. Cardinals 9–0. Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 1:35.
Third quarter
STL – J. T. Smith 25-yard pass from Neil Lomax (Eric Schubert kick), 6:46. Cardinals 16–0. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 4:08.
Fourth quarter
STL – J. T. Smith 4-yard pass from Neil Lomax (Eric Schubert kick), 11:21. Cardinals 23–0. Drive: 11 plays, 70 yards, 5:52.
KC – Stephone Paige 6-yard pass from Bill Kenney (Nick Lowery kick), 7:53. Cardinals 23–7. Drive: 8 plays, 69 yards, 3:28.
KC – Stephone Paige 13-yard pass from Bill Kenney (Nick Lowery kick), 4:26. Cardinals 23–14. Drive: 7 plays, 65 yards, 1:20.
Top passers
KC – Bill Kenney – 24/43, 223 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
STL – Neil Lomax – 17/29, 185 yards, 3 TD, INT
Top rushers
KC – Mike Pruitt – 9 rushes, 29 yards
STL – Stump Mitchell – 13 rushes, 45 yards
Top receivers
KC – Henry Marshall – 6 receptions, 83 yards
STL – Roy Green – 7 receptions, 69 yards, TD :

#### Week 13: vs. Buffalo Bills

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills | 0 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
| Chiefs | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: November 30
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Cloudy, 40 °F (4 °C)
* Game attendance: 31,492
* Referee: Tom Dooley
* TV announcers (NBC): Gary Gerould and Butch Johnson
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Stephone Paige 12-yard pass from Bill Kenney (Nick Lowery kick), 7:13. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 83 yards, 4:54.
Second quarter
BUF – Scott Norwood 47-yard field goal, 14:51. Chiefs 7–3. Drive: 14 plays, 55 yards, 7:11.
BUF – Andre Reed 9-yard pass from Jim Kelly (Scott Norwood kick), 6:07. Bills 10–7. Drive: 10 plays, 77 yards, 3:56.
Third quarter
BUF – Andre Reed 10-yard pass from Jim Kelly (Scott Norwood kick), 8:48. Bills 17–7. Drive: 11 plays, 66 yards, 4:35.
Fourth quarter
KC – Herman Heard 1-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 4:34. Bills 17–14. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 2:23.
Top passers
BUF – Jim Kelly – 17/34, 190 yards, 2 TD, INT
KC – Bill Kenney – 25/50, 286 yards, TD, 3 INT
Top rushers
BUF – Robb Riddick – 27 rushes, 118 yards
KC – Mike Pruitt – 9 rushes, 23 yards
Top receivers
BUF – Andre Reed – 7 receptions, 95 yards, 2 TD
KC – Stephone Paige – 9 receptions, 119 yards, TD :

#### Week 14: vs. Denver Broncos

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Broncos | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Chiefs | 3 | 7 | 7 | 20 | 37 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: December 7
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Overcast, 45 °F (7 °C)
* Game attendance: 47,019
* Referee: Dick Hantak
* TV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui and Bob Trumpy
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Nick Lowery 30-yard field goal, 9:13. Chiefs 3–0. Drive: 6 plays, 23 yards, 2:15.
DEN – Rich Karlis 26-yard field goal, 0:53. Tied 3–3. Drive: 11 plays, 46 yards, 5:19.
Second quarter
KC – Stephone Paige 9-yard pass from Todd Blackledge (Nick Lowery kick), 4:01. Chiefs 10–3. Drive: 2 plays, 17 yards, 0:12.
DEN – Sammy Winder 2-yard pass from John Elway (Rich Karlis kick), 0:16. Tied 10–10. Drive: 10 plays, 58 yards, 3:36.
Third quarter
KC – Jeff Smith 17-yard pass from Todd Blackledge (Nick Lowery kick), 7:36. Chiefs 17–10. Drive: 11 plays, 50 yards, 6:00.
Fourth quarter
KC – Boyce Green 1-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 12:54. Chiefs 24–10. Drive: 5 plays, 11 yards, 2:13.
KC – Nick Lowery 45-yard field goal, 11:20. Chiefs 27–10. Drive: 4 plays, –7 yards, 1:13.
KC – Nick Lowery 44-yard field goal, 2:58. Chiefs 30–10. Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 2:06.
KC – Lloyd Burruss 72-yard interception return (Nick Lowery kick), 1:34. Chiefs 37–10.
Top passers
DEN – John Elway – 23/42, 246 yards, TD, 4 INT
KC – Todd Blackledge – 14/29, 106 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
DEN – Sammy Winder – 13 rushes, 28 yards
KC – Larry Moriarty – 10 rushes, 47 yards
Top receivers
DEN – Mark Jackson – 4 receptions, 78 yards
KC – Henry Marshall – 5 receptions, 33 yards :

#### Week 15: at Los Angeles Raiders

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| Raiders | 0 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California
* Date: December 14
* Game time: 3:00 p.m. CST/1:00 p.m. PST
* Game weather: Cloudy, 70 °F (21 °C)
* Game attendance: 60,952
* Referee: Jerry Markbreit
* TV announcers (NBC): Tom Hammond and Reggie Rucker
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Nick Lowery 30-yard field goal, 11:07. Chiefs 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 0:59.
KC – Stephone Paige 26-yard pass from Bill Kenney (Nick Lowery kick), 8:34. Chiefs 10–0. Drive: 3 plays, 36 yards, 0:51.
Second quarter
KC – Jeff Smith 2-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 14:15. Chiefs 17–0. Drive: 12 plays, 78 yards, 5:18.
RAI – Rod Barksdale 34-yard pass from Jim Plunkett (Chris Bahr kick), 12:05. Chiefs 17–7. Drive: 4 plays, 38 yards, 1:53.
RAI – Chris Bahr 19-yard field goal, 3:57. Chiefs 17–10. Drive: 12 plays, 63 yards, 5:54.
KC – Nick Lowery 20-yard field goal, 0:42. Chiefs 20–10. Drive: 8 plays, 78 yards, 3:15.
Third quarter
RAI – Marcus Allen 2-yard run (Chris Bahr kick), 0:45. Chiefs 20–17. Drive: 11 plays, 83 yards, 5:44.
Fourth quarter
No scoring plays.
Top passers
KC – Bill Kenney – 15/31, 180 yards, TD
RAI – Jim Plunkett – 15/29, 143 yards, TD, 4 INT
Top rushers
KC – Boyce Green – 10 rushes, 51 yards
RAI – Marcus Allen – 13 rushes, 60 yards, TD
Top receivers
KC – Stephone Paige – 4 receptions, 58 yards, TD
RAI – Rod Barksdale – 3 receptions, 60 yards, TD :

#### Week 16: at Pittsburgh Steelers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 7 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
| Steelers | 0 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 19 |
at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
* Date: December 21
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Partly Cloudy, 34 °F (1 °C)
* Game attendance: 47,150
* Referee: Gene Barth
* TV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui and Bob Trumpy
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Deron Cherry blocked punt recovery in endzone (Nick Lowery kick), 6:33. Chiefs 7–0.
Second quarter
KC – Nick Lowery 47-yard field goal, 10:51. Chiefs 10–0. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 4:03.
PIT – Gary Anderson 31-yard field goal, 8:04. Chiefs 10–3. Drive: 8 plays, 60 yards, 2:47.
KC – Boyce Green 97-yard kickoff return (Nick Lowery kick), 7:36. Chiefs 17–3.
PIT – Gary Anderson 31-yard field goal, 3:44. Chiefs 17–6. Drive: 8 plays, 49 yards, 4:02.
KC – Lloyd Burruss 78-yard return of blocked field goal (Nick Lowery kick), 0:30. Chiefs 24–6.
Third quarter
PIT – Mark Malone 9-yard run (Gary Anderson kick), 5:54. Chiefs 24–13. Drive: 10 plays, 78 yards, 4:53.
Fourth quarter
PIT – Gary Anderson 31-yard field goal, 14:49. Chiefs 24–16. Drive: 9 plays, 50 yards, 4:18.
PIT – Gary Anderson 26-yard field goal, 7:50. Chiefs 24–19. Drive: 9 plays, 85 yards, 2:39.
Top passers
KC – Bill Kenney – 12/23, 147 yards, INT
PIT – Mark Malone – 22/43, 351 yards, INT
Top rushers
KC – Boyce Green – 3 rushes, 14 yards
PIT – Walter Abercrombie – 19 rushes, 98 yards
Top receivers
KC – Emile Harry – 2 receptions, 74 yards
PIT – Louis Lipps – 6 receptions, 92 yards :

### Standings

AFC West :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| Denver Broncos$^{(2)}$ | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 5–3 | 8–4 | 378 | 327 | L1 |
| Kansas City Chiefs$^{(5)}$ | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 5–3 | 9–5 | 358 | 326 | W3 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 5–3 | 7–5 | 366 | 293 | W5 |
| Los Angeles Raiders | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 4–4 | 7–5 | 323 | 346 | L4 |
| San Diego Chargers | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 1–7 | 4–8 | 335 | 396 | L2 |

## Postseason
### Schedule

| Round | Date | Opponent (seed) | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap |
| Wild Card | December 28 | at New York Jets (4) | L 15–35 | 0–1 | Giants Stadium | 69,307 | Recap |

### Game summaries
#### AFC Wild Card Playoffs: at (4) New York Jets

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 6 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 15 |
| Jets | 7 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 35 |
at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
* Date: December 28
* Game time: 12:30 p.m. EST/11:30 a.m. CST
* Game weather: Cloudy, 37 °F (3 °C)
* Game attendance: 69,307
* Referee: Red Cashion
* TV announcers (NBC): Marv Albert and Bob Griese
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Jeff Smith 1-yard run (kick failed, wide right), 8:01. Chiefs 6–0. Drive: 9 plays, 67 yards, 5:29.
NYJ – Freeman McNeil 1-yard run (Pat Leahy kick), 0:46. Jets 7–6. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 7:15.
Second quarter
NYJ – Freeman McNeil 1-yard pass from Pat Ryan (Pat Leahy kick), 9:12. Jets 14–6. Drive: 12 plays, 47 yards, 6:14.
NYJ – Al Toon 11-yard pass from Pat Ryan (Pat Leahy kick), 0:59. Jets 21–6. Drive: 8 plays, 62 yards, 1:40.
Third quarter
NYJ – Kevin McArthur 21-yard interception return (Pat Leahy kick), 14:47. Jets 28–6.
Fourth quarter
KC – Albert Lewis blocked punt recovery in endzone (Nick Lowery kick), 14:46. Jets 28–13.
NYJ – Billy Griggs 6-yard pass from Pat Ryan (Pat Leahy kick), 10:49. Jets 35–13. Drive: 7 plays, 61 yards, 3:57.
KC – Dave Jennings OB in end zone for a Safety, 2:59. Jets 35–15.
Top passers
KC – Todd Blackledge – 12/21, 80 yards, 2 INT
NYJ – Pat Ryan – 16/23, 153 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
KC – Boyce Green – 8 rushes, 15 yards
NYJ – Freeman McNeil – 31 rushes, 135 yards, TD
Top receivers
KC – Henry Marshall – 6 receptions, 72 yards
NYJ – Al Toon – 4 receptions, 48 yards, TD :
Quarterback Pat Ryan led the Jets to the victory with 3 touchdown passes. The Chiefs scored first on a 67-yard drive capped by running back Jeff Smith. On their ensuing possession, the Jets faced fourth down and 6 on the Kansas City 33-yard line. Rather than attempt a long field goal, Ryan faked a handoff and rushed for a 24 yard gain. Two plays later, running back Freeman McNeil scored on a 4-yard rushing touchdown. In the second period, Ryan completed two touchdown pass: a 1-yarder to McNeil and an 11-yarder to wide receiver Al Toon. On the first play of the second half, Jets linebacker Kevin McArthur returned an interception 21 yards for a touchdown. Ryan later clinched the victory in the fourth period with a 6-yard touchdown pass to tight end Billy Griggs. The Chiefs' only scores in the second half was a blocked punt recovery in the end zone, and an intentional safety by the Jets.
McNeil finished the game with 135 rushing yards, 3 receptions for 16 yards, and 2 touchdowns.