# 2003 Kansas City Chiefs season

The 2003 season was the Kansas City Chiefs' 34th in the National Football League (NFL), their 44th overall and their third under head coach Dick Vermeil.
The season resulted in a 13–3 winning record, beginning with a nine-game winning streak—the franchise's best start in their 40-year history. The Chiefs won the AFC West and clinched the second seed in the playoffs to clinch their first playoff berth since 1997. Kansas City lost in an offensive shootout at home in the AFC Divisional Playoffs to the Indianapolis Colts 38–31, a game noted for involving no punts from either team's kicking squad.
The season is best remembered for the Chiefs' record-breaking offense. On December 28, running back Priest Holmes broke Marshall Faulk's single-season touchdown record, along with Emmitt Smith's single-season rushing touchdown record, by scoring his 27th rushing touchdown against the Chicago Bears. Quarterback Trent Green threw for 4,000 yards and kick returner Dante Hall returned four kicks for touchdowns. However, the Chiefs' defense would prove to be too big a weakness, as they failed to stop the Colts in the 2003-04 playoffs. The Chiefs offensive line from the season has frequently been considered one of the best offensive lines in NFL history. Two members of the offensive line, Will Shields and Willie Roaf, have been inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame along with the tight end from the team, Tony Gonzalez.
This would be the last season the Chiefs went undefeated at home until 2024.

## Offseason
### Draft

The Chiefs originally had the 16th pick in the 2003 NFL draft. Vermeil was intent on selecting a defensive player, but felt that there were no defensive players available with their pick, and traded the pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers for the 27th pick, as well as the Steelers third and sixth-round picks. With the 27th overall pick in the 2003 NFL draft, the Kansas City Chiefs selected running back Larry Johnson from Penn State.
2003 Kansas City Chiefs draft :
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
| 1 | 27 | Larry Johnson * | RB | Penn State | from Pittsburgh |
| 2 | 47 | Kawika Mitchell | LB | South Florida | |
| 3 | 92 | Julian Battle | DB | Tennessee | from Pittsburgh |
| 4 | 113 | Brett Williams | OT | Florida State | |
| 5 | 153 | Jordan Black | OT | Notre Dame | from New York Jets |
| 6 | 189 | Jimmy Wilkerson | DE | Oklahoma | from New York Jets |
| 7 | 230 | Montique Sharpe | DT | Wake Forest | |
| 7 | 252 | Willie Pile | LB | Virginia Tech | compensatory selection |
| Made roster * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career ||||||

## Preseason
### Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| HOF | August 4 | vs. Green Bay Packers | W 9–0 | 1–0 | Fawcett Stadium (Canton) | Recap |
| 1 | August 9 | San Francisco 49ers | L 6–24 | 1–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | August 16 | Minnesota Vikings | W 26–16 | 2–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | August 23 | at Seattle Seahawks | L 31–42 | 2–2 | Seahawks Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | August 28 | at St. Louis Rams | W 22–6 | 3–2 | Edward Jones Dome | Recap |

### Game summaries
#### Hall of Fame Game: vs. Green Bay Packers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Packers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chiefs | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 9 |
at Fawcett Stadium, Canton, Ohio
* Date: August 4
* Game time: 8:00 p.m. EDT/7:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Cloudy, 73 °F (23 °C)
* Game attendance: 22,385
* Referee: Jeff Triplette
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Morten Andersen 32-yard field goal, 8:19. Chiefs 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 52 yards, 5:07.
Second quarter
KC – Morten Andersen 51-yard field goal, 1:00. Chiefs 6–0. Drive: 4 plays, –9 yards, 0:39.
Third quarter
KC – José Cortez 27-yard field goal, 5:55. Chiefs 9–0. Drive: 9 plays, 43 yards, 4:51.
Fourth quarter
No scoring plays.
Top passers
GB – Brett Favre – 4/6, 54 yards
KC – Todd Collins – 12/16, 127 yards
Top rushers
GB – Najeh Davenport – 9 rushes, 18 yards
KC – Derrick Blaylock – 5 rushes, 18 yards
Top receivers
GB – Javon Walker – 2 receptions, 30 yards
KC – Billy Baber – 2 receptions, 47 yards :

#### Week 1: vs. San Francisco 49ers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| 49ers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 24 |
| Chiefs | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: August 9
* Game time: 7:30 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Clear, 89 °F (32 °C)
* Game attendance: 73,830
* Referee: Terry McAulay
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
KC – Morten Andersen 23-yard field goal, 12:58. Chiefs 3–0. Drive: 15 plays, 76 yards, 4:20.
SF – Brandon Lloyd 39-yard pass from Tim Rattay (Jeff Chandler kick), 10:55. 49ers 7–3. Drive: 4 plays, 58 yards, 2:03.
KC – Morten Andersen 26-yard field goal, 0:13. 49ers 7–6. Drive: 11 plays, 73 yards, 4:23.
Third quarter
SF – Arnaz Battle 15-yard pass from Ken Dorsey (Jeff Chandler kick), 11:29. 49ers 14–6. Drive: 4 plays, 60 yards, 1:57.
Fourth quarter
SF – Jeff Chandler 27-yard field goal, 11:16. 49ers 17–6. Drive: 12 plays, 68 yards, 6:49.
SF – Jasen Isom 2-yard pass from Ken Dorsey (Nate Fikse kick), 7:46. 49ers 24–6. Drive: 7 plays, 29 yards, 3:18.
Top passers
SF – Brandon Doman – 11/12, 101 yards
KC – Trent Green – 8/11, 80 yards
Top rushers
SF – Jamal Robertson – 10 rushes, 70 yards
KC – Derrick Blaylock – 11 rushes, 26 yards
Top receivers
SF – Aaron Walker – 4 receptions, 42 yards
KC – Johnnie Morton – 2 receptions, 47 yards :

#### Week 2: vs. Minnesota Vikings

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 7 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 16 |
| Chiefs | 3 | 13 | 3 | 7 | 26 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: August 16
* Game time: 7:30 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Clear, 100 °F (38 °C)
* Game attendance: 73,830
* Referee: Bill Leavy
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Morten Andersen 38-yard field goal, 11:58. Chiefs 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 38 yards, 3:02.
MIN – Onterrio Smith 1-yard run (Todd France kick), 8:15. Vikings 7–3. Drive: 4 plays, 14 yards, 1:46.
Second quarter
KC – Morten Andersen 21-yard field goal, 11:31. Vikings 7–6. Drive: 12 plays, 83 yards, 5:29.
KC – Marc Boerigter 59-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick), 8:38. Chiefs 13–7. Drive: 2 plays, 76 yards, 0:34.
MIN – Aaron Elling 48-yard field goal, 1:07. Chiefs 13–10. Drive: 7 plays, 31 yards, 1:57.
KC – Morten Andersen 42-yard field goal, 0:00. Chiefs 16–10. Drive: 7 plays, 52 yards, 1:07.
Third quarter
KC – José Cortez 46-yard field goal, 2:27. Chiefs 19–10. Drive: 7 plays, 54 yards, 3:07.
Fourth quarter
KC – Dwayne Blakley 12-yard pass from Todd Collins (José Cortez kick), 10:48. Chiefs 26–10. Drive: 2 plays, 47 yards, 0:50.
MIN – Nate Burleson 1-yard pass from Shaun Hill (pass failed), 4:18. Chiefs 26–16. Drive: 6 plays, 43 yards, 3:01.
Top passers
MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 8/13, 68 yards
KC – Trent Green – 7/13, 152 yards, TD
Top rushers
MIN – Doug Chapman – 6 rushes, 34 yards
KC – Derrick Blaylock – 6 rushes, 48 yards
Top receivers
MIN – Nate Burleson – 6 receptions, 56 yards, TD
KC – Marc Boerigter – 2 receptions, 85 yards, TD :

#### Week 3: at Seattle Seahawks

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 7 | 14 | 10 | 0 | 31 |
| Seahawks | 3 | 10 | 15 | 14 | 42 |
at Seahawks Stadium, Seattle, Washington
* Date: August 23
* Game time: 9:00 p.m. CDT/7:00 p.m. PDT
* Game weather: Overcast, 68 °F (20 °C)
* Game attendance: 39,833
* Referee: Ron Blum
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
SEA – Josh Brown 32-yard field goal, 9:19. Seahawks 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 55 yards, 4:43.
KC – Tony Gonzalez 14-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick), 3:30. Chiefs 7–3. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 5:49.
Second quarter
SEA – Heath Evans 5-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Josh Brown kick), 11:11. Seahawks 10–7. Drive: 3 plays, 19 yards, 1:33.
KC – Marc Boerigter 11-yard pass from Todd Collins (Morten Andersen kick), 8:01. Chiefs 14–10. Drive: 6 plays, 78 yards, 3:10.
SEA – Josh Brown 50-yard field goal, 5:03. Chiefs 14–13. Drive: 6 plays, 40 yards, 2:58.
KC – Jason Dunn 7-yard pass from Todd Collins (Morten Andersen kick), 0:43. Chiefs 21–13. Drive: 12 plays, 86 yards, 4:20.
Third quarter
SEA – Darrell Jackson 3-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Matt Hasselbeck–Shaun Alexander pass), 12:16. Tied 21–21. Drive: 8 plays, 77 yards, 2:44.
KC – Larry Johnson 85-yard kickoff return (José Cortez kick), 12:05. Chiefs 28–21.
SEA – Koren Robinson 19-yard pass from Trent Dilfer (Josh Brown kick), 7:31. Tied 28–28. Drive: 9 plays, 69 yards, 4:34.
KC – José Cortez 40-yard field goal, 4:26. Chiefs 31–28. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 1:33.
Fourth quarter
SEA – Kerry Carter 17-yard run (Josh Brown kick), 12:07. Seahawks 35–31. Drive: 8 plays, 85 yards, 3:55.
SEA – Kerry Carter 1-yard run (Josh Brown kick), 1:57. Seahawks 42–31. Drive: 11 plays, 66 yards, 6:35.
Top passers
KC – Todd Collins – 12/18, 144 yards, 2 TD, INT
SEA – Matt Hasselbeck – 17/23, 198 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
KC – Larry Johnson – 12 rushes, 77 yards
SEA – Kerry Carter – 11 rushes, 53 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
KC – Snoop Minnis – 2 receptions, 48 yards
SEA – Koren Robinson – 5 receptions, 77 yards, TD :

#### Week 4: at St. Louis Rams

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 7 | 0 | 10 | 5 | 22 |
| Rams | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
at Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, Missouri
* Date: August 28
* Game time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 65,373
* Referee: Larry Nemmers
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Omar Easy 5-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick), 6:58. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 73 yards, 4:01.
Second quarter
STL – Jeff Wilkins 34-yard field goal, 9:02. Chiefs 7–3. Drive: 4 plays, 1 yard, 0:52.
STL – Jeff Wilkins 39-yard field goal, 1:10. Chiefs 7–6. Drive: 11 plays, 40 yards, 5:36.
Third quarter
KC – Snoop Minnis 50-yard pass from Jonathan Quinn (Morten Andersen kick), 5:38. Chiefs 14–6. Drive: 4 plays, 78 yards, 1:31.
KC – Morten Andersen 29-yard field goal, 2:20. Chiefs 17–6. Drive: 5 plays, 42 yards, 2:02.
Fourth quarter
KC – Morten Andersen 24-yard field goal, 14:56. Chiefs 20–6. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 1:30.
KC – Marc Bulger fumble forced by Jared Tomich out of bounds in end zone for a Safety, 8:00. Chiefs 22–6.
Top passers
KC – Jonathan Quinn – 15/21, 231 yards, TD
STL – Marc Bulger – 15/28, 158 yards, 2 INT
Top rushers
KC – Derrick Blaylock – 5 rushes, 64 yards
STL – Lamar Gordon – 8 rushes, 21 yards
Top receivers
KC – Curtis Jackson – 5 receptions, 73 yards
STL – Arlen Harris – 3 receptions, 51 yards :

## Regular season

After beginning the 2003 season 9–0, the Chiefs finished the regular season with a record of 13–3. The Chiefs' offense topped the NFL in almost all statistical categories and Kansas City, at one point in the regular season, became favorites to win Super Bowl XXXVIII.
The Chiefs clinched their first AFC West title since 1997 with a 45–17 win against the Detroit Lions, as QB Trent Green became the first player in team history to register a "perfect" 158.3 passer rating in a game.
Kansas City concluded its 13–3 regular season with a 31–3 victory vs. Chicago (December 28), marking a perfect 8–0 a record at home and the club's 13th consecutive regular-season victory at Arrowhead Stadium. In that win, Priest Holmes set a trio of TD records. He finished the season with 27 rushing scores, establishing NFL single-season records for both rushing TDs and total TDs. Holmes (61) also bypassed WR Otis Taylor (60) for the most career TDs scored by a player in Chiefs history.
The Chief's five-win improvement from the previous season tied as the best mark in franchise history. Kansas City became the first AFC team to lead the NFL in scoring in consecutive seasons since San Diego in 1981–1982 as the club produced a franchise-best 484 points. The team also led the NFL with a +19 turnover differential.
Nine Chiefs players received Pro Bowl recognition, the third-highest total in team history, while the club's six offensive Pro Bowlers marked the most in club annals.

### Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | September 7 | San Diego Chargers | W 27–14 | 1–0 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | September 14 | Pittsburgh Steelers | W 41–20 | 2–0 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | September 21 | at Houston Texans | W 42–14 | 3–0 | Reliant Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | September 28 | at Baltimore Ravens | W 17–10 | 4–0 | M&T Bank Stadium | Recap |
| 5 | October 5 | Denver Broncos | W 24–23 | 5–0 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
| 6 | October 12 | at Green Bay Packers | W 40–34 (OT) | 6–0 | Lambeau Field | Recap |
| 7 | October 20 | at Oakland Raiders | W 17–10 | 7–0 | Network Associates Coliseum | Recap |
| 8 | October 26 | Buffalo Bills | W 38–5 | 8–0 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
| 9 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 10 | November 9 | Cleveland Browns | W 41–20 | 9–0 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
| 11 | November 16 | at Cincinnati Bengals | L 19–24 | 9–1 | Paul Brown Stadium | Recap |
| 12 | November 23 | Oakland Raiders | W 27–24 | 10–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
| 13 | November 30 | at San Diego Chargers | W 28–24 | 11–1 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap |
| 14 | December 7 | at Denver Broncos | L 27–45 | 11–2 | Invesco Field at Mile High | Recap |
| 15 | December 14 | Detroit Lions | W 45–17 | 12–2 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
| 16 | December 20 | at Minnesota Vikings | L 20–45 | 12–3 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | Recap |
| 17 | December 28 | Chicago Bears | W 31–3 | 13–3 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

### Game summaries
#### Week 1: vs. San Diego Chargers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| Chiefs | 14 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 27 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: September 7
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Clear, 77 °F (25 °C)
* Game attendance: 78,048
* Referee: Ed Hochuli
* TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Phil Simms and Armen Keteyian
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Priest Holmes 24-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 11:37. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 68 yards, 3:23.
KC – Priest Holmes 5-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 1:21. Chiefs 14–0. Drive: 9 plays, 59 yards, 4:04.
Second quarter
KC – Johnnie Morton 20-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick), 10:08. Chiefs 21–0. Drive: 6 plays, 72 yards, 2:47.
KC – Morten Andersen 42-yard field goal, 4:25. Chiefs 24–0. Drive: 6 plays, 29 yards, 3:17.
Third quarter
SD – Josh Norman 21-yard pass from Drew Brees (Steve Christie kick), 8:16. Chiefs 24–7. Drive: 5 plays, 51 yards, 2:16.
KC – Morten Andersen 46-yard field goal, 2:22. Chiefs 27–7. Drive: 10 plays, 37 yards, 5:54.
Fourth quarter
SD – Eric Parker 20-yard pass from Drew Brees (Steve Christie kick), 4:32. Chiefs 27–14. Drive: 6 plays, 67 yards, 2:31.
Top passers
SD – Drew Brees – 18/33, 202 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
KC – Trent Green – 21/32, 282 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
SD – LaDainian Tomlinson – 13 rushes, 34 yards
KC – Priest Holmes – 18 rushes, 85 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
SD – Josh Norman – 4 receptions, 64 yards, TD
KC – Priest Holmes – 7 receptions, 98 yards :
The Chiefs hosted San Diego and raced to a 24–0 lead behind two Priest Holmes rushing scores and a Trent Green touchdown to Johnnie Morton. Drew Brees of the Chargers was intercepted twice in the 27–14 Chiefs win.

#### Week 2: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Steelers | 17 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| Chiefs | 7 | 20 | 7 | 7 | 41 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: September 14
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Clear, 67 °F (19 °C)
* Game attendance: 78,416
* Referee: Larry Nemmers
* TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Randy Cross
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
PIT – Chad Scott 26-yard interception return (Jeff Reed kick), 14:12. Steelers 7–0.
PIT – Jeff Reed 20-yard field goal, 9:48. Steelers 10–0. Drive: 5 plays, 55 yards, 2:45.
KC – Dante Hall 100-yard kickoff return (Morten Andersen kick), 9:35. Steelers 10–7. Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:13.
PIT – Plaxico Burress 33-yard pass from Tommy Maddox (Jeff Reed kick), 3:27. Steelers 17–7. Drive: 1 play, 33 yards, 0:06.
Second quarter
KC – Priest Holmes 3-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 12:49. Steelers 17–14. Drive: 11 plays, 72 yards, 5:38.
KC – Jason Dunn 3-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick), 4:50. Chiefs 21–17. Drive: 10 plays, 86 yards, 4:59.
KC – Jerome Woods 46-yard interception return (kick failed, hit right upright), 2:25. Chiefs 27–17.
PIT – Jeff Reed 51-yard field goal, 0:00. Chiefs 27–20. Drive: 9 plays, 38 yards, 2:25.
Third quarter
KC – Priest Holmes 4-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 12:10. Chiefs 34–20. Drive: 2 plays, 7 yards, 0:40.
Fourth quarter
KC – Priest Holmes 31-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 5:06. Chiefs 41–20. Drive: 5 plays, 63 yards, 2:50.
Top passers
PIT – Tommy Maddox – 28/47, 336 yards, TD, 3 INT
KC – Trent Green – 15/21, 124 yards, TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
PIT – Amos Zereoué – 11 rushes, 48 yards
KC – Priest Holmes – 26 rushes, 122 yards, 3 TD
Top receivers
PIT – Hines Ward – 9 receptions, 146 yards
KC – Johnnie Morton – 4 receptions, 44 yards :
The Steelers scored first on a Chad Scott interception, but after leading 10–0 Pittsburgh was torched by Dante Hall’s 100-yard kick return score. Priest Holmes ran in three touchdowns while Steelers quarterback Tommy Maddox was intercepted three times including one returned for a touchdown by Jerome Woods in a 41–20 Chiefs win. During halftime the chiefs held a ceremony honoring former head coach Hank Stram inducting him into the ring of honor at Arrowhead Stadium.

#### Week 3: at Houston Texans

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 7 | 7 | 14 | 14 | 42 |
| Texans | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
* Date: September 21
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 70,487
* Referee: Ron Blum
* TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Randy Cross
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Priest Holmes 6-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 8:37. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 84 yards, 2:48.
Second quarter
HOU – Andre Johnson 43-yard pass from David Carr (Kris Brown kick), 5:47. Tied 7–7. Drive: 9 plays, 96 yards, 5:47.
KC – Priest Holmes 5-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 0:13. Chiefs 14–7. Drive: 14 plays, 69 yards, 5:34.
Third quarter
KC – Eddie Kennison 15-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick), 3:14. Chiefs 21–7. Drive: 3 plays, 32 yards, 1:24.
KC – Dante Hall 73-yard punt return (Morten Andersen kick), 1:28. Chiefs 28–7.
Fourth quarter
KC – Derrick Blaylock 20-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 13:58. Chiefs 35–7. Drive: 3 plays, 85 yards, 0:49.
KC – Shaunard Harts 39-yard interception return (Morten Andersen kick), 7:00. Chiefs 42–7.
HOU – Andre Johnson 4-yard pass from Tony Banks (Kris Brown kick), 1:54. Chiefs 42–14. Drive: 16 plays, 73 yards, 5:06.
Top passers
KC – Trent Green – 16/28, 262 yards, TD, 2 INT
HOU – David Carr – 17/27, 167 yards, TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
KC – Priest Holmes – 18 rushes, 89 yards, 2 TD
HOU – Stacey Mack – 13 rushes, 39 yards
Top receivers
KC – Priest Holmes – 4 receptions, 67 yards
HOU – Andre Johnson – 7 receptions, 102 yards, 2 TD :
The Chiefs made their first trip to Houston since September 1996, now playing in Reliant Stadium next door to the Astrodome. Kansas City's aggregate winning streak against Houston NFL teams reached five as Houston was hammered 42–14 despite two Trent Green interceptions. The Chiefs rushed for 168 yards and three touchdowns.

#### Week 4: at Baltimore Ravens

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 0 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 17 |
| Ravens | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 10 |
at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
* Date: September 28
* Game time: 4:05 p.m. EDT/3:05 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Mostly cloudy, 70 °F (21 °C)
* Game attendance: 69,459
* Referee: Terry McAulay
* TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Randy Cross
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
KC – Morten Anderson 46-yard field goal, 3:23. Chiefs 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 45 yards, 4:54.
Third quarter
BAL – Matt Stover 29-yard field goal, 10:01. Tied 3–3. Drive: 10 plays, 67 yards, 4:59.
KC – Tony Gonzalez 1-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick), 5:43. Chiefs 10–3. Drive: 7 plays, 76 yards, 4:18.
Fourth quarter
BAL – Jamal Lewis 1-yard run (Matt Stover kick), 5:27. Tied 10–10. Drive: 9 plays, 44 yards, 5:15.
KC – Dante Hall 97-yard kickoff return (Morten Andersen kick), 5:08. Chiefs 17–10. Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:19.
Top passers
KC – Trent Green – 17/28, 159 yards, TD
BAL – Kyle Boller – 15/26, 140 yards, 3 INT
Top rushers
KC – Priest Holmes – 22 rushes, 90 yards
BAL – Jamal Lewis – 26 rushes, 115 yards, TD
Top receivers
KC – Johnnie Morton – 5 receptions, 73 yards
BAL – Todd Heap – 4 receptions, 48 yards :
The Ravens held the Chiefs to 265 yards of offense and out-rushed them 202 yards (Jamal Lewis accounted for 115 yards and the tying touchdown in the final six minutes) to 129, but Dante Hall raced in the winning score (17–10 Chiefs) on the kickoff following Lewis’ score and Kyle Boller was intercepted at the Chiefs 2-yard line in the final minute. Ex-Raven Priest Holmes had 25 touches (22 carries and four catches) for a combined 103 yards.

#### Week 5: vs. Denver Broncos

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Broncos | 7 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 23 |
| Chiefs | 7 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: October 5
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Clear, 69 °F (21 °C)
* Game attendance: 78,903
* Referee: Bill Leavy
* TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Randy Cross
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DEN – Dwayne Carswell 6-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Jason Elam kick), 5:16. Broncos 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 1:21.
KC – Tony Gonzalez 20-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick), 3:08. Tied 7–7. Drive: 3 plays, 25 yards, 0:54.
Second quarter
DEN – Jason Elam 48-yard field goal, 12:28. Broncos 10–7. Drive: 8 plays, 17 yards, 3:17.
KC – Morten Andersen 23-yard field goal, 5:54. Tied 10–10. Drive: 13 plays, 71 yards, 6:34.
DEN – Jason Elam 29-yard field goal, 0:05. Broncos 13–10. Drive: 10 plays, 62 yards, 1:16.
Third quarter
DEN – Clinton Portis 65-yard run (Jason Elam kick), 13:30. Broncos 20–10. Drive: 3 plays, 74 yards, 1:30.
KC – Johnnie Morton 28-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick), 10:49. Broncos 20–17. Drive: 5 plays, 77 yards, 2:41.
Fourth quarter
DEN – Jason Elam 21-yard field goal, 13:42. Broncos 23–17. Drive: 15 plays, 68 yards, 7:41.
KC – Dante Hall 93-yard kickoff return (Morten Andersen kick), 8:20. Chiefs 24–23.
Top passers
DEN – Jake Plummer – 20/38, 220 yards, TD
KC – Trent Green – 15/28, 129 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
DEN – Clinton Portis – 23 rushes, 141 yards, TD
KC – Priest Holmes – 17 rushes, 97 yards
Top receivers
DEN – Rod Smith – 8 receptions, 130 yards
KC – Tony Gonzalez – 3 receptions, 47 yards, TD :
Dante Hall’s signature touchdown came in the fourth quarter with the 4–0 Chiefs trailing 23–17 against the 4–0 Broncos. In the final nine minutes, he caught a punt, was chased back to his three-yard line, then cut left, and stormed past the Denver punt coverage unit to score. Jason Elam missed a Broncos field goal attempt but Priest Holmes fumbled at the Broncos eight-yard line. Jake Plummer advanced the Broncos to their 28 but went no further.
The Chief's 24–23 win came despite being outgained in yardage 468-262 and despite two turnovers to one by Denver.

#### Week 6: at Green Bay Packers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Chiefs | 7 | 7 | 0 | 20 | 6 | 40 |
| Packers | 14 | 7 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 34 |
at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
* Date: October 12
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Clear and sunny, 60 °F (16 °C)
* Game attendance: 70,407
* Referee: Ron Winter
* TV announcers (CBS): Dick Enberg, Dan Dierdorf and Bonnie Bernstein
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
GB – Bubba Franks 1-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick), 7:14. Packers 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 6:17.
GB – Ahman Green 4-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 2:39. Packers 14–0. Drive: 6 plays, 74 yards, 2:34.
KC – Tony Gonzalez 26-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick), 0:36. Packers 14–7. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:03.
Second quarter
KC – Johnnie Morton 10-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick), 9:16. Tied 14–14. Drive: 8 plays, 55 yards, 4:14.
GB – Ahman Green 11-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick), 2:14. Packers 21–14. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 7:02.
Third quarter
GB – Najeh Davenport 18-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 10:47. Packers 28–14. Drive: 8 plays, 76 yards, 4:13.
GB – Ryan Longwell 50-yard field goal, 6:01. Packers 31–14. Drive: 7 plays, 19 yards, 3:06.
Fourth quarter
KC – Priest Holmes 1-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 12:20. Packers 31–21. Drive: 6 plays, 42 yards, 2:04.
KC – Jerome Woods 79-yard interception return (Morten Andersen kick), 8:46. Packers 31–28
KC – Morten Andersen 34-yard field goal, 5:41. Tied 31–31. Drive: 5 plays, 63 yards, 1:42.
GB – Ryan Longwell 41-yard field goal, 2:43. Packers 34–31. Drive: 7 plays, 48 yards, 2:58.
KC – Morten Andersen 31-yard field goal, 0:01. Tied 34–34. Drive: 12 plays, 77 yards, 2:42.
Overtime
KC – Eddie Kennison 51-yard pass from Trent Green, 8:42. Chiefs 40–34. Drive: 1 play, 51 yards, 0:08.
Top passers
KC – Trent Green – 27/45, 400 yards, 3 TD
GB – Brett Favre – 25/36, 272 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
KC – Priest Holmes – 22 rushes, 81 yards, TD
GB – Ahman Green – 26 rushes, 139 yards, TD
Top receivers
KC – Tony Gonzalez – 4 receptions, 121 yards, TD
GB – Donald Driver – 7 receptions, 59 yards :
This edition of the rematch series from the first AFL-NFL World Championship Game became one of the most competitive games of the season. The Packers raced to a 14–0 lead before two Trent Green touchdowns tied the game. The Packers scored seventeen straight points in the second and third quarters but early in the fourth Priest Holmes scored. Brett Favre was then intercepted by Jerome Woods at the Chiefs 21 and Woods scored. Exchanges of field goals (Morten Anderson’s 31-yard kick came with one second left) left the game tied 31–31. The Chiefs in overtime called eight straight Holmes rushes before trying a 48-yard field goal; the kick was blocked by Cletidus Hunt. On the Packers possession Ahman Green was immediately stopped by Woods and Woods forced the fumble recovered at the Chiefs 49; Trent Green then unloaded deep to Eddie Kennison and Kennison scored, thus ending a 40–34 Chiefs triumph.

#### Week 7: at Oakland Raiders

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 7 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| Raiders | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 10 |
at Network Associates Coliseum, Oakland, California
* Date: October 20
* Game time: 8:00 p.m. CDT/6:00 p.m. PDT
* Game weather: Sunny, 75 °F (24 °C)
* Game attendance: 62,391
* Referee: Mike Carey
* TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels, John Madden and Lisa Guerrero
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Trent Green 2-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 4:16. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 44 yards, 1:18.
Second quarter
KC – Morten Andersen 37-yard field goal, 1:07. Chiefs 10–0. Drive: 7 plays, 55 yards, 3:19.
Third quarter
No scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 27-yard field goal, 8:06. Chiefs 10–3. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 5:49.
KC – Priest Holmes 2-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 4:57. Chiefs 17–3. Drive: 3 plays, 11 yards, 1:24.
OAK – Zack Crockett 1-yard run (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 2:25. Chiefs 17–10. Drive: 7 plays, 65 yards, 2:32.
Top passers
KC – Trent Green – 11/22, 206 yards, INT
OAK – Marques Tuiasosopo – 16/28, 224 yards, INT
Top rushers
KC – Priest Holmes – 27 rushes, 123 yards, TD
OAK – Charlie Garner – 10 rushes, 32 yards
Top receivers
KC – Tony Gonzalez – 3 receptions, 87 yards
OAK – Charlie Garner – 8 receptions, 71 yards :

#### Week 8: vs. Buffalo Bills

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Chiefs | 7 | 21 | 0 | 10 | 38 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: October 26
* Game time: 7:30 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Cloudy, 45 °F (7 °C)
* Game attendance: 78,689
* Referee: Ed Hochuli
* TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Patrick, Joe Theismann, Paul Maguire and Suzy Kolber
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
BUF – Punt blocked by Pierson Prioleau out of bounds in end zone for a Safety, 10:39. Bills 2–0.
KC – Dante Hall 67-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick), 5:12. Chiefs 7–2. Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 1:09.
Second quarter
KC – Priest Holmes 4-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 14:16. Chiefs 14–2. Drive: 6 plays, 61 yards, 2:36.
KC – Priest Holmes 13-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 7:35. Chiefs 21–2. Drive: 8 plays, 55 yards, 4:19.
BUF – Rian Lindell 20-yard field goal, 2:56. Chiefs 21–5. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 4:39.
KC – Tony Gonzalez 1-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick), 0:10. Chiefs 28–5. Drive: 9 plays, 83 yards, 2:46.
Third quarter
No scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
KC – Priest Holmes 15-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 7:16. Chiefs 35–5. Drive: 1 play, 15 yards, 0:09.
KC – Morten Andersen 49-yard field goal, 4:02. Chiefs 38–5. Drive: 4 plays, −10 yards, 1:40.
Top passers
BUF – Drew Bledsoe – 23/34, 153 yards, 3 INT
KC – Trent Green – 20/35, 273 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
BUF – Travis Henry – 22 rushes, 124 yards
KC – Priest Holmes – 15 rushes, 83 yards, 3 TD
Top receivers
BUF – Josh Reed – 8 receptions, 59 yards
KC – Dante Hall – 4 receptions, 107 yards, TD :
Despite 124 rushing yards from Travis Henry and getting a safety on a Kansas City punt, the Bills were humiliated 38–5. Drew Bledsoe was intercepted three times and Alex Van Pelt two more while Trent Green had two touchdowns and 273 yards.

#### Week 10: vs. Cleveland Browns

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Browns | 3 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 20 |
| Chiefs | 14 | 13 | 7 | 7 | 41 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: November 9
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Cloudy, 45 °F (7 °C)
* Game attendance: 78,560
* Referee: Pete Morelli
* TV announcers (CBS): Dick Enberg, Dan Dierdorf and Bonnie Bernstein
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
CLE – Phil Dawson 50-yard field goal, 11:31. Browns 3–0. Drive: 5 plays, 19 yards, 2:44.
KC – Priest Holmes 1-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 5:05. Chiefs 7–3. Drive: 9 plays, 68 yards, 6:26.
KC – Priest Holmes 9-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 0:19. Chiefs 14–3. Drive: 7 plays, 52 yards, 3:46.
Second quarter
CLE – James Jackson 1-yard run (Phil Dawson kick), 11:53. Chiefs 14–10. Drive: 8 plays, 73 yards, 3:26.
KC – Tony Gonzalez 14-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick), 9:11. Chiefs 21–10. Drive: 7 plays, 62 yards, 2:42.
CLE – R. J. Bowers 2-yard pass from Kelly Holcomb (Phil Dawson kick), 4:54. Chiefs 21–17. Drive: 4 plays, 21 yards, 1:52.
KC – Morten Andersen 29-yard field goal, 3:13. Chiefs 24–17. Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 1:41.
KC – Morten Andersen 27-yard field goal, 0:00. Chiefs 27–17. Drive: 10 plays, 72 yards, 1:38.
Third quarter
KC – Johnnie Morton 28-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick), 7:16. Chiefs 34–17. Drive: 10 plays, 88 yards, 4:51.
CLE – Phil Dawson 22-yard field goal, 0:41. Chiefs 34–20. Drive: 12 plays, 58 yards, 6:35.
Fourth quarter
KC – Eddie Kennison 27-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick), 2:19. Chiefs 41–20. Drive: 12 plays, 76 yards, 5:06.
Top passers
CLE – Kelly Holcomb – 19/27, 149 yards, TD, INT
KC – Trent Green – 29/42, 368 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
CLE – James Jackson – 17 rushes, 66 yards, TD
KC – Priest Holmes – 19 rushes, 92 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
CLE – André Davis – 3 receptions, 35 yards
KC – Eddie Kennison – 7 receptions, 115 yards, TD :
Trent Green had 368 yards and three touchdowns, Priest Holmes added two scores on the ground, and the Browns were limited to 199 yards of offense in a 41–20 Chiefs win. During halftime the chiefs in a ceremony honored their former running back Marcus Allen inducting him into the ring of honor.

#### Week 11: at Cincinnati Bengals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 0 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 19 |
| Bengals | 0 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 24 |
at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
* Date: November 16
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Cloudy, possible showers, 54 °F (12 °C)
* Game attendance: 64,923
* Referee: Jeff Triplette
* TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Randy Cross and Marcus Allen
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
CIN – Shayne Graham 27-yard field goal, 6:18. Bengals 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 74 yards, 4:59.
KC – Morten Anderson 37-yard field goal, 0:00. Tied 3–3. Drive: 8 plays, 43 yards, 0:57.
Third quarter
KC – Morten Anderson 39-yard field goal, 10:32. Chiefs 6–3. Drive: 8 plays, 54 yards, 4:28.
CIN – Jeremi Johnson 13-yard pass from Jon Kitna (Shayne Graham kick), 5:04. Bengals 10–6. Drive: 10 plays, 63 yards, 5:28.
Fourth quarter
CIN – Peter Warrick 68-yard punt return (Shayne Graham kick), 12:47. Bengals 17–6.
KC – Tony Gonzalez 12-yard pass from Trent Green (pass failed), 6:24. Bengals 17–12. Drive: 5 plays, 92 yards, 2:40.
CIN – Peter Warrick 77-yard pass from Jon Kitna (Shayne Graham kick), 6:05. Bengals 24–12. Drive: 1 play, 77 yards, 0:19.
KC – Jason Dunn 3-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Anderson kick), 3:19. Bengals 24–19. Drive: 12 plays, 71 yards, 2:46.
Top passers
KC – Trent Green – 28/42, 313 yards, 2 TD
CIN – Jon Kitna – 19/32, 233 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
KC – Priest Holmes – 16 rushes, 62 yards
CIN – Rudi Johnson – 22 rushes, 165 yards
Top receivers
KC – Johnnie Morton – 7 receptions, 96 yards
CIN – Peter Warrick – 6 receptions, 114 yards, TD :
An undefeated season (attending Miami's overtime win over the Ravens members of the 1972 Dolphins kept a close watch on this game) would not transpire as the Bengals surged to their fifth win, fulfilling a pregame prediction by Chad Johnson (seven catches, 74 yards) of a Bengals win. Jon Kitna’s 77-yard strike to Peter Warrick effectively ended the 24–19 Bengals upset despite a late Trent Green score.

#### Week 12: vs. Oakland Raiders

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Raiders | 0 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 24 |
| Chiefs | 14 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 27 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: November 23
* Game time: 3:15 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Overcast, 30 °F (−1 °C)
* Game attendance: 78,889
* Referee: Larry Nemmers
* TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Phil Simms and Armen Keteyian
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Derrick Blaylock 25-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 9:05. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 84 yards, 2:47.
KC – Priest Holmes 2-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 0:28. Chiefs 14–0. Drive: 6 plays, 68 yards, 2:47.
Second quarter
OAK – Rick Mirer 13-yard run (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 1:50. Chiefs 14–7. Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 3:31.
KC – Jason Dunn 2-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick), 0:22. Chiefs 21–7. Drive: 8 plays, 69 yards, 1:28.
Third quarter
OAK – Tyrone Wheatley 15-yard run (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 10:19. Chiefs 21–14. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 4:41.
KC – Morten Andersen 43-yard field goal, 7:12. Chiefs 24–14. Drive: 5 plays, 23 yards, 3:07.
Fourth quarter
OAK – Jerry Rice 47-yard pass from Rick Mirer (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 14:26. Chiefs 24–21. Drive: 6 plays, 77 yards, 2:31.
OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 41-yard field goal, 2:18. Tied 24–24. Drive: 7 plays, 18 yards, 1:33.
KC – Morten Andersen 35-yard field goal, 0:04. Chiefs 27–24. Drive: 8 plays, 38 yards, 2:14.
Top passers
OAK – Rick Mirer – 19/31, 219 yards, TD
KC – Trent Green – 23/33, 244 yards, TD
Top rushers
OAK – Tyrone Wheatley – 19 rushes, 77 yards, TD
KC – Priest Holmes – 21 rushes, 91 yards, TD
Top receivers
OAK – Jerry Porter – 7 receptions, 89 yards
KC – Priest Holmes – 6 receptions, 100 yards :
The 3–7 Raiders refused to go quietly as they erased a 21–7 Chiefs lead. Jerry Rice scored for the first time all season but the Chiefs broke a 24–24 tie on Morten Anderson’s field goal with four seconds left.

#### Week 13: at San Diego Chargers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 7 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 28 |
| Chargers | 0 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 24 |
at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
* Date: November 30
* Game time: 3:15 p.m. CST/1:15 p.m. PST
* Game weather: Clear and sunny, 71 °F (22 °C)
* Game attendance: 57,671
* Referee: Mike Carey
* TV announcers (CBS): Dick Enberg, Dan Dierdorf and Bonnie Bernstein
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Priest Holmes 7-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 5:09. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 56 yards, 5:20.
Second quarter
KC – Priest Holmes 2-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 12:41. Chiefs 14–0. Drive: 12 plays, 70 yards, 5:49.
SD – LaDainian Tomlinson 6-yard run (Steve Christie kick), 6:23. Chiefs 14–7. Drive: 8 plays, 52 yards, 4:54.
KC – Tony Gonzalez 7-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick), 1:54. Chiefs 21–7. Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 2:59.
Third quarter
SD – Steve Christie 21-yard field goal, 8:59. Chiefs 21–10. Drive: 11 plays, 53 yards, 6:01.
SD – David Boston 20-yard pass from Doug Flutie (Steve Christie kick), 2:56. Chiefs 21–17. Drive: 5 plays, 77 yards, 2:07.
Fourth quarter
KC – Tony Gonzalez 3-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick), 6:28. Chiefs 28–17. Drive: 8 plays, 27 yards, 4:50.
SD – Antonio Gates 18-yard pass from Doug Flutie (Steve Christie kick), 0:00. Chiefs 28–24. Drive: 8 plays, 84 yards, 1:08.
Top passers
KC – Trent Green – 17/30, 155 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
SD – Doug Flutie – 16/34, 213 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
KC – Priest Holmes – 31 rushes, 162 yards, 2 TD
SD – LaDainian Tomlinson – 19 rushes, 106 yards, TD
Top receivers
KC – Tony Gonzalez – 4 receptions, 28 yards, 2 TD
SD – David Boston – 5 receptions, 85 yards, TD :
The Chiefs reached eleven wins leading wire to wire at Qualcomm Stadium despite two Trent Green interceptions to go with two Green touchdowns. Priest Holmes exploded to 162 rushing yards and two scores.

#### Week 14: at Denver Broncos

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 7 | 14 | 0 | 6 | 27 |
| Broncos | 7 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 45 |
at Invesco Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
* Date: December 7
* Game time: 3:15 p.m. CST/2:15 p.m. MST
* Game weather: Partly cloudy, 63 °F (17 °C)
* Game attendance: 76,403
* Referee: Tony Corrente
* TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Phil Simms and Armen Keteyian
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DEN – Clinton Portis 11-yard run (Jason Elam kick), 9:24. Broncos 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 74 yards, 5:36.
KC – Priest Holmes 2-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 3:03. Tied 7–7. Drive: 13 plays, 66 yards, 6:21.
Second quarter
DEN – Clinton Portis 1-yard run (Jason Elam kick), 11:18. Broncos 14–7. Drive: 11 plays, 69 yards, 6:45.
KC – Priest Holmes 1-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 7:36. Tied 14–14. Drive: 7 plays, 36 yards, 3:42.
DEN – Jason Elam 47-yard field goal, 5:28. Broncos 17–14. Drive: 6 plays, 42 yards, 2:08.
KC – Eddie Kennison 42-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick), 1:19. Chiefs 21–17. Drive: 11 plays, 86 yards, 4:09.
Third quarter
DEN – Reuben Droughns 3-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Jason Elam kick), 5:58. Broncos 24–21. Drive: 12 plays, 78 yards, 7:27.
DEN – Clinton Portis 59-yard run (Jason Elam kick), 2:42. Broncos 31–21. Drive: 4 plays, 79 yards, 1:20.
Fourth quarter
DEN – Clinton Portis 28-yard run (Jason Elam kick), 11:24. Broncos 38–21. Drive: 8 plays, 74 yards, 4:02.
DEN – Clinton Portis 53-yard run (Jason Elam kick), 7:58. Broncos 45–21. Drive: 1 play, 53 yards, 0:10.
KC – Trent Green 1-yard run (run failed), 0:02. Broncos 45–27. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 2:13.
Top passers
KC – Trent Green – 34/47, 397 yards, TD
DEN – Jake Plummer – 20/29, 238 yards, TD
Top rushers
KC – Priest Holmes – 12 rushes, 44 yards, 2 TD
DEN – Clinton Portis – 22 rushes, 218 yards, 5 TD
Top receivers
KC – Dante Hall – 11 receptions, 124 yards
DEN – Rod Smith – 7 receptions, 85 yards :
The Chiefs suffered their second loss of the season 45–27. The game lead tied or changed six times in the first three quarters but after taking a 24–21 lead the Broncos added 21 more points. Clinton Portis ran in five touchdowns for Denver.

#### Week 15: vs. Detroit Lions

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 0 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
| Chiefs | 14 | 14 | 17 | 0 | 45 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: December 14
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Cloudy, 29 °F (−2 °C)
* Game attendance: 77,922
* Referee: Bill Leavy
* TV announcers (Fox): Dan Miller and J. C. Pearson
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Tony Gonzalez 27-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick), 6:54. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:27.
KC – Priest Holmes 14-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 2:41. Chiefs 14–0. Drive: 4 plays, 50 yards, 2:14.
Second quarter
KC – Priest Holmes 9-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 12:08. Chiefs 21–0. Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 4:34.
DET – Jason Hanson 29-yard field goal, 3:35. Chiefs 21–3. Drive: 15 plays, 71 yards, 8:33.
KC – Derrick Blaylock 63-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick), 2:11. Chiefs 28–3. Drive: 3 plays, 70 yards, 1:24.
DET – Az-Zahir Hakim 8-yard pass from Joey Harrington (Jason Hanson kick), 0:18. Chiefs 28–10. Drive: 11 plays, 57 yards, 1:53.
Third quarter
KC – Priest Holmes 3-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 10:30. Chiefs 35–10. Drive: 9 plays, 46 yards, 4:30.
KC – Morten Andersen 35-yard field goal, 6:56. Chiefs 38–10. Drive: 7 plays, 36 yards, 3:26.
DET – Shawn Bryson 1-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), 3:54. Chiefs 38–17. Drive: 6 plays, 53 yards, 3:02.
KC – Tony Gonzalez 9-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick), 1:02. Chiefs 45–17. Drive: 6 plays, 77 yards, 2:52.
Fourth quarter
No scoring plays.
Top passers
DET – Joey Harrington – 20/36, 197 yards, TD, INT
KC – Trent Green – 20/25, 341 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
DET – Shawn Bryson – 18 rushes, 105 yards, TD
KC – Priest Holmes – 18 rushes, 94 yards, 3 TD
Top receivers
DET – Az-Zahir Hakim – 6 receptions, 72 yards, TD
KC – Tony Gonzalez – 6 receptions, 93 yards, 2 TD :
The 4–9 Lions were crushed 45–17 as Trent Green threw for 341 yards and three touchdowns while Priest Holmes added three scores of his own. It was Steve Mariucci’s only career loss to the Chiefs. This is Detroit's most recent visit to Kansas City; the Lions return there in 2023.

#### Week 16: at Minnesota Vikings

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 0 | 0 | 7 | 13 | 20 |
| Vikings | 7 | 17 | 7 | 14 | 45 |
at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: December 20
* Game time: 4:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 64,291
* Referee: Ron Blum
* TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Phil Simms and Armen Keteyian
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Randy Moss 30-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Aaron Elling kick), 10:23. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 92 yards, 4:37.
Second quarter
MIN – Randy Moss 21-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Aaron Elling kick), 10:58. Vikings 14–0. Drive: 7 plays, 63 yards, 3:27.
MIN – Jim Kleinsasser 4-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Aaron Elling kick), 3:42. Vikings 21–0. Drive: 10 plays, 82 yards, 5:44.
MIN – Aaron Elling 46-yard field goal, 0:00. Vikings 24–0. Drive: 8 plays, 41 yards, 2:53.
Third quarter
MIN – Onterrio Smith 1-yard run (Aaron Elling kick), 11:44. Vikings 31–0. Drive: 6 plays, 60 yards, 2:07.
KC – Priest Holmes 2-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 5:16. Vikings 31–7. Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 6:28.
Fourth quarter
KC – Priest Holmes 4-yard run (pass failed), 13:33. Vikings 31–13. Drive: 8 plays, 79 yards, 2:43.
KC – Priest Holmes 1-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 10:05. Vikings 31–20. Drive: 3 plays, 9 yards, 1:07.
MIN – Onterrio Smith 11-yard run (Aaron Elling kick), 7:00. Vikings 38–20. Drive: 5 plays, 45 yards, 3:05.
MIN – Onterrio Smith 10-yard run (Aaron Elling kick), 6:00. Vikings 45–20. Drive: 3 plays, 17 yards, 0:46.
Top passers
KC – Trent Green – 18/38, 224 yards, 2 INT
MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 20/29, 260 yards, 3 TD, INT
Top rushers
KC – Priest Holmes – 18 rushes, 55 yards, 3 TD
MIN – Onterrio Smith – 21 rushes, 146 yards, 3 TD
Top receivers
KC – Eddie Kennison – 5 receptions, 89 yards
MIN – Randy Moss – 7 receptions, 111 yards, 2 TD :
Having clinched the AFC West the Chiefs were vying for a playoff bye. The top conference seed slipped away in this Saturday game as the Vikings forced four Chiefs turnovers, raced to a 31–0 lead, and didn't look back despite a three-touchdown barrage by 10:05 to go in the fourth. Despite the 45-20 loss, the Chiefs gained on a playoff bye on Denver's win over the Colts the next day.

#### Week 17: vs. Chicago Bears

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bears | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Chiefs | 0 | 14 | 7 | 10 | 31 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: December 28
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Clear, 46 °F (8 °C)
* Game attendance: 78,413
* Referee: Pete Morelli
* TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen and Bill Maas
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
KC – Priest Holmes 1-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 13:40. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 51 yards, 5:27.
KC – Eddie Kennison 6-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick), 7:07. Chiefs 14–0. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 4:19.
Third quarter
CHI – Paul Edinger 48-yard field goal, 9:24. Chiefs 14–3. Drive: 11 plays, 52 yards, 5:36.
KC – Priest Holmes 2-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 0:58. Chiefs 21–3. Drive: 5 plays, 28 yards, 2:15.
Fourth quarter
KC – Morten Andersen 38-yard field goal, 10:03. Chiefs 24–3. Drive: 8 plays, 73 yards, 3:17.
KC – Larry Johnson 5-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 3:40. Chiefs 31–3. Drive: 9 plays, 67 yards, 4:54.
Top passers
CHI – Kordell Stewart – 5/15, 86 yards, 2 INT
KC – Trent Green – 19/27, 162 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
CHI – Anthony Thomas – 16 rushes, 61 yards
KC – Priest Holmes – 20 rushes, 50 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
CHI – Marty Booker – 6 receptions, 92 yards
KC – Johnnie Morton – 6 receptions, 81 yards :
With New England's shutout win over the Bills the previous day the Chiefs could only secure a playoff bye as the second conference seed. They did so 31–3 on three rushing scores while the 7-9 Bears used three quarterbacks who combined for two interceptions.

### Standings

AFC West :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| $^{(2)}$ Kansas City Chiefs | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 5–1 | 10–2 | 484 | 332 | W1 |
| $^{(6)}$ Denver Broncos | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 5–1 | 9–3 | 381 | 301 | L1 |
| Oakland Raiders | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 1–5 | 3–9 | 270 | 379 | L2 |
| San Diego Chargers | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 1–5 | 2–10 | 313 | 441 | W1 |

## Postseason
### Schedule

| Round | Date | Opponent (seed) | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| Wild Card | First-round bye | First-round bye | First-round bye | First-round bye | First-round bye | First-round bye |
| Divisional | January 11 | Indianapolis Colts (3) | L 31–38 | 0–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |

### Game summaries
#### AFC Divisional Playoffs: vs. (3) Indianapolis Colts

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Colts | 14 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 38 |
| Chiefs | 3 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 31 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Date: January 11, 2004
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Clear, 51 °F (11 °C)
* Game attendance: 79,159
* Referee: Gerald Austin
* TV announcers (CBS): Dick Enberg, Dan Dierdorf and Bonnie Bernstein
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
IND – Brandon Stokley 29-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Mike Vanderjagt kick), 9:20. Colts 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 70 yards, 5:40.
KC – Morten Andersen 22-yard field goal, 3:38. Colts 7–3. Drive: 11 plays, 73 yards, 5:42.
IND – Edgerrin James 11-yard run (Mike Vanderjagt kick), 0:37. Colts 14–3. Drive: 6 plays, 76 yards, 3:01.
Second quarter
KC – Dante Hall 9-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick), 8:35. Colts 14–10. Drive: 12 plays, 77 yards, 7:02.
IND – Tom Lopienski 2-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Mike Vanderjagt kick), 4:29. Colts 21–10. Drive: 9 plays, 71 yards, 4:06.
Third quarter
IND – Mike Vanderjagt 45-yard field goal, 9:24. Colts 24–10. Drive: 11 plays, 51 yards, 5:08.
KC – Priest Holmes 1-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 5:26. Colts 24–17. Drive: 8 plays, 55 yards, 3:58.
IND – Reggie Wayne 19-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Mike Vanderjagt kick), 1:48. Colts 31–17. Drive: 7 plays, 64 yards, 3:38.
KC – Dante Hall 92-yard kickoff return (Morten Andersen kick), 1:35. Colts 31–24. Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:13.
Fourth quarter
IND – Edgerrin James 1-yard run (Mike Vanderjagt kick), 11:14. Colts 38–24. Drive: 10 plays, 81 yards, 5:21.
KC – Priest Holmes 1-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 4:22. Colts 38–31. Drive: 17 plays, 76 yards, 6:52.
Top passers
IND – Peyton Manning – 22/30, 304 yards, 3 TD
KC – Trent Green – 18/30, 212 yards, TD
Top rushers
IND – Edgerrin James – 26 rushes, 125 yards, 2 TD
KC – Priest Holmes – 24 rushes, 176 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
IND – Marvin Harrison – 6 receptions, 98 yards
KC – Tony Gonzalez – 4 receptions, 55 yards :
This offensive shootout became the second game without a punt in NFL playoff history, and first since the Buffalo Bills played the San Francisco 49ers in 1992. Colts quarterback Peyton Manning threw for 304 yards and three touchdowns, while Edgerrin James ran for a career postseason high 125 yards and two scores. On the Kansas City side, Dante Hall caught a touchdown and returned a kickoff for another; and Priest Holmes, who set the regular-season rushing touchdown record, rushed for 176 yards, caught 5 passes for 32 yards, and scored twice. Kansas City quarterback Trent Green threw for 212 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for 18 yards in his first career postseason game. The Chiefs defense failed to stop the Colt's offense. Kansas City's defensive coordinator Greg Robinson was asked to resign the following week.