1971_Kansas_City_Chiefs_season
1971 Kansas City Chiefs season
NFL team season
The 1971 Kansas City Chiefs season was the franchise's second season in the National Football League (NFL), ninth as the Kansas City Chiefs, and twelfth overall. They improved from a 7–5–2 campaign in 1970 to record a 10–3–1 mark and win the AFC West division championship, the Chiefs' first division title since 1966 and last until 1993. The Chiefs tied with the Miami Dolphins for the best record in the AFC and were tied for the third-best record overall in the NFL, trailing only the 11–3 marks of the Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings.[1]
| 1971 Kansas City Chiefs season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Lamar Hunt |
| General manager | Jack Steadman |
| Head coach | Hank Stram |
| Home field | Municipal Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 10–3–1 |
| Division place | 1st AFC West |
| Playoff finish | Lost Divisional Playoffs (vs. Dolphins) 24–27 (2OT) |
| Pro Bowlers | QB Len Dawson WR Otis Taylor G Ed Budde OT Jim Tyrer DT Curley Culp DT Buck Buchanan LB Bobby Bell LB Willie Lanier CB Emmitt Thomas K Jan Stenerud P Jerrel Wilson |
| |
The Chiefs' playoff loss to Miami remains the longest game in NFL history at 82 minutes and forty seconds. Dolphins kicker Garo Yepremian made a 37-yard field goal with seven minutes and twenty seconds left in the second overtime to win the game.[2]
1971 marked the end of an era, as the last remaining original Texan/Chief, longtime player Johnny Robinson, retired after all 10 seasons in the AFL, 2 seasons in the NFL, and 12 seasons with the Texans/Chiefs.
Most of the pieces of the team which won Super Bowl IV two years earlier were still in place. Left defensive end Jerry Mays retired after the 1970 season, with Marvin Upshaw taking his spot, but the other ten defensive starters were the same as they were two years prior. Middle linebacker Willie Lanier was a unanimous All-Pro selection following the season, and would likely have been named NFL Defensive Player of the Year had not Viking defensive tackle Alan Page become the second defensive player to win the league's Most Valuable Player award. Outside linebacker Bobby Bell, defensive tackles Buck Buchanan and Curley Culp, and cornerback Emmitt Thomas joined Lanier on the AFC Pro Bowl squad following the season. Bell, Buchanan, Culp, Lanier, and Thomas are all members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
On offense, Robert Holmes was traded to the San Diego Chargers midway through the season, leaving Wendell Hayes to assume the fullback duties next to third-year pro Ed Podolak, who had become the starting halfback when Mike Garrett was traded to San Diego in 1970. Morris Stroud, the tallest player in NFL history at 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m), and Willie Frazier, acquired from San Diego, alternated at tight end for the retired Fred Arbanas, but the rest of the offensive line, save for center Jack Rudnay, remained the same from the Super Bowl winning team. Rudnay assumed the starting center spot in 1970 over veteran E. J. Holub. At wide receiver, rookie Elmo Wright, the Chiefs' first-round pick in the 1971 NFL Draft from the University of Houston, assumed the slot opposite all-pro Otis Taylor, as Frank Pitts had moved on to the Cleveland Browns. Taylor earned selection to the Pro Bowl, along with guard Ed Budde, quarterback Len Dawson, and tackle Jim Tyrer.
Kansas City's special teams remained among the league's elite units, thanks to the combination of kicker Jan Stenerud and punter Jerrel Wilson, both of whom were named to the Pro Bowl. Podolak and Warren McVea handled the bulk of the return duties.
The season was the last for the Chiefs in Municipal Stadium; owner Lamar Hunt and general manager Jack Steadman were overseeing the construction of Arrowhead Stadium, located at the junction of Interstates 70 and 435 in Jackson County, at the eastern edge of the Kansas City city limits. Arrowhead, along with Royals Stadium, being constructed for the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball, comprised the Truman Sports Complex, bucking the trend of multi-purpose stadiums in vogue at the time.
The season ended as the Miami Dolphins won the longest game in National Football League history on Christmas Day, defeating the Chiefs 27–24 in double-overtime on a 37-yard field goal by Garo Yepremian in the last football game in Municipal Stadium,[2] as well as the last game for safety Johnny Robinson,[3] who was an original member of the franchise as a rookie on the 1960 Dallas Texans. Head coach Hank Stram often called the 1971 Chiefs the franchise's best-ever squad, and the home playoff loss haunted Stram for the rest of his life, even after his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2003; Stram died in 2005 at age 82. Others in the Hall of Fame from this squad are owner Hunt, quarterback Dawson, and kicker Stenerud.
The loss to Miami began a nosedive in the Chiefs' fortunes. Kansas City backslid to 8–6 and 7–5–2 in 1972 and 1973, before falling to 5–9 and a tie for last in the AFC West in 1974, leading to Stram's firing following the season. Kansas City did not reach the playoffs again until 1986, did not host (or win) another playoff game until 1991, and did not win the AFC West division title again until 1993.
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 | Elmo Wright | Wide receiver | Houston |
| 2 | 39 | Wilbur Young | Defensive tackle | William Penn |
| 42 | Scott Lewis | Defensive end | Grambling | |
| 4 | 94 | David Robinson | Tight end | Jacksonville State |
| 5 | 120 | Mike Adamle | Running back | Northwestern |
| 6 | 146 | Kerry Reardon | Defensive back | Iowa |
| 8 | 191 | Mike Sensibaugh | Defensive back | Ohio State |
| 198 | Rick Telander | Defensive back | Northwestern | |
| 9 | 224 | Alvin Hawes | Tackle | Minnesota |
| 10 | 250 | Bruce Jankowski | Wide receiver | Ohio State |
| 11 | 276 | Nate Allen | Defensive back | Texas Southern |
| 12 | 302 | Tony Esposito | Running back | Pittsburgh |
| 13 | 328 | Chuck Hixson | Quarterback | SMU |
| 14 | 354 | Bruce Bergey | Defensive end | UCLA |
| 15 | 380 | Mike Montgomery | Defensive back | Southwest Texas State |
| 16 | 406 | Darrell Jansonius | Guard | Iowa State |
| 17 | 431 | Travis Hill | Defensive back | Prairie View A&M |
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 7 | at Baltimore Colts | W 10–7 | 1–0 | Memorial Stadium | 16,771 | Recap |
| 2 | August 14 | Atlanta Falcons | W 12–10 | 2–0 | Municipal Stadium | 37,403 | Recap |
| 3 | August 21 | at New Orleans Saints | W 27–7 | 3–0 | Tulane Stadium | 70,459 | Recap |
| 4 | August 30 | New York Jets | W 21–16 | 4–0 | Municipal Stadium | 37,650 | Recap |
| 5 | September 4 | St. Louis Cardinals | T 17–17 | 4–0–1 | Municipal Stadium | 36,743 | Recap |
| 6 | September 11 | at Dallas Cowboys | L 17–24 | 4–1–1 | Cotton Bowl | 74,035 | Recap |
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 19 | at San Diego Chargers | L 14–21 | 0–1 | San Diego Stadium | 54,061 | Recap |
| 2 | September 26 | at Houston Oilers | W 20–16 | 1–1 | Houston Astrodome | 46,498 | Recap |
| 3 | October 3 | at Denver Broncos | W 16–3 | 2–1 | Mile High Stadium | 51,200 | Recap |
| 4 | October 10 | San Diego Chargers | W 31–10 | 3–1 | Municipal Stadium | 50,514 | Recap |
| 5 | October 18 | Pittsburgh Steelers | W 38–16 | 4–1 | Municipal Stadium | 49,533 | Recap |
| 6 | October 24 | Washington Redskins | W 27–20 | 5–1 | Municipal Stadium | 51,989 | Recap |
| 7 | October 31 | at Oakland Raiders | T 20–20 | 5–1–1 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | 54,715 | Recap |
| 8 | November 7 | at New York Jets | L 10–13 | 5–2–1 | Shea Stadium | 62,812 | Recap |
| 9 | November 14 | Cleveland Browns | W 13–7 | 6–2–1 | Municipal Stadium | 50,388 | Recap |
| 10 | November 21 | Denver Broncos | W 28–10 | 7–2–1 | Municipal Stadium | 49,945 | Recap |
| 11 | November 25 | at Detroit Lions | L 21–32 | 7–3–1 | Tiger Stadium | 54,418 | Recap |
| 12 | December 6 | at San Francisco 49ers | W 26–17 | 8–3–1 | Candlestick Park | 45,306 | Recap |
| 13 | December 12 | Oakland Raiders | W 16–14 | 9–3–1 | Municipal Stadium | 51,215 | Recap |
| 14 | December 19 | Buffalo Bills | W 22–9 | 10–3–1 | Municipal Stadium | 48,121 | Recap |
| Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. | |||||||
Game summaries
Week 1: at San Diego Chargers
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Chargers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 21 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California
- Date: September 19
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. PDT
- Game weather: 73 °F (23 °C)
- Game attendance: 54,381
- Referee: Ben Dreith
- TV announcers (NBC): Jay Randolph and Willie Davis
- Recap
Week 2: at Houston Oilers
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 10 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 20 |
| Oilers | 0 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 16 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Houston Astrodome, Houston, Texas
- Date: September 26
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
- Game attendance: 46,498
- Referee: Fred Swearingen
- TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones and George Ratterman
- Recap
Week 3: at Denver Broncos
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 0 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 16 |
| Broncos | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado
- Date: October 3
- Game time: 2:00 p.m. MDT
- Game weather: 47 °F (8 °C)
- Game attendance: 51,200
- Referee: Norm Schachter
- TV announcers (NBC): Ross Porter and Dave Kocourek
- Recap
Week 4: vs. San Diego Chargers
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chargers | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Chiefs | 0 | 10 | 7 | 14 | 31 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Municipal Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: October 10
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: 53 °F (12 °C)
- Game attendance: 50,514
- Referee: Norm Schachter
- TV announcers (NBC): Ross Porter and Willie Davis
- Recap
Week 5: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steelers | 9 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 16 |
| Chiefs | 0 | 28 | 0 | 10 | 38 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Municipal Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: October 18
- Game time: 8:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: 73 °F (23 °C)
- Game attendance: 49,533
- Referee: Pat Haggerty
- TV announcers (ABC): Frank Gifford, Don Meredith and Howard Cosell
- Recap
Week 6: vs. Washington Redskins
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redskins | 7 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 20 |
| Chiefs | 3 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 27 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 7: at Oakland Raiders
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 7 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 20 |
| Raiders | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California
- Date: October 31
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. PST
- Game weather: 52 °F (11 °C)
- Game attendance: 54,715
- Referee: Tommy Bell
- TV announcers (NBC): Curt Gowdy and Al DeRogatis
- Recap
Week 8: at New York Jets
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Jets | 7 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 13 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Shea Stadium, New York, New York
- Date: November 7
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 53 °F (12 °C)
- Game attendance: 62,812
- Referee: Dick Jorgensen
- TV announcers (NBC): Curt Gowdy and Al DeRogatis
- Recap
Week 9: vs. Cleveland Browns
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Browns | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Chiefs | 3 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Municipal Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: November 14
- Game time: 3:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: 66 °F (19 °C)
- Game attendance: 50,388
- Referee: Bernie Ulman
- TV announcers (NBC): Curt Gowdy and Al DeRogatis
- Recap
Week 10: vs. Denver Broncos
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broncos | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| Chiefs | 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 28 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Municipal Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: November 21
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: 44 °F (7 °C)
- Game attendance: 49,945
- Referee: John McDonough
- TV announcers (NBC): Jay Randolph and George Ratterman
- Recap
Week 11: at Detroit Lions
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| Lions | 0 | 17 | 12 | 3 | 32 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Tiger Stadium, Detroit, Michigan
- Date: November 25
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 29 °F (−2 °C)
- Game attendance: 54,418
- Referee: Jim Tunney
- TV announcers (NBC): Curt Gowdy and Al DeRogatis
- Recap
Week 12: at San Francisco 49ers
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 0 | 16 | 7 | 3 | 26 |
| 49ers | 3 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California
- Date: December 6
- Game time: 6:00 p.m. PST
- Game weather: 53 °F (12 °C)
- Game attendance: 45,306
- Referee: Pat Haggerty
- TV announcers (ABC): Frank Gifford, Don Meredith and Howard Cosell
- Recap
Week 13: vs. Oakland Raiders
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raiders | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Chiefs | 7 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 23 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Municipal Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: December 12
- Game time: 3:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: 38 °F (3 °C)
- Game attendance: 51,215
- Referee: Fred Swearingen
- TV announcers (NBC): Curt Gowdy and Al De Rogatis
- Recap
Week 14: vs. Buffalo Bills
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bills | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| Chiefs | 3 | 6 | 10 | 3 | 22 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Municipal Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: December 19
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: 44 °F (7 °C)
- Game attendance: 48,121
- Referee: Bob Frederic
- TV announcers (NBC): Jay Randolph and George Ratterman
- Recap
Standings
| AFC West | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 10 | 3 | 1 | .769 | 4–1–1 | 8–2–1 | 302 | 208 | W3 |
| Oakland Raiders | 8 | 4 | 2 | .667 | 4–1–1 | 7–3–1 | 344 | 278 | W1 |
| San Diego Chargers | 6 | 8 | 0 | .429 | 2–4 | 4–7 | 311 | 341 | L1 |
| Denver Broncos | 4 | 9 | 1 | .308 | 1–5 | 3–6–1 | 203 | 275 | L2 |
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.
Schedule
| Round | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Divisional | December 25 | Miami Dolphins | L 24–27 (2OT) | 0–1 | Municipal Stadium | 45,822 | Recap |
Game summaries
AFC Divisional Playoffs: vs. Miami Dolphins
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | 2OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dolphins | 0 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 27 |
| Chiefs | 10 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Municipal Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: December 25
- Game time: 3:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: 47 °F (8 °C)
- Game attendance: 45,822
- Referee: John McDonough
- TV announcers (NBC): Curt Gowdy and Al De Rogatis
- Recap
- "Dolphins under KC's tree". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. (Kansas). Associated Press. December 20, 1971. p. 24.
- "Dallas, Miami playoff winners". Pittsburgh Press. UPI. December 26, 1971. p. D1.
- "Chiefs begin trying to fill Robinson void". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. (Kansas). Associated Press. July 13, 1972. p. 21.