1973 Kansas City Chiefs season

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1973 Kansas City Chiefs season
OwnerLamar Hunt
General managerJack Steadman
Head coachHank Stram
Home fieldArrowhead Stadium
Results
Record7–5–2
Division place2nd AFC West
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Pro BowlersC Jack Rudnay
LB Willie Lanier

The 1973 Kansas City Chiefs season was the franchise's 4th season in the National Football League, the 11th as the Kansas City Chiefs, and the 14th overall. they finished with a 7–5–2 record and missed the playoffs for the second straight year.

The defense kept the club in contention thanks to a nucleus that still included the bulk of the squad's Super Bowl IV starters. Quarterback Mike Livingston started in a 23–13 Opening Day loss against the Los Angeles Rams on September 16, but Len Dawson returned to rally the club for three consecutive wins to get the club off to a 3–1 start for a third consecutive year.[1] The aging Len Dawson made his final start of the year in a 23–14 loss at Buffalo on October 29 and was replaced for the remainder of the year by Livingston, beginning a string of three straight seasons in which both players split time at the position.[1]

Livingston led the club to another three straight wins, putting the team in first place in mid-November with a 6–3–1 record. A 1–2–1 ledger over the season's final month ended the club's post-season aspirations as the team finished the year in a second-place tie with Denver at 7–5–2.[1] Len Dawson became the second Chiefs player in as many years to win the NFL Man of the Year Award.[1] Following Super Bowl VIII, The AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was held at Arrowhead Stadium on January 20 with the AFC claiming a 15–13 win thanks to five field goals from Miami placekicker Garo Yepremian.[1]

Offseason

NFL Draft

Round Pick Player Position School/Club Team

Roster

1973 Kansas City Chiefs roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

Reserve lists


Practice squad



Rookies in italics

Preseason

Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance Recap
1 August 4 New Orleans Saints W 12–6 1–0 Arrowhead Stadium 67,216 Recap
2 August 13 Detroit Lions L 16–17 1–1 Arrowhead Stadium 67,624 Recap
3 August 18 Minnesota Vikings L 10–13 1–2 Arrowhead Stadium 72,676 Recap
4 August 26 Green Bay Packers L 16–21 1–3 Arrowhead Stadium 75,231 Recap
5 September 1 at Dallas Cowboys L 16–27 1–4 Texas Stadium 57,468 Recap
6 September 7 at St. Louis Cardinals W 16–7 2–4 Busch Memorial Stadium 49,486 Recap

Regular season

Schedule

Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance Recap
1 September 16 Los Angeles Rams L 13–23 0–1 Arrowhead Stadium 62,315 Recap
2 September 23 at New England Patriots W 10–7 1–1
Schaefer Stadium
57,918 Recap
3 September 30 Oakland Raiders W 16–3 2–1 Arrowhead Stadium 72,631 Recap
4 October 7 Denver Broncos W 16–14 3–1 Arrowhead Stadium 71,414 Recap
5 October 14 at Green Bay Packers T 10–10 3–1–1 Milwaukee County Stadium 46,583 Recap
6 October 21 at Cincinnati Bengals L 6–14 3–2–1 Riverfront Stadium 56,397 Recap
7 October 29 at Buffalo Bills L 14–23 3–3–1
Rich Stadium
76,071 Recap
8 November 4 at San Diego Chargers W 19–0 4–3–1 San Diego Stadium 50,234 Recap
9 November 12 Chicago Bears W 19–7 5–3–1 Arrowhead Stadium 70,664 Recap
10 November 18 Houston Oilers W 38–14 6–3–1 Arrowhead Stadium 68,444 Recap
11 November 25 at Denver Broncos L 10–14 6–4–1 Mile High Stadium 51,331 Recap
12 December 2 Cleveland Browns T 20–20 6–4–2 Arrowhead Stadium 70,296 Recap
13 December 8 at Oakland Raiders L 7–37 6–5–2
Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum
53,945 Recap
14 December 16 San Diego Chargers W 33–6 7–5–2 Arrowhead Stadium 43,755 Recap
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1 vs. Los Angeles Rams

Week 1: Los Angeles Rams at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Rams 6 14 3023
Chiefs 0 0 01313

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

Game information

Week 2: at New England Patriots

Week 2: Kansas City Chiefs at New England Patriots – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Chiefs 0 10 0010
Patriots 0 0 077

at

Schaefer Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

Game information

Week 3: vs. Oakland Raiders

Week 3: Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Raiders 0 3 003
Chiefs 0 6 3716

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

Game information

Week 4: vs. Denver Broncos

Week 4: Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Broncos 0 7 0714
Chiefs 0 6 7316

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

Game information

Week 5: at Green Bay Packers

Week 5: Kansas City Chiefs at Green Bay Packers – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Chiefs 7 0 0310
Packers 0 10 0010

at Milwaukee County Stadium, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Game information

Week 6: at Cincinnati Bengals

Week 6: Kansas City Chiefs at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Chiefs 0 3 306
Bengals 0 7 0714

at

Cincinnati, Ohio

  • Date: October 21
  • Game time: 4:00 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: 52 °F (11 °C)
  • Game attendance: 56,397
  • Referee: Tommy Bell
  • TV announcers (KMBC-TV): Bill Enis and Kyle Rote
  • Box Score
Game information

Week 7: at Buffalo Bills

Week 7: Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Chiefs 0 7 0714
Bills 14 0 9023

at

Game information

Week 8: at San Diego Chargers

Game information

Week 9: vs. Chicago Bears

Week 9: Chicago Bears at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Bears 0 0 707
Chiefs 3 9 7019

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

  • Date: November 12
  • Game time: 8:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: 51 °F (11 °C)
  • Game attendance: 70,664
  • Referee: Fred Silva
  • TV announcers (ABC): Frank Gifford, Don Meredith, and Howard Cosell
  • Box Score
Game information

Week 10: vs. Houston Oilers

Week 10: Houston Oilers at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Oilers 0 0 7714
Chiefs 7 7 101438

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

Game information

Week 11 at Denver Broncos

Week 11: Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Chiefs 0 3 0710
Broncos 0 14 0014

at

Denver, Colorado

Game information

Week 12 vs Cleveland Browns

Week 12: Cleveland Browns at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Browns 0 3 31420
Chiefs 7 0 31020

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

  • Date: December 2
  • Game time: 3:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: 56 °F (13 °C)
  • Game attendance: 70,296
  • Referee: Jack Reader
  • TV announcers (NBC): Curt Gowdy and Al DeRogatis
  • Box Score
Game information

Week 13: at Oakland Raiders

Week 13: Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Chiefs 0 0 707
Raiders 7 13 31437

at

Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California

Game information

Week 14: vs. San Diego Chargers

Week 14: San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Chargers 3 0 306
Chiefs 10 3 101033

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

  • Date: December 16
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: 20 °F (−7 °C)
  • Game attendance: 43,755
  • Referee: Chuck Heberling
  • TV announcers (NBC): Ross Porter and Willie Davis
  • Box Score
Game information

Standings

AFC West
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
Oakland Raiders 9 4 1 .679 4–1–1 7–3–1 292 175 W4
Kansas City Chiefs 7 5 2 .571 4–2 6–4–1 231 192 W1
Denver Broncos 7 5 2 .571 3–2–1 7–2–1 354 296 L1
San Diego Chargers 2 11 1 .179 0–6 1–9–1 188 386 L4

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Kansas City Chiefs History 1970's"". Archived from the original on August 23, 2007. Retrieved July 30, 2007.