1979 Kansas City Chiefs season
NFL team season
The 1979 Kansas City Chiefs season was the franchise 's 10th season in the National Football League , the 17th as the Kansas City Chiefs , and the 20th overall. They improved on their 4–12 record from 1978 to a 7–9 record, but a last-place finish in the AFC West . The Chiefs missed the playoffs for the eighth straight year due to the four other teams ahead of them in their division all finishing with winning records.
Kansas City owned a pair of picks in the first round of the 1979 draft , selecting defensive end Mike Bell and quarterback Steve Fuller . By the season's third game, Fuller had supplanted Mike Livingston as the club's starter.[ 1]
With Fuller at the helm, the Chiefs owned a 4–2 record after six games, but a five-game midseason losing streak ended the attempt. Despite finishing fifth in the AFC West for a second straight season, Kansas City's 7–9 record was a notable accomplishment considering the fact that the division's other four clubs all posted winning records for a second consecutive season.[ 1]
The Chiefs closed the season by dropping a 3–0 decision at Tampa Bay on December 16 in one of the most water-logged contests in franchise annals. As both clubs struggled to move the ball under monsoon-like conditions (Kansas City was held to 80 total yards), a field goal late in the fourth quarter by the Buccaneers' Neil O'Donoghue averted the NFL's first scoreless tie since 1943 , allowing Tampa Bay to win the NFC Central division championship after a three-game losing streak.[ 1]
The Chiefs set a dubious NFL record for the season, with the fewest passing yards (1,660, 103.8 per game) in a 16-game season.[ 2]
Offseason
NFL Draft
Roster
Preseason
Regular season
Schedule
Week
Date
Opponent
Result
Record
Venue
Attendance
Recap
1
September 2
Baltimore Colts
W 14–0
1–0
Arrowhead Stadium
50,442
Recap
2
September 9
Cleveland Browns
L 24–27
1–1
Arrowhead Stadium
42,181
Recap
3
September 16
at Houston Oilers
L 6–20
1–2
Houston Astrodome
45,684
Recap
4
September 23
Oakland Raiders
W 35–7
2–2
Arrowhead Stadium
67,821
Recap
5
September 30
at Seattle Seahawks
W 24–6
3–2
Kingdome
61,169
Recap
6
October 7
at Cincinnati Bengals
W 10–7
4–2
Riverfront Stadium
40,041
Recap
7
October 14
Denver Broncos
L 10–24
4–3
Arrowhead Stadium
74,292
Recap
8
October 21
New York Giants
L 17–21
4–4
Arrowhead Stadium
44,362
Recap
9
October 28
at Denver Broncos
L 3–20
4–5
Mile High Stadium
74,908
Recap
10
November 4
San Diego Chargers
L 14–20
4–6
Arrowhead Stadium
59,353
Recap
11
November 11
Pittsburgh Steelers
L 3–30
4–7
Arrowhead Stadium
70,132
Recap
12
November 18
at Oakland Raiders
W 24–21
5–7
Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum
53,596
Recap
13
November 25
at San Diego Chargers
L 7–28
5–8
San Diego Stadium
50,078
Recap
14
December 2
Seattle Seahawks
W 37–21
6–8
Arrowhead Stadium
42,160
Recap
15
December 9
at Baltimore Colts
W 10–7
7–8
Memorial Stadium
25,684
Recap
16
December 16
at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
L 0–3
7–9
Tampa Stadium
63,624
Recap
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Game summaries
Week 1: vs. Baltimore Colts
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
KC – Ted McKnight 70-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 8:05. Chiefs 14–0. Drive: 3 plays, 79 yards, 1:13.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
BAL – Joe Washington – 13 receptions, 130 yards
KC – Ted McKnight – 4 receptions, 30 yards
Week 2: vs. Cleveland Browns
Week 2: Cleveland Browns at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Browns
10
7
3 7 27
Chiefs
0
0
7 17 24
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
Date : September 9Game time : 3:00 p.m. CDTGame weather : Clear, 84 °F (29 °C)Game attendance : 42,181Referee : Jerry Markbreit TV announcers (NBC) : Stu Nahan and Paul MaguireBox score
Game information
First quarter
CLE – Don Cockroft 27-yard field goal, 5:17. Browns 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 64 yards, 4:12.
CLE – Reggie Rucker 17-yard pass from Brian Sipe (Don Cockroft kick), 0:44. Browns 10–0. Drive: 7 plays, 64 yards, 1:46.
Second quarter
CLE – Ozzie Newsome 20-yard pass from Brian Sipe (Don Cockroft kick), 1:16. Browns 17–0. Drive: 6 plays, 77 yards, 1:33.
Third quarter
CLE – Don Cockroft 32-yard field goal, 3:30. Browns 20–0. Drive: 8 plays, 46 yards, 3:50.
KC – J. T. Smith 17-yard pass from Steve Fuller (Jan Stenerud kick), 0:00. Browns 20–7. Drive: 8 plays, 47 yards, 3:30.
Fourth quarter
KC – Tony Reed 9-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 8:52. Browns 20–14. Drive: 11 plays, 85 yards, 4:20.
KC – Ted McKnight 1-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 5:30. Chiefs 21–20. Drive: 7 plays, 32 yards, 2:29.
KC – Jan Stenerud 30-yard field goal, 2:19. Chiefs 24–20. Drive: 7 plays, 13 yards, 2:54.
CLE – Reggie Rucker 21-yard pass from Brian Sipe (Don Cockroft kick), 0:52. Browns 27–24. Drive: 8 plays, 76 yards, 1:27.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Week 3: at Houston Oilers
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
KC – J. T. Smith 55-yard punt return (kick blocked), 14:45. Oilers 7–6.
HOU – Tim Wilson 24-yard pass from Gifford Nielsen (Toni Fritsch kick), 7:55. Oilers 14–6. Drive: 5 plays, 70 yards, 2:15.
HOU – Toni Fritsch 28-yard field goal, 0:10. Oilers 17–6. Drive: 7 plays, 17 yards, 0:54.
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
HOU – Toni Fritsch 23-yard field goal, 8:53. Oilers 20–6. Drive: 13 plays, 65 yards, 5:40.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
KC – Tony Reed – 3 receptions, 37 yards
HOU – Mike Barber – 3 receptions, 66 yards
Week 4: vs. Oakland Raiders
Week 4: Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Raiders
0
0
0 7 7
Chiefs
14
0
7 14 35
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
Date : September 23Game time : 1:00 p.m. CDTGame weather : Sunny, 77 °F (25 °C)Game attendance : 67,821Referee : Ben Dreith TV announcers (NBC) : Charlie Jones and Len DawsonBox score
Game information
First quarter
KC – Steve Gaunty 19-yard pass from Steve Fuller (Jan Stenerud kick), 6:09. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 70 yards, 7:02.
KC – J. T. Smith 88-yard punt return (Jan Stenerud kick), 3:03. Chiefs 14–0.
Second quarter
Third quarter
KC – Gary Barbaro 70-yard interception return (Jan Stenerud kick), 1:35. Chiefs 21–0.
Fourth quarter
KC – Arnold Morgado 1-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 5:31. Chiefs 28–0. Drive: 15 plays, 58 yards, 9:35.
OAK – Derrick Jensen 1-yard pass from Jim Plunkett (Jim Breech kick), 3:33. Chiefs 28–7. Drive: 5 plays, 46 yards, 1:58.
KC – Arnold Morgado 3-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 1:01. Chiefs 35–7. Drive: 1 play, 3 yards, 0:03.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Week 5: at Seattle Seahawks
Week 5: Kansas City Chiefs at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Chiefs
0
10
0 14 24
Seahawks
3
0
3 0 6
at Kingdome , Seattle, Washington
Date : September 30Game time : 1:00 p.m. PDTGame weather : None (indoor stadium)Game attendance : 61,169Referee : Fred Wyant TV announcers (NBC) : Jay Randolph and Paul MaguireBox score
Game information
First quarter
SEA – Efrén Herrera 38-yard field goal, 12:29. Seahawks 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 47 yards, 2:21.
Second quarter
KC – Ted McKnight 23-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 13:49. Chiefs 7–3. Drive: 1 play, 23 yards, 0:06.
KC – Jan Stenerud 36-yard field goal, 7:16. Chiefs 10–3. Drive: 5 plays, 19 yards, 2:03.
Third quarter
SEA – Efrén Herrera 20-yard field goal, 4:56. Chiefs 10–6. Drive: 11 plays, 78 yards, 6:28.
Fourth quarter
KC – Mike Williams 3-yard pass from Steve Fuller (Jan Stenerud kick), 9:03. Chiefs 17–6. Drive: 5 plays, 20 yards, 2:42.
KC – Ted McKnight 84-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 1:27. Chiefs 24–6. Drive: 3 plays, 89 yards, 0:25.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Week 6: at Cincinnati Bengals
Week 6: Kansas City Chiefs at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Chiefs
0
10
0 0 10
Bengals
0
0
7 0 7
at Riverfront Stadium , Cincinnati, Ohio
Date : October 7Game time : 1:00 p.m. EDTGame weather : Sunny and cool, 53 °F (12 °C)Game attendance : 40,041Referee : Cal Lepore TV announcers (KCMO-Kansas City) : Jack Harry, Ed Budde , and Nick MonroeBox score
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
KC – Mike Williams 1-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick) 3:39. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 48 yards, 2:31.
KC – Jan Stenerud 46-yard field goal, 0:05. Chiefs 10–0. Drive: 6 plays, 36 yards, 1:40.
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Week 7: vs. Denver Broncos
Week 7: Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Broncos
3
7
7 7 24
Chiefs
0
0
0 10 10
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
Date : October 14Game time : 3:00 p.m. CDTGame weather : Overcast, 59 °F (15 °C)Game attendance : 74,292Referee : Fred Silva TV announcers (NBC) : Charlie Jones and Len DawsonBox score
Game information
First quarter
DEN – Jim Turner 28-yard field goal, 0:04. Broncos 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 47 yards, 4:21.
Second quarter
DEN – Bill Thompson 2-yard fumble return (Jim Turner kick), 0:17. Broncos 10–0.
Third quarter
DEN – Haven Moses 16-yard pass from Craig Morton (Jim Turner kick), 9:46. Broncos 17–0. Drive: 4 plays, 71 yards, 2:18.
Fourth quarter
KC – Jan Stenerud 44-yard field goal, 9:57. Broncos 17–3. Drive: 6 plays, 8 yards, 1:51.
DEN – Rick Upchurch 7-yard pass from Craig Morton (Jim Turner kick), 2:51. Broncos 24–3. Drive: 10 plays, 81 yards, 4:08.
KC – Arnold Morgado 1-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 0:56. Broncos 24–10. Drive: 9 plays, 59 yards, 1:55.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Week 8: vs. New York Giants
Week 8: New York Giants at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Giants
0
0
14 7 21
Chiefs
3
7
0 7 17
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
Game information
First quarter
KC – Jan Stenerud 25-yard field goal, 13:09. Chiefs 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 0:51.
Second quarter
KC – Arnold Morgado 1-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 11:27. Chiefs 10–0. Drive: 10 plays, 67 yards, 4:20.
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
KC – Henry Marshall 38-yard pass from Mike Livingston (Jan Stenerud kick), 3:28. Chiefs 17–14. Drive: 1 play, 38 yards, 0:08.
NYG – Harry Carson 22-yard fumble return (Joe Danelo kick), 1:42. Giants 21–17.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
NYG – Earnest Gray – 4 receptions, 107 yards, TD
KC – Tony Reed – 8 receptions, 103 yards
Week 9: at Denver Broncos
Week 9: Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Chiefs
0
0
3 0 3
Broncos
7
7
6 0 20
at Mile High Stadium , Denver, Colorado
Date : October 28Game time : 2:00 p.m. MSTGame weather : Sunny, 62 °F (17 °C)Game attendance : 74,908Referee : Jerry MarkbreitTV announcers (NBC) : Charlie Jones and Len DawsonBox score
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
DEN – Rick Upchurch 5-yard pass from Craig Morton (Jim Turner kick), 11:52. Broncos 14–0. Drive: 4 plays, 12 yards, 2:16.
Third quarter
DEN – Rick Upchurch 32-yard pass from Jon Keyworth (kick blocked), 9:42. Broncos 20–0. Drive: 3 plays, 63 yards, 1:28.
KC – Jan Stenerud 27-yard field goal, 1:54. Broncos 20–3. Drive: 14 plays, 63 yards, 7:38.
Fourth quarter
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Week 10: vs. San Diego Chargers
Week 10: San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Chargers
10
0
3 7 20
Chiefs
0
0
0 14 14
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
Date : November 4Game time : 1:00 p.m. CSTGame weather : Sunny, 65 °F (18 °C)Game attendance : 59,353Referee : Jim Tunney TV announcers (NBC) : Jay Randolph and Paul MaguireBox score
Game information
First quarter
SD – John Jefferson 13-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Mike Wood kick), 11:21. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 2:34.
SD – Mike Wood 31-yard field goal, 2:59. Chargers 10–0. Drive: 12 plays, 71 yards, 6:37.
Second quarter
Third quarter
SD – Mike Wood 26-yard field goal, 3:03. Chargers 13–0. Drive: 14 plays, 58 yards, 7:32.
Fourth quarter
KC – Steve Fuller 18-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 14:06. Chargers 13–7. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:57.
SD – Clarence Williams 5-yard run (Mike Wood kick), 5:45. Chargers 20–7. Drive: 14 plays, 73 yards, 8:21.
KC – J. T. Smith 24-yard pass from Steve Fuller (Jan Stenerud kick), 3:05. Chargers 20–14. Drive: 7 plays, 73 yards, 2:40.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Week 11: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 11: Pittsburgh Steelers at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Steelers
10
10
0 10 30
Chiefs
0
0
3 0 3
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
Date : November 11Game time : 12:00 p.m. CSTGame weather : Sunny, 43 °F (6 °C)Game attendance : 70,132Referee : Fred WyantTV announcers (NBC) : Don Criqui and John Brodie Box score
Game information
First quarter
PIT – John Stallworth 26-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick), 11:13. Steelers 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 46 yards, 1:41.
PIT – Matt Bahr 31-yard field goal, 6:17. Steelers 10–0. Drive: 6 plays, 29 yards, 2:11.
Second quarter
PIT – Lynn Swann 16-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick), 11:19. Steelers 17–0. Drive: 10 plays, 71 yards, 5:39.
PIT – Matt Bahr 20-yard field goal, 0:03. Steelers 20–0. Drive: 19 plays, 64 yards, 6:28.
Third quarter
KC – Jan Stenerud 42-yard field goal, 9:14. Steelers 20–3. Drive: 8 plays, 35 yards, 3:37.
Fourth quarter
PIT – Matt Bahr 37-yard field goal, 10:25. Steelers 23–3. Drive: 10 plays, 59 yards, 4:48.
PIT – Larry Brown 1-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick), 3:03. Steelers 30–3. Drive: 9 plays, 42 yards, 5:43.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Week 12: at Oakland Raiders
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
KC – Jan Stenerud 41-yard field goal, 12:27. Chiefs 10–0. Drive: 7 plays, 18 yards, 3:18.
OAK – Mark van Eeghen 2-yard pass from Ken Stabler (Jim Breech kick), 1:07. Chiefs 10–7. Drive: 11 plays, 60 yards, 3:36.
Third quarter
KC – Tony Samuels fumble recovery in endzone (Jan Stenerud kick), 6:49. Chiefs 17–7. Drive: 15 plays, 92 yards, 8:11.
KC – Henry Marshall 23-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 4:59. Chiefs 24–7. Drive: 1 play, 23 yards, 0:07.
OAK – Derrick Ramsey 16-yard pass from Ken Stabler (Jim Breech kick), 0:10. Chiefs 24–14. Drive: 9 plays, 76 yards, 4:40.
Fourth quarter
OAK – Cliff Branch 3-yard pass from Ken Stabler (Jim Breech kick), 7:28. Chiefs 24–21. Drive: 10 plays, 64 yards, 4:19.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
KC – Mike Williams – 4 receptions, 54 yards
OAK – Dave Casper – 7 receptions, 91 yards
Week 13: at San Diego Chargers
Week 13: Kansas City Chiefs at San Diego Chargers – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Chiefs
7
0
0 0 7
Chargers
7
7
7 7 28
at San Diego Stadium , San Diego, California
Date : November 25Game time : 1:00 p.m. PSTGame weather : Sunny, 68 °F (20 °C)Game attendance : 50,078Referee : Bob FredericTV announcers (NBC) : Sam Nover and Bob Trumpy Box score
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
SD – John Jefferson 42-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Mike Wood kick), 2:29. Chargers 14–7. Drive: 8 plays, 91 yards, 3:48.
Third quarter
SD – Bob Klein 8-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Mike Wood kick), 5:05. Chargers 21–7. Drive: 14 plays, 82 yards, 6:26.
Fourth quarter
SD – Artie Owens 8-yard run (Mike Wood kick), 8:11. Chargers 28–7. Drive: 14 plays, 87 yards, 6:37.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Week 14: vs. Seattle Seahawks
Week 14: Seattle Seahawks at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Seahawks
0
0
7 14 21
Chiefs
14
10
6 7 37
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
Date : December 2Game time : 1:00 p.m. CSTGame weather : Sunny, 32 °F (0 °C)Game attendance : 42,160Referee : Red Cashion TV announcers (NBC) : Jay Randolph and Paul MaguireBox score
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
KC – Earl Gant 2-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 14:57. Chiefs 21–0. Drive: 13 plays, 43 yards, 5:33.
KC – Jan Stenerud 27-yard field goal, 0:18. Chiefs 24–0. Drive: 8 plays, 40 yards, 4:07.
Third quarter
KC – Jan Stenerud 31-yard field goal, 11:29. Chiefs 27–0. Drive: 7 plays, 51 yards, 2:23.
SEA – Jeff Moore 1-yard run (Efrén Herrera kick), 10:11. Chiefs 27–7. Drive: 5 plays, 69 yards, 1:18.
KC – Jan Stenerud 22-yard field goal, 2:41. Chiefs 30–7. Drive: 13 plays, 37 yards, 7:40.
Fourth quarter
KC – Ted McKnight 3-yard run (Jan Stenerud kick), 13:18. Chiefs 37–7. Drive: 6 plays, 59 yards, 3:22.
SEA – Dan Doornink 1-yard run (Efrén Herrera kick), 10:12. Chiefs 37–14. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 3:06.
SEA – Jeff Moore 12-yard run (Efrén Herrera kick), 2:10. Chiefs 37–21. Drive: 3 plays, 20 yards, 0:14.
Top passers
Top rushers
SEA – Jim Zorn – 2 rushes, 21 yards
KC – Earl Gant – 21 rushes, 67 yards, TD
Top receivers
Week 15: at Baltimore Colts
Week 15: Kansas City Chiefs at Baltimore Colts – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Chiefs
7
0
0 3 10
Colts
7
0
0 0 7
at Memorial Stadium , Baltimore, Maryland
Date : December 9Game time : 2:00 p.m. ESTGame weather : Sunny, clear, cold, 43 °F (6 °C)Game attendance : 25,684Referee : Gene Barth TV announcers (NBC) : Phil Stone and Mike Lucci Box score
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
KC – Jan Stenerud 43-yard field goal, 11:16. Chiefs 10–7. Drive: 5 plays, 54 yards, 2:08.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
KC – Earl Gant – 5 receptions, 33 yards
BAL – Joe Washington – 6 receptions, 70 yards, TD
Week 16: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week 16: Kansas City Chiefs at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Chiefs
0
0
0 0 0
Buccaneers
0
0
0 3 3
at Tampa Stadium , Tampa, Florida
Date : December 16Game time : 1:00 p.m. ESTGame weather : Rain, 67 °F (19 °C)Game attendance : 63,624Referee : Jerry SeemanTV announcers (NBC) : Jay Randolph and Paul MaguireBox score
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
TB – Neil O'Donoghue 19-yard field goal, 8:50. Buccaneers 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 63 yards, 6:49.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
KC – Earl Gant – 3 receptions, 24 yards
TB – Jerry Eckwood – 2 receptions, 26 yards
Standings
Awards and records
Bob Grupp, NFL Leader, Punting, 43.6 average yards per punt[ 3]
References
Founded in 1960
Formerly the Dallas Texans (1960–1962)
Based and headquartered in Kansas City , Missouri
Franchise Stadiums Key personnel Culture Lore Rivalries Wild card berths (10) Division championships (16) Conference championships (4) League championships (5) Retired numbers Media Current league affiliations Former league affiliation
Formerly the Dallas Texans (1960–1962)