1973 Kansas City Chiefs season

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. This was their last winning season until 1981. 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. The aging 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. 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. Dawson became the second Chiefs player in as many years to win the NFL Man of the Year Award. 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. To date, the 1973 Chiefs along with the Denver Broncos, Cleveland Browns, and Green Bay Packers are the last teams to record 2 ties in a single season. Overtime for regular season games was introduced the following year, and the occurrence of tie games decreased. == Offseason == === NFL draft === == Roster == == Preseason == == Regular season == === Schedule === === Game summaries === ==== Week 1 vs. Los Angeles Rams ==== ==== Week 2: at New England Patriots ==== ==== Week 3: vs. Oakland Raiders ==== ==== Week 4: vs. Denver Broncos ==== ==== Week 5: at Green Bay Packers ==== ==== Week 6: at Cincinnati Bengals ==== ==== Week 7: at Buffalo Bills ==== ==== Week 8: at San Diego Chargers ==== ==== Week 9: vs. Chicago Bears ==== ==== Week 10: vs. Houston Oilers ==== ==== Week 11 at Denver Broncos ==== ==== Week 12 vs Cleveland Browns ==== ==== Week 13: at Oakland Raiders ==== ==== Week 14: vs. San Diego Chargers ==== == Standings == == References == == External links == 1973 Kansas City Chiefs at Pro-Football-Reference.com 1973 Kansas City Chiefs at ProFootballArchives.com 1973 Kansas City Chiefs at jt-sw.com