1981 Kansas City Chiefs season

NFL team season December 2013 March 2026 Kansas City Chiefs 1981 9–7 3rd AFC West Marv Levy Jim Schaaf Lamar Hunt Arrowhead Stadium Did not qualify 5 RB Joe Delaney DE Art Still CB Gary Green S Gary Barbaro K Nick Lowery 1 K Nick Lowery (2nd team) Chiefs seasons The 1981 Kansas City Chiefs season was the franchise's 12th season in the National Football League and 22nd overall. They improved from 1980 from an 8–8 record to a 9–7 record (their first winning season in 8 years) but missing the playoffs for the tenth consecutive season. Bill Kenney began the 1981 season as the club's starting quarterback and directed the Chiefs to a 6–2 start, including a 37–33 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers at Three Rivers Stadium on Opening Day. 2nd round draft choice, running back Joe Delaney electrified the club's offense by rushing for 1,121 yards, a team single-season record at the time. He was named the AFC's Rookie of the Year and became the first running back to represent the franchise in the Pro Bowl.http://www.kcchiefs.com/history/80s Kansas City Chiefs History 1980's July 31, 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20070806041235/http://www.kcchiefs.com/history/80s/ August 6, 2007 dead mdy-all Delaney registered a 193-yard performance in a 23–10 victory against the Oilers on November 15, the best single-game total ever amassed by a Kansas City rookie. Owning an 8–4 record with four games remaining, the Chiefs were poised to make the playoffs for the first time in 10 years before hitting a three-game losing skid. Bill Kenney missed the club's final three contests due to injury as Steve Fuller temporarily reclaimed the starting quarterback position and guided the club to a 10–6 win at Minnesota, in the final contest played at Metropolitan Stadium. With the Chiefs winning the game, Vikings fans began dismembering the stadium as early as the second half—taking seats, pieces of the scoreboard and even chunks of sod as souvenirs. The victory assured the Chiefs of a 9–7 record, the club's first winning mark since 1973 as coach Marv Levy increased the club's victory total for a third consecutive year. Inspired by the Washington Redskins's "Hail to the Redskins," Levy penned a fight song for the Chiefs called "Give a Cheer for Kansas City" which never caught on. 3 Offseason NFL draft 1981 NFL draft 1981 Kansas City Chiefs 1 14 Willie Scott Tight end South Carolina yes 2 41 Joe Delaney Running back Northwestern State yes yes 3 70 Marvin Harvey Tight end Southern Mississippi yes 3 75 Roger Taylor Offensive tackle Oklahoma State yes 3 78 Lloyd Burruss Defensive back Maryland yes yes 4 97 Ron Washington Wide receiver Arizona State 5 124 Todd Thomas Center North Dakota yes 6 153 Dock Luckie Defensive tackle Florida 7 180 Billy Jackson Running back Alabama yes 8 206 David Dorn Wide receiver Rutgers 9 237 Anthony Vereen Defensive back Southeastern Louisiana 10 262 Les Studdard Center Texas yes 11 289 Frank Case Defensive end Penn State yes 12 319 Bob Gagliano Quarterback Utah State yes no https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/kan/1981_draft.htm 1981 Kansas City Chiefs draftees Pro-Football-Reference.com December 4, 2014 Undrafted free agents + 1981 undrafted free agents of notePlayerPositionCollegeEd BaxleyLinebackerSouth Carolina Personnel Staff 1981 Kansas City Chiefs Founder – Lamar Hunt President – Jack Steadman Vice President and General Manager – Jim Schaaf Director of Player Personnel – Les Miller Assistant Director of Player Personnel – J. D. Helm Head Coach – Marv Levy Quarterbacks and Receivers – Kay Dalton Offensive Backs – Bobby Ross Tight Ends – Frank Gansz Offensive Line – Tom Bresnahan Defensive Coordinator – Rod Rust Defensive Line – Don Lawrence Linebackers – Ted Cottrell Defensive Backs – Walt Corey Kicking Teams – Frank Gansz Strength and Conditioning – Rick Abernethy Roster 1981 Kansas City Chiefs  4 Steve Fuller American football 11 Bob Gagliano y  9 Bill Kenney 30 Curtis Bledsoe y 37 Joe Delaney y 21 Clark Gaines 48 James Hadnot 43 Billy Jackson American football y 88 Carlos Carson 80 James Murphy gridiron football y 87 Stan Rome 86 J. T. Smith American football 85 Ed Beckman 84 Al Dixon 81 Willie Scott American football y 66 Brad Budde G 65 Tom Condon G 77 Charlie Getty T 60 Matt Herkenhoff T 63 John Olenchalk C 70 Jim Rourke G/T 58 Jack Rudnay C 76 Roger Taylor American football T y 99 Mike Bell defensive lineman DE 91 Ken Kremer NT 71 Dave Lindstrom DE 74 Dino Mangiero NT 61 Don Parrish NT 67 Art Still DE 56 Phil Cancik ILB 51 Charles Jackson linebacker OLB 55 Dave Klug OLB 53 Whitney Paul OLB 50 Cal Peterson OLB 59 Gary Spani ILB 26 Gary Barbaro FS 34 Lloyd Burruss SS y 42 M. L. Carter CB 20 Deron Cherry FS y 41 Herb Christopher American football SS 24 Gary Green American football CB 44 Eric Harris gridiron football CB 31 Will Lewis American football CB  7 Jeff Gossett P y  8 Nick Lowery K 35 Horace Belton RB IR -- James Black defensive end DE IR y 57 Jerry Blanton LB IR 95 Frank Case American football y DE IR -- David Cunningham running back RB IR y -- Jeff Davis tight end TE IR  1 Bob Grupp P IR 83 Marvin Harvey American football y TE IR 75 Sylvester Hicks DE IR 52 Thomas Howard Sr. LB IR -- Lance Madison WR IR 54 Frank Manumaleuga LB IR 22 Ted McKnight RB IR 89 Henry Marshall American football WR IR 73 Bob Simmons offensive lineman G IR -- Les Studdard y G IR -- George Stewart American football G IR y 62 Todd Thomas American football C y IR -- Ron Washington American football WR IR y 40 Mike Williams American football, born 1957 RB IR https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/kan/1981_roster.htm Preseason Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance Recap 1 August 7, 1981 at Washington Redskins L 10–16 0–1 RFK Stadium 32,488 Recap 2 August 15, 1981 Chicago Bears W 13–0 1–1 Arrowhead Stadium 41,099 Recap 3 August 22, 1981 St. Louis Cardinals L 3–16 1–2 Arrowhead Stadium 42,550 Recap 4 August 28, 1981 at Miami Dolphins L 7–31 1–3 Miami Orange Bowl 41,290 Recap Regular season Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance Recap 1 September 6 at Pittsburgh Steelers W 37–33 1–0 Three Rivers Stadium 53,305 Recap 2 September 13 Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 19–10 2–0 Arrowhead Stadium 50,555 Recap 3 September 20 San Diego Chargers L 31–42 2–1 Arrowhead Stadium 63,866 Recap 4 September 27 at Seattle Seahawks W 20–14 3–1 Kingdome 59,255 Recap 5 October 4 at New England Patriots L 17–33 3–2 Schaefer Stadium 55,931 Recap 6 October 11 Oakland Raiders W 27–0 4–2 Arrowhead Stadium 76,543 Recap 7 October 18 Denver Broncos W 28–14 5–2 Arrowhead Stadium 74,672 Recap 8 October 25 at Oakland Raiders W 28–17 6–2 Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum 42,914 Recap 9 November 1 at San Diego Chargers L 20–22 6–3 Jack Murphy Stadium 51,307 Recap 10 November 8 Chicago Bears L 13–16 (OT) 6–4 Arrowhead Stadium 60,605 Recap 11 November 15 Houston Oilers W 23–10 7–4 Arrowhead Stadium 73,984 Recap 12 November 22 Seattle Seahawks W 40–13 8–4 Arrowhead Stadium 49,002 Recap 13 November 26 at Detroit Lions L 10–27 8–5 Pontiac Silverdome 76,735 Recap 14 December 6 at Denver Broncos L 13–16 8–6 Mile High Stadium 74,744 Recap 15 December 13 Miami Dolphins L 7–17 8–7 Arrowhead Stadium 57,407 Recap 16 December 20 at Minnesota Vikings W 10–6 9–7 Metropolitan Stadium 41,110 Recap Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. Game summaries Week 1: at Pittsburgh Steelers Kansas City Chiefs 1981 2; text-align:center autocollapse Week 1: Kansas City Chiefs at Pittsburgh Steelers – Game summary September 6 1:00 p.m. EDT Chiefs 10 3 10 14 Steelers 6 13 7 7 Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 53,305 Cloudy, 69 F C Jim Tunney NBC Bob Costas and Bob Trumpy Recap, Game Book First quarter PIT – Lynn Swann 18-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (kick failed, wide right), 6:11. Steelers 6–0. Drive: 6 plays, 47 yards, 0:31. KC – Henry Marshall 48-yard pass from Bill Kenney (Nick Lowery kick), 2:14. Chiefs 7–6. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:57. KC – Nick Lowery 35-yard field goal, 0:08. Chiefs 10–6. Drive: 4 plays, –2 yards, 0:54. Second quarter PIT – Franco Harris 7-yard run (kick failed, wide right), 5:32. Steelers 12–10. Drive: 6 plays, 38 yards, 2:50. PIT – Franco Harris 1-yard run (David Trout kick), 1:10. Steelers 19–10. Drive: 5 plays, 48 yards, 0:54. KC – Nick Lowery 40-yard field goal, 0:00. Steelers 19–13. Drive: 5 plays, 47 yards, 1:10. Third quarter KC – Carlos Carson 53-yard pass from Bill Kenney (Nick Lowery kick), 13:13. Chiefs 20–19. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 1:47. PIT – Greg Hawthorne 1-yard run (David Trout kick), 9:27. Steelers 26–20. Drive: 7 plays, 57 yards, 3:46. KC – Nick Lowery 42-yard field goal, 3:21. Steelers 26–23. Drive: 3 plays, 8 yards, 1:36. Fourth quarter KC – Ted McKnight 3-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 14:07. Chiefs 30–26. Drive: 7 plays, 38 yards, 3:24. PIT – Jim Smith 41-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (David Trout kick), 7:12. Steelers 33–30. Drive: 4 plays, 74 yards, 2:02. KC – Tom Howard 65-yard fumble return (Nick Lowery kick), 1:59. Chiefs 37–33. Top passers KC – Bill Kenney – 14/26, 242 yards, 2 TD, INT PIT – Terry Bradshaw – 21/36, 319 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Top rushers KC – Ted McKnight – 17 rushes, 59 yards, TD PIT – Franco Harris – 19 rushes, 70 yards, 2 TD Top receivers KC – Henry Marshall – 4 receptions, 89 yards, TD PIT – John Stallworth – 6 receptions, 107 yards Week 2: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Kansas City Chiefs 1981 2; text-align:center autocollapse Week 2: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary September 13 12:00 p.m. CDT Buccaneers 7 3 0 0 Chiefs 7 3 3 6 Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri 50,555 Clear, 82 F C Fred Wyant CBS Dick Stockton and Jim Hill Recap, Game Book First quarter KC – Ted McKnight 8-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 12:43. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 14 yards, 0:43. TB – James Wilder 2-yard run (Garo Yepremian kick), 2:08. Tied 7–7. Drive: 6 plays, 59 yards, 2:57. Second quarter TB – Garo Yepremian 44-yard field goal, 13:09. Buccaneers 10–7. Drive: 6 plays, 34 yards, 2:53. KC – Nick Lowery 20-yard field goal, 5:30. Tied 10–10. Drive: 5 plays, 19 yards, 3:29. Third quarter KC – Nick Lowery 20-yard field goal, 7:06. Chiefs 13–10. Drive: 14 plays, 74 yards, 7:54. Fourth quarter KC – Nick Lowery 42-yard field goal, 9:52. Chiefs 16–10. Drive: 11 plays, 47 yards, 6:30. KC – Nick Lowery 41-yard field goal, 2:00. Chiefs 19–10. Drive: 7 plays, 34 yards, 3:45. Top passers TB – Doug Williams – 20/43, 294 yards KC – Bill Kenney – 12/25, 99 yards Top rushers TB – Ricky Bell – 8 rushes, 9 yards KC – Joe Delaney – 13 rushes, 57 yards Top receivers TB – Kevin House – 5 receptions, 87 yards KC – Carlos Carson – 2 receptions, 35 yards Week 3: vs. San Diego Chargers Kansas City Chiefs 1981 2; text-align:center autocollapse Week 3: San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary September 20 1:00 p.m. CDT Chargers 14 14 7 7 Chiefs 7 7 14 3 Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri 63,866 Clear, 80 F C Ben Dreith NBC Mike Adamle and Rocky Bleier Recap, Game Book First quarter KC – Ted McKnight 1-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 9:12. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 44 yards, 5:48. SD – Kellen Winslow 13-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick), 4:13. Tied 7–7. Drive: 8 plays, 64 yards, 2:58. SD – James Brooks 29-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick), 0:33. Chargers 14–7. Drive: 4 plays, 47 yards, 1:36. Second quarter SD – Chuck Muncie 1-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick), 6:14. Chargers 21–7. Drive: 8 plays, 84 yards, 4:51. SD – Eric Sievers 12-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick), 2:09. Chargers 28–7. Drive: 1 play, 12 yards, 0:05. KC – Al Dixon 7-yard pass from Bill Kenney (Nick Lowery kick), 1:19. Chargers 28–14. Drive: 5 plays, 76 yards, 0:50. Third quarter KC – Ted McKnight 3-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 10:38. Chargers 28–21. Drive: 8 plays, 37 yards, 3:55. SD – Chuck Muncie 3-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick), 7:42. Chargers 35–21. Drive: 6 plays, 65 yards, 2:56. KC – Billy Jackson 4-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 3:25. Chargers 35–28. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:17. Fourth quarter KC – Nick Lowery 37-yard field goal, 10:07. Chargers 35–31. Drive: 7 plays, 27 yards, 3:43. SD – Gary Johnson 5-yard interception return (Rolf Benirschke kick), 1:53. Chargers 42–31. Top passers SD – Dan Fouts – 22/43, 284 yards, 3 TD, 3 INT KC – Bill Kenney – 22/41, 303 yards, TD, 5 INT Top rushers SD – Chuck Muncie – 17 rushes, 93 yards, 2 TD KC – Joe Delaney – 9 rushes, 66 yards Top receivers SD – Kellen Winslow – 6 receptions, 96 yards, TD KC – J. T. Smith – 9 receptions, 140 yards Week 4: at Seattle Seahawks Kansas City Chiefs 1981 2; text-align:center autocollapse Week 4: Kansas City Chiefs at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary September 27 1:00 p.m. PDT Chiefs 7 13 0 0 Seahawks 0 7 7 0 Kingdome, Seattle, Washington 59,255 None (indoor stadium) Tom Dooley NBC Phil Stone and Gene Washington Recap, Game Book First quarter KC – Ted McKnight 2-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 9:56. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 67 yards, 5:04. Second quarter KC – Bill Kenney 1-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 13:41. Chiefs 14–0. Drive: 12 plays, 50 yards, 6:17. KC – Nick Lowery 30-yard field goal, 6:40. Chiefs 17–0. Drive: 10 plays, 67 yards, 5:01. KC – Nick Lowery 38-yard field goal, 5:28. Chiefs 20–0. Drive: 4 plays, –5 yards, 0:59. SEA – Sam McCullum 11-yard pass from Jim Zorn (Efrén Herrera kick), 1:58. Chiefs 20–7. Drive: 9 plays, 83 yards, 3:30. Third quarter SEA – Sherman Smith 2-yard run (Efrén Herrera kick), 11:01. Chiefs 20–14. Drive: 8 plays, 51 yards, 3:50. Fourth quarter No scoring plays. Top passers KC – Bill Kenney – 16/25, 239 yards SEA – Jim Zorn – 31/47, 308 yards, TD Top rushers KC – Joe Delaney – 15 rushes, 45 yards SEA – Jim Zorn – 4 rushes, 48 yards Top receivers KC – J. T. Smith – 5 receptions, 81 yards SEA – David Hughes – 12 receptions, 103 yards Week 5: at New England Patriots Kansas City Chiefs 1981 2; text-align:center autocollapse Week 5: Kansas City Chiefs at New England Patriots – Game summary October 4 1:00 p.m. EDT Chiefs 7 0 3 7 Patriots 7 7 10 9 Schaefer Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts 55,931 Partly cloudy, cool, 57 F C Fred Silva NBC Don Criqui and John Brodie Recap, Game Book First quarter NE – Don Hasselbeck 13-yard pass from Matt Cavanaugh (John Smith kick), 9:09. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 45 yards, 4:52. KC – James Hadnot 1-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 3:27. Tied 7–7. Drive: 11 plays, 70 yards, 5:42. Second quarter NE – Matt Cavanaugh 8-yard run (John Smith kick), 6:48. Patriots 14–7. Drive: 4 plays, 17 yards, 2:12. Third quarter KC – Nick Lowery 35-yard field goal, 11:36. Patriots 14–10. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 1:31. NE – John Smith 50-yard field goal, 6:57. Patriots 17–10. Drive: 9 plays, 45 yards, 4:39. NE – Tony Collins 13-yard run (John Smith kick), 3:59. Patriots 24–10. Drive: 5 plays, 71 yards, 1:52. Fourth quarter KC – Joe Delaney 18-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 14:54. Patriots 24–17. Drive: 9 plays, 66 yards, 4:05. NE – Stanley Morgan 66-yard pass from Andy Johnson (kick failed, wide right), 13:07. Patriots 30–17. Drive: 4 plays, 77 yards, 1:47. NE – John Smith 43-yard field goal, 7:36. Patriots 33–17. Drive: 6 plays, 39 yards, 3:17. Top passers KC – Bill Kenney – 9/20, 108 yards, 3 INT NE – Matt Cavanaugh – 10/19, 162 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers KC – Joe Delaney – 18 rushes, 101 yards, TD NE – Tony Collins – 19 rushes, 96 yards, TD Top receivers KC – Willie Scott – 3 receptions, 44 yards NE – Stanley Morgan – 4 receptions, 118 yards, TD Week 6: vs. Oakland Raiders Kansas City Chiefs 1981 2; text-align:center autocollapse Week 6: Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary October 11 1:00 p.m. CDT Raiders 0 0 0 0 Chiefs 3 7 10 7 Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri 76,543 Clear, 69 F C Red Cashion NBC Phil Stone and Gene Washington Recap, Game Book First quarter KC – Nick Lowery 52-yard field goal, 8:39. Chiefs 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 42 yards, 3:33. Second quarter KC – Billy Jackson 4-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 6:28. Chiefs 10–0. Drive: 6 plays, 86 yards, 3:15. Third quarter KC – Nick Lowery 25-yard field goal, 8:51. Chiefs 13–0. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 6:09. KC – Henry Marshall 48-yard pass from Bill Kenney (Nick Lowery kick), 2:37. Chiefs 20–0. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 3:33. Fourth quarter KC – J. T. Smith 9-yard pass from Bill Kenney (Nick Lowery kick), 10:18. Chiefs 27–0. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:27. Top passers OAK – Jim Plunkett – 12/29, 129 yards, INT KC – Bill Kenney – 16/23, 187 yards, 2 TD Top rushers OAK – Kenny King – 11 rushes, 46 yards KC – Joe Delaney – 28 rushes, 106 yards Top receivers OAK – Cliff Branch – 4 receptions, 46 yards KC – Henry Marshall – 6 receptions, 110 yards, TD Week 7: vs. Denver Broncos Kansas City Chiefs 1981 2; text-align:center autocollapse Week 7: Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary October 18 3:00 p.m. CDT Broncos 0 0 7 7 Chiefs 14 0 0 14 Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri 74,672 Clear, 55 F C Dick Jorgensen NBC Bob Costas and Bob Trumpy Recap, Game Book First quarter KC – Billy Jackson 1-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 8:37. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 52 yards, 4:45. KC – Whitney Paul 47-yard fumble return (Nick Lowery kick), 0:22. Chiefs 14–0. Second quarter No scoring plays. Third quarter DEN – Steve Watson 11-yard pass from Craig Morton (Fred Steinfort kick), 4:56. Chiefs 14–7. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:35. Fourth quarter KC – Henry Marshall 64-yard pass from Bill Kenney (Nick Lowery kick), 14:08. Chiefs 21–7. Drive: 3 plays, 70 yards, 0:52. DEN – Steve Watson 1-yard pass from Craig Morton (Fred Steinfort kick), 8:59. Chiefs 21–14. Drive: 12 plays, 82 yards, 5:09. KC – Joe Delaney 82-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 5:27. Chiefs 28–14. Drive: 2 plays, 80 yards, 0:41. Top passers DEN – Craig Morton – 25/38, 342 yards, 2 TD, INT KC – Bill Kenney – 6/12, 100 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers DEN – Dave Preston – 13 rushes, 39 yards KC – Joe Delaney – 21 rushes, 149 yards, TD Top receivers DEN – Rick Upchurch – 5 receptions, 138 yards KC – Henry Marshall – 3 receptions, 80 yards, TD Week 8: at Oakland Raiders Kansas City Chiefs 1981 2; text-align:center autocollapse Week 8: Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders – Game summary October 25 1:00 p.m. PST Chiefs 0 0 7 21 Raiders 7 10 0 0 Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California 42,914 Partly cloudy, 61 F C Bob Frederic NBC Merle Harmon and George Kunz Recap, Game Book First quarter OAK – Morris Bradshaw 6-yard pass from Marc Wilson (Chris Bahr kick), 12:34. Raiders 7–0. Drive: 1 play, 6 yards, 0:04. Second quarter OAK – Marc Wilson 3-yard run (Chris Bahr kick), 11:09. Raiders 14–0. Drive: 6 plays, 68 yards, 2:32. OAK – Chris Bahr 51-yard field goal, 0:00. Raiders 17–0. Drive: 6 plays, 18 yards, 1:15. Third quarter KC – Billy Jackson 29-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 0:29. Raiders 17–7. Drive: 6 plays, 72 yards, 2:16. Fourth quarter KC – Billy Jackson 3-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 7:20. Raiders 17–14. Drive: 9 plays, 59 yards, 4:19. KC – Billy Jackson 3-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 1:57. Chiefs 21–17. Drive: 11 plays, 82 yards, 4:22. KC – Gary Spani 91-yard fumble return (Nick Lowery kick), 0:24. Chiefs 28–17. Top passers KC – Bill Kenney – 8/25, 132 yards, 3 INT OAK – Marc Wilson – 19/47, 251 yards, TD, 4 INT Top rushers KC – Steve Fuller – 3 rushes, 43 yards OAK – Kenny King – 11 rushes, 49 yards Top receivers KC – Henry Marshall – 5 receptions, 85 yards OAK – Cliff Branch – 4 receptions, 86 yards Week 9: at San Diego Chargers Kansas City Chiefs 1981 2; text-align:center autocollapse Week 9: Kansas City Chiefs at San Diego Chargers – Game summary November 1 1:00 p.m. PST Chiefs 7 0 7 6 Chargers 7 12 0 3 Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego, California 51,307 Clear and sunny, 81 F C Gene Barth NBC Phil Stone and Gene Washington Recap, Game Book First quarter SD – Chuck Muncie 1-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick), 10:19. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 50 yards, 2:34. KC – James Hadnot 2-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 3:36. Tied 7–7. Drive: 11 plays, 72 yards, 6:43. Second quarter SD – Chuck Muncie 4-yard run (kick failed, wide right), 4:10. Chargers 13–7. Drive: 5 plays, 71 yards, 2:32. SD – Rolf Benirschke 29-yard field goal, 0:30. Chargers 16–7. Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, 1:26. SD – Rolf Benirschke 19-yard field goal, 0:00. Chargers 19–7. Drive: 2 plays, 32 yards, 0:19. Third quarter KC – Billy Jackson 2-yard pass from Bill Kenney (Nick Lowery kick), 11:55. Chargers 19–14. Drive: 4 plays, 56 yards, 1:39. Fourth quarter KC – Nick Lowery 21-yard field goal, 14:50. Chargers 19–17. Drive: 13 plays, 78 yards, 7:15. KC – Nick Lowery 32-yard field goal, 6:32. Chiefs 20–19. Drive: 10 plays, 49 yards, 6:25. SD – Rolf Benirschke 22-yard field goal, 0:13. Chargers 22–20. Drive: 14 plays, 70 yards, 6:04. Top passers KC – Bill Kenney – 13/22, 190 yards, TD SD – Dan Fouts – 24/39, 297 yards, INT Top rushers KC – Joe Delaney – 23 rushes, 117 yards SD – Chuck Muncie – 16 rushes, 63 yards, 2 TD Top receivers KC – J. T. Smith – 5 receptions, 92 yards SD – Chuck Muncie – 6 receptions, 71 yards Week 10: vs. Chicago Bears Kansas City Chiefs 1981 2; text-align:center autocollapse Week 10: Chicago Bears at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary November 8 1:00 p.m. CST Bears 7 3 0 3 3 Chiefs 3 3 0 7 0 Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri 60,605 Showers, 56 F C Jim Tunney CBS Dick Stockton and Johnny Morris Recap, Game Book First quarter CHI – Rickey Watts 12-yard pass from Vince Evans (John Roveto kick), 13:43. Bears 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 7 yards, 0:12. KC – Nick Lowery 34-yard field goal, 8:28. Bears 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 60 yards, 5:15. Second quarter CHI – John Roveto 24-yard field goal, 7:06. Bears 10–3. Drive: 5 plays, 8 yards, 3:21. KC – Nick Lowery 33-yard field goal, 0:00. Bears 10–6. Drive: 3 plays, 8 yards, 0:33. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter CHI – John Roveto 23-yard field goal, 12:47. Bears 13–6. Drive: 15 plays, 67 yards, 8:02. KC – Henry Marshall 1-yard pass from Steve Fuller (Nick Lowery kick), 0:44. Tied 13–13. Drive: 10 plays, 55 yards, 1:30. Overtime CHI – John Roveto 22-yard field goal, 1:53. Bears 16–13. Drive: 12 plays, 59 yards, 5:30. Top passers CHI – Vince Evans – 7/30, 77 yards, TD KC – Steve Fuller – 7/20, 88 yards, TD, INT Top rushers CHI – Walter Payton – 21 rushes, 70 yards KC – Billy Jackson – 14 rushes, 56 yards Top receivers CHI – Ken Margerum – 4 receptions, 48 yards KC – Henry Marshall – 4 receptions, 48 yards, TD Week 11: vs. Houston Oilers Kansas City Chiefs 1981 2; text-align:center autocollapse Week 11: Houston Oilers at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary November 15 1:00 p.m. CST Oilers 0 3 0 7 Chiefs 7 3 7 6 Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri 73,984 Clear, 61 F C Jerry Markbreit NBC Charlie Jones and Len Dawson Recap, Game Book First quarter KC – Joe Delaney 6-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 1:55. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 38 yards, 2:11. Second quarter KC – Nick Lowery 37-yard field goal, 11:04. Chiefs 10–0. Drive: 7 plays, 14 yards, 3:14. HOU – Toni Fritsch 21-yard field goal, 0:02. Chiefs 10–3. Drive: 11 plays, 69 yards, 3:13. Third quarter KC – Billy Jackson 1-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 7:26. Chiefs 17–3. Drive: 7 plays, 46 yards, 3:06. Fourth quarter HOU – Ken Burrough 50-yard pass from Ken Stabler (Toni Fritsch kick), 9:36. Chiefs 17–10. Drive: 2 plays, 60 yards, 0:39. KC – Nick Lowery 42-yard field goal, 5:13. Chiefs 20–10. Drive: 6 plays, 50 yards, 4:23. KC – Nick Lowery 38-yard field goal, 1:56. Chiefs 23–10. Drive: 5 plays, 14 yards, 2:58. Top passers HOU – Ken Stabler – 12/22, 194 yards, TD, 2 INT KC – Bill Kenney – 6/11, 39 yards Top rushers HOU – Earl Campbell – 21 rushes, 99 yards KC – Joe Delaney – 29 rushes, 193 yards, TD Top receivers HOU – Ken Burrough – 4 receptions, 80 yards, TD KC – J. T. Smith – 1 reception, 9 yards Week 12: vs. Seattle Seahawks Kansas City Chiefs 1981 2; text-align:center autocollapse Week 12: Seattle Seahawks at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary November 22 1:00 p.m. CST Seahawks 3 3 7 0 Chiefs 3 17 7 13 Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri 49,002 Clear, 53 F C Fred Silva NBC Mike Adamle and Dave Rowe Recap, Game Book First quarter SEA – Efrén Herrera 26-yard field goal, 7:57. Seahawks 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 76 yards, 7:03. KC – Nick Lowery 37-yard field goal, 2:46. Tied 3–3. Drive: 9 plays, 54 yards, 5:11. Second quarter KC – Nick Lowery 24-yard field goal, 11:16. Chiefs 6–3. Drive: 9 plays, 62 yards, 3:44. SEA – Efrén Herrera 30-yard field goal, 2:51. Tied 6–6. Drive: 15 plays, 74 yards, 8:25. KC – J.T. Smith 14-yard pass from Bill Kenney (Nick Lowery kick), 1:07. Chiefs 13–6. Drive: 8 plays, 73 yards, 1:44. KC – Lloyd Burruss 46-yard interception return (Nick Lowery kick), 0:31. Chiefs 20–6. Third quarter KC – Billy Jackson 1-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 9:40. Chiefs 27–6. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:20. SEA – Steve Largent 30-yard pass from Jim Zorn (Efrén Herrera kick), 5:16. Chiefs 27–13. Drive: 9 plays, 76 yards, 4:24. Fourth quarter KC – Willie Scott 2-yard pass from Bill Kenney (kick failed, wide right), 14:57. Chiefs 33–13. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 5:19. KC – Billy Jackson 1-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 9:36. Chiefs 40–13. Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, 4:18. Top passers SEA – Jim Zorn – 19/30, 258 yards, TD, INT KC – Bill Kenney – 17/22, 181 yards, 2 TD Top rushers SEA – Theotis Brown – 16 rushes, 63 yards KC – James Hadnot – 10 rushes, 106 yards Top receivers SEA – Steve Largent – 4 receptions, 63 yards, TD KC – J. T. Smith – 7 receptions, 70 yards, TD Week 13: at Detroit Lions Thanksgiving Day games Kansas City Chiefs 1981 2; text-align:center autocollapse Week 13: Kansas City Chiefs at Detroit Lions – Game summary November 26, 1981 12:30 p.m. EST Chiefs 7 0 3 0 Lions 7 10 3 7 Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan 76,735 None (indoor stadium) Fred Wyant NBC Dick Enberg and Merlin Olsen Recap, Game Book First quarter DET – David Hill 10-yard pass from Eric Hipple (Eddie Murray kick), 11:51. Lions 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 73 yards, 3:09. KC – Billy Jackson 4-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 6:35. Tied 7–7. Drive: 9 plays, 69 yards, 5:16. Second quarter DET – Eddie Murray 34-yard field goal, 13:53. Lions 10–7. Drive: 8 plays, 23 yards, 3:00. DET – Freddie Scott 40-yard pass from Eric Hipple (Eddie Murray kick), 4:29. Lions 17–7. Drive: 5 plays, 60 yards, 1:31. Third quarter KC – Nick Lowery 33-yard field goal, 8:47. Lions 17–10. Drive: 9 plays, 47 yards, 6:13. DET – Eddie Murray 46 yard field goal 3:13. Lions 20–10. Drive: 11 plays, 44 yards, 5:34. Fourth quarter DET – Billy Sims 4 yard run (Eddie Murray kick), 2:46. Lions 27–10. Drive: 10 plays, 70 yards, 4:42. Top passers KC – Steve Fuller – 10/17, 131 yards DET – Eric Hipple – 10/22, 132 yards, 2 TD Top rushers KC – Joe Delaney – 17 rushes, 77 yards DET – Billy Sims – 20 rushes, 64 yards, TD Top receivers KC – J. T. Smith – 5 receptions, 61 yards DET – Freddie Scott – 3 receptions, 71 yards, TD Week 14: at Denver Broncos Kansas City Chiefs 1981 2; text-align:center autocollapse Week 14: Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos – Game summary December 6 2:00 p.m. MST Chiefs 0 6 7 0 Broncos 7 9 0 0 Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado 74,744 Mostly sunny, 68 F C Red Cashion NBC Don Criqui and John Brodie Recap, Game Book First quarter DEN – Rob Lytle 2-yard run (Fred Steinfort kick), 12:03. Broncos 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 83 yards, 2:57. Second quarter DEN – Fred Steinfort 23-yard field goal, 14:16. Broncos 10–0. Drive: 15 plays, 75 yards, 6:03. DEN – Larry Canada 2-yard run (kick aborted), 5:37. Broncos 16–0. Drive: 11 plays, 77 yards, 5:57. KC – Nick Lowery 43-yard field goal, 1:04. Broncos 16–3. Drive: 11 plays, 55 yards, 4:33. KC – Nick Lowery 45-yard field goal, 0:30. Broncos 16–6. Drive: 4 plays, 0 yards, 0:22. Third quarter KC – James Hadnot 1-yard run (Nick Lowery kick), 1:48. Broncos 16–13. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:37. Fourth quarter No scoring plays. Top passers KC – Steve Fuller – 18/34, 261 yards, INT DEN – Craig Morton – 16/24, 281 yards Top rushers KC – Joe Delaney – 11 rushes, 36 yards DEN – Dave Preston – 13 rushes, 38 yards Top receivers KC – Al Dixon – 6 receptions, 86 yards DEN – Steve Watson – 2 receptions, 103 yards Week 15: vs. Miami Dolphins Kansas City Chiefs 1981 2; text-align:center autocollapse Week 15: Miami Dolphins at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary December 13 1:00 p.m. CST Dolphins 7 3 0 7 Chiefs 0 7 0 0 Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri 57,407 Overcast, 41 F C Pat Haggerty NBC Marv Albert and Len Dawson Recap, Game Book First quarter MIA – Tony Nathan 5-yard run (Uwe von Schamann kick), 2:36. Dolphins 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 38 yards, 2:23. Second quarter KC – Al Dixon 2-yard pass from Steve Fuller (Nick Lowery kick), 12:00. Tied 7–7. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 5:36. MIA – Uwe von Schamann 39-yard field goal, 5:06. Dolphins 10–7. Drive: 12 plays, 47 yards, 6:54. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter MIA – Andra Franklin 1-yard run (Uwe von Schamann kick), 14:13. Dolphins 17–7. Drive: 9 plays, 44 yards, 4:05. Top passers MIA – Don Strock – 8/16, 109 yards, 2 INT KC – Steve Fuller – 21/37, 206 yards, TD, INT Top rushers MIA – Andra Franklin – 17 rushes, 40 yards, TD KC – Steve Fuller – 8 rushes, 42 yards Top receivers MIA – Tommy Vigorito – 3 receptions, 42 yards KC – J. T. Smith – 5 receptions, 99 yards Week 16: at Minnesota Vikings Kansas City Chiefs 1981 2; text-align:center autocollapse Week 16: Kansas City Chiefs at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary December 20 12:00 p.m. CST Chiefs 3 0 7 0 Vikings 3 0 3 0 Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota 41,110 Cloudy, 21 F C Tom Dooley NBC Merle Harmon and Jim Turner Recap, Game Book First quarter MIN – Rick Danmeier 43-yard field goal, 10:33. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 14 plays, 50 yards, 4:27. KC – Nick Lowery 30-yard field goal, 1:12. Tied 3–3. Drive: 4 plays, 9 yards, 1:41. Second quarter No scoring plays. Third quarter KC – Stan Rome 15-yard pass from Steve Fuller (Nick Lowery kick), 10:03. Chiefs 10–3. Drive: 8 plays, 37 yards, 4:57. MIN – Rick Danmeier 33-yard field goal, 4:30. Chiefs 10–6. Drive: 6 plays, 30 yards, 1:15. Fourth quarter No scoring plays. Top passers KC – Steve Fuller – 12/16, 145 yards, TD, INT MIN – Tommy Kramer – 17/38, 177 yards, INT Top rushers KC – Billy Jackson – 25 rushes, 102 yards MIN – Tony Galbreath – 11 rushes, 55 yards Top receivers KC – Carlos Carson – 3 receptions, 78 yards MIN – Tony Galbreath – 7 receptions, 60 yards Standings References Kansas City Chiefs Category:Kansas City Chiefs seasons Kansas