1997 Kansas City Chiefs season

NFL team season December 2013 March 2026 Kansas City Chiefs 1997 13–3 1st AFC West Marty Schottenheimer Paul Hackett Gunther Cunningham Carl Peterson Lamar Hunt Arrowhead Stadium Lost Divisional Playoffs(vs. Broncos) 10–14 6 FB Kimble Anders WR Andre Rison G Will Shields LB Derrick Thomas CB Dale Carter CB James Hasty 3 G Dave Szott (1st team) G Will Shields (2nd team) CB James Hasty (2nd team) Chiefs seasons The 1997 season was the Kansas City Chiefs' 28th in the National Football League (NFL) and their 38th overall. The Chiefs improved on their 9–7 record from 1996, and finished with a 13–3 record and as AFC West division champions. The Rich Gannon–Elvis Grbac quarterback controversy was a focal point of the team's season.Gretz, Bob. Quarterbacks and controversy https://web.archive.org/web/20070930200842/http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/2006/11/01/gretz_quarterbacks__controversy/ September 30, 2007 KCChiefs.com, November 1, 2006 It brewed throughout the entire season and arguably cost the Chiefs a victory in the playoffs. The Chiefs were defeated by division rival and eventual Super Bowl champion, Denver Broncos, in the 1997 playoffs. 1997 was the final season the Chiefs appeared in the playoffs during the 1990s and for the next several seasons, they fell into futility. They did not return to the playoffs until 2003. This was the last season that head coach Marty Schottenheimer would coach the team into the playoffs, with the loss to Denver in the divisional round 14–10 capping off many years of disappointing playoff struggles. This was also the final season for future Hall of Fame running back Marcus Allen. 3 Offseason NFL draft 1997 NFL draft 1997 Kansas City Chiefs 1 13 Tony Gonzalez Tight end California yes yes yes 2 47 Kevin Lockett Wide receiver Kansas State yes 4 110 Pat Barnes Quarterback California 6 163 June Henley Running back Kansas 6 195 Isaac Byrd Wide receiver Kansas 7 214 Nathan Parks Offensive tackle Stanford yes https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/kan/1997_draft.htm 1997 Kansas City Chiefs draftees Pro-Football-Reference.com December 5, 2014 Personnel Staff 1997 Kansas City Chiefs Founder – Lamar Hunt Chairman of the Board – Jack Steadman President/General Manager/Chief Executive Officer – Carl Peterson Executive Vice President/Assistant General Manager – Dennis Thum Administrative Assistant to the Head Coach – Russ Ball Head Coach – Marty Schottenheimer Assistant Head Coach/Wide Receivers – Al Saunders Offensive Coordinator – Paul Hackett Quarterbacks – Mike McCarthy Running Backs – Jimmy Raye Tight Ends/Offensive Assistant – Jim Erkenbeck Offensive Line – Mike Solari Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers – Gunther Cunningham Defensive Line – Bob Karmelowicz Defensive Backs – Kurt Schottenheimer Defensive Assistant/Special Teams – Woodrow Lowe Defensive Assistant/Quality Control – Darvin Wallis Special Teams – Mike Stock Strength and Conditioning – Dave Redding Strength and Conditioning – Matt Schiotz Assistant Strength and Conditioning – Roberto Parker Roster 1997 Kansas City Chiefs 17 Pat Barnes y 12 Rich Gannon 11 Elvis Grbac  8 Billy Joe Tolliver 32 Marcus Allen 38 Kimble Anders FB 30 Donnell Bennett FB 27 Greg Hill running back 49 Tony Richardson American football FB 80 Lake Dawson 84 Joe Horn 83 Danan Hughes 81 Kevin Lockett y 89 Andre Rison 87 Tamarick Vanover 88 Tony Gonzalez y 48 Ted Popson 82 Derrick Walker American football 69 Jeff Criswell T 61 Tim Grunhard C 62 Glenn Parker T 72 Nate Parks y G/T 68 Will Shields G 65 Jeff Smith offensive lineman C 79 Dave Szott G 70 Marcus Spears offensive tackle T 64 Ralph Tamm C/G/LS 70 Steve Wallace American football T 71 Tom Barndt NT 99 Vaughn Booker DE 93 John Browning DE American football 77 Pellom McDaniels DE 91 Ty Parten DT 95 Michael Dean Perry DT 75 Joe Phillips American football NT 92 Dan Williams defensive end DT 50 Anthony Davis linebacker OLB 59 Donnie Edwards MLB 51 Greg Manusky ILB 54 Tracy Simien MLB 56 Wayne Simmons American football OLB 58 Derrick Thomas OLB 90 Terry Wooden ILB 44 Darren Anderson American football CB 45 Bucky Brooks CB 34 Dale Carter CB 40 James Hasty CB 29 Mark McMillian CB 47 Todd Scott American football FS/SS 25 Reggie Tongue SS 21 Jerome Woods FS  5 Louie Aguiar P 10 Pete Stoyanovich K  9 Reggie Jones wide receiver WR IR 31 Kevin Ross American football CB/S IR 53 active, 2 inactive, 5 practice squad -- Kotto Cotton y WR 42 Jesse Haynes y RB 53 Mark Smith linebacker y LB 73 Pete Swanson American football y T 24 Vann Washington y S Preseason Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance Recap 1 August 2, 1997 Pittsburgh Steelers L 14–28 0–1 Arrowhead Stadium 72,726 Recap 2 August 9, 1997 at New Orleans Saints L 7–26 0–2 Louisiana Superdome 55,211 Recap 3 August 14, 1997 Carolina Panthers W 30–10 1–2 Arrowhead Stadium 76,972 Recap 4 August 22, 1997 at St. Louis Rams L 13–14 1–3 Trans World Dome 63,936 Recap Regular season Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance Recap 1 August 31 at Denver Broncos L 3–19 0–1 Mile High Stadium 75,600 Recap 2 September 8, 1997 at Oakland Raiders W 28–27 1–1 Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum 61,523 Recap 3 September 14 Buffalo Bills W 22–16 2–1 Arrowhead Stadium 78,169 Recap 4 September 21 at Carolina Panthers W 35–14 3–1 Ericsson Stadium 67,402 Recap 5 September 28 Seattle Seahawks W 20–17 (OT) 4–1 Arrowhead Stadium 77,877 Recap 6 October 5 at Miami Dolphins L 14–17 4–2 Pro Player Stadium 71,794 Recap 7Bye 8 October 16, 1997 San Diego Chargers W 31–3 5–2 Arrowhead Stadium 77,196 Recap 9 October 26 at St. Louis Rams W 28–20 6–2 Trans World Dome 64,864 Recap 10 November 3, 1997 Pittsburgh Steelers W 13–10 7–2 Arrowhead Stadium 78,301 Recap 11 November 9 at Jacksonville Jaguars L 10–24 7–3 Alltel Stadium 70,444 Recap 12 November 16 Denver Broncos W 24–22 8–3 Arrowhead Stadium 77,963 Recap 13 November 23 at Seattle Seahawks W 19–14 9–3 Kingdome 66,264 Recap 14 November 30 San Francisco 49ers W 44–9 10–3 Arrowhead Stadium 77,535 Recap 15 December 7 Oakland Raiders W 30–0 11–3 Arrowhead Stadium 76,379 Recap 16 December 14 at San Diego Chargers W 29–7 12–3 Qualcomm Stadium 54,594 Recap 17 December 21 New Orleans Saints W 25–13 13–3 Arrowhead Stadium 66,772 Recap Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. Game summaries Week 1: at Denver Broncos Kansas City Chiefs 1997 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 1: Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos – Game summary August 31 3:00 p.m. CDT/2:00 p.m. MDT Chiefs 0 0 3 0 Broncos 3 6 0 10 Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado 75,600 Partly cloudy, 82 F C Ed Hochuli NBC Dick Enberg, Paul Maguire, Phil Simms and Jim Gray Recap, Game Book First quarter DEN – Jason Elam 35-yard field goal, 4:30. Broncos 3–0. Drive: 14 plays, 48 yards, 6:12. Second quarter DEN – Jason Elam 36-yard field goal, 6:09. Broncos 6–0. Drive: 16 plays, 77 yards, 8:38. DEN – Jason Elam 25-yard field goal, 0:13. Broncos 9–0. Drive: 8 plays, 83 yards, 1:39. Third quarter KC – Pete Stoyanovich 20-yard field goal, 1:24. Broncos 9–3. Drive: 11 plays, 77 yards, 6:04. Fourth quarter DEN – Terrell Davis 10-yard run (Jason Elam kick), 12:55. Broncos 16–3. Drive: 6 plays, 49 yards, 3:29. DEN – Jason Elam 53-yard field goal, 3:44. Broncos 19–3. Drive: 10 plays, 55 yards, 5:31. Top passers KC – Elvis Grbac – 14/25, 115 yards, INT DEN – John Elway – 17/28, 246 yards Top rushers KC – Greg Hill – 7 rushes, 92 yards DEN – Terrell Davis – 26 rushes, 101 yards, TD Top receivers KC – Lake Dawson – 2 receptions, 30 yards DEN – Rod Smith – 5 receptions, 122 yards Week 2: at Oakland Raiders Kansas City Chiefs 1997 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 2: Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders – Game summary September 8, 1997 8:00 p.m. CDT/6:00 p.m. PDT Chiefs 3 10 9 6 Raiders 7 3 17 0 Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California 61,523 Partly cloudy, 74 F C Gary Lane ABC Al Michaels, Frank Gifford, Dan Dierdorf and Lynn Swann Recap, Game Book First quarter OAK – Napoleon Kaufman 10-yard run (Cole Ford kick), 6:45. Raiders 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 81 yards, 4:50. KC – Pete Stoyanovich 23-yard field goal, 2:14. Raiders 7–3. Drive: 9 plays, 69 yards, 4:31. Second quarter KC – Kimble Anders 5-yard pass from Elvis Grbac (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 8:42. Chiefs 10–7. Drive: 6 plays, 44 yards, 2:59. OAK – Cole Ford 32-yard field goal, 1:03. Tied 10–10. Drive: 12 plays, 77 yards, 2:49. KC – Pete Stoyanovich 24-yard field goal, 0:02. Chiefs 13–10. Drive: 6 plays, 83 yards, 1:01. Third quarter OAK – Rickey Dudley 37-yard pass from Jeff George (Cole Ford kick), 13:03. Raiders 17–13. Drive: 3 plays, 76 yards, 1:57. OAK – Rickey Dudley 16-yard pass from Jeff George (Cole Ford kick), 10:23. Raiders 24–13. Drive: 3 plays, 54 yards, 0:42. OAK – Cole Ford 34-yard field goal, 9:50. Raiders 27–13. Drive: 4 plays, 0 yards, 0:22. KC – Pete Stoyanovich 23-yard field goal, 5:26. Raiders 27–16. Drive: 8 plays, 61 yards, 4:24. KC – Darren Anderson 55-yard interception return (pass failed), 1:05. Raiders 27–22. Fourth quarter KC – Andre Rison 32-yard pass from Elvis Grbac (pass failed), 0:03. Chiefs 28–27. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 0:55. Top passers KC – Elvis Grbac – 21/35, 212 yards, 2 TD OAK – Jeff George – 19/39, 295 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Top rushers KC – Kimble Anders – 5 rushes, 55 yards OAK – Napoleon Kaufman – 22 rushes, 84 yards, TD Top receivers KC – Andre Rison – 8 receptions, 162 yards, TD OAK – Tim Brown – 11 receptions, 155 yards Week 3: vs. Buffalo Bills Kansas City Chiefs 1997 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 3: Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary September 14 12:00 p.m. CDT Bills 0 3 7 6 Chiefs 6 3 0 13 Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri 78,169 Clear, 77 F C Tom White NBC Mike Breen and James Lofton Recap, Game Book First quarter KC – Pete Stoyanovich 46-yard field goal, 8:20. Chiefs 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 54 yards, 5:03. KC – Pete Stoyanovich 45-yard field goal, 1:08. Chiefs 6–0. Drive: 6 plays, 30 yards, 2:38. Second quarter BUF – Steve Christie 46-yard field goal, 7:49. Chiefs 6–3. Drive: 9 plays, 32 yards, 3:30. KC – Pete Stoyanovich 42-yard field goal, 1:03. Chiefs 9–3. Drive: 9 plays, 47 yards, 1:07. Third quarter BUF – Andre Reed 77-yard pass from Todd Collins (Steve Christie kick), 12:15. Bills 10–9. Drive: 2 plays, 86 yards, 0:48. Fourth quarter BUF – Steve Christie 33-yard field goal, 14:29. Bills 13–9. Drive: 6 plays, 57 yards, 1:42. KC – Tamarick Vanover 94-yard kickoff return (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 14:13. Chiefs 16–13. BUF – Steve Christie 30-yard field goal, 11:52. Tied 16–16. Drive: 5 plays, 49 yards, 2:21. KC – Tony Richardson 1-yard pass from Elvis Grbac (kick blocked), 6:55. Chiefs 22–16. Drive: 6 plays, 50 yards, 2:55. Top passers BUF – Todd Collins – 22/43, 297 yards, TD, 2 INT KC – Elvis Grbac – 20/37, 179 yards, TD Top rushers BUF – Antowain Smith – 11 rushes, 30 yards KC – Greg Hill – 17 rushes, 59 yards Top receivers BUF – Andre Reed – 4 receptions, 113 yards, TD KC – Andre Rison – 5 receptions, 75 yards Week 4: at Carolina Panthers Kansas City Chiefs 1997 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 4: Kansas City Chiefs at Carolina Panthers – Game summary September 21 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT Chiefs 7 7 7 14 Panthers 0 7 0 7 Ericsson Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina 67,402 Cloudy, 71 F C Dale Hamer NBC Dan Hicks and Jim Mora Recap, Game Book First quarter KC – Kimble Anders 55-yard pass from Elvis Grbac (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 0:38. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 58 yards, 1:38. Second quarter KC – Andre Rison 18-yard pass from Elvis Grbac (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 9:32. Chiefs 14–0. Drive: 5 plays, 56 yards, 1:30. CAR – Fred Lane 8-yard run (John Kasay kick), 3:59. Chiefs 14–7. Drive: 5 plays, 49 yards, 2:17. Third quarter KC – Marcus Allen 1-yard run (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 6:32. Chiefs 21–7. Drive: 4 plays, 14 yards, 1:21. Fourth quarter KC – Tony Richardson 3-yard pass from Elvis Grbac (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 14:19. Chiefs 28–7. Drive: 4 plays, 30 yards, 1:42. KC – Mark McMillian 62-yard interception return (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 13:42. Chiefs 35–7. CAR – Wesley Walls 19-yard pass from Kerry Collins (John Kasay kick), 5:46. Chiefs 35–14. Drive: 7 plays, 70 yards, 1:53. Top passers KC – Elvis Grbac – 16/29, 224 yards, 3 TD, INT CAR – Kerry Collins – 24/47, 328 yards, TD, 4 INT Top rushers KC – Kimble Anders – 7 rushes, 42 yards CAR – Anthony Johnson – 11 rushes, 39 yards Top receivers KC – Kimble Anders – 4 receptions, 94 yards, TD CAR – Rae Carruth – 8 receptions, 110 yards, Week 5: vs. Seattle Seahawks Kansas City Chiefs 1997 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 5: Seattle Seahawks at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary September 28 3:00 p.m. CDT Seahawks 7 3 7 0 0 Chiefs 0 7 7 3 3 Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri 77,877 Clear, 79 F C Walt Coleman NBC Don Criqui and Jim Mora Recap, Game Book First quarter SEA – Joey Galloway 41-yard pass from Warren Moon (Todd Peterson kick), 8:33. Seahawks 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 53 yards, 1:18. Second quarter SEA – Todd Peterson 44-yard field goal, 9:34. Seahawks 10–0. Drive: 14 plays, 61 yards, 8:26. KC – Marcus Allen 8-yard run (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 5:11. Seahawks 10–7. Drive: 8 plays, 77 yards, 4:23. Third quarter KC – Marcus Allen 1-yard run (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 7:03. Chiefs 14–10. Drive: 11 plays, 79 yards, 6:09. SEA – James McKnight 54-yard pass from Warren Moon (Todd Peterson kick), 5:24. Seahawks 17–14. Drive: 3 plays, 78 yards, 1:29. Fourth quarter KC – Pete Stoyanovich 29-yard field goal, 13:14. Tied 17–17. Drive: 13 plays, 58 yards, 7:10. Overtime KC – Pete Stoyanovich 41-yard field goal, 1:56. Chiefs 20–17. Drive: 9 plays, 27 yards, 4:33. Top passers SEA – Warren Moon – 19/26, 252 yards, 2 TD, INT KC – Elvis Grbac – 24/38, 274 yards, 3 INT Top rushers SEA – Lamar Smith – 12 rushes, 78 yards KC – Marcus Allen – 19 rushes, 78 yards, 2 TD Top receivers SEA – Mike Pritchard – 4 receptions, 88 yards KC – Andre Rison – 7 receptions, 78 yards Week 6: at Miami Dolphins Kansas City Chiefs 1997 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 6: Kansas City Chiefs at Miami Dolphins – Game summary October 5 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT Chiefs 0 14 0 0 Dolphins 7 7 0 3 Pro Player Stadium, Miami, Florida 71,794 84 F C Johnny Grier NBC Charlie Jones, Bob Trumpy and Randy Cross Recap, Game Book First quarter MIA – Karim Abdul-Jabbar 10-yard run (Olindo Mare kick), 5:35. Dolphins 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 44 yards, 2:21. Second quarter KC – Andre Rison 18-yard pass from Elvis Grbac (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 10:54. Tied 7–7. Drive: 12 plays, 65 yards, 6:09. KC – Tony Gonzalez 21-yard pass from Elvis Grbac (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 5:40. Chiefs 14–7. Drive: 6 plays, 54 yards, 3:04. MIA – Bernie Parmalee 7-yard pass from Dan Marino (Olindo Mare kick), 1:11. Tied 14–14. Drive: 9 plays, 95 yards, 4:29. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter MIA – Olindo Mare 29-yard field goal, 5:40. Dolphins 17–14. Drive: 11 plays, 60 yards, 4:34. Top passers KC – Elvis Grbac – 23/30, 177 yards, 2 TD MIA – Dan Marino – 19/31, 259 yards, TD Top rushers KC – Marcus Allen – 7 rushes, 25 yards MIA – Karim Abdul-Jabbar – 17 rushes, 38 yards, TD Top receivers KC – Andre Rison – 8 receptions, 86 yards, TD MIA – O. J. McDuffie – 5 receptions, 86 yards Week 8: vs. San Diego Chargers Kansas City Chiefs 1997 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 8: San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary October 16, 1997 7:00 p.m. CDT Chargers 0 0 3 0 Chiefs 7 17 0 7 Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri 77,196 Clear, 61 F C Dick Hantak TNT Verne Lundquist, Pat Haden, Mark May and Craig Sager Recap, Game Book First quarter KC – Elvis Grbac 1-yard run (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 3:17. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 62 yards, 2:47. Second quarter KC – Andre Rison 10-yard pass from Elvis Grbac (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 6:50. Chiefs 14–0. Drive: 7 plays, 54 yards, 3:49. KC – Andre Rison 5-yard pass from Elvis Grbac (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 2:21. Chiefs 21–0. Drive: 6 plays, 36 yards, 2:21. KC – Pete Stoyanovich 45-yard field goal, 0:02. Chiefs 24–0. Drive: 7 plays, 32 yards, 0:41. Third quarter SD – Greg Davis 26-yard field goal, 0:37. Chiefs 24–3. Drive: 14 plays, 61 yards, 7:06. Fourth quarter KC – Marcus Allen 6-yard run (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 10:34. Chiefs 31–3. Drive: 6 plays, 29 yards, 3:32. Top passers SD – Jim Everett – 9/25, 137 yards, 2 INT KC – Elvis Grbac – 20/40, 235 yards, 2 TD Top rushers SD – Gary Brown – 12 rushes, 59 yards KC – Marcus Allen – 7 rushes, 29 yards, TD Top receivers SD – Freddie Jones – 4 receptions, 81 yards KC – Andre Rison – 8 receptions, 86 yards, 2 TD Week 9: at St. Louis Rams Kansas City Chiefs 1997 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 9: Kansas City Chiefs at St. Louis Rams – Game summary October 26 12:00 p.m. CST Chiefs 6 11 11 0 Rams 7 7 0 6 Trans World Dome, St. Louis, Missouri 64,864 None (indoor stadium) Bob McElwee NBC Joel Meyers and Beasley Reece Recap, Game Book First quarter KC – Pete Stoyanovich 25-yard field goal, 12:35. Chiefs 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, 24 yards, 1:24. STL – Isaac Bruce 12-yard pass from Tony Banks (Jeff Wilkins kick), 4:59. Rams 7–3. Drive: 9 plays, 79 yards, 4:48. KC – Pete Stoyanovich 52-yard field goal, 0:54. Rams 7–6. Drive: 10 plays, 42 yards, 4:05. Second quarter KC – Lake Dawson 10-yard pass from Elvis Grbac (Elvis Grbac–Tamarick Vanover pass), 10:40. Chiefs 14–7. Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 3:33. KC – Pete Stoyanovich 41-yard field goal, 5:57. Chiefs 17–7. Drive: 4 plays, 0 yards, 1:53. STL – Lawrence Phillips 1-yard run (Jeff Wilkins kick), 1:48. Chiefs 17–14. Drive: 8 plays, 70 yards, 4:09. Third quarter KC – Pete Stoyanovich 39-yard field goal, 10:09. Chiefs 20–14. Drive: 10 plays, 60 yards, 4:51. KC – Marcus Allen 2-yard run (Elvis Grbac–Tony Gonzalez pass), 7:01. Chiefs 28–14. Drive: 4 plays, 22 yards, 2:07. Fourth quarter STL – Jeff Wilkins 25-yard field goal, 11:12. Chiefs 28–17. Drive: 12 plays, 40 yards, 5:31. STL – Jeff Wilkins 49-yard field goal, 5:07. Chiefs 28–20. Drive: 6 plays, 52 yards, 1:12. Top passers KC – Elvis Grbac – 20/37, 204 yards, TD STL – Tony Banks – 18/30, 268 yards, TD Top rushers KC – Donnell Bennett – 8 rushes, 32 yards STL – Lawrence Phillips – 23 rushes, 67 yards, TD Top receivers KC – Tony Gonzalez – 4 receptions, 53 yards STL – Isaac Bruce – 5 receptions, 94 yards, TD Week 10: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Kansas City Chiefs 1997 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 10: Pittsburgh Steelers at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary November 3, 1997 8:00 p.m. CST Steelers 10 0 0 0 Chiefs 0 13 0 0 Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri 78,301 Partly cloudy, 37 F C Ed Hochuli ABC Al Michaels, Frank Gifford, Dan Dierdorf and Lynn Swann Recap, Game Book First quarter PIT – Courtney Hawkins 44-yard pass from Kordell Stewart (Norm Johnson kick), 8:05. Steelers 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 79 yards, 3:43. PIT – Norm Johnson 27-yard field goal, 0:32. Steelers 10–0. Drive: 9 plays, 38 yards, 3:25. Second quarter KC – Pete Stoyanovich 35-yard field goal, 9:13. Steelers 10–3. Drive: 12 plays, 60 yards, 6:19. KC – Pete Stoyanovich 44-yard field goal, 2:54. Steelers 10–6. Drive: 11 plays, 38 yards, 4:23. KC – Danan Hughes 14-yard pass from Marcus Allen (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 1:40. Chiefs 13–10. Drive: 5 plays, 45 yards, 0:55. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter No scoring plays. Top passers PIT – Kordell Stewart – 11/21, 101 yards, TD, INT KC – Elvis Grbac – 16/29, 172 yards, INT Top rushers PIT – Jerome Bettis – 17 rushes, 103 yards KC – Marcus Allen – 10 rushes, 49 yards Top receivers PIT – Courtney Hawkins – 5 receptions, 76 yards, TD KC – Tony Gonzalez – 4 receptions, 56 yards Week 11: at Jacksonville Jaguars Kansas City Chiefs 1997 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 11: Kansas City Chiefs at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary November 9 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST Chiefs 0 3 0 7 Jaguars 7 17 0 0 Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida 70,444 Clear, 59 F C Jerry Markbreit NBC Dan Hicks, Jim Kelly and James Lofton Recap, Game Book First quarter JAX – Pete Mitchell 5-yard pass from Mark Brunell (Mike Hollis kick), 11:30. Jaguars 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 52 yards, 3:30. Second quarter JAX – James Stewart 1-yard run (Mike Hollis kick), 13:03. Jaguars 14–0. Drive: 5 plays, 93 yards, 2:37. KC – Pete Stoyanovich 45-yard field goal, 11:01. Jaguars 14–3. Drive: 5 plays, 22 yards, 2:03. JAX – Natrone Means 14-yard run (Mike Hollis kick), 6:57. Jaguars 21–3. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 4:03. JAX – Mike Hollis 52-yard field goal, 1:15. Jaguars 24–3. Drive: 6 plays, 30 yards, 0:50. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter KC – Danan Hughes 7-yard fumble return (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 9:49. Jaguars 24–10. Drive: 10 plays, 89 yards, 4:58. Top passers KC – Rich Gannon – 29/50, 314 yards, 2 INT JAX – Mark Brunell – 9/20, 199 yards, TD Top rushers KC – Marcus Allen – 3 rushes, 37 yards JAX – Natrone Means – 14 rushes, 62 yards, TD Top receivers KC – Tony Gonzalez – 7 receptions, 69 yards JAX – Jimmy Smith – 4 receptions, 112 yards Week 12: vs. Denver Broncos Kansas City Chiefs 1997 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 12: Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary November 16 12:00 p.m. CST Broncos 3 10 3 6 Chiefs 0 14 7 3 Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri 77,963 Clear and cold, 31 F C Bill Carollo NBC Dick Enberg, Paul Maguire, Phil Simms and Jim Gray Recap, Game Book First quarter DEN – Jason Elam 21-yard field goal, 4:43. Broncos 3–0. Drive: 15 plays, 61 yards, 7:23. Second quarter DEN – Shannon Sharpe 5-yard pass from John Elway (Jason Elam kick), 14:56. Broncos 10–0. Drive: 7 plays, 98 yards, 3:40. DEN – Jason Elam 38-yard field goal, 6:27. Broncos 13–0. Drive: 9 plays, 44 yards, 5:27. KC – Marcus Allen 6-yard run (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 4:28. Broncos 13–7. Drive: 4 plays, 18 yards, 1:59. KC – Danan Hughes 5-yard pass from Rich Gannon (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 1:08. Chiefs 14–13. Drive: 4 plays, 45 yards, 1:51. Third quarter KC – Marcus Allen 1-yard run (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 8:04. Chiefs 21–13. Drive: 5 plays, 36 yards, 1:37. DEN – Jason Elam 38-yard field goal, 4:36. Chiefs 21–16. Drive: 8 plays, 45 yards, 3:28. Fourth quarter DEN – Jason Elam 28-yard field goal, 14:14. Chiefs 21–19. Drive: 10 plays, 49 yards, 4:00. DEN – Jason Elam 34-yard field goal, 1:00. Broncos 22–21. Drive: 6 plays, 59 yards, 1:00. KC – Pete Stoyanovich 54-yard field goal, 0:00. Chiefs 24–22. Drive: 6 plays, 36 yards, 1:00. Top passers DEN – John Elway – 18/31, 232 yards, TD KC – Rich Gannon – 11/21, 98 yards, TD, INT Top rushers DEN – Terrell Davis – 34 rushes, 127 yards KC – Marcus Allen – 16 rushes, 43 yards, 2 TD Top receivers DEN – Rod Smith – 7 receptions, 114 yards KC – Andre Rison – 4 receptions, 44 yards Week 13: at Seattle Seahawks Kansas City Chiefs 1997 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 13: Kansas City Chiefs at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary November 23 3:00 p.m. CST/1:00 p.m. PST Chiefs 7 3 7 2 Seahawks 7 7 0 0 Kingdome, Seattle, Washington 66,264 None (indoor stadium) Larry Nemmers NBC Mike Breen and James Lofton Recap, Game Book First quarter KC – Marcus Allen 1-yard run (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 9:52. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 76 yards, 5:08. SEA – Joey Galloway 20-yard pass from Warren Moon (Todd Peterson kick), 2:46. Tied 7–7. Drive: 13 plays, 77 yards, 7:06. Second quarter KC – Pete Stoyanovich 22-yard field goal, 12:15. Chiefs 10–7. Drive: 11 plays, 65 yards, 5:31. SEA – Steve Broussard 22-yard run (Todd Peterson kick), 1:06. Seahawks 14–10. Drive: 8 plays, 62 yards, 3:40. Third quarter KC – Rich Gannon 1-yard run (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 9:26. Chiefs 17–14. Drive: 8 plays, 54 yards, 3:46. Fourth quarter KC – Punt blocked by Joe Horn out of bounds in end zone for a Safety, 11:25. Chiefs 19–14. Top passers KC – Rich Gannon – 15/28, 175 yards SEA – Warren Moon – 20/37, 248 yards, TD, INT Top rushers KC – Donnell Bennett – 7 rushes, 35 yards SEA – Steve Broussard – 7 rushes, 33 yards, TD Top receivers KC – Andre Rison – 6 receptions, 90 yards SEA – James McKnight – 4 receptions, 66 yards Week 14: vs. San Francisco 49ers Kansas City Chiefs 1997 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 14: San Francisco 49ers at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary November 30 12:00 p.m. CST 49ers 3 3 3 0 Chiefs 7 21 0 16 Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri 77,535 Cloudy, 45 F C Gary Lane Fox Pat Summerall, John Madden and Pam Oliver Recap, Game Book First quarter KC – Andre Rison 6-yard pass from Rich Gannon (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 7:03. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 38 yards, 2:48. SF – Gary Anderson 33-yard field goal, 0:55. Chiefs 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 72 yards, 6:08. Second quarter KC – Tony Gonzalez 2-yard pass from Rich Gannon (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 9:06. Chiefs 14–3. Drive: 12 plays, 69 yards, 6:49. KC – Marcus Allen 3-yard run (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 7:04. Chiefs 21–3. Drive: 1 play, 3 yards, 0:03. KC – Ted Popson 1-yard pass from Marcus Allen (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 0:26. Chiefs 28–3. Drive: 7 plays, 57 yards, 2:42. SF – Gary Anderson 33-yard field goal, 0:00. Chiefs 28–6. Drive: 3 plays, 43 yards, 0:26. Third quarter SF – Gary Anderson 40-yard field goal, 12:17. Chiefs 28–9. Drive: 6 plays, 54 yards, 2:43. Fourth quarter KC – Andre Rison 29-yard pass from Rich Gannon (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 12:40. Chiefs 35–9. Drive: 7 plays, 58 yards, 3:20. KC – Terry Kirby tackled in end zone by Joe Phillips and Donnie Edwards for a Safety, 8:26. Chiefs 37–9. KC – Mark McMillian 12-yard interception return (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 4:13. Chiefs 44–9. Top passers SF – Steve Young – 17/23, 184 yards, INT KC – Rich Gannon – 12/21, 186 yards, 3 TD, INT Top rushers SF – Garrison Hearst – 7 rushes, 85 yards KC – Greg Hill – 19 rushes, 54 yards Top receivers SF – Terrell Owens – 6 receptions, 67 yards KC – Andre Rison – 5 receptions, 117 yards, 2 TD Week 15: vs. Oakland Raiders Kansas City Chiefs 1997 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 15: Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary December 7 12:00 p.m. CST Raiders 0 0 0 0 Chiefs 10 10 0 10 Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri 76,379 Overcast with fog, 28 F C Ron Blum NBC Charlie Jones and Bob Trumpy Recap, Game Book First quarter KC – Pete Stoyanovich 44-yard field goal, 11:21. Chiefs 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 42 yards, 3:39. KC – Donnell Bennett 9-yard run (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 3:05. Chiefs 10–0. Drive: 12 plays, 91 yards, 6:55. Second quarter KC – Pete Stoyanovich 27-yard field goal, 13:26. Chiefs 13–0. Drive: 9 plays, 25 yards, 3:46. KC – Rich Gannon 5-yard run (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 2:13. Chiefs 20–0. Drive: 13 plays, 72 yards, 7:32. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter KC – Pete Stoyanovich 40-yard field goal, 14:21. Chiefs 23–0. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 4:00. KC – Tony Richardson 2-yard pass from Rich Gannon (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 6:42. Chiefs 30–0. Drive: 9 plays, 84 yards, 5:57. Top passers OAK – Jeff George – 8/18, 102 yards KC – Rich Gannon – 15/21, 225 yards, TD Top rushers OAK – Harvey Williams – 3 rushes, 16 yards KC – Donnell Bennett – 24 rushes, 85 yards, TD Top receivers OAK – James Jett – 3 receptions, 42 yards KC – Andre Rison – 5 receptions, 93 yards Week 16: at San Diego Chargers Kansas City Chiefs 1997 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 16: Kansas City Chiefs at San Diego Chargers – Game summary December 14 3:00 p.m. CST/1:00 p.m. PST Chiefs 7 7 8 7 Chargers 0 7 0 0 Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California 54,594 Clear and sunny, 68 F C Bernie Kukar NBC Tom Hammond and Randy Cross Recap, Game Book First quarter KC – Marcus Allen 1-yard run (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 3:02. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:10. Second quarter SD – Eric Metcalf 14-yard pass from Craig Whelihan (Greg Davis kick), 14:09. Tied 7–7. Drive: 9 plays, 53 yards, 3:53. KC – Lake Dawson 21-yard pass from Rich Gannon (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 8:05. Chiefs 14–7. Drive: 6 plays, 59 yards, 2:14. Third quarter KC – Pete Stoyanovich 40-yard field goal, 10:43. Chiefs 17–7. Drive: 8 plays, 42 yards, 4:17. KC – Todd Philcox sacked in end zone by Derrick Thomas for a Safety, 5:41. Chiefs 19–7. KC – Pete Stoyanovich 48-yard field goal, 1:42. Chiefs 22–7. Drive: 9 plays, 34 yards, 3:59. Fourth quarter KC – Mark McMillian 87-yard interception return (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 6:46. Chiefs 29–7. Top passers KC – Rich Gannon – 8/25, 116 yards, TD SD – Craig Whelihan – 13/20, 137 yards, TD Top rushers KC – Marcus Allen – 8 rushes, 44 yards, TD SD – Gary Brown – 16 rushes, 57 yards Top receivers KC – Andre Rison – 2 receptions, 52 yards SD – Tony Martin – 7 receptions, 66 yards Week 17: vs. New Orleans Saints Kansas City Chiefs 1997 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 17: New Orleans Saints at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary December 21 12:00 p.m. CST Saints 0 0 7 6 Chiefs 3 9 0 13 Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri 54,594 Drizzle, 32 F C Walt Coleman Fox Joe Buck and Bill Maas Recap, Game Book First quarter KC – Pete Stoyanovich 30-yard field goal, 3:23. Chiefs 3–0. Drive: 15 plays, 67 yards, 7:48. Second quarter KC – Pete Stoyanovich 25-yard field goal, 8:27. Chiefs 6–0. Drive: 11 plays, 43 yards, 5:46. KC – Tamarick Vanover 82-yard punt return (pass failed), 5:47. Chiefs 12–0. Third quarter NO – Keith Poole 32-yard pass from Billy Joe Hobert (Doug Brien kick), 5:57. Chiefs 12–7. Drive: 7 plays, 62 yards, 3:42. Fourth quarter KC – Marcus Allen 3-yard run (pass failed), 11:21. Chiefs 18–7. Drive: 3 plays, 8 yards, 1:38. KC – Ted Popson 3-yard pass from Rich Gannon (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 9:31. Chiefs 25–7. Drive: 3 plays, 7 yards, 1:27. NO – Keith Poole 14-yard pass from Danny Wuerffel (run failed), 2:23. Chiefs 25–13. Drive: 8 plays, 78 yards, 3:31. Top passers NO – Billy Joe Hobert – 11/21, 141 yards, TD, 3 INT KC – Elvis Grbac – 5/14, 51 yards Top rushers NO – Ray Zellars – 18 rushes, 47 yards KC – Marcus Allen – 9 rushes, 50 yards, TD Top receivers NO – Eric Guliford – 4 receptions, 53 yards KC – Kimble Anders – 4 receptions, 26 yards Standings Postseason 1997–98 NFL playoffs Schedule Round Date Opponent (seed) Result Record Venue Attendance Recap Wild CardFirst-round bye Divisional January 4, 1998 Denver Broncos (4) L 10–14 0–1 Arrowhead Stadium 76,965 Recap Game summaries AFC Divisional Playoffs: vs. (4) Denver Broncos Kansas City Chiefs 1997 2;text-align:center; autocollapse AFC Divisional Playoffs: (4) Denver Broncos at (1) Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary January 4 3:00 p.m. CST Broncos 0 7 0 7 Chiefs 0 0 10 0 Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri 76,965 Overcast, 32 F C Jerry Markbreit NBC Dick Enberg, Phil Simms, Paul Maguire and Jim Gray Recap, Game Book First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter DEN – Terrell Davis 1-yard run (Jason Elam kick), 1:56. Broncos 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 4:51. Third quarter KC – Pete Stoyanovich 20-yard field goal, 9:42. Broncos 7–3. Drive: 11 plays, 67 yards, 5:18. KC – Tony Gonzalez 12-yard pass from Elvis Grbac (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 0:10. Chiefs 10–7. Drive: 4 plays, 65 yards, 1:35. Fourth quarter DEN – Terrell Davis 1-yard run (Jason Elam kick), 12:32. Broncos 14–10. Drive: 6 plays, 49 yards, 1:38. Top passers DEN – John Elway – 10/19, 170 yards KC – Elvis Grbac – 24/37, 160 yards, TD Top rushers DEN – Terrell Davis – 25 rushes, 101 yards, 2 TD KC – Marcus Allen – 12 rushes, 37 yards Top receivers DEN – Ed McCaffrey – 3 receptions, 56 yards KC – Andre Rison – 8 receptions, 110 yards See also Rich Gannon/Elvis Grbac quarterback controversy References Kansas City Chiefs 1997 Kansas City Chiefs season Category:AFC West championship seasons Kansas