1971 Kansas City Chiefs season
OwnerLamar Hunt
General managerJack Steadman
Head coachHank Stram
Home fieldMunicipal Stadium
Results
Record10–3–1
Division place1st AFC West
Playoff finishLost Divisional Playoffs
(vs. Dolphins) 24–27 (2OT)
Pro BowlersQB Len Dawson
WR Otis Taylor
G Ed Budde
OT Jim Tyrer
DT Curley Culp
DT Buck Buchanan
LB Bobby Bell
LB Willie Lanier
CB Emmitt Thomas
K Jan Stenerud
P Jerrel Wilson

The 1971 Kansas City Chiefs season was the franchise's second season in the National Football League (NFL), ninth as the Kansas City Chiefs, and twelfth overall. They improved from a 7–5–2 campaign in 1970 to record a 10–3–1 mark and win the AFC West division championship, the Chiefs' first division title since 1966 and last until 1993. The Chiefs tied with the Miami Dolphins for the best record in the AFC and were tied for the third-best record overall in the NFL, trailing only the 11–3 marks of the Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings.[1]

The Chiefs' playoff loss to Miami remains the longest game in NFL history at 82 minutes and forty seconds. Dolphins kicker Garo Yepremian made a 37-yard field goal with seven minutes and twenty seconds left in the second overtime to win the game.[2]

1971 marked the end of an era, as the last remaining original Texan/Chief, longtime player Johnny Robinson, retired after all 10 seasons in the AFL, 2 seasons in the NFL, and 12 seasons with the Texans/Chiefs.

Season summary

Most of the pieces of the team which won Super Bowl IV two years earlier were still in place. Left defensive end Jerry Mays retired after the 1970 season, with Marvin Upshaw taking his spot, but the other ten defensive starters were the same as they were two years prior. Middle linebacker Willie Lanier was a unanimous All-Pro selection following the season, and would likely have been named NFL Defensive Player of the Year had not Viking defensive tackle Alan Page become the second defensive player to win the league's Most Valuable Player award. Outside linebacker Bobby Bell, defensive tackles Buck Buchanan and Curley Culp, and cornerback Emmitt Thomas joined Lanier on the AFC Pro Bowl squad following the season. Bell, Buchanan, Culp, Lanier, and Thomas are all members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

On offense, Robert Holmes was traded to the San Diego Chargers midway through the season, leaving Wendell Hayes to assume the fullback duties next to third-year pro Ed Podolak, who had become the starting halfback when Mike Garrett was traded to San Diego in 1970. Morris Stroud, the tallest player in NFL history at 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m), and Willie Frazier, acquired from San Diego, alternated at tight end for the retired Fred Arbanas, but the rest of the offensive line, save for center Jack Rudnay, remained the same from the Super Bowl winning team. Rudnay assumed the starting center spot in 1970 over veteran E. J. Holub. At wide receiver, rookie Elmo Wright, the Chiefs' first-round pick in the 1971 NFL Draft from the University of Houston, assumed the slot opposite all-pro Otis Taylor, as Frank Pitts had moved on to the Cleveland Browns. Taylor earned selection to the Pro Bowl, along with guard Ed Budde, quarterback Len Dawson, and tackle Jim Tyrer.

Kansas City's special teams remained among the league's elite units, thanks to the combination of kicker Jan Stenerud and punter Jerrel Wilson, both of whom were named to the Pro Bowl. Podolak and Warren McVea handled the bulk of the return duties.

The season was the last for the Chiefs in Municipal Stadium; owner Lamar Hunt and general manager Jack Steadman were overseeing the construction of Arrowhead Stadium, located at the junction of Interstates 70 and 435 in Jackson County, at the eastern edge of the Kansas City city limits. Arrowhead, along with Royals Stadium, being constructed for the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball, comprised the Truman Sports Complex, bucking the trend of multi-purpose stadiums in vogue at the time.

The season ended as the Miami Dolphins won the longest game in National Football League history on Christmas Day, defeating the Chiefs 27–24 in double-overtime on a 37-yard field goal by Garo Yepremian in the last football game in Municipal Stadium,[2] as well as the last game for safety Johnny Robinson,[3] who was an original member of the franchise as a rookie on the 1960 Dallas Texans. Head coach Hank Stram often called the 1971 Chiefs the franchise's best-ever squad, and the home playoff loss haunted Stram for the rest of his life, even after his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2003; Stram died in 2005 at age 82. Others in the Hall of Fame from this squad are owner Hunt, quarterback Dawson, and kicker Stenerud.

The loss to Miami began a nosedive in the Chiefs' fortunes. Kansas City backslid to 8–6 and 7–5–2 in 1972 and 1973, before falling to 5–9 and a tie for last in the AFC West in 1974, leading to Stram's firing following the season. Kansas City did not reach the playoffs again until 1986, did not host (or win) another playoff game until 1991, and did not win the AFC West division title again until 1993.

NFL Draft

1971 Kansas City Chiefs Draft
RoundSelectionPlayerPositionCollege
116Elmo WrightWide receiverHouston
239Wilbur YoungDefensive tackleWilliam Penn
42Scott LewisDefensive endGrambling
494David RobinsonTight endJacksonville State
5120Mike AdamleRunning backNorthwestern
6146Kerry ReardonDefensive backIowa
8191Mike SensibaughDefensive backOhio State
198Rick TelanderDefensive backNorthwestern
9224Alvin HawesTackleMinnesota
10250Bruce JankowskiWide receiverOhio State
11276Nate AllenDefensive backTexas Southern
12302Tony EspositoRunning backPittsburgh
13328Chuck HixsonQuarterbackSMU
14354Bruce BergeyDefensive endUCLA
15380Mike MontgomeryDefensive backSouthwest Texas State
16406Darrell JansoniusGuardIowa State
17431Travis HillDefensive backPrairie View A&M

Roster

1971 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 7 at Baltimore Colts W 10–7 1–0 Memorial Stadium 16,771 Recap
2 August 14 Atlanta Falcons W 12–10 2–0 Municipal Stadium 37,403 Recap
3 August 21 at New Orleans Saints W 27–7 3–0 Tulane Stadium 70,459 Recap
4 August 30 New York Jets W 21–16 4–0 Municipal Stadium 37,650 Recap
5 September 4 St. Louis Cardinals T 17–17 4–0–1 Municipal Stadium 36,743 Recap
6 September 11 at Dallas Cowboys L 17–24 4–1–1 Cotton Bowl 74,035 Recap

Regular season

Schedule

Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance Recap
1 September 19 at San Diego Chargers L 14–21 0–1 San Diego Stadium 54,061 Recap
2 September 26 at Houston Oilers W 20–16 1–1 Houston Astrodome 46,498 Recap
3 October 3 at Denver Broncos W 16–3 2–1 Mile High Stadium 51,200 Recap
4 October 10 San Diego Chargers W 31–10 3–1 Municipal Stadium 50,514 Recap
5 October 18 Pittsburgh Steelers W 38–16 4–1 Municipal Stadium 49,533 Recap
6 October 24 Washington Redskins W 27–20 5–1 Municipal Stadium 51,989 Recap
7 October 31 at Oakland Raiders T 20–20 5–1–1 Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum 54,715 Recap
8 November 7 at New York Jets L 10–13 5–2–1 Shea Stadium 62,812 Recap
9 November 14 Cleveland Browns W 13–7 6–2–1 Municipal Stadium 50,388 Recap
10 November 21 Denver Broncos W 28–10 7–2–1 Municipal Stadium 49,945 Recap
11 November 25 at Detroit Lions L 21–32 7–3–1 Tiger Stadium 54,418 Recap
12 December 6 at San Francisco 49ers W 26–17 8–3–1 Candlestick Park 45,306 Recap
13 December 12 Oakland Raiders W 16–14 9–3–1 Municipal Stadium 51,215 Recap
14 December 19 Buffalo Bills W 22–9 10–3–1 Municipal Stadium 48,121 Recap
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: at San Diego Chargers

Week 1: Kansas City Chiefs at San Diego Chargers – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Chiefs 7 7 0014
Chargers 0 0 71421

at San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California

Game information

Week 2: at Houston Oilers

Week 2: Kansas City Chiefs at Houston Oilers – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Chiefs 10 3 0720
Oilers 0 7 3616

at Houston Astrodome, Houston, Texas

Game information

Week 3: at Denver Broncos

Week 3: Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Chiefs 0 10 0616
Broncos 3 0 003

at Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado

Game information

Week 4: vs. San Diego Chargers

Week 4: San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Chargers 3 7 0010
Chiefs 0 10 71431

at Municipal Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

  • Date: October 10
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: 53 °F (12 °C)
  • Game attendance: 50,514
  • Referee: Norm Schachter
  • TV announcers (NBC): Ross Porter and Willie Davis
  • Recap
Game information

Week 5: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Week 5: Pittsburgh Steelers at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Steelers 9 0 0716
Chiefs 0 28 01038

at Municipal Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

Game information

Week 6: vs. Washington Redskins

Week 6: Washington Redskins at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Redskins 7 10 0320
Chiefs 3 3 71427

at Municipal Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

Game information

Week 7: at Oakland Raiders

Week 7: Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Chiefs 7 7 3320
Raiders 3 7 01020

at Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California

Game information

Week 8: at New York Jets

Week 8: Kansas City Chiefs at New York Jets – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Chiefs 7 3 0010
Jets 7 3 0313

at Shea Stadium, New York, New York

  • Date: November 7
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 53 °F (12 °C)
  • Game attendance: 62,812
  • Referee: Dick Jorgensen
  • TV announcers (NBC): Curt Gowdy and Al DeRogatis
  • Recap
Game information

Week 9: vs. Cleveland Browns

Week 9: Cleveland Browns at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Browns 0 0 077
Chiefs 3 10 0013

at Municipal Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

  • Date: November 14
  • Game time: 3:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: 66 °F (19 °C)
  • Game attendance: 50,388
  • Referee: Bernie Ulman
  • TV announcers (NBC): Curt Gowdy and Al DeRogatis
  • Recap
Game information

Week 10: vs. Denver Broncos

Week 10: Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Broncos 3 0 0710
Chiefs 14 7 7028

at Municipal Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

  • Date: November 21
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: 44 °F (7 °C)
  • Game attendance: 49,945
  • Referee: John McDonough
  • TV announcers (NBC): Jay Randolph and George Ratterman
  • Recap
Game information

Week 11: at Detroit Lions

Thanksgiving Day games

Week 11: Kansas City Chiefs at Detroit Lions – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Chiefs 0 7 7721
Lions 0 17 12332

at Tiger Stadium, Detroit, Michigan

  • Date: November 25
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 29 °F (−2 °C)
  • Game attendance: 54,418
  • Referee: Jim Tunney
  • TV announcers (NBC): Curt Gowdy and Al DeRogatis
  • Recap
Game information

Week 12: at San Francisco 49ers

Week 12: Kansas City Chiefs at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Chiefs 0 16 7326
49ers 3 7 0717

at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California

  • Date: December 6
  • Game time: 6:00 p.m. PST
  • Game weather: 53 °F (12 °C)
  • Game attendance: 45,306
  • Referee: Pat Haggerty
  • TV announcers (ABC): Frank Gifford, Don Meredith and Howard Cosell
  • Recap
Game information

Week 13: vs. Oakland Raiders

Week 13: Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Raiders 0 7 0714
Chiefs 7 6 7323

at Municipal Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

  • Date: December 12
  • Game time: 3:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: 38 °F (3 °C)
  • Game attendance: 51,215
  • Referee: Fred Swearingen
  • TV announcers (NBC): Curt Gowdy and Al De Rogatis
  • Recap
Game information

Week 14: vs. Buffalo Bills

Week 14: Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Bills 3 6 009
Chiefs 3 6 10322

at Municipal Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

  • Date: December 19
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: 44 °F (7 °C)
  • Game attendance: 48,121
  • Referee: Bob Frederic
  • TV announcers (NBC): Jay Randolph and George Ratterman
  • Recap
Game information

Standings

AFC West
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
Kansas City Chiefs 10 3 1 .769 4–1–1 8–2–1 302 208 W3
Oakland Raiders 8 4 2 .667 4–1–1 7–3–1 344 278 W1
San Diego Chargers 6 8 0 .429 2–4 4–7 311 341 L1
Denver Broncos 4 9 1 .308 1–5 3–6–1 203 275 L2

Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.

Postseason

Schedule

Round Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance Recap
Divisional December 25 Miami Dolphins L 24–27 (2OT) 0–1 Municipal Stadium 45,822 Recap

Game summaries

AFC Divisional Playoffs: vs. Miami Dolphins

NFL on Christmas Day

AFC Divisional Playoffs: Miami Dolphins at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
Period 1 2 34OT2OTTotal
Dolphins 0 10 770327
Chiefs 10 0 770024

at Municipal Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

  • Date: December 25
  • Game time: 3:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: 47 °F (8 °C)
  • Game attendance: 45,822
  • Referee: John McDonough
  • TV announcers (NBC): Curt Gowdy and Al De Rogatis
  • Recap
Game information

References

  1. "Dolphins under KC's tree". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. (Kansas). Associated Press. December 20, 1971. p. 24.
  2. 1 2 "Dallas, Miami playoff winners". Pittsburgh Press. UPI. December 26, 1971. p. D1.
  3. "Chiefs begin trying to fill Robinson void". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. (Kansas). Associated Press. July 13, 1972. p. 21.
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