1971 Kansas City Chiefs Season - Regular Season

Regular Season

In an interesting coincidence, the Chiefs opened the 1971 season in the same location where they closed 1970, in San Diego Stadium against the division rival San Diego Chargers. The Chiefs were seeking revenge for a 31–13 loss in the 1970 finale, but John Hadl twice burned Kansas City's secondary, considered to be among the league's elite untis, for two long touchdowns as the Chargers claimed a 21–14 victory.

Kansas City won its next two games to wrap up a three-game road trip to open the season, but were unimpressive in defeating the Houston Oilers, 20–16, and the Denver Broncos, 16–3, two teams which combined to finish the year 8–18–2. The Chiefs began to pick up steam upon returning to Municipal Stadium, routing the Chargers in the rematch, 31–10, and defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football, 38–16.

Week six brought the undefeated Washington Redskins, under the leadership of first-year coach George Allen. Willie Lanier recovered a fumble by Redskin running back Larry Brown on the second play of the game deep in Washington territory, but the drive went for naught when Mike Bass intercepted an underthrown pass by Len Dawson at the 4-yard line. Dawson was interecepted again on the Chiefs' second drive, this time by Pat Fischer, who took the ball deep into Kansas City territory, setting up a touchdown pass from Billy Kilmer to Charley Taylor. Two field goals by Stenerud cut the deficit to 7–6, but late in the second quarter, Washington added a field goal, and another touchdown pass from Kilmer to Taylor. But on the play, Taylor broke his ankle on a tackle by Emmitt Thomas, leaving the Redskin offense short-handed for the rest of the game, and the season. Trailing 17–6 at halftime, Dawson engineered a touchdown drive to start the third quarter by hitting Otis Taylor on a post pattern to cut the deficit to 17–13. Washington added a field goal early in the fourth quarter, but a 50-yard pass from Dawson to rookie Elmo Wright put the Chiefs in position to tie the game on a scoring strike from Dawson to the team's first-round draft pick out of the University of Houston. On Kansas City's next drive, Taylor made an incredible leaping catch of a Dawson pass in front of Fischer with 3:46 remaining, giving the Chiefs their final margin, 27–20.

The Chiefs could not sustain the momentum from the emotional victory, playing to a 20–20 tie against the hated Oakland Raiders before dropping a shocking 13–10 decision to a New York Jets squad forced to play third-string quarterback Bob Davis. Kansas City bounced back to defeat the Cleveland Browns and Broncos at home, but on Thanksgiving Day, the Detroit Lions' passing combination of Greg Landry to Charlie Sanders proved to be too much to handle, and Kansas City fell, 32–21.

Kansas City returned to the Bay Area, but this trip was more successful, as the Chiefs ousted the NFC West leading San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football, 26–17, setting up a showdown at home against the Raiders. Dawson and Taylor got the home team going with a touchdown pass on the opening drive, but it would be the only time Kansas City reached the end zone. The Chiefs led 13–7 early in the fourth quarter before Marv Hubbard's 1-yard touchdown run in the final period gave Oakland a 14–13 lead. Kansas City drove from deep in its own territory to what would be the game-winning field goal, helped by a tripping penalty against Oakland cornerback Jimmy Warren. The Raiders' final gasp came when George Blanda's pass was intercepted by Jim Kearney. With the AFC West title secured, the Chiefs rested many of their starters in a 22–9 victory against the woeful Buffalo Bills to close the season.