The 1989 Kansas City Chiefs season ended with a 8–7–1 record and second-place finish in the AFC West. The season was the first with head coach Marty Schottenheimer and general manager Carl Peterson.
The Chiefs had changed coaches before, but never had the organization gone through the complete overhaul it did between the 1988 and 1989 seasons. On December 19, 1988, Lamar Hunt hired Carl Peterson as the team's new president/general manager. Peterson wasted no time in making changes-on January 5 he fired head coach Frank Gansz two weeks after taking over. On January 24 he hired Marty Schottenheimer, who had left his job with the Browns, as the club's seventh head coach. Schottenheimer also cleaned house and with Peterson's help made several roster changes.
The Chiefs started the season at Denver on September 10 but the Chiefs lost in the opener 34–20. The very next Sunday the Chiefs downs the Los Angeles Raiders 24–19, Schottenheimer's first win as Chiefs' head coach.
The Chiefs would start thr season 1–4. But then they started to win. On October 22, Christian Okoye carries the ball 33 times for 170 yards as the Chiefs defeat the Dallas Cowboys at Arrowhead Stadium, 36–28. During the Chiefs unexpected success, rookie linebacker Derrick Thomas made 10 sacks while Stephone Paige led the receivers with 44 receptions.
On November 26, Kansas City cruises past the Houston Oilers, 34–0 to start a 3-game winning streak to pulled within a chance to make the playoffs. Steve DeBerg passed for 2,529 yards in his second season with the team.
On December 17, using a bruising running game and a smothering defense, the San Diego Chargers marched into Arrowhead Stadium and crushed the Chiefs' playoffs dreams. They bulldozen their way to 219 yards rushing, 176 by Marion Butts, and won 20–13. The loss eliminated the Chiefs from any chance of making the playoffs.
Christian Okoye constantly found his path blocked, holes jammed. Chiefs' quarterback Steve DeBerg was ineffective because of the chilling 18-degree weather and completed just 14 of 33 passes.
The Chiefs had one final opportunity to tie the game, driving from their own 36 yard line to the San Diego 19. Deberg's next pass into the end zone was intercepted, ending the Chiefs' chances and the game.
The next week though, the Chiefs bounce back and defeat the Miami Dolphins for the second time in the season, 27–24 and had their first winning record in the Schottenheimer-Peterson era. Christian Okoye led the NFL in rushing with 1,480 yards. Okoye were named to the Pro Bowl along with defensive stars Derrick Thomas, Albert Lewis and Kevin Ross. This season proved to be a prelude of good things in the future.
Read more about 1989 Kansas City Chiefs Season: Staff, Schedule, Standings
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