NFL team season
The 1979 Kansas City Chiefs season was the franchise's 10th season in the National Football League, the 17th as the Kansas City Chiefs, and the 20th overall. They improved on their 4–12 record from 1978 to a 7–9 record, but a last-place finish in the AFC West. The Chiefs missed the playoffs for the eighth straight year due to the four other teams ahead of them in their division all finishing with winning records.
Kansas City owned a pair of picks in the first round of the 1979 draft, selecting defensive end Mike Bell and quarterback Steve Fuller. By the season's third game, Fuller had supplanted Mike Livingston as the club's starter.[1]
With Fuller at the helm, the Chiefs owned a 4–2 record after six games, but a five-game midseason losing streak ended the attempt. Despite finishing fifth in the AFC West for a second straight season, Kansas City's 7–9 record was a notable accomplishment considering the fact that the division's other four clubs all posted winning records for a second consecutive season.[1]
The Chiefs closed the season by dropping a 3–0 decision at Tampa Bay on December 16 in one of the most water-logged contests in franchise annals. As both clubs struggled to move the ball under monsoon-like conditions (Kansas City was held to 80 total yards), a field goal late in the fourth quarter by the Buccaneers' Neil O'Donoghue averted the NFL's first scoreless tie since 1943, allowing Tampa Bay to win the NFC Central division championship after a three-game losing streak.[1]
The Chiefs set a dubious NFL record for the season, with the fewest passing yards (1,660, 103.8 per game) in a 16-game season.[2]
Offseason
NFL Draft
Roster
Preseason
Regular season
Schedule
Game summaries
Week 1: vs. Baltimore Colts
Week 2: vs. Cleveland Browns
Week 2: Cleveland Browns at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: September 9
- Game time: 3:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: Clear, 84 °F (29 °C)
- Game attendance: 42,181
- Referee: Jerry Markbreit
- TV announcers (NBC): Stu Nahan and Paul Maguire
- Box score
Week 3: at Houston Oilers
Week 4: vs. Oakland Raiders
Week 4: Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: September 23
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: Sunny, 77 °F (25 °C)
- Game attendance: 67,821
- Referee: Ben Dreith
- TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones and Len Dawson
- Box score
Week 5: at Seattle Seahawks
Week 5: Kansas City Chiefs at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary
at Kingdome, Seattle, Washington
- Date: September 30
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. PDT
- Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
- Game attendance: 61,169
- Referee: Fred Wyant
- TV announcers (NBC): Jay Randolph and Paul Maguire
- Box score
Week 6: at Cincinnati Bengals
Week 6: Kansas City Chiefs at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary
at Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Date: October 7
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Sunny and cool, 53 °F (12 °C)
- Game attendance: 40,041
- Referee: Cal Lepore
- TV announcers (KCMO-Kansas City): Jack Harry, Ed Budde, and Nick Monroe
- Box score
Week 7: vs. Denver Broncos
Week 7: Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: October 14
- Game time: 3:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: Overcast, 59 °F (15 °C)
- Game attendance: 74,292
- Referee: Fred Silva
- TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones and Len Dawson
- Box score
Week 8: vs. New York Giants
Week 8: New York Giants at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: October 21
- Game time: 3:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: Sunny, 86 °F (30 °C)
- Game attendance: 44,362
- Referee: Dick Jorgensen
- TV announcers (CBS): Curt Gowdy and Hank Stram
- Box score
Week 9: at Denver Broncos
Week 9: Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos – Game summary
at Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado
- Date: October 28
- Game time: 2:00 p.m. MST
- Game weather: Sunny, 62 °F (17 °C)
- Game attendance: 74,908
- Referee: Jerry Markbreit
- TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones and Len Dawson
- Box score
Week 10: vs. San Diego Chargers
Week 10: San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: November 4
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Sunny, 65 °F (18 °C)
- Game attendance: 59,353
- Referee: Jim Tunney
- TV announcers (NBC): Jay Randolph and Paul Maguire
- Box score
Week 11: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 11: Pittsburgh Steelers at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: November 11
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Sunny, 43 °F (6 °C)
- Game attendance: 70,132
- Referee: Fred Wyant
- TV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui and John Brodie
- Box score
Week 12: at Oakland Raiders
Week 13: at San Diego Chargers
Week 14: vs. Seattle Seahawks
Week 14: Seattle Seahawks at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: December 2
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Sunny, 32 °F (0 °C)
- Game attendance: 42,160
- Referee: Red Cashion
- TV announcers (NBC): Jay Randolph and Paul Maguire
- Box score
Week 15: at Baltimore Colts
Week 15: Kansas City Chiefs at Baltimore Colts – Game summary
at Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
- Date: December 9
- Game time: 2:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Sunny, clear, cold, 43 °F (6 °C)
- Game attendance: 25,684
- Referee: Gene Barth
- TV announcers (NBC): Phil Stone and Mike Lucci
- Box score
Week 16: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week 16: Kansas City Chiefs at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary
at Tampa Stadium, Tampa, Florida
- Date: December 16
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Rain, 67 °F (19 °C)
- Game attendance: 63,624
- Referee: Jerry Seeman
- TV announcers (NBC): Jay Randolph and Paul Maguire
- Box score
Standings
Awards and records
- Bob Grupp, NFL Leader, Punting, 43.6 average yards per punt[3]
References
- ^ a b c "Kansas City Chiefs History 1970's". kcchiefs.com. Archived from the original on August 23, 2007. Retrieved July 31, 2007.
- ^ "Team Game Finder Query Results - Pro-Football-Reference.com". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
- ^ NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p. 454
