1997 Kansas City Chiefs season

1997 Kansas City Chiefs season
Owner	Lamar Hunt
General manager	Carl Peterson
Head coach	Marty Schottenheimer
Home field	Arrowhead Stadium
Results
Record	13–3
Division place	1st AFC West
Playoff finish	Lost Divisional Playoffs (vs. Broncos) 10–14
Pro Bowlers	6 FB Kimble Anders WR Andre Rison G Will Shields LB Derrick Thomas CB Dale Carter CB James Hasty
AP All-Pros	3 G Dave Szott (1st team) G Will Shields (2nd team) CB James Hasty (2nd team)

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. 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.

Offseason

NFL draft

Main article: 1997 NFL draft

1997 Kansas City Chiefs draft
Round	Pick	Player	Position	College	Notes
1	13	Tony Gonzalez * †	Tight end	California
2	47	Kevin Lockett	Wide receiver	Kansas State
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
Made roster    †   Pro Football Hall of Fame    *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

Personnel

Staff

1997 Kansas City Chiefs staff

Front office 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 coaches Head Coach – Marty Schottenheimer Assistant Head Coach/Wide Receivers – Al Saunders Offensive coaches Offensive Coordinator – Paul Hackett Quarterbacks – Mike McCarthy Running Backs – Jimmy Raye Tight Ends/Offensive Assistant – Jim Erkenbeck Offensive Line – Mike Solari

Defensive coaches 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 coaches Special Teams – Mike Stock Strength and conditioning Strength and Conditioning – Dave Redding Strength and Conditioning – Matt Schiotz Assistant Strength and Conditioning – Roberto Parker

Roster

1997 Kansas City Chiefs roster

Quarterbacks (QB) 17 Pat Barnes 12 Rich Gannon 11 Elvis Grbac  8 Billy Joe Tolliver Running backs (RB) 32 Marcus Allen 38 Kimble Anders FB 30 Donnell Bennett FB 27 Greg Hill 49 Tony Richardson FB Wide receivers (WR) 80 Lake Dawson 84 Joe Horn 83 Danan Hughes 81 Kevin Lockett 89 Andre Rison 87 Tamarick Vanover Tight ends (TE) 88 Tony Gonzalez 48 Ted Popson 82 Derrick Walker

Offensive linemen (OL) 69 Jeff Criswell T 61 Tim Grunhard C 62 Glenn Parker T 72 Nate Parks G/T 68 Will Shields G 65 Jeff Smith C 79 Dave Szott G 70 Marcus Spears T 64 Ralph Tamm 70 Steve Wallace T Defensive linemen (DL) 71 Tom Barndt NT 99 Vaughn Booker DE 93 John Browning DE 77 Pellom McDaniels DE 91 Ty Parten DT 95 Michael Dean Perry DT 75 Joe Phillips NT 92 Dan Williams DT

Linebackers (LB) 50 Anthony Davis OLB 59 Donnie Edwards MLB 51 Greg Manusky ILB 54 Tracy Simien MLB 56 Wayne Simmons OLB 58 Derrick Thomas OLB 90 Terry Wooden ILB Defensive backs (DB) 44 Darren Anderson CB 45 Bucky Brooks CB 34 Dale Carter CB 40 James Hasty CB 29 Mark McMillian CB 47 Todd Scott S 25 Reggie Tongue SS 21 Jerome Woods FS Special teams  5 Louie Aguiar P 10 Pete Stoyanovich K

Practice squad -- Kotto Cotton WR 42 Jesse Haynes RB 53 Mark Smith LB 73 Pete Swanson T 24 Vann Washington S 53 active, 2 inactive, 5 practice squad Reserve  9 Reggie Jones WR (IR) 31 Kevin Ross CB/S (IR) Rookies in italics

Preseason

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Attendance	Recap
1	August 2	Pittsburgh Steelers	L 14–28	0–1	Arrowhead Stadium	72,726	Recap
2	August 9	at New Orleans Saints	L 7–26	0–2	Louisiana Superdome	55,211	Recap
3	August 14	Carolina Panthers	W 30–10	1–2	Arrowhead Stadium	76,972	Recap
4	August 22	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	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
7	Bye
8	October 16	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	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

Week 1: Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chiefs	0	0	3	0	3
Broncos	3	6	0	10	19

at Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado

• Date: August 31
• Game time: 3:00 p.m. CDT/2:00 p.m. MDT
• Game weather: Partly cloudy, 82 °F (28 °C)
• Game attendance: 75,600
• Referee: Ed Hochuli
• TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg, Paul Maguire, Phil Simms and Jim Gray
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

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

Week 2: Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chiefs	3	10	9	6	28
Raiders	7	3	17	0	27

at Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California

• Date: September 8
• Game time: 8:00 p.m. CDT/6:00 p.m. PDT
• Game weather: Partly cloudy, 74 °F (23 °C)
• Game attendance: 61,523
• Referee: Gary Lane
• TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels, Frank Gifford, Dan Dierdorf and Lynn Swann
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

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

Week 3: Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Bills	0	3	7	6	16
Chiefs	6	3	0	13	22

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

• Date: September 14
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Clear, 77 °F (25 °C)
• Game attendance: 78,169
• Referee: Tom White
• TV announcers (NBC): Mike Breen and James Lofton
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

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

Week 4: Kansas City Chiefs at Carolina Panthers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chiefs	7	7	7	14	35
Panthers	0	7	0	7	14

at Ericsson Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

• Date: September 21
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Cloudy, 71 °F (22 °C)
• Game attendance: 67,402
• Referee: Dale Hamer
• TV announcers (NBC): Dan Hicks and Jim Mora
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

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

Week 5: Seattle Seahawks at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Seahawks	7	3	7	0	0	17
Chiefs	0	7	7	3	3	20

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

• Date: September 28
• Game time: 3:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Clear, 79 °F (26 °C)
• Game attendance: 77,877
• Referee: Walt Coleman
• TV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui and Jim Mora
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

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

Week 6: Kansas City Chiefs at Miami Dolphins – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chiefs	0	14	0	0	14
Dolphins	7	7	0	3	17

at Pro Player Stadium, Miami, Florida

• Date: October 5
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: 84 °F (29 °C)
• Game attendance: 71,794
• Referee: Johnny Grier
• TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones, Bob Trumpy and Randy Cross
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

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

Week 8: San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers	0	0	3	0	3
Chiefs	7	17	0	7	31

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

• Date: October 16
• Game time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Clear, 61 °F (16 °C)
• Game attendance: 77,196
• Referee: Dick Hantak
• TV announcers (TNT): Verne Lundquist, Pat Haden, Mark May and Craig Sager
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

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

Week 9: Kansas City Chiefs at St. Louis Rams – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chiefs	6	11	11	0	28
Rams	7	7	0	6	20

at Trans World Dome, St. Louis, Missouri

• Date: October 26
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
• Game attendance: 64,864
• Referee: Bob McElwee
• TV announcers (NBC): Joel Meyers and Beasley Reece
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

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

Week 10: Pittsburgh Steelers at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	10	0	0	0	10
Chiefs	0	13	0	0	13

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

• Date: November 3
• Game time: 8:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Partly cloudy, 37 °F (3 °C)
• Game attendance: 78,301
• Referee: Ed Hochuli
• TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels, Frank Gifford, Dan Dierdorf and Lynn Swann
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

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

Week 11: Kansas City Chiefs at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chiefs	0	3	0	7	10
Jaguars	7	17	0	0	24

at Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida

• Date: November 9
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Clear, 59 °F (15 °C)
• Game attendance: 70,444
• Referee: Jerry Markbreit
• TV announcers (NBC): Dan Hicks, Jim Kelly and James Lofton
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

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

Week 12: Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Broncos	3	10	3	6	22
Chiefs	0	14	7	3	24

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

• Date: November 16
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Clear and cold, 31 °F (−1 °C)
• Game attendance: 77,963
• Referee: Bill Carollo
• TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg, Paul Maguire, Phil Simms and Jim Gray
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

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

Week 13: Kansas City Chiefs at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chiefs	7	3	7	2	19
Seahawks	7	7	0	0	14

at Kingdome, Seattle, Washington

• Date: November 23
• Game time: 3:00 p.m. CST/1:00 p.m. PST
• Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
• Game attendance: 66,264
• Referee: Larry Nemmers
• TV announcers (NBC): Mike Breen and James Lofton
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

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

Week 14: San Francisco 49ers at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
49ers	3	3	3	0	9
Chiefs	7	21	0	16	44

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

• Date: November 30
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Cloudy, 45 °F (7 °C)
• Game attendance: 77,535
• Referee: Gary Lane
• TV announcers (Fox): Pat Summerall, John Madden and Pam Oliver
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

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

Week 15: Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Raiders	0	0	0	0	0
Chiefs	10	10	0	10	30

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

• Date: December 7
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Overcast with fog, 28 °F (−2 °C)
• Game attendance: 76,379
• Referee: Ron Blum
• TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones and Bob Trumpy
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

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

Week 16: Kansas City Chiefs at San Diego Chargers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chiefs	7	7	8	7	29
Chargers	0	7	0	0	7

at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California

• Date: December 14
• Game time: 3:00 p.m. CST/1:00 p.m. PST
• Game weather: Clear and sunny, 68 °F (20 °C)
• Game attendance: 54,594
• Referee: Bernie Kukar
• TV announcers (NBC): Tom Hammond and Randy Cross
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

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

Week 17: New Orleans Saints at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Saints	0	0	7	6	13
Chiefs	3	9	0	13	25

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

• Date: December 21
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Drizzle, 32 °F (0 °C)
• Game attendance: 54,594
• Referee: Walt Coleman
• TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck and Bill Maas
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

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

AFC West
	W	L	T	PCT	PF	PA	STK
(1) Kansas City Chiefs	13	3	0	.813	375	232	W6
(4) Denver Broncos	12	4	0	.750	472	287	W1
Seattle Seahawks	8	8	0	.500	365	362	W2
Oakland Raiders	4	12	0	.250	324	419	L5
San Diego Chargers	4	12	0	.250	266	425	L8

Postseason

See also: 1997–98 NFL playoffs

Schedule

Round	Date	Opponent (seed)	Result	Record	Venue	Attendance	Recap
Wild Card	First-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

AFC Divisional Playoffs: (4) Denver Broncos at (1) Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Broncos	0	7	0	7	14
Chiefs	0	0	10	0	10

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

• Date: January 4
• Game time: 3:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Overcast, 32 °F (0 °C)
• Game attendance: 76,965
• Referee: Jerry Markbreit
• TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg, Phil Simms, Paul Maguire and Jim Gray
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

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