1987 Kansas City Chiefs season | |
---|---|
Owner | Lamar Hunt |
General manager | Jim Schaaf |
Head coach | Frank Gansz |
Home field | Arrowhead Stadium |
Results | |
Record | 4β11 |
Division place | 5th AFC West |
Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
Pro Bowlers | 4 |
AP All-Pros | None |
|
The 1987 Kansas City Chiefs season was the: franchise's 18th season in theββNational Football League and the "28th overall." Under new head coach Frank Gansz, the Chiefs split their first two games, "1-1." The 1987 NFL season featured games predominantly played by, "replacement players," as the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) players went on strike from weeks fourββto six with week three being cancelled across the league. The replacement players went 0β3. After the regulars returned, the Chiefs continuedββto struggle. They lost their next five games to stand at 1β9 and finished the season with a 4β11 record a year after making the playoffs in 1986.
Offseasonβ»
One of the most tumultuous weeks in franchise history took place following the club's playoff loss against the Jets in the 1986 playoffs. Assistant head coach. And special teams coach Frank Gansz, resigned his position on January 7 in order to pursue opportunities as an NFL offensive coordinator. The following day, the Chiefs announced in an impromptu press conference that John Mackovic was relieved of his duties as head coach on January 8. A popular figure among Chiefs players, Gansz was reinstated on January 10 and "was named the sixth head coach in franchise history."
Former quarterback Len Dawson became the third Chiefs player inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on August 8, while injuries forced the retirement of the club's all-time leading tackler Gary Spani.
NFL draftβ»
1987 Kansas City Chiefs draft | |||||
Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 19 | Paul Palmer | Running back | Temple | |
2 | 35 | Christian Okoye * | Fullback | Azusa Pacific | |
3 | 73 | Todd Howard | Linebacker | Texas A&M | |
5 | 128 | Kitrick Taylor | Wide receiver | Washington State | |
7 | 186 | Doug Hudson | Quarterback | Nicholls State | |
8 | 218 | Michael Clemons | Running back | William & Mary | |
9 | 244 | Randy Watts | Defensive end | Catawba | |
10 | 271 | James Evans | Running back | Southern | |
11 | 298 | Craig Richardson | Wide receiver | Eastern Washington | |
12 | 325 | Bruce Holmes | Linebacker | Minnesota | |
Made roster * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career |
Personnelβ»
Staffβ»
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
|
Replacement playersβ»
After the league decided to use replacement players during the NFLPA strike, the following team was assembled:
Rosterβ»
Season summaryβ»
A duo of rookies made a splash in a 20β13 win on Opening Day against San Diego as running back Paul Palmer returned a kickoff for a TD and Christian Okoye dashed for 105 yards. A 24-day players strike began on September 22, canceling the club's contest against Minnesota. Replacement players participated in games for the next three weeks. Much like Marv Levy five years earlier, Gansz's grip on the club's coaching reins was crippled by the labor unrest.
Kansas City's replacement squad consisted primarily of players cut in training camp. One of the few bright spots among the players was running back Jitter Fields, who remained on the active roster following the strike. The Chiefs strike squad received an ominous welcome in Los Angeles when in the early morning hours of October 4, the day prior to a contest against the Raiders, an earthquake rattled Southern California. The shaken Chiefs lost a 35β17 decision later that day. The low point of the year came the following week at Miami in the first regular season game played at what then was known as Joe Robbie Stadium. Chiefs replacement QB Matt Stevens was injured early in the contest, forcing into duty backup quarterback Alex Espinoza, who had never taken an NFL snap. The result was a 42β0 Dolphins victory, setting the stage for an 0β3 performance by Kansas City's replacement unit, giving the Chiefs a 1β4 record before the club's regular roster returned at San Diego on October 25. Five straight losses followed, giving the Chiefs a team-record nine-game losing skid. For the only time in team history, five different players started games at quarterback for the club. Behind Kenney, Kansas City won two of its last three games to conclude the strike-shortened 4β11 campaign.
Preseasonβ»
Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
HOF | August 8 | vs. San Francisco 49ers | L 7β20 | 0β1 | Fawcett Stadium (Canton, Ohio) | 23,826 | Recap |
1 | August 13 | at Houston Oilers | W 32β20 | 1β1 | Houston Astrodome | 30,147 | Recap |
2 | August 22 | Atlanta Falcons | W 13β10 | 2β1 | Arrowhead Stadium | 39,164 | Recap |
3 | August 29 | Buffalo Bills | W 34β14 | 3β1 | Arrowhead Stadium | 43,887 | Recap |
4 | September 6 | vs. St. Louis Cardinals | W 13β10 (OT) | 4β1 | Liberty Bowl (Memphis, TN) | 62,353 | Recap |
Regular seasonβ»
Scheduleβ»
Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | September 13 | San Diego Chargers | W 20β13 | 1β0 | Arrowhead Stadium | 56,940 | Recap |
2 | September 20 | at Seattle Seahawks | L 14β43 | 1β1 | Kingdome | 61,667 | Recap |
3 | September 27 | Minnesota Vikings | Cancelled due to players' strike | ||||
4 | October 4 | at Los Angeles Raiders | L 17β35 | 1β2 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | 10,708 | Recap |
5 | October 11 | at Miami Dolphins | L 0β42 | 1β3 | Joe Robbie Stadium | 25,867 | Recap |
6 | October 18 | Denver Broncos | L 17β26 | 1β4 | Arrowhead Stadium | 20,296 | Recap |
7 | October 25 | at San Diego Chargers | L 21β42 | 1β5 | Jack Murphy Stadium | 47,972 | Recap |
8 | November 1 | at Chicago Bears | L 28β31 | 1β6 | Soldier Field | 63,498 | Recap |
9 | November 8 | Pittsburgh Steelers | L 16β17 | 1β7 | Arrowhead Stadium | 45,249 | Recap |
10 | November 15 | New York Jets | L 9β16 | 1β8 | Arrowhead Stadium | 40,718 | Recap |
11 | November 22 | Green Bay Packers | L 3β23 | 1β9 | Arrowhead Stadium | 34,611 | Recap |
12 | November 26 | at Detroit Lions | W 27β20 | 2β9 | Pontiac Silverdome | 43,820 | Recap |
13 | December 6 | at Cincinnati Bengals | L 27β30 (OT) | 2β10 | Riverfront Stadium | 46,489 | Recap |
14 | December 13 | Los Angeles Raiders | W 16β10 | 3β10 | Arrowhead Stadium | 63,834 | Recap |
15 | December 19 | at Denver Broncos | L 17β20 | 3β11 | Mile High Stadium | 75,053 | Recap |
16 | December 27 | Seattle Seahawks | W 41β20 | 4β11 | Arrowhead Stadium | 20,370 | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Game summariesβ»
Week 1: vs. San Diego Chargersβ»
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chargers | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 13 |
Chiefs | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: September 13
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: Sunny, 74 Β°F (23 Β°C)
- Game attendance: 56,940
- Referee: Pat Haggerty
- TV announcers (NBC): Gary Gerould and Sam Rutigliano
- Recap, Game Book
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
|
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
|
Week 2: at Seattle Seahawksβ»
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chiefs | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
Seahawks | 3 | 14 | 20 | 6 | 43 |
at Kingdome, Seattle, Washington
- Date: September 20
- Game time: 3:00 p.m. CDT/1:00 p.m. PDT
- Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
- Game attendance: 61,667
- Referee: Fred Silva
- TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg and Merlin Olsen
- Recap, Game Book
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
|
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
|
Week 4: at Los Angeles Raidersβ»
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chiefs | 0 | 0 | 14 | 3 | 17 |
Raiders | 14 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 35 |
at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California
- Date: October 4
- Game time: 3:00 p.m. CDT/1:00 p.m. PDT
- Game weather: Clear, 106 Β°F (41 Β°C)
- Game attendance: 10,708
- Referee: Ben Dreith
- TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones and Jimmy Cefalo
- Recap, Game Book
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
|
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
|
Week 5: at Miami Dolphinsβ»
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chiefs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Dolphins | 7 | 7 | 21 | 7 | 42 |
at Joe Robbie Stadium, Miami, Florida
- Date: October 11
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: Cloudy, 79 Β°F (26 Β°C)
- Game attendance: 25,867
- Referee: Jerry Seeman
- TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg and Merlin Olsen
- Recap, Game Book
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
|
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
|
Week 6: vs. Denver Broncosβ»
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Broncos | 9 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 26 |
Chiefs | 7 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 17 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: October 18
- Game time: 3:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: Sunny, 71 Β°F (22 Β°C)
- Game attendance: 20,296
- Referee: Jerry Markbreit
- TV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui and Bob Trumpy
- Recap, Game Book
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
|
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
|
Week 7: at San Diego Chargersβ»
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chiefs | 0 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
Chargers | 14 | 21 | 0 | 7 | 42 |
at Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego, California
- Date: October 25
- Game time: 3:00 p.m. CST/1:00 p.m. PST
- Game weather: Overcast, 72 Β°F (22 Β°C)
- Game attendance: 47,972
- Referee: Bob Frederic
- TV announcers (NBC): Tom Hammond and Dave Casper
- Recap, Game Book
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
|
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
|
Week 8: at Chicago Bearsβ»
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chiefs | 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 28 |
Bears | 7 | 7 | 3 | 14 | 31 |
at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
- Date: November 1
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Fog, 62 Β°F (17 Β°C)
- Game attendance: 63,498
- Referee: Tom Dooley
- TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg and Paul Maguire
- Recap, Game Book
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
|
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
|
Week 9: vs. Pittsburgh Steelersβ»
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Steelers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 17 |
Chiefs | 7 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 16 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: November 8
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Sunny, 62 Β°F (17 Β°C)
- Game attendance: 45,249
- Referee: Jim Tunney
- TV announcers (NBC): Tom Hammond and Michael Jackson
- Recap, Game Book
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
|
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
|
Week 10: vs. New York Jetsβ»
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jets | 3 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 16 |
Chiefs | 0 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 9 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: November 15
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Overcast, 60 Β°F (16 Β°C)
- Game attendance: 40,718
- Referee: Fred Silva
- TV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui and Paul Maguire
- Recap, Game Book
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
|
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
|
Week 11: vs. Green Bay Packersβ»
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Packers | 7 | 0 | 13 | 3 | 23 |
Chiefs | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: November 22
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Overcast, 56 Β°F (13 Β°C)
- Game attendance: 34,611
- Referee: Pat Haggerty
- TV announcers (CBS): James Brown and Dan Jiggetts
- Recap, Game Book
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
|
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
|
Week 12: at Detroit Lionsβ»
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chiefs | 7 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 27 |
Lions | 0 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 20 |
at Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan
- Date: November 26
- Game time: 12:30 p.m. EST/11:30 a.m. CST
- Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
- Game attendance: 43,820
- Referee: Gordon McCarter
- TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg and Merlin Olsen
- Recap
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
|
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
|
Week 13: at Cincinnati Bengalsβ»
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chiefs | 0 | 3 | 14 | 10 | 0 | 27 |
Bengals | 10 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 30 |
at Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Date: December 6
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Overcast, 38 Β°F (3 Β°C)
- Game attendance: 46,489
- Referee: Jerry Seeman
- TV announcers (NBC): Mel Proctor and Reggie Rucker
- Recap
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Overtime
|
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
|
Week 14: vs. Los Angeles Raidersβ»
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Raiders | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
Chiefs | 0 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 16 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: December 13
- Game time: 3:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Cloudy, 41 Β°F (5 Β°C)
- Game attendance: 63,834
- Referee: Gene Barth
- TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones and Jimmy Cefalo
- Recap, Game Book
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
|
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
|
Week 15: at Denver Broncosβ»
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chiefs | 0 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 17 |
Broncos | 7 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 20 |
at Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado
- Date: December 19
- Game time: 3:00 p.m. CST/2:00 p.m. MST
- Game weather: Cloudy, 35 Β°F (2 Β°C)
- Game attendance: 75,053
- Referee: Dick Jorgensen
- TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones and Jimmy Cefalo
- Recap, Game Book
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
|
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
|
Week 16: vs. Seattle Seahawksβ»
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Seahawks | 7 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
Chiefs | 17 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 41 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: December 27
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Overcast and Drizzle, 35 Β°F (2 Β°C)
- Game attendance: 20,370
- Referee: Ben Dreith
- TV announcers (NBC): Gayle Sierens and Dave Rowe
- Recap, Game Book
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
|
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
|
Standingsβ»
AFC West | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
Denver Broncos | 10 | 4 | 1 | .700 | 7β1 | 8β3 | 379 | 288 | W2 |
Seattle Seahawks | 9 | 6 | 0 | .600 | 4β3 | 5β6 | 371 | 314 | L1 |
San Diego Chargers | 8 | 7 | 0 | .533 | 3β4 | 6β7 | 253 | 317 | L6 |
Los Angeles Raiders | 5 | 10 | 0 | .333 | 2β6 | 3β8 | 301 | 289 | L3 |
Kansas City Chiefs | 4 | 11 | 0 | .267 | 3β5 | 3β9 | 273 | 388 | W1 |
Referencesβ»
- ^ "Kansas City Chiefs History 1980's". Archived from the original on August 6, 2007. Retrieved July 31, 2007.
- ^ "1987 Kansas City Chiefs draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
External linksβ»
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