| 1977 Kansas City Chiefs season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Lamar Hunt |
| General manager | Jim Schaaf |
| Head coach | Paul Wiggin (fired Oct. 31, 1–6 record) Tom Bettis (interim, 1–6 record) |
| Home stadium | Arrowhead Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 2–12 |
| Division place | 5thAFC West |
| Playoffs | Did not qualify |
| All-Pros | None |
| Pro Bowlers | None |
The1977 Kansas City Chiefs season was thefranchise's 8th season in theNational Football League, the 15th as theKansas City Chiefs, and the 18th overall. This season was the worst in franchise history[1] until the2008 season, with the Chiefs winning only two of fourteen games. After an 0–5 start, Head coachPaul Wiggin was fired following a 44–7 loss toCleveland in week 7.Tom Bettis took over as interim head coach for the rest of the season. The team endured a six-game losing streak to conclude the season at 2–12.
LinebackersWillie Lanier andJim Lynch, the last remaining links to the Chiefs'Super Bowl IV championship team in1969, each played their final NFL season.
| 1977 Kansas City Chiefs draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | Gary Green * | Cornerback | Baylor | |
| 2 | 37 | Tony Reed | Running back | Colorado | |
| 3 | 67 | Thomas Howard | Linebacker | Texas Tech | |
| 4 | 92 | Mark Bailey | Running back | Long Beach State | |
| 4 | 94 | Tony Samuels | Tight end | Bethune–Cookman | |
| 4 | 95 | Darius Helton | Guard | North Carolina Central | |
| 4 | 104 | Eric Harris | Cornerback | Memphis State | Made in 1980 |
| 6 | 150 | Rick Burleson | Defensive end | Texas | |
| 6 | 167 | Andre Herrera | Running back | Southern Illinois | |
| 7 | 177 | Chris Golub | Safety | Kansas | |
| 8 | 204 | Ron Olsonoski | Linebacker | St. Thomas | |
| 8 | 215 | Waddell Smith | Wide receiver | Kansas | |
| 9 | 226 | Derrick Glanton | Defensive end | Bishop | |
| 9 | 234 | Dave Green | Tackle | New Mexico | |
| 10 | 261 | Mark Vitali | Quarterback | Purdue | |
| 11 | 288 | Maurice Mitchell | Wide receiver | Northern Michigan | |
| 12 | 318 | Ray Burks | Linebacker | UCLA | |
| Made roster * Made at least onePro Bowl during career | |||||
| Quarterbacks(QB) Running backs(RB) Wide receivers(WR) Tight ends(TE) | Offensive linemen(OL) | Linebackers(LB)
Defensive backs(DB)
Special teams(ST) | Reserve
|
An 0–5 start doomed the squad with a 44–7 loss at Cleveland (10/30) effectively sealing Wiggin's fate. Despite the club's record Wiggin was still a popular figure in Kansas City, but was nonetheless relieved of his duties on Halloween, marking the first in-season coaching switch in team history, and the last until2011, whenTodd Haley was fired with three games remaining. Wiggin concluded his tenure with an 11–24 record.[1]
Defensive backs coach Tom Bettis was named interim coach and claimed a 20–10 victory vs.Green Bay (11/6) in the franchise's initial contest under his direction, but it was the only victory of his brief head coaching tenure. The team endured a six-game losing streak to conclude the season at 2–12.[1] (Ironically, Haley's successor,Romeo Crennel, also won his first game in charge against the Packers at home; Green Bay entered that game 13–0.)
Bettis and the remainder of the coaching staff assembled by Wiggin were released on December 19, one day after a 21–20 loss at Oakland (12/18) in the regular season finale.Marv Levy, the former head coach of theCFL'sMontreal Alouettes, was named the fourth head coach in franchise history on December 20.[1]
The heart and soul of the Chiefs once-vaunted defense departed when roommatesWillie Lanier andJim Lynch, who both joined the club together as second-round draft picks in1967, retired following the 1977 campaign.Baltimore later acquired Lanier's rights in a trade, but failed to lure him out of retirement.[1]
By managing to win only twice in the1977 season, the team was given the second pick in the1978 NFL draft.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 6 | atDetroit Lions | L 0–17 | 0–1 | Pontiac Silverdome | 52,309 | Recap |
| 2 | August 13 | Pittsburgh Steelers | W 23–21 | 1–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | 28,584 | Recap |
| 3 | August 18 | atWashington Redskins | L 7–13 | 1–2 | RFK Stadium | 33,263 | Recap |
| 4 | August 27 | Los Angeles Rams | W 27–19 | 2–2 | Arrowhead Stadium | 34,975 | Recap |
| 5 | September 5 | Atlanta Falcons | L 16–24 | 2–3 | Arrowhead Stadium | 22,748 | Recap |
| 6 | September 10 | St. Louis Cardinals | W 37–20 | 3–3 | Arrowhead Stadium | 38,480 | Recap |
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 18 | atNew England Patriots | L 17–21 | 0–1 | Schaefer Stadium | 58,185 | Recap |
| 2 | September 25 | San Diego Chargers | L 7–23 | 0–2 | Arrowhead Stadium | 56,146 | Recap |
| 3 | October 3 | Oakland Raiders | L 28–37 | 0–3 | Arrowhead Stadium | 60,684 | Recap |
| 4 | October 9 | atDenver Broncos | L 7–23 | 0–4 | Mile High Stadium | 74,878 | Recap |
| 5 | October 16 | Baltimore Colts | L 6–17 | 0–5 | Arrowhead Stadium | 63,076 | Recap |
| 6 | October 23 | atSan Diego Chargers | W 21–16 | 1–5 | San Diego Stadium | 33,010 | Recap |
| 7 | October 30 | atCleveland Browns | L 7–44 | 1–6 | Cleveland Stadium | 60,381 | Recap |
| 8 | November 6 | Green Bay Packers | W 20–10 | 2–6 | Arrowhead Stadium | 62,687 | Recap |
| 9 | November 13 | atChicago Bears | L 27–28 | 2–7 | Soldier Field | 49,543 | Recap |
| 10 | November 20 | Denver Broncos | L 7–14 | 2–8 | Arrowhead Stadium | 54,050 | Recap |
| 11 | November 27 | atHouston Oilers | L 20–34 | 2–9 | Houston Astrodome | 42,934 | Recap |
| 12 | December 4 | Cincinnati Bengals | L 7–27 | 2–10 | Arrowhead Stadium | 38,488 | Recap |
| 13 | December 11 | Seattle Seahawks | L 31–34 | 2–11 | Arrowhead Stadium | 22,262 | Recap |
| 14 | December 18 | atOakland Raiders | L 20–21 | 2–12 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | 50,304 | Recap |
| Note: Intra-division opponents are inbold text. | |||||||
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 14 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 17 |
| Patriots | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
atSchaefer Stadium,Foxborough, Massachusetts
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chargers | 7 | 9 | 0 | 7 | 23 |
| Chiefs | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
atArrowhead Stadium,Kansas City, Missouri
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raiders | 7 | 6 | 21 | 3 | 37 |
| Chiefs | 0 | 21 | 0 | 7 | 28 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Broncos | 10 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 23 |
atMile High Stadium,Denver, Colorado
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colts | 14 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 17 |
| Chiefs | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 21 |
| Chargers | 3 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 16 |
atSan Diego Stadium,San Diego, California
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Browns | 13 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 44 |
atCleveland Municipal Stadium,Cleveland, Ohio
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Packers | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 10 |
| Chiefs | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 14 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 27 |
| Bears | 0 | 0 | 7 | 21 | 28 |
atSoldier Field,Chicago, Illinois
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broncos | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Chiefs | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 0 | 6 | 0 | 14 | 20 |
| Oilers | 7 | 7 | 6 | 14 | 34 |
atHouston Astrodome,Houston, Texas
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bengals | 7 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 27 |
| Chiefs | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seahawks | 14 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 34 |
| Chiefs | 21 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 31 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 0 | 7 | 13 | 0 | 20 |
| Raiders | 3 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 21 |
atOakland–Alameda County Coliseum,Oakland, California
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| AFC West | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| Denver Broncos(1) | 12 | 2 | 0 | .857 | 6–1 | 11–1 | 274 | 148 | L1 |
| Oakland Raiders(4) | 11 | 3 | 0 | .786 | 5–2 | 10–2 | 351 | 230 | W2 |
| San Diego Chargers | 7 | 7 | 0 | .500 | 3–4 | 6–6 | 222 | 205 | L2 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 5 | 9 | 0 | .357 | 1–3 | 4–9 | 282 | 373 | W2 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 2 | 12 | 0 | .143 | 1–6 | 1–11 | 225 | 349 | L6 |