1972 Kansas City Chiefs season
The 1972 Kansas City Chiefs season was the franchise's third season in the National Football League, tenth as the Kansas City Chiefs, and thirteenth overall. The Chiefs moved into the new Arrowhead Stadium and ended with an 8–6 record, runner-up in the AFC West, but missed the playoffs.[1]
| 1972 Kansas City Chiefs season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Lamar Hunt |
| General manager | Jack Steadman |
| Head coach | Hank Stram |
| Home field | Arrowhead Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 8–6 |
| Division place | 2nd AFC West |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers | WR Otis Taylor LB Willie Lanier LB Bobby Bell CB Emmitt Thomas P Jerrel Wilson |
The last original member of the franchise (1960 Dallas Texans) departed on July 12 when safety Johnny Robinson announced his retirement at training camp.[2] Starting quarterback Len Dawson ended speculation about his retirement and signed a two-year contract. Franchise owner Lamar Hunt became the first AFL figure to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on July 29;[3] Dawson was inducted in 1987 and Robinson in 2019.
After two different construction strikes and a myriad of other delays, Arrowhead Stadium was officially dedicated on August 12,[4] when the Chiefs registered a 24–14 preseason victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. On a very warm Saturday night with an attendance of 78,190, running back Ed Podolak scored the first touchdown in the facility.[5][6] Regular season ticket prices for this first season at Arrowhead were eight dollars for box seats and $7 for reserved seating.[3]
In the opener on September 17, the Chiefs lost 20–10 to Miami (the first win of their perfect season) in the first regular season game at the new Arrowhead Stadium, in front of a crowd of 79,829.[3][7] A standing-room-only crowd of 82,094 was in attendance for a 27–14 victory over division rival Oakland on November 5,[8] the largest “in-house” attendance total for an NFL contest in Arrowhead's history.[3] After a 5–3 start, a three-game losing streak effectively eliminated the club from playoff contention.[9] An 8–6 record was only good enough for a second-place finish in the AFC West, 2½ games behind Oakland.[1] Linebacker Willie Lanier became the first Chiefs player to receive the prestigious NFL Man of the Year Award in the offseason.[3]
In week six, the Chiefs dropped a shocking 21–20 decision at home to the lowly Philadelphia Eagles, who entered the game 0–5 and won only once more (also a one-point victory, over the Houston Oilers, who finished 1–13). It was the only time the Chiefs and Eagles met until 1992,[10] and Kansas City did not visit Philadelphia until 1998.[11]
Offseason
NFL draft
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | School/club team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Roster
Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
|
Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
|
Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
|
Reserve lists
Practice squad
| ||||||
Preseason
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HOF | July 29 | vs. New York Giants | W 23–17 | 1–0 | Fawcett Stadium (Canton, OH) | 19,307 | Recap |
| 1 | August 5 | vs. Chicago Bears | W 24–10 | 2–0 | Notre Dame Stadium (Notre Dame, IN) | 32,391 | Recap |
| 2 | August 12 | St. Louis Cardinals | W 24–14 | 3–0 | Arrowhead Stadium | 78,190 | Recap |
| 3 | August 21 | Baltimore Colts | L 17–23 | 3–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | 76,882 | Recap |
| 4 | August 27 | Los Angeles Rams | W 19–13 | 4–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | 77,064 | Recap |
| 5 | September 2 | Dallas Cowboys | W 20–10 | 5–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | 79,592 | Recap |
| 6 | September 9 | at Green Bay Packers | L 0–20 | 5–2 | Milwaukee County Stadium | 47,281 | Recap |
Regular season
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 17 | Miami Dolphins | L 10–20 | 0–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | 79,829 | Recap |
| 2 | September 25 | at New Orleans Saints | W 20–17 | 1–1 | Tulane Stadium | 70,793 | Recap |
| 3 | October 1 | at Denver Broncos | W 45–24 | 2–1 | Mile High Stadium | 51,656 | Recap |
| 4 | October 8 | at Cleveland Browns | W 31–7 | 3–1 | Cleveland Stadium | 83,819 | Recap |
| 5 | October 15 | Cincinnati Bengals | L 16–23 | 3–2 | Arrowhead Stadium | 79,068 | Recap |
| 6 | October 22 | Philadelphia Eagles | L 20–21 | 3–3 | Arrowhead Stadium | 78,389 | Recap |
| 7 | October 29 | at San Diego Chargers | W 26–14 | 4–3 | San Diego Stadium | 54,533 | Recap |
| 8 | November 5 | Oakland Raiders | W 27–14 | 5–3 | Arrowhead Stadium | 82,094 | Recap |
| 9 | November 12 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | L 7–16 | 5–4 | Three Rivers Stadium | 50,350 | Recap |
| 10 | November 19 | San Diego Chargers | L 17–27 | 5–5 | Arrowhead Stadium | 79,011 | Recap |
| 11 | November 26 | at Oakland Raiders | L 3–26 | 5–6 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | 54,801 | Recap |
| 12 | December 3 | Denver Broncos | W 24–21 | 6–6 | Arrowhead Stadium | 66,725 | Recap |
| 13 | December 10 | Baltimore Colts | W 24–10 | 7–6 | Arrowhead Stadium | 44,175 | Recap |
| 14 | December 17 | at Atlanta Falcons | W 17–14 | 8–6 | Atlanta Stadium | 58,850 | Recap |
| Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. | |||||||
Week 1: vs. Miami Dolphins
Week 1: Miami Dolphins at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dolphins | 7 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 20 |
| Chiefs | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 10 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: September 17
- Game time: 3:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: 81 °F (27.2 °C), relative humidity 65%, wind 15 mph
- Game attendance: 79,829
- Referee: Jim Tunney
- TV announcers (NBC): Curt Gowdy and Al DeRogatis
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 2: at New Orleans Saints
Week 2: Kansas City Chiefs at New Orleans Saints – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
| Saints | 0 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
at Tulane Stadium, New Orleans, Louisiana
- Date: September 25
- Game time: 8:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: 79 °F (26.1 °C), relative humidity 81%, wind 12 mph
- Game attendance: 70,793
- Referee: Tommy Bell
- TV announcers (ABC): Frank Gifford, Don Meredith and Howard Cosell
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 3: at Denver Broncos
Week 3: Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 3 | 7 | 14 | 21 | 45 |
| Broncos | 7 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
at Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado
- Date: October 1
- Game time: 2:00 p.m. MDT
- Game weather: 62 °F (16.7 °C), relative humidity 24%, wind 7 mph
- Game attendance: 51,656
- Referee: Fred Silva
- TV announcers (NBC): Bill Enis and Willie Davis
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 4: at Cleveland Browns
Week 4: Kansas City Chiefs at Cleveland Browns – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 7 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 31 |
| Browns | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
- Date: October 8
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: 50 °F (10.0 °C), relative humidity 74%, wind 14 mph
- Game attendance: 83,819
- Referee: Jack Reader
- TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones and Al De Rogatis
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 5: vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Week 5: Cincinnati Bengals at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bengals | 3 | 0 | 7 | 13 | 23 |
| Chiefs | 0 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 16 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: October 15
- Game time: 3:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: 47 °F (8.3 °C), relative humidity 56%, wind 11 mph
- Game attendance: 79,068
- Referee: Fred Swearingen
- TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones and Al De Rogatis
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 6: vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Week 6: Philadelphia Eagles at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eagles | 14 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
| Chiefs | 0 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 20 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: October 22
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: 55 °F (12.8 °C), relative humidity 92%, wind 13 mph
- Game attendance: 78,389
- Referee: Bob Frederic
- TV announcers (CBS): Don Criqui, Irv Cross and Jim Thacker
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 7: at San Diego Chargers
Week 7: Kansas City Chiefs at San Diego Chargers – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 0 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 26 |
| Chargers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
at San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California
- Date: October 29
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. PST
- Game weather: 62 °F (16.7 °C), relative humidity 75%, wind 8 mph
- Game attendance: 54,533
- Referee: Norm Schachter
- TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones and George Ratterman
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 8: vs. Oakland Raiders
Week 8: Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raiders | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| Chiefs | 0 | 17 | 3 | 7 | 27 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: November 5
- Game time: 3:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: 53 °F (11.7 °C), relative humidity 60%, wind 12 mph
- Game attendance: 82,094
- Referee: Pat Haggerty
- TV announcers (NBC): Curt Gowdy and Al De Rogatis
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 9: at Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 9: Kansas City Chiefs at Pittsburgh Steelers – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Steelers | 0 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 16 |
at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Date: November 12
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 41 °F (5.0 °C), relative humidity 75%, wind 9 mph
- Game attendance: 50,350
- Referee: Jim Tunney
- TV announcers (NBC): Jim Simpson and Kyle Rote
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 10: vs. San Diego Chargers
Week 10: San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chargers | 7 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 27 |
| Chiefs | 7 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 17 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: November 19
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: 32 °F (0.0 °C), relative humidity 81%, wind 11 mph, wind chill 23
- Game attendance: 79,011
- Referee: Jack Reader
- TV announcers (NBC): Jim Simpson and Kyle Rote
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 11: at Oakland Raiders
Week 11: Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Raiders | 10 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 26 |
at Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California
- Date: November 26
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. PST
- Game weather: 50 °F (10.0 °C), relative humidity 88%, wind 8 mph
- Game attendance: 54,801
- Referee: Ben Dreith
- TV announcers (NBC): Curt Gowdy and Al De Rogatis
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 12: vs. Denver Broncos
Week 12: Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broncos | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
| Chiefs | 0 | 10 | 14 | 0 | 24 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: December 3
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: 30 °F (−1.1 °C), relative humidity 68%, wind 19 mph, wind chill 18
- Game attendance: 66,725
- Referee: John McDonough
- TV announcers (NBC): Ross Porter and Willie Davis
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 13: vs. Baltimore Colts
Week 13: Baltimore Colts at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colts | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Chiefs | 3 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: December 10
- Game time: 3:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: 8 °F (−13.3 °C), relative humidity 56%, wind 11 mph, wind chill -8
- Game attendance: 44,175
- Referee: Fred Wyant
- TV announcers (NBC): Bill Enis and Paul Maguire
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 14: at Atlanta Falcons
Week 14: Kansas City Chiefs at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 0 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 17 |
| Falcons | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
at Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: December 17
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 27 °F (−2.8 °C), relative humidity 35%, wind 15 mph, wind chill 15
- Game attendance: 58,850
- Referee: Norm Schachter
- TV announcers (NBC): Curt Gowdy and Al De Rogatis
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Standings
| AFC West | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| Oakland Raiders | 10 | 3 | 1 | .750 | 3–2–1 | 7–3–1 | 365 | 248 | W6 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 8 | 6 | 0 | .571 | 4–2 | 6–5 | 287 | 254 | W3 |
| Denver Broncos | 5 | 9 | 0 | .357 | 2–4 | 4–6 | 325 | 350 | W2 |
| San Diego Chargers | 4 | 9 | 1 | .321 | 2–3–1 | 4–6–1 | 264 | 344 | L3 |
References
- "Chiefs wrap it up on winning note". Lawrence Daily Journal World. (Kansas). Associated Press. December 18, 1972. p. 28.
- "Chiefs begin trying to fill Robinson void". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. (Kansas). Associated Press. July 13, 1972. p. 21.
- "Kansas City Chiefs History 1970s". Archived from the original on August 23, 2007. Retrieved July 30, 2007.
- "Kinney slated for long look against Cards". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. (Kansas). Associated Press. August 12, 1972. p. 12.
- "Chiefs blitz Cards". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. August 13, 1972. p. 2C.
- Woodling, Chuck (August 14, 1972). "KC's Disneyland finally arrives, but don't look at lights". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. (Kansas). p. 18.
- Woodling, Chuck (September 18, 1972). "Miami topples sluggish Chiefs". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. (Kansas). p. 24.
- "Dawson's TD passes carry Chiefs, 27-14". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. (Kansas). Associated Press. November 6, 1972. p. 21.
- "KC licks wounds after Raider loss". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. (Kansas). Associated Press. November 27, 1972. p. 17.
- Urena, Ivan; Pro Football Schedules: A Complete Historical Guide from 1933 to the Present, p. 18 ISBN 0786473517
- Urena; Pro Football Schedules, p. 17
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