1976 Kansas City Chiefs season
Encyclopedia
The 1976
Kansas City Chiefs
season ended with a third consecutive 5–9 record and no playoff berth.
Buck Buchanan
announced his retirement in February, while Len Dawson
announced his own departure on May 1. Off the field, Jack Steadman
was promoted to team president and Jim Schaaf
was named general manager in August. On the field, Kansas City’s fortunes didn’t improve in the second year of the Wiggin regime. The club dropped three straight home games, including an embarrassing 27–17 loss in week three to the New Orleans Saints
, the first win with the Saints for former Kansas City coach Hank Stram
(who refused to shake hands with Wiggin following the game and rode off on the shoulders of his players as he did after the Chiefs' victory in Super Bowl IV
) before suffering a 50–17 setback at Buffalo
on October 3, opening the season at 0–4 for the first time in team history. The team registered a 3–1 record during a successful midseason stretch, but like most of the previous seasons, could not maintain that momentum.
After lingering in Len Dawson’s shadow for eight seasons, Mike Livingston
was firmly entrenched as the team’s starting quarterback, becoming the first QB to start every regular season game since Dawson in 1968
. Although Livingston played well and rallied the squad for wins in two of the season’s final three games, the Chiefs still ended the year with their third consecutive 5–9 record. Running back MacArthur Lane
was the club’s top offensive threat, becoming the only player at the time in franchise history to lead the league in receptions (66).
1976 NFL season
The 1976 NFL season was the 57th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 28 teams with the addition of the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
season ended with a third consecutive 5–9 record and no playoff berth.
Buck Buchanan
Buck Buchanan
Junious "Buck" Buchanan was an American collegiate and professional Football defensive tackle. He played for the Kansas City Chiefs in the American Football League and in the National Football League ....
announced his retirement in February, while Len Dawson
Len Dawson
Leonard Ray "Len" "Lenny" Dawson is a former American collegiate and Professional Football quarterback who attended Purdue University and went on to play for three professional teams, most notably the Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs...
announced his own departure on May 1. Off the field, Jack Steadman
Jack Steadman
Jack W. Steadman is the former chairman, vice president, president and general manager for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League....
was promoted to team president and Jim Schaaf
Jim Schaaf
Jim Schaaf is a former American football executive in the National Football League . He served as general manager for the Kansas City Chiefs from 1976 to 1988. Alongside his son, Schaaf now owns and operates Jim Schaaf & Associates , a sports insurance firm.From 1961 to 1966 Schaaf worked with the...
was named general manager in August. On the field, Kansas City’s fortunes didn’t improve in the second year of the Wiggin regime. The club dropped three straight home games, including an embarrassing 27–17 loss in week three to the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
, the first win with the Saints for former Kansas City coach Hank Stram
Hank Stram
Henry Louis "Hank" Stram was an American football coach. He is best known for his 15-year tenure with the American Football League's Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs and the Chiefs of the NFL. Stram won three AFL Championships and Super Bowl IV with the Chiefs...
(who refused to shake hands with Wiggin following the game and rode off on the shoulders of his players as he did after the Chiefs' victory in Super Bowl IV
Super Bowl IV
Super Bowl IV was the fourth AFL-NFL World Championship Game in professional American football, and the second one to officially bear the name "Super Bowl"...
) before suffering a 50–17 setback at Buffalo
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on October 3, opening the season at 0–4 for the first time in team history. The team registered a 3–1 record during a successful midseason stretch, but like most of the previous seasons, could not maintain that momentum.
After lingering in Len Dawson’s shadow for eight seasons, Mike Livingston
Mike Livingston
Mike Livingston is a former American collegiate and Professional Football quarterback. He played professionally for the American Football League's Kansas City Chiefs in 1968-1969, and for the NFL Chiefs from 1970 to 1979...
was firmly entrenched as the team’s starting quarterback, becoming the first QB to start every regular season game since Dawson in 1968
1968 Kansas City Chiefs season
The 1968 Kansas City Chiefs season ended with a 12–2 record, resulting in a tie for first place in the AFL Western Division. The Chiefs and Oakland Raiders both finished with 12–2 records in the same division, but the Raiders won the championship in a tiebreaker playoff .A debate raged in Kansas...
. Although Livingston played well and rallied the squad for wins in two of the season’s final three games, the Chiefs still ended the year with their third consecutive 5–9 record. Running back MacArthur Lane
MacArthur Lane
MacArthur Lane is a former professional American football player who was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1st round of the 1968 NFL Draft. A 6'0", 220-lb...
was the club’s top offensive threat, becoming the only player at the time in franchise history to lead the league in receptions (66).
NFL Draft
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | School/Club Team |
|---|
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 12, 1976 | San Diego Chargers San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 30–16 | |
| 2 | September 20, 1976 | Oakland Raiders Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 24–21 | |
| 3 | September 26, 1976 | New Orleans Saints New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League .... |
L 27–17 | |
| 4 | October 3, 1976 | at Buffalo Bills Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 50–17 | |
| 5 | October 10, 1976 | at Washington Redskins Washington Redskins The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,... |
W 33–30 | |
| 6 | October 17, 1976 | at Miami Dolphins Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 20–17 | |
| 7 | October 24, 1976 | Denver Broncos Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 35–26 | |
| 8 | October 31, 1976 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West... |
W 28–19 | |
| 9 | November 7, 1976 | Pittsburgh Steelers Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC... |
L 45–0 | |
| 10 | November 14, 1976 | at Oakland Raiders Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 21–10 | |
| 11 | November 21, 1976 | Cincinnati Bengals Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL... |
L 27–24 | |
| 12 | November 28, 1976 | at San Diego Chargers San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 23–20 | |
| 13 | December 5, 1976 | at Denver Broncos Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 17–16 | |
| 14 | December 12, 1976 | Cleveland Browns Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 39–14 | |
Standings
| AFC West AFC West The AFC West is a division of the National Football League's American Football Conference, currently comprising the Denver Broncos, San Diego Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs, and the Oakland Raiders.-History:... |
||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland Raiders 1976 Oakland Raiders season -Season:The Road to their first World Championship began on opening day as they faced the reigning world champion Pittsburgh Steelers. In their home opener, Oakland trailed 28–14 with just over five minutes to play, yet orchestrated what many to this day refer to as their Comeback Classic of 1976... |
13 | 1 | 0 | .929 | 350 | 237 |
| Denver Broncos 1976 Denver Broncos season The 1976 Denver Broncos season was the team's 17th year in professional football and its seventh with the National Football League. The team finished the season with a winning record for the third time in the last four seasons. It was John Ralston's final season as the team's head... |
9 | 5 | 0 | .643 | 315 | 206 |
| San Diego Chargers 1976 San Diego Chargers season The 1976 San Diego Chargers season began with the team trying to improve on their 2–12 record in 1975.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Standings:-See also:*1976 NFL season... |
6 | 8 | 0 | .429 | 248 | 285 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 5 | 9 | 0 | .357 | 290 | 376 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season The NFL Tampa Bay Buccaneers played their debut season in 1976, making league history as the first team to play an entire 14-game season without winning or tying a single game. They did not score until their third game and did not score a touchdown until their fourth. They lost by a touchdown or... |
0 | 14 | 0 | .000 | 125 | 412 |