1983 Kansas City Chiefs season
Encyclopedia
The 1983
Kansas City Chiefs
season ended with a second consecutive 6–10 record, and last place finish in the AFC West
.
To begin 1983, the Chiefs fired head coach Marv Levy on January 4 after compiling a 31–42 record. Dallas Cowboys
quarterbacks coach John Mackovic
was named the fifth head coach in team history on February 2. The 39-year-old Mackovic became the youngest individual ever to hold that post for the club. The Chiefs held the seventh overall pick in the quarterback-laden 1983 NFL Draft
and selected Todd Blackledge
. The five other signal-callers selected in the first round that year included John Elway
, Jim Kelly
, Tony Eason
, Ken O'Brien
, and Dan Marino
.
Tragedy struck the club on June 29 when Joe Delaney
drowned trying to save the lives of three youngsters in Monroe, Louisiana
. Delaney was posthumously awarded the Presidential Citizen's Medal by Ronald Reagan
on July 13. Linebacker Bobby Bell
became the first Chiefs player to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
on July 30, providing some solace for the mourning Chiefs fan base following Joe Delaney's death.
With Bill Kenney
and Todd Blackledge both on the roster, starting Steve Fuller was traded to the Los Angeles Rams
on August 19. Kenney earned a Pro Bowl
berth after racking up a franchise-record 4,348 passing yards, while wide receiver Carlos Carson
hauled in 80 passes for 1,351 yards. Despite the team's high-flying passing game, head coach John Mackovic had trouble finding a suitable replacement for Joe Delaney and the running back position. The highest scoring contest in franchise history took place as the Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks
combined for 99 points in a wild, 51–48 overtime loss at the Kingdome
. A meager crowd of 11,377 attended the club's season-ending 48–17 win against Denver
on December 18, the smallest attendance figure ever for a Chiefs game at Arrowhead as the club finished the year at 6–10.
1983 NFL season
The 1983 NFL season was the 64th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVIII when the Los Angeles Raiders defeated the Washington Redskins.-Major rule changes:...
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 second consecutive 6–10 record, and last place finish in the 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:...
.
To begin 1983, the Chiefs fired head coach Marv Levy on January 4 after compiling a 31–42 record. Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
quarterbacks coach John Mackovic
John Mackovic
John Mackovic is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach of United States national American football team, which was formed to compete in the American Football World Cup...
was named the fifth head coach in team history on February 2. The 39-year-old Mackovic became the youngest individual ever to hold that post for the club. The Chiefs held the seventh overall pick in the quarterback-laden 1983 NFL Draft
1983 NFL Draft
The 1983 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 26–27, 1983...
and selected Todd Blackledge
Todd Blackledge
Todd Alan Blackledge was an American football quarterback in both the NCAA and National Football League. In college, he led the Penn State Nittany Lions to a national championship; and, as a pro, he played for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Pittsburgh Steelers...
. The five other signal-callers selected in the first round that year included John Elway
John Elway
John Albert Elway, Jr. is a former American football quarterback and currently is the executive vice president of football operations for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League . He played college football at Stanford and his entire professional career with the Denver Broncos...
, Jim Kelly
Jim Kelly
James Edward Kelly is a former American football quarterback in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills and the USFL's Houston Gamblers....
, Tony Eason
Tony Eason
Charles Carroll "Tony" Eason, IV is a former quarterback. He played college football for the University of Illinois and professional football for the New England Patriots and New York Jets .-Early years:Eason grew up in Walnut Grove, California, and attended Delta High School in Clarksburg,...
, Ken O'Brien
Ken O'Brien
Kenneth John O'Brien is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for the New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles. When he retired he was the only Jets quarterback to have ever been the top ranked passer in a season. He held the team record for most...
, and Dan Marino
Dan Marino
Daniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League...
.
Tragedy struck the club on June 29 when Joe Delaney
Joe Delaney
Joe Alton Delaney was an American football running back who played two seasons in the National Football League . In his two seasons with the Chiefs, Delaney set four franchise records that would stand for over 20 years....
drowned trying to save the lives of three youngsters in Monroe, Louisiana
Monroe, Louisiana
Monroe is a city in and the parish seat of Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 53,107, making it the eighth largest city in Louisiana. A July 1, 2007, United States Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 51,208, but 51,636...
. Delaney was posthumously awarded the Presidential Citizen's Medal by Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
on July 13. Linebacker Bobby Bell
Bobby Bell
Bobby Lee Bell, Sr is a former professional American football linebacker/defensive end. He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the College Football Hall of Fame, and was a member of the Chiefs' team that won Super Bowl IV against the Minnesota Vikings.- High school career :He excelled in...
became the first Chiefs player to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
on July 30, providing some solace for the mourning Chiefs fan base following Joe Delaney's death.
With Bill Kenney
Bill Kenney
William Patrick Kenney is a retired quarterback who spent 9 years in the National Football League with the Kansas City Chiefs from 1980 to 1988 and a former politician who spent 8 years as a Missouri State Senator...
and Todd Blackledge both on the roster, starting Steve Fuller was traded to the Los Angeles Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
on August 19. Kenney earned a Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
berth after racking up a franchise-record 4,348 passing yards, while wide receiver Carlos Carson
Carlos Carson
Carlos Andre Carson was a former professional American football player drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fifth round of the 1980 NFL Draft. A 5'11", 184-lb. wide receiver from Louisiana State University, Carson played in 10 NFL seasons from 1980 to 1989...
hauled in 80 passes for 1,351 yards. Despite the team's high-flying passing game, head coach John Mackovic had trouble finding a suitable replacement for Joe Delaney and the running back position. The highest scoring contest in franchise history took place as the Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
combined for 99 points in a wild, 51–48 overtime loss at the Kingdome
Kingdome
The Kingdome was a multi-purpose stadium located in Seattle's SoDo neighborhood. Owned and operated by King County, the Kingdome opened in 1976 and was best known as the home stadium of the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League , the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball , and the...
. A meager crowd of 11,377 attended the club's season-ending 48–17 win against Denver
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...
on December 18, the smallest attendance figure ever for a Chiefs game at Arrowhead as the club finished the year at 6–10.
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 4, 1983 | Seattle Seahawks Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team... |
W 17–13 | |
| 2 | September 12, 1983 | 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 17–14 | |
| 3 | September 18, 1983 | 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,... |
L 27–12 | |
| 4 | September 25, 1983 | 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... |
L 14–6 | |
| 5 | October 2, 1983 | St. Louis Cardinals Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 38–14 | |
| 6 | October 9, 1983 | at Los Angeles 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 21–20 | |
| 7 | October 16, 1983 | New York Giants New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 38–17 | |
| 8 | October 23, 1983 | at Houston Oilers Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter... |
W 13–10 | |
| 9 | October 30, 1983 | 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 27–24 | |
| 10 | November 6, 1983 | Los Angeles 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 28–20 | |
| 11 | November 13, 1983 | 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... |
W 20–15 | |
| 12 | November 20, 1983 | at Dallas Cowboys Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas... |
L 41–21 | |
| 13 | November 27, 1983 | at Seattle Seahawks Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team... |
L 51–48 | |
| 14 | December 4, 1983 | 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 14–9 | |
| 15 | December 11, 1983 | 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... |
L 41–38 | |
| 16 | December 18, 1983 | 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... |
W 48–17 | |