1973 Kansas City Chiefs season

1973 Kansas City Chiefs season
Head coach	Hank Stram
Owner	Lamar Hunt
Home field	Arrowhead Stadium
Results
Record	7–5–2
Division place	3rd AFC West
Playoff finish	did not qualify
Pro Bowlers	C Jack Rudnay LB Willie Lanier

The 1973 Kansas City Chiefs season ended with a 7–5–2 record and third-place finish in the AFC West.

For 1973, the defense kept the club in contention thanks to a nucleus that still included the bulk of the squad’s Super Bowl IV starters. Quarterback Mike Livingston started in a 23–13 Opening Day loss against the Los Angeles Rams on September 16, but Len Dawson returned to rally the club for three consecutive wins to get the club off to a 3–1 start for a third consecutive year.^[1] The aging Len Dawson made his final start of the year in a 23–14 loss at Buffalo on October 29 and was replaced for the remainder of the year by Livingston, beginning a string of three straight seasons in which both players split time at the position.^[1]

Livingston led the club to another three straight wins, putting the team in first place in mid-November with a 6–3–1 record. A 1–2–1 ledger over the season’s final month ended the club’s post-season aspirations as the team finished the year in a second-place tie with Denver at 7–5–2.^[1] Len Dawson became the second Chiefs player in as many years to win the NFL Man of the Year Award.^[1] Following Super Bowl VIII, The AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was held at Arrowhead Stadium on January 20 with the AFC claiming a 15–13 win thanks to five field goals from Miami placekicker Garo Yepremian.^[1]

Offseason

NFL Draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	School/Club Team

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Attendance
1	September 16, 1973	Los Angeles Rams	L 13-23	62,315
2	September 23, 1973	at New England Patriots	W 10–7	57,918
3	September 30, 1973	Oakland Raiders	W 16–3	72,631
4	October 7, 1973	Denver Broncos	W 16–14	71,414
5	October 14, 1973	at Green Bay Packers	T 10–10	46,583
6	October 21, 1973	at Cincinnati Bengals	L 6-14	56,397
7	October 29, 1973	at Buffalo Bills	L 14-23	76,071
8	November 4, 1973	at San Diego Chargers	W 19–0	50,234
9	November 12, 1973	Chicago Bears	W 19–7	70,664
10	November 18, 1973	Houston Oilers	W 38–14	68,444
11	November 25, 1973	at Denver Broncos	L 10-14	51,331
12	December 2, 1973	Cleveland Browns	T 20–20	70,296
13	December 8, 1973	at Oakland Raiders	L 7-37	53,945
14	December 16, 1973	San Diego Chargers	W 33–6	43,755

Standings

AFC West
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
Oakland Raiders	9	4	1	.679	4–1–1	7–3–1	292	175	W4
Kansas City Chiefs	7	5	2	.571	4–2	6–4–1	231	192	W1
Denver Broncos	7	5	2	.571	3–2–1	7–2–1	354	296	L1
San Diego Chargers	2	11	1	.179	0–6	1–9–1	188	386	L4

References

1. Kansas City Chiefs History 1970's"