1977 Kansas City Chiefs season

1977 Kansas City Chiefs season
Head coach	Paul Wiggin (Fired) Tom Bettis (Interim)
Home field	Arrowhead Stadium
Results
Record	2–12
Division place	5th AFC West
Playoff finish	did not qualify
Pro Bowlers	None

The 1977 Kansas City Chiefs season was the worst in franchise history^[1] until 2008, with the Chiefs winning only two of fourteen games. After an 0-5 start, Head coach Paul Wiggin was fired following a 44–7 loss to Cleveland in week seven. 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.

Off-season

1977 NFL Draft

Round	Selection	Overall	Player	College
1	10	10	Gary Green	Baylor
2	9	37	Tony Reeds	University of Colorado
3	11	67	Thomas Howard	Texas Tech
4	8	92	Mark Bailey	Long Beach State
4	11	95	Darius Helton	North Carolina Central
4	20	104	Eric Harris	Memphis State
6	11	150	Rick Burleson	University of Texas
6	28	167	Andre Herrera	Southern Illinois
7	10	177	Chris Golub	Kansas
8	9	204	Ron Olsonoski	St. Thomas (MN)
8	20	215	Waddell Smith	Kansas
9	3	226	Derrick Glanton	Bishop
9	11	234	Dave Green	New Mexico
10	10	261	Mark Vitali	Purdue
11	9	288	Maurice Mitchell	Northern Michigan
12	11	318	Ray Burks	UCLA

Regular season

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 only in-season coaching switch in team history. 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]

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 the CFL’s Montreal 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 roommates Willie Lanier and Jim Lynch, who both joined the club together as second-round draft picks in 1967, retired following the ‘77 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 the 1977 season, the team was given the second pick in the 1978 NFL Draft.

Schedule

Week	Opponent	Result	Game site	Attendance
1	at New England Patriots	L 17–21	Schaefer Stadium	58,185
2	San Diego Chargers	L 7–23	Arrowhead Stadium	56,146
3	Oakland Raiders	L 28–37	Arrowhead Stadium	60,684
4	at Denver Broncos	L 7–23	Mile High Stadium	74,878
5	Baltimore Colts	L 6–17	Arrowhead Stadium	63,076
6	at San Diego Chargers	W 21–16	San Diego Stadium	33,010
7	at Cleveland Browns	L 7–44	Cleveland Stadium	60,381
8	Green Bay Packers	W 20–10	Arrowhead Stadium	62,687
9	at Chicago Bears	L 27–28	Soldier Field	49,543
10	Denver Broncos	L 7–14	Arrowhead Stadium	54,050
11	at Houston Oilers	L 20–34	Astrodome	42,934
12	Cincinnati Bengals	L 7–27	Arrowhead Stadium	38,488
13	Seattle Seahawks	L 31–34	Arrowhead Stadium	22,262
14	at Oakland Raiders	L 20–21	Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum	50,304

Standings

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

References

1. Chiefs History: 1970s Kansas City Chiefs, January 2, 2006.

External links

• 1977 Kansas City Chiefs on Database Football