1972 Kansas City Chiefs season

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1972 Kansas City Chiefs season
OwnerLamar Hunt
Head coachHank Stram
General managerJack Steadman
Home fieldArrowhead Stadium
Results
Record8–6
Division place2nd AFC West
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Pro BowlersWR Otis Taylor
LB Willie Lanier
LB Bobby Bell
CB Emmitt Thomas
P Jerrel Wilson

The 1972 Kansas City Chiefs season was the franchise's 3rd season in the National Football League, the 10th as the Kansas City Chiefs, and the 13th overall. It would begin with the Chiefs moving into the newly constructed Arrowhead Stadium and ended with an 8–6 record and second-place finish in the AFC West.

The Chiefs introduced the newly completed Arrowhead Stadium to the general public. The last original member of the 1960 Dallas Texans team departed on July 12 when safety Johnny Robinson announced his retirement at training camp. Meanwhile, starting quarterback Len Dawson ended speculation about his retirement by signing 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.[1]

After two different construction strikes and a myriad of other delays, Arrowhead Stadium was officially dedicated on August 12, when the Chiefs registered a 24–14 preseason victory against the St. Louis Cardinals. Running back Ed Podolak scored the first touchdown in the facility. Regular season ticket prices for the team's first season at Arrowhead were USD$8 for box seats and $7 for reserved seating.[1]

On September 17, the Chiefs lost a 20–10 decision against Miami (the first win in Miami's perfect season) in the first official game at the new Arrowhead Stadium, in front of a crowd of 79,829.[1] A standing-room-only crowd of 82,094 was in attendance for a 27–14 victory against Oakland on November 5, the largest “in-house” attendance total for an NFL contest in Arrowhead's history.[1] After a 5–3 start, a three-game losing streak effectively eliminated the club from playoff contention. An 8–6 record was only good enough for a second-place finish in the AFC West behind Oakland. Linebacker Willie Lanier became the first Chiefs player to receive the prestigious NFL Man of the Year Award in the offseason.[1]

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 would win only once more (also a one-point victory over the Houston Oilers, who finished 1–13). It would be the only time the Chiefs and Eagles met until 1992,[2] and Kansas City would never visit Philadelphia before 1998.[3]

Offseason[]

NFL draft[]

Main article: 1972 NFL Draft
Round Pick Player Position School/club team

Roster[]

1972 Kansas City Chiefs roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

Reserve lists


Practice squad


Rookies in italics

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.

Standings[]

AFC West
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 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[]

  1. ^ a b c d e "Kansas City Chiefs History 1970s". Archived from the original on August 23, 2007. Retrieved July 30, 2007.
  2. ^ Urena, Ivan; Pro Football Schedules: A Complete Historical Guide from 1933 to the Present, p. 18 ISBN 0786473517
  3. ^ Urena; Pro Football Schedules, p. 17
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