1993 Kansas City Chiefs season

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The 1993 Kansas City Chiefs season was arguably the franchise's most successful in 22 years: The Chiefs won the AFC Western Division and finished with a 11-5 record. Kansas City advanced all the way to the AFC Championship before losing to the Buffalo Bills 30-13.

The season marked the first for new quarterback Joe Montana, whom was acquired from a trade from the San Francisco 49ers and running back Marcus Allen from the Los Angeles Raiders—both winners of five Super Bowl championships combined.

[edit] Offseason

[edit] Montana and Marcus

Kansas City acquired two Super Bowl MVP's with one fell swoop--Joe Montana from the San Francisco 49ers and Marcus Allen. Allen arrived from Kansas City's most hated rival, the Los Angeles Raiders in a move still talked about today when discussing football's most heated rivalry. Leading into the 1993 season, the Chiefs had not only a proven passer, but also a proven running game to complement their already powerful defense.

The previous season, the Chiefs' starting quarterback was Dave Krieg and their running back was Christian Okoye. Okoye suffered a knee injury prior to training camp in 1993, and Krieg proved to be a mediocre leader for Kansas City.

Allen was named NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 1993 after rushing for twelve touchdowns and only 764 yards.

[edit] 1993 NFL Draft

With their first pick in the 1993 NFL Draft coming in the third round, the Kansas City Chiefs selected future all-pro guard Will Shields from Nebraska.^[1]

[edit] Regular season

The Chiefs finished the regular season with a record of 11-5 after many close wins, advancing them to the playoffs for the fourth straight season.

[edit] Schedule

◊: Denotes an over-time game

[edit] Postseason

Main article: NFL playoffs, 1993-94

[edit] AFC Wild Card Playoffs

Pittsburgh Steelers 24, Kansas City Chiefs 27 (OT)

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

• Game time: 12:30 p.m. EST/11:30 a.m. CST
• Game weather: 34 °F (Clear Skies)
• TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels, Frank Gifford, and Dan Dierdorf
• Referee: Gary Lane
• Game Attendance: 74,515

Chiefs kicker Nick Lowery made the winning 32-yard field goal after 11:03 of overtime. The Steelers scored first on tight end Adrian Cooper's 10-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Neil O'Donnell. Kansas City then tied the game after backup quarterback Dave Krieg, who temporarily replaced injured starter Joe Montana, threw a 23-yard touchdown to wide receiver J.J. Birden. However, Pittsburgh scored 10 unanswered points in the second quarter: kicker Gary Anderson's 30-yard field goal and O'Donnell's 26-yard touchdown completion to wide receiver Ernie Mills. After Lowery made a 23-yard field goal in the third quarter, the Chiefs eventually tied the game in the fourth period with running back Marcus Allen's 2-yard touchdown. However, the Steelers marched 74-yards to take the lead on O'Donnell's third touchdown pass of the game, a 22-yard score to tight end Eric Green. In the final minutes of regulation, Keith Cash blocked a Pittsburgh punt and Fred Jones returned it to the Steelers 9-yard line. On fourth down, wide receiver Tim Barnett scored on a 7-yard touchdown reception from Montana to tie the game. Then after forcing Pittsburgh to punt, Kansas City drove 47 yards to set up Lowery's 43-yard field-goal attempt in the closing seconds, but the kick was wide right and thus the game went into overtime. Montana finished the game with 276 passing yards and a touchdown, with no interceptions.

[edit] Scoring Summary

• • PIT - Cooper 10 pass from O'Donnell (Anderson kick)
  • KC - Birden 23 pass from Krieg (Lowery kick)
  • PIT - FG Anderson 30
  • PIT - Mills 26 pass from O'Donnell (Anderson kick)
  • KC - FG Lowery 23
  • KC - Allen 2 run (Lowery kick)
  • PIT - Green 22 pass from O'Donnell (Anderson kick)
  • KC - Barnett 7 pass from Montana (Lowery kick)
  • KC - FG Lowery 32

[edit] AFC Divisional Playoffs

Kansas City Chiefs 28, Houston Oilers 20

at the Astrodome, Houston, Texas

• Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST/1:00 p.m. PST
• Game weather: Indoors (Domed stadium)
• TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg and Bob Trumpy
• Referee: Gerald Austin
• Game Attendance: 64,011

Chiefs quarterback Joe Montana threw three touchdown passes in the second half to give his team a 28-20 win. The Oilers jumped to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter with kicker Al Del Greco's 49-yard field goal and running back Gary Brown's 2-yard touchdown. Then after a scoreless second period, Montana threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to tight end Keith Cash in the third quarter. In the fourth period, Del Greco kicked a 43-yard field goal to give Houston a 13-7 lead. But aided by a 38-yard pass interference penalty, the Chiefs advanced 71 yards to score on wide receiver J.J. Birden's 11-yard touchdown reception form Montana. On the Oilers' next possession, Kansas City defensive lineman Dan Saleaumua recovered a fumble by Houston quarterback Warren Moon, setting up Montana's 18-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Willie Davis. The Oilers then drove 80 yards to score on wide receiver Ernest Givins' 7-yard touchdown catch, but the Chiefs responded with running back Marcus Allen's game-clinching 21-yard touchdown that capped off a 79-yard drive.

[edit] Scoring Summary

• • HOU - FG Del Greco 49
  • HOU - G. Brown 2 run (Del Greco kick)
  • KC - K. Cash 7 pass from Montana (Lowery kick)
  • HOU - FG Del Greco 43
  • KC - Birden 11 pass from Montana (Lowery kick)
  • KC - W. Davis 18 pass from Montana (Lowery kick)
  • HOU - Givins 7 pass from Moon (Del Greco kick)
  • KC - Allen 21 run (Lowery kick)

[edit] AFC Championship

Kansas City Chiefs 13, Buffalo Bills 30

at Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

• Game time: 12:30 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 36 °F (Cloudy)
• TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg and Bob Trumpy
• Referee: Johnny Grier
• Game Attendance: 76,642

Running back Thurman Thomas led the Bills to the 30-13 victory by recording 186 rushing yards, 3 receptions for 22 yards, and three touchdowns. Buffalo scored first on Thomas' 12-yard touchdown run before Chiefs kicker Nick Lowery kicked two field goals. In the second quarter, Thomas scored on a 3-yard touchdown and Bills kicker Steve Christie made two field goals to extend the lead 20-6. With 21 seconds left in the first half, the Chiefs reached the Buffalo 5-yard line, but quarterback Joe Montana's pass was intercepted by Bills defensive back Henry Jones. Montana later suffered a concussion during the third play of the third quarter and left the game. Kansas City backup quarterback Dave Krieg then led his team on a 90-yard drive to score on running back Marcus Allen's 1-yard touchdown. However, Buffalo scored 10 unanswered points in the final period, an 18-yard field goal by Christie and a 3-yard touchdown by Thomas, to preserve the victory

[edit] Scoring Summary

• • BUF - Thomas 12 run (Christie kick)
  • KC - FG Lowery 31
  • KC - FG Lowery 31
  • BUF - Thomas 3 run (Christie kick)
  • BUF - FG Christie 23
  • BUF - FG Christie 25
  • KC - Allen 1 run (Lowery kick)
  • BUF - FG Christie 18
  • BUF - Thomas 3 run (Christie kick)

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• 1993 Kansas City Chiefs on Database Football