1980 Kansas City Chiefs season
NFL team season
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 1980 Kansas City Chiefs season was the franchise's 11th season in the National Football League and 21st overall. They improved from 1979 from a 7–9 to an 8–8 record, the most wins for the franchise since an 8–6 season in 1972, but missed the playoffs for the ninth consecutive season.
| 1980 Kansas City Chiefs season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Lamar Hunt |
| General manager | Jim Schaaf |
| Head coach | Marv Levy |
| Home stadium | Arrowhead Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 8–8 |
| Division place | 3rd AFC West |
| Playoffs | Did not qualify |
| All-Pros | 3
|
| Pro Bowlers | 3
|
The Chiefs selected guard Brad Budde, the son of Chiefs Hall of Fame guard Ed Budde, as the team's first-round draft choice, making the Buddes the first father-son combination to become first-round draftees of the same team in NFL history.[1] In a then-controversial move on August 26, the Chiefs released placekicker Jan Stenerud, who at the time was club's all-time leading scorer. He was replaced by journeyman Nick Lowery, who had been cut 11 times by eight different teams himself.[1]
After suffering an 0–4 start, the team rebounded to post a four-game winning streak.[1] After Steve Fuller was sidelined with a knee injury late in the season, former Miami 12th-round draft choice Bill Kenney became the team's starting quarterback. He was so anonymous that when he appeared in that contest, the name on the back of his jersey was inadvertently misspelled "Kenny."[1] Kenney went on to lead the club to a 31–14 victory against Denver on December 7 in his initial NFL start. The defense continued to evolve as defensive end Art Still and safety Gary Barbaro became the first Chiefs defensive players to be elected to the Pro Bowl in five seasons.[1]
Offseason
NFL draft
| 1980 Kansas City Chiefs draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 | Brad Budde | Guard | USC | |
| 3 | 66 | James Hadnot | Running back | Texas Tech | |
| 4 | 94 | Dave Klug | Linebacker | Concordia–Moorhead | Played for Chiefs 1981–83 |
| 5 | 114 | Carlos Carson * | Wide receiver | LSU | |
| 5 | 115 | Dan Pensick | Defensive tackle | Nebraska | |
| 6 | 147 | Bubba Garcia | Wide receiver | UTEP | |
| 6 | 164 | Larry Heater | Running back | Arizona | |
| 8 | 203 | Sam Stepney | Linebacker | Boston University | |
| 9 | 230 | Tom Donovan | Wide receiver | Penn State | |
| 10 | 261 | Rob Martinovich | Tackle | Notre Dame | |
| 11 | 287 | Dale Markham | Tackle | North Dakota | |
| 12 | 314 | Mike Brewington | Linebacker | East Carolina | |
| Made roster * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career | |||||
Undrafted free agents
| Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|
| Tyrone Crews | Linebacker | Kansas State |
| Dino Mangiero | Defensive tackle | Rutgers |
Personnel
Staff
|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
|
Roster
Preseason
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 9 | Cleveland Browns | W 42–0 | 1–0 | Arrowhead Stadium | 38,055 | Recap |
| 2 | August 18 | Minnesota Vikings | W 24–10 | 2–0 | Arrowhead Stadium | 39,879 | Recap |
| 3 | August 23 | at St. Louis Cardinals | W 20–10 | 3–0 | Busch Memorial Stadium | 41,687 | Recap |
| 4 | August 30 | vs. San Francisco 49ers | L 21–31 | 3–1 | Arizona Stadium (Tucson, Arizona) | 27,000 | Recap |
Regular season
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 7 | Oakland Raiders | L 14–27 | 0–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | 54,269 | Recap |
| 2 | September 14 | Seattle Seahawks | L 16–17 | 0–2 | Arrowhead Stadium | 42,403 | Recap |
| 3 | September 21 | at Cleveland Browns | L 13–20 | 0–3 | Cleveland Stadium | 63,614 | Recap |
| 4 | September 28 | San Diego Chargers | L 7–24 | 0–4 | Arrowhead Stadium | 45,161 | Recap |
| 5 | October 5 | at Oakland Raiders | W 31–17 | 1–4 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | 40,153 | Recap |
| 6 | October 12 | Houston Oilers | W 21–20 | 2–4 | Arrowhead Stadium | 75,048 | Recap |
| 7 | October 19 | at Denver Broncos | W 23–17 | 3–4 | Mile High Stadium | 74,459 | Recap |
| 8 | October 26 | Detroit Lions | W 20–17 | 4–4 | Arrowhead Stadium | 59,391 | Recap |
| 9 | November 2 | Baltimore Colts | L 24–31 | 4–5 | Arrowhead Stadium | 52,383 | Recap |
| 10 | November 9 | at Seattle Seahawks | W 31–30 | 5–5 | Kingdome | 58,976 | Recap |
| 11 | November 16 | at San Diego Chargers | L 7–20 | 5–6 | San Diego Stadium | 50,248 | Recap |
| 12 | November 23 | at St. Louis Cardinals | W 21–13 | 6–6 | Busch Memorial Stadium | 42,871 | Recap |
| 13 | November 30 | Cincinnati Bengals | L 6–20 | 6–7 | Arrowhead Stadium | 41,594 | Recap |
| 14 | December 7 | Denver Broncos | W 31–14 | 7–7 | Arrowhead Stadium | 40,237 | Recap |
| 15 | December 14 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | L 16–21 | 7–8 | Three Rivers Stadium | 50,013 | Recap |
| 16 | December 21 | at Baltimore Colts | W 38–28 | 8–8 | Memorial Stadium | 16,941 | Recap |
| Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. | |||||||
Game summaries
Week 1: vs. Oakland Raiders
Week 1: Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raiders | 7 | 0 | 14 | 6 | 27 |
| Chiefs | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: September 7
- Game time: 3:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: Sunny and clear, 94 °F (34 °C)
- Game attendance: 54,269
- Referee: Pat Haggerty
- TV announcers (NBC): Jay Randolph and Gene Washington
- Recap
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 2: vs. Seattle Seahawks
Week 2: Seattle Seahawks at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seahawks | 7 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| Chiefs | 0 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 16 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: September 14
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: Sunny, 75 °F (24 °C)
- Game attendance: 42,403
- Referee: Dick Jorgensen
- TV announcers (NBC): Mike Adamle and Bob Trumpy
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 3: at Cleveland Browns
Week 3: Kansas City Chiefs at Cleveland Browns – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 0 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 13 |
| Browns | 0 | 7 | 13 | 0 | 20 |
at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
- Date: September 21
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Sunny, clear, 82 °F (28 °C)
- Game attendance: 63,614
- Referee: Jim Tunney
- TV announcers (NBC): Merle Harmon and Carl Eller
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 4: vs. San Diego Chargers
Week 4: San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chargers | 7 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 24 |
| Chiefs | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: September 28
- Game time: 3:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: Overcast skies, 64 °F (18 °C)
- Game attendance: 45,161
- Referee: Gene Barth
- TV announcers (NBC): Jay Randolph and Gene Washington
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 5: at Oakland Raiders
Week 5: Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 14 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 31 |
| Raiders | 0 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 17 |
at Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California
- Date: October 5
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. PDT
- Game weather: Clear, 66 °F (19 °C)
- Game attendance: 40,153
- Referee: Red Cashion
- TV announcers (NBC): Jay Randolph and Gene Washington
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 6: vs. Houston Oilers
Week 6: Houston Oilers at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oilers | 3 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 20 |
| Chiefs | 0 | 0 | 14 | 7 | 21 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: October 12
- Game time: 3:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: Clear, 64 °F (18 °C)
- Game attendance: 75,048
- Referee: Bob McElwee
- TV announcers (NBC): Merle Harmon and Mike Haffner
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 7: at Denver Broncos
Week 7: Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 3 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 23 |
| Broncos | 7 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 17 |
at Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado
- Date: October 19
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. MDT
- Game weather: Sunny, 63 °F (17 °C)
- Game attendance: 74,459
- Referee: Chuck Heberling
- TV announcers (KCMO-Kansas City): Don Fortune and Paul Maguire
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 8: vs. Detroit Lions
Week 8: Detroit Lions at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lions | 0 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 17 |
| Chiefs | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: October 26
- Game time: 3:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Clear, 52 °F (11 °C)
- Game attendance: 59,391
- Referee: Jerry Seeman
- TV announcers (CBS): Gary Bender and John Madden
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 9: vs. Baltimore Colts
Week 9: Baltimore Colts at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colts | 7 | 7 | 14 | 3 | 31 |
| Chiefs | 3 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 24 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: November 2
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Clear, 65 °F (18 °C)
- Game attendance: 52,383
- Referee: Bob Frederic
- TV announcers (NBC): Bob Costas and Gene Washington
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 10: at Seattle Seahawks
Week 10: Kansas City Chiefs at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 3 | 0 | 7 | 21 | 31 |
| Seahawks | 0 | 17 | 6 | 7 | 30 |
at Kingdome, Seattle, Washington
- Date: November 9
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. PST
- Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
- Game attendance: 58,976
- Referee: Jim Tunney
- TV announcers (NBC): Mike Adamle and Mike Haffner
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 11: at San Diego Chargers
Week 11: Kansas City Chiefs at San Diego Chargers – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Chargers | 0 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 20 |
at Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego, California
- Date: November 16
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. PST
- Game weather: Hazy, 68 °F (20 °C)
- Game attendance: 50,248
- Referee: Pat Haggerty
- TV announcers (NBC): Sam Nover and Bob Trumpy
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 12: at St. Louis Cardinals
Week 12: Kansas City Chiefs at St. Louis Cardinals – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 21 |
| Cardinals | 10 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
at Busch Memorial Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri
- Date: November 23
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Overcast, 44 °F (7 °C)
- Game attendance: 42,871
- Referee: Ben Dreith
- TV announcers (NBC): Bob Costas and Carl Eller
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 13: vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Week 13: Cincinnati Bengals at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bengals | 7 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 20 |
| Chiefs | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: November 30
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Clear, 62 °F (17 °C)
- Game attendance: 41,594
- Referee: Dick Jorgensen
- TV announcers (NBC): Jay Randolph and Mike Haffner
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 14: vs. Denver Broncos
Week 14: Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broncos | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| Chiefs | 0 | 28 | 0 | 3 | 31 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: December 7
- Game time: 3:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Overcast, showers, 41 °F (5 °C)
- Game attendance: 40,237
- Referee: Fred Wyant
- TV announcers (NBC): Jay Randolph and Mike Haffner
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 15: at Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 15: Kansas City Chiefs at Pittsburgh Steelers – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 0 | 3 | 13 | 0 | 16 |
| Steelers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 21 |
at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Date: December 14
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Partly cloudy, 31 °F (−1 °C)
- Game attendance: 50,013
- Referee: Fred Silva
- TV announcers (NBC): Marv Albert and Mike Haffner
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 16: at Baltimore Colts
Week 16: Kansas City Chiefs at Baltimore Colts – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 21 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 38 |
| Colts | 0 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 28 |
at Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
- Date: December 21
- Game time: 2:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Sunny and cold, 24 °F (−4 °C)
- Game attendance: 16,941
- Referee: Cal Lepore
- TV announcers (NBC): Mike Adamle and Dave Rowe
- Box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Standings
| AFC West | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| San Diego Chargers(1) | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 6–2 | 9–3 | 418 | 327 | W2 |
| Oakland Raiders(4) | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 6–2 | 9–3 | 364 | 306 | W2 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 4–4 | 6–8 | 319 | 336 | W1 |
| Denver Broncos | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 3–5 | 5–7 | 310 | 323 | W1 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 1–7 | 3–9 | 291 | 408 | L9 |