The 1969 Kansas City Chiefs season was the team's tenth, their seventh in Kansas City, and the final season of the American Football League (AFL). It resulted in an 11–3 regular season record and three postseason road victories, including a 23–7 victory in Super Bowl IV over the NFL's heavily favored Minnesota Vikings. The Chiefs were the second AFL team to win the Super Bowl and last AFL team to do so before the AFL-NFL Merger in the following season.
After two close losses to division rival Oakland in the regular season, the visiting Chiefs upset the Raiders in the final AFL Championship Game, claiming their third AFL title. The Chiefs were led by head coach Hank Stram, quarterback Len Dawson, and a powerful defense led by Bobby Bell, Willie Lanier, Buck Buchanan, Emmitt Thomas, Johnny Robinson, and Curley Culp. The Chiefs' defense became the fourth defense in the history of pro football to lead its league in fewest rushing yards, fewest passing yards and fewest total yards.The Best Show in Football:The 1946–1955 Cleveland Browns, p.294, Andy Piascik, Taylor Trade Publishing, 2007, Kansas City also ranked second in the AFL in total offense and first in rushing offense. The Chiefs outgained opponents by more than twice as many yards rushing per game.
The season was marred not only by an injury to quarterback Len Dawson, but also controversy surrounding Dawson and his purported involvement in a sports gambling ring. Back-up quarterback Mike Livingston and the Chiefs' stellar defense led the Chiefs back to the Super Bowl, this time, to win it all.
Along with owner Lamar Hunt, nine future Hall of Famers were members of the 1969 Chiefs, including QB Len Dawson, LB Willie Lanier, LB Bobby Bell, DT Buck Buchanan, DT Curley Culp, CB Emmitt Thomas, S Johnny Robinson, K Jan Stenerud, and head coach Hank Stram.
In 2006, the 1969 Kansas City Chiefs were ranked as the 18th greatest Super Bowl champions on the NFL Network's documentary America's Game: The Super Bowl Champions, the 1969 Kansas City Chiefs, with team commentary from Len Dawson, Willie Lanier and Jim Lynch, and narrated by Martin Sheen.America's Game: The 1969 Kansas City Chiefs KCChiefs.com December 7, 2006.
In 2007, ESPN.com ranked the 1969 Chiefs as the seventh-greatest defense in NFL history,The List: Best NFL defense of all-time noting "Hank Stram's 'Triple Stack' defense, which gave the linebackers lots of room to roam, was superb, holding five opponents to fewer than 10 points and giving up an average of less than two touchdowns a game.... Then they got serious. Against the [defending] Super Bowl champion Jets in the AFL divisional playoff game at Shea Stadium, the Chiefs held on for a 13–6 victory, thanks to a remarkable three-play goal line stand that stifled the Jets on the one. After losing twice to the Raiders during the regular season, the Chiefs allowed a single touchdown, in the first quarter, to win the AFL title over Oakland 17–7. The Chiefs defense then stifled the Vikings in the Super Bowl, allowing only two rushing first downs and picking off three passes in the fourth quarter to win 23–7. Total points against the Chiefs in the playoffs: 20." Kansas City is the only team in the Super Bowl era to win the title without allowing as much as 10 points in any postseason game.
The Chiefs did not return to or win the Super Bowl again until Super Bowl LIV in the 2019 season.
Offseason
1969 AFL draft
In the first round of the 1969 AFL draft, the Chiefs selected cornerback Jim Marsalis from Tennessee State. Marsalis became an immediate starter at cornerback alongside veteran Emmitt Thomas. He was the only Chiefs rookie to start for the 1969 team, as Ed Podolak and Bob Stein were benched, and Morris Stroud and Jack Rudnay sat out the season with injuries.
1969 Kansas City Chiefs DraftRound Selection Player Position College Notes 1 23 Jim Marsalis Defensive back Tennessee State 2 48 Ed Podolak Running back Iowa 3 61 Traded to Denver from Boston 76 Morris Stroud Tight end Clark 4 101 Jack Rudnay Center Northwestern 5 126 Bob Stein Linebacker Minnesota 6 155 John Pleasant Running back Alabama State 7 179 Tom Nettles Wide receiver San Diego State 8 204 Clanton King Tackle Purdue 206 Maurice LeBlanc Defensive back Louisiana State from Oakland 9 231 Dan Klepper Guard Omaha 10 257 John Spoonheimer Defensive tackle Cornell 11 282 Skip Wupper Defensive end C.W. Post 12 309 John Lavin Linebacker Notre Dame 13 335 Rick Piland Guard Virginia Tech 14 360 Al Bream Defensive back Iowa 15 388 Leland Winston Offensive tackle Rice 16 413 Eural Johnson Defensive back Prairie View 17 438 Ralph Jenkins Defensive back Tuskegee
Personnel
Staff
Roster
Preseason Week Date Opponent Result Record Game Site Attendance Recap 1 vs. Oakland Raiders W 23–17 1–0 Legion Field 21,000 Recap 2 Detroit Lions W 38–13 2–0 Municipal Stadium 38,000 Recap 3 vs. Cincinnati Bengals W 23–7 3–0 Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium 24,513 Recap 4 at Los Angeles Rams W 42–14 4–0 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 58,306 Recap 5 at St. Louis Cardinals W 31–21 5–0 Busch Memorial Stadium 48,006 Recap 6 Atlanta Falcons W 14–10 6–0 Municipal Stadium 37,273 Recap
Regular season The Chiefs began the regular season with four consecutive road games for the only time in team history, due to a scheduling conflict with the Kansas City Royals about usage of Municipal Stadium.Chiefs History: 1960's KCChiefs.com, retrieved January 1, 2007. After a decisive 27–9 win at San Diego (9/14), the club posted a 31–0 shutout at Boston (9/21), but QB Len Dawson sustained a knee injury against the Patriots. The once-optimistic picture for the Chiefs went from bad to worse the following week when backup QB Jacky Lee went down with a broken ankle in a 24–19 loss at Cincinnati (9/28). That injury left the team's most crucial position in the hands of second-year QB Mike Livingston, who took just five snaps as a rookie in ‘68.
However, Livingston engineered a five-game winning streak, while getting plenty of help from the club's defense. The team's home opener at Municipal Stadium was played in a daylong deluge referred to as a "frog-strangler" by Chiefs radio broadcaster Bill Grigsby. The Chiefs and Oilers combined for 14 fumbles in a 24–0 Kansas City victory (10/12).
Dawson returned to the starting lineup in a 27–3 win vs. San Diego (11/9) and guided the club to three wins in the season's next four games. Denver Broncos coach Lou Saban was infuriated following the Chiefs 31–17 win vs. Denver (11/27). Trailing 24–17 late in the game, Denver attempted an onside kick that was recovered by LB Bobby Bell, who promptly returned that kick for a 53-yard TD. Mike Livingston started the following week vs. Buffalo (12/7) for an again-injured Dawson, who returned for the regular-season finale at Oakland (12/13). A 10–6 loss vs. the Raiders gave the Chiefs an 11–3 record, good for second in the division behind Oakland (12–1–1).
Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Game Site Attendance Recap 1 September 14 at San Diego Chargers W 27–9 1–0 San Diego Stadium 47,988 Recap 2 September 21 at Boston Patriots W 31–0 2–0 Alumni Stadium 22,002 Recap 3 September 28 at Cincinnati Bengals L 19–24 2–1 Nippert Stadium 27,812 Recap 4 October 5 at Denver Broncos W 26–13 3–1 Mile High Stadium 50,564 Recap 5 October 12 Houston Oilers W 24–0 4–1 Municipal Stadium 45,805 Recap 6 October 19 Miami Dolphins W 17–10 5–1 Municipal Stadium 49,809 Recap 7 October 26 Cincinnati Bengals W 42–22 6–1 Municipal Stadium 50,934 Recap 8 November 2 at Buffalo Bills W 29–7 7–1 War Memorial Stadium 45,844 Recap 9 November 9 San Diego Chargers W 27–3 8–1 Municipal Stadium 51,104 Recap 10 November 16 at New York Jets W 34–16 9–1 Shea Stadium 63,849 Recap 11 November 23 Oakland Raiders L 24–27 9–2 Municipal Stadium 51,982 Recap 12 November 27 Denver Broncos W 31–17 10–2 Municipal Stadium 48,773 Recap 13 December 7 Buffalo Bills W 22–19 11–2 Municipal Stadium 47,112 Recap 14 at Oakland Raiders L 6–10 11–3 Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum 54,443 Recap Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Regular season game summaries
Week 1 (Sunday, September 14, 1969): at San Diego Chargers
Week 2 (Sunday, September 21, 1969): at Boston Patriots
Week 3 (Sunday, September 28, 1969): at Cincinnati Bengals
Week 4 (Sunday, October 5, 1969): at Denver Broncos
Week 5 (Sunday, October 12, 1969): vs. Houston Oilers
Week 6 (Sunday, October 19, 1969): vs. Miami Dolphins
Week 7 (Sunday, October 26, 1969): vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Week 8 (Sunday, November 2, 1969): at Buffalo Bills
Week 9 (Sunday, November 9, 1969): vs. San Diego Chargers
Week 10 (Sunday, November 16, 1969): at New York Jets
Week 11 (Sunday, November 23, 1969): vs. Oakland Raiders
Week 12 (Thursday, November 27, 1969): vs. Denver Broncos Thanksgiving Day games
Week 13 (Sunday, December 7, 1969): vs. Buffalo Bills
Week 14 (Saturday, December 13, 1969): at Oakland Raiders
Standings
Postseason Schedule Round Date Opponent Result Record Game Site Attendance Recap Divisional at New York Jets W 13–6 1–0 Shea Stadium 62,977 Recap AFL Championship January 4 at Oakland Raiders W 17–7 2–0 Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum 53,564 Recap Super Bowl IV January 11 vs. Minnesota Vikings W 23–7 3–0 Tulane Stadium 80,562 Recap
Playoff game summaries 1969 American Football League Divisional Playoffs (Saturday, December 20, 1969): at New York Jets
In the 1969 AFL Divisional Playoff Game at the New York Jets (12/20), Kansas City rode its dominating defense which produced a crucial goal-line stand en route to a 13–6 win over the defending Super Bowl champions to set up a rematch with the Raiders in the final AFL Championship Game. Chiefs went to the AFL Championship to the Oakland Raiders and win 17-7. And win Super Bowl IV to the Minnesota Vikings 23-7.
1969 American Football League Championship Game (Sunday, January 4, 1970): at Oakland Raiders
The Kansas City Chiefs won the last championship of the AFL, 17–7, by slowing down the Oakland passing attack and capitalizing on big plays. The Raiders looked on their way to their third win of the year against Kansas City when Charlie Smith scored on a three-yard run in the first quarter. But then, Len Dawson who had thrown seven incompletions in a row, hit Frank Pitts for a 41-yard gain to the Raiders' 1. Three plays later, Wendell Hayes blasted in for the tying touchdown. Dawson again pulled out a big play with the game tied, 7–7, in the third quarter. Facing a third-and-14 at the Kansas City 2, Dawson scrambled out of trouble and fired a 35-yard pass to Otis Taylor. That play was the key to a 94-yard drive that culminated in a five-yard scoring run by Robert Holmes. The Chiefs turned the ball over inside their own 30 three times in the fourth quarter, but each time they intercepted Raider quarterback Daryle Lamonica, who was playing despite having severely jammed his throwing hand against the helmet of Aaron Brown early in the final period. Chiefs go to Super Bowl IV and win to the Minnesota Vikings 23-7.
Super Bowl IV (Sunday, January 11, 1970): vs. (NFL) Minnesota Vikings
The fourth annual AFL-NFL Championship Game, now officially known as the "Super Bowl", was played on January 11, 1970, at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana. The AFL champion Kansas City Chiefs defeated the NFL champion Minnesota Vikings, 23–7.
Even though the Vikings were 13-point favorites coming into the game, the Chiefs defense dominated the game by limiting the Minnesota offense to only 67 rushing yards, forcing 3 interceptions, and recovering 2 fumbles. The victory by the AFL evened the Super Bowl series with the NFL at two games apiece.
Kansas City's Len Dawson became the fourth consecutive winning quarterback to be named Super Bowl MVP. He completed 12 of 17 passes for 142 yards and one touchdown, with 1 interception. Dawson also recorded 3 rushing attempts for 11 yards.