The 1968 Kansas City Chiefs season was the 9th season for the Kansas City Chiefs as a professional AFL franchise; They finished with a 12–2 record (the best in the Stram era), resulting in a tie for first place in the AFL Western Division with the Oakland Raiders, before the Raiders won the championship in a tiebreaker playoff, defeating the Chiefs 41–6.
The 1968 Chiefs boasted one of the finest defenses ever assembled by the club, allowing an AFL record (and still franchise-low) 170 points, or 12.1 points per game. The nucleus of the defensive unit was clearly in its prime, producing six AFL All-Stars, including all three of the squad's linebackers.
Offensively, quarterback Len Dawson led the AFL in passing for the fourth time. Guard Ed Budde won the AFL Offensive Player of the Week award for the October 20 game against the Raiders. It was the first time the award was given to an interior lineman.
The Chiefs began the season with a 7–1 record and rattled off five straight victories to close the regular season at 12–2, sharing the division crown with the Raiders and setting up their playoff on December 22, in which the Raiders advanced to the AFL Championship Game against the New York Jets. The loss to Oakland was a major event in the Chiefs' rivalry with the Raiders, one of the NFL's most storied feuds.
Offseason
Draft
Undrafted free agents
+ 1968 undrafted free agents of notePlayerPositionCollegeRon McCraigTackleNew Mexico Highlands
Roster
Preseason Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance Recap 1 at Cincinnati Bengals W 38–14 1–0 Nippert Stadium 21,682 Recap 2 at Minnesota Vikings W 13–10 2–0 Metropolitan Stadium 46,228 Recap 3 St. Louis Cardinals W 13–10 3–0 Municipal Stadium 47,462 Recap 4 Oakland Raiders W 31–21 4–0 Municipal Stadium 43,769 Recap 5 at Los Angeles Rams L 16–36 4–1 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 54,323 Recap
Regular season
Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance Recap 1 at Houston Oilers W 26–21 1–0 Houston Astrodome 45,083 Recap 2 September 15 New York Jets L 19–20 1–1 Municipal Stadium 48,871 Recap 3 September 22 Denver Broncos W 34–2 2–1 Municipal Stadium 45,821 Recap 4 at Miami Dolphins W 48–3 3–1 Miami Orange Bowl 28,501 Recap 5 at Buffalo Bills W 18–7 4–1 War Memorial Stadium 40,748 Recap 6 October 13 Cincinnati Bengals W 13–3 5–1 Municipal Stadium 47,096 Recap 7 October 20 Oakland Raiders W 24–10 6–1 Municipal Stadium 50,015 Recap 8 October 27 San Diego Chargers W 27–20 7–1 Municipal Stadium 50,344 Recap 9 November 3 at Oakland Raiders L 21–38 7–2 Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum 53,357 Recap 10 November 10 at Cincinnati Bengals W 16–9 8–2 Nippert Stadium 25,537 Recap 11 November 17 Boston Patriots W 31–17 9–2 Municipal Stadium 48,271 Recap 12Bye 13 November 28 Houston Oilers W 24–10 10–2 Municipal Stadium 48,493 Recap 14 December 8 at San Diego Chargers W 40–3 11–2 San Diego Stadium 51,174 Recap 15 at Denver Broncos W 30–7 12–2 Bears Stadium 38,463 Recap Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Standings
Postseason
A tie in the Western Division standings necessitated an unscheduled playoff game
Schedule Round Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance Recap Division December 22 at Oakland Raiders L 6–41 0–1 Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum 53,605 Recap
AFL Divisional Playoffs: at Oakland Raiders
References
External links 1968 Kansas City Chiefs at Pro-Football-Reference.com 1968 Kansas City Chiefs at ProFootballArchives.com 1968 Kansas City Chiefs at jt-sw.com