1978 Kansas City Chiefs season
Encyclopedia
The 1978
Kansas City Chiefs
season began with the hiring of new head coach Marv Levy
, formerly of the Canadian Football League
's Montreal Alouettes
. With the NFL expanding its schedule to 16 games, the Chiefs finished with a 4–12 record and fifth place in the AFC West
.
Coach Levy’s systematic restocking of a relatively barren defensive roster began with a 1978 draft class
that included a pair of future Chiefs franchise hall of famers in defensive end Art Still
and linebacker Gary Spani
. Running back Ed Podolak
, who was the club’s all-time leading rusher at the time, retired in the offseason on June 15.
Perhaps Levy’s most unconventional tactic in rebuilding the Chiefs was installing the Wing-T offense. “It was a situation where we took over a team that had the worst defensive record in the history of the National Football League,” Levy explained. “We wanted to keep that defense off the field, so we ran the ball 60 times a game.” The 1978 Chiefs team ran and ran often, posting franchise records with 663 rushing attempts and 2,986 ground yards. Levy’s squad ran the ball a staggering 69 times in a 24–23 Opening Day win at Cincinnati
on September 3, the most rushing attempts in an NFL contest since 1948
. Five different players had 100-yard rushing games during the year, including running back Tony Reed
, who finished the season with 1,053 yards to become the team’s first 1,000-yard back since 1967. Despite the squad’s Opening Day success, the club lost 10 of its next 11 games, including a pair of overtime decisions. However, the team showed signs of improvement with the defense recording a 23–0 shutout against San Diego
on November 26 as the club concluded its first 16-game schedule with a 4–12 mark.
1978 NFL season
The 1978 NFL season was the 59th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded the regular season from a 14-game schedule to 16. Furthermore, the playoff format was expanded from 8 teams to 10 teams by adding another wild card from each conference...
Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
season began with the hiring of new head coach Marv Levy
Marv Levy
Marvin Daniel Levy is a former American and Canadian football coach, front office executive and author.He is a former professional football coach, in the CFL as head coach of the Montreal Alouettes , and in the NFL as head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills , coaching the Bills...
, formerly of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
's Montreal Alouettes
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
. With the NFL expanding its schedule to 16 games, the Chiefs finished with a 4–12 record and fifth place in the AFC West
AFC West
The AFC West is a division of the National Football League's American Football Conference, currently comprising the Denver Broncos, San Diego Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs, and the Oakland Raiders.-History:...
.
Coach Levy’s systematic restocking of a relatively barren defensive roster began with a 1978 draft class
1978 NFL Draft
The 1978 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held May 2–3, 1978...
that included a pair of future Chiefs franchise hall of famers in defensive end Art Still
Art Still
Arthur Barry Still is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League. He played for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills...
and linebacker Gary Spani
Gary Spani
Gary Spani is a former NFL linebacker who played for the Kansas City Chiefs from 1978-1986. He has worked for the Chiefs' front office since 1989, and is currently the director of tickets and events marketing for the Chiefs....
. Running back Ed Podolak
Ed Podolak
Edward Joseph Podolak is a former professional American football player. He played quarterback and halfback at the University of Iowa before being selected by the American Football League's Kansas City Chiefs in the second round of the 1969 Common Draft.During a nine-year career from 1969 to 1977,...
, who was the club’s all-time leading rusher at the time, retired in the offseason on June 15.
Perhaps Levy’s most unconventional tactic in rebuilding the Chiefs was installing the Wing-T offense. “It was a situation where we took over a team that had the worst defensive record in the history of the National Football League,” Levy explained. “We wanted to keep that defense off the field, so we ran the ball 60 times a game.” The 1978 Chiefs team ran and ran often, posting franchise records with 663 rushing attempts and 2,986 ground yards. Levy’s squad ran the ball a staggering 69 times in a 24–23 Opening Day win at Cincinnati
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
on September 3, the most rushing attempts in an NFL contest since 1948
1948 NFL season
The 1948 NFL season was the 29th regular season of the National Football League. During the season, Halfback Fred Gehrke painted horns on the Los Angeles Rams' helmets, making the first modern helmet emblem in pro football. The season ended when the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Chicago...
. Five different players had 100-yard rushing games during the year, including running back Tony Reed
Tony Reed
Tony Reed was an American college and professional football player. A star at Colorado, he played five professional seasons as a running back from 1977-1981. When he was in Kansas City he wore number 32. Rushing the ball his stats were 2,340 total rushing yards 8 rushing Touchdowns. Receiving...
, who finished the season with 1,053 yards to become the team’s first 1,000-yard back since 1967. Despite the squad’s Opening Day success, the club lost 10 of its next 11 games, including a pair of overtime decisions. However, the team showed signs of improvement with the defense recording a 23–0 shutout against San Diego
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on November 26 as the club concluded its first 16-game schedule with a 4–12 mark.
NFL Draft
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | School/Club Team |
|---|
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 3, 1978 | at Cincinnati Bengals Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL... |
W 24–23 | |
| 2 | September 10, 1978 | Houston Oilers Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter... |
L 20–17 | |
| 3 | September 17, 1978 | at New York Giants New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 26–10 | |
| 4 | September 24, 1978 | Denver Broncos Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 23–17 | |
| 5 | October 1, 1978 | at Buffalo Bills Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 28–13 | |
| 6 | October 8, 1978 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West... |
L 30–13 | |
| 7 | October 15, 1978 | at Oakland Raiders Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 28–6 | |
| 8 | October 22, 1978 | Cleveland Browns Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 17–3 | |
| 9 | October 29, 1978 | at Pittsburgh Steelers Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC... |
L 27–24 | |
| 10 | November 5, 1978 | Oakland Raiders Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 20–10 | |
| 11 | November 12, 1978 | at San Diego Chargers San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 29–23 | |
| 12 | November 19, 1978 | Seattle Seahawks Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team... |
L 13–10 | |
| 13 | November 26, 1978 | San Diego Chargers San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 23–0 | |
| 14 | December 3, 1978 | Buffalo Bills Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 14–10 | |
| 15 | December 10, 1978 | at Denver Broncos Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 24–3 | |
| 16 | December 17, 1978 | at Seattle Seahawks Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team... |
L 23–19 | |
Standings
| AFC West AFC West The AFC West is a division of the National Football League's American Football Conference, currently comprising the Denver Broncos, San Diego Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs, and the Oakland Raiders.-History:... |
||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y-Denver Broncos 1978 Denver Broncos season The 1978 Denver Broncos season was the team's 19th year in professional football and its 9th with the National Football League. The team finished first in the AFC West, and made the playoffs for the second straight season.-Schedule:-Playoffs:-Standings:... |
10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 282 | 198 |
| Oakland Raiders 1978 Oakland Raiders season The 1978 Oakland Raiders season was the team’s 19th season. Jack Tatum made a hit against New England Patriots wide receiver Darryl Stingley in a pre-season game. The hit paralyzed Stingley from the chest down.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Standings:... |
9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 311 | 283 |
| Seattle Seahawks 1978 Seattle Seahawks season The 1978 Seattle Seahawks season was the team's third season with the National Football League.-1978 NFL draft:-Staff:-Schedule:-Standings:-External links:* *... |
9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 345 | 358 |
| San Diego Chargers 1978 San Diego Chargers season The 1978 San Diego Chargers season began with the team trying to improve on their 7–7 record in 1977. This season included the Holy Roller game. It was Don Coryell's first season as the teams head coach, and the teams first 16 game schedule.-NFL Draft:... |
9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 355 | 309 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 243 | 327 |