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90-543: The term is a reference to a popular song from 1958 , the efficiency of the defense, and the color of their uniforms. The motto of the Purple People Eaters was "Meet at the quarterback." The Purple People Eaters mainly consisted of: Larsen was replaced in 1974 by Doug Sutherland . Marshall said that the players disliked the name "Purple People Eaters" and called themselves " The Purple Gang ", but "we've got to ride with it because it's our handle". The group

180-600: A Broncos loss to the 49ers . The Indianapolis Colts hosted the Chiefs in the Wild Card playoffs and defeated Kansas City 23–8. In 2007, Trent Green was traded to the Miami Dolphins leaving the door open for either Damon Huard or Brodie Croyle to become the new starting quarterback. After starting the season with a 4–3 record, the Chiefs lost the remaining nine games when running back Larry Johnson suffered

270-401: A Christmas Day playoff game which the Chiefs lost 27–24 in double overtime. The Dolphins outlasted the Chiefs with a 37-yard field goal . The game surpassed the 1962 AFL Championship Game as the longest ever at 82 minutes and 40 seconds. The game was also the final football game at Kansas City's Municipal Stadium. In 1972, the Chiefs moved into the newly constructed Arrowhead Stadium at

360-652: A Super Ball . While the first few games were designated the "AFL–NFL World Championship Game", the Super Bowl name became its officially licensed title in years to come. The Chiefs cruised to an 11–2–1 record in 1966, and defeated the defending AFL Champion Buffalo Bills in the AFL Championship Game. The Chiefs were invited to play the NFL's league champion Green Bay Packers in the first AFL–NFL World Championship Game . Kansas City and Green Bay played

450-473: A 24–3 deficit with six minutes left in the 3rd quarter, the Chiefs engineered a 33–27 comeback win ending with a two-yard touchdown run by Alex Smith in overtime to give the Chiefs their largest regular season comeback to start the season at 1–0. On Christmas Day , the Chiefs defeated the Denver Broncos 33–10 to give Kansas City their tenth straight win against divisional opponents. On January 1, 2017,

540-479: A 27–10 victory. The Vikings defense recorded 49 sacks and once again gave up the fewest yards and fewest points, recorded 2 shutouts, and only gave up 2 offensive touchdowns in the first 6 weeks of the season while scoring 3 defensive touchdowns in that span. Meanwhile, Page, Eller and Larsen all made the Pro Bowl. Page also led the league with seven fumble recoveries for 77 yards and a touchdown. His touchdown came in

630-484: A 3–6 record and in the off-season, Joe Delaney died while trying to save several children from drowning in a pond near his home in Louisiana. The Chiefs drafted quarterback Todd Blackledge over future greats such as Jim Kelly and Dan Marino in the 1983 NFL draft . Blackledge never started a full season for Kansas City while Kelly and Marino played Hall of Fame careers. While the Chiefs struggled on offense in

720-540: A 4-yard loss. On third down, Page tackled Landry after a gain of two yards, ending the drive. In the fourth quarter, Page blocked a Lion punt out of the end zone for a safety. Page would score 2 other safeties that year. One in week 3 when he sacked Buffalo Bills quarterback Dennis Shaw in his own end zone, and in the Divisional Playoff game against the Cowboys by sacking Staubach in his own end zone. With

810-446: A 4–12 record, just a two-game improvement upon their record from the 2008 season. For the 2010 season, the Chiefs made significant hires for their coaching staff, bringing on former Patriots assistant coaches Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel to coach the offense and defense, respectively. The coaching additions proved to be very successful, as the Chiefs would go on to secure their first AFC West title since 2003. Their ten victories in

900-616: A 5–3 record. Kansas City was awarded a Thanksgiving Day game against the Denver Broncos in response to owner Lamar Hunt 's lobbying for a third Thanksgiving Day game. The Chiefs defeated the Broncos 19–10 in the first Thanksgiving Day game in Kansas City since 1969. Hunt was hospitalized at the time of the game and died weeks later on December 13 due to complications of prostate cancer . The Chiefs honored their owner for

990-520: A 9–28–3 record in their first three seasons, Hunt decided that the Dallas–Fort Worth media market just couldn't sustain two professional football franchises. He considered moving the Texans to either Atlanta or Miami for the 1963 season. He was ultimately swayed by an offer from Kansas City Mayor Harold Roe Bartle . Bartle promised to triple the franchise's season ticket sales and expand

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1080-736: A 9–3 victory. Alan Page played for the Vikings until 1978 where six games in he was waived and then signed by the Chicago Bears , who he played for until he retired after the 1981 season. He was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1988. After retirement Page became an attorney until 1992, when he was elected to the Minnesota Supreme Court, the first African-American to do so. He was re-elected 3 more times until his retirement in 2015 when turned 70, reaching

1170-521: A Week 17 win over Oakland 23–17, the Chiefs achieved their longest winning streak in franchise history at ten games. They qualified for the playoffs, playing in the 2015 AFC Wild-Card playoff game , held at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas on January 9, 2016. The Chiefs defeated the Houston Texans 30–0 to earn their first NFL playoff win in 23 seasons, dating back to the 1993–94 NFL playoffs ,

1260-459: A central figure in negotiations with NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle to agree on an AFL–NFL merger . In the meetings between the two leagues, a merged league championship game was agreed to be played in January 1967 following the conclusion of the leagues' respective 1966 seasons. Hunt insisted on calling the game the "Super Bowl" after seeing his children playing with a popular toy at the time,

1350-469: A close game for the first half, but Green Bay took control in the final two quarters, winning the game by a score of 35–10. The Chiefs lost the game but gained the respect of several Packers opponents following the game. The Chiefs' inter-league match-up with the Packers was not the last time that they would face an NFL opponent, especially on the championship stage. The following August, Kansas City hosted

1440-541: A crucial drive for the Rams. First Eller and Sutherland combined for a sack, then Marshall, Page and Bob Lurtsema combined for the sack as the Vikings held on to win 14-10 and advance to Super Bowl IX, a 16-6 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers and their fabled Steel Curtain defense. Larsen retired after the 1974 season, thus making Super Bowl IX his last game. In 1975, Page made his eighth consecutive Pro Bowl as

1530-494: A degree in Human Services from Metropolitan State University in 1994. In 2020 Eller partnered with Halberd Corporation in work related to impact caused brain injuries such as PTSD and CTE. Jim Marshall retired after the 1979 season with the Vikings, completing his 20th season, only missing 5 total games (all in his rookie year). Marshall was a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004. In his last home game against

1620-637: A former Chiefs scout and head coach of the New York Jets, as the team's tenth head coach after trading a fourth-round selection in the 2006 NFL draft to the Jets. Quarterback Trent Green suffered a severe concussion in the team's season opener to the Cincinnati Bengals which left him out of play for eight weeks. Backup quarterback Damon Huard took over in Green's absence and led the Chiefs to

1710-557: A franchise worst 2–14 record, where the team suffered historic blowout defeats nearly week-in and week-out, a 34–0 shut-out to the Carolina Panthers , and allowed a franchise-high 54 points against the Buffalo Bills. The team's general manager, chief executive officer, and team president Carl Peterson resigned at the end of the season, and former New England Patriots vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli

1800-585: A number of early September trades that moved six Cleveland players to the Vikings for two 1962 draft picks. In 1964, Carl Eller was drafted in the first round. In the next season, they acquired Gary Larsen from the Los Angeles Rams . Then in 1967, the Vikings drafted Alan Page in the first round. The Purple People Eaters were a key part of a Vikings team that won 10 division titles in 11 years, leading to five NFC Championships and four Super Bowl appearances. In 1968, Marshall, Eller and Page all made

1890-808: A professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri . The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The Chiefs started playing in 1959 as the Dallas Texans by businessman Lamar Hunt and was a charter member of the American Football League (AFL). In 1963 , the team moved to Kansas City, and kept its current name. The Chiefs joined

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1980-527: A safety. The Rams got the ball back with still some time left to win, but Page made up for his earlier penalty by intercepting Gabriel to put the game out of reach as the Vikings won 23–20. The win allowed the Vikings to advance to their first-ever NFL Championship against the Cleveland Browns . The Vikings dominated the game defeating the Browns 27–7. The Vikings advanced to Super Bowl IV but lost to

2070-581: A season-ending foot injury and the quarterback position lacked stability with Huard and Croyle. Despite the team's 4–12 record, tight end Tony Gonzalez broke Shannon Sharpe 's NFL record for touchdowns at the position (63) and defensive end Jared Allen led the NFL in quarterback sacks with 15.5. The Chiefs began their 2008 season with the youngest team in the NFL. The starting lineup had an average of 25.5 years of age. By releasing several veteran players such as cornerback Ty Law and wide receiver Eddie Kennison and trading defensive end Jared Allen ,

2160-525: A strong defense, anchored by Thomas, Smith, Albert Lewis and Deron Cherry, and on special teams, Nick Lowery, who was then the most accurate kicker in NFL History. The team recorded a 101–58–1 record, and clinched seven playoff berths. The Chiefs' 1993 season was the franchise's most successful in 22 years. With newly acquired quarterback Joe Montana and running back Marcus Allen , two former Super Bowl champions and Most Valuable Player Award winners,

2250-585: A wealth of talent to the Texans after luring it away from the NFL, often hiding players and using creative means to land them. The Texans shared the Cotton Bowl with the NFL's Dallas Cowboys for three seasons. The Texans were to have exclusive access to the stadium until the NFL put an expansion team, the Dallas Cowboys, there. While the team averaged a league-best 24,500 at the Cotton Bowl,

2340-439: A week 4 game against the Chicago Bears . All four down linemen hit Bears quarterback Jack Concannon , forcing a fumble which was recovered by Page who returned it 65 yards for a touchdown. The Vikings won the game 24–0. Page also picked off Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach and returned it 27 yards in week 5. Late in the first half in a week 6 game against the Los Angeles Rams , The Vikings defense had their backs against

2430-697: A win that also came in Houston. The Chiefs' Wild-Card playoff victory ended what was at the time the third-longest drought in the NFL, and it also ended a then NFL record eight-game playoff losing streak. Riddled with injuries, they were defeated by the New England Patriots 27–20 in the AFC Divisional Round. The Chiefs first game of the 2016 season was against their division rival, the San Diego Chargers . After facing

2520-597: Is also the team representative at league owner meetings. The Chiefs were victorious and won three AFL championships, in 1962 , 1966 , and 1969 , and were the second AFL team (after the New York Jets ) to defeat an NFL team in a Super Bowl when they defeated the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV , which was the final game before the league merger went into full effect. The Chiefs were also

2610-465: The American Football League and started his own team, the Dallas Texans , to begin play in 1960. Hunt hired a little-known assistant coach from the University of Miami football team , Hank Stram , to be the team's head coach after the job offer was declined by Bud Wilkinson and Tom Landry . After Stram was hired, Don Klosterman was hired as head scout, and was credited by many for bringing

2700-574: The Buffalo Bills , Marshall collected two sacks and was carried off the field by his teammates in celebration. The Vikings won the game 10–3. Gary Larsen retired in 1974 after 10 seasons with the Vikings. Doug Sutherland remained with the Vikings until 1981 when he (like Eller) spent his last season with the Seahawks before retiring. Along with Page and Eller being inducted to the Hall of Fame,

2790-543: The Detroit Lions , Marshall and Page combined for one of the most remarkable plays in NFL history. Page tipped a pass which was intercepted by Marshall, who ran for 30 yards. Then, as Marshall was being tackled, he lateraled the ball to Page who then ran 15 yards for a touchdown. The Vikings won the game 27–0. In the Western Conference championship game, the Vikings hosted the Los Angeles Rams . Early in

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2880-531: The Indianapolis Colts 38–10 shortly after halftime, but collapsed late and lost 45–44. In 2014, the Chiefs attempted to make the playoffs for the second straight season for the first time since 1995, finishing 9–7 and getting eliminated in Week 17. After a promising win for the Chiefs against Houston in Week 1, Kansas City went on a five-game losing streak culminating in a 16–10 loss to Minnesota and

2970-467: The Kansas City Chiefs in a 23–7 upset. The Vikings opened up the 1970 season in a Super Bowl IV rematch against the Chiefs. The Vikings defense dominated the game, limiting the Chiefs to 63 yards rushing and forcing four turnovers including a second quarter fumble forced by Eller, recovered by Marshall who then lateraled the ball to Roy Winston , who went on to score a touchdown en route to

3060-555: The National Football League . Hunt's desire to secure a football team was heightened after watching the 1958 NFL Championship Game between the New York Giants and Baltimore Colts . After unsuccessful attempts to purchase and relocate the NFL's Chicago Cardinals to his hometown of Dallas, Texas , Hunt went to the NFL and asked to create an expansion franchise in Dallas. The NFL turned him down, so Hunt then established

3150-537: The New York Jets during the 1980s, and the “ Monsters of the Midway " of the Chicago Bears during the 1980s. Eller and Page were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Many fans, players, coaches and sportswriters argue that Jim Marshall should be in the Hall of Fame as well. When the Minnesota Vikings first came into the NFL in 1961, they picked up Jim Marshall from the Cleveland Browns during

3240-557: The New York Jets in the wild-card round. Despite leading the Chiefs to only their third winning season and second playoff appearance since the merger, Mackovic was fired for what Hunt described as a lack of chemistry. Frank Gansz served as head coach for the next two seasons, but won only eight of 31 games. On December 19, 1988, owner Lamar Hunt hired Carl Peterson as the team's new president, general manager, and chief executive officer. Peterson fired head coach Frank Gansz two weeks after taking over and hired Marty Schottenheimer as

3330-499: The San Francisco 49ers for the Chiefs' second-round pick, 34th overall, in the 2013 draft and a conditional pick in the 2014 draft. Matt Cassel was released shortly after. The Chiefs selected Eric Fisher with the first overall pick of the 2013 NFL draft . In 2013, the Chiefs started 9–0 for the second time in team history. The team finished with a 11–5 record and made the playoffs. They led in their wildcard game against

3420-638: The Truman Sports Complex outside of downtown Kansas City . The team's first game at Arrowhead was against the St. Louis Cardinals , a preseason game that the Chiefs won 24–14. Linebacker Willie Lanier and quarterback Len Dawson won the NFL Man of the Year Award in 1972 and 1973, respectively. The Chiefs did not return to the post-season for the remainder of the 1970s, and the 1973 season

3510-414: The 13th overall selection in the 1997 NFL draft , a move which some considered to be a gamble being that Gonzalez was primarily a basketball player at California . During a 1997 season full of injuries to starting quarterback Elvis Grbac , backup quarterback Rich Gannon took the reins of the Chiefs' offense as the team headed to another 13–3 season. Head coach Marty Schottenheimer chose Grbac to start

3600-420: The 1980s, they had a strong defensive unit consisting of Pro Bowlers such as Bill Maas , Albert Lewis , Art Still and Deron Cherry . John Mackovic took over head coaching duties for the 1983 season after Marv Levy was fired. Over the next four seasons, Mackovic coached the Chiefs to a 30–34 record, but took the team to its first postseason appearance in 15 years in the 1986 NFL playoffs . They lost to

3690-576: The 2010 season combined for as many as the team had won in their previous three seasons combined. On January 9, 2011, the Chiefs lost their home Wild Card playoff game to the Baltimore Ravens 30–7. Six players were chosen for the Pro Bowl : Dwayne Bowe , Jamaal Charles , Brian Waters , Tamba Hali , Matt Cassel , and rookie safety Eric Berry . Jamaal Charles won the FEDEX ground player of

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3780-546: The 50 Greatest Vikings. Purple People Eater Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.226 via cp1108 cp1108, Varnish XID 217588795 Upstream caches: cp1108 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Thu, 28 Nov 2024 07:42:58 GMT Kansas City Chiefs National Football League ( 1970 –present) The Kansas City Chiefs are

3870-725: The Chiefs and the rest of the American Football League merged with the National Football League after the AFL–NFL merger became official. The Chiefs were placed in the American Football Conference 's West Division . From 1960 to 1969, the Chiefs/Texans won 87 games, which is the most in the ten-year history of the AFL. In 1970, the Chiefs went 7–5–2 and missed the playoffs. The following season,

3960-446: The Chiefs began a youth movement. The Chiefs had a league-high thirteen selections in the 2008 NFL draft and chose defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey and offensive lineman Branden Albert in the first round. Analysts quickly called Kansas City's selections as the best of the entire draft. Entering the season, the Chiefs were unsure if injury-prone quarterback Brodie Croyle , who was the incumbent starter, could be their quarterback in

4050-641: The Chiefs further strengthened their position in the NFL. The 11–5 Chiefs defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers and Houston Oilers on their way to the franchise's first AFC Championship Game appearance against the Buffalo Bills. The Chiefs were overwhelmed by the Bills and lost the game by a score of 30–13. The Chiefs' victory on January 16, 1994, against the Oilers remained the franchise's last post-season victory for 22 years until their 30–0 victory over

4140-412: The Chiefs have risen to dynastic performance under head coach Andy Reid , quarterback Patrick Mahomes , tight end Travis Kelce , and defensive tackle Chris Jones , appearing in four Super Bowls since 2019 and being victorious in three: LIV , LVII , and LVIII . In 1959, Lamar Hunt began discussions with other businessmen to establish a professional football league that would rival

4230-529: The Chiefs tallied a 10–3–1 record and won the AFC West Division. Head coach Hank Stram considered his 1971 Chiefs team as his best, but they failed to capture their championship dominance from 1969. Most of the pieces of the team which won Super Bowl IV two years earlier were still in place for the 1971 season. The Chiefs tied with the Miami Dolphins for the best record in the AFC, and both teams met in

4320-522: The Houston Texans on January 9, 2016. In the 1995 NFL playoffs , the 13–3 Chiefs hosted the Indianapolis Colts in a cold, damp late afternoon game at Arrowhead Stadium. Kansas City lost the game 10–7 against the underdog Colts, after kicker Lin Elliot missed three field-goal attempts and quarterback Steve Bono threw three interceptions. The Chiefs selected tight end Tony Gonzalez with

4410-584: The NFC Championship, The Vikings limited Dallas to 153 yards of total offense, sacked Staubach 3 times and forced 6 turnovers including two fumble recoveries by Gary Larsen en route to a 27-10 victory. The Vikings returned to the Super Bowl for the second time in five years, ultimately falling to the Miami Dolphins by a score of 24-7. In 1974, the Vikings ranked third in points allowed. That year Doug Sutherland started in place of Larsen (who

4500-541: The NFL as a result of the 1970 AFL–NFL merger ; entering the 2024 season, the team is valued at over US$ 4.85 billion. After Hunt's death in 2006, his wife, Norma, and children became legal owners of the team. After Norma's death in 2023, the Hunt children inherited her stake in the franchise. Clark Hunt , one of the Hunts' children, has served as chairman and CEO since 2006 and is the ultimate authority over personnel decisions. He

4590-408: The NFL's Chicago Bears in the 1967 preseason and won the game 66–24. Despite losing to the division rival Oakland Raiders twice in the regular season in 1969, the two teams met for a third time in the AFL Championship Game, where Kansas City won 17–7. Backup quarterback Mike Livingston led the team in a six-game winning streak after Len Dawson suffered a leg injury which kept him out of most of

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4680-508: The No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 NFL draft . It is the first time since the merger they have held the first overall pick. Following the 2012 season, the Chiefs fired head coach Romeo Crennel and general manager Scott Pioli . Former Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid was brought in as head coach to work with new general manager John Dorsey , a former Green Bay Packers head scout. The Chiefs acquired quarterback Alex Smith from

4770-531: The Packers, who at that time, were undefeated with a 13–0 record. Defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel would be named the team's interim head coach for the remaining three games of the season, including the aforementioned Packers game. On January 9, 2012, Crennel was named the 11th full-time head coach in Chiefs history. The 2012 Chiefs became the first team since the 1929 Buffalo Bisons to not lead in regulation through any of their first nine games. The Chiefs tied their franchise-worst record of 2–14 and clinched

4860-466: The Pro Bowl as the defense collected 44 sacks (11 for Page, 10 for Larsen, 10 for Marshall and 8 for Eller), ranked 6th in the league in points allowed and played a big role in the Vikings winning their first division title. In week 2 against the Green Bay Packers , Marshall sacked Packers Quarterback Bart Starr in his own end zone for a safety, giving the Vikings a 16–0 lead. The Vikings won

4950-506: The Purple People Eaters received several franchise accolades. Marshall, Eller and Page have been inducted the Vikings Ring of Honor, The Vikings retired numbers 88 and 70 to Page and Marshall respectively, Eller, Larsen, Page and Marshall were selected to the Vikings 25th Anniversary team, Eller, Page and Marshall were selected to the Vikings 40th Anniversary team, and Eller, Larsen, Page, Marshall and Sutherland were selected to be part of

5040-568: The St. Joseph and Kansas City Boy Scout Councils, and founder of the Scouting Society, the Tribe of Mic-O-Say . Despite the historical use of Native American features, it has been acknowledged that the team's naming was not a direct reference to Native Americans but only to Bartle's nickname "Chief". Business Insider journalist Meredith Cash even stated in January 2020 that Bartle "insisted on

5130-471: The Texans defeated the Oilers 20–17 in double overtime. The game lasted 77 minutes and 54 seconds, which, at the time, was the longest game in the history of professional American Football. It is still the longest championship game in American Football League history. It turned out to be the last game the team would play as the Dallas Texans. Despite competing against a Cowboys team that managed only

5220-475: The Texans gained less attention due to the AFL's relatively lower profile compared to the NFL's. In the franchise's first two seasons, the team managed only an 8–6 and 6–8 record, respectively. In their third season, the Texans tallied an 11–3 record and a berth in the team's first American Football League Championship Game , against the Houston Oilers . The game was broadcast nationally on ABC and

5310-549: The Vikings intimidating line leading their defense and their future Hall of Fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton leading the offense, the Vikings went on to participate in Super Bowls VIII , IX , and XI , though the Vikings lost each one. In 1973, Eller became an All Pro for the fifth time in six years. Page meanwhile was named NEA Defensive Player of the Year as the Vikings ranked second in the league in points allowed. In

5400-404: The Vikings' defense recorded 46 sacks, ranked third in the league in points allowed, and became the first defense since the 1970 merger to be ranked number one against the run and the pass en route to winning another division title. In 1976, The Vikings defense ranked second in points allowed, won another divisional title and made it to their third Super Bowl in four years (fourth overall). But for

5490-408: The Year honoree, Al Saunders. Running back Priest Holmes surpassed Marshall Faulk 's single-season touchdown record by scoring his 27th rushing touchdown against the Chicago Bears in the team's regular-season finale. The team clinched the second seed in the 2003 NFL playoffs and hosted the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Divisional Playoffs. In a game where neither team punted, the Chiefs lost

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5580-537: The club's seventh head coach. In the 1988 and 1989 NFL Drafts , the Chiefs selected both defensive end Neil Smith and linebacker Derrick Thomas , respectively. The defense that Thomas and Smith anchored in their seven seasons together was a big reason why the Chiefs reached the postseason in six straight years. In Schottenheimer's ten-season tenure as head coach, the Chiefs became a perennial playoff contender, featuring offensive players including Steve DeBerg , Christian Okoye , Stephone Paige and Barry Word ,

5670-407: The field as much as on as tight end Tony Gonzalez demanded a trade and running back Larry Johnson was involved in legal trouble. Croyle returned for the Chiefs' game against the Tennessee Titans, but both he and Damon Huard suffered season-ending injuries in the game. The Chiefs reorganized their offense to a new spread offense game plan focused around Tyler Thigpen. The Chiefs' new offense

5760-509: The fourth time, they lost, this time to the Oakland Raiders by a score of 32-14. That year, Page accounted for 18 of the Vikings 45 sacks and made his 9th consecutive Pro Bowl. In 1977, The Vikings won yet another division title and made it to their fourth NFC Championship in five years. That year, Eller accounted for 15 of the Vikings 30 sacks. Eller also recorded a safety in week 2 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when he sacked Buccaneers quarterback Randy Hedberg in his own endzone en route to

5850-421: The game 26–13. In 1969, Marshall, Eller, Page and Larsen all made the Pro Bowl as the defense sacked the opposing quarterback 49 times and ranked number 1 in both yards allowed and points allowed. Shutting out their opponents twice, and only allowing 2 offensive touchdowns in the last 7 games of the season. Carl Eller led the league with 15 sacks, and Marshall had the second most with 14. On Thanksgiving against

5940-412: The game, Eller intercepted Rams quarterback Roman Gabriel and ran 46 yards into the end zone, but the touchdown was called back on a controversial offside penalty on Page. Marshall claimed in an interview that "Alan was not offsides, he was just really quick." Late in the fourth quarter, the Vikings defense needed to protect a one-point lead. Eller extended the lead by sacking Gabriel in the end zone for

6030-416: The injured Priest Holmes and rushed for 1,750 yards in only nine starts. Prior to the Chiefs' final game of the season, head coach Dick Vermeil announced his retirement. The Chiefs won the game 37–3 over the playoff-bound Cincinnati Bengals . Within two weeks of Vermeil's retirement, the Chiefs returned to their defensive roots with the selection of its next head coach. The team introduced Herm Edwards ,

6120-421: The long-term. Croyle was injured in the team's first game of the season and Damon Huard started in Croyle's absence. Tyler Thigpen become the third Chiefs starting quarterback in as many games for a start against the Atlanta Falcons . After a poor performance by Thigpen, in which he threw three interceptions against the Falcons defense, Huard was retained as the starting quarterback. The Chiefs struggled off

6210-489: The loss of Jamaal Charles to a torn ACL . They made one of the most improbable season comebacks in the NFL and won ten straight to improve their record from 1–5 to 11–5. The team clinched a playoff berth after a 17–13 win over Cleveland in Week 16 to become only the second post-merger NFL team to make the playoffs following a 1–5 start. The streak achieved by the Chiefs broke a franchise record for nine straight (2003, 2013) and second nine plus game win streak under Reid. After

6300-430: The mandatory retirement age. In 2018 he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Carl Eller also played with the Vikings until 1978, and one more season with the Seattle Seahawks before retiring after the 1979 season. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004. About a decade later Eller went on to found various substance-abuse clinics in the Twin Cities area, named Triumph Life Centers. He acquired

6390-418: The most accurate kicker in NFL history over the next fourteen years. In 1981, running back Joe Delaney rushed for 1,121 yards and was named the AFC Rookie of the Year . The Chiefs finished the season with a 9–7 record and entered the 1982 season with optimism. The NFL Players Association strike curbed the Chiefs' chances of returning to the postseason for the first time in over a decade. The Chiefs tallied

6480-495: The next two seasons, compiling a 16–16 record. By the end of the Chiefs' decade of regular-season dominance, Gannon had signed with the Oakland Raiders , Neil Smith signed with the Denver Broncos , and Derrick Thomas was paralyzed in a car accident on January 23, 2000. Thomas died from complications of his injury weeks later. After allegedly reading online that he would be relieved of duties, head coach Gunther Cunningham

6570-662: The playoff game against the Denver Broncos despite Gannon's successes in previous weeks. Grbac's production in the game was lacking, and the Chiefs lost to the Broncos 14–10. Denver went on to capture their fifth AFC Championship by defeating Pittsburgh, and then defeated the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XXXII . Coach Schottenheimer announced his resignation from the Chiefs following the 1998 season. Following Schottenheimer's resignation, defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham took over coaching duties for

6660-417: The previous two seasons. Notably, head coach Todd Haley fired offensive coordinator Chan Gailey just weeks before the start of the 2009 season and chose to take on the coordinator duties himself. Throughout 2009 the Chiefs acquired veterans to supplement the Chiefs' young talent including Matt Cassel , Mike Vrabel , Bobby Engram , Mike Brown , Chris Chambers , and Andy Alleman . The team finished with

6750-418: The remainder of the season, as did the rest of the league. Trent Green returned in the middle of the season, but struggled in the final stretch, and running back Larry Johnson set an NFL record with 416 carries in a season. Kansas City managed to clinch their first playoff berth in three seasons with a 9–7 record and a bizarre sequence of six losses from other AFC teams on New Year's Eve , culminating with

6840-488: The season's games. While getting plenty of help from the club's defense, Dawson returned from the injury and led the Chiefs to Super Bowl IV . Against the NFL champion Minnesota Vikings , who were favored by 12 + 1 ⁄ 2 , the Chiefs dominated the game 23–7 to claim the team's first Super Bowl championship. Dawson was named the game's Most Valuable Player after completing 12-of-17 passes for 142 yards and one touchdown, with 1 interception. The following season,

6930-442: The seating capacity of Municipal Stadium to accommodate the team. Hunt agreed to relocate the franchise to Kansas City on May 22, 1963, and on May 26, the team was renamed the Kansas City Chiefs . Hunt and head coach Hank Stram initially planned to retain the Texans name, but a fan contest determined the new "Chiefs" name in honor of Mayor Bartle's nickname that he acquired in his professional role as Scout Executive of

7020-511: The second team, after the Green Bay Packers (whom they played in Super Bowl I ), to appear in more than one Super Bowl (and the first AFL team to do so) and the first to appear in the championship game in two different decades. Despite this post-season success, the team failed to find success in the playoffs for decades, including losing ten of eleven playoff games from 1993 to 2018 , which included an eight-game losing streak. Since then,

7110-407: The shoot-out 38–31. It was the third time in nine seasons that the Chiefs went 8–0 at home in the regular season, only to lose their post-season opener at Arrowhead. After a disappointing 7–9 record in 2004, the 2005 Chiefs finished with a 10–6 record but no playoff berth. They were the fourth team since 1990 to miss the playoffs with a 10–6 record. Running back Larry Johnson started in place of

7200-518: The team being named after himself" and that "Bartle was known as Chief Lone Bear within Mic-O-Say circles, and eventually the nickname "Chief" caught on among people throughout Kansas City." The franchise became one of the strongest teams in the now thriving American Football League, with the most playoff appearances for an AFL team (tied with the Oakland Raiders ), and the most AFL Championships (three). The team's dominance helped Lamar Hunt become

7290-440: The team's cornerstones on offense. In Vermeil's first season with the Chiefs, he led the team to a 6–10 record. The team improved to a 8–8 record in 2002 but still missed the postseason. In 2003, Kansas City began the season with nine consecutive victories, a franchise record. They finished the season with a 13–3 record and the team's offense led the NFL in several categories under the direction of USA Today's Offensive Coach of

7380-452: The wall when the Rams had the ball at the Vikings 2-yard line after a 50-yard punt return by Kermit Alexander . However, the Vikings defense executed a key goal line stand by limiting the Rams to 1 yard on three straight running plays. The Vikings went on to win the game 13–3. In 1971, The Vikings defense ranked second in fewest yards allowed and for the third year in a row, first in fewest points allowed, including 3 shutouts. That year, Eller

7470-419: The year award and Dwayne Bowe led the NFL in touchdown receptions. For their first pick in the 2011 NFL draft , the team selected Jon Baldwin . After a poor start, Haley was relieved of duties as head coach on December 12. Clark Hunt made note of "bright spots at different points this season," but felt that overall the Chiefs were not progressing. The highest point of the 2011 season was an upset win against

7560-405: Was a major factor in the post-season success of the Vikings from the late 1960s through the 1970s. The Purple People Eaters were one of the most identifiable front fours in National Football League history, with the " Fearsome Foursome " of the Los Angeles Rams during the 1960s and early 1970s, the " Steel Curtain " of the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 1970s, the " New York Sack Exchange " of

7650-572: Was fired. Looking to change the Chiefs' game plan which relied on a tough defensive strategy for the past decade, Carl Peterson contacted Dick Vermeil about the Chiefs' head coaching vacancy for the 2001 season. Vermeil previously led the St. Louis Rams to a victory in Super Bowl XXXIV . Vermeil was hired on January 12. The Chiefs then traded a first-round draft pick in the 2001 NFL draft to St. Louis for quarterback Trent Green and signed free agent running back Priest Holmes to be

7740-472: Was hired as his replacement for 2009. On January 23, 2009, Herm Edwards was fired as head coach, and two weeks later Todd Haley signed a four-year contract to become Edwards' successor. Haley had a background with Pioli, which made him an attractive hire for Pioli's first coach in Kansas City. In April 2009, Tony Gonzalez was traded to the Atlanta Falcons after failed trade attempts over

7830-432: Was implemented to help Thigpen play to the best of his abilities and also following the absence of Larry Johnson, who was suspended for his off-field conduct. The Chiefs made a huge gamble by using the spread offense, as most in the NFL believe that it cannot work in professional football, and also head coach Herm Edwards was traditionally in favor of more conservative, run-oriented game plans. The 2008 season ended with

7920-531: Was playing his last season) and continued for the next seven years. A turning point in the Divisional round against the St. Louis Cardinals , came in the third quarter when Page and Eller forced a fumble which was recovered and scored by defensive back Nate Wright . From there the Vikings scored 23 unanswered points en route to winning 30-14. Then in the NFC Championship against the Rams. Two back-to-back sacks ended

8010-538: Was the team's last winning season for seven years. Hank Stram was fired following a 5–9 season in 1974, and many of the Chiefs' future Hall of Fame players departed by the middle of the decade. From 1975 to 1988, the Chiefs had become a team that rarely won, which provided Chiefs fans with nothing but futility. Five head coaches struggled to achieve the same success as Stram, compiling an 81–121–1 record. In 1980, Coach Marv Levy cut future Hall of Fame Kicker Jan Stenerud for little-known Nick Lowery , who would become

8100-505: Was voted NEA NFL Defensive Player of the Year and to his fourth straight Pro Bowl. Meanwhile, Page became the first defensive player to be voted NFL MVP , and the only defensive lineman to ever earn the honor. Page's MVP season was highlighted by his Week 13 performance against the Detroit Lions . In the second quarter, after being called for a personal foul and for roughing the passer on consecutive plays, Page sacked QB Greg Landry on first down. On second down, Page tackled Altie Taylor for

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