1990 Kansas City Chiefs season
The 1990 Kansas City Chiefs season was the franchise's 21st season in the National Football League, the 28th as the Kansas City Chiefs and the 31st overall. The team improved from an 8–7–1 record to an 11–5 record and Wild Card spot in the 1991 playoffs. In Marty Schottenheimer's first playoff appearance with the Chiefs, they lost to the Miami Dolphins 17–16 in the wild-card round. Starting with the home opener, the Chiefs began an NFL-record 19 consecutive seasons with every home game sold out. The streak was finally broken in the final home game of the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs season versus Cleveland.
| 1990 Kansas City Chiefs season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Lamar Hunt |
| General manager | Carl Peterson |
| Head coach | Marty Schottenheimer |
| Home field | Arrowhead Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 11–5 |
| Division place | 2nd AFC West |
| Playoff finish | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (at Dolphins) 16–17 |
| Pro Bowlers | LB Derrick Thomas CB Kevin Ross CB Albert Lewis K Nick Lowery |
Season notes
The success of the 1989 season carried into 1990, and the Chiefs put together a successful season to return to the playoffs for only the second time since 1971. The season began on August 4 when Buck Buchanan, a key ingredient of the Chiefs' 1969 Super Bowl championship season was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
On opening day, The Chiefs beat the Minnesota Vikings 24–21. On September 17, Stephone Paige catches 10 passes for 206 yards, but the Chiefs still lost to the Denver Broncos, 24–23 on Monday Night Football.
On October 14, Barry Word rushes for a team-record 200 yards against the Detroit Lions at Arrowhead. Kansas City won 43–24 to give the Chiefs a 4–2 record. Word would eventually gain 1,021 yards rushing for the season while Paige caught 65 passes for 1,021 yards. Quarterback Steve DeBerg had his best season ever as a Chief as he passed for 3,444 yards and 23 touchdowns.
On November 11, Derrick Thomas who would get 20 quarterback sacks for the year, sacked Seattle Seahawks quarterback Dave Krieg an NFL-record seven sacks. On the game's last play, Derrick nearly had his 8th sack, but Krieg eluded him and threw a game-winning touchdown as the Seahawks won 17–16. Derrick Thomas later said himself that, "The thing I most remember about that game, is the sack I didn't get, that's the one that still haunts me." The great Derrick Thomas' record of seven sacks in one game is now seen as one of NFL's most "unbreakable records".
On December 9, the Chiefs had two big fourth-down calls and scored two touchdowns. Chiefs coach Marty Schottenheimer let his team make two big plays that ultimately led to Kansas City's 31–20 win over the Denver Broncos, which clinched a playoff spot.
The first big play was a fourth-and-goal at the Denver 1-yard line, and Barry Word carried the ball into the end zone to give the Chiefs a 17–13 lead. The second fourth-down attempt resulted in a 27-yard touchdown pass from Steve DeBerg to Robb Thomas and put the game away in the fourth quarter. DeBerg passed for 254 yards and three touchdowns in the game. Kansas City trailed 13–10 at the half but scored 21 second-half points to take control of the game.
The win improved their record to 9–4 and control of the AFC West Race. However, the next week the Chiefs lost to Houston, putting the Raiders Back into First place. The Chiefs won their next game at San Diego to Clinch an AFC playoff spot. The Chiefs then defeated the Chicago Bears 21-19 to finish 11–5, the team's best record since 1971. The Raiders held onto first winning in the final week. Defense carried the Chiefs to the playoffs thanks to Pro Bowlers Derrick Thomas, Albert Lewis and Kevin Ross.
Next was the Miami Dolphins in the AFC Wild-Card Playoff Game, a game they would lead 16-3 only to go on to lose, 17–16. Kicker Nick Lowery missed short on a 52-yard FG in the final seconds that would have won the game.
Offseason
Draft
| 1990 Kansas City Chiefs draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13 | Percy Snow | Linebacker | Michigan State | |
| 2 | 40 | Tim Grunhard * | Center | Notre Dame | |
| 4 | 96 | Fred Jones | Wide receiver | Grambling State | |
| 5 | 124 | Derrick Graham | Guard | Appalachian State | |
| 5 | 127 | Ken Hackemack | Offensive tackle | Texas | |
| 6 | 152 | Tom Sims | Defensive tackle | Pittsburgh | |
| 7 | 180 | Dave Szott * | Guard | Penn State | |
| 9 | 235 | Michael Owens | Running back | Syracuse | |
| 10 | 263 | Craig Hudson | Tight end | Wisconsin | |
| 11 | 291 | Ernest Thompson | Running back | Georgia Southern | |
| 12 | 318 | Tony Jeffery | Wide receiver | San Jose State | |
| Made roster * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career | |||||
Undrafted free agents
| Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|
| Bryan Barker | Punter | Santa Clara |
Personnel
Staff
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
| |||||
Roster
Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
|
Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
|
Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
|
Reserve lists
47 active, 8 inactive, 2 practice squad
| ||||||
Preseason
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 11 | vs Los Angeles Rams | L 3–19 | 0–1 |  Olympiastadion (West Berlin) |
55,429 | Recap |
| 2 | August 18 | New York Jets | L 0–20 | 0–2 | Arrowhead Stadium | 40,448 | Recap |
| 3 | August 24 | at Detroit Lions | L 21–35 | 0–3 | Pontiac Silverdome | 50,293 | Recap |
| 4 | August 31 | Green Bay Packers | W 27–14 | 1–3 | Arrowhead Stadium | 42,806 | Recap |
Regular season
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 9 | Minnesota Vikings | W 24–21 | 1–0 | Arrowhead Stadium | 68,363 | Recap |
| 2 | September 17 | at Denver Broncos | L 23–24 | 1–1 | Mile High Stadium | 75,277 | Recap |
| 3 | September 23 | at Green Bay Packers | W 17–3 | 2–1 | Lambeau Field | 58,817 | Recap |
| 4 | September 30 | Cleveland Browns | W 34–0 | 3–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | 75,462 | Recap |
| 5 | October 7 | at Indianapolis Colts | L 19–23 | 3–2 | Hoosier Dome | 54,950 | Recap |
| 6 | October 14 | Detroit Lions | W 43–24 | 4–2 | Arrowhead Stadium | 74,312 | Recap |
| 7 | October 21 | at Seattle Seahawks | L 7–19 | 4–3 | Kingdome | 60,358 | Recap |
| 8 | Bye | ||||||
| 9 | November 4 | Los Angeles Raiders | W 9–7 | 5–3 | Arrowhead Stadium | 70,951 | Recap |
| 10 | November 11 | Seattle Seahawks | L 16–17 | 5–4 | Arrowhead Stadium | 71,285 | Recap |
| 11 | November 18 | San Diego Chargers | W 27–10 | 6–4 | Arrowhead Stadium | 63,717 | Recap |
| 12 | November 25 | at Los Angeles Raiders | W 27–24 | 7–4 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | 65,710 | Recap |
| 13 | December 2 | at New England Patriots | W 37–7 | 8–4 | Foxboro Stadium | 26,280 | Recap |
| 14 | December 9 | Denver Broncos | W 31–20 | 9–4 | Arrowhead Stadium | 74,347 | Recap |
| 15 | December 16 | Houston Oilers | L 10–27 | 9–5 | Arrowhead Stadium | 61,756 | Recap |
| 16 | December 23 | at San Diego Chargers | W 24–21 | 10–5 | Jack Murphy Stadium | 45,135 | Recap |
| 17 | December 29 | at Chicago Bears | W 21–10 | 11–5 | Soldier Field | 60,262 | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Week 1: vs. Minnesota Vikings
Week 1: Minnesota Vikings at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vikings | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
| Chiefs | 14 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: September 9
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: Clear, 89 °F (32 °C)
- Game attendance: 68,363
- Referee: Howard Roe
- TV announcers (CBS): James Brown and Randy Cross
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 2: at Denver Broncos
Week 2: Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 3 | 6 | 0 | 14 | 23 |
| Broncos | 7 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 24 |
at Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado
- Date: September 17
- Game time: 8:00 p.m. CDT/7:00 p.m. MDT
- Game weather: Mostly Fair, 63 °F (17 °C)
- Game attendance: 75,277
- Referee: Jim Tunney
- TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels, Frank Gifford and Dan Dierdorf
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 3: at Green Bay Packers
Week 3: Kansas City Chiefs at Green Bay Packers – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 17 |
| Packers | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
- Date: September 23
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: Partly Cloudy, 52 °F (11 °C)
- Game attendance: 58,817
- Referee: Gordon McCarter
- TV announcers (NBC): Joel Meyers and Ahmad Rashad
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 4: vs. Cleveland Browns
Week 4: Cleveland Browns at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Browns | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chiefs | 7 | 17 | 10 | 0 | 34 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: September 30
- Game time: 3:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: Clear, 68 °F (20 °C)
- Game attendance: 75,462
- Referee: Pat Haggerty
- TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg and Bill Walsh
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 5: at Indianapolis Colts
Week 5: Kansas City Chiefs at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 10 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 19 |
| Colts | 0 | 10 | 0 | 13 | 23 |
at Hoosier Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana
- Date: October 7
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
- Game attendance: 54,960
- Referee: Bob McElwee
- TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones and Todd Christensen
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 6: vs. Detroit Lions
Week 6: Detroit Lions at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lions | 14 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 24 |
| Chiefs | 3 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 43 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: October 14
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: Clear, 66 °F (19 °C)
- Game attendance: 74,312
- Referee: Jerry Seeman
- TV announcers (CBS): Brad Nessler and Dan Jiggetts
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 7: at Seattle Seahawks
Week 7: Kansas City Chiefs at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Seahawks | 0 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 19 |
at Kingdome, Seattle, Washington
- Date: October 21
- Game time: 3:00 p.m. CDT/1:00 p.m. PDT
- Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
- Game attendance: 60,358
- Referee: Howard Roe
- TV announcers (NBC): Jim Donovan and Joe Namath
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 9: vs. Los Angeles Raiders
Week 9: Los Angeles Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raiders | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Chiefs | 6 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 9 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 10: vs. Seattle Seahawks
Week 10: Seattle Seahawks at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seahawks | 0 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 17 |
| Chiefs | 0 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 16 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: November 11
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Clear, 63 °F (17 °C)
- Game attendance: 71,285
- Referee: Tom White
- TV announcers (NBC): Jim Donovan and Paul Maguire
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 11: vs. San Diego Chargers
Week 11: San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chargers | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| Chiefs | 10 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 27 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: November 18
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Cloudy, 54 °F (12 °C)
- Game attendance: 63,717
- Referee: Dick Hantak
- TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones and Todd Christensen
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 12: at Los Angeles Raiders
Week 12: Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Raiders – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 0 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 27 |
| Raiders | 0 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California
- Date: November 25
- Game time: 3:00 p.m. CST/1:00 p.m. PST
- Game weather: Hazy, 78 °F (26 °C)
- Game attendance: 65,170
- Referee: Jerry Markbreit
- TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg and Bill Walsh
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 13: at New England Patriots
Week 13: Kansas City Chiefs at New England Patriots – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 13 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 37 |
| Patriots | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 14: vs. Denver Broncos
Week 14: Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broncos | 0 | 13 | 0 | 7 | 20 |
| Chiefs | 7 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 31 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 15: vs. Houston Oilers
Week 15: Houston Oilers at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oilers | 7 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 27 |
| Chiefs | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: December 16
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Cloudy, 38 °F (3 °C)
- Game attendance: 61,756
- Referee: Red Cashion
- TV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui and Bob Trumpy
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 16: at San Diego Chargers
Week 16: Kansas City Chiefs at San Diego Chargers – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 7 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 24 |
| Chargers | 7 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 17: at Chicago Bears
Week 17: Kansas City Chiefs at Chicago Bears – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 6 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 21 |
| Bears | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
- Date: December 29
- Game time: 11:30 a.m. CST
- Game weather: 44 °F (7 °C)
- Game attendance: 60,262
- Referee: Johnny Grier
- TV announcers (NBC): Marv Albert and Paul Maguire
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Standings
| AFC West | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| (2) Los Angeles Raiders | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 6–2 | 9–3 | 337 | 268 | W5 |
| (5) Kansas City Chiefs | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 5–3 | 7–5 | 369 | 257 | W2 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 4–4 | 7–5 | 306 | 286 | W2 |
| San Diego Chargers | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–6 | 5–9 | 315 | 281 | L3 |
| Denver Broncos | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 3–5 | 4–8 | 331 | 374 | W1 |
Postseason
In a scene that would be repeated throughout the 1990s the Chiefs had a great regular season but failed miserably in the post-season. In the Wild Card playoff game, the Chiefs blew a 16–3 lead as the Dolphins scored two touchdowns to take a lead. The Chiefs had one last chance for a win, but Christian Okoye's long run was called back due to a questionable holding call. Kicker Nick Lowery, who had 139 points all season and a Pro Bowl berth missed a 52-yard field goal coming up two feet short, ending the Chiefs season.
Schedule
| Round | Date | Opponent (seed) | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Card | January 5, 1991 | at Miami Dolphins (4) | L 16–17 | 0–1 | Joe Robbie Stadium | 67,276 | Recap |
AFC Wild Card Playoffs: at (4) Miami Dolphins
AFC Wild Card Playoffs: Kansas City Chiefs (5) at Miami Dolphins (4) – Game summary
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 3 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 16 |
| Dolphins | 0 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 17 |
at Joe Robbie Stadium, Miami, Florida
- Date: January 5
- Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST/3:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Partly Cloudy, 81 °F (27 °C)
- Game attendance: 67,276
- Referee: Pat Haggerty
- TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels, Frank Gifford, Dan Dierdorf and Bob Griese
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
With 2:28 left in the game, the Dolphins capped an 85-yard drive with quarterback Dan Marino's winning 12-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Mark Clayton.
References
- "1990 Kansas City Chiefs draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 5, 2014.
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