1971 Kansas City Chiefs

[Jay Z]

Looking for some opinions about this team. I understand many think this might've been their best team in their 66-71 run. Obviously, it was the beginning of the end for that era as evidenced by the next few seasons. Chiefs vs. Cowboys in the Super Bowl would've been interesting with the former Dallas team going against the team that survived the battle for that city.

I've read more than once that Hank Stram felt that his 1971 team was better than his S.B. winning team from 2 years earlier (I'm not sure how his players felt/feel about that). Having them play the Dolphins in the first round of the playoffs was pure idiocy (in my opinion). With Stenerud missing those FGs (that one, in particular) and Ed Podolak being forced out on that k.o. return by Garo Yepremian (of all people) I guess the fates were simply against the Kansas City Chiefs that year.

Football's a rough game. 1969 Chiefs knocked Lamonica and Kapp out of the game. I'll take it. Maybe Stram wanted to win by calling 25 toss power trap or whatever it was. He won, he got his ring. Stram had his flaws, but he won, which some didn't. Like Bud Grant, George Allen, Chuck Knox. Stram beat Bud Grant. Stram was a better SB coach than Bud Grant. Bud Grant was a lousy SB coach, regardless of quality of team.

1971 Chiefs had a good defense, but not impressed by what they did against the Dolphins. 24 points in regulation, yeah maybe you can win, but it's below average. Gave up leads three different times. Not the same as 1969.

Stenerud was off his form in 1971. It was a 31 yard kick. You know what Stenerud was from 20-39 in 1971? 9-17. It was a .500 kick for Stenerud in 1971, not some gimme. Stenerud had a bad year. He still got lots of points with 44 attempts, and the Chiefs had 13 attempts from 19 yards in, more than any other team. But Stenerud wasn't having a good year anyway, he was below average in 1971.

The Chiefs front office was getting to be a clown show by this point. I mentioned Frank Pitts got traded. Pitts got traded right before the season, so the Chiefs just got a couple of draft choices for him, nothing to help for 1971. Then they spent one of the choices on Andy Hamilton, another WR that wasn't any good, and the other choice never made the team. They spent a second round pick getting Mo Moorman back from the Patriots because of a botched waiver move. They got a second round pick for Garrett, and that turned out to be Wilbur Young, who was good, but they could have waited three picks to take Young anyway with their own pick, which they used on another DE, Scott Lewis, who never played in the NFL.

[7DnBrnc53]

The Chiefs front office was getting to be a clown show by this point. I mentioned Frank Pitts got traded. Pitts got traded right before the season, so the Chiefs just got a couple of draft choices for him, nothing to help for 1971. Then they spent one of the choices on Andy Hamilton, another WR that wasn't any good, and the other choice never made the team. They spent a second round pick getting Mo Moorman back from the Patriots because of a botched waiver move. They got a second round pick for Garrett, and that turned out to be Wilbur Young, who was good, but they could have waited three picks to take Young anyway with their own pick, which they used on another DE, Scott Lewis, who never played in the NFL.

When I look at the records, they continued to be a clown show until 1977, the year before Marv Levy took over. 77 was a good draft, but from 72-76, they either drafted a bust in the first round or traded away the pick. 1974 is a year that really stands out. They took Woody Green in Round 1, who only played three years in the NFL. Then, after taking Charlie Getty in Round 2, they took Kansas QB David Jaynes in Round 3. It's unclear what actually happened to him. Didn't Jack Rudnay kick him off the team or something?

[racepug]

Bud Grant was a lousy SB coach, regardless of quality of team.

That would appear to be the case although it's possible that his teams were simply beaten by better ones, isn't it? I'm pretty sure that in 1969 the Chiefs were hell-bent on avenging their S.B. I loss, the Dolphins had that overpowering run game, the Steelers had their "Curtain," and the Raiders? Well, according to LB Phil Villapiano, when asked by Tom Danyluk how the Raiders could've been so sure of a victory over a Vikings team that had lost only twice all season (both close!), responded, "We knew we'd beat the Vikings. We'd beaten teams that were much better than the Vikings that year."

1971 Chiefs had a good defense, but not impressed by what they did against the Dolphins. 24 points in regulation, yeah maybe you can win, but it's below average. Gave up leads three different times. Not the same as 1969.

Okay, but that wasn't the New York Jets or the Denver Broncos that they were facing and they definitely had their chances (to win).

Stenerud was off his form in 1971. It was a 31 yard kick. You know what Stenerud was from 20-39 in 1971? 9-17. It was a .500 kick for Stenerud in 1971, not some gimme. Stenerud had a bad year. He still got lots of points with 44 attempts, and the Chiefs had 13 attempts from 19 yards in, more than any other team. But Stenerud wasn't having a good year anyway, he was below average in 1971.

Not very impressive for a future H.o.F. PK.

The Chiefs front office was getting to be a clown show by this point. I mentioned Frank Pitts got traded. Pitts got traded right before the season, so the Chiefs just got a couple of draft choices for him, nothing to help for 1971. Then they spent one of the choices on Andy Hamilton, another WR that wasn't any good, and the other choice never made the team. They spent a second round pick getting Mo Moorman back from the Patriots because of a botched waiver move. They got a second round pick for Garrett, and that turned out to be Wilbur Young, who was good, but they could have waited three picks to take Young anyway with their own pick, which they used on another DE, Scott Lewis, who never played in the NFL.

It's pretty clear that things went downhill, quickly, for the Chiefs after that. Took 'em another 15 years to make the playoffs and they went, what? Something like 22 years between their S.B. IV triumph and another playoff win, didn't they?

[racepug]

The Chiefs front office was getting to be a clown show by this point. I mentioned Frank Pitts got traded. Pitts got traded right before the season, so the Chiefs just got a couple of draft choices for him, nothing to help for 1971. Then they spent one of the choices on Andy Hamilton, another WR that wasn't any good, and the other choice never made the team. They spent a second round pick getting Mo Moorman back from the Patriots because of a botched waiver move. They got a second round pick for Garrett, and that turned out to be Wilbur Young, who was good, but they could have waited three picks to take Young anyway with their own pick, which they used on another DE, Scott Lewis, who never played in the NFL.

When I look at the records, they continued to be a clown show until 1977, the year before Marv Levy took over. 77 was a good draft, but from 72-76, they either drafted a bust in the first round or traded away the pick. 1974 is a year that really stands out. They took Woody Green in Round 1, who only played three years in the NFL. Then, after taking Charlie Getty in Round 2, they took Kansas QB David Jaynes in Round 3. It's unclear what actually happened to him. Didn't Jack Rudnay kick him off the team or something?

Yeah, the Chiefs and the Jets basically floundered during that whole decade (but so did more established teams like the Giants). I watched a video the other day of "Wild Card Weekend 1981" and was reminded that for the Jets it was their first playoff appearance since 1969 and for the Giants it was their first since 1963(!).

[Gary Najman]

When I look at the records, they continued to be a clown show until 1977, the year before Marv Levy took over. 77 was a good draft, but from 72-76, they either drafted a bust in the first round or traded away the pick. 1974 is a year that really stands out. They took Woody Green in Round 1, who only played three years in the NFL. Then, after taking Charlie Getty in Round 2, they took Kansas QB David Jaynes in Round 3. It's unclear what actually happened to him. Didn't Jack Rudnay kick him off the team or something?

It appears Jaynes crossed the picket line when the other players went on strike:

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2 ... te-action/