1993 Kansas City Chiefs: Montana and Marcus

1993 Kansas City Chiefs: Montana and Marcus

For the longest time the Kansas City Chiefs were not thought of as a prime team for players to go to when it came to competing for the Lombardi Trophy. Ever since winning Super Bowl IV there had not been much winning on the part of the Chiefs as they would struggle to keep up with their division rivals. However, in 1993 the Chiefs became an exciting team to watch once again as they managed to acquire two Super Bowl Most Valuable Players in trades that would bolster their offense. Trading with the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Raiders, the Chiefs acquired quarterback Joe Montana and running back Marcus Allen to give their offense an identity.

In 1993 the Kansas City Chiefs went 11-5, winning the AFC West Division by just 1 game over the Los Angeles Raiders. The Chiefs went 7-1 at their home stadium, Arrowhead Stadium, which was a daunting place for any visiting team to play in. The Chiefs went 4-4 on the road.

At the age of 37 Joe Montana silenced his critics that claimed he couldn’t get the job done anymore. Even in his post-San Francisco days Montana still had zip in his passes. Montana went 8-3 in 11 starts, completing 181 of 198 pass attempts for 2,144 yards and 13 touchdowns while throwing 7 interceptions. While he was the starting quarterback for the Chiefs in 1992, the team wisely kept Dave Krieg in case Montana sustained an injury. Krieg went 3-2 in 5 starts, completing 105 of 189 pass attempts for 1,238 yards and 7 touchdowns while throwing 3 interceptions.

Marcus Allen still showed football fans why he was a dynamic runner when the ball was in his hands. Allen had 206 rushing attempts for 764 yards and 12 touchdowns while also having 34 receptions for 238 yards and 3 touchdowns. Allen would be named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year. Fullback Kimble Anders had 75 rushing attempts for 291 yards while also having 40 receptions for 326 yards and 1 touchdown. Running back Todd McNair had 51 rushing attempts for 278 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Wide receiver Willie Davis had 52 receptions for 909 yards and 7 touchdowns. Wide receiver LaJourdain J. Birden, who just went by the initials “J.J.”, had 51 receptions for 721 yards and 2 touchdowns. Tight end Jonathan Hayes 24 receptions for 331 yards and 1 touchdown. Tight end Keith Cash had 24 receptions for 242 yards and 4 touchdowns. Wide receiver Tim Barnett had 17 receptions for 182 yards and 1 touchdown.

On special teams cornerback Dale Carter had 27 punt returns for 247 yards. Wide receiver Danan Hughes had 14 kick returns for 266 yards. Running back and wide receiver Ron Dickerson had 11 kick returns for 237 yards.

Kansas City’s defense played a key role in allowing the team to progress in games as they often drove opposing offenses off the field. Left inside linebacker Tracy Simien had 105 tackles. Free safety and cornerback Kevin Boss had 102 tackles, 0.5 a sack, 2 interceptions, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery. Left outside linebacker Tracy Rogers had 94 tackles, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery. Strong safety Martin Bayless had 90 tackles, 1 sack, 2 interceptions and 2 forced fumbles. Free safety Dave Whitmore had 81 tackles and 3 forced fumbles.

Right inside linebacker Lonnie Marts had 73 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 interception, 6 forced fumbles and 1 fumble recovery. Left defensive end Neil Smith had 55 tackles, 15 sacks, 1 interception, 4 forced fumbles and 3 fumble recoveries. Right defensive end  Dan Saleaumua had 61 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery for a 16-yard touchdown. Left cornerback Albert Lewis had 56 tackles, 6 interceptions, 1 forced fumble and 2 fumble recoveries. Strong safety Doug Terry had 54 tackles, 1 sack, 1 interception and 1 forced fumble.

Right outside linebacker Derrick Thomas served as the heartbeat of the Chiefs defense for all the years he was active in the NFL. Thomas had 43 tackles, 8 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, and 1 fumble recovery for an 86-yard touchdown. Defensive back Charles Mincy had 43 tackles, 5 interceptions and 2 fumble recoveries. Nose Tackle Joe Phillips had 45 tackles and 1.5 sacks.

The Wild Card Round game between the Chiefs and the Pittsburgh Steelers was a wild showdown that came down to a single kick. On January 8 at Arrowhead Stadium the Chiefs beat the Steelers 27-24 in overtime. Joe Montana completed 28 of 43 passes in this game, recording 276 yards and 1 touchdown. Steelers quarterback Neil O’Donnell kept up with the pace as he completed 23 of 42 passes for 286 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Pittsburgh struck first in the 1^st quarter with a 10-yard touchdown reception by tight end Adrian Cooper. J.J. Birden responded for Kansas City with a 23-yard touchdown reception. In the 2^nd quarter Pittsburgh  took back the lead with a 30-yard field goal booted by kicker Gary Anderson. The Steelers then got out to a 17-7 lead when wide receiver Ernie Mills had a 26-yard touchdown reception.

In the 3^rd quarter the Chiefs came back starting with a 23-yard field goal booted by kicker Nick Lowery, and then in the 4^th quarter Marcus Allen punched in a 2-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 17-17. A 22-yard touchdown reception by tight end Eric Green put Pittsburgh back on top 24-17, but Tim Barnett came through for Kansas City with a 7-yard touchdown reception to send the game to overtime. Nick Lowery would kick the game-winning 32-yard field goal in overtime.

The Chiefs hit the road for the remainder of their playoff run, and in the Divisional Round on January 16 the Chiefs defeated the Houston Oilers 28-20 at the Astrodome. Once again Joe Montana played very well as he completed 22 of 38 passes for 299 yards and 3 touchdowns while throwing 2 interceptions. Opposing him for the Oilers was Warren Moon who completed 32 of 43 passes for 306 yards and 1 touchdown while throwing 1 interception.

Houston got out of the gates first with a 49-yard field goal booted by kicker Al Del Greco in the 1^st quarter, and then running back Gary Brown followed by punching in a 2-yard touchdown run. Needing to respond in the 3^rd quarter the Chiefs went to work as Keith Cash had a 7-yard touchdown reception. Though Del Greco kicked a 43-yard field goal in the 4^th quarter, the Chiefs kept pounding away as Birden had an 11-yard touchdown reception, and then Willie Davis had an 18-yard touchdown reception. Wide receiver Ernest Givins had a 7-yard touchdown reception for Houston, but Kansas City would pull away with a 21-yard touchdown run by Marcus Allen.

Not even the Kansas City Chiefs could prevent the Buffalo Bills from making another Super Bowl appearance as the Chiefs fell to the Bills 30-13 in the AFC Championship Game on January 23. Though they didn’t get the ultimate result they were looking for, the Chiefs were able to make some noise with a team of players who were committed to winning together.