1987 Kansas City Chiefs season

1987 Kansas City Chiefs season
Head Coach	Frank Gansz
Home Field	Arrowhead Stadium
Results
Record	4–11
Place	5th AFC West
Playoff Finish	did not qualify
Timeline
Previous season	Next season
1986	1988

The 1987 Kansas City Chiefs season ended with an 4–11 record, and last place finish in the AFC West.

One of the most tumultuous weeks in franchise history took place following the club’s playoff loss against the Jets in the playoffs. Assistant head coach and special teams coach Frank Gansz, resigned his position on January 7 in order to pursue opportunities as an NFL offensive coordinator. The following day, the Chiefs announced in an impromptu press conference that John Mackovic was relieved of his duties as head coach on January 8. A popular figure among Chiefs players, Gansz was reinstated on January 10 and was named the sixth head coach in franchise history.

Former quarterback Len Dawson became the third Chiefs player inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on August 8, while injuries forced the retirement of the club’s all-time leading tackler Gary Spani. A duo of rookies made a splash in a 20–13 win on Opening Day against San Diego as running back Paul Palmer returned a kickoff for a TD and Christian Okoye dashed for 105 yards. A 24-day players strike began on September 22, canceling the club’s contest against Minnesota. Replacement players participated in games for the next three weeks. Much like Marv Levy five years earlier, Gansz’s grip on the club’s coaching reins was crippled by the labor unrest.

Kansas City’s replacement squad consisted primarily of players cut in training camp. One of the few bright spots among this motley crew was running back Jitter Fields, who remained on the active roster following the strike. The Chiefs strike squad received an ominous welcome in Los Angeles when in the early morning hours of October 4, the day prior to a contest against the Raiders, an earthquake rattled Southern California. The shaken Chiefs lost a 35–17 decision later that day. The low point of the year came the following week at Miami in the first regular season game played at what then was known as Joe Robbie Stadium. Chiefs replacement QB Matt Stevens was injured early in the contest, forcing into duty QB Alex Espinoza, a player who had never taken an NFL snap. The result was a 42–0 Dolphins victory, setting the stage for an 0–3 performance by Kansas City’s replacement unit, giving the Chiefs a 1–4 record before the club’s regular roster returned at San Diego on October 25. Five straight losses followed, giving the Chiefs a team-record nine-game losing skid. For the only time in team history, five different players started games at quarterback for the club. Behind Kenney, Kansas City won two of its last three games to conclude the strike-shortened 4–11 campaign.

Personnel

Staff

1987 Kansas City Chiefs staff
	Front office Founder – Lamar Hunt President – Jack Steadman Vice President/General Manager – Jim Schaaf Head coaches Head Coach – Frank Gansz Offensive coaches Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks – Homer Smith Running Backs – Billie Matthews Receivers – Dick Wood Offensive Line – Carl Mauck Offensive Quality Control/Tight Ends – J. D. Helm			Defensive coaches Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers – John Paul Young Defensive Line – Don Lawrence Defensive Backs – Dave Brazil Defensive Quality Control/Linebackers – Mark Hatley Special teams coaches Special Teams – Ed Beckman Strength and conditioning Strength and Conditioning Coordinator – C. T. Hewgley

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Attendance
1	September 13, 1987	San Diego Chargers	W 20–13	56,940
2	September 20, 1987	at Seattle Seahawks	L 43–14	61,667
–	September 27, 1987	Minnesota Vikings	canceled
3	October 4, 1987	at Los Angeles Raiders	L 35–17	10,708
4	October 11, 1987	at Miami Dolphins	L 42–0	25,867
5	October 18, 1987	Denver Broncos	L 26–17	20,296
6	October 25, 1987	at San Diego Chargers	L 42–21	47,972
7	November 1, 1987	at Chicago Bears	L 31–28	63,498
8	November 8, 1987	Pittsburgh Steelers	L 17–16	45,249
9	November 15, 1987	New York Jets	L 16–9	40,718
10	November 22, 1987	Green Bay Packers	L 23–3	34,611
11	November 26, 1987	at Detroit Lions	W 27–20	43,820
12	December 6, 1987	at Cincinnati Bengals	L 30–27	46,489
13	December 13, 1987	Los Angeles Raiders	W 16–10	63,834
14	December 19, 1987	at Denver Broncos	L 20–17	75,053
15	December 27, 1987	Seattle Seahawks	W 41–20	20,370

Standings

AFC West
	W	L	T	PCT	PF	PA
Denver Broncos	10	4	1	.700	379	288
Seattle Seahawks	9	6	0	.600	371	314
San Diego Chargers	8	7	0	.533	253	317
Los Angeles Raiders	5	10	0	.333	301	289
Kansas City Chiefs	4	11	0	.267	273	388