1974 Kansas City Chiefs season

1974 Kansas City Chiefs season
Head coach	Hank Stram
Home field	Arrowhead Stadium
Results
Record	5–9
Division place	3rd AFC West
Playoff finish	did not qualify
Pro Bowlers	C Jack Rudnay LB Willie Lanier CB Emmitt Thomas

The 1974 Kansas City Chiefs season ended with a 5–9 record and third-place finish in the AFC West, effectively costing head coach Hank Stram his job.

While the club's sparkling new facility at Arrowhead Stadium was drawing rave reviews, the Chiefs roster was beginning to show its age. The result was the team's first losing season in 11 years as the club was unable to string together consecutive victories during the year, a first in franchise history. Many of the club's key players were entering the twilight of their careers: Len Dawson was 39, Jim Tyrer was 35, Bobby Bell, Buck Buchanan, and Ed Budde were 34, Dave Hill was 33 and Otis Taylor was 32.

One of the year's few bright spots in the 5–9 season was cornerback Emmitt Thomas, who led the league with a franchise-record 12 interceptions. The final game of the 1974 campaign marked the final time all seven of Kansas City's Pro Football Hall of Fame players from the club's AFL champion era took the field together with coach Hank Stram. Including owner Lamar Hunt and seven future Minnesota Vikings Hall of Famers, an amazing total of 16 Hall of Fame inductees were involved in that 1974 season finale game. That 35–15 loss against Minnesota provided an anticlimactic conclusion to Hank Stram's illustrious coaching career in Kansas City. Three days later, Stram, the only head coach in franchise history was relieved of his duties on December 27 after compiling a 124–76–10 regular season record with the club.

Offseason

NFL Draft

Main article: 1974 NFL Draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	School/Club Team

Roster

1974 Kansas City Chiefs roster

Quarterbacks (QB) 16 Len Dawson 12 David Jaynes 10 Mike Livingston Running backs (RB) 27 Woody Green 38 Wendell Hayes FB 31 Jeff Kinney 14 Ed Podolak Wide receivers (WR) 83 Larry Brunson 80 Andy Hamilton 85 Barry Pearson 89 Otis Taylor 17 Elmo Wright Tight ends (TE) 88 Morris Stroud

Offensive linemen (OL) 71 Ed Budde G 60 George Daney G 77 Charlie Getty T 73 Dave Hill T 76 Mo Moorman G 70 Jim Nicholson T 58 Jack Rudnay C 77 Jim Tyrer T 72 Wayne Walton T Defensive linemen (DL) 86 Buck Buchanan DT 61 Curley Culp DT 74 Tom Keating DT 81 Marvin Upshaw DE 99 Wilbur Young DE

Linebackers (LB) 78 Bobby Bell 63 Willie Lanier 51 Jim Lynch 57 Al Palewicz 50 Bob Thornbladh 54 Clyde Werner Defensive backs (DB) {{{defensive_back}}} Special teams  3 Jan Stenerud K 44 Jerrel Wilson P

Rookies in italics

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Attendance
1	September 15, 1974	New York Jets	W 24–16	74,854
2	September 22, 1974	at Oakland Raiders	L 27–7	48,108
3	September 29, 1974	at Houston Oilers	W 17–7	28,538
4	October 6, 1974	Denver Broncos	L 17–14	67,298
5	October 13, 1974	Pittsburgh Steelers	L 34–24	65,517
6	October 20, 1974	at Miami Dolphins	L 9–3	67,779
7	October 27, 1974	at San Diego Chargers	W 24–14	34,371
8	November 3, 1974	New York Giants	L 33–27	61,437
9	November 10, 1974	San Diego Chargers	L 14–7	48,551
10	November 18, 1974	at Denver Broncos	W 42–34	50,236
11	November 24, 1974	at Cincinnati Bengals	L 33–6	49,777
12	December 1, 1974	at St. Louis Cardinals	W 17–13	41,863
13	December 8, 1974	Oakland Raiders	L 7–6	60,577
14	December 14, 1974	Minnesota Vikings	L 35–15	35,480

Standings

AFC West
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
Oakland Raiders	12	2	0	.857	5–1	9–2	355	228	W3
Denver Broncos	7	6	1	.536	3–3	5–4–1	302	294	L1
Kansas City Chiefs	5	9	0	.357	2–4	4–7	233	293	L2
San Diego Chargers	5	9	0	.357	2–4	4–7	212	285	W2