| Team: | Kansas City Chiefs |
| Year: | 1987 |
| Record: | 4–11 |
| Division Place: | 5th AFC West |
| Coach: | Frank Gansz |
| General Manager: | Jim Schaaf |
| Owner: | Lamar Hunt |
| Stadium: | Arrowhead Stadium |
| Playoffs: | Did not qualify |
| Ap All-Pros: | None |
| Shortnavlink: | Chiefs seasons |
The Kansas City Chiefs season was the franchise's 18th season in the National Football League and the 28th overall.Under new head coach Frank Gansz, the Chiefs split their first two games, 1-1. The 1987 NFL season featured games predominantly played by replacement players, as the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) players went on strike from weeks four to six with week three being cancelled across the league. The replacement players went 0–3. After the regulars returned, the Chiefs continued to struggle. They lost their next five games to stand at 1–9 and finished the season with a 4–11 record a year after making the playoffs in 1986.
One of the most tumultuous weeks in franchise history took place following the club's playoff loss against the Jets in the 1986 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.[1] 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.[1]
Former quarterback Len Dawson became the third Chiefs player inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on August 8,[1] while injuries forced the retirement of the club's all-time leading tackler Gary Spani.
See main article: 1987 NFL draft. [2]
After the league decided to use replacement players during the NFLPA strike, the following team was assembled:
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.[1] A 24-day players strike began on September 22, canceling the club's contest against Minnesota.[1] 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.[1]
Kansas City's replacement squad consisted primarily of players cut in training camp. One of the few bright spots among the players was running back Jitter Fields, who remained on the active roster following the strike.[1] 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 backup quarterback Alex Espinoza, 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.[1] 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.[1] Behind Kenney, Kansas City won two of its last three games to conclude the strike-shortened 4–11 campaign.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HOF | vs. San Francisco 49ers | L 7–20 | 0–1 | 23,826 | Recap | |||
| 1 | at Houston Oilers | W 32–20 | 1–1 | Houston Astrodome | 30,147 | Recap | ||
| 2 | Atlanta Falcons | W 13–10 | 2–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | 39,164 | Recap | ||
| 3 | Buffalo Bills | W 34–14 | 3–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | 43,887 | Recap | ||
| 4 | September 6 | vs. St. Louis Cardinals | W 13–10 | 4–1 | 62,353 | Recap |
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 13 | San Diego Chargers | W 20–13 | 1–0 | Arrowhead Stadium | 56,940 | Recap | |
| 2 | September 20 | at Seattle Seahawks | L 14–43 | 1–1 | Kingdome | 61,667 | Recap | |
| 3 | September 27 | Minnesota Vikings | Cancelled due to players' strike | |||||
| 4 | October 4 | at Los Angeles Raiders | L 17–35 | 1–2 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | 10,708 | Recap | |
| 5 | October 11 | at Miami Dolphins | L 0–42 | 1–3 | Joe Robbie Stadium | 25,867 | Recap | |
| 6 | October 18 | Denver Broncos | L 17–26 | 1–4 | Arrowhead Stadium | 20,296 | Recap | |
| 7 | October 25 | at San Diego Chargers | L 21–42 | 1–5 | Jack Murphy Stadium | 47,972 | Recap | |
| 8 | November 1 | at Chicago Bears | L 28–31 | 1–6 | Soldier Field | 63,498 | Recap | |
| 9 | November 8 | Pittsburgh Steelers | L 16–17 | 1–7 | Arrowhead Stadium | 45,249 | Recap | |
| 10 | November 15 | New York Jets | L 9–16 | 1–8 | Arrowhead Stadium | 40,718 | Recap | |
| 11 | November 22 | Green Bay Packers | L 3–23 | 1–9 | Arrowhead Stadium | 34,611 | Recap | |
| 12 | November 26 | at Detroit Lions | W 27–20 | 2–9 | Pontiac Silverdome | 43,820 | Recap | |
| 13 | December 6 | at Cincinnati Bengals | L 27–30 | 2–10 | Riverfront Stadium | 46,489 | Recap | |
| 14 | December 13 | Los Angeles Raiders | W 16–10 | 3–10 | Arrowhead Stadium | 63,834 | Recap | |
| 15 | at Denver Broncos | L 17–20 | 3–11 | Mile High Stadium | 75,053 | Recap | ||
| 16 | December 27 | Seattle Seahawks | W 41–20 | 4–11 | Arrowhead Stadium | 20,370 | Recap | |