1981 Kansas City Chiefs season

{{Infobox NFL team season

| team = Kansas City Chiefs

| year = 1981

| record = 9–7

| division_place = 3rd AFC West

| coach = Marv Levy

| general_manager = Jim Schaaf

| owner = Lamar Hunt

| stadium = Arrowhead Stadium

| playoffs = Did not qualify

| pro bowlers = {{Collapsible list

| title = 5

| 1 = RB Joe Delaney

| 2 = DE Art Still

| 3 = CB Gary Green

| 4 = S Gary Barbaro

| 5 = K Nick Lowery

}}

| AP All-pros = {{Collapsible list

| title = 1

| 1 = K Nick Lowery (2nd team)

}}

| shortnavlink = Chiefs seasons

}}

The {{nfly|1981}} Kansas City Chiefs season was the franchise's 12th season in the National Football League and 22nd overall. They improved from 1980 from an 8–8 record to a 9–7 record (their first winning season in 8 years) but missing the playoffs for the tenth consecutive season.

Bill Kenney began the 1981 season as the club's starting quarterback and directed the Chiefs to a 6–2 start, including a 37–33 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers at Three Rivers Stadium on Opening Day. 2nd round draft choice, running back Joe Delaney electrified the club's offense by rushing for 1,121 yards, a team single-season record at the time. He was named the AFC's Rookie of the Year and became the first running back to represent the franchise in the Pro Bowl.{{Cite web |url=http://www.kcchiefs.com/history/80s |title=Kansas City Chiefs History 1980's |access-date=July 31, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070806041235/http://www.kcchiefs.com/history/80s/ |archive-date=August 6, 2007 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }} Delaney registered a 193-yard performance in a 23–10 victory against the Oilers on November 15, the best single-game total ever amassed by a Kansas City rookie.

Owning an 8–4 record with four games remaining, the Chiefs were poised to make the playoffs for the first time in 10 years before hitting a three-game losing skid. Bill Kenney missed the club's final three contests due to injury as Steve Fuller temporarily reclaimed the starting quarterback position and guided the club to a 10–6 win at Minnesota, in the final contest played at Metropolitan Stadium. With the Chiefs winning the game, Vikings fans began dismembering the stadium as early as the second half—taking seats, pieces of the scoreboard and even chunks of sod as souvenirs. The victory assured the Chiefs of a 9–7 record, the club's first winning mark since 1973 as coach Marv Levy increased the club's victory total for a third consecutive year. Inspired by the Washington Redskins's "Hail to the Redskins," Levy penned a fight song for the Chiefs called "Give a Cheer for Kansas City" which never caught on.

Offseason

= NFL draft =

{{NFL team draft start

| year = 1981

| teamname = Kansas City Chiefs

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 1

| pick = 14

| player = Willie Scott

| position = Tight end

| college = South Carolina

| notes =

| maderoster = yes

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 2

| pick = 41

| player = Joe Delaney

| position = Running back

| college = Northwestern State

| notes =

| maderoster = yes

| probowl = yes

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 3

| pick = 70

| player = Marvin Harvey

| position = Tight end

| college = Southern Mississippi

| notes =

| maderoster = yes

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 3

| pick = 75

| player = Roger Taylor

| position = Offensive tackle

| college = Oklahoma State

| notes =

| maderoster = yes

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 3

| pick = 78

| player = Lloyd Burruss

| position = Defensive back

| college = Maryland

| notes =

| maderoster = yes

| probowl = yes

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 4

| pick = 97

| player = Ron Washington

| position = Wide receiver

| college = Arizona State

| notes =

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 5

| pick = 124

| player = Todd Thomas

| position = Center

| college = North Dakota

| notes =

| maderoster = yes

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 6

| pick = 153

| player = Dock Luckie

| position = Defensive tackle

| college = Florida

| notes =

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 7

| pick = 180

| player = Billy Jackson

| position = Running back

| college = Alabama

| notes =

| maderoster = yes

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 8

| pick = 206

| player = David Dorn

| position = Wide receiver

| college = Rutgers

| notes =

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 9

| pick = 237

| player = Anthony Vereen

| position = Defensive back

| college = Southeastern Louisiana

| notes =

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 10

| pick = 262

| player = Les Studdard

| position = Center

| college = Texas

| notes =

| maderoster = yes

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 11

| pick = 289

| player = Frank Case

| position = Defensive end

| college = Penn State

| notes =

| maderoster = yes

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 12

| pick = 319

| player = Bob Gagliano

| position = Quarterback

| college = Utah State

| notes =

| maderoster = yes

}}

{{NFL team draft end

| hof = no

}}

{{cite web |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/kan/1981_draft.htm |title=1981 Kansas City Chiefs draftees |work=Pro-Football-Reference.com |access-date=December 4, 2014 }}

Personnel

= Staff =

{{NFL final staff

| year = 1981

| team = Kansas City Chiefs

| front_office =

Founder – Lamar Hunt
President – Jack Steadman
Vice President and General Manager – Jim Schaaf
Director of Player Personnel – Les Miller
Assistant Director of Player Personnel – J. D. Helm

| head_coach =

Head Coach – Marv Levy

| offensive =

Quarterbacks and Receivers – Kay Dalton
Offensive Backs – Bobby Ross
Tight Ends – Frank Gansz
Offensive Line – Tom Bresnahan

| defensive =

Defensive Coordinator – Rod Rust
Defensive Line – Don Lawrence
Linebackers – Ted Cottrell
Defensive Backs – Walt Corey

| special_teams =

Kicking Teams – Frank Gansz

| strength =

Strength and Conditioning – Rick Abernethy

}}

= Roster =

{{NFL final roster

|Year=1981

|TeamName=Kansas City Chiefs

|Active=

|Inactive=

|PS=

|Quarterbacks=

|Running Backs=

|Wide Receivers=

|Tight Ends=

|Offensive Linemen=

|Defensive Linemen=

|Linebackers=

|Defensive Backs=

|Special Teams=

|Reserve Lists=

{{NFLplayer|83|Marvin Harvey|d=American football|rookie=y|TE|IR}}

{{NFLplayer|--|George Stewart|d=American football|G|IR|rookie=y}}

{{NFLplayer|--|Ron Washington|d=American football|WR|IR|rookie=y}}

{{NFLplayer|40|Mike Williams|d=American football, born 1957|RB|IR}}

|Practice Squad=

|source=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/kan/1981_roster.htm

}}

Preseason

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Kansas City Chiefs|year=1981|border=2}}"| Week

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Kansas City Chiefs|year=1981|border=2}}"| Date

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Kansas City Chiefs|year=1981|border=2}}"| Opponent

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Kansas City Chiefs|year=1981|border=2}}"| Result

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Kansas City Chiefs|year=1981|border=2}}"| Record

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Kansas City Chiefs|year=1981|border=2}}"| Venue

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Kansas City Chiefs|year=1981|border=2}}"| Attendance

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Kansas City Chiefs|year=1981|border=2}}"| Recap

style="background:#fcc"

! 1

| {{dow tooltip|August 7, 1981}}

| at Washington Redskins

| L 10–16

| 0–1

| RFK Stadium

| 32,488

| [https://www.profootballarchives.com/1981nflkc.html Recap]

style="background:#cfc"

! 2

| {{dow tooltip|August 15, 1981}}

| Chicago Bears

| W 13–0

| 1–1

| Arrowhead Stadium

| 41,099

| [https://www.profootballarchives.com/1981nflkc.html Recap]

style="background:#fcc"

! 3

| {{dow tooltip|August 22, 1981}}

| St. Louis Cardinals

| L 3–16

| 1–2

| Arrowhead Stadium

| 42,550

| [https://www.profootballarchives.com/1981nflkc.html Recap]

style="background:#fcc"

! 4

| {{dow tooltip|August 28, 1981}}

| at Miami Dolphins

| L 7–31

| 1–3

| Miami Orange Bowl

| 41,290

| [https://www.profootballarchives.com/1981nflkc.html Recap]

Regular season

=Schedule=