Top 100 all-time Kansas City Chiefs moments: 75-51

SAN DIEGO – 1986: Albert Lewis #29 of the Kansas City Chiefs carries the ball during a 1987 NFL game against the San Diego Chargers at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, California. (Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images)

64. Chiefs reach playoffs for first time in 15 seasons (1986)

In 1986, the Kansas City Chiefs were able to do something that had not been accomplished since the 1971 season, reach the playoffs.

During the season head coach, John Mackovic would replace quarterback Todd Blackledge, the infamous quarterback who the Chiefs selected in the 1983 NFL Draft ahead of future stars like Dan Marino, with Bill Kenney. Kenney then helped guide the team to a four-game win streak, the franchise’s longest such streak since 1980.

The Chiefs finished with a 7-3 record after Kenney took over. The 1986 team had three Pro-Bowl players including defensive tackle Bill Maas, and safeties Lloyd Burruss and Deron Cherry. The playoffs spawned from winning a tiebreaker over the Seattle Seahawks. In the final game of the season, Kenney was injured, meaning Blackledge was to replace him for the team’s first playoff gamesince 1971.

The Chiefs met the New York Jets in New York and lost due to three turnovers, as Blackledge threw two picks with no touchdowns in the 35-15 loss. Kansas City would have to wait another four years before making it back to the playoffs in 1990, and would lose to the Miami Dolphins in a close 17-16 game.

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