The best Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback seasons from each decade

1970s: Len Dawson’s 1971 Season

Unfortunately, the 1970s did not hold the same level of success for the franchise that the 1960s did. An aging Len Dawson was nearing the end of his career which was nowhere near as successful as his prime. For the entire decade the Chiefs won 60 games and lost 79, finished in the top ten in total offense only one time, and only made the playoffs once.

That playoff year also happens to be the team’s best quarterback season of the decade. Len Dawson had already begun to decline in terms of his production, but this was still by far the team’s most successful season of the decade. Dawson’s somewhat average stats, compared to the rest of his career, get a bump due to that fact.

In 13 games that season Dawson threw for 2,504 yards, 15 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. In their divisional loss to the Miami Dolphins, Dawson would throw for 246 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. The Chiefs’ offensive unit would finish top ten in both points and yards per game at eighth and ninth respectively, the only time they achieved that during the decade.

While Dawson’s stats weren’t particularly jaw-dropping, this was an incredibly balanced team. Not only did the offense finish top ten in points and yards, the defense matched this feat by finishing fifth in points against and seventh in yards against. Since 1971, no Chiefs’ team has matched this feat.

Unfortunately for the fans, the descent into mediocrity during the 1970s and 1980s was largely the result of the franchise’s complete lack of focus on drafting a first-round quarterback. Beginning with the 1965 AFL Draft, the Chiefs would only draft three quarterbacks in the first round in the next 52 years. It’s not shocking that the team struggled to maintain consistency throughout the next several decades. Luckily however, there were some bright spots.