The Kansas City Chiefs season was the franchise's 24th season in the National Football League and the 34th overall. They improved on their 10–6 record from 1992 and won the AFC West and with an 11–5 record. Kansas City advanced all the way to the AFC Championship before losing to the Buffalo Bills 30–13, which started the Chiefs' 8-game playoff losing streak. It would be 22 years before the Chiefs would win another playoff game, and 25 years until they won another playoff game at Arrowhead.
The season marked the first for new quarterback Joe Montana, who was acquired through a trade with the San Francisco 49ers and running back Marcus Allen from the Los Angeles Raiders, both winners of five Super Bowl championships combined. This would be the last time until 2018 that the Chiefs would appear in the AFC Championship game or win a playoff game at Arrowhead.
Offseason Additions SubtractionsQB Joe Montana (49ers) CB J. C. Pearson (Vikings)RB Marcus Allen (Raiders) RB Barry Word (Vikings)T Reggie McElroy (Raiders) LB Dino Hackett (Seahawks)S Jay Taylor (Cardinals) DT Bill Maas (Packers) G Dave Lutz (Lions) LB Chris Martin (Rams)
Montana and Marcus In the months preceding the 1993 season, Kansas City acquired two former Super Bowl MVPs: Joe Montana from the San Francisco 49ers, and Marcus Allen from the Los Angeles Raiders.
The previous season, the Chiefs' starting quarterback was Dave Krieg and their running back was Christian Okoye. Okoye suffered a knee injury prior to training camp in 1993, but keeping Krieg would prove to be a wise decision in the event of injury to the new starter Montana.
Allen was named NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 1993 after rushing for twelve touchdowns and 764 yards.
Draft
With their first pick in the 1993 NFL draft, coming in the third round, the Chiefs' selected future all-pro and Hall of fame guard Will Shields out of the University of Nebraska. Shields went on to start 223 of the 224 career games he played for the team and was selected to 12 consecutive Pro Bowls.
Undrafted free agents + 1993 undrafted free agents of notePlayerPositionCollegeMike BartrumTight endMarshallWes BenderRunning backUSCTrevor CobbRunning backRiceRon DickersonWide receiverArkansasMatt GayWide receiverKansasChip HillearyQuarterbackKansasJeff JonesWide receiverCaliforniaMorris LolarCornerbackFriends
Personnel
Staff
Roster
Preseason Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance Recap 1 at Green Bay Packers W 29–21 1–0 Milwaukee County Stadium 51,655 Recap 2 Buffalo Bills L 7–30 1–1 Arrowhead Stadium 73,550 Recap 3 Minnesota Vikings W 27–20 2–1 Arrowhead Stadium 73,080 Recap 4 at New England Patriots W 27–20 3–1 Foxboro Stadium 46,501 Recap
Regular season
Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance Recap 1 September 5 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 27–3 1–0 Tampa Stadium 63,378 Recap 2 September 12 at Houston Oilers L 0–30 1–1 Houston Astrodome 59,780 Recap 3 Denver Broncos W 15–7 2–1 Arrowhead Stadium 78,453 Recap 4Bye 5 October 3 Los Angeles Raiders W 24–9 3–1 Arrowhead Stadium 77,395 Recap 6 October 10 Cincinnati Bengals W 17–15 4–1 Arrowhead Stadium 78,493 Recap 7 October 17 at San Diego Chargers W 17–14 5–1 Jack Murphy Stadium 60,729 Recap 8ByeFor the 1993 NFL season, all teams were scheduled two bye-weeks over the newly expanded 18-week schedule. This was the only time in NFL history that the season expanded to 18 weeks with 16 games. The format changed for the 1994 season. 9 October 31 at Miami Dolphins L 10–30 5–2 Joe Robbie Stadium 67,765 Recap 10 Green Bay Packers W 23–16 6–2 Arrowhead Stadium 76,742 Recap 11 November 14 at Los Angeles Raiders W 31–20 7–2 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 66,553 Recap 12 November 21 Chicago Bears L 17–19 7–3 Arrowhead Stadium 76,872 Recap 13 November 28 Buffalo Bills W 23–7 8–3 Arrowhead Stadium 74,452 Recap 14 December 5 at Seattle Seahawks W 31–16 9–3 Kingdome 58,551 Recap 15 December 12 at Denver Broncos L 21–27 9–4 Mile High Stadium 75,822 Recap 16 December 19 San Diego Chargers W 28–24 10–4 Arrowhead Stadium 74,778 Recap 17 December 26 at Minnesota Vikings L 10–30 10–5 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome 59,236 Recap 18 January 2 Seattle Seahawks W 34–24 11–5 Arrowhead Stadium 72,136 RecapNote: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. Game summaries
Week 1: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week 2: at Houston Oilers
Week 3: vs. Denver Broncos
Week 5: vs. Los Angeles Raiders
Week 6: vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Week 7: at San Diego Chargers
Week 9: at Miami Dolphins
Week 10: vs. Green Bay Packers
Week 11: at Los Angeles Raiders
Week 12: vs. Chicago Bears
Week 13: vs. Buffalo Bills
Week 14: at Seattle Seahawks
Week 15: at Denver Broncos
Week 16: vs. San Diego Chargers
Week 17: at Minnesota Vikings
Week 18: vs. Seattle Seahawks
Standings
Postseason
Schedule Round Date Opponent (seed) Result Record Venue Attendance Recap Wild Card Pittsburgh Steelers (6) W 27–24 1–0 Arrowhead Stadium 74,515 Recap Divisional January 16, 1994 at Houston Oilers (2) W 28–20 2–0 Houston Astrodome 64,011 Recap AFC Championship January 23, 1994 at Buffalo Bills (1) L 13–30 2–1 Rich Stadium 76,642 Recap
Game summaries AFC Wild Card Playoffs: vs. (6) Pittsburgh Steelers
Chiefs kicker Nick Lowery made the winning 32-yard field goal after 11:03 of overtime. The Steelers scored first on tight end Adrian Cooper's 10-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Neil O'Donnell. Kansas City then tied the game after backup quarterback Dave Krieg, who temporarily replaced injured starter Joe Montana, threw a 23-yard touchdown to wide receiver J.J. Birden. However, Pittsburgh scored 10 unanswered points in the second quarter: kicker Gary Anderson's 30-yard field goal and O'Donnell's 26-yard touchdown completion to wide receiver Ernie Mills. After Lowery made a 23-yard field goal in the third quarter, the Chiefs eventually tied the game in the fourth period with running back Marcus Allen's 2-yard touchdown. However, the Steelers marched 74-yards to take the lead on O'Donnell's third touchdown pass of the game, a 22-yard score to tight end Eric Green. In the final minutes of regulation, Keith Cash blocked a Pittsburgh punt and Fred Jones returned it to the Steelers 9-yard line. On fourth down, wide receiver Tim Barnett scored on a 7-yard touchdown reception from Montana to tie the game. Then after forcing Pittsburgh to punt, Kansas City drove 47 yards to set up Lowery's 43-yard field-goal attempt in the closing seconds, but the kick was wide right and thus the game went into overtime. Montana finished the game with 276 passing yards and a touchdown, with no interceptions. With the win, the Chiefs were able to advance to the Divisional Round to face the Oilers. This would be both the Chiefs last home playoff win until 2018 & their last playoff win against the Steelers until 2021.
AFC Divisional Playoffs: at (2) Houston Oilers
Chiefs quarterback Joe Montana threw three touchdown passes in the second half to give his team a 28–20 win. The Oilers jumped to a 10–0 lead in the first quarter with kicker Al Del Greco's 49-yard field goal and running back Gary Brown's 2-yard touchdown. Then after a scoreless second period, Montana threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to tight end Keith Cash in the third quarter. In the fourth period, Del Greco kicked a 43-yard field goal to give Houston a 13–7 lead. But aided by a 38-yard pass interference penalty, the Chiefs advanced 71 yards to score on wide receiver J.J. Birden's 11-yard touchdown reception from Montana. On the Oilers' next possession, Kansas City defensive lineman Dan Saleaumua recovered a fumble by Houston quarterback Warren Moon, setting up Montana's 18-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Willie Davis. The Oilers then drove 80 yards to score on wide receiver Ernest Givins' 7-yard touchdown catch, but the Chiefs responded with running back Marcus Allen's game-clinching 21-yard touchdown run that capped off a 79-yard drive. The Oilers had 1:51 left to score but failed on a 4th down attempt on their own 20 yard line. With the win, Kansas City advanced to the AFC Championship to face the Bills. However, this would be both the Chiefs last playoff win until 2015 & their last win in the Divisional Round until 2018.
AFC Championship: at (1) Buffalo Bills
Running back Thurman Thomas led the Bills to the 30–13 victory by recording 186 rushing yards, 3 receptions for 22 yards, and three touchdowns. Buffalo scored first on Thomas' 12-yard touchdown run before Chiefs kicker Nick Lowery kicked two field goals. In the second quarter, Thomas scored on a 3-yard touchdown and Bills kicker Steve Christie made two field goals to extend the lead 20–6. With 21 seconds left in the first half, the Chiefs reached the Buffalo 5-yard line, but quarterback Joe Montana's pass was intercepted by Bills defensive back Henry Jones. Montana later suffered a concussion during the third play of the third quarter and left the game. Kansas City backup quarterback Dave Krieg then led his team on a 90-yard drive to score on running back Marcus Allen's 1-yard touchdown. However, Buffalo scored 10 unanswered points in the final period, an 18-yard field goal by Christie and a 3-yard touchdown by Thomas, to preserve the victory. This would be the Chiefs last appearance in the AFC Championship until 2018. As of 2025, this remains the Chiefs most recent playoff loss to Buffalo. They also remain the last team to lose to Buffalo in the AFC Championship
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