The 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. 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
Undrafted free agents
+ 1981 undrafted free agents of notePlayerPositionCollegeEd BaxleyLinebackerSouth Carolina
Personnel
Staff
Roster
Preseason Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance Recap 1 at Washington Redskins L 10–16 0–1 RFK Stadium 32,488 Recap 2 Chicago Bears W 13–0 1–1 Arrowhead Stadium 41,099 Recap 3 St. Louis Cardinals L 3–16 1–2 Arrowhead Stadium 42,550 Recap 4 at Miami Dolphins L 7–31 1–3 Miami Orange Bowl 41,290 Recap
Regular season Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance Recap 1 September 6 at Pittsburgh Steelers W 37–33 1–0 Three Rivers Stadium 53,305 Recap 2 September 13 Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 19–10 2–0 Arrowhead Stadium 50,555 Recap 3 September 20 San Diego Chargers L 31–42 2–1 Arrowhead Stadium 63,866 Recap 4 September 27 at Seattle Seahawks W 20–14 3–1 Kingdome 59,255 Recap 5 October 4 at New England Patriots L 17–33 3–2 Schaefer Stadium 55,931 Recap 6 October 11 Oakland Raiders W 27–0 4–2 Arrowhead Stadium 76,543 Recap 7 October 18 Denver Broncos W 28–14 5–2 Arrowhead Stadium 74,672 Recap 8 October 25 at Oakland Raiders W 28–17 6–2 Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum 42,914 Recap 9 November 1 at San Diego Chargers L 20–22 6–3 Jack Murphy Stadium 51,307 Recap 10 November 8 Chicago Bears L 13–16 6–4 Arrowhead Stadium 60,605 Recap 11 November 15 Houston Oilers W 23–10 7–4 Arrowhead Stadium 73,984 Recap 12 November 22 Seattle Seahawks W 40–13 8–4 Arrowhead Stadium 49,002 Recap 13 November 26 at Detroit Lions L 10–27 8–5 Pontiac Silverdome 76,735 Recap 14 December 6 at Denver Broncos L 13–16 8–6 Mile High Stadium 74,744 Recap 15 December 13 Miami Dolphins L 7–17 8–7 Arrowhead Stadium 57,407 Recap 16 December 20 at Minnesota Vikings W 10–6 9–7 Metropolitan Stadium 41,110 Recap Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Game summaries Week 1: at Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 2: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week 3: vs. San Diego Chargers
Week 4: at Seattle Seahawks
Week 5: at New England Patriots
Week 6: vs. Oakland Raiders
Week 7: vs. Denver Broncos
Week 8: at Oakland Raiders
Week 9: at San Diego Chargers
Week 10: vs. Chicago Bears
Week 11: vs. Houston Oilers
Week 12: vs. Seattle Seahawks
Week 13: at Detroit Lions Thanksgiving Day games
Week 14: at Denver Broncos
Week 15: vs. Miami Dolphins
Week 16: at Minnesota Vikings
Standings
References