Visitor:  Pittsburgh Steelers

Home:  Kansas City Chiefs

Date:  November 3, 1997

Monday Night Football

 

Scoring:

Team                1          2          3          4          Final

PIT                  10        0          0          0            10

KC                  0          13        0          0            13

 

Visitor playmakers:

WR Courtney Hawkins, CB Donnell Woolford

 

Home playmakers:

WR Danan Hughes, DE Dan Williams, LB Donnie Edwards

 

Network:  ABC (KMBC Kansas City)

Announcers:  Frank Gifford, Al Michaels, Dan Dierdorf

 

Pregame:  Yes

Halftime:  Yes

Postgame:  Yes

Commercials:  No

 

Grade:  9.0

 

Notes:  The Chiefs defense stops Pittsburgh on their opening drive, but the Steelers return the favor and then screw up great field position with a penalty.  S Jerome Woods gives a preview of his future when he gives up a 44-yard touchdown pass to WR Courtney Hawkins.  KC’s running corps takes over with FB Kimble Anders, RB Greg Hill and RB Donnell Bennett punching holes in Pittsburgh’s vaunted defense.  Just as ABC puts up a graphic showing QB Elvis Grbac leads the league with 130 consecutive passes without an interception, CB Donnell Woolford picks him off and puts the Steelers back on offense.  Despite their success moving the ball, the Steelers’ drive stalls at the KC 11 and they settle for three points.  The Chiefs can manage no better as their drive begins the second quarter, and they cut Pittsburgh’s lead back to 7.

 

On Kansas City’s next drive they make it to the 25, but Grbac can’t find his receivers and the Chiefs again resort to a field goal.  On Kordell Stewart’s first pass after KC’s kickoff he overthrows his receiver by a mile and Jerome Woods atones for his earlier mistake by intercepting the ball and returning it to the PIT 45.  The Chiefs then come up with a trick play:  RB Marcus Allen with the halfback pass to WR Danan Hughes for the touchdown and the lead.  It was Allen’s fifth career touchdown pass, and his first as a Chief.  After that the red defense took over and forced Pittsburgh’s punt with 27 seconds left in the half.

 

In the third quarter the Chiefs drove to the 2-yard line, but the Steelers defense stuffs their attempts to run and they turn it over on downs.  Tony Gonzalez makes some great catches later in the game, but Anders fumbles the ball away to stop the drive.  Rich Gannon comes in after Grbac’s collarbone gets broken, but the defenses clamp down and KC holds on to their slim lead for the rest of the game.

 

Pittsburgh had held their last 11 opponents to 90 or fewer rushing yards, but KC racked up the most against them since week 1 of the 1994 season with nearly 200 yards.

 

Jerome Bettis ties Earl Campbell’s record of five consecutive Monday Night Football games with 100 or more rushing yards.

 

Look for KC Royals star George Brett on the sidelines.

 

Thanks Gil!

 

Running time:  2:22 (2 discs)