Visitor:  San Diego Chargers

Home:  Kansas City Chiefs

Date:  September 12, 1983

Monday Night Football

 

Scoring:

Team                1          2          3          4          Final

SD                   3          0          7          7            17

KC                  0          7          0          7            14

 

Visitor playmakers:

RB Chuck Muncie, WR Wes Chandler, DE Keith Ferguson, S Tim Fox, LB Woodrow Lowe

 

Home playmakers:

WR Anthony Hancock, WR Henry Marshall, S Lloyd Burruss, DE Mike Bell, S Deron Cherry, WR Carlos Carson, DE Art Still, LB Charles Jackson

 

Network:  ABC

Announcers:  Frank Gifford, Howard Cosell, Don Meredith

 

Pregame:  Yes – Dandy Don interviews John “Sleepy” Mackovic

Halftime:  No

Postgame:  No

Commercials:  No

 

Grade:  Good.  Some tracking problems at first that go away, sporadic interference and tape issues.

 

Notes:  Kansas City’s opening drive is cut short when QB Bill Kenney throws into triple coverage and Fox intercepts the pass.  The Chiefs are able to hold San Diego to a field goal, however, and put the offense back on the field.  

 

Neither team is able to accomplish anything further until the second quarter.  After short possessions by each team, the Chargers go on a long drive and run the ball down to the KC 3, where they turn it over on downs.  The Chiefs go on a quick pass-based attack that results in a 45-yard TD toss to Hancock.

 

Fouts goes back to the “Air Coryell” plan, and it nearly costs him when Cherry intercepts the pass but fumbles it back to the Chargers.  Benirschke’s field goal goes wide left, and the Chiefs head into the locker room leading 7-3.

 

Muncie and James Brooks are workhorses in the second half, carrying the ball downfield and setting up Muncie’s TD run.  Kansas City tries to run with Jewerl Thomas, but the loss of Joe Delaney 3 months prior stunted their running game.  

 

San Diego’s run succeeds against a KC defense that is missing Gary Spani (injured) and Gary Barbaro (holdout/USFL), but a Muncie fumble on the KC 1-yard line allows the Chiefs to drive down and set up a tricky Carson to Marshall 50-yard TD pass, Carson’s first career pass.

 

The lead is short-lived, as Fouts and his impressive arsenal of weapons punch right through KC’s defense and score with 1:45 left.  The Chiefs make an attempt, but Thomas fumbles the ball away with a minute left and San Diego runs out the clock.

Thanks Tim!

 

Running time:  2:15 (2 discs)