1993 Kansas City Chiefs

The 1993 Kansas City Chiefs season was arguably the franchise's most successful in 22 years: The Chiefs won the AFC Western Division and finished with a 11–5 record. Kansas City advanced all the way to the AFC Championship before losing to the Buffalo Bills 30–13.

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—winners of five Super Bowl championships combined.

Montana and Marcus
Kansas City acquired two Super Bowl MVP's with one fell swoop--Joe Montana from the San Francisco 49ers and Marcus Allen. Allen arrived from Kansas City's most hated rival, the Los Angeles Raiders in a move still talked about today when discussing football's most heated rivalry. Leading into the 1993 season, the Chiefs had not only a proven passer, but also a proven running game to complement their already powerful defense.

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.

1993 NFL Draft
With their first pick in the 1993 NFL Draft coming in the third round, the Kansas City Chiefs selected future all-pro guard Will Shields from Nebraska.

Regular season
The Chiefs finished the regular season with a record of 11–5 after many close wins, advancing them to the playoffs for the fourth straight season.

Schedule
◊: Denotes an over-time game

AFC Wild Card Playoffs
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.

Scoring summary

 * PIT – Cooper 10 pass from O'Donnell (Anderson kick)
 * KC – Birden 23 pass from Krieg (Lowery kick)
 * PIT – FG Anderson 30
 * PIT – Mills 26 pass from O'Donnell (Anderson kick)
 * KC – FG Lowery 23
 * KC – Allen 2 run (Lowery kick)
 * PIT – Green 22 pass from O'Donnell (Anderson kick)
 * KC – Barnett 7 pass from Montana (Lowery kick)
 * KC – FG Lowery 32

AFC Divisional Playoffs
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 form 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 71-yard touchdown run that capped off a 79-yard drive. The Chiefs have not won a playoff game since this game.

Scoring summary

 * HOU – FG Del Greco 49
 * HOU – G. Brown 2 run (Del Greco kick)
 * KC – K. Cash 7 pass from Montana (Lowery kick)
 * HOU – FG Del Greco 43
 * KC – Birden 11 pass from Montana (Lowery kick)
 * KC – W. Davis 18 pass from Montana (Lowery kick)
 * HOU – Givins 7 pass from Moon (Del Greco kick)
 * KC – Allen 21 run (Lowery kick)

AFC Championship
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

Scoring summary

 * BUF – Thomas 12 run (Christie kick)
 * KC – FG Lowery 31
 * KC – FG Lowery 31
 * BUF – Thomas 3 run (Christie kick)
 * BUF – FG Christie 23
 * BUF – FG Christie 25
 * KC – Allen 1 run (Lowery kick)
 * BUF – FG Christie 18
 * BUF – Thomas 3 run (Christie kick)