Narrowing this down to 10 was freaking difficult, but here you go. The 10 Chiefs games that define my love of this team. Amazingly, two of these are defeats ... and somehow my top 10 turned into 12 games. Guess that's liberal logic, 10 = 12 ...
"The" Honorable Mention: Chiefs 28, at donkeys 24, week 6 1994. I would argue this is the greatest Chiefs game of my lifetime. I think a lot of Chiefs fans would agree with me. But its not in my top 10 "favorite" games.
Montana. elway. Each with a two minute drive to take the lead. Thankfully ours came last. I remember watching this game at Jason's mom's house with him and Gregg, and I left disgusted and p*ssed after Marcus Allen fumbled, with the Chiefs up 24-21 with about 3 minutes left. I drove home, walked in the door, its about 11pm. denver has just scored, but there's a debate whether it was a legal formation (it was, even though the donkeys only had 10 guys on the field). I sat down on the couch next to my mom, watching Real Mile High going insane, the building shaking, bracing myself for yet another heartbreaking Chiefs defeat. And then ... well, we just kept moving the ball. 5 yards here. A whiff on Kimble Anders. An out to Derrick Walker. A "how's it feel john". Dierdorf openly rooting in the booth for KC. A check down to Marcus Allen. A draw play to Marcus. Over the middle to Tracy Walker. And then, "Lord you can take me now, I have seen it all!" 11:17pm, Monday October 17, 1994. The moment Steve went completely nuts. To this day, I agree with Gregg, Willie Davis was in the second he caught that ball, not after he made the football move to avoid the denver defender. But still, they finally rule him in.
(If you've been to my folks house where I grew up, you'll understand the logistics of this ...) In the TV room, I'm going crazy. Me and my mom hug. I'm crying. I am literally crying. I rush down the steps, out the front door, and I'm just screaming "yes! woo! yes! screw you denver!" on the front yard. I'm dancing like a crazed banshee. Yes, its 11:20pm on a Monday night.
Then, my dad pulls in the driveway, fresh off a long night at work ... and hops out of the car, almost as ridiculously crazy as me. And for a solid minute, there's just a man hug going in the driveway. The Chiefs had finally done it! We'd finally marched into Real Mile High and shoved it down the donkeys throat! I cried for a solid 10 minutes straight, from Davis' touchdown until I calmed down enough for my mom to let me back inside.
So let this be a warning: if THIS is only honorable mention, brace yourself for what's to come ...
10. at Cowboys 31, Chiefs 28, week 14 2005. A heartbreaking defeat for the Chiefs that ultimately helped cost them a playoff berth, despite going 10-6. But, any weekend as amazing as this road trip was, will always have a special place in my rankings. Trip back to my adopted home state of Texas? check. Over 30 Chiefs fans in our tailgating group going, taking up an entire wing of the Hampton Inn on Walnut Hill and Stemmons? check. Celtics v Mavs, getting to see P squared in person? check. Incredible football game decided on the final snap from scrimmage? check. Great game, amazing tailgate, also highlighted by Russ failing to realize we'd slapped a "He's Really a Chiefs fan!!!" sign on his back until midway through the first quarter. I have rarely if ever had more fun at a football game than this one. As Chiefs fans, we might have lost the game, but we totally took over that stadium. We put Dallas fan in his or her place. If only Tynes had hit the 41 yarder at the gun. Ain't we lucky we got 'em, good times!
9. Chiefs 29, at Jets 25, week 5 2002. Pennington's first start. Two desperate football teams duking it out in the swamps of Jersey. And one of the few, if only, times in his five years at the helm that "former head coach" got it. He didn't opt for the gimme field goal to go to overtime. He didn't opt to play it safe. He went for the jugular. As Dick Enberg put it "In the flat to Holmes! 15, 10, 5, touchdown, Priest Holmes! My oh my!"
8. at Chiefs 19, donkeys 10, week 12 2006. This has to rank as the perfect storm at Arrowhead. Thanksgiving night. NFL Network debut. A 50 plus person, 4 hour tailgate involving multiple turkeys, an incredible array of side dishes, and oh yeah, the Prrrrrrrice Chopper Tailgaters of the Game designation! A battle of two teams fighting for the final playoff berth. Ending with Brave Benny Sapp grabbing a towel, jumping up on the donkeys bench, and leading the Arrowhead faithful in taunting the donkeys. The end of the jake the fake plummer era. The (hopeful) beginning of the end of mike shanarat's hold on power in denver (donkeys are 5-7 since this game, with no end in sight, hee hee hee). And the end result wound up putting the Chiefs into the playoffs, after the Immaculate Trifecta hit on New Years Eve.
7. at Chiefs 44, 49ers 9, week 14 1997. Where to begin? The 49ers entered at 11-1, winners of 11 straight. The Chiefs at 8-3, fresh off the must-win last-second field goal victory over denver two weeks earlier (keep reading), and a pole-axing of Seattle to boot. This game delivered on every level. Tony Gonzalez blocking punts. Marcus Allen (pat summerall voice) Standing Up! over the 49ers defensive line into the end zone again and again. Anthony Davis damned near decapitating Steve Young (photo still hanging proudly in my bedroom). Amazing day. Amazing result.
6. at Chiefs 48, Dolphins 30, week 4 2002. I can honestly say, this might be the single funnest Chiefs game I have ever attended. You had perfect weather conditions (90 plus and sunny). You had a 3-0 Dolphins squad, against a desperate 1-2 Chiefs squad coming off an overtime loss at New England. And thanks to NASCAR running at the Speedway, you had 79,000 FOOTBALL die-hards in Arrowhead that day. (You also had arguably my greatest speech / post / email ever to get you ready, the "week 4 plea". I'll post that on here eventually ...) You then had Trent Green pancake blocking for Priest Holmes. You had streamers raining from the upper deck all day. For one day, at least, the Chiefs could compete with anybody. I still smile thinking of this game.
5. Raiders 41, at Chiefs 38, week 17 1999. Yes, I included what I argue to this day is the single most crippling, damning, damaging defeat in franchise history in my list of favorite games. I have long argued that no game has ever screwed the Chiefs more than losing this one. And yet ... how could you hate the game itself? Arguably the funnest, most back and forth, "holy f*cking sh*t" game Arrowhead has ever hosted! Chiefs jump out 17-0 on a quick touchdown and a Vanover kickoff return. Raiders drop 24 unanswered to lead by 7 after 3. Chiefs respond with 14 unanswered to reclaim the lead. Raiders use a 5th down to tie the game at 31. Chiefs score with 5 minutes left. Dick Gannon drives Oakland for the tie with less than a minute to go. All the while, everyone at Arrowhead knows the Jets have beaten Seattle, and with a win, the division is ours. Grbac drives us into field goal range. Stoyanovich, as he had done so many times before, from 45 yards out, for the game, the win, the division ... wide right! Then Jon Baker kicks it out of bounds to open the overtime period, Dick Gannon does what he does, and Joe Nedney (later hero from 2006 for Chiefs fans) drills a 41 yarder to end the 1999 season. Anyone who was there that day, knows exactly how thrilling this game was. If Pete hits that field goal to end regulation, this one likely ranks number one or two on just about every Chiefs fans list. Just because he missed, doesn't mean the game wasn't "great". Or "exciting". Or "absolutely amazing to watch". Hence, it stays. At number 5.
4. at Chiefs 24, donkeys 22, week 12 1997. The thing that has always, always amazed me about this game, is just how god awful the Chiefs were all day long on offense. This is the game Chiefs fans use to argue "Gannon would have won us the Super Bowl had he started against denver in the playoffs" ... and yet Gannon didn't complete even 40% of his passes, didn't throw for 100 yards, took a horrendous delay of game penalty on the ultimate game winning drive, and threw two costly interceptions (along with one touchdown). What saved the Chiefs was tremendous goalline defense (5 jason elam field goals of less than 35 yards), tremendous special teams (Vanover kickoff return for touchdown, Vanover punt return to set us up with goal to go) ... and an incredible brain fart by Greg Robinson, leaving Andre Rison in single coverage with 10 seconds to go. He played back, giving Rison the 8 yards he needed to overcome Dick's delay of game penalty, and make the Pete field goal that much closer.
And the kick. The "Pete for President" kick. Good freaking God. If any Chiefs fan can watch, listen, or rethink that moment and not cry, something's wrong with them. Even Andre Rison was crying on the postgame interview. "I love you man!" And the defiance of Pete when Jim Gray asked him if the kick saved the season. We were 7-3! "I don't think the season needed to be saved!" Yeah. On second thought, this one probably should have rated higher. Still, just an absolutely unbelievable day.
3. Chiefs 28, at Oilers 20, Divisional Playoffs, 1994. Even Optimstic Steve was 100% confident we would lose this game. Houston was on an 11 game winning streak. The Chiefs had barely beaten an average Steelers team at home in overtime the previous week. Buddy Ryan's 46 defense was in full effect. Joe Montana was hurt (this was the "elbow" game, where it just kept getting more and more swollen)
Houston jumps out 10-0. Then the tide begins to turn. The line is picking up the blitz. The Chiefs finally get a first down then bam, Montana to Keith Cash ... off Buddy Ryan's poster. DT and Neil Smith help in recording 8 sacks of Warren Moon. And Marcus Allen rambles 41 yards untouched late to seal the victory. The final meaningful moment of Oilers football in Houston. And the Chiefs took it to them. Arguably the high point of the Carl Peterson years. And you know what? Even if this is as good as it gets for us, I'm good with it. For one brief, shining moment, we were THE focus of the football world. So anti-Carl people, blow me. You'd have never had ANY of these moments so far without him.
2b. (tie) at Chiefs 30, Chargers 24, week 6 1995. My favorite play of all time. That's all that needs to be said.
(frank) boy did he loft that one!
(al) the rookie vanover ...
(dan) he's got a seam!
(al) the rookie vanover up past the 30!
(frank) he's gone!
(al) vanover is almost gone and now he is ... OFFICIALLY GONE!
(dan) NO FLAGS!
(frank) we've been talking about him all night!
(dan) No Flags! This baby's over!
I don't care that Vanover is a religious hypocrite (I love you Lord Jesus!!!), a convicted felon, car thief, and drug dealer. For that one magical moment ... I have never cried as much at an ending of a Chiefs game, as I did at this one. To this day, whenever I think of that punt return, I tear up. Whenever it pops up on the cd on the drive to Arrowhead, I silence the car, to pay it the proper respect it deserves. Its the single most amazing play in NFL history. To this day, its the only punt return in overtime to win a football game. A 91 yard punt return to beat the defending AFC champs. (steve tearing up ...) (still tearing up ...) Like the great Tamarick Vanover, a lot of us Chiefs fans (eric church voice) come from a long line, of sinners like me ...
2a. (tie) Chiefs 28, at Raiders 27, week 2 1997. Really, the last 58 seconds of this game, are a case study into why the Raiders suck, and we don't. I remember watching this with Vineet and Frank and Mark and the Beaner, and I remember everyone other than me noting "whoa. 80 yards? 58 seconds? No timeouts? Good luck!" And my response, "Its the Raiders. Pride and Poise! Just keep it close, and they'll fold!"
Down the field go the Chiefs. Brett Perriman making catches, for crying out loud! And then, the defining moment of the 1997 season, because none of the other magic of that year (goalline 9 man blitz stand against Buffalo, Pete FG vs denver, blowout of SF, AFC homefield) happens without this moment:
(al) 1st and 10 at the 33, Oakland up by 5.
(frank) Grbac gonna have to hurry to get this off ...
(dan) and we're gonna see a 4 man rush here.
(al) trips right ... Grbac looking left ... Grbac going into the end zone for the TOUCHDOWN!
(frank) holy!
(dan) beautifully thrown ball!
(al) Andre Rison!
(frank) what a game for Rison, and there are no flags!
(dan) (again, openly rooting for KC in the booth) and for those of you who are believers that the prevent defense only prevents you from winning, THERE is a TEXTBOOK EXAMPLE!
(al) whoo!
(dan) what a bitter! bitter! ...
(frank) oh.
(dan) play, for the ... Kansas City Chiefs, to put on the Raiders!
(frank) this house is stunned!
(dan) whoa!
In Fort Worth, this (at the time) hot as hell 20 year old is going nuts. I'm running around, going absolutely ape sh*t. My dad calls. We have a few proud moments mocking the Raiders.
Then comes this absolute incredible "eff you" moment by Al Michaels:
(al) there's the President of the Chiefs. (camera pans to Carl). And in the meantime, Andre Rison has just about burned Al Davis' house down. And you know what I mean!
(dan) (laughing) unfortunately, we do!
Postscript: I have a "overnight delivery" notice on the door when I get back from class on Tuesday. My dad rush delivered / overnighted / whatever the hell the term is, did that with the Tuesday KC Star, so that I could have it. It wasn't enough to read it online; I needed the physical hard copy. And he sent it rush delivery, literally same day mail. God I love that man.
Number One ...
(to noone's real surprise ...)
(the game that put Arrowhead Stadium, the Kansas City Chiefs, Arrowhead Nation on the national map ...)
1. at Chiefs 33, Bills 6, week 6 1991. Nothing else needs to be said. If you don't get what this game meant, hit up Gregg to watch the tape. Just sit, and watch. Watch the pregame. Watch the Channel 9 parking lot special. Watch the interviews with the MNF guys. Watch the emotion in the stands as Patti DiParto-Livergood delivers the Anthem. Just feel the emotion, the excitement, the "f*ck yes! THIS is what the Arrowhead Experience is!" moment shine through. The focus of the nation, for the first time in our lifetimes, was on us. On the Chiefs. On Arrowhead. Live it. Love it.
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