Visitor:  Los Angeles Raiders

Home:  Kansas City Chiefs

Date:  September 16, 1984

 

Scoring:

Team               1          2          3          4          Final

LA                   0          3          6          13          22

KC                  3          10        0          7            20

 

Visitor playmakers:

TE Todd Christensen, FB Frank Hawkins, LB Rod Martin, DB Mike Davis

 

Home playmakers:

CB Kevin Ross, RB Herman Heard, DE Art Still, DE Mike Bell, S Deron Cherry, LB Calvin Daniels, S Lloyd Burruss

 

Network:  NBC (WDIV Detroit)

Announcers:  Dick Enberg, Merlin Olsen

 

Pregame:  Yes

Halftime:  Yes – Charlie Jones presents the AFL Remembered

Postgame:  No

Commercials:  No

 

Grade:  8.5/10

 

Notes:  The 2-0 Chiefs meet the 2-0 World Champion Raiders.  The Chiefs sack LA QB Jim Plunkett twice on LA’s opening drive, bringing up 3^rd-and-32.  After RB Marcus Allen can only manage a couple of yards and the Raiders punt, QB Todd Blackledge drives the Chiefs to the LA 6, where penalties push them backwards.  K Nick Lowery kicks the field goal to make it 3-0, his 24^th straight inside the 30.  On KC’s next possession RB Billy Jackson fumbles and LA recovers, but the Chiefs get the ball back a few plays later when S Deron Cherry intercepts Plunkett.  Unable to make anything happen, the Chiefs punt only to get the ball back when Cherry picks off Plunkett again, this time in the end zone.  The Chiefs go 3-and-out, and as LA is driving again CB Kevin Ross intercepts the pass and returns it 71 yards for a touchdown.

 

**Missing the second half kickoff**

 

The Chiefs have a lackluster start in the second half as Blackledge’s arm seems to have gone cold, but the KC defense stops the Raiders.  KC’s second drive reaches the LA 12, but Lowery hits the upright from 30 yards out, breaking his string of 13 straight field goals.  It turns out to be the difference in the game.  The Raiders finally come alive after that, and aided by a couple of key penalties on the Chiefs the are able to get in the end zone with a pass to TE Todd Christensen.  LB Calvin Daniels blocks the PAT.

 

The Raiders score again in the fourth quarter after a pass interference call against Ross in the end zone sets up a touchdown from the 1-yard line by FB Frank Hawkins, putting LA ahead for the first time in the game.  LB Rod Martin intercepts Blackledge’s pass on KC’s next drive at the KC 38.  The Chiefs defense tops LA at the KC 7, so the Raiders kick a field goal to go up by 6 points.  On the first play after another KC punt, S Lloyd Burruss picks off Plunkett at the LA 45.  RB Herman Heard punches it in from the 5-yard line to put the Chiefs up by 1 point with 4:44 remaining in the game.  The Chiefs defense then pins the Raiders on their own 45 with 4^th-an-2, but a pass to Marcus Allen keeps the drive alive.  LA drives to the KC 1, then they kick the go-ahead field goal with 1 minute left on the clock.  DB Mike Davis then picks off Blackledge to finish the game.

 

 It was the 51^st meeting of the Chiefs and Raiders, and the Chiefs’ Silver Anniversary weekend.  Tom Flores gets his 50^th win as Raiders head coach.

 

Thanks Ken!

 

Running time:  3:07 (2 DVDs)