Visitor:  San Diego Chargers

Home:  Kansas City Chiefs

Date:  December 22, 1985

 

Scoring:

Team                1          2          3          4          Final

SD                   3          3          7          21          34

KC                  7          28        3          0            38

 

Visitor playmakers:

WR Wes Chandler, FB Tim Spencer, RB Lionel James, FB Trumaine Johnson, DE Chuck Ehin, LB Vince Osby, LB Linden King

 

Home playmakers:

WR Stephone Paige, RB Herman Heard, RB Mike Pruitt, TE Jonathan Hayes, CB Sherman Cocroft, LB Scott Radecic, S Mark Robinson, CB Albert Lewis

 

Network:  NBC (KCST San Diego)

Announcers:  Charlie Jones, Jimmy Cefalo

 

Pregame:  No

Halftime:  No

Postgame:  Yes – NFL ‘85

Commercials:  No (only one, a McDonald’s commercial with Refrigerator Perry)

 

Grade:  B

 

Notes:  QB Todd Blackledge’s poor performance on the opening drive causes KC to punt, but they recover quickly, starting on their own 44 after a poor San Diego punt.  WR Stephone Paige takes the first pass of the possession and turns it into a touchdown.

 

Kansas City’s next possession after a Chargers field goal features a 51-yard pass to Paige and culminates in an 8-yard dash by RB Herman Heard for a touchdown to start the second quarter.  San Diego gets the ball back, but after a sack for a 13-yard loss LB Scott Radecic intercepts the ball.  On the next play Blackledge hits Paige for a 30-yard gain, bringing his total to 136 yards on three receptions.  Two plays later Blackledge is hurt while throwing a pass from 3 yards beyond the line of scrimmage and Bill Kenney comes in.  RB Mike Pruitt runs it in next after a San Diego defensive pass interference call puts the ball on the 1-yard line.  

 

Later, TE Kellen Winslow somehow avoids ejection after throwing a punch and an elbow when the pass intended for him is defensed.  San Diego punts it away and on Kansas City’s ensuing drive Kenney hits Paige for an 84-yard touchdown pass, bringing Paige’s total to 238 receiving yards, a new Chiefs record that bests RB Curtis McClinton (213).

 

S Mark Robinson gets his interception on San Diego’s next possession, bringing the ball back 19 yards to the San Diego 26.  Kenney then finds Paige for 21 yards and Jonathan Hayes for the young tight end’s first NFL touchdown, a 6-yard reception.

 

On his third quarter kickoff return, RB Lionel James breaks the single-season combined yards record with 2,494 total yards.  The drive ends with a missed field goal, however, and KC goes on offense.  A lost fumble gives the Chargers a spark, and with a very poor call by an official WR Wes Chandler gets credit for a touchdown.

 

Kenney unloads another huge pass to Paige in the third quarter, this time for 39 yards.  The drive stalls inside the San Diego 10 and the Chiefs settle for a field goal, Nick Lowery’s 11th straight successful attempt.  The Chiefs defense continues to maul the Chargers through the third quarter, but a couple of big plays keep them in the game.

 

The fourth quarter belongs to the Chargers, as they come close to stealing the game away from the home team.  RB Gary Anderson steps off huge yardage on the first drive, with the touchdown coming on a 2-yard run by FB Tim Spencer.  San Diego then gains possession on an onside kick, and thanks to a personal foully penalty on KC that relieves San Diego of a 4th-and-12 incomplete pass, QB Mark Herrmann tosses to James for a 4-yard touchdown with 5:44 left.

 

San Diego again tries the onside kick, but this time KC recovers.  On the first play Kenney hits Paige for 11 yards, bringing the receiver’s total to 309 yards on 8 receptions for a new NFL record, breaking the 303 mark set by Jim Benton of the Cleveland Rams in 1945.

 

San Diego’s third touchdown of the fourth quarter is again aided by a Kansas City penalty, this time a very questionable defensive pass interference call that moves the ball 20 yards.  FB Trumaine Johnson makes the 20-yard touchdown catch, his fourth catch of the year.  San Diego again attempts the onside kick with 2:48 remaining, but Kansas City recovers and is able to run out the clock.

 

Attendance of 18,178 was the third smallest crowd ever at Arrowhead.  At one point during play the hot dog vendor in the stands can be heard.

 

Thanks Todd!

 

Running time:  2:50 (2 discs)