Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl Lore: 1969
In the aftermath of the Super Bowl and with the NFL offseason now upon us, let’s take one more trip into the historical time machine before it’s time for free agency and the draft. In the 46-year history of the Super Bowl, there’s been one occasion the Kansas City Chiefs reigned supreme in the NFL and that was 1969.
Quarterback Len Dawson was a veteran of both the AFL wars throughout the 1960s and of Super Bowl I when the Chiefs lost to the Green Bay Packers. The AFL had gotten on the board in Super Bowl III, the game where New York Jets’ quarterback Joe Namath famously guaranteed a win over the 18-point favorite Baltimore Colts. But when Kansas City won the ’69 AFL title with a road win over Oakland, they felt the same kind of pressure to carry league pride. Football observers wrote off the Jets’ win as a fluke. But if Kansas City could beat two-touchdown favorite Minnesota it would send an irrefutable signal the AFL was for real—and with the merger on the way next season, it would give longtime AFL people some pride in a 2-2 split with the senior league.
It was an overcast day in Tulane Stadium down in New Orleans. The offense orchestrated by head coach Hank Stram and executed by Dawson kept the Vikings’ off-balance and they got field goals on their first two possession. The third drive saw the Chiefs march into the red zone before an interception. That might have turned the tide, but the KC defense was shutting down the Minnesota running game and keeping quarterback Joe Kapp under control. The Chiefs were able to add another field goal and before the half was over, running back Mike Garrett scored on a 5-yard run.
The 16-0 score at halftime gave the Chiefs all the margin they needed. Minnesota was able to score one touchdown, but Dawson answered with a 46-yard scoring pass to speedy receiver Otis Taylor. The final score was 23-7. The AFL had not only won two straight Super Bowls, but done both in convincing fashion. Dawson was named MVP of the game and Kansas City football had its finest hour.
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