Looking Back: A History of the Chiefs in the Playoffs, Part 2

Minor successes, a lot of poor play, and some very dark times

Earlier this week, I took a look at the origins of the Kansas City Chiefs’ and dove into their postseason successes in the early parts of the franchise history. Through the first 26 years of the franchise’s existence, the Chiefs — originally the Dallas Texans — had a 5-4 postseason record, had appeared in two Super Bowls (winning one), and also had a stretch of 15 years without a playoff appearance from 1971-1986.

Today, we continue that journey into the 1990’s and early 2000’s to take a look at some minor postseason successes, some heartbreaking losses, and some truly dark times within the Chiefs organization. Without further ado, keep this series rolling!

Marty and Montana: Winning again in the 1990’s

After Frank Gansz held the head coaching position in 1987 and 1988, Hunt hired Carl Peterson as the team’s president, general manager, and CEO. Peterson fired Gansz and hired Marty Schottenheimer as the team’s head coach after he mutually departed from the Cleveland Browns organization. For the next decade, the Chiefs would become perennial playoff contenders, making the postseason 7 of the next 10 years, starting with the 1990 season and a Wild Card matchup with the Dolphins. Derrick Thomas, Neil Smith, and the Chiefs’ defense started hot, holding Dan Marino and the Dolphins offense to just three points in the game’s first three quarters. Quarterback Steve Deberg connected with wide receiver Stephone Paige for a touchdown in the middle of the second quarter, while Lowery added three field goals before the start of the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, that’s where the success ended for the Chiefs.