Arizona Cardinals best games vs the Kansas City Chiefs
The Arizona Cardinals vs Kansas City Chiefs regular season rivalry began in 1970 on a frigid November 22nd day at Municipal Stadium.
The Arizona Cardinals, then known as the St. Louis Cardinals, hailed from the East side of Interstate 70. The 1970 Kansas City Chiefs were coming off a 23-7 upset Super Bowl win, defeating the mighty Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV. Coach Hank Stram had shown that the AFL and his Chiefs were the real deal.
They not only could compete with the NFL but would dominate them as well. The New York Jets and Oakland Raiders had proved it. Now it was the Chief’s turn. Averaging 23 points per game, the Chiefs had a very good offense led by QB Len Dawson and skill position players like RB Ed Podolak, WR Otis Taylor, and TE Fred Arbanas.
Placekicker Jan Stenerud was one of the NFL’s first soccer-style kickers whose strong leg was a threat to kick a game-winning field goal at any time.
The Arizona Cardinals, or in 1970, the St. Louis Cardinals, had their hands full against an incredible Kansas City Chiefs team.
It was the Chiefs defense that opponents feared most. At the heart of that defense was MLB Willie Lanier, a complete player known for his vicious tackling. He had the speed to cover receivers as noted by his (27 career) interceptions. At middle linebacker, Lanier called the defensive signals for the Chiefs.
Going into the game, the 7-2 Cardinals had won three consecutive shutouts. They had defeated the Houston Oilers 44-0, and the Boston Patriots 31-0. On Monday Night Football before the entire nation. the Cardinals had trounced the Dallas Cowboys 38-0. The team had a lot of confidence. They were playing to win The Governor’s Cup of Missouri for all their fans.
The Chiefs had a record of 5-3-1 approaching this tenth game of the season. After tying the Raiders, the Chiefs won over the Oilers and Steelers. Meanwhile, St, Louis wanted to prove that the Cardinals were the team to beat. Their quest was to win Eastern Division of the NFC. A win over the Super Bowl Champion Chiefs would just about seal the deal.
The Cardinals on offense were led by young QB Jim Hart. WR John Gilliam, and TE Jackie Smith were his favorite targets. RBs Johnny Roland and MacArthur Lane led the ground game. The Cardinals also had reliable Jim Bakken as their kicker. He was among the league’s best placekickers.
Stenerud had put the Chiefs up 6-0 at the end of the first half. Bakken came on to tie the game with field goals of his own in the 3rd and 4th quarters. The end result was a 6-6 tie that would factor in the Cardinals losing the NFC East. St Louis would go on to lose three out of their last four games by season’s end. The Dallas Cowboys would win the Eastern Division Crown.
Article Source: Arizona Cardinals vs. Kansas City Chiefs Results via Football DB