On October 11, 1981, the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Oakland Raiders 27-0 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. The game, played before an audience of 76,543, took place amid drizzly conditions with a temperature of 68 degrees Fahrenheit and 63% humidity, accompanied by 15 mph winds.
The Chiefs established an early lead with a 52-yard field goal by Nick Lowery in the first quarter. Billy Jackson then extended the advantage with a 4-yard rushing touchdown, also in the first quarter, followed by a successful extra point from Lowery. Lowery added another field goal, this time from 25 yards, in the third quarter. Kansas City further solidified their dominance with two passing touchdowns in the third and fourth quarters – a 4-yard pass from Bill Kenney to Henry Marshall and a 9-yard pass from Kenney to J.T. Smith, both accompanied by Lowery’s extra points.
The Raiders’ offense struggled throughout the game, managing only 230 total net yards compared to the Chiefs’ 454. Oakland’s rushing attack was led by Kenny King, who gained 46 yards on 11 carries, even as Derrick Jensen added 21 yards on 7 attempts. Quarterback Jim Plunkett completed 12 of 29 passes for 129 yards, throwing three interceptions. Marc Wilson also saw action at quarterback, completing 2 of 11 passes for 22 yards.
Kansas City’s offense was spearheaded by Joe Delaney, who rushed for 106 yards on 28 carries. Bill Kenney completed 15 of 23 passes for 287 yards and two touchdowns. Henry Marshall and J.T. Smith were the primary receiving targets, gaining 46 and 66 yards respectively.
Defensively, the Chiefs limited the Raiders to 13 first downs and forced three turnovers. The Raiders’ defense, featuring players like John Matuszak and Ted Hendricks, was unable to contain the Chiefs’ offensive attack. The Raiders’ inability to score marked the beginning of a streak of three consecutive shutout losses, an NFL record at the time.
The 1981 season proved to be a significant downturn for the Raiders, who finished with a 7-9 record, snapping a 16-year streak of winning seasons. This was the only losing season for the Raiders between 1965 and 1986. The team’s passing game finished 26th in the league with 28 interceptions and the defense, previously a strength, fell to last in the league in turnover differential with a minus-16 rating. The game against the Chiefs was a stark illustration of the Raiders’ struggles during this period, marking their last season playing in Oakland until 1995.
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