Buccaneers vs. Kansas City Chiefs 
LOSS - Tampa Bay Buccaneers 19 Kansas City Chiefs 28
The Kansas City Chiefs credited their defense with the win after holding the Buccaneers to 14 yards rushing. The Buccaneers managed only 2 first downs and 34 yards of total offense before exploding for three touchdowns in the final ten minutes.
The Buccaneers were mistake-prone and ineffective throughout the first three quarters. Ken Stone was penalized for roughing on a missed field goal in the first quarter, with the result that the Chiefs got a second chance to kick it. The special teams allowed Henry Marshall to return a punt 59 yards, setting up the Chiefs’ second touchdown. They got 14 first downs and 162 yards in the final 15 minutes, scoring on an Essex Johnson run and passes from Steve Spurrier to Johnny McKay and Jack Novak.
Coach McKay felt that the difference was that the team did not begin giving effort until the fourth quarter. McKay also felt that the Chiefs left themselves vulnerable by trying to run up the score. Bert Cooper, filling in at linebacker for an injured Steve Reese, was consistently exploited in the passing game.
McKay later threatened to fire players who he felt were giving a slack effort, specifically referring to a Chiefs kickoff that rolled all the way to the 4-yard line, with no Buccaneers trying to recover it. Spectators booed the team, and one threw a dead bird at Spurrier as he returned to the locker room after the game.
Buccaneer defenders found some consolation in having held the AFC’s top offensive team to only 13 points.
Defensive end Council Rudolph played, despite the death of his father the previous evening.
GAMEDAY BRIEF
OFFICALS
- REFEREE: Gene Barth
- UMPIRE: Joe Connell
- LINE JUDGE: Ralph VanDenberg
- HEAD LINESMAN: Jerry Berqman
- BACK JUDGE: Vern Marshall
- FIELD JUDGE: Fritz Graf
SCORING
- CHIEFS: 09:13-1Q Stenerud FG42
- CHIEFS: 12:11-2Q Stenerud FG32
- CHIEFS: 13:22-3Q Masters 2 pass from Livingston (Stenerud kick)
- CHIEFS: 08:11-3Q White 2 pass from Livingston (Stenerud kick)
- BUCCANEERS: 10:55-4Q McKay 8 pass from Spurrier (kick failed)
- CHIEFS: 08:06-4Q Lane 2 run (kick failed)
- BUCCANEERS: 05:14-4Q Johnson 1 run (kick failed)
- BUCCANEERS: 02:16-4Q Novak 30 pass from Spurrier (Green kick)
- CHIEFS: 00:43-4Q Safety - Current recovered fumble in endzone
STARTERS OFFENSE
- WR: #89 J. McKay
- LT: #71 S. Young
- LG: #72 H. Fest
- C: #51 D. Ryczek
- RG: #79 S. Wilson
- RT: #74 M. Current
- TE: #82 F. Pagac
- WR: #85 M. Owens
- QB: #11 S. Spurrier
- RB: #35 J. DuBose
- RB: #32 L. Carter
STARTERS DEFENSE
- LE: #78 C. Rudolph
- LT: #76 D. Pear
- RT: #63 L. Selmon
- RE: #66 P. Toomay
- LLB: #30 J. Gunn
- MLB: #52 S. Reese
- RLB: #54 R. Wood
- LCB: #25 C. Jordan
- RCB: #52 D. Reece
- LS: #33 M. Cotney
- RS: #28 K. Stone
SUBSTITUTIONS
- 4 Green, 19 Johnson, 22 McNeill, 27 Davis, 53 Ball, 55 Hunt, 56 Cooper, 61 Selmon, 64 Robinson, 67 Alward, 70 Young, 77 Little, 80 Novak, 84 Douglas, 88 Smith
DID NOT PLAY
- 5 Hanratty, 18 Dickinson, 40 Washington, 43 Williams, 58 Peterson, 86 Moore
INACTIVE
- 26 Davis, 44 Moore
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING
- BUCCANEERS: DuBose 4-12, McNeill 2-8, Carter 10-6, E.Johnson 4-4, Owens 1-(-16).
- CHIEFS: Reamon 18-60, Lane 14-52, Marshall 1-11, Harrison 2-7, Podolak 3-6, McNeil 1-1, Livingston 4-(-1).
PASSING
- BUCCANEERS: Spurrier 36-20-212-0-2.
- CHIEFS: Livingston 30-17-183-2-2.
RECIEVING
- BUCCANEERS: Johnson 8-85, McNeill 3-7, McKay 2-46, Carter 2-24, Novak 1-30, Owens 1-11, Ryczek 1-6, Pagac 1-5, DuBose 1-(-2).
- CHIEFS: Lane 4-47, Reamon 4-33, White 3-42, Masters 3-32, Brunson 1-14, Harrison 1-12, Podolak 1-3.
INTERCEPTIONS
- BUCCANEERS: Cotney 1-25, Jordan 1-0.
- CHIEFS: none.
KICK RETURNS
- BUCCANEERS: Johnson 2-52, McNeil 1-33, Carter 1-11.
- CHIEFS: Harrison 2-56, Williams 1-19, Adams 1-0.
PUNT RETURNS
- BUCCANEERS: Reece 2-3.
- CHIEFS: Brunson 1-48.
SACKS
- BUCCANEERS: none.
- CHIEFS: Lohmeyer 2-19, Estes 1-4, Team 1-7.
