1971 Kansas City Chiefs season
| 1971 Kansas City Chiefs season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Hank Stram |
| Home field | Municipal Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 10–3–1 |
| Division place | 1st AFC West |
| Playoff finish | Lost AFC Divisional Playoff (Dolphins) 24-27 (2OT) |
| Pro Bowlers | QB Len Dawson WR Otis Taylor G Ed Budde T Jim Tyrer DT Curley Culp DT Buck Buchanan LB Bobby Bell LB Willie Lanier CB Emmitt Thomas K Jan Stenerud P Jerrel Wilson |
The 1971 Kansas City Chiefs season saw the club bounce back from a 7–5–2 campaign in 1970 to record a 10–3–1 mark and win the AFC West division championship, the Chiefs' first division title since 1966. The Chiefs tied with the Miami Dolphins for the best record in the AFC and were tied for the third-best record overall in the NFL, trailing only the 11–3 marks of the Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings.
Most of the pieces of the team which won Super Bowl IV two years earlier were still in place. Left defensive end Jerry Mays retired after the 1970 season, with Marvin Upshaw taking his spot, but the other 10 defensive starters were the same as they were two years prior. Middle linebacker Willie Lanier was a unanimous All-Pro selection following the season, and would likely have been named NFL Defensive Player of the Year had not Viking defensive tackle Alan Page become the second defensive player to win the league's Most Valuable Player award. Outside linebacker Bobby Bell, defensive tackles Buck Buchanan and Curley Culp, and cornerback Emmitt Thomas joined Lanier on the AFC Pro Bowl squad following the season. Bell, Buchanan, Culp, Lanier and Thomas are all members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
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