'09 Chiefs Trying to Avoid All Time Worst Scoring Record

by Chris Thorman on Dec 8, 2009 7:45 AM CST in 2009 Kansas City Chiefs Campaign Comment 8 comments

The Kansas City Chiefs have scored 196 points so far this season, with four games to go.

Not counting strike shortened seasons, what year did the Kansas City Chiefs put up the fewest number of points in franchise history?

The answer and more, after the jump.

If you guessed 1977, you're right. The Chiefs only scored 225 points in 1977 under head coaches Paul Wiggin and Tom Bettis. That's only 16 points per game in a fourteen game season. No wonder Paul Wiggin got fired halfway through the season.

The second worst season for scoring points was in 2007, when the Chiefs and Herm Edwards only scored 226 points. That is the worst all time mark for a sixteen game season and only an average of 14.1 points a game.

Currently, the 2009 Chiefs are scoring 16.3 points a game.

Just how bad were the 1977 team's 225 points? Let's take a quick look at some of the worst seasons in Chiefs history, according to point totals (P.S. Thank god for Pro Football Reference).

Year	W	L	T	Pts	Coaches
1977	2	12	0	225	Wiggin,Bettis
2007	4	12	0	226	Edwards
1973	7	5	2	231	Stram
1974	5	9	0	233	Stram
1979	7	9	0	238	Levy

We had Herm Edwards. Older Chiefs fans had the 1970s. Interestingly enough, the low scoring did not translate into a losing season under Hank Stram in 1973. What a hell of a coach.

So what do the Chiefs need to do to avoid an all time worst mark for scoring?

To beat the 1977 Chiefs who played a 14 game season, the Chiefs need 30 points.
To beat the 2007 Chiefs who played a 16 game season, the team will need 31 points.

In order to beat these all time worsts, the Chiefs will need to average over a touchdown a game. The good news? The 2009 Chiefs have only scored below ten points once this season, back in October against the Chargers.

I like our chances to get out of the woods but I don't think the 2009 Chiefs will push too far past 225 points.

Poll

Will the 2009 Chiefs end up being the worst scoring team in franchise history?

Yes, these Chiefs are bad

164 votes

Nope, the Chiefs will score over 250 points this season

166 votes

Not sure, it will be close

120 votes

450 votes | Poll has closed

0 recs | Comment 8 comments |

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Comments

Not to pick nits, but

Currently, the 2009 Chiefs are scoring 12.25 points a game.

That’s a bit misleading. You divided 196 by 16. We’re actually scoring 16.333 points per game (196 / 12). Saying we’re only scoring 12.25 points per game is assuming we egg it out the rest of the season.

You think it's coincidence that I bleed red?

by Mully on Dec 8, 2009 8:11 AM CST reply actions

Fixed it

Thanks, Mully.

Chris likey math.

Arrowhead Pride

by Joel Thorman on Dec 8, 2009 8:31 AM CST up reply actions

Haha

The numbers scared me at first until I realized what happened.

You think it's coincidence that I bleed red?

by Mully on Dec 8, 2009 8:53 AM CST up reply actions

The Chiefs have ALREADY exceeded a Wiggins/Bettis mark

with a point differential of -130 in 12 games. Wiggins and Bettis were -124 in the 14 games of 1977. Edwards posted the franchise record with -149 in 16 games last season.

But look at the averages: 1977 was -8.9. 2008 was -9.3. 2009 is currently -10.8. If the Chiefs continue this pace, they’ll blow out Herm’s record with -173.

Oc course… the Chiefs could win a couple of games down the stretch, which could significantly change these numbers. But does anybody expect the Chiefs to beat anybody by more than a touchdown? Their greatest margin of victory this season was 8 points. The average is 5.7.

Let’s say the Chiefs beat the Bills and Browns by a TD… but lose to the Bengals and Broncos by two TDs each. They’d finish with a point differential of -144… just shy of Edwards’ mark. But if the Chiefs suffer another blowout at anybody’s hands, Haley will likely have the new record all to himself. There have been three blowouts in 12 games. Anybody want to bet against another one in the last four – when one of the teams the Chiefs are facing has already blown them out?

John

"Gentlemen! You can't fight in here. This is the War Room!"

by RDOGuy on Dec 8, 2009 8:40 AM CST reply actions