The Kansas City Chiefsseason was the franchise's 34th season in the National Football League, the 44th overall and the third under head coachDick Vermeil. The season resulted in a 13–3 winning record, beginning with a nine-game winning streak—the franchise's best start in their 40-year history. The Chiefs won the AFC West and clinched the second seed in the playoffs. Kansas City lost in an offensive shootout at home in the AFC Divisional Playoffs to the Indianapolis Colts 38–31, a game noted for involving no punts from either team's kicking squad. The season is best remembered for the Chiefs' record-breaking offense. On December 28, running backPriest Holmes broke Marshall Faulk's single-season rushing touchdown record by scoring his 27th rushing touchdown against the Chicago Bears. QuarterbackTrent Green threw for 4,000 yards and kick returner Dante Hall returned four kicks for touchdowns. However, the weak Chiefs defense would prove to be too big a weakness, as they failed to stop the Colts in the 2003-04 playoffs. The Chiefs offensive line from the season has frequently been considered one of the best offensive lines in NFL history. Two members of the offensive line, Will Shields and Willie Roaf, have been inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame along with the tight end from the team, Tony Gonzalez.
The Chiefs originally had the 16th pick in the 2003 NFL Draft. Vermeil was intent on selecting a defensive player, but felt that there were no defensive players available with their pick, and traded the pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers for the 27th pick, as well as the Steelers third and sixth round picks. With the 27th overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft, the Kansas City Chiefs selected running back Larry Johnson from Penn State.
Round
Selection
Overall
Player
Position
College
1
27
27
Larry Johnson
Running back
Penn State
2
15
47
Kawika Mitchell
Linebacker
South Florida
3
28
92
Julian Battle
Defensive back
Tennessee
4
16
113
Brett Williams
Offensive tackle
Florida State
5
18
153
Jordan Black
Offensive tackle
Notre Dame
6
16
189
Jimmy Wilkerson
Defensive end
Oklahoma
7
16
230
Montique Sharpe
Defensive tackle
Wake Forest
7
38
252
Willie Pile
Linebacker
Virginia Tech
Roster
Regular season
After beginning the 2003 season 9–0, the Chiefs finished the regular season with a record of 13–3. The Chiefs' offense topped the NFL in almost all statistical categories and Kansas City became favorites to win Super Bowl XXXVIII. The Chiefs clinched their first AFC West title since 1997 with a 45–17 win against the Detroit Lions, as QB Trent Green became the first player in team history to register a "perfect" 158.3 passer rating in a game. Kansas City concluded its 13–3 regular season with a 31–3 victory vs. Chicago, marking a perfect 8–0 record at home and the club's 13th consecutive regular season victory at Arrowhead Stadium. In that win, Priest Holmes set a trio of TD records. He finished the season with 27 rushing scores, establishing NFL single-season records for both rushing TDs and total TDs. Holmes also bypassed WR Otis Taylor for the most career TDs scored by a player in Chiefs history. The Chiefs five win improvement from the previous season tied as the best mark in franchise history. Kansas City became the first AFC team to lead the NFL in scoring in consecutive seasons since San Diego in 1981–1982 as the club produced a franchise-best 484 points. The team also led the NFL with a +19 turnover differential. Nine Chiefs players received Pro Bowl recognition, the third-highest total in team history, while the club's six offensive Pro Bowlers marked the most in club annals.
Schedule
Game summaries
Week 7
Playoffs
AFC Divisional Playoffs
This offensive shootout became the second game without a punt in NFL playoff history, and first since the Buffalo Bills played the San Francisco 49ers in 1992. Colts quarterback Peyton Manning threw for 304 yards and three touchdowns, while Edgerrin James ran for a career postseason high 125 yards and two scores. On the Kansas City side, Dante Hall caught a touchdown and returned a kickoff for another; and Priest Holmes, who set the regular-season rushing touchdown record, rushed for 176 yards, caught 5 passes for 32 yards, and scored twice. Kansas City quarterback Trent Green threw for 212 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for 18 yards in his first career postseason game. The Chiefs defense failed to stop the Colts offense. Kansas City's defensive coordinatorGreg Robinson was asked to resign the following week.
