The 49ers (2-5) travel to Arrowhead Stadium for a 12:00 PM CT kickoff against the Kansas City Chiefs (2-5) on Sun December 26, 1982.
Bill Kenney starts at quarterback for Kansas City. Joe Montana continues for the 49ers. Russ Francis and Dwight Clark are the targets. Ronnie Lott anchors the secondary.
Both teams are eliminated from the Super Bowl Tournament. The final game is for finish and for film — the 1982 season has one Sunday left.[1][2][3]
The last game of a lost year. Both teams are 2-5 and know it. The tournament field was set; neither club is in it. Kansas City's year was its own kind of disappointing.
The offseason starts after this game. Both staffs are already building their evaluation lists. Every snap Sunday is a job audition — backup receivers, young defensive backs, anyone the coaches still need a read on before training camp.
Week sixteen is the final regular-season Sunday of the compressed schedule. The Super Bowl Tournament bracket is set. The eight AFC teams and eight NFC teams have their seeds. Around the league, the final-week games are chance for playoff teams to tune up and for the eliminated teams to evaluate their depth. The 49ers at Kansas City is one of the elimination matchups — two teams playing out the string in December.
Through seven games the 49ers are 2-5 with a minus 13 differential. The Chiefs are 2-5 with a minus 9. Kenney is 62 of 107, 952 yards, five touchdowns, six interceptions for the year. Montana's year line: 152 of 231, 1,916 yards, 12 TDs, 7 INTs. Clark has 37 catches for 518 yards. Francis has 12 catches for 135. The 49ers have allowed 110 rushing yards per game over the last three games.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Bengals | 5-2 | L1 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 4-3 | L2 |
| Cleveland Browns | 3-4 | W1 |
| Houston Oilers | 1-6 | L5 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Miami Dolphins | 5-2 | W1 |
| New York Jets | 5-2 | L1 |
| Buffalo Bills | 4-3 | L1 |
| New England Patriots | 4-3 | W2 |
| Baltimore Colts | 0-6-1 | T1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Raiders | 6-1 | W3 |
| San Diego Chargers | 5-2 | W4 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 3-4 | L1 |
| Denver Broncos | 2-5 | L1 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 2-5 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Falcons | 5-2 | W3 |
| New Orleans Saints | 3-4 | L3 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 2-5 | L2 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 1-6 | L3 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Green Bay Packers | 4-2-1 | T1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 4-3 | W2 |
| Detroit Lions | 3-4 | L1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 3-4 | W1 |
| Chicago Bears | 2-5 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 6-1 | W6 |
| Washington Redskins | 6-1 | W2 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 4-3 | W1 |
| New York Giants | 3-4 | L1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 2-5 | W1 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | Nick Lowery 40 yard field goal | 0-3 |
| 49ers | Ray Wersching 32 yard field goal | 3-3 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | Anthony Hancock 41 yard pass from Bill Kenney (Nick Lowery kick) | 3-10 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Ray Wersching 44 yard field goal | 6-10 |
| 49ers | Ray Wersching 42 yard field goal | 9-10 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Jeff Moore 1 yard rush (Ray Wersching kick) | 16-10 |
| Chiefs | Nick Lowery 39 yard field goal | 16-13 |
| 49ers | Ray Wersching 34 yard field goal | 19-13 |
| 49ers | Ronnie Lott 83 yard interception return (Ray Wersching kick) | 26-13 |
Ronnie Lott returned an interception 83 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter and Ray Wersching kicked four field goals as the 49ers beat the Kansas City Chiefs 26-13 at Arrowhead Stadium. Joe Montana went 20 of 35 for 253 yards with two interceptions. Dwight Clark caught four for 104 yards. Jeff Moore ran 18 times for 56 yards and added a 1-yard rushing touchdown. The 49ers closed the year with a win.[1][2][3]
Ronnie Lott's 83-yard interception return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter was the year's signature defensive play for the 49ers, and it closed a 26-13 win in Kansas City that gave the defending champions a 3-6 finish.
Montana threw for 253 yards but picked up two interceptions. Wersching kicked field goals from 32, 44, 42, and 34 yards — a consistent afternoon from a kicker who was one of the reliable constants in a difficult year. Moore ran 18 times for 56 yards and scored from the 1 in the fourth quarter. Clark caught four for 104 and was the offense's best target.
Bill Kenney hit Anthony Hancock on a 41-yard score in the second quarter to give the Chiefs a 10-3 lead at the half. The 49ers answered in the third quarter with three Wersching field goals and Moore's rushing touchdown to take a 16-13 lead. Lott's 83-yard return in the fourth put the result away. The Chiefs got no more points. The 49ers win the year's last game and go home at 3-6.
49ers 26, Chiefs 13. Margin: plus 13. Record: 3-5.
A 26-13 road win at Arrowhead Stadium. The 49ers finish 3-6.
How it unfolded
Lowery's 40-yard field goal opened it. Wersching tied it. Kenney hit Hancock on a 41-yard score for a 10-3 halftime lead. Wersching kicked three field goals in the third and fourth quarters. Moore's 1-yard rush gave the 49ers the lead at 16-10. Lowery cut it to 16-13. Wersching's 34-yarder pushed it to 19-13. Lott's 83-yard return made the final 26-13.
The turning point
Lott's 83-yard interception return in the fourth. With the 49ers ahead 19-13, Lott jumped a Kenney throw over the middle and went 83 yards untouched. The touchdown ended any Chiefs comeback.
By the numbers
Wersching four field goals on four attempts. Clark 104 yards on four catches. Francis eight for 95 from the tight end spot. Montana's two interceptions kept the margin tighter than the play deserved. The defense held Kansas City to 275 total yards.
What it means
3-6. The defending Super Bowl XVI champions finish below .500. The strike took nine weeks; the pre-strike losses compounded. The 1983 offseason will be about defensive depth.
| SF | Opp | |
|---|---|---|
| Team totals | ||
| First Downs | 23 | 18 |
| Total Yards | 370 | 275 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 2 |
| Passing | ||
| Comp/Att | 20/35 | 15/31 |
| Pass yards | 253 | 188 |
| Pass TD | 0 | 1 |
| Interceptions | 2 | 1 |
| Sacks taken | 3 | 5 |
| Sack yards lost | 16 | 37 |
| Net pass yards | 237 | 151 |
| Rushing | ||
| Rushes | 33 | 33 |
| Rush yards | 133 | 124 |
| Rush TD | 1 | 0 |
| Discipline | ||
| Fumbles | 1 | 2 |
| Fumbles lost | 1 | 1 |
| Penalties | 3 | 3 |
| Penalty yards | 15 | 25 |
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Joe Montana #16 | 20/35 | 253 | 0 | 2 | 56 |
| KAN | |||||
| Bill Kenney | 14/30 | 181 | 1 | 1 | 63.3 |
| Bob Gagliano | 1/1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 95.8 |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Jeff Moore | 18 | 56 | 1 | 10 |
| Joe Montana #16 | 4 | 41 | 0 | 21 |
| Bill Ring #39 | 11 | 36 | 0 | 7 |
| KAN | ||||
| James Hadnot | 16 | 55 | 0 | 13 |
| Joe Delaney | 8 | 39 | 0 | 11 |
| Billy Jackson | 6 | 17 | 0 | 8 |
| Bill Kenney | 3 | 13 | 0 | 7 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Dwight Clark #87 | 4 | 104 | 0 | 51 |
| Russ Francis #81 | 8 | 95 | 0 | 22 |
| Bill Ring #39 | 3 | 22 | 0 | 15 |
| Jeff Moore | 3 | 19 | 0 | 12 |
| Earl Cooper #49 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Renaldo Nehemiah #82 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| KAN | ||||
| Carlos Carson | 4 | 76 | 0 | 21 |
| Anthony Hancock | 3 | 57 | 1 | 41 |
| Henry Marshall | 3 | 28 | 0 | 11 |
| Billy Jackson | 1 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Clark Gaines | 1 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Al Dixon | 1 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| James Hadnot | 2 | 6 | 0 | 8 |
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Find the thread Start the threadCanonical title: [Rewatch Party] 1982 W16 - 49ers at Kansas City Chiefs - Game Thread