The NFL and the Kansas City Chiefs have changed quite a bit since 2004. Most offenses in the league were predicated on a strong running game, including Kansas City’s offense under former head coach Dick Vermeil.
During Week 7 of that season, the Chiefs stamped their names in the NFL history books when it comes to rushing offense. After the team got wind of some bulletin board material because of its 1-4 start to the season, it changed up the game plan against the Atlanta Falcons.
K.C. would run the ball 49 times for 271 yards, averaging 5.5 yards per attempt. Teammates Priest Holmes and Derrick Blaylock each rushed for four touchdowns to set an NFL record for the most rushing touchdowns by a team in a single game.
“We were getting ready to play the Falcons and they were talking like mad junk,” former Chiefs FB Tony Richardson said, via KC Sports Network’s One-on-One. “And so Vermeil was like, ‘We’re going to run the ball every single down.'”
They had the ability to pound the rock because they had a world-class offensive line featuring Willie Roaf, Brian Waters, Casey Wiegmann, Will Shields and John Welbourn.
The Chiefs took a 35-3 halftime lead and cruised to a 56-10 win. No passing touchdowns were thrown by either team. After the game, Waters became the first offensive lineman to ever be named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week.
Unless the NFL has a vast change in offensive philosophy, the record of eight rushing touchdowns may stand the test of time.
