The defense kept the club in contention thanks to a nucleus that still included the bulk of the squad's Super Bowl IV starters.
Quarterback Mike Livingston started in a 23–13 Opening Day loss against the Los Angeles Rams on September 16, but Len Dawson returned to rally the club for three consecutive wins to get the club off to a 3–1 start for a third consecutive year.
[1] The aging Len Dawson made his final start of the year in a 23–14 loss at Buffalo on October 29 and was replaced for the remainder of the year by Livingston, beginning a string of three straight seasons in which both players split time at the position.
[1] Livingston led the club to another three straight wins, putting the team in first place in mid-November with a 6–3–1 record.
A 1–2–1 ledger over the season's final month ended the club's post-season aspirations as the team finished the year in a second-place tie with Denver at 7–5–2.