1970 NFL Season Opener vs Oakland Raiders
The first clash of the new era, where the Chiefs met their ultimate divisional rival in the merged league.
On September 13, 1970, the Kansas City Chiefs walked onto the field at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum not merely to begin a season, but to validate a new league order. This matchup was the first regular-season test of the finalized AFL-NFL merger, pitting the defending Super Bowl IV champions against the AFC West's other powerhouse. For the Chiefs, it wasn't about proving they belonged in the big leagues anymore—it was about showing they still ruled them. The stage was set for a collision between two titans that would define the division's identity for decades.
- Date
- September 13, 1970
- Location
- Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
- Result
- Oakland Raiders 24, Kansas City Chiefs 16
- Significance
- First NFL/AFL merger regular-season game for both teams
- Key Figure (Chiefs)
- Len Dawson
- Key Figure (Raiders)
- Ken Stabler
Lore & Background
Following the historic 1966 merger agreement that united the NFL and AFL into a single league with two conferences, the 1970 season was the first to fully realize this structure. The Kansas City Chiefs, fresh off their Super Bowl IV victory over the Minnesota Vikings, entered the season as the defending champions of the newly formed AFC. Their opponent in the opener was the Oakland Raiders, a team that had established itself as the AFL's most consistent powerhouse throughout the 1960s under head coach John Madden.
In Their Own Story
The air inside the Coliseum was thick with the humidity of an early September evening and the electric tension of a new era. Fans in red and gold sat across from those in silver and black, all waiting to see if the Chiefs' Super Bowl pedigree could hold up against Oakland's relentless physicality. In the huddle, Len Dawson adjusted his helmet, looking out at a defense that had already proven it could stop anyone. The whistle blew, breaking the silence, and the first play of the merged league era began not with a handshake, but with a collision that echoed through the history books.
Reader's Guide
While the merger provided the historical backdrop, the game itself played out as a gritty physical war typical of the era. Oakland leveraged their ferocious defensive front to stifle the Chiefs' offense, while Ken Stabler managed the Raiders' attack with precision. The final score, 24-16, handed Kansas City its first loss of the season and delivered a sobering message: the title reign was not guaranteed. More than just a Week 1 result, this contest ignited a rivalry fueled by divisional supremacy, establishing a pattern of high-stakes confrontations that would characterize the Chiefs-Raiders dynamic throughout the '70s.
Did You Know?
- This matchup served as the inaugural regular-season game for both franchises under the fully implemented AFL-NFL merger.
- The Chiefs entered the contest as defending Super Bowl IV champions, seeking to defend their title immediately in the new conference structure.
- Ken Stabler seized the starting role early, displaying the leadership traits that would define his tenure with Oakland.
- Oakland's victory established an immediate psychological edge over Kansas City within the newly formed division.