Super Bowl IV Championship
The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Minnesota Vikings 23–7 in Super Bowl IV, squaring the Super Bowl series at two wins each before the AFL–NFL merger.
Super Bowl IV was an American football game played on January 11, 1970, at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was the fourth and final AFL–NFL World Championship Game in professional football prior to the AFL–NFL merger taking effect the following season. The American Football League (AFL) champion Kansas City Chiefs defeated the National Football League (NFL) champion Minnesota Vikings by the score of 23–7. This victory by the AFL squared the Super Bowl series with the NFL at two games apiece as the two leagues merged after the game. This was the first major professional sports championship won by a Kansas City-based team.
- Date
- January 11, 1970
- Location
- Tulane Stadium, New Orleans, Louisiana
- Opponent
- Minnesota Vikings (NFL)
- Final Score
- Chiefs 23 - Vikings 7
- MVP
- Len Dawson (Quarterback)
- Head Coach
- Hank Stram
- League Context
- Last Super Bowl before the AFL-NFL merger
Lore & Background
Despite the AFL's New York Jets winning the previous season's Super Bowl, many sports writers and fans thought it was a fluke and continued to believe that the NFL was still superior to the AFL, and thus fully expected the Vikings to defeat the Chiefs; the Vikings entered the Super Bowl as 13½ point favorites. The Vikings posted a 12–2 record in 1969, then defeated the Los Angeles Rams 23–20 for the Western Conference title, and the Cleveland Browns 27–7 in the NFL Championship Game. The Chiefs, who previously appeared in the first Super Bowl, finished the regular season at 11–3; they continued with two road wins in the AFL playoffs, dethroning the New York Jets 13–6, and then taking down division rival Oakland Raiders 17–7 in the final AFL title game.
In Their Own Story
The humid air of New Orleans clung to the turf as Len Dawson stepped onto the gridiron, the weight of the AFL on his shoulders. With a deep breath, he dropped back, the purple jerseys of the Vikings rushing like a tidal wave. He spotted a sliver of daylight in the secondary and launched the ball—a perfect spiral that cut through the night air, landing safely in the arms of a waiting receiver. In that moment, the AFL was no longer an experiment; it was a champion.
Reader's Guide
Under wet conditions, the Chiefs defense dominated Super Bowl IV by limiting the Vikings' offense to only 67 rushing yards, forcing three interceptions, and recovering two fumbles. The Chiefs' Len Dawson became the fourth consecutive winning quarterback to be named Super Bowl MVP. He completed 12 of 17 passes for 142 yards and one touchdown, with one interception. Dawson also recorded three rushing attempts for 11 yards. Super Bowl IV is also notable for NFL Films miking up the Chiefs' Hank Stram during the game, the first time that a head coach had worn a microphone during a Super Bowl. The Chiefs would not win or appear in another Super Bowl until Super Bowl LIV in 2020.
Did You Know?
- The Chiefs were not the first AFL team to defeat an NFL champion in the Super Bowl; the New York Jets did so in Super Bowl III.
- The Vikings entered the game as 13½ point favorites, but the Chiefs won 23–7.
- Len Dawson completed 12 of 17 passes for 142 yards and one touchdown, with one interception, and was named Super Bowl MVP.
- This was the first Super Bowl where a head coach (Hank Stram) wore a microphone for NFL Films.
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