San Diego (9-5) at Kansas City (8-6)

VIDEO PLAYLIST

• KC Eliminate's Chargers From Playoff Contention

SCOUTING REPORT

Chargers must build on momentumThe Chargers' win over the previously unbeaten Colts has been the headline in the NFL all week. While it did keep their wild-card playoff hopes alive, there is no time to savor the accomplishment. If Marty Schottenheimer's team is to reach the postseason, it must win the remaining two games and get some help. While the Chiefs' playoff chances have all but vanished, they would like nothing better than to knock divisional foe San Diego out with a win at Arrowhead this Sunday. In order to do so, RB Larry Johnson must get back on track versus the league's top-ranked run defense.

· Full Scouting Report

Matchup
	W-L	PF	PA	HOME	ROAD	DIV	CONF
SDG	9-7	418	312	4-4	5-3	3-3	7-5
KAN	10-6	403	325	7-1	3-5	4-2	9-3
· Complete Standings

Individual Leaders

San Diego Passing   CMP% YDS TD INT Rivers 63.2 2621 17 6

Kansas City Passing   CMP% YDS TD INT Cassel 55.0 1720 12 6 Croyle 66.7 177 2 0

San Diego Rushing   CAR YDS AVG TD Tomlin... 135 458 3.4 6 Sprole... 60 210 3.5 1

Kansas City Rushing   CAR YDS AVG TD Johnso... 132 377 2.9 0 Charle... 64 313 4.9 1

San Diego Receiving   REC YDS AVG TD Jackso... 47 788 16.8 7 Gates 52 709 13.6 2

Kansas City Receiving   REC YDS AVG TD Bowe 33 466 14.1 4 Chambe... 10 249 24.9 2

Full Player Stats: San Diego | Kansas City

TEAM AVERAGES & NFL RANKS
TEAM OFFENSE	TEAM	PER GAME AVERAGE
Total Yards	SDG	348.0
	KAN	387.0
Yards Passing	SDG	218.4
	KAN	238.1
Yards Rushing	SDG	129.5
	KAN	148.9
TEAM DEFENSE	TEAM	PER GAME AVERAGE
Yards Allowed	SDG	309.3
	KAN	328.1
Pass Yds Allowed	SDG	224.9
	KAN	229.9
Rush Yds Allowed	SDG	84.3
	KAN	98.1

HEAD TO HEAD MATCHUPS (SINCE 2001)
Kansas City leads 6-4
Oct 30, 2005	SDG 28, @KAN 20
Jan 2, 2005	SDG 24, @KAN 17
Nov 28, 2004	SDG 34, KAN 31
Nov 30, 2003	SDG 24, @KAN 28
Sep 7, 2003	SDG 14, KAN 27
Dec 22, 2002	SDG 22, KAN 24
Oct 13, 2002	SDG 35, @KAN 34
Dec 23, 2001	SDG 17, KAN 20
Nov 4, 2001	SDG 20, @KAN 25

San Diego (9-5) at Kansas City (8-6) Saturday 1:00 pm EST

KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Ticker) -- The San Diego Chargers ended the perfect run of the Indianapolis Colts and defeated the two-time defending champion New England Patriots. Another difficult road test awaits them.

On Saturday, the Chargers visit the Kansas City Chiefs in a battle of AFC West rivals fighting to stay alive in the playoff race.

The Chiefs have won 17 straight December home games, last losing in 1995. But that will not intimidate the Chargers, who went into Indianapolis last week and handed the Colts their first loss of the season, 26-17. In October, the Chargers snapped the Patriots' 21-game home winning streak with a resounding 41-17 victory.

Despite those impressive wins, San Diego still needs help to make the playoffs. The Chargers have a slim chance to win the AFC West title, but need first-place Denver (11-3) to lose at home to last-place Oakland on Saturday. If that happens, San Diego then will host Denver in the regular-season finale for the division crown as long as it beats Kansas City.

The Chargers are tied with Pittsburgh for the second AFC wild-card spot, one game ahead of Kansas City. But the Steelers hold the tiebreaker advantage with a 24-22 win over the Chargers in October.

Jacksonville (10-4) holds the first wild-card spot and closes the season with games against Houston and Tennessee, who have a combined record of 6-22.

The Chiefs were in the driver's seat for a playoff spot, but spoiled that with back-to-back road losses against Dallas and the New York Giants. They close with consecutive home games against San Diego and Cincinnati, which has already clinched the AFC North title.

Drew Brees and tight end Antonio Gates led the Chargers to a 28-20 win over the Chiefs in the first meeting this season on October 30. Brees passed for 324 yards and connected with Gates for three touchdowns.

Gates and Kansas City's Tony Gonzalez are regarded as the NFL's best tight ends. In three games against the Chiefs, Gates has 20 catches for 286 yards and six touchdowns, including 10 for 145 in the October 30 contest.

Strong safety Sammy Knight will need help from a linebacker in his matchup against Gates.

"He (Gates) will beat anybody physically one-on-one, he's just too big and strong," Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil said. "You have to vary your coverages against him, but you can't go one-on-one."

Gonzalez caught a 16-yard TD in the first meeting and Trent Green threw for 347 yards and two TDs, but was sacked four times.

San Diego sacked Peyton Manning four times, including two by rookie linebacker Shawne Merriman, in last week's win at Indianapolis. Along with their ability to pressure the quarterback, the Chargers also rank first in the NFL against the run and limited Edgerrin James to 25 yards on 13 carries last week.

The same cannot be said for the Chiefs, who yielded 220 rushing yards to Tiki Barber in last week's 27-17 loss to the Giants.

"I didn't think that could happen to us," Vermeil said of his team's inability to stop Barber. "It was an embarrassing performance. I was embarrassed by our tackling."

The Chiefs entered that game ranked sixth in the league against the run and held San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson to 69 yards on 17 carries in the first meeting. Tomlinson has rushed for 1,323 yards and 17 touchdowns this season.

Kansas City's Larry Johnson has capitalized on his chance to be a feature back, taking over that role after Priest Holmes was placed on injured reserve and recording a franchise-record seven straight 100-yard games. He produced 167 yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries.

Matchup to watch: Chiefs right tackle John Welbourn will have to watch for blitzing strongside linebacker Merriman, who has a team-leading nine sacks.

Series: The Chiefs lead, 47-43-1, but the Chargers have won the last three meetings. San Diego's Marty Schottenheimer coached the Chiefs from 1989-98.

Next week: San Diego hosts Denver, December 31 Kansas City hosts Cincinnati, January 1

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