San Diego Chargers vs. Kansas City Chiefs: Breaking Down Kansas City's Game Plan

It may be Week 17, the final week before the postseason, but the Kansas City Chiefs have been in a playoff-like mindset this month. Due to the three-game skid, plenty of teams have caught up in the AFC Wild Card race, pushing Kansas City out of the No. 5 position in the conference.

Now, the Chiefs find themselves needing to win and must receive help from Cleveland and Jacksonville. 

Given that Cleveland has quarterback issues and Jacksonville has been bad all season, the odds are stacked against Kansas City.

Regardless of whether or not the Chiefs have a shot at the playoffs, teams play to win and want to go into the postseason with a little bit of confidence, even if they fall short of a playoff appearance. A win against a division rival to close out the season, and perhaps play spoiler and keep them away from the playoffs, would give the team a positive conclusion to the season after a rough month in December.

For now, the Chiefs can only worry about themselves and will look to execute in certain areas in hopes that it can translate into a win to finish the 2014 regular season.

Pressure Philip Rivers

San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers may have fallen short in the Pro Bowl voting, but he is still considered one of the best quarterbacks in the game right now. He is just five yards shy of surpassing the 4,000-yard passing mark for the sixth time in his career.

He ranks either ninth or higher in quarterback passer rating, passing yards, touchdown passes, completions and completion percentage this season. 

Just like all season long, the Chiefs need Pro Bowl outside linebackers Justin Houston and Tamba Hali to continue beating offensive tackles and pressuring quarterbacks. 

Chargers offensive tackles DJ Fluker and King Dunlap will have a lot on their hands while trying to keep Rivers' jersey clean, which is a tall order against a top-tier pass-rushing duo. 

Go run-heavy

Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles has not run the ball more than 12 times in each of the last four games. Charles, along with backup scatbacks Knile Davis and rookie De'Anthony Thomas, must be active on the ground against San Diego's weak run defense. 

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Charles is bound to do well if he gets at least 15 carries against San Diego's 26th-ranked run-stopping defense. If Davis and Thomas are active and get a couple of carries, Kansas City's rushing attack will have a big game. Opposing teams average 125 yards on the ground against the Chargers this year as the Chargers tie the Chiefs for longest rushing touchdown given up of 90 yards. 

Chiefs coach Andy Reid has not given Charles plenty of touches and has abandoned the running game several times. If Reid keeps the running backs active, all who have tremendous breakaway speed, then the Chiefs will have a better offensive outing than last week.

Stick to the team's strengths 

As I alluded to in the previous plan in the end, Reid has avoided running the ball in certain situations. Kansas City's passing game has been a non-threat. Charles, a running back, has dominated the most alongside tight end Travis Kelce. But outside of that, the Chiefs don't have a reliable No. 1 receiver. 

Reid knows this is the team's last chance to make the playoffs. If the Chiefs want a shot and want to win, they need to work to their strengths and not try to force the passing game to come alive when it has been a glaring weakness all season long, especially in pass protection. 

Protect Alex Smith

Although I did just say the team should stick to its strengths, that doesn't mean the team should completely shy away from throwing the ball. The Chiefs will still pass throughout the game. But when they do, they need the offensive line to step up.

Smith has suffered five or more sacks four times in the last seven weeks. Kansas City's offensive line has had no answer for opposing defenses, allowing 45 sacks through 16 games, the third most in the NFL this year.

Poor pass protection has translated to short-lived drives, allowing teams to dominate the Chiefs in time of possession. The Chiefs will have to pass at some points during the game, but in order to prevent allowing teams to win time of possession, the Chiefs will have to limit their passes and go run-heavy. 

Play with a sense of urgency on offense

Even if it is the final game of the season, a win would be nice. But there is a chance that the Chiefs could extend their season. Then again, the Chiefs haven't showed us that they want to win.

During the two-minute warning against the Arizona Cardinals, Kansas City took its time getting to the line of scrimmage as plenty of time came off the clock while down by three. When the Chiefs did snap the ball, their plays resulted in overthrown passes or completions with players being tackles in bounds.

Last week against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Chiefs were slow to get to the line of scrimmage, despite having a chance to tie it with a touchdown and a two-point conversion. 

Executing is one thing. But the Chiefs must be quick in the clutch by getting the playcall in fast and having players ready to go.

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