Chiefs vs. Chargers: Monday Night Football Is a Must-Win for Kansas City

As everyone knows, the Kansas City Chiefs got off to a sloppy 0-3 start. No one thought the Chiefs would be able to put these three games behind them and move forward, but the Chiefs have done exactly that.

With the Chiefs now at 3-3 after the brutal start, they have an opportunity to create a three-way tie in the AFC West by defeating the San Diego Chargers at Arrowhead Stadium on Monday Night Football tonight.

It won’t be pretty, but provided that the Chiefs win, they will barely own a lead in the AFC West, thanks to the fourth tie-breaker rule. The Chiefs will have a slightly better conference record than the Chargers after eight weeks of football.

As every close follower of football knows, the easiest and safest way to win a division is by winning, especially against teams in your division. If the Chiefs win, they will have a one-to-one head-to-head record against the Chargers. Therefore, the tie-breaker will come in a different manner.

With a Chiefs win, the AFC West is wide open and the Chargers will have to fight if they want to end the season as AFC West victors. With Philip Rivers throwing seven touchdowns and nine interceptions while the Chiefs continue to crawl to the top of the AFC West, the second half of the season could be hectic for the Chargers.

However, a Chargers win on Monday Night Football will set the Chiefs back and it will be hard for the Chiefs to win the AFC West.

A Chargers win will put them at 2-0 head-to-head against the Chiefs this season. Therefore, if the Chiefs and Chargers are tied for the lead at the end of the season, the Chargers will easily win the division because of their two wins over the Chiefs.

If the Chargers win tonight, the Chiefs must finish the season with a better record than the Chargers by the end of the season in order to win the division.

A Kansas City loss will still allow it to win the division, but it will have to happen the hard way.

Last year, Chargers fans made the excuse that it was only "one game" after opening the 2010 season with a loss to the Chiefs. However, in the end, that "one game" was the difference maker.

Not only will tonight determine who takes the lead in the division, but it will also give the winning team the upper hand in tie-breaker situations.