Chargers vs. Chiefs: Kansas City Will Beat Bolts to Force Tie Atop AFC West

Remember that hole that the Kansas City Chiefs dug for themselves after the first three weeks of the 2011 NFL season? The one that consumed Tony Moeaki, Eric Berry, Jamaal Charles and the Chiefs' hopes of defending their AFC West crown?

Neither do they (or rather, neither will they) once they cut down the San Diego Chargers at Arrowhead Stadium on Monday night.

So how exactly does a team go from 0-3, losing its first two games by a combined score of 89-10 to the Buffalo Bills and the Detroit Lions, to the precipice of the playoffs at mid-season?

Well, that story is as much one of recovery in KC as it is one of ineptitude around the division.

Like Stella, the Chiefs started to get their groove back in San Diego in Week 3, when they fell just three points short of upending the Bolts on the road. Matt Cassel led his team to three scoring drives in the second half, with help from Thomas Jones and receiver-turned-runner Dexter McCluster on the ground.

Head coach Todd Haley gave Jackie Battle a more prominent role in the backfield equation in the very next game, which the Chiefs won over the 0-at-the-time Vikings behind steady efforts, once again, on the ground and through the air.

That victory gave the Chiefs just enough self confidence to go into Indianapolis to edge the Colts with a fine performance from Cassel (four touchdowns) and Battle and Jones (a combined 174 yards rushing).

Throw in a week of rest after that and KC was ready to scale the mountain once again, this time with the defense picking up the tab to the tune of six picks—two of which went for touchdowns—in a 28-0 shutout of the QB-challenged Raiders in Oakland.

Thus, in the span of a month, Haley has gone from the hot seat to the penthouse; from nearly losing his job mid-season to being a dark-horse candidate to win Coach of the Year.

Meanwhile, the Chargers have been up to their usual song-and-dance—playing poorly in the early portion of the season—though a highly favorable scheduled allowed the team to survive a bad stretch with a 4-1 record despite the struggles of Philip Rivers.

Then, Norv Turner's team went out and reminded the world that it wasn't quite ready yet by surrendering 17 unanswered points in the second half to lose to the Jets in New York in Week 7.

Which brings us to Monday night, with two division foes headed in opposite directions since their last encounter.

As if the Bolts didn't have enough to worry about, playing on the road in a game that could very well shake up the hierarchy in the AFC West, they'll be without the services of pass-catching 'back Mike Tolbert and pass-rusher extraordinaire Shaun Phillips on account of injuries.

The Chiefs, on the other hand, seem to have figured out how to not only cope with their personnel setbacks, but succeed in their aftermath.

KC can thank the trio of Jones, Battle and McCluster for leading the way, which they figure to do once again when faced with a San Diego defense that ranks 21st in the league against the run.

What's more, a win over the Chargers at home would add a touch of poetic justice to what has been one of the most fascinating, if not under-reported, stories to emerge amidst a topsy-turvy season in the NFL.