NFL Playoff Picture: Six Ways the Kansas City Chiefs Can Win the AFC West

With just five weeks left in the '11 NFL regular season, the Kansas City Chiefs see themselves three games out of the AFC West division lead.

It's been a roller coaster type season for KC, as they started off the season losing their first three games, then won four in a row, only to lose their last four.

It's easy to say that the Chiefs are a long shot to win the division at this point.

Here are six scenarios for Kansas City to repeat as AFC West champs.

The Raiders Lose out or Go 1-4 the Rest of the Way

This would likely have to happen for KC to have any hope at winning the division this year.

After looking at Oakland's remaining schedule, one could argue that this has a better chance of happening than many would think.

The Raiders play three of their remaining five games on the road, and their two games at home are against good offensive teams in the Chargers and Lions.

Although it's a long shot at this point, Chiefs fans have to be holding out hope that the silver and black will falter down the stretch this season.

The Chiefs Win out or Go 4-1 to End the Season

This is the biggest long shot out of any on this list for the Chiefs to make the playoffs.

KC's remaining five weeks puts them against the defending Super Bowl champs and three winning teams on the road, starting with the Bears this weekend.

However, we all know that on any given Sunday, anything can occur in the NFL.

Chiefs coach Todd Haley might need to pull a rabbit out of his hat in the team's final five games this season or he might be looking for a new job when the offseason comes around.

Kyle Orton Plays Lights out the Rest of the Way

Last week, the Chiefs claimed QB Kyle Orton off of waivers after he was released by the Broncos the previous day.

It was a move that KC had to make, after losing their starting QB Matt Cassel for the season and seeing how inexperienced backup Tyler Palko performed against the Patriots in Week 11.

Even though coach Haley continues to back Palko, expect to see Orton's debut with the Chiefs this weekend.

Orton will not only have to play mistake-free at the QB position, but he will also need to put the offense on his back if Kansas City is going to have any chance at winning the division title.

It's possible, but unlikely, considering the offensive line that Orton will have and the upcoming slate of defenses that he will face.

The Defense Can Play Like They Did Against Pittsburgh

The Chiefs' defense is riding high after a strong performance against one of the better offenses in the AFC last week.

Thanks to a solid pass rush and some nice work in the secondary, they were able hold Ben Roethlisberger, Mike Wallace and the Pittsburgh offense to just one touchdown.

This is the kind of effort that the defense will need to have against their final five opponents for the Chiefs to have a shot at winning.

Even without their star Eric Berry, it's now time for the defense to put up or shut up.

The Chiefs Win the Turnover Battle over the Next Five Games

One of the biggest things that has plagued this year's version of the Kansas City Chiefs is turnovers.

Coming into their game against the Bears this weekend, KC's offense has coughed the ball up a total of 23 times, while only forcing 18 turnovers from their opponents.

Winning the turnover battle against teams like the Packers and Broncos will be tough, considering that both teams have rarely turned the ball over this season.

It's less of a long shot than some of the others on my list, but it will need to happen if the Chiefs are going to make some late noise in the AFC West.

If Dexter McCluster Can Be Jamaal Charles 2.0

When the Chiefs drafted former Ole Miss star Dexter McCluster last year, they expected him to become an exciting playmaker that could be a complimentary home run threat on offense to star RB Jamaal Charles.

So far, that hasn't happened for McCluster and the Chiefs.

In Charles' absence this season, DMC has only managed to rush for 364 yards and zero touchdowns.

KC will need him to do his best Charles impression over the next five weeks by making some big plays in the ground game for KC's offense to put enough points on the board to win.