Why to watch:
This interconference matchup is vital to the playoff hopes of both clubs. The Vikings had their five-game winning streak snapped in Tampa on Monday night and now are tied with the Packers in the NFC wild-card race. Minnesota is also one game behind Detroit and Tampa Bay in the divisional race, and another loss would certainly damage the Vikes' chances of winning their second straight NFC Central title.

The Chiefs, who appeared all but out of the race two weeks ago, have resurrected their playoff hopes with consecutive road wins over their two biggest AFC West rivals, the Raiders and Broncos. Kansas City, which trailed Seattle by three games on Thanksgiving, is now just one game back in the divisional race.

The Chiefs play three of their final four games at Arrowhead Stadium, where they are 4-1 this season. The lone road game is a huge Dec. 26 trip to Seattle, so K.C. is certainly capable of making a run at the postseason.

The Vikings, who still have home games left with the Packers and Lions, will try to rebound from their first loss with QB Jeff George at the helm. Minnesota was held to 17 points in the loss at Tampa after averaging 30.4 points per game during its five-game winning streak. The Vikes will face another opportunistic defense this week at Arrowhead.

Who to watch:
Vikings RB Robert Smith is healthy again and accounted for 145 total yards in the loss at Tampa. Vikings WR Cris Carter continues to have one of the best seasons of his Hall of Fame career, and he has scored a touchdown in seven consecutive games.

Both Carter (81 catches for 1,036 yards and 12 TDs) and WR Randy Moss (62 for 1,007 and seven TDs) have reached the 1,000-yard mark already. Those two will present a big test for Chiefs CBs James Hasty, an extremely physical corner, and Cris Dishman, who has struggled at times this season. Despite playing in just 10 games, George has thrown 18 TD passes and just eight interceptions.

INJURY REPORT

Vikings: DOUBTFUL: CB Keith Thibodeaux (shoulder). QUESTIONABLE: S Orlando Thomas (hamstring). PROBABLE: G Matt Birk (thumb); RB Leroy Hoard (knee); WR Chris Walsh (calf). Chiefs: QUESTIONABLE: LB Donnie Edwards (groin); C Tim Grunhard (thigh); RB Rashaan Shehee (knee/ankle); G Ralph Tamm (knee). PROBABLE: RB Donnell Bennett (toe); CB James Hasty (calf); WR Joe Horn (knee); LB Greg Manusky (shoulder); DT Chester McGlockton (shoulder); WR Tamarick Vanover (calf).

The Vikings defense has really struggled, especially against the pass. Minnesota ranks 28th in total defense and dead-last in pass defense. Vikings CB Jimmy Hitchcock will be tested by Chiefs' big-play WR Derrick Alexander, who is averaging 16.6 yards per catch but has reached the end zone only twice.

Chiefs QB Elvis Grbac will certainly take a few shots against the Minnesota secondary, and Chiefs TE Tony Gonzalez will be big threat against the Vikings LBs. However, the bulk of Kansas City's game plan will revolve around keeping the ball on the ground with RBs Donnell Bennett, Tony Richardson and Bam Morris. Vikings DTs Jerry Ball and Tony Williams have struggled against the run, especially against big backs. That should bode well for the run-happy Chiefs, who must keep the ball out of George's hands.

Vikings' numbers to know:
Minnesota has the NFL's No. 1 pass offense and the No. 31 pass defense. The Vikes are averaging 263.7 yards per game through the air, while allowing 250.6. The Chiefs rank 21st in passing, averaging just 201.4 yards per contest.

Chiefs' numbers to know:
Kansas City ranks No. 1 in the NFL with a turnover differential of plus-17 (35 takeaways, 18 giveaways) in 1999 and an astounding plus-124 (355-231) in turnover differential in the 1990s. ... The Chiefs have won nine consecutive games against NFC teams at Arrowhead Stadium.

What it means:
The Chiefs will need at least 10, and perhaps even 11, victories to reach the playoffs in the tough AFC. That means Kansas City has no margin for error over the last month of the season.

The Vikings are playing to keep their hopes alive for a division title and to increase their chances of hosting a first-round playoff game if they qualify as a wild card. Another loss here, and Minnesota suddenly will face an uphill climb to even reach the postseason.

Sean Salisbury's breakdown
Vikings' game plan:
Everyone knows the Vikings' passing game is the best in the league, but I expect Minnesota to run more inside trap plays. When they run, the Vikings will avoid slow-developing plays, like sweeps, which would give the Chiefs a chance to run them down. On inside traps, Smith or Leroy Hoard can hit the holes quickly. Then I expect the Vikings to live or die by hitting big plays to their talented receivers, Moss, Carter and Jake Reed, who played much better against Tampa Bay.

But I wonder how Minnesota will deal with the audible system in Kansas City. Arrowhead Stadium will be loud and nasty. There is no more difficult place to play in the NFL. The Vikings can check to an audible and 10 guys get it but one doesn't. If the one player who misses the audible is the left tackle, George could get hit from behind, forcing a fumble. The Vikings can't afford mistakes on the road against the Chiefs, who own the best turnover ratio in the league.

Chiefs' game plan:
Kansas City's offensive approach will remain the same. Grbac is a very good front-running quarterback. If he throws the ball 18-24 times, the Chiefs will probably win the game. Grbac is most effective when the Chiefs are playing ball-control offense. They like to pound with their crew of big backs -- Richardson, Bennett and Morris. They will then fake handoffs inside and throw passes to the flat in the short passing game or over the middle to Gonzalez, their leading receiver.

The Chiefs' style is to run first and set up short passes on third down. However, the Chiefs can challenge Minnesota's defense. They will take some shots downfield because the Vikings' secondary is vulnerable to big plays. The Chiefs defense will play its typical aggressive, in-your-face style, blitzing inside to hit George and force turnovers. But sticking with that approach, the Chiefs must be able to control Carter, Moss and Reed downfield.

Pivotal Players:
The Vikings defensive linemen. Ends John Randle and Chris Doleman and tackles Ball and Williams. They are a smallish line facing guards Will Shields and David Szott and center Tim Grunhard, the best three inside offensive linemen in the game. The Chiefs will run inside behind those three players. I don't know if Minnesota's line can handle the Chiefs' power running game. The Vikings' quickness will need to be better than Kansas City's strength up front.