Tony Gonzalez leads all NFL tight ends with 61 receptions and 10 touchdowns.

When a team plays well when conditions get tighter around the throat, that means there is a good mix of veterans, players accustomed to the pressure. With the Kansas City Chiefs and the Seattle Seahawks, I see two good teams going in complete different directions. Can Mike Holmgren fix what ails the slumping Seahawks? Yes, because he has some solid veteran players like Cortez Kennedy and Ricky Watters.

But at the beginning of the season, I expected the Seahawks to be a good team. I never would have believed Kansas City would be in a situation to win the AFC West. Dick Vermeil of St. Louis will win the NFL Coach of the Year award, but Gunther Cunningham deserves some votes. A lot of people picked the Chiefs to finish in the AFC West cellar. I have been impressed with what he has done because I thought they would finish fourth.

Although I knew the Chiefs had great character, I felt they were missing some key parts. However, their veterans have come through and made the difference. Look at Chester McGlockton, Leslie O'Neal, James Hasty, Cris Dishman, Reggie Tongue, Tim Grunhard, Will Shields and Elvis Grbac. Most of them have played eight years or more in the league.

The Chiefs are not made up of first- and second-year players, but they have enough fresh legs and youth that Cunningham is starting to use the last three weeks. Warren Moon told me Cunningham is giving the players two days off instead of one during the week so they are rested and ready to play Sunday.

They have enough mix of everything. They have a young superstar like tight end Tony Gonzalez and solid young defensive players like linebacker Donnie Edwards and safety Reggie Tongue. The Kansas City players understand what it means to be a pro. It's not that the Seattle players don't understand, but the Kansas City players seem to know better.

Seattle, once leading the AFC West by a three-game margin, is in a position now to break its own will. The Seahawks rallied to score 10 points in the final minute last week, but still found a way to lose. Great teams find a way to win in the end.

The Seahawks, playing their final home game of the regular season, must use the crowd noise to their advantage, although the Chiefs are used to that, playing at Arrowhead Stadium. The Seahawks need a win not only to continue their quest for the division title, but also to help their chances for at least a wild-card berth.

Seattle has squandered opportunities, while the Chiefs have capitalized, much like their ball-hawking defense. Kansas City is the most opportunistic team in the NFL, with a league-high 43 takeaways and plus-23 turnover ratio. If there is a tipped ball in the air or a loose ball on the ground, the Chiefs will come up with it and either convert the turnover into points on offense or take it back for a touchdown. Kansas City believes it can't be beat right now, and Seattle is doubting itself.

Here are the keys to Sunday's game for each team:

Kansas City Chiefs
1. Win on first down: The Chiefs will not change their offensive philosophy because they are creatures of habit. Winning on first down means getting at least four yards. They will either try to get it by pounding the ball on the ground or throwing high-percentage passes. That would put Grbac in second- or third-and-short situations. He is a very good, play-action, ball-control passer. Much like Troy Aikman in Dallas, when Grbac throws 20-30 times, or less, the Chiefs are doing what they want to do, which is run 70 percent of the time. But it all starts with first-down efficiency.

2. Get it to Gonzalez: No matter how they do it, the Chiefs need to make Gonzalez see the football, whether it's on tight-end screens, down the middle or on option routes. Gonzalez, with a team-leading 61 receptions and 10 touchdowns, is their playmaker and a definite mismatch against any linebacker or defensive back in the league.

3. No big plays allowed: The Chiefs play pressure defense, with press, man-to-man coverage on the outside and plenty of blitz packages. But if they pressure, they can't give up the home-run play to someone like Joey Galloway. Seattle will try to strike quickly at home. If the Seahawks are successful, momentum will shift and then Holmgren can control the game. If the Chiefs gamble and blitz, they need to play sound defense behind it -- and Cunningham knows that.

Seattle Seahawks
1. Score quickly: The Seahawks need more than just a field goal right away. They must score two touchdowns in the first quarter and make Grbac and the Chiefs play catch-up. If the Seahawks allow the Chiefs to get a lead, they will be finished. If Grbac is playing with a lead, he is one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the league. If he plays from behind and has to throw every time to win, it's a different ballgame.

The Seahawks must use maximum protection to combat the Chiefs' blitz packages and also change Jon Kitna's aiming point. Kitna needs time to make big plays in the passing game in order for the Seahawks to score quickly. If not, the Chiefs will tee off on Kitna and force turnovers. Kitna cannot miss open throws like he did at the end of the game against Denver last week.

2. Tune out Tony: Somehow, Seattle must take away Gonzalez, the Chiefs' biggest weapon and by far the most athletic tight end in the league. If the Seahawks decide to single-cover Gonzalez and give him the middle of the field, it will be lights out. He is too big for a strong safety and too fast and athletic for a linebacker. If a linebacker is matched against Gonzalez, the linebacker will be thinking pass first. Then what happens? The Chiefs will run at the linebacker and get five or six yards a carry.

Seattle will try to squeeze the middle of the field, which will give the Chiefs receivers a big cushion on the outside for easy hitches, curl routes and comebacks. Nevertheless, that might be the Seahawks' best option rather than allowing Gonzalez to beat them.

3. Control the guard-center gap: Center Tim Grunhard and guards Will Shields and David Szott are the best interior-line combination in football. That is where the Chiefs run most of their plays. In their four straight losses, teams have run all over the Seahawks, averaging 158.5 yards.

Cortez Kennedy and Sam Adams can't be pushed around like they have been lately. They must control the interior or the Chiefs will bury them.

Former NFL quarterback Sean Salisbury works as a studio analyst on NFL 2Night and Monday NFL Countdown. He breaks down the Game of the Week every week for ESPN.com