Elvis Grbac has been quietly efficient, completing 60.2 percent of his passes.

For the Chiefs, Gunther Cunningham's philosophy is to run the football first with a big back like Tony Richardson, Donnell Bennett or Bam Morris. Kansas City will then use a cautious passing game, putting Elvis Grbac in situations where he isn't liable to make mistakes. Then, the Chiefs will take shots downfield to Derrick Alexander. The only thing that changes is when they take their shots. Everything else remains consistent. That's what Kansas City does on offense and what Cunningham is trying to impart to offensive coordinator Jimmy Ray.

Minnesota's offense is just as easy to figure out. The Vikings have the same philosophy they had a year ago. Jeff George will throw the ball to his receivers and let them make plays. The most casual way to describe the Vikings' attack is to call it sandlot football. Instead of Cris Carter going out and hooking around the fire hydrant or running a post toward the Chevy, he just hooks around the 20 and heads out toward the goalpost.

George will take at least six shots downfield in the game. The receiver might be covered, but someone as talented as Randy Moss has a great ability to come down with the ball. George will just throw it someplace, and Moss will go get it. George is like Randall Cunningham, the player he replaced, but he has a stronger arm and a much quicker release. The difference is that George has the ability to deliver the ball in a hurry.

When George signed with the Vikings, I thought it was the perfect fit. Minnesota's offense can take full advantage of George's abilities. He can buy time, move around in the pocket and get rid of the ball quickly with great velocity. Defenders have little time to knock the ball down or react and make a play. The offensive line has done a terrific job of giving George a chance to survey the field and throw the ball where he wants to.

It doesn't matter how the Vikings lost to the Bucs. They will continue to go with what they do best and hope it is enough to keep them in contention for a playoff berth in the tight NFC Central. The Vikings might play lousy in the first quarter, the second quarter and midway through the third quarter. Sometime during the game, however, they will put up 21 points in a hurry.

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

Minnesota Vikings
1. Tackling: The Chiefs will challenge the Vikings defense to see if it can stop the run. Linebackers Ed McDaniel and Dwayne Rudd will need to have big games. So much will fall on their ability to shut down the Chiefs' ground game. They can't allow the Chiefs running backs to reach the secondary. The Chiefs have a veteran offensive line, so I don't expect defensive end John Randle to run rampant. He will have to work quite a bit for what he wants.

2. A good Reed: The Vikings could become a much more dangerous offense if Jake Reed could play consistent football. He showed signs of breaking his slump Monday with six catches against Tampa Bay. If he can jump up and be a weapon again, the Vikings will look more like they did last year -- and they are pretty close now.

3. More Hoard, less Smith: Robert Smith might be a solid offensive weapon, but I think Minnesota is better off with Leroy Hoard as a combination running back and blocking back than they are with Smith. Smith can be the change-of-pace back, coming in to either spell Hoard, attack the perimeter or catch balls out of the backfield on third down. Smith has been hurt much of the season, but he gives them a breakaway threat on the ground.

Kansas City Chiefs
1. Open up the offense: I don't think the Chiefs can afford to maintain their conservative approach against Minnesota. They have to score points through the air while also controlling time of possession. How do they accomplish that? The Chiefs need to run just enough to control the line of scrimmage. In a Monday night game, Emmitt Smith gained 140 yards on 13 carries in one half against Minnesota. The Vikings could be the worst tackling secondary in football. The only problem with running the ball is that it won't score points. Unless the Chiefs can rip off some 30-yard runs, it will take too long for Kansas City to score against a quick-striking team.

2. Control Carter: The Chiefs defense needs to figure out how to take Carter away from George in the Vikings' passing game. Carter is to George what Tim Brown was to George in Oakland. If a team took Brown away, George struggled and probably threw a few interceptions. Since George became the starting quarterback, nobody has flourished more than Carter, who has 10 of his 12 touchdown receptions in George's six starts.

3. Turnovers: Turnovers could be a big factor for the Chiefs, who feed off other teams' mistakes -- especially playing at home -- and lead the NFL with 35 takeaways and a plus-17 turnover ratio. Even if the Chiefs manage to force some turnovers, they must be careful. The Vikings have the luxury of being one of the few teams in the league able to overcome mistakes or a 20-point deficit because they can gain yards in big chunks.

Former NFL quarterback Joe Theismann works as a game analyst for ESPN's Sunday Night Football. He breaks down the Sunday night matchup every week for ESPN.com.