KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- As three-team parlays go, this would be a Las Vegas long shot.

Kansas City (9-6) must beat the 11-4 AFC North champion Cincinnati Bengals; San Diego (9-6) must lose to 12-3 Denver even though the AFC West champion Broncos will be resting several starters; and the lowly 5-10 Detroit Lions will have to go into Pittsburgh and somehow find a way to upset the streaking Steelers (10-5).

If all that happens, the Chiefs will be in the playoffs for the second time in three years and Dick Vermeil will add at least one more game to a long coaching career.

Vermeil's message to his team on Wednesday, their first day back at practice, was not to worry about all the loose ends.

"We're realistic," Vermeil said. "But I'm not going to say we're not going to be [in the playoffs]. The only thing I'm going to do is try to control the things that we have control of. If we'd controlled it better earlier, we wouldn't be in the situation we're in."

The Bengals can create an opportunity to improve their position from No. 4 seed to No. 3 in the AFC, but may be short-handed if several key players, including quarterback Carson Palmer, are held out of part or all the game to nurse injuries.

The Chiefs might take the field Sunday knowing their fate is already sealed. If San Diego beats the Broncos on Saturday, there is no way the Chiefs can make the playoffs.

"I think if that happened, we would respond pretty well," fullback Tony Richardson said. "If we find out our fate on Saturday, that will be unfortunate. But there's enough character guys in here with a lot of pride who would still want to get 10 wins."