Kansas City, Mo. ? This time a year ago Marc Boerigter was catching passes in Canada and Michael Husted was a lonely figure in California, drilling make-believe field goals through imaginary goal posts.

Each yearned for a chance to prove himself in the NFL, dreaming a dream well-meaning friends gently said to forget about.

Luckily for the Kansas City Chiefs, they got their chance and made their case. Boerigter caught two touchdown passes Sunday, including an NFL record-tying 99-yarder, and Husted kicked a 38-yard field goal with 1:08 left, boosting the Chiefs to a 24-22 victory over San Diego.

The victory does not ensure the Chiefs (8-7) a playoff berth even if they beat Oakland in their regular-season finale on Saturday and finish 9-7. But it does ensure their first non-losing season in three years and leaves their fans with happy memories of the final home game of 2002.

“We’re proud and pleased and maybe even fortunate to have won today,” said coach Dick Vermeil.

Husted had not kicked a field goal since 2000 when Vermeil sent him onto the field Sunday and asked him to win the game with a 38-yarder.

“I didn’t say anything to him,” Vermeil said. “I don’t say anything to punters and place kickers.”

Instead, he spoke to tight end Tony Gonzalez.

“I’m going to look at you,” he told his Pro Bowl tight end. “I’m not even going to watch.”

But he did.

“I did turn and watch it go through,” Vermeil said. “It was time. We’ve lost some tough football games this year, some one-pointers, some overtimes. To be able to win one in the final seconds, hey, we deserve it.”

Husted, who had been working out mostly by himself since getting cut by Washington in 2000, just kept his mind on business.

“I told myself, ‘Hey, just be ready to go out there,”‘ he said. “Be relaxed. Be smooth and do the same thing you’ve been doing the last year and a half since you decided to rededicate yourself to this career. And give it all you’ve got.”

Boerigter wasn’t sure until Thursday whether a shoulder injury would be healed up well enough for him to play. He was not even the primary receiver on the 99-yard touchdown pass from Trent Green.

“It’s just a play where I’m getting up field to occupy the safety and get across his face, clear it out for Tony (Gonzalez) crossing the middle,” he said. “I don’t know what happened. Trent stepped up and just threw it out there.”

He caught the ball on the Kansas City 40 and easily outran safety Rogers Beckett.

“It was a great throw and I knew there was only one guy to beat,” Boerigter said.

A graduate of little Hastings College of Hastings, Neb., Boerigter spent two years playing for Calgary in the Canadian League before the Chiefs signed him as a free agent. His progress was slowed again during training camp when he had an emergency appendectomy.”

“It’s been a long journey so far this year,” he said. “I’m thankful for the opportunities that I’ve been given, considering everything that happened early on.”