Kansas City, Mo. ? The Kansas City Chiefs have three games left in the regular season, three games in which to shore up a porous run defense that seems unlikely to carry the team very deep into the playoffs.

Opposing runners are averaging almost 5.2 yards every time they take a handoff. In their past four outings, including losses at Cincinnati and Denver, the Chiefs have allowed almost 30 points a game.

Those statistics mar the Chiefs’ 11-2 record. They’re in the playoffs, but earned their wild-card berth this past weekend despite losing to Denver, 45-27 and seeing their defense get shredded again. And they’re still challenging New England, also 11-2, for home-field advantage in the AFC playoffs.

“I think due to our last game performance, the excitement and the sense of accomplishment that normally parallels the recognition that you receive for making the playoffs has been very much diminished,” coach Dick Vermeil said Tuesday. “Really, there has been no generation of enthusiasm or appreciation in the meeting room from players and coaches or organization, just because the last game left such a terrible taste in our mouth.”

The Chiefs play host to the struggling Detroit Lions Sunday.

From their point of view, there probably couldn’t be a better time to face a 4-9 team that’s winless on the road and having trouble on offense.

“(The Denver loss) may also help us focus a little better going into the Detroit game and help us get into the right frame of mind,” Vermeil said. “We need that win to clinch the division. Maybe in clinching the division it may regenerate the enthusiasm and self-respect that we were holding.

“Right now it’s hard to appreciate the best record in football.”

A victory against the Lions would be the Chiefs’ 12th straight at home, a team record, and would nail down their first AFC West title since 1997.

“Maybe that doesn’t seem a lot to a lot of people, but none of you have lined up and played to know what it takes to win 12 straight in this stadium,” Vermeil said.

The beleaguered defense might also get a much-needed boost of confidence after being scorched by Denver’s Clinton Portis for five touchdowns.

“Within that win streak of 11 in a row here our defense has given up 14.9 points (a game), and they need a little pump right now,” Vermeil said. “They need a little awareness that they have played some good football. I think it would be great to be able to do that.”

One danger for the entire team is a tendency to overreact to a lopsided loss.

“Starting with the head coach,” Vermeil said. “I’ve done it before, so I know me better than anybody knows me. Darn right you can overreact. I don’t overreact to the team, I overreact within myself.”