Kansas City, Mo ? In almost any other year since the NFL expanded the postseason to six teams per conference, the Kansas City Chiefs would be sitting pretty.

Their 12 wins with two regular-season games to go would at least be a guarantee of a first-round bye.

Last season, if they’d won 12 of their first 14, they would already have clinched home-field advantage.

But this year, even with their 12-2 record, the Chiefs head to Minnesota for their final road game this weekend with only a playoff berth wrapped up.

What happens the next two weeks will determine almost everything for Dick Vermeil’s AFC West champs. They could get a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, or at least get to play their opening-round game at home. But they also might end up having to win three postseason games to reach the Super Bowl.

“I think we’ll be battling up through the final minutes of our 16th game to determine where we’ll play,” Vermeil said.

If the season ended today, New England — the only other 12-2 team in the AFC — would be the No. 1 seed and hold home-field advantage by virtue of having a better conference record than the Chiefs. That’s how it will end if Kansas City and New England each win their final two games.

If the Chiefs win out and finish 14-2, and New England loses one of its last two, then the Chiefs win home-field advantage — and what an advantage Arrowhead Stadium has been. Kansas City has won 12 in a row in its noisy stadium, a team record.

If the Patriots win out and both Kansas City and Indianapolis finish 13-3, the Colts could end up owning the tiebreaker over the Chiefs because of a superior record against common opponents.

And if that happens, the Chiefs would be the first team since 1990 to win 13 games and still have to play a first-round postseason game.

The toughest of the Chiefs’ final two games figures to be Saturday when they travel to Minnesota, which is fighting for a place in the NFC postseason. Then they play host to the Chicago Bears the following Sunday in their regular-season finale.

A victory Sunday combined with a Denver victory over the Colts would assure the Chiefs a first-round bye.

“As you get going into this, you realize the level of excellence in the league,” Vermeil said Tuesday. “It’s a very, very competitive year. It will take the best of us to go to Minnesota and win.”

The Chiefs’ run defense could get a much-needed boost this week by the return of middle linebacker Mike Maslowski, who’s been out the past several weeks because of a knee injury.

“Maz has a chance,” Vermeil said. “He’s questionable. But he’s doing some exercising and running work today.”

Two of Kansas City’s most dependable special teams players will each probably miss the Vikings game. Wide receiver Marc Boerigter sprained an ankle last week in the Chiefs’ 45-17 victory against Detroit, and Monty Beisel still is nursing a knee injury. In addition, strong safety Greg Wesley is nursing a deep thigh bruise.

Beisel is a backup linebacker, so his absence has not caught the eye of many fans. But it is crucial in the special teams.

“Monty Beisel is a tempo-setter,” Vermeil said. “If he doesn’t make the play, he ruins it. He knocks two guys down. We miss him.”