Kansas City, Mo. ? Morten Andersen feels like taking a swing with his powerful left leg at something besides a football whenever Kansas City fans bring up “The Lin Elliott Game.”

Elliott was the unfortunate kicker who missed three makeable field-goal attempts in that 10-7 playoff loss to Indianapolis in 1996, and fans never have forgiven him.

Hardly anyone ever mentions the fact Steve Bono threw three interceptions on that bitterly cold afternoon. Or that Pro Bowl linebacker Derrick Thomas also had a bad day.

Fans always have felt that Elliott, who marked the end that day of a modest NFL career, should be the one to take the blame.

So now here the Chiefs are again, 13-3, just like in January 1996. And here come the Colts for a noon kickoff in an AFC divisional game.

Naturally, thoughts are drifting back to the Lin Elliott Game.

“I think people ought to get off his back,” said Andersen, one of the most prolific kickers in NFL history.

As he spoke, he seemed to grow more and more annoyed that a member of his small fraternity of specialists had been singled out unfairly.

“I’ve met him, and he’s a nice guy. I wish him the best,” Andersen said. “There are always several things you can point to as the cause of victory or defeat. It’s unfair to hang it on one person.”

Unless a blizzard should grip the Midwest Sunday, it’s doubtful this Colts-Chiefs playoff return match will come down to a kicker going 0-for-3.

The Colts’ Mike Vanderjagt is 37-for-37 this season while hitting all 46 of his extra points. His 157 points broke his own franchise record of 145. He hasn’t missed since a year ago in December.

Andersen, whose 502 field goals are second-most in NFL history, admits he has lost a little distance at the age of 43. But he was still 16-for-20 this season, including a 35-yarder against Oakland with four seconds left that turned into the 31st game-winner of an illustrious 22-year career.

“I didn’t have the amount of opportunities I normally have in a season,” he said. “Yes, there are a couple of kicks I’d like to have back. But they were all long, they were all difficult to make, and I missed them. I was in the 80-percent range, and I think that’s pretty solid for an NFL kicker.”

That 1997 loss turned out to be the last playoff game the Chiefs played — until now. Andersen, who kicked the game-winner in overtime that vaulted Atlanta into the 1999 Super Bowl, is one of the few Chiefs with playoff experience.

“I think experience helps,” he said. “It means you’ve been on some teams that have had success. Or it means you’ve played a really long time, which may be the case with me. But I do think it gives you a little bit of advantage.”

The advantage of having plenty of self-confidence has always seemed to belong to Vanderjagt. No doubt, his 37-for-37 streak has helped.

“I’m an athlete who kicks, there’s no doubt about that,” he said recently. “I have ability to kick the ball, but I’ve played quarterback, I’ve played hockey. I just have a natural ability to kick a ball between the uprights. But I take great pride in the fact that I’m 6-5 and run a 4.6.”

Andersen is no stranger to streaks himself. Seven times in his career he’s been perfect from the range of 30-39 yards.