Kansas City, Mo. ? Dick Vermeil would prefer not to hear the “R” word — you know, “revenge” — tossed around Arrowhead Stadium this week.

Yes, the 38-31 playoff loss to Indianapolis on Jan. 11 was one of the most disappointing in Kansas City memory. Yes, the Colts did not have to punt once while ruining the Chiefs’ 13-3 regular-season campaign, which had earned the team home-field advantage in the playoffs.

And yes, Peyton Manning and the Colts will be back in town Sunday for a much-anticipated rematch that could have nearly 80,000 fans thirsting for revenge.

But Vermeil never would call it a revenge game for his team.

“I’m not much on using those kind (of motivation techniques). I try to use things that are more appropriate to the time, what makes the difference this week,” Vermeil said Tuesday.

Vermeil figures getting a team ready for a big game should be a matter of concentration and dedication — not a thirst for redress.

“To me, true motivation of a football team is a never-ending process. There are certain things that stimulate it a little more one week than the other,” he said. “But real deep team motivation is more a chemistry of a football team and the kind of players you have on it and the environment they’re in and how they work together and how they care about each other. Then it becomes more consistent.”

Nevertheless, beating the Colts (4-2) would give fans something to enjoy while at the same time helping to save a Chiefs’ season that started out 1-4.

Vermeil does not deny the bitter loss to the Colts was on the minds of his coaches and players throughout the offseason. Even during minicamps last May, it still grated.

Kansas CIty's Priest Holmes (31) is congratulated by teammates Chris Bober (67), Tony Gonzalez (88) and Jason Dunn (89) after Holmes scored one of his four touchdowns Sunday against Atlanta. The Chiefs might need a similar output this weekend, when they play host to the Indianapolis Colts at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.

“That game left a real sour taste in our mouths,” safety Jerome Woods said. “That one was really disappointing.”

The Chiefs (2-4) had gone unbeaten at home throughout the regular season but could not stop Manning from passing for 292 yards and three touchdowns.

The game cost defensive coordinator Greg Robinson his job, and led to the improbable return of former defensive coordinator and head coach Gunther Cunningham.

The Chiefs are coming off a record-setting 56-10 victory over Atlanta. It was the most points they ever had scored in Arrowhead Stadium, which opened in 1972, and the first time in league history a team had scored eight rushing touchdowns.

And revenge, Vermeil said, had nothing to do with it.

“Our kids had a passion to play that football game and they were not going to be denied,” Vermeil said. “That’s all there was to it. It startled me. I knew we were going to play well, but I didn’t know we were going to play that well.”

One result of the eight-touchdown effort over Atlanta was the announcement Tuesday that left guard Brian Waters had been named the AFC offensive player of the week. Much of the Chiefs’ 271 yards rushing against a defense that had averaged 74.5 yards allowed came behind Waters and left tackle Willie Roaf.

“I think Brian Waters is playing guard as well right now as anybody in the league, if not better,” Vermeil said.