Houston ? The Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans will have two entirely different agendas when they meet tonight.

While the Chiefs (5-4) are looking for a win to bolster their playoff hopes, Houston is playing to save the job of coach Dom Capers.

“I think I’d be lying if I said we didn’t think about that,” Texans quarterback David Carr said. “He’s a guy you want to play for, a guy you want to win for. We’ve got to win some games for him to help him out.”

Houston (1-8) has lost two straight after breaking a seven-game losing streak by beating the lowly Cleveland Browns.

It’s pretty much a foregone conclusion Capers won’t survive this nightmare of a season, but the players think winning the rest of their games could help his plight.

“Even though our win-loss record isn’t what he wants it to be, I couldn’t imagine having a better coach as far as having a guy to look up to,” Carr said.

Meanwhile the Chiefs are hoping to shake off last week’s mistake-filled 14-3 loss to Buffalo. Quarterback Trent Green was sacked a season-high six times and threw three interceptions after entering the game with just three on the season.

Coach Dick Vermeil said injuries to its offensive line, most notably to Pro Bowl tackle Willie Roaf, forced his team into relying on the run early and then playing catch up late.

The problems could continue this week as Roaf is listed as questionable, though Vermeil said he was “making progress.” Their playoff hopes hinged on getting key players healthy, Vermeil said. The Chiefs are two games behind Denver in the AFC West.

“I think we have a chance, but the tough part of our schedule is these next seven games,” he said. “It’s tough right now, it will be tough. But if we can get healthy and get everybody back, we can finish stronger than we started. Only time will tell.”

Green had just one interception in a 24-21 loss to Houston in 2004, but it was a memorable one. The Texans trailed in the third quarter before safety Marcus Coleman intercepted Green’s pass in the end zone and returned it 102 yards for the longest touchdown in Texans history.