Kansas City, Mo. ? As usual, Cincinnati goes into the last game of the regular season with little to play for. What’s unusual – downright rare – is why.

At stake against Kansas City is not whether the normally downtrodden Bengals will head for the golf course the minute the season concludes, but if they’ll be a No. 3 or 4 seed in the AFC playoffs.

Win or lose, not much will change for the AFC North champions (11-4) in their last regular-season outing, exactly what players and fans grew accustomed to during a blunder-filled 15-year postseason drought.

“I’ve never been in that situation,” wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh said. “I’ve always been on the flip side of that, getting ready to go home Tuesday after the game on Sunday. So we don’t know. We’re going to play the game to try to win, I’m quite sure of that.”

Thanks to Denver’s 23-7 victory Saturday over San Diego, the Chiefs (9-6) will go into the game with their own playoff hopes. If the Chiefs beat the Bengals and Detroit (5-10) can upset Pittsburgh (10-5), then Kansas City will sneak past the Steelers for the No. 6 seed.

“I know for myself, I’m keeping my fingers crossed,” cornerback Eric Warfield said. “If things fall our way this weekend, then great. But from what I see right now in this locker room, I don’t think anyone’s given up.”

If the Chiefs don’t get to the postseason, today’s game could bring the curtain down on Dick Vermeil’s illustrious coaching career. He insists he won’t make a decision until afterward, but most observers felt he would probably step down.

More than likely, it will also be the final symbolic lap around Arrowhead Stadium for Will Shields, the 11-time Pro Bowler, the finest right guard ever to play for Kansas City.

Regardless of the playoff implications, the Chiefs could find another reason to bear down and win. Maybe a fourth victory in their final six games would encourage Vermeil, extremely popular with almost every player, to stick around.

A 10-6 record would be a three-game improvement from last year. And Vermeil, 69, has said he might want to coach into his 70s if he senses his team is headed up.

“Some guys might say, ‘I want to make this thing look as good as possible so it may give him an inkling to come back,”‘ Pro Bowl left guard Brian Waters said.