KANSAS CITY [url=http://www.seahawksfootballauthentics.com/cody-barton-jersey-authen tic]http://www.seahawksfootballauthentics.com/cody-barton-jersey-authent ic[/url] , Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs could have taken this week off, assured of not only their third consecutive AFC West title but also

KANSAS CITY http://www.seahawksfootballauthentics.com/cody-barton-jersey-authentic , Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs could have taken this week off, assured of not only their third consecutive AFC West title but also the No. 1 seed in the playoffs before the Oakland Raiders came to town.Instead, they’ll have everything on the line Sunday.The Chiefs blew a fourth-quarter lead against the Chargers a couple weeks ago, and last week they lost a shootout in Seattle. They are now 0-2 with a chance to clinch the division, and they risk falling all the way to the No. 5 seed in the playoffs if they can’t defeat one of their longtime rivals.Article continues below ...“Last time I checked we are in a pretty good position here,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “I know it can become a woe-is-me thing and this is how it happens, it can be a negative. I feel like throughout the team, though, the guys understand where they’re at and what they need to do to fix it.“The objective is to win games,” Reid said. “We have one game left here in the regular season.”Now, the Chiefs long ago locked up a spot in the postseason, so that won’t be an issue when they kick off against Oakland at the same time the Chargers are playing the Broncos. But what happens over the ensuing hours could potentially have massive playoff ramifications.If the Chiefs (11-4) win, they get a path through Arrowhead Stadium. If they lose and the Chargers win, Los Angeles vaults to the top of the AFC West and the No. 1 seed.If both teams lose, the Patriots or Texans would have a chance to snare the top spot, and Kansas City could conceivably go from having a bye to a wild-card matchup next weekend.“It’s a very small margin between winning and losing,” Reid said.“Very, very small. The pace can change quickly. So it’s important the attitude is right, and Kansas City has had a lot of ups and downs. Are players and coaches willing to make a change? We have an opportunity to do that.”The Raiders (4-11) would like nothing more than to play spoiler. They’ve lost seven of their last eight against the Chiefs Gary Jennings Jr. Jersey , including a 40-33 shootout in Oakland earlier this season.But despite a season’s worth of turmoil with no end in sight — who knows where they will play next season? — the Raiders have quietly performed better. They beat the Steelers and Broncos in recent weeks and coach Jon Gruden believes his vast rebuilding job is making progress.“We’re trying to get some momentum for our offseason,” Gruden said. “This is our first year here. I know the expectations were high for some, but we’re laying the foundation for how we want to play.“All we can do is keep developing our team,” he said, “and fight like hell for 60 minutes.”As the Raiders and Chiefs prepare to meet, here are some key story lines:HEALTH CHECKThe Chiefs remain without wide receiver Sammy Watkins because of a sore foot, but they hope to get cornerback Kendall Fuller back from a broken hand. Their defense was shredded by the Seahawks when he decided at game time that he would be unable to go. “That’s a day-to-day thing,” Reid said, “but I think he feels a lot better.”HEALTH CHECK, PART 2Raiders left guard Kelechi Osemele returned last week against Denver and instantly upgraded the entire offense. He did not allow a pressure in 31 passing snaps and helped pave the way for Doug Martin to run for a season-best 107 yards. “It’s always good to be able to do that,” said Osemele, who’d been out with a knee injury. “It’s a great feeling, man.”CARLSON’S KICKSOne of the few bright spots for Oakland this season has been rookie kicker Daniel Carlson, who is perfect on extra points and 15 of 16 on field goals since signing in October. The fifth-round pick was cut by Minnesota after missing all three field goals in Week 2, but he could break Sebastian Janikowski’s franchise record for field-goal accuracy in a season set in 2012. “To me that’s something you enjoy later in life,” he said. “You enjoy it in the offseason a little.”STEPPING UPOakland’s rookie tackles Kolton Miller and Brandon Parker have taken plenty of heat as the offensive line has failed to protect Derek Carr much of the season. “I know Pro Football Focus has some statistics that aren’t always positive,” Gruden said, “but they played very good, and not just pass protecting but run blocking and handling the audibles. We have seen a lot of progress there.”SLOW STARTSOne common thread during the Chiefs’ late-season slide: slow starts by quarterback Patrick Mahomes http://www.seahawksfootballauthentics.com/phil-haynes-jersey-authentic , who nonetheless remains a top candidate for league MVP. He was 1 of 7 out of the gates against Seattle, though he bounced back to have another solid game.“It’s all about the next play. The next play you always have an opportunity to do better,” Mahomes said. “As long as you go out there and execute the next play, that’s the best thing you can do.” The NFL wants Congress to enact a framework for legalized sports betting in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling that clears the way for more states to allow sports gambling.Supreme Court justices voted 6-3 on Monday to strike down a 1992 law that barred most state-authorized sports gambling. Before the Supreme Court ruling, Nevada was the only state that allowed people to bet on the results of a single game.“Congress has long-recognized the potential harms posed by sports betting to the integrity of sporting contests and the public confidence in these events,” the NFL said in a statement. “Given that history, we intend to call on Congress again, this time to enact a core regulatory framework for legalized sports betting.”All the major leagues responded to a ruling that figures to have far-reaching implications throughout the sports world. The NHL noted that “today paves the way to an entirely different landscape – one in which we have not previously operated.”NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, a supporter of legalizing sports gambling, said his league would “remain active in ongoing discussions with state legislatures” about expanding wagering options.Silver also said the league would like to see a federal framework instead of a state-by-state system. The NBA once opposed expanded sports betting but has long said it supports robust regulation.The NBA and Major League Baseball have argued in recent months for a 1 percent cut of proceeds if legalized sports betting expands across the country, saying part of that money would be needed for additional compliance and enforcement efforts within the game.“As each state considers whether to allow sports betting, we will continue to seek the proper protections for our sport, in partnership with other professional sports,” Major League Baseball said in a statement.Keith Whyte, the National Council on Problem Gambling’s executive director, believes any governmental body and sports league that receives a direct percentage or portion of sports betting revenue must also dedicate funds to prevent and treat gambling problems.“Some of that 1 percent of betting fees is going to come from people with uncontrollable gambling problems,” Whyte said. “We believe by taking a cut of this money, (the leagues would be) put themselves in the position of having to do something to reduce those costs. Great profits come with great responsibility.”MLB said it would “continue to support legislation that creates air-tight coordination and partnerships between the state, the casino operators and the governing bodies in sports” toward protecting the integrity of the game.Plenty of leagues already have taken steps to make sure its players are educated on the issue.For example Ugo Amadi Jersey , last year the PGA Tour hired Genesis Sports to help with its new “Integrity Program” that began at the start of the year. The program requires players on all six circuits the PGA Tour manages to take part in an online tutorial that, among other things, illustrates some of the far-reaching effects of gambling.“We believe that regulation is the most effective way of ensuring integrity in competition, protecting consumers, engaging fans and generating revenue for government, operators and leagues,” the PGA Tour said in a statement.The Supreme Court ruling will impact college sports as well as the pro leagues. Donald Remy, the NCAA’s chief legal officer, said the organization is reviewing the Supreme Court’s decision and that “we will adjust sports wagering and championship policies to align with the direction from the court.”The NCAA currently doesn’t hold NCAA Tournament games or any other NCAA-run events in Nevada because gambling’s legal in that state. Las Vegas is home to the annual Las Vegas Bowl as well as the Pac-12 men’s basketball tournament and other tournaments, which aren’t run by the NCAA itself.The NCAA said that 24 percent of NCAA male student-athletes and about 5 percent of female student-athletes in 2016 reported that they had wagered on sports for money within the previous year , which would violate NCAA bylaws. Just below 2 percent of the men participating in the 2016 survey met what the NCAA termed as standard diagnostic criteria for problem gambling.Reactions to the Supreme Court ruling across the sports world weren’t limited to the league offices. The athletes themselves also were wondering about the possible implications of increased legal sports gambling.NASCAR driver Brad Keselowki tweeted that he was “torn” on the Supreme Court’s decision. Keselowski said that it “should be great for our sport, but I’ve also seen gambling ruin lives.”“If you choose to gamble on me or anyone else, please be responsible, and if you need help, get help,” Keselowski added.——AP golf writer Doug Ferguson, AP basketball writer Tim Reynolds and AP college football writer Ralph D. Russo contributed to this report.