NFL Chiefs set to meet toughest opponent -- Denver

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Even though Cincinnati handed Kansas City its only loss this season, the Chiefs do not consider the Bengals the toughest team they've faced.
Coach Dick Vermeil, for one, gives that nod to Denver.
A one-point victory over the Broncos on Oct. 5 in Kansas City put the Chiefs (11-1) on the path to having the best 12-game record in the league and in franchise history.
A win this week in Denver would give Vermeil's team its first AFC West title since 1997 and allow the Chiefs to retain at least a one-game lead in the struggle for home-field advantage.
"It's going to be like playing a playoff game on the road," Vermeil said Monday. "This is a very important football game for us. I think they're the best team we've seen all year."
Hall's return sparked win
Both the Chiefs and Broncos were 4-0 when Kansas City's Dante Hall unleashed his most spectacular return to date, a 93-yard punt runback for a fourth-quarter touchdown just moments after Denver had taken a 23-17 lead.
Since then, the Chiefs have remained remarkably healthy and won six of seven.
The Broncos, meanwhile, sustained several crippling injuries in the ensuing weeks and have gone only 3-4 since losing to Kansas City.
This road game is especially important to the Chiefs, who close out the regular season with home games against lowly Detroit and Chicago bracketed around a trip to Minnesota.
"Will it be a pivotal game in terms of home-field advantage if we make the playoffs? Well, we haven't made them yet," Vermeil said. "Normally when you win 11 games, you've made the playoffs. But in the AFC this year, it's a little bit tougher."