KANSAS CITY Maxx Crosby Jersey , Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs had a chance to wrap up a third consecutive AFC West title and the No. 1 seed in the playoffs with two weeks to go, only to watch Philip Rivers lead the Los Angeles Chargers to a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns in a comeback.The Chiefs got a do-over Sunday night in Seattle, only to watch Russell Wilson and the Seahawks shred defensive coordinator Bob Sutton’s much-maligned bunch in a 38-31 victory.Now, they get a final attempt to control their playoff placement Sunday against Oakland.“We’ve been in every game that we’ve lost,” Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said, “but we have to find ways to win. As we go into this next week against the Raiders, they’re going to be ready to play us and we’ve got to find a way to win and then get to the playoffs. You have to find a way to win these games and we haven’t been lately. That’s the most frustrating thing.“Everybody has to step up. We have to find a way to go out there and win big football games.”The Chiefs (11-4) are already assured of a spot in the playoffs, so at least that pressure is off the table. But if they don’t beat the Raiders, they go from a first-round bye and a paved path through Arrowhead Stadium to a potentially rocky run through the postseason.If the Patriots beat the Jets, Kansas City would lose out on the top seed by virtue of their head-to-head tiebreaker. If the Chargers beat the Broncos, LA could get the top overall seed with a Chiefs loss. The Chiefs would also lose the division and plummet all the way to the No. 5 seed and an unexpected wild-card game.“We got to elevate our play,” Chiefs wide receiver Chris Conley said. “We can all look and find areas where we can improve: offense, defense and special teams. Come out and really attack this game and not wait a quarter, or two, to really get rolling.”The offense probably deserves a little bit of slack.Mahomes and Co. have already scored 530 points, shattering the franchise record by 46 points with another game to play. Mahomes is already the club’s single-season passing champion, his 48 TD passes are tied for third most through 15 games in NFL history, and his 12th game this season with a 100-plus quarterback rating extended his own Chiefs record.The offense has kept rolling, too Hakeem Butler Jersey , after losing reigning NFL rushing champion Kareem Hunt to an off-the-field issue, backup running back Spencer Ware to hamstring and shoulder injuries, No. 2 wide receiver Sammy Watkins to a foot injury, and several linemen.Now, the defense is another matter entirely.Sutton’s group has been under pressure all season, even though some players — such as pass rusher Dee Ford and defensive tackle Chris Jones — are putting together career years.The league’s No. 1 team in total offense is 31st out of 32 teams in total defense.“We’ve got to get better,” said Jones, who has at least one sack in an NFL-record 11 consecutive games, and 15 1/2 sacks for the season. “We’re going to find a way. We’re going to find a way to get better. We still control our own destiny. We’re going to finish this last game strong.”It would be the first time the defense has stepped up in a crucial showdown.The Chiefs allowed Tom Brady to march the Patriots to the winning field goal as time expired in a 43-40 loss in their first marquee matchup this season. In their next, a month later against the Rams, the Chiefs coughed up the go-ahead touchdown with 1:49 left in a 54-51 shootout loss.In an opportunity to clinch the AFC West at home, the Chiefs allowed the Chargers to score twice in the closing minutes, then convert a 2-point conversion that gave Los Angeles a 29-28 victory.Then came Sunday night in Seattle, when the Chiefs allowed 464 yards total offense.There have been plenty of other problems, of course. The Chiefs are the most-penalized team in the NFL by a wide margin, and their special teams have been shaky at best. But it’s their defense that is providing the most indigestion for their fans this holiday season.They have one more opportunity to provide some relief on Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium.“If you take care of business, you don’t have to talk about anything,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “We play the way we can play and we’re going to play, we’re a tough team right there Chris Lindstrom Jersey , and as good as anybody in the National Football League. So let’s take care of that, and let’s see how that works out. I think that we’ll be fine if we take care of our business.” With his league-rattling trade from the Oakland Raiders to the Chicago Bears, Khalil Mack cashed in with a new six-year, $141 million extension that makes him the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history.He’s still second fiddle to Von Miller, though.Miller was voted the league’s best edge rusher in the latest Associated Press position rankings, earning seven first-place votes in balloting of 10 AP football writers. The three other first-place votes went to Mack.The star Broncos linebacker “is simply the best, as the Seahawks were reminded in the season opener,” said AP’s Dave Campbell, based in Minneapolis.Miller, who had four quarterback hits, three sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in wrecking Seattle’s game plan in Denver’s 27-24 season-opening win, scored 97 points in the 10-points-to-one system. That’s four more than Mack and one point better than Tom Brady, who edged out Aaron Rodgers 96-93 in the quarterback rankings last week.“The NFL’s sack master finds a way to get to the quarterback, even when he’s double-teamed,” said New York-based Dennis Waszak Jr., who also ranked Miller No. 1. “He’s quick, strong, versatile and sometimes unstoppable.”Added New York-based Barry Wilner http://www.atlantafalconsteamonline.com/kaleb-mcgary-jersey , “Yes, he might also get the nod as the best outside linebacker in the game. That’s how versatile and talented Miller is. He makes the Orange Crush go.”The AP ranks linebackers in Week 8. Next week, it’s running backs.Although “no one can match the former Super Bowl MVP when it comes to rushing off the edge with speed,” Bay Area-based Josh Dubow said, “Mack is the highest-paid defensive player for a reason,” so he ranked Mack ahead of Miller.“Just look at his dominant stats from his four years in Oakland,” Dubow said, “Or his first game in Chicago.”Mack made an immediate impact in his Bears debut, dominating the Packers last Sunday night until a gimpy Rodgers, who was carted off with a knee injury in the first half, returned after halftime to rally Green Bay from a 20-point deficit for a 24-23 win.“Mack is the type of game-wrecking talent that teams only dream of having. Unless you’re the Oakland Raiders, who decided they needed to part ways with him,” Waszak said. “Mack paid off immediately for the Bears by forcing two turnovers in the span of six plays in Chicago’s opener at Green Bay.”Mack had a 27-yard pick-6 and strip-sacked backup QB DeShone Kizer in the red zone.“Hugely questionable decision for the Raiders to get rid of him in his prime,” said Washington-based Howard Fendrich, who ranked Mack the best pass rusher in the game. “The Bears got themselves a superstar.”“His tour de force in the season opener at Green Bay, without any training camp or preseason, shows why Mack could be worth every penny Chicago is paying him,” Wilner said.Philadelphia-based Rob Maaddi said that what separates Miller is “his Super Bowl MVP award” for strip-sacking Cam Newton twice in Denver’s win over Carolina in Super Bowl 50.What Mack has that Miller doesn’t is a Defensive Player of the Year award, something Teresa Walker of Nashville thinks could change this year if last week was any indication of the year Miller could have playing alongside rookie Bradley Chubb Kendall Sheffield Jersey , the fifth overall pick in the draft.“Miller gets the nod over Khalil Mack thanks to a season opener that was simply amazing,” Walker said. “If Miller keeps this up, he should join Mack as a Defensive Player of the Year.”Last year, Miller was the hands-down winner in outside linebacker rankings and Mack the runaway winner in defensive end balloting. This year, the AP put pass rushers together in the edge rusher category.The Los Angeles Chargers‘ Joey Bosa was a distant third, followed by Arizona’s Chandler Jones, who led the league with 17 sacks last season and whom Dallas-based Schuyler Dixon calls “one of the most consistent threats in the game.”“Bosa’s absence was felt in a Week 1 loss to K.C.,” said New York-based Simmi Buttar, noting Bosa has 23 sacks in 28 career games. Bosa also will miss Sunday’s game at Buffalo because of a bone bruise in his left foot.Houston’s J.J. Watt at No. 5 and the Jaguars‘ Calais Campbell at No. 6 usually rush more from the interior. The Vikings‘ Everson Griffen was seventh, followed by the Saints‘ Cameron Jordan, the Chargers’ Melvin Ingram, and the Browns‘ Myles Garrett, the top overall pick in last year’s draft.Also receiving votes: DeMarcus Lawrence of the Cowboys, Justin Houston of the Chiefs, Terrell Suggs of the Ravens, Vic Beasley of the Falcons, Cameron Wake of the Dolphins, Ryan Kerrigan of Washington and Carlos Dunlap of the Bengals. T.J. Watt of the Steelers and Yannick Ngakoue of the Jaguars each received one vote.___