SEATTLE (AP) -- After a month of success, the Kansas City Chiefs are confident they're going to win the AFC West. After a month of failure, the Seattle Seahawks are wondering if they're going to win a game again.

"I think confidence is anything you do in life, I don't care what you're doing," Pro Bowl tight end Tony Gonzalez said. "And right now I think we do have confidence."

The Chiefs, one of the NFL's great comeback stories of the season, will try to make it five consecutive victories when they face the Seahawks on Sunday in what may be the final game in the Kingdome.

If Kansas City (9-5) wins, it will clinch the division for first-year coach Gunther Cunningham, who replaced Marty Schottenheimer after the Chiefs went 7-9 last season.

If the Seahawks (8-6) lose their fifth in a row, they could be knocked out of contention, leaving Mike Holmgren frustrated and disappointed in his first season in Seattle. He was brought here from Green Bay as general manager and coach by billionaire owner Paul Allen to get Seattle back to the playoffs for the first time since 1988.

Who would have believed that the Chiefs and the Seahawks would reverse roles after what happened at Arrowhead Stadium on Nov. 21? Seattle won 31-19 and flew home with an 8-2 record, a five-game winning streak and a three-game lead in the AFC West. The Seahawks were even thinking then about home-field advantage for the playoffs.

Meanwhile, the Chiefs were 5-5 with a three-game losing streak, their season in serious jeopardy.

Since then, the teams have been going in opposite directions.

But the division race isn't over, warned Gonzalez, who leads NFL tight ends with 61 receptions and who has 10 touchdowns this season.

"We know where Seattle is coming from, because when we lost three in a row we wanted to get that taste out of our mouths," Gonzalez said. "So we've got to be ready this week. It works both ways."

If the Seahawks beat Kansas City then win on the road Jan. 2 against the New York Jets, they will be AFC West champions.

"If we can get this one and we can go get the one in New York, we win," Seahawks free safety Jay Bellamy said. "We know the situation. We want to come out and play better than the past month."

In the first game, Ricky Watters had his third 100-yard rushing game in four weeks and scored three touchdowns. Since then, he's had one 100-yard game, last week in 36-30 overtime defeat in Denver.

The problem for the Seahawks has been Jon Kitna, Seattle's young quarterback who is killing his team with turnovers. Kitna lost two fumbles against the Broncos, the second returned 37 yards for the winning touchdown by linebacker Glenn Cadrez.

Against Tampa Bay four weeks, Kitna threw a career-worst five interceptions and lost a fumble to start Seattle's downward spiral.

Then there's Seattle's defense. Despite the presence of Pro Bowlers Cortez Kennedy and Chad Brown, the Seahawks made Denver rookie Olandis Gary look like Terrell Davis. Gary rushed for 183 yards.

In the past four weeks, Seattle's defense is allowing 332.5 yards per game.

Said Bellamy: "We've got to play the run better. Last week was kind of ridiculous. If we can take the run away this week, it might take some of the bigger plays they make downfield."

During its streak, Kansas City has averaged 167.8 yards rushing. In beating Pittsburgh last week, KC rolled up a season-best 218 yards.

"The running game probably has been the most critical part of our turnaround," Cunningham said. "It's made us a lot tougher and it's really made us a lot tougher in critical situations."

Kitna, in his first season as a starter, has thrown eight interceptions. He'll be facing the league's most opportunistic team in the Chiefs, who lead the NFL by a wide margin with a plus-23 turnover differential, with 23 interceptions and 20 fumble recoveries.

The Chiefs have forced a dozen turnovers, while getting 13 sacks during their winning streak. They had four interceptions against the Steelers.

The Kingdome has been home to the Seahawks since they came into the NFL as an expansion team in 1976. After this season, it will be demolished to make room for Allen's new outdoor stadium, to be ready for the 2002 season.

KANSAS CITY Season schedule and results

SEATTLE Season schedule and results

September 12 @Chicago L 17-20 September 19 Denver W 26-10 September 26 Detroit W 31-21 October 3 @San Diego L 14-21 October 10 New England W 16-14 October 21 @Baltimore W 35-8 October 31 San Diego W 34-0 November 7 @Indianapolis L 17-25 November 14 @Tampa Bay L 10-17 November 21 Seattle L 19-31 November 28 @Oakland W 37-34 December 5 @Denver W 16-10 December 12 Minnesota W 31-28 December 18 Pittsburgh W 35-19 December 26 @Seattle 4:05pm ET January 2 Oakland 1:00pm ET

September 12 Detroit L 20-28 September 19 @Chicago W 14-13 September 26 @Pittsburgh W 29-10 October 3 Oakland W 22-21 October 17 @San Diego L 10-13 October 24 Buffalo W 26-16 November 1 @Green Bay W 27-7 November 7 Cincinnati W 37-20 November 14 Denver W 20-17 November 21 @Kansas City W 31-19 November 28 Tampa Bay L 3-16 December 5 @Oakland L 21-30 December 12 San Diego L 16-19 December 19 @Denver L 30-36 December 26 Kansas City 4:05pm ET January 2 @NY Jets 1:00pm ET

Records source: STATS, Inc.

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