K.C. in command in AFC West

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Alex Smith threw for 231 yards and two touchdowns, Kareem Hunt ran for 155 yards and a score, and the Kansas City Chiefs routed the turnover-prone Los Angeles Chargers 30-13 on Saturday night to seize control of the AFC West.

Hunt also had a TD catch for the Chiefs (8-6), whose eighth straight win over the Chargers all but sewed up the division and a spot in the playoffs.

The only way Kansas City can squander it is by losing its last two games and the Chargers or Oakland Raiders winning out.

The Chargers (7-7) led 13-10 early in the second half, but Philip Rivers threw three interceptions — two of them to Marcus Peters — and Austin Ekeler coughed up a fumble down the stretch.

That ended their fourgame win streak and quite possibly their playoff hopes.

Rivers finished with 221 yards passing and a touchdown but has thrown 13 interceptions during the Chargers’ losing streak to the Chiefs. Melvin Gordon added 78 yards rushing and a score.

The game shaped up as a matchup of teams going in opposite directions: The Chiefs were 5-0 before watching their division lead waste away while the Chargers started out 0-4 but won seven of their next nine to forge a near-winner-take-all divisional showdown at Arrowhead Stadium.

Instead, the Chiefs looked like they did in their Week 3 win over the Chargers. So did the Chargers, for that matter.

The Chiefs' defense, which played with vigor last week against Oakland, was buoyed by the return of Peters from a one-game disciplinary suspension in helping to build a 10-6 halftime lead.

Rivers soon got on track, going 5 for 5 for 88 yards on his first drive of the second half. And his 10-yard touchdown pass to trusty tight end Antonio Gates gave Los Angeles its only lead.

The Chiefs answered with a methodical, 69-yard scoring drive of their own. Hunt supplied most of the work, and he capped the drive by catching Smith's short TD toss to give the Chiefs a 17-13 lead.

Two plays later, Rivers floated a pass downfield and Peters leaped up to make an easy interception.