Chargers Take On Old Role : Football: Spoiling Kansas City’s playoff plans is San Diego’s objective.

It’s typecasting, sure, but it’s that time of year again.

As other teams plot for the playoffs, once more the Chargers are available to fill the role of spoiler.

“It’s like that’s our last name,” tackle Broderick Thompson said.

For the past eight years, the Chargers have had nothing to look forward to but the holidays at home and wrecking everyone else’s postseason plans. The Chargers try to ruin Kansas City’s shot at the AFC West title at 1 p.m. today at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium.

Last season, the Chiefs closed out the year with five victories in their last six games. Their only defeat came in their second-to-last game to the Chargers, and in retrospect, it swiped their opportunity to make the playoffs.

“What’s that cliche: Misery loves company?” said cornerback Gill Byrd. “If we’re not going to go to the playoffs then we want to try all we can to not allow someone else to go to the playoffs.”

The Chiefs (9-5) must win their final two games and hope the Raiders lose their final game against the Chargers to win the division title. One more victory will guarantee the Chiefs a wild-card berth.

“We still believe we got a chance to win the division,” Kansas City Coach Marty Schottenheimer said. “Obviously, we need to get some help. Our objective is to try and get a win here, and then another one against Chicago.”

It’s a spoiler’s delight for the Chargers as they conclude 1990. After taking on the Chiefs, they will finish the season in the Los Angeles Coliseum against the Raiders.

“I get sick of hearing we got to beat this team to be the spoiler,” linebacker Leslie O’Neal said. “Or we got to beat this team because they think they’re good. It’s always ‘they.’

“Why don’t we go out and beat this team because we’ve got a good team and we’re trying to show everybody just how good we are. We’re always focusing on everybody else instead of ourselves.

“Then we go out in the game, and it’s like we gave the game to somebody else. It’s time we go out and just beat people.”

The Chargers were 5-5 and in position to make a run for the playoffs the last time they played the Chiefs. They went into Kansas City fired up and were scorched, 27-10.

“Our motivation is they beat us pretty good up there,” safety Vencie Glenn said. “We were 5-5 and really needed a win. But now they’re coming into our backyard, and we’ve got the chance to improve our record over last year. That’s our goal. We won’t have a winning season, but we can prove we’re better than last year.”

Last year, as they did the year before, the Chargers finished 6-10.

“If you look at it, we’ve got the Chiefs and the Raiders,” Byrd sayd. “OK, so looking at that, the Chargers should finish 6-10. But I don’t think that’s going to be the case this year.”

After a less-than-inspiring effort in Denver last week, Coach Dan Henning has sought to win the attention of his troops this week by tweaking their manhood.

He told his players that the Chiefs had called the Chargers “cheap-shot artists.” He said the Chiefs were fighting mad and they were going to do something about it, and then to rouse his players, he had a videotape made of all the lousy, rotten things the Chiefs had done to the Chargers in their last meeting.

“I took everybody aside,” Henning said. “We have some feedback from their media that their players said our players were taking cheap shots. Well, I have film to prove the opposite is true.”

In the last meeting, Kansas City linebacker Derrick Thomas was penalized for punching a player in the face, and Charger tight end Arthur Cox was penalized for kicking a defender. Cox and Thomas battled last season, and Thomas was ejected from the contest.

“They don’t care for us and we really don’t care for them,” Glenn said. “And that’s the way the game should be played; take no prisoners.”

Both teams come into the game with major injuries.

Kansas City quarterback Steve DeBerg had a pin inserted in the little finger of his left hand this week and will try to play. Running back Christian Okoye was inactive last week for the Chiefs because of a shoulder injury.

If DeBerg has difficulties handling the ball because of his finger, he will be replaced by Steve Pelluer, who has completed two of five passes for 14 yards with an interception. Barry Word, who has averaged 5.3 yards a carry, will split time with Okoye or take the bulk of work.

The Charger offense, which has relied on the steady pounding of Marion Butts, now will have to adjust without the NFL’s leading rusher.

Butts injured his foot last week against Denver and will be inactive for today’s game. The Chargers will try to fill the void left by Butts with Ronnie Harmon and Rod Bernstine, who came off injured reserve Saturday. The team placed starting defensive tackle Les Miller (back) on injured reserve.

“I think the absence of any single player doesn’t necessarily change the ability of a football team to be successful,” Schottenheimer said. “Marion has had a great season. But I happen to have the highest regard for Ronnie Harmon. Last week against Denver, he was absolutely outstanding.”

With both offenses hurting, the outcome of today’s game might come down to a pair of physical defenses. The Chiefs rank 16th in the league in defense, and the Chargers are sixth.

“They consider themselves to be a physical football team,” linebacker Gary Plummer said. “But you know that’s the type of game we like to play. So if they want to bring their physical attitude into Jack Murphy, let them bring it. We’ll be ready.”

Today’s Game * Opponent: Kansas City Chiefs * Site: San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium * Time: 1 p.m. * Records: Chiefs 9-5, Chargers 6-8 * Radio: XTRA (690), XEBG (1550) * TV: None