Kansas City Finds a New Chief : AFC: Vlasic replaces DeBerg at quarterback, leads 20-17 overtime victory over his former Charger teammates.

Mark Vlasic didn’t rub it, but he’d already done enough to the San Diego Chargers and aaured the Kansas City Chiefs of their second consecutive playoff berth.

Vlasic replaced interception-prone Steve DeBerg and helped the Chiefs beat his former teammates, 20-17, Sunday on Nick Lowery’s 18-yard field goal in overtime.

“I have a lot of friends on that team,” said Vlasic, who came to the Chiefs as a Plan B free agent this season when the Chargers decided to go with John Friesz. “I didn’t feel like I had anything to prove.

“Friesz went out and had a heck of a game today and proved that perhaps they were right in that decision to go ahead and play him right now. But it was nice getting in there and playing and coming out with a win.”

Vlasic will probably be in the middle of a quarterback controversy if Coach Marty Schottenheimer starts DeBerg next week against the San Francisco 49ers.

The Chiefs (9-5) wrapped up a playoff spot becauseDetroit beat the New York Jets.

Vlasic completed 12 of 18 passes for 150 yards, including a 16-yard touchdown pass to Harvey Williams that gave the Chiefs a 17-14 lead with 3:00 left in regulation.

Friesz brought the Chargers (3-11) right back to set up John Carney’s 27-yard field goal with 11 seconds left, sending the game to overtime. Friesz completed 19 of 37 for 208 yards and a touchdown.

Lowery’s winning field goal with 3:34 left in overtime was set up by Barry Word’s 28-yard run to the San Diego one-yard-line.

“I thought it was a game that was disgracefully officiated,” said San Diego Coach Dan Henning. “There is supposed to be a two-minute rule on replay and we had a seven-minute. There was a situation at the end of the first half that I still don’t have an explanation of.”

Vlasic threw a six-yard touchdown pass to Nate Lewis on the Chargers’ first possession and San Diego made it 14-0 minutes later when Donald Frank intercepted a pass by DeBerg and returned it 71 yards for a touchdown.

The Chargers converted twice on fourth down in an 18-play, 80-yard drive that consumed 11:52 before Friesz hit Lewis for the touchdown.

DeBerg moved the Chiefs from their 32 to the San Diego 34, but underthrew Todd McNair and Frank stepped in front to made the interception before running untouched down the sideline to the end zone.

It was the Chargers’ first interception return for a touchdown since Keith Browner went 55 yards against the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 18, 1988.

DeBerg moved the Chiefs from their 32 to the San Diego 34 on Kansas City’s next possession, but underthrew McNair as Frank stepped in and made the interception and long return.

Vlasic replaced DeBerg and led the Chiefs to a 29-yard field goal on his first possession before the biggest play of the game.

Linebacker Dino Hackett came blowing in to throw Friesz for what first appeared to be a sack and a fumble, which Derrick Thomas picked up at the one and carried into the end zone. However, officials on the field ruled it an incomplete forward pass.

After a long delay, review officials decided the ball went backward, making it a lateral. Kansas City took over at the one and Word scored to make it 14-10.

“To overturn that, it’s got to be conclusive,” Henning said. “To take seven minutes, it’s not conclusive. That’s a big one.”

Lowery’s 18-yarder was his 20th in a row and came after Bryan Barker’s punt was downed on the one-foot line by Todd McNair and Charles Washington. Three plays later, the Chargers had to punt and Kansas City took over on the 30.

“I’ve never had a short field goal like that to win a game,” Lowery said. “It wasn’t just short, it was right in the middle, so you have to give credit to the offensive line and Barry Word for making a tremendous play.”