Chargers Thinking Playoffs : NFL: Two victories would guarantee them a wild-card berth.

Advancing to the playoffs is about the most important thing to a professional football player, and for a player who has made his living playing football in San Diego, this season has become a once-in-a-life-time opportunity.

But tour the locker room and ask the Chargers where they stand in the playoff race.

Tackle Broderick Thompson: “If the playoffs ended today, let’s see, we would make it as a wild card along with Houston and Philadelphia.”

Philadelphia? Wrong.

Defensive end Burt Grossman: “How many wild-card teams make it? How do I know? I never had any use for that information. Wild cards? Two make it.”

Wrong.

Would the Chargers make the playoffs if the season ended today? “I don’t know,” running back Rod Bernstine said. “We would? I didn’t know that.”

Running back Marion Butts: “Two from each division make it, don’t they? So it’s one from each division? Right?”

Wrong. Wouldn’t you think the players would know just who makes it?

“How would I know?” guard David Richards said. “Every year at this time since I’ve been here we’ve been out of it. This time last year I was wondering what I was going to get my mom for Christmas.”

Three weeks ago Coach Bobby Ross was describing the Chargers’ playoff chances as remote. Ross was operating under the notion that only two AFC teams would make the playoffs as wild cards.

“If we win every game we’ll be in the playoffs,” linebacker Junior Seau said. “That’s all we need to know.”

True enough, but wrong again. The Chargers need to win only two more games and they will have clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 1982. Today they are 14-point favorites to defeat the Cincinnati Bengals in San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium, and a week from now they will have the chance to ensure themselves of being a wild card with a victory over the Raiders.

The playoff picture:

AFC EAST

Buffalo (10-4)--If the Bills win their final two games on the road in New Orleans and Houston, they will clinch the division title and a first-round playoff bye. If they falter and finish in a tie with the Dolphins, Miami would win the AFC East on the strength of a better conference record. If the Chargers tie with Buffalo for wild-card consideration, the Bills have the winning percentage edge in conference games.

Miami (8-5)--The Dolphins finish the season against three teams with losing records, and two home games. If Miami finishes tied with the Chargers, the Dolphins will earn the wild card based on overall conference record.

AFC CENTRAL

Pittsburgh (10-3)--The Steelers need one more victory or one more Houston loss to clinch the division title. They have two home games remaining, and a tiebreaking advantage in direct competition with the Chargers should they collapse and have to fight for a wild card.

Houston (8-5)--The Oilers are matched against three teams, each of whom have winning records. They draw Green Bay and Buffalo at home, but must take the run and shoot to Cleveland. Houston defeated the Chargers 27-0 to gain the head-to-head edge for tiebreaking purposes.

Cleveland (7-6)--The Browns cannot pass the Chargers if the Chargers don’t lose two games because of San Diego’s 14-13 victory in Cleveland.

AFC WEST

Kansas City (8-5)--The Chiefs, in effect, have a one-game lead on the Chargers because they swept the Chargers this season. The Chiefs play New England and Denver at home. If the Chargers are touched by magic and get a shot at winning the AFC West title, they might get some help next week when Kansas City takes on the New York Giants in the Meadowlands.

Denver (7-7)--The Broncos have taken a dive since John Elway was injured. The Chargers can leave them behind for good with two more victories. Denver plays Seattle at home, and then will become San Diego’s favorite team when it finishes the season in Kansas City.

Raiders (6-7)--Forget it.

Chargers (8-5)--Two victories and the Chargers are in. If there is a three-way tie for wild-card consideration at 10-6, the Chargers will be the third team based on tiebreakers and play the division winner with the worst record. Most likely matchup at this point is San Diego at Kansas City.

If the Chargers are interested in playing a playoff game at home, they probably will have to defeat Cincinnati today and win on the road against the Raiders and Seahawks, while Kansas City or Houston and Miami each drop one more game.

“We’ve talked about the playoffs,” Ross said this week, “but our thrust has been to get nine wins. It’s the first time since (1981) that we will have done this. I don’t think there’s anybody in our program has experienced something like that.”

The Chargers have won eight of their last nine and appear to have the Bengals overmatched. Cincinnati ranks 26th on offense, 27th on defense and has been savaged by injuries. The Bengals also start a rookie quarterback in David Klingler (0-2).

A loss to Cincinnati would deal a terrible blow to the Chargers’ playoff plans.

“I think we learned a lot in Phoenix last week when they played us so tough,” Richards said. “I don’t think we’re going to let that happen again.”