Allen Returns to Other Side of the Field : Pro football: He will visit the site of his greatest glory today, but this time in a Kansas City uniform.

He played for four years in the Coliseum in the home team’s cardinal and gold.

He played 11 more in the home team’s silver and black.

But today, for the first time in his career, he will run through the Coliseum tunnel and emerge as a member of the visiting team, wearing the red, gold and white of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Running back Marcus Allen, Heisman Trophy winner at USC and an NFL and Super Bowl most valuable player with the Raiders, returns home for today’s AFC West showdown between the Raiders and Chiefs.

What does Allen--who left the Raiders as a free agent after his longtime feud with owner Al Davis went public--envision it will be like today, playing in front of a sellout crowd that includes many familiar faces?

“It’s going to be emotional,” Allen said. “I feel like I’m going home, even though I’m part of the visiting team. I can’t shut out the feelings, but I’m going to try to channel them toward what I’m doing. It’s going to be impossible to ignore my feelings about a place where I played for (15) years. There were some great times, great memories. I’m just going to try to keep it all in check.

“I’m looking forward to seeing my friends and family. But I’m going to be there for business. I have to keep everything in perspective, both in the stands and on the field. It’s a pivotal game.”

And Allen could play a pivotal role.

He is the Chiefs’ leading rusher with 354 yards and a 3.5-yard average. He has scored six touchdowns--second-most in the AFC--with four of those coming on the ground.

With quarterback Joe Montana expected to sit out today’s game because of a nagging hamstring injury and running back Harvey Williams coming back from a concussion, much of the offensive load will fall on Allen.

That’s a situation he usually responded to during his years in the Coliseum. Does any one game or moment in that stadium stand out?

“I’ve been fortunate to play in a lot of great games there,” he said. “To single out one would not be fair. That place holds a lot of memories.”

But Allen will bury them once the ball is in his hands, and he expects his former teammates to do the same.

“I don’t have anything against them,” he said, “nor do they against me. It’s just business.”

It’s important business for every member of the AFC West, where, at the start of play today, only 2 1/2 games separate the division-leading Chiefs from the last-place Seattle Seahawks. Kansas City is 6-2, but the Raiders and Denver Broncos (5-3 each) are only one game back, with the San Diego Chargers (4-4) and Seahawks (4-5) close behind.

Standing between the Raiders and first place is a club they have been unable to handle in recent years. Kansas City has beaten the Raiders in eight of their last 10 meetings, playoffs included, and two of the last three at the Coliseum.

Raider Coach Art Shell shrugs off such numbers.

“If you worry about yesterday,” he said, “today and tomorrow won’t happen.”

The Chiefs won the earlier meeting this season, 24-9. But that was a vastly different game for two reasons--the quarterbacks. Montana started that day for Kansas City, and Vince Evans filled in for an injured Jeff Hostetler for the Raiders.

It marked the start of Montana’s troubles. He first suffered the hamstring injury that day, but, before doing so, he was able to throw two touchdown passes, which proved to be all the offense the Chiefs needed.

Today, veteran Dave Krieg will be at the controls. In relief of Montana this season, Krieg has completed 57.3% of his passes for 726 yards and two touchdowns, with two interceptions.

But the outcome of this game might depend on what happens when the Raiders have the ball. In the last two weeks, they have shown that almost anything can happen.

Two weeks ago, Hostetler passed for a club-record 424 yards against the Chargers. Last week, the Raiders rushed for a season-high 179 yards against the Chicago Bears. But the Raiders lost the Charger game and barely hung on to beat the Bears when kicker Kevin Butler missed two short field-goal attempts in the fourth quarter.

The Raiders probably will have to effectively utilize both their passing and running attacks to beat the Chiefs, who have the sixth-ranked defense in the NFL.

The Raiders have the fourth-ranked defense.

With Allen on the field, emotions figure to be high.

When he runs onto the field, he might get an ovation.

But when he runs from scrimmage, that could change. For the first time in his many years on the Coliseum floor, he will be running with the enemy.