Raider-Chief Season Finale Offers a Bit of Everything : Pro football: There’s a lot at stake when Kansas City visits the sold-out Coliseum today.

Dramatic climax or disappointing anticlimax?

Historic farewell or playoff preview?

Last hurrah or renewed quest?

All things are possible, but nothing is definite on this final day of the regular season for the Raiders at the Coliseum.

This is the day:

--The Raiders learn if they are going to the playoffs.

--The NFL may say goodby to the Coliseum.

--Kansas City quarterback Joe Montana may be playing his last game.

The Raiders (9-6) will play the Kansas City Chiefs (8-7) before the first sellout crowd of the year at the Coliseum. That much is known.

It could be a day of high drama with the teams battling down to the final tick of the clock for the last remaining AFC wild-card playoff spot.

Or the Raiders could be handed a postseason berth before the clock even starts ticking. If the New England Patriots lose to the Chicago Bears in a game that will probably be over before the Raiders and Chiefs kick off, then the Raiders are automatically in, win or lose.

The Raiders probably will also know before kickoff if they have a shot at a home playoff game next weekend. That will occur only if they win and the Cleveland Browns lose to the Seattle Seahawks in another game that will probably be over before the Raiders and Chiefs get started.

For Kansas City, there are no such complications. If the Chiefs win, they’re in. If they lose, they’re out.

If Raider Coach Art Shell has his way, his players will be shielded from out-of-town scores until their own game is over.

“I don’t want to know and I don’t want them to know,” Shell said.

The speculation about this being the final NFL game in the Coliseum is valid, considering the Raiders’ efforts to build a new stadium and to explore the possibility of finding a new temporary site until their ultimate home is ready.

If there is no playoff game here and the Raiders do indeed desert the 71-year-old stadium, it will mark the end of an era that began nearly half a century ago with the arrival of the Cleveland Rams in 1946. They called the Coliseum home for 34 years.

Three other pro teams, the Los Angeles Dons of the All-America Football Conference, the Los Angeles Chargers of the American Football League and the Los Angeles Express of the United States Football League, also played at the Coliseum. The Dons folded in the late 1940s, the Chargers moved to San Diego after one season in the early ‘60s, and the Express folded, along with the USFL, in 1985 after three seasons.

If this is truly the last Coliseum game, it is fitting that Kansas City running back Marcus Allen will be on the field. He is probably more identified with the stadium than any other active player, having played there for four years as a USC Trojan and for 11 seasons as a Raider.

Montana said before the start of the season that he would decide at the end of the season if this was his last. He would love to return to the Super Bowl one more time.

The Raiders would love to end his season today, but they know that won’t be easy.

The Raiders hold a 35-31-2 edge over Kansas City in a great rivalry that goes back to the AFL days. But the teams have met 10 times in the ‘90s and Kansas City has won nine of those games, including a 1991 playoff game that eliminated the Raiders.

In their previous meeting this season, the Chiefs won, 13-3.

That, though, was when the Raider offense consisted of quarterback Jeff Hostetler, tailback Harvey Williams, receiver Tim Brown and not much more.

The very next week, Hostetler started spreading the ball around more and the results have been impressive. The Raiders have won five of the ensuing six games and their last three in a row, their only loss having been to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Chiefs, devastated by injuries, went in the other direction after beating the Raiders. They have lost four of six and are barely in the playoff picture.

Montana was sidelined the first two games of this month because of a sprained foot, but he came back last week to lead the Chiefs over the Houston Oilers.

Although the Raider defense has been playing particularly well, having not given up more than 21 points in a game since late September, the key today may be Eddie Anderson. The Raider free safety sat out last week’s game because of a groin pull. He resumed practice during the week and hopes to play today.

He is a nine-year veteran and his presence may be vital, considering that the two other safeties, Derrick Hoskins and Patrick Bates, have five years of NFL experience between them.

Montana’s eyes get wide when he spots inexperience in a defensive backfield.

“He reads defenses quicker than anybody,” Anderson said. “He knows the offense in his sleep. Hopefully, with Chester (McGlockton), Anthony (Smith) and Jerry Ball putting pressure on, he’ll throw bad balls three or four times. We’ll take that.”

The Raiders have a chance to reach two statistical milestones, but only one worth bragging about.

Williams needs 65 yards rushing to reach 1,000 for the first time in his career and become the first Raider to reach that level since Allen did it in 1985. Williams would love to hit 1,000 against his old teammates.

And if they commit three penalties today, the Raiders will break the league record of 149 set by Houston in 1989.

Records, milestones and the potential for historic farewells. It could be a memorable ending to the regular season. But the Raiders will be trying to make sure it’s not the end of their season.

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AFC Playoffs

A look at what the AFC teams on the bubble need to reach the playoffs: * RAIDERS--Can clinch a playoff berth with a victory or tie against Kansas City or a New England loss at Chicago. Can play host to a wild-card game with a victory over Kansas City and a Cleveland loss to Seattle.

* NEW ENGLAND--Can clinch a playoff berth with a victory or tie at Chicago or a Kansas City loss at Raiders. Can clinch the East title with a victory at Chicago and a Miami loss or tie to Detroit. Can clinch a first-round bye with a victory at Chicago and a Miami loss or tie to Detroit on Sunday and a San Diego loss to Pittsburgh.

* KANSAS CITY--Can clinch a playoff berth with a victory over the Raiders.