The Chargers are back on the road in Week 14 for a primetime showdown against the Chiefs.

Kickoff from Kansas City is at 5:20 p.m. (PT). The Bolts are 4-point underdogs and the over/under for Sunday's game is 42.5 points.

Here are five final thoughts ahead of Week 14:

1. Time to make a statement

The Chargers cannot clinch a playoff spot Sunday night in Kansas City.

But they can surely send a message to the Chiefs — and perhaps the rest of the AFC — with a potential road win at Arrowhead Stadium.

The 11-1 Chiefs have won eight straight AFC West titles, a streak that can reach nine if Kansas City wins in Week 14.

The Chargers, meanwhile, are firmly in the Wild Card mix as the current No. 5 seed with an 8-4 record.

So, what would a Bolts win in primetime mean for Jim Harbaugh's squad?

"The cliché is that the biggest game is always the next one, and that's obviously no different this week," Rashawn Slater said. "But I do think it would be a big statement for us because I know what we're capable of and we believe in ourselves.

"They've been dominating the division for so long, obviously, so it would matter and it would mean something to us," Slater added.

Khalil Mack said: "It would mean we're headed in the right direction. Trying to get to the big dance is the goal and the mission we're all on, so that would mean we're headed in the right direction against a championship-caliber team."

Harbaugh himself is embracing the chance to go into Arrowhead to try and defeat the back-to-back Super Bowl champs.

"Big game," Harbaugh said. "We're in the playoff fight? Good. It's on the road? Good. It's against the Chiefs? Good.

"Let's get prepared and get ready to roll," Harbaugh added.

The teams have already met once this season back in Week 4 at SoFi Stadium.

Kansas City earned a 17-10 win, but it was a game where Justin Herbert was heavily limited with a severe high ankle sprain.

"It does seem like a long time ago," Herbert said. "You know, I think we've come a long way since then. I think we've grown and we've gotten better."

Herbert later added: "We've definitely come closer as a team. It's always an exciting opportunity to play against them because we know how good they've been and how good they are."

Slater didn't play against the Chiefs the first time around. Neither did Joe Alt, Derwin James or Joey Bosa.

Chargers Defensive Coordinator Jesse Minter said the Week 4 matchup is "a great reference point" ahead of Week 14.

"You have a better sense of maybe how they look at us and how we look at them," Minter said.

Chargers Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman added: "The second [division] game is always different from the first."

The Bolts have won six of eight games since that late September loss.

A win Sunday in primetime would nearly lock up a postseason spot in Year 1 under Harbaugh.

And also signify that the Chargers are going places — both this season and beyond.

"It would mean a lot," James said. "It would get us to the place we want to go. We know this is not the end of the season, and we have to win in the postseason also, but this is one of the steps we want to [take] to be the team we want to become."

2. The James-Kelce battle

Speaking of James, the Chargers are certainly happy to have him in the fold against the Chiefs this time around.

James said this week he spent Week 4 watching the game on his couch.

When asked about Sunday night, James had a wide smile and rubbed his hands together in anticipation of the primetime tilt.

"Being able to take the field with my guys and knowing I prepared all week, honestly, that's what I'm ready to go do," James said.

Get ready for another chapter in the battle between James and Travis Kelce, a pair of players who have set the standard at their position in recent years.

"Derwin is one of our best players, one of most impactful players and so to have him sort of eases your mind a little bit," Minter said. "Not that that's a guarantee, Travis is such a great player.

"They've had so many good battles and so we have and unbelievable amount of respect for him. To me, that's what this league is about, the best-on-best matchups," Minter added.

James, who has played more in the box and near the line of scrimmage this season, could find himself matched up 1-on-1 with the future Hall of Famer

"It's a battle," James said. "It's man-on-man. You know what time it is."

Kelce had seven catches for 89 yards back in September when James didn't play.

James said Week 13 was "definitely" his best game of the season with 10 tackles, a pair of tackles for loss and a game-sealing interception.

"I feel like I was able to make plays, make an impact on the game," James said. "Just want to keep stacking the games."

He later added: "I'm ready to go play."

3. Keep an eye on 3^rd downs

The Chargers are well-aware of the magic and mystique of Patrick Mahomes.

"Just try to make it as tough as possible with getting bodies in front of him and hitting him," Mack said.

And if there's one area the Bolts know they need to excel at Sunday night, it's on third down.

Kansas City enters the game with the NFL's No. 1 third-down offense at 51.83 percent. The Chargers will counter with the second-ranked defense on third downs (33.33 percent).

"It starts with Patrick. His level of football IQ and sense on third down, coverages that you're playing, rush lanes, seeing man coverage, seeing zone coverage, protection and driving the protections," Minter said.

"That's a major challenge for us, but it's just his ability to get the ball out. When it's there get it out on time. When it's not there, keep plays alive," Minter added.

Harbaugh added: "They do an incredible job with everything they do. Run game, pass game, protection, scheme, execution. Tall task."

The Chiefs converted nine of 16 third downs back in Week 4.

On the other side of the ball, it should be a fairly even matchup, too.

The Chargers offense ranks 18^th on third downs (37.74 percent). Kansas City's defense is also ranked 18^th with a 39.46 success rate.

"The scheme is as good as anybody's and you got to be ready for it any time," Roman said about Steve Spagnuolo's game plan.

If the Bolts want to win in primetime, they likely need to win this crucial area and keep Mahomes off the field.

4. Mack vs. Humphries

Mack is getting healthier since missing Week 11 with a groin injury.

The outside linebacker played 28 snaps against Baltimore before jumping to 57 in Atlanta.

"Every day I'm feeling better," Mack said. "It was good to get the play count up and get the conditioning up … I'm feeling great."

Keep an eye on his matchup Sunday night against left tackle D.J. Humphries, who is expected to start after being added to Kansas City's roster last month.

"I think I've played against him a few times. But not a lot … I'm not sure what I'm going to get," Mack said.

He later added: "You go back and look at old film of everybody. But everything can change depending on the quarterback you're playing against."

The Chiefs have rotated Wanya Morris and rookie Kingsley Suamataia at left tackle this season and also used guard Joe Thuney at left tackle against the Raiders in Week 13.

Humphries has made 98 career starts in his career after being a 2015 first-round pick by the Cardinals.

5. Offense looking for a rhythm

The Bolts offense is coming off perhaps its wors outing of the season Sunday in Atlanta.

The Chargers didn't score an offensive touchdown and compiled just 187 yards of offense, their second-lowest total of the season while making just 10 first downs.

Roman called it a "disjointed" performance and said the unit is ready to bounce back Sunday.

"We're going to put our best foot forward and play our best football here in the month of December," Roman said.

Both Roman and Herbert acknowledged this week that the Chargers have seen more man coverage from opposing defenses of late.

"We've gotten a lot of man coverage," Herbert said. "It's definitely something that we need to address and we need to be able to beat."

Everyone associated with the offense knows the Bolts must protect Herbert while receivers find a way to get open if the Chiefs go that route defensively.

"We get that a lot," Quentin Johnston said. "When they want to go to man, we just have to step up and accept the challenge."

Roman added: "If we play a game and somebody plays Cover 2 and we don't do well against it, what do you do when you walk into the locker room after the game? You say, 'Alright, fellas, going to get a bunch of Cover 2 next week.' If they play quarters and you don't do well, the next team might not [typically] play quarters but now they do. Man coverage, zone coverage, what it may be."

Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey, who leads the Bolts with 815 receiving yards, is questionable for Sunday's game.