Chiefs to start QB Chase Daniel for injured Alex Smith against Chargers

The Kansas City Chiefs will be without the services of quarterback Alex Smith on Sunday in the regular-season finale against the San Diego Chargers, a game the Chiefs must win to have any chance at the postseason.

Smith suffered a lacerated spleen in the team's Week 16 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Chase Daniel, who started the final game of last year's regular season when the Chiefs were resting their starters prior to the wild-card round, will make his second NFL start Sunday. The Chiefs lost to the Chargers with Daniel at the controls in 2013.

Kansas City (8-7) must beat the Chargers (9-6) and hope the Baltimore Ravens lose and Houston Texans don't win for the Chiefs to return to the playoffs. The Ravens (9-6) host the Cleveland Browns (7-8) while the Texans (8-7) host the Jacksonville Jaguars (3-12).

San Diego will claim a wild-card berth with a win.

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A six-year veteran who also spent time with the New Orleans Saints, the bulk of Daniel's career passing stats came last year in San Diego when he completed 21 of 30 passes for 200 yards and a TD in a 27-24 loss even though he did not have established stars like Jamaal Charles in the lineup to help him that day.

Smith has passed for 3,265 yards and 18 TDs this season, though in a statistical oddity, none of those scoring passes have gone to Kansas City wideouts.

Daniel's only pass this season fell incomplete.

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