Each week, TSN.ca takes a look at the top storylines in the NFL and gives you all you need to know heading into Sunday's action. All in!

Chargers win and get in, Chiefs need some help

This isn’t exactly a win-and-get-in game because Kansas City will need some extra help, but it’s a very important one for both teams.

The Chargers caught a bit of a break when the Chiefs announced QB Alex Smith will miss the game with a lacerated spleen.  With Chase Daniel now behind centre, expect Kansas City to rely even more on Jamaal Charles and their run game, which could be a winning strategy against San Diego, who has one of the worst run defences in the league.

With home field advantage, the Chiefs may be able to pull this one out, but even then will be forced to scoreboard watch, hoping for Baltimore and Houston losses to get into the playoffs.

Win and get in/Lose and you’re fired

Flexed to the late afternoon slot are the legit playoff deciders, although this first one probably shouldn’t be. Carolina vs Atlanta acts as both a win-and-get-in game and a lose-and-you’re fired match. The latter may be a bit dramatic but there’s at least the possibility that Mike Smith and Ron Rivera are coaching for both a playoff spot – and division championship no less – and their jobs.

The winner of Sunday’s AFC South tilt will finish with seven wins and likely get crushed at home in the first round of the playoffs. The consolation prize for the loser is a potential Top 10 pick in this year’s draft.

Fight for the North

A division battle I can get a little more into! The two heavyweights in the AFC North this year – Green Bay, of course, and Detroit, kind of surprisingly – will take their battle for the division title down to the last Sunday of the regular season.  The Packers have the added incentive of a first-round bye attached to a win while the Lions could still achieve that as well but would need a bunch of other things to happen as well.

There’s a lot of Super Bowl talk surrounding the Packers this time of year, not so much with the Lions. Even Lions fans don’t seem too hopeful heading into Sunday; the smart money seems to be on Green Bay.

Fight for the North 2

About an hour after the NFC North is decided, the AFC North will be up for grabs in the last Sunday Nighter of the regular season.

Cincinnati has the edge heading into the game by virtue of their tie earlier in the season, but with Denver likely to beat Oakland earlier in the day, this game isn’t for much other than home field in the first round of the playoffs.

Harbaugh’s goodbye?

Harbaugh’s goodbye to San Francisco? Definitely. But it may not be his goodbye to the NFL. Despite what will surely be – or has already been – a very generous offer from Michigan for Harbaugh to return the NCAA, the four-year head coach is expected to have plenty of suitors from the pro game as well. He may not even escape the Bay Area with the Oakland Raiders expected to come calling as well.

It will be interesting to see how the 49ers respond knowing their coach is screaming at them for the last time. They should still be able to send him out a winner against Logan Thomas, errr Ryan Lindley.