"Medical history will show feats more extraordinary than what Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel did on Sunday. That didn't stop his teammates from being in awe that 11 days after having his appendix removed, Cassel not only played but also led the Chiefs to their biggest win in years.

"He pulled a Superman routine," wide receiver Chris Chambers said.

The Chiefs' 27-13 victory over the Rams put Kansas City closer to its first AFC West championship since 2003 and its first playoff appearance since 2006. But even at 9-5, the Chiefs still have some work to do to stay ahead of 8-6 San Diego.

No matter what the Chargers do, the Chiefs will clinch the division title by winning their remaining games against Tennessee and Oakland. Both games are at Arrowhead Stadium.

The Chiefs would have surrendered control of the division race to the Chargers had they lost in St. Louis. Based on the way the Chiefs played last week in San Diego without Cassel — they lost 31-0 — they couldn't have been very confident against the Rams had Brodie Croyle been their quarterback.

But Cassel said there was never a doubt he would play.

"In my mind? No," he said. "It wasn't just my decision. It was the coaches' evaluation throughout the week of practice to see where I was at. It was the doctors'. It was the trainers'. But we were all on the same page pretty much going into today, and today was when they officially said, 'We're going to let you go.' "

Cassel played carefree, scrambling on big runs and taking big hits. If his health was a concern to him, it wasn't evident from the way he played.

"One of the doctors text-messaged me before the game and said, 'I think I'm more nervous than you are,' " Cassel said. "I felt 100 percent or I wouldn't have been out there."

The Chiefs also readied Croyle to play during the practice week. They tried to block out all the extraneous factors — the importance of the game, the way Croyle played last week — and make the decision based solely on what was best for Cassel.

But coach Todd Haley said it wasn't that simple.

"This is not a common thing and not a thing we have a lot of experience with, so you have to depend on the medical staff and make sure you're not putting someone in a compromising position." Haley said. "He had to get cleared at each juncture, and today was one of those deals."