Kansas City, Mo. ? Kansas City’s beleaguered defense might start two rookies Sunday against the New York Jets one by choice, the other by necessity.

Coach Dick Vermeil said Wednesday rookie Scott Fujita might start for Lew Bush, who was listed as questionable because of bruised ribs.

The 6-foot-5, 240-pound Fujita, a fifth-round pick out of California, has been limited almost exclusively to special teams the first four games.

One other change on the defense will be up front, where rookie Ryan Sims, the sixth player taken overall in last spring’s draft, will get his first start. The 315-pound Sims has been seeing more and more action every week after sitting out the entire training camp in a contract dispute.

“What Ryan’s doing is getting tremendous push up the middle, just causing havoc,” defensive end Eric Hicks said. “If he can continue to do that, we’ll be successful.”

Sims will replace Derrick Ransom, who will still be in the defensive rotation.

While taking his crash course on the complicated defensive scheme, Sims has not had to take the expected hazing from his teammates for staying out of camp.

“I had to pay for dinner a lot, but other than that, not really much has been said,” Sims said. “Other than that, these guys have been great. I really love these guys and I think they’re finally starting to like me.”

Even without any personnel changes, the Jets would seem to have an offense that only the Kansas City defense could love.

Ranked 32nd and dead last in the NFL, the Chiefs defense will travel to the Meadowlands to meet a Jets offense listed at 29th.

The Chiefs (2-2) have been giving up more than 33 points a game, among the worst in the NFL. But the Jets (1-3) have scored only 13 points in losing their last three. They even changed quarterbacks this week, switching from Vinny Testaverde to Chad Pennington, who’ll be making his first NFL start.

“It seems like every time we get a new quarterback, the guy has a career game,” Hicks said. “So we’ll try to hold that down. We’re going to have to give Chad Pennington his respect.”

One sobering thought for the Chiefs might be their nearly unbroken record of futility in the Meadowlands. Since 1984, against both the Jets and New York Giants, the Chiefs are 1-8-1 in the Meadowlands.

A year ago, the Chiefs limped back from New York a 27-7 loser to the Jets after one of their weakest efforts of a 6-10 season.

“It was the worst game we played last year, in all due respect to (Jets coach) Herman Edwards and his organization,” Vermeil said. “They forced us to play our worst game.”

Do the Chiefs have a Meadowlands jinx? Vermeil won’t even tolerate the suggestion.

“We’ve got guys on our roster that may not even be able to spell Meadowlands,” Vermeil said. “They could care less.

“I don’t think that’s a factor at all. It’s always those guys that are across the line of scrimmage from you, No. 1, and No. 2, it’s always the preparation. When you get your priorities in this business and your focus out of line in what you have to do on Sunday you’re going to get beat.”

Nevertheless, their beating in the Meadowlands is still fresh on the minds of many Chiefs.

“We went in there last year and got our tails kicked in the Meadowlands,” Hicks said. “Not to say we want payback. But in a sense, we do. That was embarrassing. We want to go up there and have a better showing.”