EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. ? The New York Giants will get their first real chance to demonstrate the positive effect of Tom Coughlin’s presence tonight against the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Chiefs are seeking similar results from new defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham.

Coming off a 4-12 season that resulted in the firing of Jim Fassel, the Giants hired Coughlin and made numerous personnel changes highlighted by the draft-day trade for quarterback Eli Manning, the No. 1 pick overall. Manning will make his debut in the second quarter after Kurt Warner starts the game.

The Chiefs posted a 13-3 record, but their season ended with a disappointing playoff loss to Indianapolis. Kansas City still has a record-setting offense featuring running back Priest Holmes, quarterback Trent Green and return specialist Dante Hall. However, the defense remains a question mark after giving up 38 points in the playoff loss to the Colts in which they never stopped the Indianapolis offense.

“I don’t look at it as a statement game,” said linebacker Barrett Green, one of the 40-plus new players in the Giants’ training camp. “I look at it as a game that shows we have made progress. As long as we are making progress every exhibition game, I think we are doing a good job.”

The 7 p.m. game at Giants Stadium also will bring together old friends.

Warner, the two time MVP signed by the Giants to mentor Manning, will be facing Dick Vermeil, the man who gave him a job that led to a Super Bowl title with the St. Louis Rams.

“I have mixed emotions,” Vermeil said. “I want to make sure we play well. But I don’t want to bang him up with our pass rush because I know they’re rebuilding their offensive line and we have a very fine defensive line. I just hope they are good enough to keep our guys from banging him around too much.”

Warner has been expected to start the season for the Giants, but Manning is pushing him for the No. 1 job.

“He’s a fine quarterback,” Vermeil said of Warner. “It’s going to take him awhile to be what he was in a new offense and he doesn’t have the same supporting cast of Torry Holt, Isaac Bruce and those kind of people, and he doesn’t have Orlando Pace at left tackle. So it will take him awhile, but Tom Coughlin is a great coach and he will get it rebuilt.”

Warner will play about a quarter or more, and Manning will play until at least the middle of the third quarter.

Both quarterbacks probably will face a lot of pressure because the Chiefs have installed a new system under Cunningham, the former head coach who was hired to replace fired defensive coordinator Greg Robinson.

Vermeil expects to keep his first offense on the field for about a quarter.

“They had the best offense in football last year,” Giants defensive end Michael Strahan said of Kansas City. “It will give us a chance to see where we are as a defense and to see what direction we are going in. It’s a great test. You could not ask for a better test from a young defense.”

The Chiefs will be without three of their top four wide receivers, Eddie Kennison, Marc Boerigter and Johnnie Morton.

Free agent receiver Richard Smith of Arkansas has been a surprise in training camp for the Chiefs, and he will get a lot of playing time. Hall, the Pro Bowl kick returner who set an NFL record last year with TD returns in four straight games, will play receiver but won’t return kicks.