Green set to start opener

? Two weeks after undergoing surgery to restore circulation in his leg, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Trent Green pronounces himself 100-percent fit.

“I feel really good,” he said Thursday. “It’s amazing how quick the turnaround has been, how quickly it came back.”

Doctors implanted a stent in an artery after conducting a battery of tests to learn why he was experiencing numbness in the left leg and foot. The surgery was performed Aug. 30 and required an overnight hospital stay.

When the Chiefs played St. Louis in their final preseason game Sept. 2, Green missed his first start since he was acquired from the Rams in 2001.

“I haven’t had any muscle soreness. My foot feels fine,” he said. “It’s really amazing how quickly it recovers.”

He was taken off blood thinners this week and no longer will require them.

“I’ll be fine, ready to go,” he said. “I took every snap (Wednesday), every drill the first unit ran. I’m taking everything today. I haven’t had any setbacks.”

Green may feel great, but questions remain about the overall state of an offense that has been hobbled by aches and pains throughout the preseason. The top unit actually worked together in the four exhibition games only a few snaps. Green played only the first two series in the Chiefs’ third preseason game, and was not even at the stadium for the fourth

Most of the quarterbacking in those two games was done by emergency backup Jonathan Quinn, who was released on cut-down day.

When the Chiefs play host Sunday to the New York Jets, will rust stain an offense that in each of the past three years has finished no worse than No. 2 overall in the NFL?

“I think everybody feels real comfortable,” Green said. “When we’ve all been together as a group, we’ve been able to move the ball, put points up on the board, convert third downs. I think everybody feels real comfortable with where we are.”

Also missing practice time have been Pro Bowl linemen Will Shields and Willie Roaf, Pro Bowl tight end Tony Gonzalez and running back Priest Holmes.

Coach Dick Vermeil admits he’s worried about a slow start.

“I’m concerned about our passing attack. I’m concerned about being able to all of the sudden jump in high gear when we’ve been driving in second gear,” he said.

The Chiefs’ high-scoring offense, which led the NFL last season by piling up an average of 418.4 yards, will be facing a tough early test from a Jets defense that was No. 7 overall, and No. 5 against the rush.

Rushing the ball is one of the things the Chiefs do especially well. They averaged 143.1 yards on the ground and in one game, against Atlanta, set an NFL record with eight rushing TDs.

“That’s going to be a great test for both sides,” Green said. “We take a lot of pride in our run game and they take a lot of pride in their run defense. So that’s going to be kind of a marquee matchup in terms of how this game goes.”