Kansas City, Mo. ? For years, a strong offensive line has been as much a given at Arrowhead Stadium as the smell of barbecue wafting from the parking lot and fans booming “home of the Chiefs” at the end of the national anthem.

But with one tackle trying to come back from a two-year absence and another stepping in for a retired perennial Pro Bowler, this season started with several question marks.

Now, with Kansas City at 7-4 and in playoff contention, it appears the Chiefs have found the answers in left tackle Jordan Black and right tackle Kyle Turley.

Black has started 10 games this year, nine at the spot once held by Willie Roaf before Roaf decided his aging body couldn’t take any more.

And Turley, who spent two years away from the game after having back surgery, has settled in on the right side after starting the first two games at left tackle.

“They definitely have gotten a lot better, but to be honest with you, they weren’t all that bad from the get-go,” guard Brian Waters said Wednesday. “There were just a lot of people who probably don’t understand football as much as they think they do, saying things that don’t pertain to this team in regard to their play.”

Black, who struggled last year when Roaf missed several games with a sore hamstring, took the brunt of the criticism.

“I want to say that I don’t think about it, but at the same time, I know about it,” Black said. “People have a job to do, and they have their opinions, and that’s OK. But I’m out right now to prove those people wrong.

“I have a chip on my shoulder about it,” he added, “but at the same time, I’m not out to be Willie Roaf. I’m out to be Jordan Black, and make a name for myself and help this team win.”

The Chiefs’ line got off to a horrible start in pass blocking this year, giving up seven sacks in the season opener against Cincinnati. In the 10 games since, though, opponents have averaged 1.6 sacks against Kansas City.

And with an interior core of Pro Bowl guards Waters and Will Shields flanking veteran center Casey Wiegmann, the Chiefs are as good at opening holes in the running game as they ever were.

Larry Johnson has carried for 1,202 yards, averaging 4.3 yards per attempt, and 13 touchdowns.

“They’ve got a center and a couple of guards who can play with anybody,” said Cleveland coach Romeo Crennel, whose team will play host to the Chiefs on Sunday. “When you look at the fact that they are able to run the ball the way they run it, that says a lot about the toughness and physicality of those guys.”

It also takes the pressure off the Chiefs’ passing game, coach Herm Edwards said.

“Our tackles have been consistent lately, and a lot of it has to do with the fact that we’ve been able to run the ball,” Edwards said. “When you’re able to run the ball, you can control when you want to pass, rather than having to sit back and pass when you’re behind. When you’re behind on the road, that’s hard for any tackle.”

Right tackle was supposed to be more settled, with John Welbourn starting the last nine games of the 2005 season at that spot. But Welbourn retired and unretired in the offseason, then had to serve a six-game suspension for violating the league’s drug policy. He has played in four games since then, all as a backup.

Kevin Sampson started six games at right tackle before injuring his foot and being replaced by Turley, who had been sidelined for four weeks with recurring back problems but has not been out of the starting lineup since then.

“Kyle has been great for us,” Waters said, “coming off the street – basically coming from nowhere – to play for us and help us.”