Kansas City, Mo. ? Eric Fisher refuses to use offseason shoulder surgery as an excuse.

When the left tackle was beaten by a defensive end in a preseason game in Carolina on Sunday, the former No. 1 overall draft pick punched the ground in frustration. When Fisher was beaten again later in the game in pass protection, he could be seen seething through his facemask.

Afterward, Chiefs coach Andy Reid said the surgery — along with another procedure for a sports hernia — has made Fisher to be tired later in games, and that has led to his rather uneven performance. But while Fisher acknowledged that he’s still working his way back from the injuries, he also pointed out that he is still practicing and intends to keep playing.

“When I have the strength, I feel like I’m using it,” Fisher said, “and obviously after a major surgery your body is going to get fatigued. It was a long rehab. I stayed on top of everything, did everything I could. But right now it is just a rebuilding process.”

It’s a rebuilding process that can’t happen quickly enough.

The Chiefs are banking on a young, inexperienced offensive line to protect quarterback Alex Smith and clear holes for Jamaal Charles, and the results through two preseason games have been rough. Smith has struggled and the first-team offense has yet to score a touchdown. Fisher could hold the key to turning things around.

Depending on when you start the tape, there are times when he looks positively dominant — the former basketball standout has the athletic ability to get into space, block downfield and help to spring Charles for those long runs. But there are also times when he looks lost, trying in vain to slow down some of the cagey, veteran pass rushers trying to get to the quarterback.

It’s on those plays, Reid said, that the injury seems to be a problem.

“As that arm gets tired, he has a tendency to not shoot it quite as fast as what he would when it’s fresh. I’m not even sure he’s conscious of that,” Reid explained. “You see that when players are coming off of knees. It’s the same thing. As the game goes on, they don’t play on it quite as well as they do early in the games. So, you work through it.”