KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Here’s a switch: The Kansas City defense is apologizing for being imperfect, not for being awful. The Chiefs’ revamped defense – the product of a busy, wheeling-and-dealing off-season – came within 29 seconds of handing the Jets their first shutout in almost 10 years.

A 27-7 victory yesterday over the mistake-prone Jets proved a major pick-me-up for a defense which the past three years has never finished higher than 29th.

Kansas City started fast on offense, too – Larry Johnson rushed for 110 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries and Priest Holmes added 85 yards and a touchdown.

Spurred on by newcomers like Sammy Knight, Patrick Surtain, and Derrick Johnson, the new-look defense forced seven fumbles and recovered two. Chad Pennington was sacked three times and intercepted once.

Curtis Martin was held to 57 yards on 20 carries – 139 fewer than he had in last year’s season opener against Cincinnati en route to the NFL rushing title.

Backup Jay Fiedler enabled the Jets to avoid their first shutout since Decemebr 24, 1995, when he hit Chris Baker on a 23-yard touchdown pass with 29 seconds to go.

“I wish we could have made more of a game of it, but it wasn’t,” said Jets coach Herman Edwards. “They took us behind the woodshed and whupped us.”

On their first three possessions, the Chiefs had touchdown drives of 75 and 95 yards and a 41-yard field goal. Holmes had a 35-yard run on the first drive, then Johnson, who is challenging him for playing time, finished it off with a 35-yard dash into the end zone.

Pennington, coming off shoulder surgery, also had several passes dropped, including one by Laveranues Coles that might have gone for a touchdown in the first half.

“The opportunity was there to get the momentum going in our favor, and I pretty much let the team down,” Coles said. “I just have to go back to work this week and try to make up for it.”

The Jets were also hurt by more kicking woes, bringing back bad memories of the two missed field goals in a three-point loss to Pittsburgh in last year’s playoffs. Nugent, drafted in the second round out of Ohio State, slipped while attempting a 28-yard field goal and Hicks blocked the low trajectory ball.

Johnson also had 54 yards on five runs in a 66-yard march that made it 27-0 on the first play of the fourth quarter. His 23-yard run put the ball on the 4, and he took it in on the next play.

Trent Green, who underwent vascular surgery on his left leg on August 30, connected on his first eight passes but wound up just 15-for-26 for 200 yards. Pennington was 21-for-34 for 264 yards.