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QB Green to make first start since season opener

Nov 18, 2006 - 3:14 PM Oakland (2-7) at Kansas City (5-4) Sunday 1:00 pm ESTKANSAS CITY, Missouri (Ticker) -- Ten weeks after suffering a severe concussion, Trent Green is back in the saddle for the Kansas City Chiefs.The 36-year-old quarterback returns as the starter on Sundaywhen the Chiefs host the Oakland Raiders in a battle of AFCWest rivals. Green has not played since being knocked unconscious in a September 10 season-opening loss to Cincinnati. He dressed asthe emergency third quarterback for the last two games.Damon Huard filled in as the starter and led Kansas City to five wins in eight games. The Chiefs trail co-leaders Denver(7-2) and San Diego (7-2) by two games in the AFC West.The Chiefs will play two games in a span of five days. Theyhost Denver on Thanksgiving night.Green suffered severe head trauma after being hit by defensive end Robert Geathers in the third quarter of the loss to Cincinnati. As Green went into a feet-first hook slide, Geathers came flying in and slammed his right shoulder into Green's chest, causing the quarterback's head to bang intothe turf late in the third quarter. A two-time Pro Bowler, Green has passed for more than 4,000yards in each of the last three seasons with Kansas City. Heset career highs with 4,591 yards and 27 touchdowns in 2004.But Green will not have seven-time Pro Bowl tight end Tony Gonzalez on Sunday. Gonzalez is expected to miss at least one game with a sprained left shoulder.Huard did better than expected in his eight starts, completing134-of-221 passes for 1,684 yards and 10 touchdowns with oneinterception. However, last week he completed just 15-of-38passes for 201 yards in a 13-10 loss at Miami.The Chiefs look for their seventh straight win over the Raiders, but the previous six have come by a combined 28 points.Last season, the Chiefs posted wins of 23-17 at Oakland and27-23 here. The win here came down to the final seconds.With five seconds left and no timeouts remaining, former coach Dick Vermeil called for a running play and Larry Johnson made the gamble pay off, diving over the pile for a one-yard touchdown.Johnson set up his own winning touchdown on the previous playwhen he caught a short pass over the middle and raced 36 yards to the Oakland 1 before being tackled by cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha and safety Stuart Schweigert.Johnson rushed for 107 yards on 22 carries, including a 15-yardtouchdown run with 12:56 left in the fourth quarter.Last Sunday, Johnson had his string of 100-yard games stopped atthree in the loss at Miami. He rushed for 75 yards and a touchdown on 18 attempts.The Raiders enter this contest trying to end their run offutility against AFC West opponents. Oakland is an abysmal2-19 against divisional foes the last four seasons, including0-3 this season.Oakland suffered its latest loss within the division lastweek, a 17-13 setback to Denver. Andrew Walter continued tostruggle, completing 18-of-33 passes for 214 yards while losingtwo fumbles.Walter has completed under 50 percent of his passes and thrownfor just three touchdowns with nine interceptions in nine games.Raiders coach Art Shell, who served as offensive line coach ofKansas City from 1995-96, reportedly has contemplated going backto Aaron Brooks as his starter. Brooks has missed the lastseven games with a strained pectoral muscle and shoulder injury.