<table> </table> Kolby Smith didn&#8217;t exactly predict that his first start this season as the Chiefs&#8217; running back would go as well as his starting debut in 2007.</p><p>But he pointed to that 150-yard, two-touchdown performance against Oakland as a possibility, because the seldom-used Smith is preseason fresh.</p><p>&#8220;I feel great,&#8221; he said. &#8220;No injuries, no nicks, no bruises. I haven&#8217;t really been taking those hard hits, so I&#8217;m ready to go.&#8221;</p><p>Meanwhile, rookie Jamaal Charles feels like he&#8217;s back in college at Texas. He&#8217;s going to be more than just a third-down back for the first time in his NFL career.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s going to be a fun game this week,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It&#8217;s my time to shine.&#8221;</p><p>It&#8217;s certainly possible that things might not work out so well today for one or both players when the Chiefs &#8212; minus Larry Johnson for the first time this season &#8212; play the Tennessee Titans at Arrowhead Stadium. The unbeaten Titans have one of the NFL&#8217;s stingiest run defenses.</p><p>But if Smith can run like he did in his first career start last year against the Raiders or if Charles can break loose with the first big game of his pro career, it would pose some interesting questions for the Chiefs.</p><p>Just how valuable would Johnson be, really? Might they get as much yardage from a Smith-Charles tandem, without the headaches that Johnson frequently has provided?</p><p>The Chiefs seem interested in finding the answers. Coach Herm Edwards decided to sit Johnson for today&#8217;s game because the running back has been late for meetings and other team functions.</p><p>The Chiefs also looked to trade Johnson before last week&#8217;s deadline but couldn&#8217;t find serious interest.</p><p>For his part, Johnson has questioned his value to the Chiefs in the offensive system of first-year coordinator Chan Gailey. Miffed at being removed from the game on third downs and for other crucial plays, Johnson also suggested he was being phased out of the Chiefs&#8217; plans.</p><p>At the time, his comments were dismissed as Larry being Larry and products of his frustration. He made them after a 12-carry, 22-yard game against Oakland last month.</p><p>Now it looks like Johnson might have had more insight than anyone thought. His season, like the Chiefs&#8217;, has been a maddening roller-coaster ride. Johnson rushed for exactly 300 yards in three halves covering two games and 117 yards in the remaining seven halves.</p><p>Even though Johnson has been removed from games more often this season than at any time since he became the featured back, nobody seems to know what to expect from the Chiefs&#8217; running game today.</p><p>&#8220;He&#8217;s a Pro Bowl-caliber player, but we&#8217;ve also got some other talented running backs,&#8221; center Rudy Niswanger said. &#8220;They&#8217;re going to get their shot. Us guys up front, we&#8217;re basically blind back there to who&#8217;s carrying the ball. Whoever&#8217;s back there, I&#8217;m sure they&#8217;ll do well.&#8221;</p><p>Smith played a lot in the second half of the season last year and rushed for 82 yards in a December game against the Titans. But that happened in the system of former coordinator Mike Solari.</p><p>&#8220;I wish I could tell what it&#8217;s going to be like without (Johnson), but it&#8217;s not just like last year,&#8221; backup quarterback Damon Huard said. &#8220;We&#8217;re a different offense and running different plays in the running game.&#8221;</p><p>From afar, the Titans certainly don&#8217;t know what to make of last week&#8217;s developments.