By ROBERT LEE
Journal Sports Writer

FOXBORO -- If there were any jitters for Kansas City quarterback Damon Huard, who was thrown into the game with 2:54 remaining in the third quarter and his team trailing 14-3 after starting quarterback Brodie Croyle was injured on a 10-yard Adalius Thomas sack, he certainly didn't show it.

On his first drive, Huard led Kansas City 63 yards down the field for a touchdown to slash New England's lead to 14-10. He went 4-for-4 on the drive which he capped off with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Dwayne Bowe.

"I was fine," Huard said. "I have been in this stadium before, so that wasn't really a problem. I have been playing in this league for 12 years and you have to be ready to go at any moment. It was a pretty tough day for me to see two of my good friends get hurt in one game. That doesn't happen very often, where both starting quarterbacks go out in the same game. I wish them both a speed recovery."

Huard is referring to Patriots' quarterback Tom Brady, who injured his left knee and did not return with 7:27 remaining in the first quarter, and Croyle, who left the game with a shoulder contusion.

Huard nearly led Kansas City on a fourth-quarter comeback. Trailing 17-10 on their final drive, he completed a 68-yard pass to Devard Darling that put the Chiefs in a first-and-goal situation at New England's five.

"We had some vertical routes going and I felt the pressure," Huard said. "I just tried to throw it to a spot where Devard could make a play. He made a nice catch and almost outran the defender. It was a nice play that gave us a shot and it got us down there. Unfortunately we couldn't finish down there in the red zone. That was very disappointing."

Huard finished the game 8-for-12 for 118 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

"I thought he did a pretty good job for the most part," Kansas City coach Herm Edwards said of Huard.