<table> </table> CHICAGO | Brodie Croyle didn&#8217;t want to leave.</p><p>Why would he?</p><p>Things were going well, and Croyle, the Chiefs&#8217; third-year starting quarterback, was smiling. He was sharp and calm, and by God, the Chiefs won. Coach Herm Edwards walked up to Croyle early in the second quarter, put his arm around him and told him his night was over.</p><p>Was Edwards sure? Couldn&#8217;t Croyle play one more series, one more drive like that first one &#8212; the 16-play possession that ended with a touchdown?</p><p>&#8220;I didn&#8217;t want to come out of the game, that&#8217;s for sure,&#8221; Croyle said.</p><p>Thursday night was different from what Croyle was used to. This is the guy who hadn&#8217;t won a game as the Chiefs&#8217; starter. And that&#8217;s been a long time. He lost all six of his starts last year, and for a quarterback desperate for a win, he didn&#8217;t want to hear that Kansas City&#8217;s 24-20 win against the Chicago Bears didn&#8217;t count for anything but practice.</p><p>&#8220;He was comfortable,&#8221; Edwards said.</p><p>That first drive, the 25-year-old Croyle looked like an old pro. He was five for nine and completed a 22-yard pass to Will Franklin to convert third and 15. The Chiefs scored four plays later.</p><p>After one more series, Edwards put his arm around Croyle.</p><p>&#8220;He got hit,&#8221; Edwards said, &#8220;and the powers that be &#8212; the offensive coordinator and the quarterbacks coach &#8212; they looked at me and got nervous. (Croyle) said he didn&#8217;t want to come out, but I was like, &#8216;I got overruled. You played 20-something plays. You did pretty good.&#8217; &#8221;</p><p>Quarterbacks coach Dick Curl said he has watched Croyle mature during the past year. Back then, when he was competing with Damon Huard last preseason for the starting job, Croyle was a kid without a firm grip on the offense and with no more than a handful of confidence.</p><p>Now, he&#8217;s learning new coordinator Chan Gailey&#8217;s power rushing offense. He has turned to Huard as a mentor. And the shy quarterback, who still doesn&#8217;t much like facing reporters each week, is being a called a leader.</p><p>&#8220;He&#8217;s been around a little bit now,&#8221; Curl said. &#8220;I think he felt pretty good in there.&#8221;</p><p>Croyle couldn&#8217;t help but smile when someone asked him about Thursday night. No, it wasn&#8217;t perfect. He and running back Larry Johnson botched an exchange on that first possession, and Johnson fell on the fumble to preserve the drive. Croyle also overthrew Dwayne Bowe and Franklin and was sacked during his 21-play night.</p><p>But Croyle kept finding the open receiver.</p><p>Curl said the kid is growing up, and he said he hopes Thursday was just the start.</p><p>&#8220;He has stepped up big-time,&#8221; Curl said. &#8220;If you ask any guy in the room, they&#8217;ll all tell you they all love him. I think he&#8217;s stepped up a little bit. Now he&#8217;s just got to keep getting better every day. That&#8217;s the secret to it.&#8221;