Kansas City wide receiver Dwayne Bowe (82) catches a 35-yard pass to set up a Chiefs touchdown as he is pressured by Jacksonville's Reggie Nelson (25). The Chiefs lost to the Jaguars, 17-7, Sunday in Kansas City, Mo.

Kansas City, Mo. ? It seemed meaningless to the few hundred fans left in the Arrowhead Stadium stands, but to the head Chief, Kansas City’s 11th-hour touchdown drive was pretty important.

“You don’t want to get shut out,” Kansas City coach Herm Edwards said. “That was a tribute to those guys on offense, moving the ball, making a couple of plays.”

The last of those plays, a 13-yard touchdown pass from Brodie Croyle to Samie Parker, prevented the Chiefs from being shut out at home for the first time since 1994. The Jacksonville Jaguars stifled the Chiefs’ offense until the final play of their 17-7 victory Sunday.

Second-year man Croyle also connected with rookie receiver Dwayne Bowe on a 35-yard lob to set up the score. Croyle completed six of 13 passes, including five of 10 on the final drive.

“Brodie did a good job. They’re playing a little bit differently, obviously, when he’s in the game,” Edwards said, indicating Croyle could start next week’s home game against Cincinnati. “That’s why I was calling timeouts. I knew that he needed snaps.”

Starting quarterback Damon Huard sustained a shoulder injury in the fourth quarter when he was hit hard after throwing an interception. He landed on his right elbow, he said, sending shock waves up his arm into his throwing shoulder.

Edwards said Huard would have an MRI.

“We’ll see where he’s at,” Edwards said. “I don’t have to make that decision yet.”

Croyle said he was ready to step in if called upon against the Bengals. He never has started a regular-season NFL game and hadn’t thrown a touchdown until Sunday. He struggled in the preseason, when he was the presumed starting quarterback.

Regardless, he said he was as ready as could be.

“I’ve felt prepared every week,” he said. “I felt prepared in training camp. If it’s my turn now, then it’s my turn.”

He said he was happy to help the Chiefs score Sunday.

“You don’t want to get shut out at home, so that was good,” Croyle said. “But we lost, and that’s all there is.”

One of the Chiefs’ offensive leaders didn’t see the silver lining of their lone scoring drive, in which rookie running back Kolby Smith caught his first two NFL passes.

“We were doing our job, being professionals, playing 60 minutes,” guard Brian Waters said. “I’m glad some of our young guys had some success, but that didn’t take any light off the terrible loss.

“We don’t take moral victories. If you start looking at moral victories, you’ll take way too many losses.”