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This summer Sports Illustrated predicted that the Kansas City Chiefs could make a serious run at 0-16 this year.

After watching last Sunday's train wreck against the Atlanta Falcons, that prediction is looking more like reality.

This is a bad football team. On the field the Chiefs are in total disarray. They are one of the youngest teams in football and do not have a quarterback, much of an offensive line or linebackers that can fill gaps let alone tackle. The Chiefs best offensive weapon nowadays may well be the punter Dustin Colquitt.

Third-string QB Tyler Thigpen is the 31st ranked passer in the NFL. He's completed just 40 percent of his passes and has two touchdown and four interceptions in two games this year. His passer rating is 38.3.

But what can you really expect from a seventh round draft choice who has been thrust into action because of injuries to the starter and the backup?

Well, you could expect a little more than that. But give Herm Edwards credit for not yanking Thigpen and inserting Damon Huard against Atlanta. It was Thigpen's first NFL start and the Chiefs are intent on developing a young quarterback whoever it may be.

Thigpen looked out of sync the whole first quarter. He didn't complete a pass during the first quarter but started to settle down and led the Chiefs to a touchdown right before the end of the half when he hit Dwayne Bowe on the inside seam.

The Chiefs took that momentum into their first drive of the second half and marched down the field, using the power running game of Larry Johnson. Johnson carried 24 times for 121 yards in the game but was on the sideline in obvious passing situations because he struggles with pass blocking.

This year Johnson has toted the pigskin 58 times for 217 yards and one touchdown and is averaging only 3.7 yards a carry. Johnson has also caught just one pass this year. That catch was good for a meager 12 yards.

But in his defense it is hard to gain yards when the right side of the offensive line leaks like a sieve at times.

But the biggest problem the Chiefs have on the field is they do not have quarterback who is also the leader of the team. Good quarterbacks have moxie and a swagger that draws the team closer to him.

The Chiefs had that for a while with Trent Green and for a little bit two years ago with Huard. But they don't have that now in Thigpen nor third-year quarterback and sometimes starter Brodie Croyle.

Croyle has some raw talent. He has a good arm and can gain yards on bootlegs and scramble when the pocket breaks down, which has been a common occurrence when Croyle has been in the game the last two years.

Croyle's young career has been besieged by injuries, most recently the shoulder injury in Week One that knocked him out of the game and out of action for at least a few more weeks.

In his three seasons with the Chiefs, Croyle has played in only 12 games and has thrown a grand total of 250 passes.

The Chiefs are desperate to develop a young quarterback and will do so or die trying. Which is exactly what they are doing now with Thigpen, at least until Croyle returns.

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