C-Mac
09-12-2006, 12:13 PM
Huard glad he has time to prepare for Broncos
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
A backup since his first NFL season with Miami in 1997, quarterback Damon Huard knows plenty about this way of life.
Attend offensive meetings to study the plays and that week’s opposing defense. Watch the starter at practice.
Repeat weekly — and hope to be ready if needed.
“It’s just the way it is for a backup quarterback,” said Huard, who will make his first NFL start in six years Sunday for the Chiefs in Denver.
“You have to take the (snaps) mentally rather than physically during the week and then go in and play and play well if you’re needed. I’d rather be doing them physically, but there’s not enough time in practice.”
The Chiefs will have plenty of time for Huard this week. Although they haven’t declared starter Trent Green out of the Denver game because of a concussion, the Chiefs are preparing to be without him.
That means getting Huard ready.
Huard replaced Green in the third quarter of Sunday’s 23-10 loss to Cincinnati. He fumbled twice but threw for 140 yards and a touchdown.
In theory, he should be better off against the Broncos. He not only will get almost all the practice snaps this week, but the Chiefs also will base their game plan around his abilities and not necessarily Green’s.
“He’ll be fine because he knows the offense,” coach Herm Edwards said. “This is the same offense we’ve had for the last six years. This offense hasn’t changed a whole lot, though it didn’t look like it (Sunday).”
The problem for Huard isn’t a lack of familiarity with the offense. This is his third season with the Chiefs.
The problem is that until Green’s injury, he hadn’t played in it, or any other offensive system, in a regular-season game since 2000. Six years, in the NFL, is a lifetime. Some of Huard’s younger teammates were in high school when he last started a game.
Huard started five games in 1999 as a fill-in for the injured Dan Marino and one in 2000 for the injured Jay Fiedler. Nothing since.
“The speed of the game is what backup quarterbacks and other players who don’t play a lot have to get used to,” Edwards said. “The quarterback has to feel the speed of the game and the presence in the pocket. That’s something you can’t get in practice.”
Huard last week took a handful of snaps in Friday’s practice with the first-team offense. Otherwise, his practice time was spent watching Green or taking snaps with the scout team that ran Cincinnati’s plays and worked against the Chiefs’ defense.
He will take Green’s role this week, and either Brodie Croyle or Casey Printers will do the scout team’s work.
“Certainly getting the (snaps) in practice and going through the game plan in practice should help,” Huard said. “There’s no question having the work during the week should be advantageous.
“I prepare the same every week. I know the game plan inside and out whether I’m starting or I’m the backup. My preparation will be the same. The only thing different is I’ll get more work in practice.”
The Chiefs are putting on a brave face about heading to Denver, where they haven’t won since 2000, with their backup at quarterback.
“Damon’s got experience,” tight end Tony Gonzalez said. “He came in and played great. He put the ball where only we could get it. We’re going to rally around him, and we’ll continue to rally around him if he’s out there next week.
“It’s not a panic situation. It can’t be, especially this early in the season. We’ve got a lot of football left. We’ll go out and do some good things. There’s no doubt in my mind.”
At the same time, neither are the Chiefs ignoring the reality they will have a starting quarterback other than Green for the first time since Dec. 24, 2000, in Atlanta.
They lost 29-13 to the Falcons that day when they were quarterbacked by Elvis Grbac.
“It certainly tests your football team,” president/general manager Carl Peterson said. “Nobody is going to step into Trent Green’s shoes and immediately carry on at that level. We’ll have to do some adjusting, and I know Herm and the offensive coaches are doing that right now.”
Those adjustments will include asking more of others, including Gonzalez, the offensive line and Larry Johnson.
“I’ll just keep plugging away,” Huard said. “I need to protect the ball in the pocket a little better. I’ll just try to move the chains and make first downs and all of that good stuff.”
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
A backup since his first NFL season with Miami in 1997, quarterback Damon Huard knows plenty about this way of life.
Attend offensive meetings to study the plays and that week’s opposing defense. Watch the starter at practice.
Repeat weekly — and hope to be ready if needed.
“It’s just the way it is for a backup quarterback,” said Huard, who will make his first NFL start in six years Sunday for the Chiefs in Denver.
“You have to take the (snaps) mentally rather than physically during the week and then go in and play and play well if you’re needed. I’d rather be doing them physically, but there’s not enough time in practice.”
The Chiefs will have plenty of time for Huard this week. Although they haven’t declared starter Trent Green out of the Denver game because of a concussion, the Chiefs are preparing to be without him.
That means getting Huard ready.
Huard replaced Green in the third quarter of Sunday’s 23-10 loss to Cincinnati. He fumbled twice but threw for 140 yards and a touchdown.
In theory, he should be better off against the Broncos. He not only will get almost all the practice snaps this week, but the Chiefs also will base their game plan around his abilities and not necessarily Green’s.
“He’ll be fine because he knows the offense,” coach Herm Edwards said. “This is the same offense we’ve had for the last six years. This offense hasn’t changed a whole lot, though it didn’t look like it (Sunday).”
The problem for Huard isn’t a lack of familiarity with the offense. This is his third season with the Chiefs.
The problem is that until Green’s injury, he hadn’t played in it, or any other offensive system, in a regular-season game since 2000. Six years, in the NFL, is a lifetime. Some of Huard’s younger teammates were in high school when he last started a game.
Huard started five games in 1999 as a fill-in for the injured Dan Marino and one in 2000 for the injured Jay Fiedler. Nothing since.
“The speed of the game is what backup quarterbacks and other players who don’t play a lot have to get used to,” Edwards said. “The quarterback has to feel the speed of the game and the presence in the pocket. That’s something you can’t get in practice.”
Huard last week took a handful of snaps in Friday’s practice with the first-team offense. Otherwise, his practice time was spent watching Green or taking snaps with the scout team that ran Cincinnati’s plays and worked against the Chiefs’ defense.
He will take Green’s role this week, and either Brodie Croyle or Casey Printers will do the scout team’s work.
“Certainly getting the (snaps) in practice and going through the game plan in practice should help,” Huard said. “There’s no question having the work during the week should be advantageous.
“I prepare the same every week. I know the game plan inside and out whether I’m starting or I’m the backup. My preparation will be the same. The only thing different is I’ll get more work in practice.”
The Chiefs are putting on a brave face about heading to Denver, where they haven’t won since 2000, with their backup at quarterback.
“Damon’s got experience,” tight end Tony Gonzalez said. “He came in and played great. He put the ball where only we could get it. We’re going to rally around him, and we’ll continue to rally around him if he’s out there next week.
“It’s not a panic situation. It can’t be, especially this early in the season. We’ve got a lot of football left. We’ll go out and do some good things. There’s no doubt in my mind.”
At the same time, neither are the Chiefs ignoring the reality they will have a starting quarterback other than Green for the first time since Dec. 24, 2000, in Atlanta.
They lost 29-13 to the Falcons that day when they were quarterbacked by Elvis Grbac.
“It certainly tests your football team,” president/general manager Carl Peterson said. “Nobody is going to step into Trent Green’s shoes and immediately carry on at that level. We’ll have to do some adjusting, and I know Herm and the offensive coaches are doing that right now.”
Those adjustments will include asking more of others, including Gonzalez, the offensive line and Larry Johnson.
“I’ll just keep plugging away,” Huard said. “I need to protect the ball in the pocket a little better. I’ll just try to move the chains and make first downs and all of that good stuff.”