Gretz: Why Thigpen Is Starting

[Tribal Warfare]

Why Thigpen Is Starting
September 17, 2008 - Bob Gretz |

The whole quarterback situation around the Chiefs has been pretty wacky and hard to understand.

And that’s if you are Herm Edwards.

His decision to start his third different quarterback in the season’s first three games speaks to more wackiness in the eyes of some fans and I’m sure the pundits.

Tyler Thigpen will replace Damon Huard who replaced Brodie Croyle as the starter against Atlanta. Huard’s start came because of Croyle’s injury. Thigpen’s start came because … it’s the right thing for Edwards and his coaching staff to do at this time.

Let’s break this down three ways and with three different views of the decision: this Sunday, short-term (the rest of the ‘08 season) and long-term (the future).

THIS SUNDAY

Doesn’t Huard give the Chiefs a better chance of winning in Atlanta than Thigpen? Maybe yes. Maybe no. Certainly his experience is a factor that can’t be ignored and he’s got that all over Thigpen.

But take a look at the Falcons and their defense. Atlanta has the NFL’s leading sacker after two games: defensive end John Abraham, who has four and now has 71.5 career sacks. That ranks him among the top seven sacks over the last eight seasons and two games. Plus, he’s playing at home and indoors on artificial turf. It’s a pass rusher’s dream situation.

Let’s be honest, if they move Abraham over to the left side and have him rush against RT Damion McIntosh, then whoever is playing quarterback for the Chiefs is in trouble. Better to have somebody with some mobility, who can get away from that kind of pressure. Huard can’t do that. Thigpen can.

Plus, that mobility allows the Chiefs to do more with their offensive game plan, especially with the bootlegs and nakeds that they’ve worked on all through the off-season and in training camp. Those are not things that Huard can do very well. Thigpen has a better chance to make them work.

THIS SEASON

In what Edwards hopes is the best case scenario, Croyle will return in two weeks, maybe three, and then start the remaining games in the ‘08 season.

The odds of that happening aren’t very good based on history, but a coach can dream, can’t he?

So this might be the only time Thigpen gets the chance to start and play. Edwards is determined to allow every player to get on the field and show what he has, so the coaching and personnel staffs can fairly evaluate what talent is in house.

If all goes well, this will be Thigpen’s only shot. Everyone knows what Huard can do. Some outside the team’s offices may have already made their decisions on Thigpen, but the decision makers want to see more. This is his chance.

THE FUTURE

The Chiefs will face a big decision, maybe the most important of this rebuilding project, when the ‘08 season is completed. That revolves around quarterback.

The team must make decisions at the end of this season on whether their quarterback is in house, or they need to go find him. When Croyle comes back, he’ll have 11 or 12 games to prove himself. To be fair, he probably needs more, but right now, that’s what he’s going to get. If he’s injured again, then his chances of sticking are pretty much gone.

If Thigpen can be any kind of factor or competition, he must play and show those skills.

His time is now.

Based on the track record of starting quarterbacks for Herm Edwards, Ingle Martin better make sure he’s ready to go.

[KC Dan]

Originally Posted by beach tribe

BTW thay were ripping us all day. Not just in the 4th.

Not true, they had ~90 yards offense at halftime and a 6-0 lead.

[triple]

Originally Posted by Claythan

So?

Our defense was so AWFUL in the first half we gave up six points, after drives of 22 and TWO yards.

Wake up. The defense is going to be fine if the offense can be even AVERAGE. Unfortunately right now we're stuck starting a practice-squad caliber quarterback.

if you think this defense is "fine" you don't know anything. do you see pat thomas out there? do you see that we get zero push from the defensive line? you can't see that our safeties are too slow to act? this is not a good defense. it's not as bad as the offense is but it's a bottom third of the league defense for sure.

[BigRedChief]

Here's something that I heard............

On game day when the team doctors asked Huard if he could go back in he said no. Thats why he didn't go back in.

After the game he threw the Chiefs under the bus by not admitting he told the doctors this and implying that he could have went back in.

I hear he's in the Chiefs doghouse.

[chiefsngop]

Originally Posted by beach tribe

Under 100 yrds offense yeah, but they had like 80 rushing yrds, and 20 pass yrds, because JR sucks ass.

Take away the Raiders TD in trash time, and all the offense had to do was score 20 points at home to win the game. If your D puts your O in that scenario, where they have to put up just 20 points to win at home, they've done their job period.

This defense is still missing 3-4 pieces but we have got to keep them off the field. LJ's tunnel vision leading him to 2 yards a carry aint gonna keep the O on the field, not with this O-line....

[OnTheWarpath15]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

Here's something that I heard............

On game day when the team doctors asked Huard if he could go back in he said no. Thats why he didn't go back in.

After the game he threw the Chiefs under the bus by not admitting he told the doctors this and implying that he could have went back in.

I hear he's in the Chiefs doghouse.

Good.

Hopefully he keeps it up, and is out of the doghouse and on the waiver wire.

[beach tribe]

Originally Posted by KC Dan

Not true, they had ~90 yards offense at halftime and a 6-0 lead.

How many of those we're rushing yrds?

[King_Chief_Fan]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

Here's something that I heard............

On game day when the team doctors asked Huard if he could go back in he said no. Thats why he didn't go back in.

After the game he threw the Chiefs under the bus by not admitting he told the doctors this and implying that he could have went back in.

I hear he's in the Chiefs doghouse.

heard where?

[triple]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

Here's something that I heard............

On game day when the team doctors asked Huard if he could go back in he said no. Thats why he didn't go back in.

After the game he threw the Chiefs under the bus by not admitting he told the doctors this and implying that he could have went back in.

I hear he's in the Chiefs doghouse.

Ok, so he went Scottie Pippen and took himself out of the game.

I don't think Huard is the only one mailing it in. There has been at least one play this year where in the past Larry Johnson would have hit a defender but he scooted out of bounds instead, and it left me wondering if he wants to harm his body for the cause this year.

[KC Dan]

Originally Posted by beach tribe

How many of those we're rushing yrds?

69 yds rushing 1st half - Oak

http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/playby...&override=true

[Micjones]

Originally Posted by Fat Elvis

Call me crazy, but shouldn't the talent evaluation have been done before the season started?

Hello!

[Sure-Oz]

This may be the only NFL action thigpen sees in his career

[Micjones]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

Here's something that I heard............

On game day when the team doctors asked Huard if he could go back in he said no. Thats why he didn't go back in.

After the game he threw the Chiefs under the bus by not admitting he told the doctors this and implying that he could have went back in.

I hear he's in the Chiefs doghouse.

Where exactly did you hear this?

That's a load of shit. In the post-game interview Huard had to scramble to remember what play he had even been injured on. He wasn't injured. That's a hoax. That was ALL Herman Edwards.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by Micjones

Where exactly did you hear this?

I can't tell you. But its the same source thats never been wrong. You can believe or not. Your choice.

But it was talked about by Soren Petro today on his radio show. So he at least heard the same thing and was laying into Huard.

[Micjones]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

I can't tell you. But its the same source thats never been wrong. You can believe or not. Your choice.

I don't buy it. Huard was confused as to when he'd even been injured.
When asked if he could've re-entered the game he declined to even answer the question.
I heard that interview with my own two ears.
Couple that with three separate reports of what his injury was and I smell bullshit.

Herman Edwards said last week that he couldn't look his players in the eye and tell them that Thigpen gave them the best chance to win on Sunday. One week later he's our starter. What epiphany did Edwards have in the last 7 days that he's confident in Thigpen now?

[CoMoChief]

Originally Posted by beach tribe

Starting Thiggy is the right thing to do. There's nothing to learn from Huard.

Theres also nothing to be gained from having Thigpen starting......because at the end of the day.....he will never be our starting QB.