POSNANSKI: Edwards has to go with Huard to save team - Page 3

**dirk digler** · 08-28-2007, 06:36 AM

There should be no doubt that Chiefs coach Herm Edwards wanted Brodie Croyle to win the starting quarterback job this preseason. The Chiefs spent one uncomfortable offseason dangling longtime starter Trent Green. Why? One reason.

Herm Edwards had seen the future, and its name was Croyle.

It wasn’t just that Edwards had fallen in love with Croyle’s arm, his enthusiasm, his energy, his charisma. No, Edwards wants to jolt the Chiefs out of their stupor. For 12 seasons now, the Chiefs have not won a playoff game, even though at different times over that span they’ve had the league’s best offense, they’ve had the league’s best defense and they’ve had the league’s best special teams. So what was missing?

Edwards says two things:

1. Balance.

2. A quarterback to call their own.

Edwards, as you no doubt know, has harped constantly about balance ever since he arrived in town. He is always telling his players that the offense needs to help the defense (longer drives, more first downs, play the field-position game) and the defense needs to help the offense (force more turnovers, play big on third downs, create field position). He thinks that in the past, Chiefs offenses and defenses were too much about themselves and their stats and not enough about winning championships.

The second part, the quarterback, is touchier. It is possible (not likely, but possible) to win with someone else’s discarded quarterback. Baltimore and Tampa Bay won Super Bowls with Trent Dilfer and Brad Johnson, respectively. Oakland went to the Super Bowl with Rich Gannon. But those teams tend to collapse quickly. Your consistent winners, generally speaking, are teams with their own quarterbacks. Indianapolis has Peyton Manning. New England has Tom Brady. Philadelphia has Donovan McNabb. Edwards wants the Chiefs to be one of those teams.

So, yes, Edwards is ready for the Chiefs to make that quarterback jump. He’s more than ready. One of the consistent themes of the Carl Peterson era has been to go into the season with a veteran quarterback bought, borrowed or stolen from other teams. That strategy took the Chiefs so far. But it never took them all the way.

So you better believe Edwards wanted Croyle to win the job. He wasn’t alone. Lots of Chiefs fans wanted Croyle to win the job. Heck, I wanted Croyle to win the job. Why not? He represented something new, something potentially exciting. Damon Huard, the likeable and sturdy veteran quarterback, seemed like more of the same.

Here’s the trouble, though: Croyle did not win the job. And this past weekend, Herm Edwards did exactly what he had to do. He named Huard the starter. I know there are people out there who were upset by his move, people who thought Edwards wimped out and went with the safe and uninspired choice. I disagree. I think naming Huard now wasn’t just the right choice, it was the only choice.

The most important thing about coaching or managing a team — something that matters more than strategy, philosophy and inspiration — is keeping your players’ respect. When you lose their respect, you lose everything. You can be the most brilliant X’s and O’s coach who ever lived, you can know exactly how to prepare a team, you can be Knute Rockne, Vince Lombardi and George Patton all rolled up into one at halftime. But if you lose the players, you lose the fight, end of story.

Here’s one sure way to lose players: Give someone a job he doesn’t deserve. I am convinced that former Royals general manager Allard Baird lost the team the day he inexplicably brought up a non-prospect named Eduardo Villacis to pitch against the New York Yankees in 2004. Villacis got rocked, of course, and every player on the team had unshakable doubts about Allard Baird and the direction of the Royals from that day on.

Same thing here. Croyle has been brutal in the preseason games. Yes, he has had a moment or two — the guy has talent — but all in all, he has looked confused and raw. This hasn’t been entirely his fault. He has been getting crushed. If the Chiefs’ offensive line doesn’t shore up, this will be a disastrous season no matter who is playing quarterback. But that does not take away from the simple fact that Croyle, so far anyway, has looked overmatched.

And there’s only so much a coach can do. This isn’t fantasy football, where you can start whoever you want anytime you have a hunch. No, here, the choice has been made already. You cannot start Brodie Croyle. The quarterback is, by far, the most important position on the football team. You send a few dozen messages to your players, none of them good, if you start Croyle now. You are telling them you play favorites — he clearly has not won the job. You are telling them that this is a rebuilding season (i.e. “a season to develop a quarterback”). You are telling them that all that talk about how “the best players play,” was just that: Talk.

No, Edwards has no choice at all. He wanted Croyle to win the job, he really did, but at some point there’s only so much a coach can do. The kid didn’t win it. He wasn’t ready. For now, Edwards’ choice is to go with Huard, who played so well last year when given the chance. With him, the Chiefs can try to win games the old-fashioned way: Run the ball, play defense, punt well, don’t turn the thing over. That gives something for everybody on the team to rally around.

Edwards still believes in Croyle. He should. The kid does have talent. Croyle still looks like a good bet to be the Chiefs’ quarterback of the future. It’s just that the future isn’t here yet.

**DaKCMan AP** · 08-28-2007, 08:19 AM

Looks like the myth that we have the worst offensive line in football is still alive and well.

MGRS13 · 08-28-2007, 08:21 AM

1. Balance? Are you freaking kidding me? Balance, yea right.

MGRS13 · 08-28-2007, 08:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MGRS13

1. Balance? Are you freaking kidding me? Balance, yea right.

Herm knows as much about balance as dick did.

Deberg_1990 · 08-28-2007, 08:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MGRS13

Herm knows as much about balance as dick did.

I dont get the Herm hate sometimes? The whole article mentions how much he wants Croyle to win the job because teams with long term success groom their own QB.

He drafted a WR in the 1st round.

The talent just isnt there completely on the offensive side of the ball. What else do you want him to do??

FAX · 08-28-2007, 08:32 AM

"Herm knows all. Herm has a plan. Herm can't be wrong. It's okay. Blah, Blah, Blabablah."

There's only one thing wrong with this fabulous analysis. Brodie performed better than Downfield in pre-season and (based on almost all reports) in training camp, as well. Personally, I'm not buying it.

So the team will revolt if a job goes to an unproven player? We still have Samie Jabar Parker at receiver and zero competition at kicker. How "proven" was Downfield when his number got called last year? I call hogwash.

FAX

MGRS13 · 08-28-2007, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

What else do you want him to do??

Not be the paul hackett of the head coaching ranks.........his whole offensive philosophy is throw a 3 yard pass if you need 7.

**Rausch** · 08-28-2007, 08:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FAX

"Herm knows all. Herm has a plan. Herm can't be wrong. It's okay. Blah, Blah, Blabablah."

There's only one thing wrong with this fabulous analysis. Brodie performed better than Downfield in pre-season and (based on almost all reports) in training camp, as well. Personally, I'm not buying it.

Croyle has consistently ****ed up. He keeps making the same stupid mistakes, and to top it off couldn't manage to move the ball vs. the Nawlins 2nd and 3rd stringers.

HE'S NOT READY.

FAX · 08-28-2007, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rausch

Croyle has consistently ****ed up. He keeps making the same stupid mistakes, and to top it off couldn't manage to move the ball vs. the Nawlins 2nd and 3rd stringers.

HE'S NOT READY.

Simmah!!! Simmah down nah!!

I'm walking a fine line here in respect to this article and I know it, Mr. Rausch. It's a nuanced position.

1. The claim that Herm will lose the team if he starts a player who hasn't "earned" the job is inconsistent with other decisions Hermoine has made.

2. Based on statistics alone, Brodie played better than Downfield in pre-season. Mistakes and all.

I'm not saying that the best decision is to start Brodie if he isn't ready to take the reins. Maybe he doesn't know the playbook, maybe he has failed to go to the number one receiver, maybe he put salt in Herm's coffee, I don't know.

What I do know is that the justification for the decision as proferred by this article isn't really supported by facts or evidence.

FAX

Chiefnj2 · 08-28-2007, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

I dont get the Herm hate sometimes? The whole article mentions how much he wants Croyle to win the job because teams with long term success groom their own QB.

He drafted a WR in the 1st round.

The talent just isnt there completely on the offensive side of the ball. What else do you want him to do??

What he should have done is place a greater focus on the OL in the offseason. Going into the season with Terry, Turley and Svitek as the top RT starters and LT/RT backups was not good foresight.

I still think it was a mistake to start Bowe off so slowly. Other teams got their late signed players on the field much more quickly.

Finally, I find it interesting that Herm keeps playing Parker, but the guy he dumped, C. Thorpe, has 10 receptions for 111 yards and 2 TDs in preseason thus far. He has better stats than just about the entire KC WR corps put together.

el borracho · 08-28-2007, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cochise

I don't want to see a 4-6 team in November though with Huard at QB, and Herm Edwards about how "every game is a playoff game".

This is my fear, as well. We will hover just below .500 until the end of the season- mathmatically (but not really) "in contention."

at Houston
at Chicago
Minnesota
at San Diego..............1-3

Jacksonville
Cincinnatti
at Oakland
Green Bay..................3-5

Denver
at Indianapolis
Oakland
San Diego..................5-7

at Denver..................5-8 Yay! Our season is effectively over and there are only3 weeks left to play our QBoTF!

el borracho · 08-28-2007, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldandslow

We are not going to the SB with Damon Huard at QB.

This entire "win now" philosophy is silly. We aren't going to win now. Honestly, if any of you were gamblers, would you bet on the Chiefs, this year, to win 10? to go to the Playoffs? to go to the SB?

This article is PR, plain and simple.

Exactly correct. We aren't going anywhere this year no matter who starts at QB and Huard does not represent any future. Huard is a bandaid on a shotgun wound.

King_Chief_Fan · 08-28-2007, 08:54 AM

It is funny when you read something rather quickly as when I read the post heading....... I read it to mean Edwards and Huard has to go.

Now that would be a story I would be interested in!

el borracho · 08-28-2007, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaKCMan AP

Looks like the myth that we have the worst offensive line in football is still alive and well.

Hyperbole?- Maybe, but we are near the bottom. Our line has been a disaster this preseason. I don't expect McIntosh to make a huge difference; do you?

Chiefnj2 · 08-28-2007, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FAX

Simmah!!! Simmah down nah!!

2. Based on statistics alone, Brodie played better than Downfield in pre-season. Mistakes and all.

What I do know is that the justification for the decision as proferred by this article isn't really supported by facts or evidence.

FAX

The only time Huard started a game and played with the first unit he was 3/5 with 0 INTs and 0 TDs. His stats as a "starter" are better than Croyle's although he really wasn't given much of a chance.

teedubya · 08-28-2007, 08:57 AM

wait, where is htismaqe to profess his manlove for Croyle?

08-28-2007, 06:36 AM
dirk digler Please squeeze Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Clinton, MO Casino cash: $2744644	POSNANSKI: Edwards has to go with Huard to save team There should be no doubt that Chiefs coach Herm Edwards wanted Brodie Croyle to win the starting quarterback job this preseason. The Chiefs spent one uncomfortable offseason dangling longtime starter Trent Green. Why? One reason. Herm Edwards had seen the future, and its name was Croyle. It wasn’t just that Edwards had fallen in love with Croyle’s arm, his enthusiasm, his energy, his charisma. No, Edwards wants to jolt the Chiefs out of their stupor. For 12 seasons now, the Chiefs have not won a playoff game, even though at different times over that span they’ve had the league’s best offense, they’ve had the league’s best defense and they’ve had the league’s best special teams. So what was missing? Edwards says two things: 1. Balance. 2. A quarterback to call their own. Edwards, as you no doubt know, has harped constantly about balance ever since he arrived in town. He is always telling his players that the offense needs to help the defense (longer drives, more first downs, play the field-position game) and the defense needs to help the offense (force more turnovers, play big on third downs, create field position). He thinks that in the past, Chiefs offenses and defenses were too much about themselves and their stats and not enough about winning championships. The second part, the quarterback, is touchier. It is possible (not likely, but possible) to win with someone else’s discarded quarterback. Baltimore and Tampa Bay won Super Bowls with Trent Dilfer and Brad Johnson, respectively. Oakland went to the Super Bowl with Rich Gannon. But those teams tend to collapse quickly. Your consistent winners, generally speaking, are teams with their own quarterbacks. Indianapolis has Peyton Manning. New England has Tom Brady. Philadelphia has Donovan McNabb. Edwards wants the Chiefs to be one of those teams. So, yes, Edwards is ready for the Chiefs to make that quarterback jump. He’s more than ready. One of the consistent themes of the Carl Peterson era has been to go into the season with a veteran quarterback bought, borrowed or stolen from other teams. That strategy took the Chiefs so far. But it never took them all the way. So you better believe Edwards wanted Croyle to win the job. He wasn’t alone. Lots of Chiefs fans wanted Croyle to win the job. Heck, I wanted Croyle to win the job. Why not? He represented something new, something potentially exciting. Damon Huard, the likeable and sturdy veteran quarterback, seemed like more of the same. Here’s the trouble, though: Croyle did not win the job. And this past weekend, Herm Edwards did exactly what he had to do. He named Huard the starter. I know there are people out there who were upset by his move, people who thought Edwards wimped out and went with the safe and uninspired choice. I disagree. I think naming Huard now wasn’t just the right choice, it was the only choice. The most important thing about coaching or managing a team — something that matters more than strategy, philosophy and inspiration — is keeping your players’ respect. When you lose their respect, you lose everything. You can be the most brilliant X’s and O’s coach who ever lived, you can know exactly how to prepare a team, you can be Knute Rockne, Vince Lombardi and George Patton all rolled up into one at halftime. But if you lose the players, you lose the fight, end of story. Here’s one sure way to lose players: Give someone a job he doesn’t deserve. I am convinced that former Royals general manager Allard Baird lost the team the day he inexplicably brought up a non-prospect named Eduardo Villacis to pitch against the New York Yankees in 2004. Villacis got rocked, of course, and every player on the team had unshakable doubts about Allard Baird and the direction of the Royals from that day on. Same thing here. Croyle has been brutal in the preseason games. Yes, he has had a moment or two — the guy has talent — but all in all, he has looked confused and raw. This hasn’t been entirely his fault. He has been getting crushed. If the Chiefs’ offensive line doesn’t shore up, this will be a disastrous season no matter who is playing quarterback. But that does not take away from the simple fact that Croyle, so far anyway, has looked overmatched. And there’s only so much a coach can do. This isn’t fantasy football, where you can start whoever you want anytime you have a hunch. No, here, the choice has been made already. You cannot start Brodie Croyle. The quarterback is, by far, the most important position on the football team. You send a few dozen messages to your players, none of them good, if you start Croyle now. You are telling them you play favorites — he clearly has not won the job. You are telling them that this is a rebuilding season (i.e. “a season to develop a quarterback”). You are telling them that all that talk about how “the best players play,” was just that: Talk. No, Edwards has no choice at all. He wanted Croyle to win the job, he really did, but at some point there’s only so much a coach can do. The kid didn’t win it. He wasn’t ready. For now, Edwards’ choice is to go with Huard, who played so well last year when given the chance. With him, the Chiefs can try to win games the old-fashioned way: Run the ball, play defense, punt well, don’t turn the thing over. That gives something for everybody on the team to rally around. Edwards still believes in Croyle. He should. The kid does have talent. Croyle still looks like a good bet to be the Chiefs’ quarterback of the future. It’s just that the future isn’t here yet.
Posts: 66,439

08-28-2007, 08:19 AM	#31
DaKCMan AP Beloved & Awesome CP Celebrity Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Florida Casino cash: $6714952	Looks like the myth that we have the worst offensive line in football is still alive and well. __________________
Posts: 35,696

08-28-2007, 08:21 AM	#32
MGRS13 Veteran Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Home in KC Casino cash: $10074930	1. Balance? Are you freaking kidding me? Balance, yea right.
Posts: 4,217

08-28-2007, 08:32 AM	#35
FAX testing ... 1, 2, 3 Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Tennessee Casino cash: $6753759	"Herm knows all. Herm has a plan. Herm can't be wrong. It's okay. Blah, Blah, Blabablah." There's only one thing wrong with this fabulous analysis. Brodie performed better than Downfield in pre-season and (based on almost all reports) in training camp, as well. Personally, I'm not buying it. So the team will revolt if a job goes to an unproven player? We still have Samie Jabar Parker at receiver and zero competition at kicker. How "proven" was Downfield when his number got called last year? I call hogwash. FAX
Posts: 44,492

08-28-2007, 08:54 AM	#42
King_Chief_Fan Praise Him Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: none ya Casino cash: $5835486	It is funny when you read something rather quickly as when I read the post heading....... I read it to mean Edwards and Huard has to go. Now that would be a story I would be interested in! __________________ No Jesus No Peace Know Jesus Know Peace Ephesians 2:8-10 English Standard Version (ESV) 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Posts: 12,181

08-28-2007, 08:57 AM	#45
teedubya Most Valuable Poster Join Date: Oct 2003 Casino cash: $9460002	wait, where is htismaqe to profess his manlove for Croyle?
Posts: 36,666