POSNANSKI: Edwards has to go with Huard to save team

[dirk digler]

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.

[OnTheWarpath15]

Originally Posted by FAX

Good point, Mr. BigRock. Still, I'm sitting here trying to figure out how you develop a young quarterback by sitting his ass on the bench. Maybe Downfield could mind-meld with him in the locker room.

If Pos had said, Brodie didn't win the job because he still doesn't have the playbook down, doesn't make his reads, or farts in the huddle, I would said, "It's okay!". Instead, the justification seems to be that Herm was concerned that he would "lose" the team. Personally, I don't buy it.

FAX

Couldn't agree more, Mr. FAX.

Just another lame-ass excuse from 1 Arrowhead Drive, and it has Carl Peterson's fingerprints all over it.

[MGRS13]

Originally Posted by Chiefnj2

Ahh, now I get your point - and I agree.

The main motivation for Herm going with Huard, IMO, is Herm's conservative nature and fear of turnovers. I do agree with Pos that Croyle was given the chance to win the job and didn't, and that Herm has been (for the most part) going with the best player wins the job approach.

But Huard did NOTHING to win the job.

[MGRS13]

Originally Posted by BigRock

How you took "Huard played well last year" to mean anything resembling what you just wrote is a complete mystery. But thanks for playing!

Is carlton Gray around? We should give him a huge contract based on the year before.

[BigRock]

Originally Posted by MGRS13

No what you are saying is there never was a competition this year, it was Huards job all he had to do was show up

I didn't say anything even remotely resembling that. But, again, thanks for playing.

[MGRS13]

Originally Posted by BigRock

I didn't say anything even remotely resembling that. But, again, thanks for playing.

If we are playing assy kissy with Huard I think you are winning.

[OnTheWarpath15]

Originally Posted by Chiefnj2

Ahh, now I get your point - and I agree.

The main motivation for Herm going with Huard, IMO, is Herm's conservative nature and fear of turnovers. I do agree with Pos that Croyle was given the chance to win the job and didn't, and that Herm has been (for the most part) going with the best player wins the job approach.

To a degree, I agree with you. But I think it's a secondary issue. Bottom line is that it seemed EVERYONE wanted Croyle to start, except for Peterson. Then Huard is handed the job, and the blame lays at the feet of Herm because of his conservative nature?

I know a lot of people think Herm is a moron, but I think the guy is smart enough to know that Croyle was going to make mistakes. He knew that back in April. He didn't need 3 PS games to figure it out.

I think Herm, and the staff were ready to take the risk involved in starting a young QB, and CP vetoed it.

JMO.

[MGRS13]

Originally Posted by BigRock

I didn't say anything even remotely resembling that. But, again, thanks for playing.

But really if he didnt win the job based on last year or this year why exactly should he be giving the Job?

[Chiefnj2]

Originally Posted by MGRS13

But Huard did NOTHING to win the job.

Huard performed well last year and he didn't do anything to lose the job this preseason.

Can you name many players that earned jobs this preseason?

[Deberg_1990]

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

I think Herm, and the staff were ready to take the risk involved in starting a young QB, and CP vetoed it.

JMO.

Ill say it again...I think Carl didnt like the vibe he got from that crowd reaction at Arrowhead last week. He knew it would be a whole season of that if Croyle started so he overruled Herm.

Carl refuses to build a team the right way. He always goes with the band aid fix.

[OnTheWarpath15]

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

Ill say it again...I think Carl didnt like the vibe he got from that crowd reaction at Arrowhead last week. He knew it would be a whole season of that if Croyle started so he overruled Herm.

Carl refuses to build a team the right way. He always goes with the band aid fix.

He was still in Huard's corner WAY before that.....was it the second episode of Hard Knocks? That would have been before the Miami game.

The fan reaction (which is ****ing reeruned, considering the lack of STH there) was just the straw breaking the camel's back.

[Archie Bunker]

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

He was still in Huard's corner WAY before that.....was it the second episode of Hard Knocks? That would have been before the Miami game.

The fan reaction (which is ****ing reeruned, considering the lack of STH there) was just the straw breaking the camel's back.

I agree.

What does STH mean?

[BigRock]

Originally Posted by MGRS13

But really if he didnt win the job based on last year or this year why exactly should he be giving the Job?

I haven't said a single thing about how or why Huard has the job. What I said, in relation to people using Medlock and the kicking position as an example of an unproven player getting a job, is that Huard played well last season while Tynes did not. There is an enormous difference in perception between an unproven player replacing someone who did poorly and an unproven player replacing someone who played well.

Thus, it doesn't work to use Medlock as a counter to Joe's point about Huard/Brodie, because the circumstances are entirely different. And that's not even taking into account the fact that a kicker and the starting QB are not exactly equivalent positions.

[MGRS13]

Originally Posted by Chiefnj2

Huard performed well last year and he didn't do anything to lose the job this preseason.

He didn't do anything to win the job this preseason either. Look its pretty simple you want to go with the guy that looked awful in the preseason who could get us to 6 or 7 wins and an average draft pick thus putting us right back in the same position we are right now, and for all intentions wasting the whole season.........I on the other hand want to go with the young MAYBE qbotf(who also looked awful in the preseason) and yes 3 to 4 wins but at the end of the season we would be in position to draft the best LT on the board OR if Croyle has proven he can't cut it we draft a top 5 valued stud QB and build a future for this team which makes this year not a waste at all.

[MGRS13]

Originally Posted by BigRock

I haven't said a single thing about how or why Huard has the job. What I said, in relation to people using Medlock and the kicking position as an example of an unproven player getting a job, is that Huard played well last season while Tynes did not. There is an enormous difference in perception between an unproven player replacing someone who did poorly and an unproven player replacing someone who played well.

Thus, it doesn't work to use Medlock as a counter to Joe's point about Huard/Brodie, because the circumstances are entirely different. And that's not even taking into account the fact that a kicker and the starting QB are not exactly equivalent positions.

Ok fair enough. Just for the record I'm cool with Medlock hes young and if hes good weve got a kicker for a long time, if he sucks we'll just get another one. This is also my take on the QB.

[underEJ]

Originally Posted by FAX

If Pos had said, Brodie didn't win the job because he still doesn't have the playbook down, doesn't make his reads, or farts in the huddle, I would said, "It's okay!". Instead, the justification seems to be that Herm was concerned that he would "lose" the team. Personally, I don't buy it.

FAX

I'm inclined to agree with your questioning of this suspect argument. The fear of losing the team idea is old fart logic. No old fart ever wants to see other old farts lose out to youth, thus the continued use of the word kid to describe younger players and verbally put them in their place. And actually it's kind of the way newspapers work, so I guess it makes sense he would see it this way, but professional sports leagues have learned the excitement of youth and promise of bright futures can be as compelling to a fan base as continued playoff contention (and I mean that in the yearly 9-7, in it til the last field goal mathematically eliminates way.)

Unfortunately, the front office can never just come out and say, we've decided the hope of .500 is enough to make us postpone our development of Croyle, and as we have done so many years before, we might just go shopping for the next 30 year old steady veteran for next year. But, that's exactly what I heard when they gave the job to Huard.

I like Huard too; I just wanted to see something exciting even if it cost a winning season. I wanted to see this team try to build up a young QB. Now I don't think they ever will. And I think Joe P. was lunched and friended into writing a tired old excuse for the front office.