Chiefs Covitz: Croyle does well in first game back after season-ending injury in 2008

**Tribal Warfare** · 08-16-2009, 01:52 AM

Chiefs’ Croyle does well in first game back after season-ending injury in 2008
By RANDY COVITZ
The Kansas City Star

Chiefs quarterback Brodie Croyle shook off nearly 10 months of rust on Saturday night.

He demonstrated he could take a hit. He showed he could still move around the pocket as well as move the pile on the quarterback sneak. And he calmly directed the 2-minute drive.

All were significant steps in the comeback of Croyle, who played four series and completed 12 of 18 passes for 145 yards in the Chiefs’ 16-10 loss to Houston in the preseason opener at Arrowhead Stadium.

“It felt good to get back out there,” said Croyle. “You had butterflies you normally don’t have … but once I got out there and once I got going, I got settled back in, got the feel of the pocket again, and at that point, it becomes football.”

A year ago, Croyle opened the season as the Chiefs’ starter and cornerstone to then-coach Herm Edwards’ youth movement. But injuries knocked him out of both of his starts — a right shoulder injury when sacked in the season opener at New England and a season-ending knee injury when hit while passing on Oct. 19 against Tennessee.

After an offseason of rehabbing his knee and his pride, Croyle is battling Tyler Thigpen — an 11-game starter in 2008 — for the second-team quarterback during training camp.

“I feel great; I felt good all camp,” Croyle said. “It was fun to actually get to play football. After all the rehab, all the working out, all the stuff you do to get back out there, it makes it all worthwhile when you get out there playing.”

Croyle, in his first series after replacing starter Matt Cassel, was a sitting target when Houston rookie defensive end Connor Barwin blew past Chiefs offensive tackle Branden Albert. Barwin, the Texans’ second-round draft pick, buried Croyle into the fresh, new Arrowhead Stadium turf, but the quarterback bounced right up, his surgically repaired left knee able to withstand the hit.

“I did not think about the knee,” Croyle said. “For anybody who has had surgeries, the biggest mental step is getting over it. Anytime you’re coming back from an injury, you want to get that first hit out of the way.”

Then, in Croyle’s second series, with the Chiefs trailing 13-0 and 1 minute, 7 seconds left in the half, he drove the offense 49 yards in nine plays, culminating with Ryan Succop’s 47-yard field goal as time expired.

Croyle completed four of seven passes for 48 yards on the drive, including passes of 14 yards to Mark Bradley; 14 to Dwayne Bowe and one down the middle for 12 yards to Rodney Wright, who called timeout with 1 second to play.

Showing his old mobility, Croyle rolled left to avoid pressure before he hit Bowe, who made a diving catch.

Croyle, playing in a driving rain, opened the second half by completing five of seven passes for 57 yards before the drive bogged down at the Houston 24 with a fourth-down pass that was nearly intercepted by Texans defensive tackle Frank Okam.

Croyle kept the drive alive by converting a fourth and 1 with a quarterback sneak. He also set up a nice screen pass to running back Dantrell Savage for 11 yards and a deep seam pattern to Mark Bradley for 22 yards.

“There were a lot of shot-put throws,” Croyle said of throwing in the rain. “A lot of balls you normally hang onto a little bit longer, waiting for things to happen and laying it out there and letting them run to it, but there wasn’t a whole lot of zip on them.”

But there was enough zip to please head coach Todd Haley.

“It was great for Brodie,” Haley said. “He got a lot of playing time in some difficult situations and made a couple of really nice throws in poor weather conditions to say the least. That’s nothing but positive for Brodie to get his feet wet, gain confidence in his knee and get back to playing football.”

Croyle, the Chiefs’ third-round draft pick in 2006, made one critical mistake when called for intentional grounding after he tried throwing the ball away, but it did not reach the line of scrimmage.

“I went to throw it, and the receiver got hit,” Croyle said. “It wasn’t going to be close to him, but it was going to be close enough. I couldn’t throw it past the line of scrimmage with offensive linemen being downfield. I should have thrown it closer to a running back or out of bounds.”

Silock · 08-16-2009, 03:49 AM

Croyle looked better than Cassel. Maybe that was the competition and the fact he had Bowe, but them's the facts as I see them.

I'm not saying Croyle is the long-term answer or even better than Cassel, but he certainly looked good enough to be the starter on THIS team.

**Buehler445** · 08-16-2009, 08:57 AM

I hope we can get him traded to a needy team. Like MN. Maybe WASH.

beach tribe · 08-16-2009, 09:29 AM

I hope we keep him around as Cassel's backup. I would be totally cool with Croyle coming in if Cassel happens to go down.

EyePod · 08-16-2009, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beach tribe

I hope we keep him around as Cassel's backup. I would be totally cool with Croyle coming in if Cassel happens to go down.

I think Croyle has always been the best QB on our roster, that is, until he hits the IR..... That is his only major negative. He definitely has what it takes if you ignore his injuries...

Brock · 08-16-2009, 09:30 AM

What do you do 15 minutes later when Croyle is on the ground writhing in pain?

RINGLEADER · 08-16-2009, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brock

What do you do 15 minutes later when Croyle is on the ground writhing in pain?

Exactly.

JuicesFlowing · 08-16-2009, 10:16 AM

I keep hearing about Croyle's great arm, but still haven't seen the deep ball much.

boogblaster · 08-16-2009, 10:19 AM

Croyle will make a decent BU for Cassell ...

**Buehler445** · 08-16-2009, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JuicesFlowing

I keep hearing about Croyle's great arm, but still haven't seen the deep ball much.

He had a couple.

Where you see his ****ing cannon is on the intermediate throws that are ****ing lasers.

**BigMeatballDave** · 08-16-2009, 12:20 PM

If Croyle was 20 lbs heavier and stayed healthy, he would be a pretty good QB.

Pasta Little Brioni · 08-16-2009, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JuicesFlowing

I keep hearing about Croyle's great arm, but still haven't seen the deep ball much.

Hearing??? Have you ever watched the guy throw??? He has a cannon.

KCBOSS1 · 08-16-2009, 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigChiefDave

If Croyle was 20 lbs heavier and stayed healthy, he would be a pretty good QB.

That's a good point. Why don't they put this guy on some kind of protein deal. That might help his injury prone stuff. he still looks llike our best quarterback.

**DeezNutz** · 08-16-2009, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigChiefDave

If Croyle was 20 lbs heavier and stayed healthy, he would be a pretty good QB.

If frogs had wings, they wouldn't bump their asses when they hop.

ChiefaRoo · 08-16-2009, 02:12 PM

Croyle can throw it a bit but he's fragile and inexperienced. Further, he hasn't won when he's played.

Anyone who gets too excited should just look at that reeruned grounding call he had against him. It was a drive killing mistake that showed he's not always thinking.

08-16-2009, 01:52 AM
Tribal Warfare The Boom Boom Room Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Far Beyond Comprehension Casino cash: $952813	Covitz: Croyle does well in first game back after season-ending injury in 2008 Chiefs’ Croyle does well in first game back after season-ending injury in 2008 By RANDY COVITZ The Kansas City Star Chiefs quarterback Brodie Croyle shook off nearly 10 months of rust on Saturday night. He demonstrated he could take a hit. He showed he could still move around the pocket as well as move the pile on the quarterback sneak. And he calmly directed the 2-minute drive. All were significant steps in the comeback of Croyle, who played four series and completed 12 of 18 passes for 145 yards in the Chiefs’ 16-10 loss to Houston in the preseason opener at Arrowhead Stadium. “It felt good to get back out there,” said Croyle. “You had butterflies you normally don’t have … but once I got out there and once I got going, I got settled back in, got the feel of the pocket again, and at that point, it becomes football.” A year ago, Croyle opened the season as the Chiefs’ starter and cornerstone to then-coach Herm Edwards’ youth movement. But injuries knocked him out of both of his starts — a right shoulder injury when sacked in the season opener at New England and a season-ending knee injury when hit while passing on Oct. 19 against Tennessee. After an offseason of rehabbing his knee and his pride, Croyle is battling Tyler Thigpen — an 11-game starter in 2008 — for the second-team quarterback during training camp. “I feel great; I felt good all camp,” Croyle said. “It was fun to actually get to play football. After all the rehab, all the working out, all the stuff you do to get back out there, it makes it all worthwhile when you get out there playing.” Croyle, in his first series after replacing starter Matt Cassel, was a sitting target when Houston rookie defensive end Connor Barwin blew past Chiefs offensive tackle Branden Albert. Barwin, the Texans’ second-round draft pick, buried Croyle into the fresh, new Arrowhead Stadium turf, but the quarterback bounced right up, his surgically repaired left knee able to withstand the hit. “I did not think about the knee,” Croyle said. “For anybody who has had surgeries, the biggest mental step is getting over it. Anytime you’re coming back from an injury, you want to get that first hit out of the way.” Then, in Croyle’s second series, with the Chiefs trailing 13-0 and 1 minute, 7 seconds left in the half, he drove the offense 49 yards in nine plays, culminating with Ryan Succop’s 47-yard field goal as time expired. Croyle completed four of seven passes for 48 yards on the drive, including passes of 14 yards to Mark Bradley; 14 to Dwayne Bowe and one down the middle for 12 yards to Rodney Wright, who called timeout with 1 second to play. Showing his old mobility, Croyle rolled left to avoid pressure before he hit Bowe, who made a diving catch. Croyle, playing in a driving rain, opened the second half by completing five of seven passes for 57 yards before the drive bogged down at the Houston 24 with a fourth-down pass that was nearly intercepted by Texans defensive tackle Frank Okam. Croyle kept the drive alive by converting a fourth and 1 with a quarterback sneak. He also set up a nice screen pass to running back Dantrell Savage for 11 yards and a deep seam pattern to Mark Bradley for 22 yards. “There were a lot of shot-put throws,” Croyle said of throwing in the rain. “A lot of balls you normally hang onto a little bit longer, waiting for things to happen and laying it out there and letting them run to it, but there wasn’t a whole lot of zip on them.” But there was enough zip to please head coach Todd Haley. “It was great for Brodie,” Haley said. “He got a lot of playing time in some difficult situations and made a couple of really nice throws in poor weather conditions to say the least. That’s nothing but positive for Brodie to get his feet wet, gain confidence in his knee and get back to playing football.” Croyle, the Chiefs’ third-round draft pick in 2006, made one critical mistake when called for intentional grounding after he tried throwing the ball away, but it did not reach the line of scrimmage. “I went to throw it, and the receiver got hit,” Croyle said. “It wasn’t going to be close to him, but it was going to be close enough. I couldn’t throw it past the line of scrimmage with offensive linemen being downfield. I should have thrown it closer to a running back or out of bounds.”
Posts: 42,032

08-16-2009, 03:49 AM	#2
Silock MVP Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Overland Park Casino cash: $10020882	Croyle looked better than Cassel. Maybe that was the competition and the fact he had Bowe, but them's the facts as I see them. I'm not saying Croyle is the long-term answer or even better than Cassel, but he certainly looked good enough to be the starter on THIS team.
Posts: 19,908

08-16-2009, 08:57 AM	#3
Buehler445 Supporter Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Scott City KS Casino cash: $2354734	I hope we can get him traded to a needy team. Like MN. Maybe WASH.
Posts: 56,766

08-16-2009, 09:29 AM	#4
beach tribe Keep doubting J MFing Houston Join Date: May 2007 Location: ft.lauderdale Casino cash: $4838036	I hope we keep him around as Cassel's backup. I would be totally cool with Croyle coming in if Cassel happens to go down.
Posts: 21,429

08-16-2009, 09:30 AM	#6
Brock Say hello to my little friend Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Larryville Casino cash: $9598422	What do you do 15 minutes later when Croyle is on the ground writhing in pain?
Posts: 47,314

08-16-2009, 10:16 AM	#8
JuicesFlowing Losing with passion. Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Oblivion Casino cash: $10004925	I keep hearing about Croyle's great arm, but still haven't seen the deep ball much.
Posts: 4,399

08-16-2009, 10:19 AM	#9
boogblaster MVP Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Verdigris Valley Campsite Casino cash: $10004900	Croyle will make a decent BU for Cassell ... __________________ WR or S please
Posts: 10,305

08-16-2009, 12:20 PM	#11
BigMeatballDave GBM 8-12-15 Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Dayton, Oh. Casino cash: $10052154	If Croyle was 20 lbs heavier and stayed healthy, he would be a pretty good QB.
Posts: 59,997

08-16-2009, 02:12 PM	#15
ChiefaRoo MVP Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Austin,TX Casino cash: $5187505	Croyle can throw it a bit but he's fragile and inexperienced. Further, he hasn't won when he's played. Anyone who gets too excited should just look at that reeruned grounding call he had against him. It was a drive killing mistake that showed he's not always thinking.
Posts: 11,848