Whitlock: Seeds have been planted for a QB controversy

[Tribal Warfare]

Seeds have been planted for a QB controversy
JASON WHITLOCK COMMENTARY

You don’t need a legitimate backup to manufacture a quarterback controversy.

What you need is an overpriced starter, a reckless head coach, a frustrated fan base and bored, ratings-starved journalists and broadcasters.

Without question, the necessary ingredients are in play in Kansas City.

OK, Matt Cassel, The Sixty Million Dollar Man, is the Chiefs’ unquestioned starting quarterback. First-time head coach Todd Haley might be disappointed by Cassel’s training-camp play, but Cassel and his bionic contract will take the opening snap on opening day.

Brodie Croyle is not going to beat out The Sixty Million Dollar Man. Haley’s lip-flapping about all positions being competitive is just that — meaningless lip-flapping.

That does not mean we won’t be treated to a quarterback controversy.

The seeds have been planted, and they can take root tonight when the Chiefs take on the Minnesota Vikings in KC’s second preseason game.

Thanks to Haley’s immature decision to play Kansas City’s best offensive player, receiver Dwayne Bowe, with the second unit last weekend, the door has been opened for reporters, fans and players to wonder about The Sixty Million Dollar Man.

Haley followed up Cassel’s mediocre performance against the Texans by acknowledging that Cassel has done nothing to distinguish himself from the Chiefs’ injury-prone, winless former quarterback of the future, Brodie Croyle.

You can call me a pot-stirrer, but Haley brought the pot from the pantry and placed it on the stove. Forgive me for reaching to turn the fire on.

We can put the pot away if Cassel puts together a decent showing tonight against one of the league’s top defenses.

Oh, boy. Cassel’s first important game in a Chiefs uniform is at the Metrodome on Brett Favre Night, featuring Jared Allen, The Williams Wall and Vikings fans believing tonight is the launching of their Super Bowl bandwagon.

Oh, boy. Quarterback controversies start out tiny, build a life of their own and become these all-encompassing, massive, uncontrollable snowballs.

It’s tiny right now. All it will take is a tiny nudge to get this thing really rolling.

I can’t for the life of me understand why Haley sent The Sixty Million Dollar Man out into Arrowhead Stadium without his best weapon. It was foolish.

Did ABC ever send Steve Austin out on camera without his bionic right arm and left eye? If the network had, the show would’ve been called The Two Million Dollar Man.

Matt Cassel without a No. 1 or No. 2 receiver is a career backup. What we might learn this season is that Matt Cassel without Randy Moss and Wes Welker is a career backup.

We’ll have a little bit more information after tonight’s game. We might get an early indication on whether The Sixty Million Dollar Man is overpriced.

If he is, that’s a strike against Scott Pioli, not Todd Haley. Pioli masterminded the Cassel acquisition.

Last week, when Bowe made Brodie Croyle look like a competent NFL quarterback, I wondered what Pioli thought of Bowe’s use. More than likely, Pioli agreed with Haley’s get-tough policy with Bowe.

But there’s a chance Pioli was most interested in how Bowe’s use influenced the play of the quarterback Pioli sweet-talked Clark Hunt into giving $30 million in guarantees.

Football teams operate like every other business. The people in charge largely do what’s in their own best interest. If they hire someone and their credibility is attached to the new hire’s success, then they’ll do whatever is ethical or unethical to see that their new hire shines.

If it would help Cassel, Pioli would spring O.J. Simpson from the joint and line him up 7 yards deep. It’s hard for me to believe that Pioli thinks Bowe’s practice habits are so poor that the only way to get him to perform is demote him to third team, especially when The Sixty Million Dollar Man is stuck throwing to Terrance Copper.

Cassel doesn’t need to post big numbers tonight. He just has to sustain a drive or two, put a couple of field goals on the board. The Minnesota defense is really good. And the Metrodome is going to be electric with Favre in the house.

[Coogs]

Originally Posted by BigChiefDave

I see JW is hard up for material...

No kidding. Flamming on Haley in every single Chiefs article he writes... That's really all he has. JW's turning into the "Jack Harry" of the newpaper right in front of our eyes.

[penchief]

Calling Haley "reckless" seems a little out of touch to me. He comes accross as anything but reckless. Articles like this remind me why I used to hate Whitlock's schtick. It always seems to be more about waging a campaign against something he doesn't like personally than it does actual football. Enough already. Why do some people thrive on starting shit that doesn't exist? Whitlock needs to grow up and stop being a petty asshole.

[keg in kc]

The chiefs haven't planted any seeds, but some in the media are sure trying reeeally hard.

[CoMoChief]

This is a stupid article, having that said. Cassel played like shit the first pre-season game. It was obvious that Croyle had the better game....but it was against 2nd stringers so take it with a grain of salt.

I do know this. If Cassel goes into week one and has a shitty game, with the offense showing no signs of spark in the passing game, then the questions about his (cassel) acquisition will start to brew.

[keg in kc]

As I recall, Cassel threw 5 passes and 4 of them were on the numbers. If that's playing like shit, I hope he does it all year.

[the Talking Can]

Originally Posted by CoMoChief

This is a stupid article, having that said. Cassel played like shit the first pre-season game. It was obvious that Croyle had the better game....but it was against 2nd stringers so take it with a grain of salt.

I do know this. If Cassel goes into week one and has a shitty game, with the offense showing no signs of spark in the passing game, then the questions about his (cassel) acquisition will start to brew.

really?

1 game before we throw a new coach, QB, and system under the bus?


that's awesome

[MMXcalibur]

Another writer who's getting his access to the Chiefs yanked and is attempting to stay relevant by throwing shit at the wall to see if it sticks in retaliation?

Et tu, Whitlock?

[ChiefJustice]

Originally Posted by the Talking Can

really?

1 game before we through a new coach, QB, and system under the bus?


that's awesome

DaKCMan AP awesome....or just stupid awesome?


I forget which one equates to fail.

[CoMoChief]

Originally Posted by the Talking Can

really?

1 game before we through a new coach, QB, and system under the bus?


that's awesome

This is Chiefsplanet......I'm sure you've posted on here during gameday. This place is filled with idiots.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by keg in kc

As I recall, Cassel threw 5 passes and 4 of them were on the numbers. If that's playing like shit, I hope he does it all year.

correct. All he can do is put the ball in their hands or hit them in the #'s.

Croyle has the talent, the arm and the leadership skills. But, if you can't stay on the field, what's the point of having all those skills? We can't trust our team to his fragile body.

[Otter]

Originally Posted by kysirsoze

Not only is this unwarranted, but the whole 'Haley brought out the pot' thing is bullshit. All he said was that he wasn't going to say if Cassel had distinguished himself among the QB's. The next day he elaborated saying it wasn't fair to make that assessment yet since the job starting job was still open. I actually used to like Whitlock. This offseason he has totally blown it.

No kidding.

The ironic part is that when the coach finally talks it gets blown into this glorified sewing circle rumor then the press bitches because the coaches and management staff (ie Pioli) don't communicate with the press when they pull shit like what we see above.

It's like Paris Hilton asking "why don't people take me seriously?".

[Chiefnj2]

Whitlock is 100% correct. Seeds of a QB controversy were planted. Didn't Babb post something on his twitter account about Croyle possibly pushing Cassel out of a starting job? Williamson of ESPN wrote that Cassel struggled in preseason. Even though all of those reports are unwarranted they did start circulating and getting some press and got people talking. There were people on this board who were saying similar things, although some of it was TIC.

Even though it is stupid to say there is a controversy, talk about a controversy has begun and it will certainly get a lot worse if Cassel puts up bad numbers tonight (whether it's his fault or some moronic coaching decision to play Bowe with the #2 unit) and Croyle performs like he did last week.

[wild1]

Yes. Our $63 million backup. That's gonna happen.

[Quesadilla Joe]

Originally Posted by wild1

Yes. Our $63 million backup. That's gonna happen.

Drew Bledsoe.

[Baby Lee]

Originally Posted by the Talking Can

i read that


now i'm reeruned

Thanks for joining the rest of the world in that realization.