Damon Huard: The MVP

[Hootie]

http://chiefs.scout.com/2/672724.html

By C.E. Wendler
Warpaint Illustrated Columnist
Posted Aug 27, 2007


Today, I was all prepared to rip apart the Chiefs for declaring veteran quarterback Damon Huard the starter over the weekend.

I couldn’t believe the news when I heard it Saturday afternoon. Everything the Chiefs had done with Brodie Croyle this offseason led me to believe he would be taking the first snap of the season in Houston. Huard hadn’t done anything to win the job. I was livid.

I was ready to call the Chiefs a bunch of scared, gutless cowards for going with the safe, 34-year-old, play-not-to-lose, nine-and-seven-season option.

But then it hit me. There’s one incredibly good reason why Huard should be Kansas City’s starter in 2007.

He’s the MVP.

No, I haven’t gone off the deep end. Huard’s not a real, 30-touchdown, Hawaii-bound, Saturday-night-live-appearing NFL MVP candidate. He’s not even a 1,700-yard, Rockawear-promoting, $19-million Team MVP candidate. But what he is, at least for the Chiefs in 2007, is the Most Valuable Piñata.

Consider the state of Kansas City’s offensive line. There’s absolutely no blindside protection at the moment, and converted defensive end Will Svitek looks like a failed project. Who knows when Damion McIntosh will return to the lineup, and the degree to which he’ll be effective – despite a good training camp – is questionable.

Center Casey Wiegmann looks primed for another season of being shoved eight yards into the backfield by large defensive tackles. Guard John Welbourn appears to be a huge dropoff from Will Shields, regardless of how much the future Hall of Famer’s play declined last year.

And the right tackle situation? Yikes. The Chris Terry reclamation project looks like a complete waste of time, and who knows how long Kyle Turley’s back will hold up.

Where’s Jordan Black when you need him? Yes, Chiefs fans, the situation is that bad.

Surely KC’s coaching staff and front office noticed all of this transpiring against the Saints last Thursday. One can only imagine they watched in horror as Brodie Croyle ran for his life from New Orleans’ defensive linemen and linebackers, and came to the same conclusion I did once my rage subsided Sunday afternoon.

The Chiefs can’t subject Croyle to this offensive line. It would be career suicide to throw him behind such awful protection. His knees, both of them already surgically repaired after ACL injuries, would be at incredible risk.

Throw in the fact that KC’s wide receivers have put in a pedestrian show this preseason (Samie Parker, I’m looking at you), and there’s just no good reason to shove Croyle into the spotlight this year. It’d be like asking someone other than Rambo to go into Afghanistan alone and find Osama Bin Laden. Croyle certainly isn’t Rambo, but the Chiefs’ current offensive line is his worst nightmare.

When head coach Herm Edwards explained why Croyle has been relegated to the bench Sunday afternoon, it reinforced my thinking.

“Nobody helped him,” said Edwards. “Nobody helped the guy. Nobody made a big play when they had an opportunity, so it kind of gets laid on the quarterback. The problem is that when you are in a situation like this, you need some stability. You don’t need a guy that’s a young player who feels like he needs to make all of the big plays. That’s not fair to a position player.”

Herm’s right. It’s absolutely unfair to subject Croyle to this offensive line, especially when he hasn’t experienced the likes of Shawne Merriman breathing down his neck. And not only will the Chiefs see Merriman twice this season, they also get Aaron Kampman (15.5 sacks in 2006), Mark Anderson (12), Derrick Burgess (11), and Dwight Freeney this year. Throw in Denver’s promising rookie defensive end, Jarvis Moss, and there’ll be no shortage of heat on KC quarterbacks in 2007.

Anointing Damon Huard the sacrificial lamb makes sense. Throwing Croyle to the wolves now could end in catastrophe - a serious injury, or permanent scars to his mental game.

There’s history here. Ryan Leaf, hailed as San Diego’s savior in 1998, struggled immensely behind a poor offensive line while throwing to prolific receivers such as Charlie Jones and Bryan Still. Rick Mirer took a beating with the Seahawks early in his career and never recovered. Most recently, David Carr’s NFL future took a nosedive due to Houston’s expansion-level offensive line.

Let Huard get rocked this year. The Chiefs have no serious money invested in him, and his time is almost up anyway. Kansas City will have a mediocre-to-bad season, and might have a shot at a premier left tackle in next year’s draft. Maybe Michigan’s Jake Long, or if things go better than expected, Clemson’s Barry Richardson.

The Chiefs can then move McIntosh to right tackle, and find a guard to complement Brian Waters in free agency. With the development of Dwayne Bowe – and possibly one of KC’s other young receivers – Croyle will have a much stronger supporting cast around him in 2008. Edwards can then protect him in the same manner Marty Schottenheimer protected Philip Rivers last season.

In the meantime, let the Most Valuable Piñata do his job this year. There might even be some delicious candy inside him – a playoff berth. That’s more fun than seeing your quarterback of the future get ripped apart, anyway.

[cdcox]

Originally Posted by L.A.Chieffan

We had one of the best lines in football.
Roaf and Shields retire and now we have THE WORST LINE IN FOOTBALL??

I dont get it. Did we have the best line in football or did we just have the two best guys and 3 other chumps?

OL is only as strong as its weakest link. You can usually cover one weakness and still have an adequate line. RT is suspect with Turley. LT is terrible with Svitek. If we can get MacIntosh back, and Turley stays healthy and WE HAVE NO OTHER INJURIES, we'll have an adequate line. If we have any injuies though it is going to get really, really ugly.

[kcfanXIII]

i can see his point, this line is bad, but we need to know what croyle is really made of.

[jAZ]

Originally Posted by Donger

Say what you will about GoChiefs, he really is improving exponentially as a writer, IMO.

If you consider taking the ideas of people on the board, rewriting them in his own words and then claiming them as ex post facto epiphanies... then yes.

[Skip Towne]

Originally Posted by Donger

Look out. Skip's horny.

Yep, you would do.

[Skip Towne]

Originally Posted by jAZ

If you consider taking the ideas of people on the board, rewriting them in his own words and then claiming them as ex post facto epiphanies... then yes.

He also steals from columns on other websites. I once suggested he do a "where are they now?" on ex-Chiefs. He promptly declined. It would require actual research.

[L.A. Chieffan]

Originally Posted by cdcox

OL is only as strong as its weakest link. You can usually cover one weakness and still have an adequate line. RT is suspect with Turley. LT is terrible with Svitek. If we can get MacIntosh back, and Turley stays healthy and WE HAVE NO OTHER INJURIES, we'll have an adequate line. If we have any injuies though it is going to get really, really ugly.

I see your point about the left side especially with svitek but if it gets to be really a problem we could always stack that side with Dunn and the FB until Mcintosh gets back. Personally I think Turley will be fine.

It just seems reading this article and since the Saints game everybody has all the sudden freaked about the line.

Not much as changed since last year. In fact I think it's better since we got Mcintosh to replace Black and Turley looks A LOT better.

[FAX]

Originally Posted by SportsRacer

Uh oh, I think Clayton forgot to log out of his Hootie alias.

Bless his heart. I'm kind of sad about this. I liked the Mr. Hootie persona as a distinct person. It was good to see someone taking up for Mr. GoChiefs once in a while.

FAX

[cdcox]

Originally Posted by L.A.Chieffan

I see your point about the left side especially with svitek but if it gets to be really a problem we could always stack that side with Dunn and the FB until Mcintosh gets back. Personally I think Turley will be fine.

It just seems reading this article and since the Saints game everybody has all the sudden freaked about the line.

Not much as changed since last year.

We faced the same situation with Black on the left side last year. Every time you keep a blocker in to help with the left side you pull a target out of the pattern. I don't think we ever got to the point last year of protecting the left side while still going down field. As a result our offese became stale and predictable and the Colts completely shut it down by loading the box and jamming short passing routes.

It's like a cancer to your offense, you just can't plug all the problems at once.

[FAX]

Honestly, the only real answer when you're going to battle with a terrible offensive line is a mobile quarterback. You have to move the pocket, scramble, and bootleg.

Downfield may be the awesomest of all times at the high pass, but he's no dog killer.

FAX

[Hootie]

Originally Posted by FAX

Bless his heart. I'm kind of sad about this. I liked the Mr. Hootie persona as a distinct person. It was good to see someone taking up for Mr. GoChiefs once in a while.

FAX

I'm sitting in for Clayton while he closes in on 50,000...

[Skip Towne]

Originally Posted by FAX

Honestly, the only real answer when you're going to battle with a terrible offensive line is a mobile quarterback. You have to move the pocket, scramble, and bootleg.

Downfield may be the awesomest of all times at the high pass, but he's no dog killer.

FAX

We do have a poor man's dog killer......Casey Printers. He is most suited of all of our QB's to deal with a porous Oline.

[teedubya]

Most Valuable Piñata.

That shit is funny. Great article, shitbag.

[FAX]

Originally Posted by Skip Towne

We do have a poor man's dog killer......Casey Printers. He is most suited of all of our QB's to deal with a porous Oline.

If things go south, Hermoine might just call his number, Mr. Skip Towne.

I guess it all depends on how much ass-bruising Downfield can tolerate.

FAX

[TinyEvel]

Edgy.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by jAZ

If you consider taking the ideas of people on the board, rewriting them in his own words and then claiming them as ex post facto epiphanies... then yes.

Who claimed here that Huard would be a pinata?