Tribal Warfare
10-23-2008, 01:25 AM
Huard, like Croyle, out for the rest of season; Chiefs sign former Jacksonville QB Gray (http://www.kansascity.com/sports/chiefs/story/853599.html)
By KENT BABB
The Kansas City Star
Silly and unpredictable as it’s gotten, Chiefs coach Herm Edwards can’t muster a smile. Not last week and not this one, either.
What is there to smile about?
Not Kansas City’s quarterback situation, which has gone from bad to worse to downright pitiful. Brodie Croyle, the passer the Chiefs counted on this season and vowed to make their quarterback of the future, is gone for the rest of the year. After he tore two knee ligaments on Sunday, that wasn’t a surprise.
No, the surprise came Wednesday, when Edwards announced Croyle’s backup, Damon Huard, also will miss the rest of the season after tearing ligaments in his right thumb. The Chiefs will start Tyler Thigpen on Sunday at the Jets, and Kansas City is one more injury from playing backup Ingle Martin, its fifth quarterback of the season.
“Yes, sir,” Edwards said Wednesday, trailing off and not smiling. “We all have crosses to bear.”
The problem with this one is, the Chiefs don’t know who will start from one week to the next — again. They thought they’d solved this problem last week when Croyle returned from a separated shoulder he suffered in week one. And, hey, if he couldn’t do the job, there was always Huard. Then Croyle and Huard were injured about 12 minutes apart.
For now, this is Thigpen’s team. The Chiefs need him to prove he’s not the same quarterback who completed less than a third of his passes in the first half five weeks ago at Atlanta.
Thigpen says he’s moved on, grown up, settled in — whatever it takes to lead the offense and do better than he did the last time he was the Chiefs’ starter.
“I’m not going to stress myself out like I did last time,” he said. “I think I put too much pressure on myself last time against Atlanta, that week. It was kind of shell shock. I know what to expect now.”
The Chiefs, however, do not. That’s why they signed former Jacksonville quarterback Quinn Gray on Wednesday. He’s a big, mobile 29-year-old who spent training camp with Indianapolis. He’s been out of work since then but said he can learn an offense quickly and said he learned the Colts’ complicated system in less than two weeks.
The Chiefs’ attack, simplified before the season and all, should be a breeze.
“I’m going to be in it day in and day out,” Gray said about 24 hours after winning a two-year contract during a simultaneous workout with former Tampa Bay quarterback Bruce Gradkowski. “If I know it well enough, hopefully I can play a little bit before the season ends.”
Before the season ends, the Chiefs might have even more quarterbacks hanging around Arrowhead Stadium. Edwards didn’t rule out continuing to scour the planet for anyone who can and will play quarterback for Kansas City, preferably on more than a week-to-week basis.
“We’re not through looking at quarterbacks,” Edwards said. “Not at all.”
The Chiefs spoke this week with former All-Pro quarterback Daunte Culpepper, but discussions didn’t advance to the point Culpepper agreed to visit Kansas City. It’s still possible Culpepper will play for the Chiefs this season, but it would be at least a few weeks — time enough for Edwards and the rest of the coaching staff to find out what they have with Thigpen and Martin and Gray.
Gray didn’t practice Wednesday. He wore shorts and a Chiefs practice jersey but no helmet and no pads. Edwards said Gray will need a couple weeks to acclimate himself to the playbook and shake off having not played since Indianapolis cut him Aug. 31.
“I showed these people that I want to still play some real good football,” Gray said of the Chiefs.
Gray said he wasn’t certain he’d get a chance to play this year. He’d like to, he said, but he’d also wait his turn. This is, after all, Thigpen’s team until it’s not again.
“He’s our guy. He’s our quarterback,” Edwards said. “So we’ll see how Tyler does. Ingle Martin is the No. 2 this week; Gray will be No. 3. Hopefully we won’t have to get to No. 3 this week.”
The way things are going, all Edwards could do was shake his head and smile.
By KENT BABB
The Kansas City Star
Silly and unpredictable as it’s gotten, Chiefs coach Herm Edwards can’t muster a smile. Not last week and not this one, either.
What is there to smile about?
Not Kansas City’s quarterback situation, which has gone from bad to worse to downright pitiful. Brodie Croyle, the passer the Chiefs counted on this season and vowed to make their quarterback of the future, is gone for the rest of the year. After he tore two knee ligaments on Sunday, that wasn’t a surprise.
No, the surprise came Wednesday, when Edwards announced Croyle’s backup, Damon Huard, also will miss the rest of the season after tearing ligaments in his right thumb. The Chiefs will start Tyler Thigpen on Sunday at the Jets, and Kansas City is one more injury from playing backup Ingle Martin, its fifth quarterback of the season.
“Yes, sir,” Edwards said Wednesday, trailing off and not smiling. “We all have crosses to bear.”
The problem with this one is, the Chiefs don’t know who will start from one week to the next — again. They thought they’d solved this problem last week when Croyle returned from a separated shoulder he suffered in week one. And, hey, if he couldn’t do the job, there was always Huard. Then Croyle and Huard were injured about 12 minutes apart.
For now, this is Thigpen’s team. The Chiefs need him to prove he’s not the same quarterback who completed less than a third of his passes in the first half five weeks ago at Atlanta.
Thigpen says he’s moved on, grown up, settled in — whatever it takes to lead the offense and do better than he did the last time he was the Chiefs’ starter.
“I’m not going to stress myself out like I did last time,” he said. “I think I put too much pressure on myself last time against Atlanta, that week. It was kind of shell shock. I know what to expect now.”
The Chiefs, however, do not. That’s why they signed former Jacksonville quarterback Quinn Gray on Wednesday. He’s a big, mobile 29-year-old who spent training camp with Indianapolis. He’s been out of work since then but said he can learn an offense quickly and said he learned the Colts’ complicated system in less than two weeks.
The Chiefs’ attack, simplified before the season and all, should be a breeze.
“I’m going to be in it day in and day out,” Gray said about 24 hours after winning a two-year contract during a simultaneous workout with former Tampa Bay quarterback Bruce Gradkowski. “If I know it well enough, hopefully I can play a little bit before the season ends.”
Before the season ends, the Chiefs might have even more quarterbacks hanging around Arrowhead Stadium. Edwards didn’t rule out continuing to scour the planet for anyone who can and will play quarterback for Kansas City, preferably on more than a week-to-week basis.
“We’re not through looking at quarterbacks,” Edwards said. “Not at all.”
The Chiefs spoke this week with former All-Pro quarterback Daunte Culpepper, but discussions didn’t advance to the point Culpepper agreed to visit Kansas City. It’s still possible Culpepper will play for the Chiefs this season, but it would be at least a few weeks — time enough for Edwards and the rest of the coaching staff to find out what they have with Thigpen and Martin and Gray.
Gray didn’t practice Wednesday. He wore shorts and a Chiefs practice jersey but no helmet and no pads. Edwards said Gray will need a couple weeks to acclimate himself to the playbook and shake off having not played since Indianapolis cut him Aug. 31.
“I showed these people that I want to still play some real good football,” Gray said of the Chiefs.
Gray said he wasn’t certain he’d get a chance to play this year. He’d like to, he said, but he’d also wait his turn. This is, after all, Thigpen’s team until it’s not again.
“He’s our guy. He’s our quarterback,” Edwards said. “So we’ll see how Tyler does. Ingle Martin is the No. 2 this week; Gray will be No. 3. Hopefully we won’t have to get to No. 3 this week.”
The way things are going, all Edwards could do was shake his head and smile.