Teicher: Croyle gets nod to start Chiefs’ preseason finale
 

Croyle gets nod to start Chiefs’ preseason finale
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star

Brodie Croyle will be the starting quarterback when the Chiefs finish their exhibition schedule with Thursday night’s game against the Rams in St. Louis.

The bigger issue is whether Croyle will start the regular-season opener Sept. 13 in Baltimore if the injured Matt Cassel isn’t available. Whether the starter is Croyle or Tyler Thigpen could depend in large part on how each player fares in St. Louis.

“It’s a small piece (of the decision), but all of the pieces are pretty big right now as we get down to the wire,” Chiefs coach Todd Haley said. “Every day is an evaluation. We’ve got to lean on everything we know, and in the next couple of days we’ll learn some more.”

For now, at least, the job is Croyle’s. Haley indicated that how long Croyle plays against the Rams could depend on how well he plays.

So if Croyle has a good showing against the Rams, he not only could win the job for the Baltimore game but also leave little playing time for Thigpen in St. Louis to show his stuff.

“We’ll play it by ear,” Haley said. “We need to get better, and this is their chance to get better.”

The Chiefs have only two offensive touchdowns in their three preseason games. Cassel injured his knee in last weekend’s loss to Seattle and won’t play against the Rams.

“Every time you go out there, you go out there to prove something,” Croyle said. “This is no different.

“Whenever Matt’s back, obviously it’s his team — but we have to fill the void until then.”

If Croyle opens the season for the Chiefs in Baltimore, the moment would mark a dramatic turnaround in his fortunes. He sustained a series of injuries since taking over as the starting quarterback two years ago, and it was reasonable to assume when a season-ending knee injury knocked him out of the lineup last October, his days as a Chief were about to end.

Since then, he even lost his biggest champion when former coach Herm Edwards was fired. But Croyle worked diligently to rehabilitate his surgically repaired knee and impressed the coaches to the point where he’s in the running.

“That’s what you work for,” Croyle said. “You don’t work just to make a paycheck or hope you make a team. If you’re going to rehab from something like that, you have something in mind.”

Croyle’s passing has been sharper than that of Thigpen during training camp and the preseason. In three games, the two players attempted a similar number of passes (Thigpen 29, Croyle 28).

Croyle’s statistics are superior in most categories. He has a better completion percentage and almost twice as many yards. But Thigpen guided a touchdown drive in the second half of a game against Houston; Croyle hasn’t taken the Chiefs to the end zone.

The game will be the first for the Chiefs with Haley calling the offensive plays. He replaced Chan Gailey as the coordinator this week.

“It’s obviously different,” Croyle said. “The pace is different. How the plays are called, kind of the tempo, just kind of getting used to what he thinks. We’re still a long way off on knowing exactly what he’s thinking on different calls. The more you get used to somebody, you can start anticipating what they’re going to call even before. It’s definitely different.

“But there are no excuses. You just go out there and run it. He wants to get up there and get moving, have lots of offensive plays. It makes sense. The more plays you have, the better chance you have of scoring.”

CHIEFS AT RAMS
•WHEN/WHERE: 7 p.m. Thursday in St. Louis

•TV: Channels 2, 5, 13

Hope it is Brokie! I'm not going to battle with Thiggy.

Montana came back from his injury, too.

Brodie Croyle is just hoping he doesn't die.

LMAO

He should be. With this Oline and his fiberglass body=death imo

It's funny that Teicher spun this on twitter as the Chiefs staff not thinking Cassel would be ready to play the opener. Whether Cassel does or doesn't really isn't the issue. The issue is how the hell Teicher got that statement out of Croyle starting a meaningless Preseason game. I would have looked for Croyle to start this game no matter if Cassel was healthy or not (and at worst case play the majority of the game even if Cassel started this last Preseason game.)

Oh well I've been watching since 83 or so,what's a few more years.Rofl.
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Why is Thig even part of this equation? I'd rather see Gutierrez play.

Waiting to see the difference in playcalling...

Haley is probably jonesing to call some plays for that arm. I hope it stays attached.

This...

I never want to see Thigpen wobbling Airsoft BB's around arrowhead ever again...

If we need to get Croyle on some HGH or a low grade beaver tranquillizer, so be it...

What ever it takes to keep him at #2 and keep Thigpen on the sideline where he can service the True fans...

Just like Brutus Beefcake, he will be shattered in a thousand pieces.

I've been watching them since the early 60's.

Heck, what's a few more decades????

A few more decades.

How many decades do those of us that have been following this team since they pulled the moving vans into old Municipal Stadium have?

Yeah, I figure I need to make it to about 140 to even get a chance to see a playoff appearance.

(I didn't say win....don't want to be too optimistic..)

Same here. Thigpen is 4th string to me.

Croyle could literally crap his pants Thursday night and I'd still start him in week one over Thigpen.

Nothing like comparing Croyle to a HOF'r. ROFL

I wouldn't hate on him that much.......I'd honestly say he's prob one of the best if not the best 3rd stringer in the NFL.....based on what he did last season.

But what about when he gets injured. I'd rather start Thigpen against the Ravens Defense. No way Croyle survives and I'm not willing to risk getting Cassel killed.

Me too. To ansewr your question - I might not have a few more decades left...

People are making too much of the Ravens defense. A QB can get hurt against any team - KC (Brady), Bengals (Green).

Well, let's just hope it's a smooth BM then... we don't need Croyle pulling an ass muscle! :D

Its not our risk, its the coaches...

I really think injuries won't hamper Brodie this year, it looks like he is in much better shape physically, thanks in no small part to Haley's conditioning program. Brodie took some hits in the Vikings game that would have shut him down for good last year, and he got up and played. Conditioning makes a world of difference, and the arm is certainly there. I would argue that a healthy Croyle has the potential to be one of the top 15 Qb's in the league. But quick release will be the issue, he's a decent scrambler, but with our current line that ball needs to spend minimal time in his hands. Que up Boldin, more passes over the middle, and O-line upgrades maestro!