Teicher: Croyle to start at QB against Titans
 

Croyle to start at QB against Titans
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star

Brodie Croyle will get another chance to make the Chiefs his team in their next game on Oct. 19 against Tennessee at Arrowhead Stadium. Coach Herm Edwards confirmed Croyle will make his return as the starting quarterback then.

It could be Croyle’s final chance if he can’t stay healthy. As much as anything in a season turned rotten beyond anyone’s imagination, the Chiefs need some stability at quarterback.

If Croyle can’t provide it, the Chiefs will find someone in the offseason who they believe can. So Croyle on Monday didn’t need anyone to tell him how much he needs to avoid injury, for his sake as well as that of his team.

“It’s vital,” he said. “The quarterback has to be out there, has to play. I haven’t been there. Obviously, when I get back, it’s vital for me to stay healthy and vital for me to try to find a way to help this team win.”

The Chiefs fell to 1-4 after Sunday’s 34-0 loss at Carolina. They gained just 127 yards, making it their most futile offensive game in 22 seasons.

Quarterback play is only one reason, but a significant one. The Chiefs counted on Croyle to stabilize the situation, but he separated his shoulder in the season-opening loss at New England.

He missed four games, leaving the spot in the often unsteady hands of Tyler Thigpen and Damon Huard. The Chiefs beat Denver two weeks ago when Larry Johnson rushed for 198 yards but otherwise were dismal offensively in losses to Oakland, Atlanta and the Panthers.

The Chiefs are looking to Croyle to not only give them an offensive boost but also stick around for a while.

“You can’t put it all on him, though,” Edwards said. “We feel he can do some things for us, and it’s good to have him back. They’ve got to put some of it on themselves, though. They can’t just expect him to ride in on a white horse. We’re hoping he can stay healthy and help us win some games. He’s capable of doing that.”

Croyle has neither helped the Chiefs win nor been able to stay healthy. He is 0-7 as their starter and missed time last season because of injuries to his back and throwing hand.

Edwards has said Croyle will start the rest of the season as long as he’s healthy, so his ability to secure the position for the long term might have as much to do with his ability to stay in one piece as playing lights out.

Croyle missed time in college at Alabama because of injuries, so he’s often been asked about whether he’s too brittle to play quarterback. He’s always irritated by the insinuations that he’s not tough enough.

“If it was up to me, I would have tried to play awhile back,” said Croyle, who began throwing in practice last week. “We have a great training staff and great doctors who have been smart about it.

“I won’t be 100 percent. I probably won’t be 100 percent the rest of the year. I’m close enough. It’s just one of those things that ain’t going to go away until you have a couple of months to sit there and rest it.

“It’s not comfortable. I’m not altering my motion, which is the main thing we (didn’t want) to do. It’s football. Everybody plays with pain.

“If I’m healthy, I’m going to go. I just have to make sure that over the next two weeks that everything keeps going the way it’s supposed to be and we don’t have any setbacks. If that’s so, then we’ll be ready to go against Tennessee.”

The Chiefs will practice three times this week before scattering for the weekend, their only one of the season without a game. Offensively, they need to use the time wisely.

Croyle has missed a month, so by now he’s a little bit of a stranger to his teammates. In his absence, the Chiefs not only used Huard and Thigpen, but wide receiver Marques Hagans also took a few snaps at quarterback.

“It’s tough sometimes to get that chemistry when there are all these different quarterbacks,” wide receiver Devard Darling said. “Consistency is the big thing. It’s hard to get things going when the quarterback keeps changing.

“It almost like we’re starting from scratch again. We’ll have Brodie back at quarterback, and the coaches said we’re working on fundamentals this week. It’s kind of like we’re hitting the reset button.”

They can only hope that means Croyle can succeed where Thigpen and Huard consistently couldn’t.

“We just have to get going again,” Croyle said. “We’ve got to get everything rolling and everybody back on the same page. We’re going to be here all week practicing.”

He can be as irritated as he wants, truth is dude gets injured on routine hits that QB's have to be able to take.

shit

I really feel bad for this kid. Maybe I shouldn't, but he's right up against the rocks now.

I hope he stays healthy enough to play his way in or out.

Shit. I've been here too long. I'm rooting for a Chiefs QB to prove himself.

Just to play devil's advocate.

Let's suppose that for whatever small chance exists, Croyle plays reasonably well the rest of the season and stays injury free...

I still think we should look for another QB, but I wonder how much of the fanbase would object to us looking for a new QB because Croyle had finally "gotten it together".

There are people that object to us getting another QB right now....just check out the Mock thread from Laz.

He won't make it through the Titans game. That sore shoulder that is less than 100% will be useless by the end of the game. And it won't be because he threw the damn ball so much. He will absolutely get smashed back there.

My only objection is we can't protect the ones we have so sticking another back there without addressing the leaky O-line is kind of pointless.

But who knows maybe if we could generate some kind of passing game it would slow the damn defenses down.

This franchise is fooling themselves if they are not looking at QBs next year.

Part of the problem is our QB's we have guys who tend to hold the ball to long don't make quick decisions, that kinda thing.

And if they do decide they are going QB, then steps can be made to help with that, you can draft a lineman or 2 in the 2nd or 3rd that can come in and play you can say a FA or 2.

That won't be welcome news to your next high draft pick QB. Brodie has to play out this season.

Part of the problem with decision making, is coaching, IMO. If you look at quarterbacks who initially came from conservative offenses, they tend to hold on to the ball too long. Roethlisberger does it, Croyle does it, Byron Leftwich did it too.

Quarterbacks can't afraid to make mistakes. If you drill "don't **** up" into their head, they are going to be so afraid of ****ing up, that they aren't going to make a throw unless the WR has a ton of separation. So they sit in the pocket and just get annihilated.

Right. Clearly I haven't watched Croyle play as much as chiefs fans, but the times I have...there have in my opinion been two re-occurring things that really **** him up.

1) The chiefs coaching staff doesn't seem to be able to adjust at all to what a defense is doing to them. The game against Miami in the pre-season is a good example of this. Matt Roth and some other dude and the left side of miami's line were constantly in the chief's backfield...wreaking havoc and hitting croyle almost at will. They did nothing to change up their protection or try to slow them down a bit (reverses, screens...etc.)

B) As you mention Croyle does seem to hold the ball far too long. You make a great point about separation. He has the arm strength to make the tight throws...he just doesn't. Whether it's the result of his timidity, or over-coaching only those on the inside can be sure. Perhaps it's both. He won't be successful until he's willing to throw the ball more than 5 yards down the field.

I have a feeling KC will be running the ball on every play.