Mellinger: Chiefs’ gameplan gives Croyle a chance to sub in for consistent Cassel

[Tribal Warfare]

Chiefs’ gameplan gives Croyle a chance to sub in for consistent Cassel
By SAM MELLINGER
The Kansas City Star

SAN DIEGO | The man who will lead the Chiefs into their most important and most difficult game of the year looks a little bit like the guy behind the register at your local convenience store.

You would not pick this man out of a line at a movie theater as being an NFL quarterback. He looks more like the guy you’ll watch today’s game with, not like the guy you’ll actually be watching.

All of which means Brodie Croyle is perfectly qualified to quarterback this Chiefs team against the defending AFC West champion Chargers.

Look, there is plenty for Chiefs fans to be skeptical about. This would be a difficult game even with Matt Cassel: the Chiefs on the road against a more talented team playing for its season.

But let’s at least consider the possibility that the Chiefs are as well-positioned as any team in the league to make do with a backup quarterback. Even as well as Cassel has played — and he has been outstanding — the Chiefs’ offense is built around schemes and play-calls and running backs and receivers. Not the quarterback.

The Chiefs mostly just want the quarterback to not screw it all up. Cassel has been far better than any of us expected, but he’s still closer to riding with training wheels than being trusted for highway wheelies.

So as one of the defining stories of this Chiefs season has now stalled, Cassel’s absence might provide an answer to something else interesting, even if we no longer needed to ask:

Just how important is Cassel, anyway?

• • •

The other day, someone asked Chiefs coach Todd Haley about the difference between Cassel and Croyle.

Now, NFL coaches spend most of their news conferences dealing in clichés and generalities. Haley studies old Bill Parcells tapes to master the art, and even in just his second year, Haley is often frustratingly good at revealing nothing.

But it’s still interesting that he couldn’t come up with much.

“Matt’s a little bit bigger,” he said — and Cassel is officially listed as 2 inches taller and 24 pounds heavier.

If Haley had added that Croyle has a stronger arm, he would have had a somewhat complete list of the physical differences.

Can you think of a play Cassel made this year that Croyle would be physically incapable of? Or a play that, other than experience, the Chiefs can’t call with their backup in the game?

This is not New England losing Tom Brady in the 2008 season opener. The Patriots’ offense is absolutely built around Brady’s considerable talents, including an often overlooked strong arm, so like most teams, New England struggles without its centerpiece.

In 2007, the year before his knee injury, Brady threw 50 touchdowns and just eight interceptions, averaging more than 300 yards per game. The Patriots scored 589 points that year, and with Brady throwing deep, Randy Moss went for 1,493 yards and 23 touchdowns.

Then Cassel had to run an offense built for Brady’s strengths, and he threw 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, averaging about 230 yards per game. The Patriots scored 410 points that year, and with the new quarterback, Moss went for 1,008 yards and 11 touchdowns.

In Kansas City, there will be none of that for Croyle. Cassel has been making his reputation this year by not throwing interceptions, and that’s a valuable skill worth every penny the Chiefs are paying, but nothing that Croyle can’t do physically.

The point is that the more Cassel’s success can be attributed to a stripped-down offense focused on facilitation, the more it can be said that the Chiefs are losing nothing irreplaceable other than experience.

So how big of a deal is that?

• • •

The NFL does a lousy job of developing backup quarterbacks. Coaches stress preparation for all during news conferences, but at practice give nearly all their time to the starter.

Haley is as guilty of this as anyone. His intentions are good, but Croyle said last week he typically gets only two or three snaps with the first team in practice.

The Chiefs can bring in a game clock and pump the simulated crowd noise all they want, but there is absolutely no replacing the nearly 800 snaps Cassel has taken in games this year and at least a thousand more in practice.

Remember, it took three years backing up in New England, one starting, and another 27 games in Kansas City for Cassel to reach this point. He has improved his footwork and his confidence, all the while Croyle mostly quarterbacked the scout team.

Scott Mitchell, who played under Dan Marino for two years, described a backup quarterback’s life “like watching the U.S. borders for a Soviet missile attack. There are a lot of days you’re not getting much action.”

Not that recent NFL history isn’t full of backups instantly making good. Brady is the most famous example, getting a chance when Drew Bledsoe got hurt. Kurt Warner inherited the Rams’ job when Trent Green got hurt in 1999 and won an MVP award and the Super Bowl that year. Frank Reich relieved Jim Kelly and famously led the Bills back after they were down 35-3 in a playoff game.

Just this year, Charlie Batch and Dennis Dixon led the Steelers to a 3-1 start while Ben Roethlisberger served a suspension. Buffalo’s Ryan Fitzpatrick has become a fantasy football darling — and while the situations are completely different, it’s worth remembering that Michael Vick began the year as Philadelphia’s backup.

Nobody can be sure whether Cassel will play next week, but let’s assume he won’t. The Chiefs effectively have a 1½-game lead in the AFC West, which means they only need Croyle to help win — or not screw up — one of the next two games to keep control.

Cassel’s stunning efficiency this year means nobody wanted to find out, but there are indications the Chiefs might be just fine.

• • •

Croyle could have been on another team, the Chiefs left to trust their season to someone else. It’s easy to forget that now, but Croyle was a restricted free agent after last season. General manager Scott Pioli gave Cassel the $63 million contract, so he obviously didn’t want Croyle as the starter. But as a backup? Sure.

So knowing that in most years two-thirds of the teams in the league need a backup to start at least a game or two, this is the moment that Pioli thought Croyle could handle.

He should be encouraged by an offense that’s allowed a physically ordinary quarterback to emerge as one of the league’s most effective passers.

He should also be reinforced by what Brian Waters said the other day after Croyle replaced Cassel for the first time in practice.

“Honestly,” he said, “I didn’t even notice until halfway through.”

[Chiefshrink]

Although this game will be like a playoff game for the Chargers, Croyle starting helps enable the Chargers to have more of a chance of coming out flat with Croyle sneaking up on them.

[Hammock Parties]

He should also be reinforced by what Brian Waters said the other day after Croyle replaced Cassel for the first time in practice.

“Honestly,” he said, “I didn’t even notice until halfway through.”

[stevieray]

Originally Posted by Tribal Warfare

Chiefs’ gameplan gives Croyle a chance to sub in for consistent Cassel
By SAM MELLINGER
The Kansas City Star

He should be encouraged by an offense that’s allowed a physically ordinary quarterback to emerge as one of the league’s most effective passers.

ya, every week I see QB's flying down the damn field blocking for their running backs...at six and a half feet tall.

your an idiot.

[|Zach|]

Originally Posted by sportsshrink

Although this game will be like a playoff game for the Chargers, Croyle starting helps enable the Chargers to have more of a chance of coming out flat with Croyle sneaking up on them.

Nobody with their season on the line that just lost to the Raiders and lost to this team in a huge game in Week 1 is going to come out flat.

If the Chiefs win it won't because they snuck up on the Chargers.

Everything you post is silly.

[|Zach|]

I think Croyle has the ability to do what what is needed from him with this particular team to make a W.

[Frankie]

Originally Posted by Tribal Warfare

The NFL does a lousy job of developing backup quarterbacks. Coaches stress preparation for all during news conferences, but at practice give nearly all their time to the starter.

Haley is as guilty of this as anyone. His intentions are good, but Croyle said last week he typically gets only two or three snaps with the first team in practice.

As much a valuable asset the QB position is to a team one would think the NFL would impose a rule, and find a way to enforce it, that the #2 QB gets say 25% of practice snaps. I think this would be good for the league if more #2s are developed into starter types.

Again though, the main question would be, how would they enforce such a rule?

[Marcellus]

The difference is between the ears. The question is does Croyle have Cassel's ability this year to make the right decision. That's the question.

Oh yea, and the knees.

One other point is also Cassel's mechanics have improved drastically the last month or so. Quick drop and set throwing off his front leg. I can't even remember what Croyle's mechanics look like and don't know if he does either.

[milkman]

Originally Posted by Marcellus

The difference is between the ears. The question is does Croyle have Cassel's ability this year to make the right decision. That's the question.

Oh yea, and the knees.

One other point is also Cassel's mechanics have improved drastically the last month or so. Quick drop and set throwing off his front leg. I can't even remember what Croyle's mechanics look like and don't know if he does either.

Croyle's footwork on his drop backs is nearly flawless.

His problems lie in the fact that, like many strong armed QBs, he doesn't follow through when he throws, which leads to poor accuracy.

He also has never had any touch on his shorter throws.

Thes are things that he and the staff have been working on in the last year and a half to improve hopefully.

[boogblaster]

Think Brodie will be fine .. the D has to have a good game and we need to run the ball .......

[bevischief]

Originally Posted by |Zach|

I think Croyle has the ability to do what what is needed from him with this particular team to make a W.

This.

[TheGuardian]

Look Brodie is NOT going to win this game for us. End of story. The guy is ****ing 0-9 as a starter.

IF we win today, it's because we played a great defensive game, ran the ball well, and got a break or two on special teams. Brodie is NOT Cassel, is not as good as Cassel, and isn't going to go out and play the game Cassel can play. I just hope he doesn't turn it over.

[Chiefs Pantalones]

I have a feeling we're gonna frustrate their offense a bit. It comes down to if Croyle makes good decisions and doesn't lose the game for us.

[TheGuardian]

Originally Posted by Vanilla Thunder

I have a feeling we're gonna frustrate their offense a bit. It comes down to if Croyle makes good decisions and doesn't lose the game for us.

Yup. I'm perfectly happy with Brodie going 12-20 for 100 yards and 0/0 IF we win. For the life of me I can't figure out why people care how the QB plays if we are winning.....?

[Zebedee DuBois]

I think the key for Croyle is to not hang on to the ball too long. Once Cassel started getting rid of it sooner, our whole game picked up.