Chiefs Posnanski:Croyle is too fragile to be the Chiefs’ answer at quarterback

**Tribal Warfare** · 09-07-2008, 10:44 PM

Croyle is too fragile to be the Chiefs’ answer at quarterback

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. | Football is, at heart, a cold-blooded game. It’s easy to forget that because in the NFL, vicious hits are set to music and shoulders ripped from sockets are merely “separated” (leaving open a possibility for a reconciliation), and pain is reduced to those harmless-sounding words, ”questionable,” “doubtful” and “probable.”

In this heartless game, you need a quarterback who can get back up. That’s just a fact. It isn’t fair to blame the quarterback for suffering nasty injuries. It isn’t politically correct. But football isn’t a PC game. Sunday afternoon, the Chiefs were at the New England 5-yard line at the end with a chance to score a touchdown and tie the game, a chance to shock everyone, a chance to stick it in the faces of all those critics who called them the pits, a chance to laugh at all those people who bet the unbeatable New England Patriots to win by more than 15 points.

And the Chiefs’ quarterback of the future, the guy they’re building this whole thing around, the man who needed to be on the field at that key moment — Brodie Croyle — was on the sideline because of a shoulder injury.

In the end, nobody outside Kansas City cared, of course. The Patriots held on, beat the Chiefs 17-10, and the Chiefs showed a few positive signs, the Patriots showed a few cracks, but the only story on anyone’s mind Sunday was that the Patriots’ (and America’s) quarterback Tom Brady hurt his knee.

Some thought it happened on a dirty play by Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard, some thought it was just bad luck (that was the way I saw it), some suspected Brady would be out for the year, some thought he would be back next week, some figured the Patriots would collapse without him, some thought they would be just fine, back and forth, on and on, forever.

But, to be ruthless about it — football is a ruthless game — that’s the Patriots’ problem. To steal Mel Brooks’ line about the difference between tragedy and comedy: Tragedy is your quarterback getting hurt. Comedy is the other guy’s quarterback getting hurt.

The Chiefs’ quarterback, Brodie Croyle, got hurt. Again. This was the third time in seven starts that Croyle got hurt. Three for seven makes for a lousy injury average.

Thing is, Croyle has spent a lifetime getting hurt on football fields. He blew out his knee in high school. He separated his shoulder and got two ribs busted his sophomore year in college, then blew out his other knee his junior year. Last year, in his first home start, he hurt his back against Oakland and missed the next game. He hurt his hand at Detroit trying to make a tackle and couldn’t finish the game.

In the third quarter on Sunday, New England linebacker Adalius Thomas sacked Brodie and drove his right shoulder hard into the turf. Croyle grabbed for his shoulder immediately. He walked gingerly to the sideline, with his right arm dangling on the side. He threw one pass to test the shoulder and quickly shook his head no. He was done. Backup Damon Huard went into the game, threw a touchdown pass, led the Chiefs to the shadow of overtime and, well, you know the rest.

Now the Chiefs have to face up to something very real: The chosen quarterback, Brodie Croyle, cannot stay healthy. It isn’t his fault — this isn’t a toughness question. Everyone says the guy is as tough as a Ford truck. But the harsh reality is that his body, for whatever reason, cannot stand up to the NFL pounding. And you can’t build a football team around a quarterback who cannot stay on the field.

“Maybe he’s just unlucky,” one teammate says.

There’s no maybe about it. Croyle has talent. He has a good arm, and he has a pretty quick release, and he has a presence. That’s what everyone with the Chiefs wants to talk about when discussing Croyle. His abilities. The way he handles the huddle. The throws he can make. That’s great. But those are not the things that get you through in this violent game.

No, what made Brett Favre great wasn’t his arm or his gunslinger attitude, it was that he was able to be there every single week, no matter what kind of pounding he took, no matter how ferociously he was hit, no matter how many times he got blindsided. The same goes for John Elway and Dan Marino and Peyton Manning and, up to Sunday, Tom Brady. The one thing every great quarterback shared is that they started games. And they finished them.

That takes more than toughness, and it takes more than heart. You also need luck, a body that will not break, a mind that can ignore the obvious dangers that are all around.

Here’s a name for you: Greg Cook. Have you heard of him? Bill Walsh, the man who coached Joe Montana, said Greg Cook could have been the greatest quarterback who ever lived. As you know, that did not happen. Cook played one year in the NFL, was chosen Rookie of the Year, but badly hurt his shoulder. He threw only three more passes for the rest of his career. That’s the harshness of the game.

And right now, it looks more and more that Brodie Croyle simply cannot take the NFL pounding. The Chiefs’ young team did show promise Sunday. The defense played a high-energy game, and Turk McBride was often unblockable. The offense looked more organized than the last couple of years, and if Devard Darling could run a little faster or Dwayne Bowe could have made a catch, the game would have gone to overtime.

But in the end, plainly, you need a quarterback you can count on to go anywhere in this league. The Chiefs said they would test Croyle’s shoulder today, see the seriousness of the injury.

“He’s so tough, I’ll bet he will be back sooner than anyone thinks,” Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez says.

Maybe. Nobody questions Croyle’s heart. It’s his shoulder … and knees … and back. In the end, those things matter just as much as the heart.

**BigRedChief** · 09-07-2008, 10:46 PM

yep, I've given up on him because of the injuries. He's got a rocket arm but if you can't stay on the field to use the arm what good are you?

Hammock Parties · 09-07-2008, 10:48 PM

It's Huard time!

blueballs · 09-07-2008, 10:49 PM

they without doubt
Brodie lover or Brokie hater
need a solid back up not named Huard -now

**Mr. Flopnuts** · 09-07-2008, 10:50 PM

I haven't given up hope, but it sure doesn't look good at this point. If he goes down again at any point this season for any reason, we have to start looking in another direction. Most of you will say we already do.

Pablo · 09-07-2008, 10:53 PM

I so badly don't want to write him off yet.

But I know it's probably the best thing for me to do. I really wanted him to be our QB. But your most important ability is your availability. Even if Brodie's shoulder injury is something tiny, and even if he miraculously played against the Fade next week...I don't know how I'd feel.

It would probably take him having a phenomenal season and not getting hurt again before I'd think he deserves another shot. But both of those situations are highly improbable.

**BigRedChief** · 09-07-2008, 10:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Flopnuts

I haven't given up hope, but it sure doesn't look good at this point. If he goes down again at any point this season for any reason, we have to start looking in another direction. Most of you will say we already do.

I see the arm and the pass's that only he can fit in to a reciever and I hold out hope. But the reality is that he's done to me. His history of injuries is too lengthy to be happenstance.

And now 3 injuries in 7 games started in the NFL. That ain't good.

blueballs · 09-07-2008, 10:56 PM

I hope he has invested his money well

FAX · 09-07-2008, 10:56 PM

It's not looking very good at this point. I could chalk up last year's injuries to bad luck ... and did so. But, either he's just the unluckiest guy to come around in a while or he really is fragile. Either way ...

What a shame because he really does have talent.

FAX

ChiefaRoo · 09-07-2008, 11:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blueballs

they without doubt
Brodie lover or Brokie hater
need a solid back up not named Huard -now

Shall we dare suggest KC gets on the phone and call Daunte Fatpepper? How about trading for Derek Andersen or Brady Quinn?

blueballs · 09-07-2008, 11:07 PM

Huard can only take so many hits he's slow of foot
and Suckatash provides little protection from RT
need a vet that can take a hit or move well

ChiefsCountry · 09-07-2008, 11:10 PM

In all honesty, Brodie has this year and part of next season.

rad · 09-07-2008, 11:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChiefaRoo

Shall we dare suggest KC gets on the phone and call Daunte Fatpepper? How about trading for Derek Andersen or Brady Quinn?

The Pats (a real NFL organization) already announced they are bringing in two QB's for a workout. But that's probably because they have no backup now.

blueballs · 09-07-2008, 11:17 PM

There is also another trend in place
earned or just bad luck
Herm and hurt QBs

SBK · 09-07-2008, 11:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChiefaRoo

Shall we dare suggest KC gets on the phone and call Daunte Fatpepper? How about trading for Derek Andersen or Brady Quinn?

Our QB is still playing in college.

As soon as Brodie got up slow every Chiefs fan in the world knew he was no longer our QBOTF.

09-07-2008, 10:44 PM
Tribal Warfare Man of Culture Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Far Beyond Comprehension Casino cash: $-2997187	Posnanski:Croyle is too fragile to be the Chiefs’ answer at quarterback Croyle is too fragile to be the Chiefs’ answer at quarterback FOXBOROUGH, Mass. \| Football is, at heart, a cold-blooded game. It’s easy to forget that because in the NFL, vicious hits are set to music and shoulders ripped from sockets are merely “separated” (leaving open a possibility for a reconciliation), and pain is reduced to those harmless-sounding words, ”questionable,” “doubtful” and “probable.” In this heartless game, you need a quarterback who can get back up. That’s just a fact. It isn’t fair to blame the quarterback for suffering nasty injuries. It isn’t politically correct. But football isn’t a PC game. Sunday afternoon, the Chiefs were at the New England 5-yard line at the end with a chance to score a touchdown and tie the game, a chance to shock everyone, a chance to stick it in the faces of all those critics who called them the pits, a chance to laugh at all those people who bet the unbeatable New England Patriots to win by more than 15 points. And the Chiefs’ quarterback of the future, the guy they’re building this whole thing around, the man who needed to be on the field at that key moment — Brodie Croyle — was on the sideline because of a shoulder injury. In the end, nobody outside Kansas City cared, of course. The Patriots held on, beat the Chiefs 17-10, and the Chiefs showed a few positive signs, the Patriots showed a few cracks, but the only story on anyone’s mind Sunday was that the Patriots’ (and America’s) quarterback Tom Brady hurt his knee. Some thought it happened on a dirty play by Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard, some thought it was just bad luck (that was the way I saw it), some suspected Brady would be out for the year, some thought he would be back next week, some figured the Patriots would collapse without him, some thought they would be just fine, back and forth, on and on, forever. But, to be ruthless about it — football is a ruthless game — that’s the Patriots’ problem. To steal Mel Brooks’ line about the difference between tragedy and comedy: Tragedy is your quarterback getting hurt. Comedy is the other guy’s quarterback getting hurt. The Chiefs’ quarterback, Brodie Croyle, got hurt. Again. This was the third time in seven starts that Croyle got hurt. Three for seven makes for a lousy injury average. Thing is, Croyle has spent a lifetime getting hurt on football fields. He blew out his knee in high school. He separated his shoulder and got two ribs busted his sophomore year in college, then blew out his other knee his junior year. Last year, in his first home start, he hurt his back against Oakland and missed the next game. He hurt his hand at Detroit trying to make a tackle and couldn’t finish the game. In the third quarter on Sunday, New England linebacker Adalius Thomas sacked Brodie and drove his right shoulder hard into the turf. Croyle grabbed for his shoulder immediately. He walked gingerly to the sideline, with his right arm dangling on the side. He threw one pass to test the shoulder and quickly shook his head no. He was done. Backup Damon Huard went into the game, threw a touchdown pass, led the Chiefs to the shadow of overtime and, well, you know the rest. Now the Chiefs have to face up to something very real: The chosen quarterback, Brodie Croyle, cannot stay healthy. It isn’t his fault — this isn’t a toughness question. Everyone says the guy is as tough as a Ford truck. But the harsh reality is that his body, for whatever reason, cannot stand up to the NFL pounding. And you can’t build a football team around a quarterback who cannot stay on the field. “Maybe he’s just unlucky,” one teammate says. There’s no maybe about it. Croyle has talent. He has a good arm, and he has a pretty quick release, and he has a presence. That’s what everyone with the Chiefs wants to talk about when discussing Croyle. His abilities. The way he handles the huddle. The throws he can make. That’s great. But those are not the things that get you through in this violent game. No, what made Brett Favre great wasn’t his arm or his gunslinger attitude, it was that he was able to be there every single week, no matter what kind of pounding he took, no matter how ferociously he was hit, no matter how many times he got blindsided. The same goes for John Elway and Dan Marino and Peyton Manning and, up to Sunday, Tom Brady. The one thing every great quarterback shared is that they started games. And they finished them. That takes more than toughness, and it takes more than heart. You also need luck, a body that will not break, a mind that can ignore the obvious dangers that are all around. Here’s a name for you: Greg Cook. Have you heard of him? Bill Walsh, the man who coached Joe Montana, said Greg Cook could have been the greatest quarterback who ever lived. As you know, that did not happen. Cook played one year in the NFL, was chosen Rookie of the Year, but badly hurt his shoulder. He threw only three more passes for the rest of his career. That’s the harshness of the game. And right now, it looks more and more that Brodie Croyle simply cannot take the NFL pounding. The Chiefs’ young team did show promise Sunday. The defense played a high-energy game, and Turk McBride was often unblockable. The offense looked more organized than the last couple of years, and if Devard Darling could run a little faster or Dwayne Bowe could have made a catch, the game would have gone to overtime. But in the end, plainly, you need a quarterback you can count on to go anywhere in this league. The Chiefs said they would test Croyle’s shoulder today, see the seriousness of the injury. “He’s so tough, I’ll bet he will be back sooner than anyone thinks,” Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez says. Maybe. Nobody questions Croyle’s heart. It’s his shoulder … and knees … and back. In the end, those things matter just as much as the heart.
Posts: 43,454

09-07-2008, 10:46 PM	#2
BigRedChief Has a particular set of skills Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: On the water Casino cash: $-791038 VARSITY	yep, I've given up on him because of the injuries. He's got a rocket arm but if you can't stay on the field to use the arm what good are you? __________________ Mahomes is not a game manager. Release the Kraken.
Posts: 81,343

09-07-2008, 10:48 PM	#3
Hammock Parties I'll be back. Join Date: Nov 2002 Casino cash: $800478	It's Huard time! __________________ Chiefs game films
Posts: 297,445

09-07-2008, 10:49 PM	#4
blueballs Banned Join Date: Feb 2006 Casino cash: $10004900	they without doubt Brodie lover or Brokie hater need a solid back up not named Huard -now
Posts: 14,233

09-07-2008, 10:53 PM	#6
Pablo Ultrabanned Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Northland Casino cash: $-1890644	I so badly don't want to write him off yet. But I know it's probably the best thing for me to do. I really wanted him to be our QB. But your most important ability is your availability. Even if Brodie's shoulder injury is something tiny, and even if he miraculously played against the Fade next week...I don't know how I'd feel. It would probably take him having a phenomenal season and not getting hurt again before I'd think he deserves another shot. But both of those situations are highly improbable.
Posts: 43,931

09-07-2008, 10:56 PM	#8
blueballs Banned Join Date: Feb 2006 Casino cash: $10004900	I hope he has invested his money well
Posts: 14,233

09-07-2008, 10:56 PM	#9
FAX testing ... 1, 2, 3 Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Tennessee Casino cash: $6753759	It's not looking very good at this point. I could chalk up last year's injuries to bad luck ... and did so. But, either he's just the unluckiest guy to come around in a while or he really is fragile. Either way ... What a shame because he really does have talent. FAX
Posts: 44,492

09-07-2008, 11:07 PM	#11
blueballs Banned Join Date: Feb 2006 Casino cash: $10004900	Huard can only take so many hits he's slow of foot and Suckatash provides little protection from RT need a vet that can take a hit or move well
Posts: 14,233

09-07-2008, 11:10 PM	#12
ChiefsCountry The Insider Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Lake of the Ozarks Casino cash: $-1591248	In all honesty, Brodie has this year and part of next season.
Posts: 52,140

09-07-2008, 11:17 PM	#14
blueballs Banned Join Date: Feb 2006 Casino cash: $10004900	There is also another trend in place earned or just bad luck Herm and hurt QBs
Posts: 14,233