Teicher: Croyle to start at QB against Titans

[Tribal Warfare]

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.”

[Micjones]

Originally Posted by Reerun_KC

I would rather see Croyle/Thigpen play the rest of this year, win or lose, then to trott Huard back out there. Huard sure the hell isnt helping the development of this team. And sooner the homers realized and admit this, the better.....

Croyle should play so we can put an end to this God awful experiment once and for all. He'll prove again that he neither has the skill set or the ability to stay healthy. I'm fully prepared to watch him lay an egg for the rest of the year. Just to shut the Croyle crusaders up.

When is the last time this team won a game?
Who was at QB?

Is there any other QB on this team who has ever participated in a winning effort? Okay then...

Huard isn't the answer and shouldn't start another game for this team, unless he plays in relief of the injury-prone Croyle, but he's STILL the best QB on this team.

We should be on the phone inquiring about guys like Matt Flynn now...
Or preparing to find a new QB coach and draft Stafford come April.

[talastan]

Originally Posted by Micjones

Comparatively yes, but that isn't saying much.
Hell I could've come up with a better game on Sunday than Huard did.

Thing is... I can be honest about it.
Huard played a HORRIBLE game on Sunday.
And I've said time and again we should already be looking for a new QBOTF to replace ALL of the trash we currently have at the position this year.

The sooner the Croyle crusaders admit that he's not the answer either...the better.

Not that I disagree much with you Micjones, but why does it really matter what the "Croyle Crusaders" have to say. It isn't like the coaches listen to anyone of us more than the other. If you're just upset about the fact that some people here believe in giving Croyle his shot and, whether through lack of knowledge or stubborness, are not willing to admit his shortcomings; then wait until he proves himself worthy or not. It's okay to agree to disagree....

[CoMoChief]

Croyle sucks and other teams know it and will continue to line the box up with 8/9 players to stop LJ and the running game and will force Croyle to beat them......Other teams also know that we don't throw any passes past 10 yards so they play up a little bit, thus we can't ****in produce shit on offense.

[Micjones]

Originally Posted by talastan

Not that I disagree much with you Micjones, but why does it really matter what the "Croyle Crusaders" have to say. It isn't like the coaches listen to anyone of us more than the other. If you're just upset about the fact that some people here believe in giving Croyle his shot and, whether through lack of knowledge or stubborness, are not willing to admit his shortcomings; then wait until he proves himself worthy or not. It's okay to agree to disagree....

I'm not at all bothered that some people still believe in Croyle.
That's their inalienable, God-given right.

I was merely responding to a particular poster about the merits of one QB versus the other. This is a message board so that's to be expected.

And I think I alluded to the fact that I'm ready for him to prove himself unworthy of the job.

[Reerun_KC]

Originally Posted by Micjones

Croyle should play so we can put an end to this God awful experiment once and for all. He'll prove again that he neither has the skill set or the ability to stay healthy. I'm fully prepared to watch him lay an egg for the rest of the year. Just to shut the Croyle crusaders up.

When is the last time this team won a game?
Who was at QB?

Is there any other QB on this team who has ever participated in a winning effort? Okay then...

Huard isn't the answer and shouldn't start another game for this team, unless he plays in relief of the injury-prone Croyle, but he's STILL the best QB on this team.

We should be on the phone inquiring about guys like Matt Flynn now...
Or preparing to find a new QB coach and draft Stafford come April.

Yet Huard led this team on sunday to the worse preformance in ages for the Chiefs...

As soon as the Huard crusaders let go of this never was the better we will be as a fan base...

I could give a shit less what Huard has done or hasnt done (which is more likely) for this team, He proveds nothing for the future, neither does Croyle, Thigpen or Herm and his coaching staff...

And no Huard is not the best on this team, unless you are talking about armadilloing when someone breaths on him?

[talastan]

Originally Posted by CoMoChief

Croyle sucks and other teams know it and will continue to line the box up with 8/9 players to stop LJ and the running game and will force Croyle to beat them......Other teams also know that we don't throw any passes past 10 yards so they play up a little bit, thus we can't ****in produce shit on offense.

And if we can't we have a new QB, and hopefully either a new GM or a new HC or both!

It is a win/win if you ask me. Let Croyle get his chance. If he miraculously lights it up and doesn't get injured than great. If not we'll be looking for someone else next draft.

[Reerun_KC]

Originally Posted by Micjones

I'm not at all bothered that some people still believe in Croyle.
That's their inalienable, God-given right.

I was merely responding to a particular poster about the merits of one QB versus the other. This is a message board so that's to be expected.

And I think I alluded to the fact that I'm ready for him to prove himself unworthy of the job.

ready to prove himself unworthy for the job? Uh dont you think he already has? I know I have, the china doll cant stay on the field...

so whats your point?

[philfree]

The Titans game is the wrong game to do it but Herm has to let Croyle play the game with his strengths. We need to come out passing early and deep.. If Croyle becomes injured again then we know he is what he appears to be. To fragile to be an NFL QB. It's time to quit caudling him. It's time to sink or swim. If he makes mistakes at least he'll have something to learn from. If he plays well and stays healthy then we may have a QB. I don't expect much at this point but I still harbor a little hope that Croyle might turn out. Either way we'll have to pick up two maybe three QBs for 2009.

PhilFree