Teicher: Chiefs QB Thigpen gets the starting nod against Falcons

[Tribal Warfare]

Chiefs QB Thigpen gets the starting nod against Falcons
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star


Tyler Thigpen’s performance at quarterback in the first extended playing time of his NFL career Sunday was less than inspiring. He completed far less than half his passes, was sacked three times, tossed an interception and almost threw several others.

For many teams, that would bury a player deeper on the bench. But for the Chiefs, it earned him a promotion.

Thigpen will make the first start of his NFL career in Sunday’s game against the Falcons in Atlanta, replacing Damon Huard.

“We want to take a look at him,” coach Herm Edwards said. “He’s another young player at quarterback we want to look at and see where he’s at.

“We’re trying to look at young players, and this is part of the process. Is he a (second-string quarterback)? A one? Is he always going to be a three? You don’t know until you have an opportunity to play.”

That sounds like the move is everything about furthering the youth movement by replacing a veteran quarterback with one much younger. But Edwards indicated he believed that playing Thigpen gives the Chiefs their best chance to beat Atlanta.

“We’re not looking at this game as a preseason game,” he said. “We’re trying to win. We’re doing everything we can to do that, and this kid deserves a chance.

“If he struggles, guess what? We’ll do what we always do. We’ll bring Damon Huard off the bench. That’s how Damon Huard really plays the best, in my opinion, when he comes off the bench.”

Edwards said the move had nothing to do with the head or neck injury that knocked Huard out of last week’s game. Huard practiced Wednesday and was not listed on the injury report the Chiefs must file with the league.

“It’s just a decision we made as a staff,” Edwards said. “It’s week to week. Hopefully he can hang in there and play well and get us a win and then he stays in there.

“The thing the guy does is he always seems to move the team. He makes some mistakes … he generally struggles early and then all of a sudden he gets going and he makes some plays. That’s in every game the kid has played in since I’ve been here.

“Remember (last year’s San Diego) game? He drove the team down the field. He threw a pick at the end. This year he’s done the same thing in the preseason. He’s made some errors with the ball. He’s fumbled the ball. He’s thrown the ball to other guys. But guess what? Then he comes back and drives the team down the field. The Chicago (preseason) game, he didn’t play real good right away. Then all of a sudden at the end of the game he takes the team down and scores. He does the same thing last week. He struggles and struggles for a while and all of a sudden at the end, 6 minutes left, he takes the team down on a nice drive and we score.”

Edwards said the Chiefs would use Huard only if Thigpen plays poorly or gets an injury. He wouldn’t rule out the use of wide receiver Marques Hagans, who played quarterback for a handful of snaps against the Raiders.

“What we’ve got to do is try to make some first downs,” Edwards said. “However you can make some first downs and keep on the field, move the chains, that’s probably the most important thing. I’m not saying we won’t use (Hagans).”

Huard sent word through the Chiefs’ public-relations department that he wouldn’t answer questions. Thigpen said he would discuss the move today.

Thigpen quarterbacked the Chiefs on 10 possessions against Oakland. The first seven ended with a punt, four after only three offensive plays.

Thigpen then took the Chiefs on a drive that ended with his 2-yard touchdown pass to Tony Gonzalez. He then threw an interception and the final drive ran out of time.

Many of his passes were off the mark. Thigpen missed a possible touchdown to Devard Darling when his throw went along the sideline instead of down the middle of the field, where it needed to be.

Thigpen also had several passes that were thrown when receivers hadn’t turned around, an indication they have much more work to do before they’re comfortable playing together.

“I’ve been talking to him in-between plays … just letting him know what I’m thinking and he’s letting me know what he’s thinking,” Gonzalez said. “We’ve just got to get on the same page. That’s all it is.

“We’re going to go ahead and try to make that work. If Damon comes in, we know each other well enough that we’re going to make it work.”

Following Brodie Croyle in the season opener and Huard last week, Thigpen will be the third Chiefs starting quarterback in the first three games of the season. That’s happened only three times in a nonstrike NFL season since 1970.

“We’re very comfortable with Tyler in there,” guard Brian Waters said. “It’s really about him getting even more comfortable with his game and doing the things he feels really good about. It’s a week where we can prepare a game plan around his talents.”

Changing of the QB
The Chiefs will use their third starting quarterback in the first three games of the season when Tyler Thigpen starts Sunday’s game against the Falcons. Only three other teams have done that in a nonstrike season since the NFL and AFL merged for the 1970 season.


Team Year Quarterbacks Record
Chiefs 2008 Brodie Croyle, Damon Huard, Tyler Thigpen 0-2
Rams 1976 Pat Haden, Ron Jaworski, James Harris 10-3-1
Browns 1988 Bernie Kosar, Gary Danielson, Mike Pagel 10-6
Jaguars 1997 Mark Brunell, Rob Johnson, Steve Matthews 11-5

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by Mecca

I can't give Taylor a grade till he plays in a real game.

For the most part we agree on those grades though.

I give him a B just for making the roster for two years and appearing as though he was competent in the preseason. Optimistic perhaps.

[kpic]

Wait a sec with all of the negative talk - look at the records of the other teams that started three QBs in a season.................

Rams 1976 Pat Haden, Ron Jaworski, James Harris 10-3-1
Browns 1988 Bernie Kosar, Gary Danielson, Mike Pagel 10-6
Jaguars 1997 Mark Brunell, Rob Johnson, Steve Matthews 11-5


Playoffs here we come baby!! Print-Em!!

[KCJohnny]

And you guys laughed at me because i liked (David?) Terrell, the guy from the Ivy league. He could at least throw the touch pass and orchestrate drives.

Tyler will get better, but for heaven's sake, bring back the playbook we started to use in PS such as what we saw in the Bears game. It seemed dumb to use Huard's sets when Thiggy was under center. let him bootleg, sprint out, and do those counter/trap thingys. Even Huard ran for a 15 yd gain against the Raiders.

[KCJohnny]

Originally Posted by Vanilla Thunder

This team has no direction whatsoever and no leadership.

That's very unfair to Dustin Colquitt.

[kcclipse56]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

2006 Picks

Tamba Hali: C-
Bernard Pollard: C-
Brodie Croyle: C-
Herm Edwards: F-
Marcus Maxey: F
Tre' Stallings: D-
Jeff Webb: C-
Jarrad Page: B+


2007 Picks

Dwayne Bowe: A-
Turk McBride: C-
Tank Tyler: C
Kolby Smith: B+
Justin Medlock: F-
Herb Taylor: B
Michael Allan: C

Mine

Tamba Hali: C-
Bernard Pollard: B
Brodie Croyle: C-
Herm Edwards-
Marcus Maxey: F
Tre' Stallings: f
Jeff Webb: C-
Jarrad Page: B+


2007 Picks

Dwayne Bowe: A-
Turk McBride: C
Tank Tyler: B
Kolby Smith: B+
Justin Medlock: G-
Herb Taylor: C
Michael Allan: D

[The Bad Guy]

Originally Posted by KCJohnny

And you guys laughed at me because i liked (David?) Terrell, the guy from the Ivy league. He could at least throw the touch pass and orchestrate drives.

.

We laughed at you because you are reeruned. Terrell isn't even in the league. I love how you latch onto these losers when you have no leg to stand on in an argument as to why they are good.

[OnTheWarpath15]

Originally Posted by The Bad Guy

We laughed at you because you are reeruned. Terrell isn't even in the league. I love how you latch onto these losers when you have no leg to stand on in an argument as to why they are good.

He's not alone, there are people wishing we still had Casey Printers...

Yeah, the Casey Printers who, in 8 games with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats this year, has:

3 TD's

9 INT's

5 Fumbles

And a QB rating of 64

[donkhater]

I have no problem with this move by Herm

IF

they run the offense they said they were going to run in preseason. If they keep running LJ up the center's butt and dropping back to pass in obvious passing situations, it doesn't matter who is back there.

[triple]

I think this is the right call. Huard sucks, he's old, at least give the snaps to a young guy. Thigpen would not be the first guy to look bad in his first real action in the NFL regular season.

I know, there's not really a good reason to suspect he'll suddenly be an NFL starting QB kind of player. It's a longshot.

But Huard quarterbacking that game does nothing for us. At least if we put Thigpen in there we can learn more about him. If he does better, hey maybe he can play. If he gets more snaps and still plays poorly, well, at least we know.

We should have been playing Croyle last year out of the gate for the same reason.

[triple]

Originally Posted by donkhater

I have no problem with this move by Herm

IF

they run the offense they said they were going to run in preseason. If they keep running LJ up the center's butt and dropping back to pass in obvious passing situations, it doesn't matter who is back there.

I agree. The coaching staff is not putting anyone in a position to succeed with this three-play play calling. (will it be run up the middle, 5 yard pass patterns, or a screen pass?)

[CoMoChief]

That sounds like the move is everything about furthering the youth movement by replacing a veteran quarterback with one much younger. But Edwards indicated he believed that playing Thigpen gives the Chiefs their best chance to beat Atlanta.

“We’re not looking at this game as a preseason game,” he said. “We’re trying to win. We’re doing everything we can to do that, and this kid deserves a chance.




Sorry Herm, but Thigpen does NOT give us the best chance to win. There's a reason why he was a 7th rd draft pick. Huard gives us the best chance to win.........Thigpen gives you the best chance to evaluate to see if he's good enough to even play in this league.

One problem.........THESE GAMES ACTUALLY COUNT NOW!!!!!! This isn't the ****in preseason.

God I hate this team sometimes.

[OnTheWarpath15]

Originally Posted by CoMoChief

That sounds like the move is everything about furthering the youth movement by replacing a veteran quarterback with one much younger. But Edwards indicated he believed that playing Thigpen gives the Chiefs their best chance to beat Atlanta.

“We’re not looking at this game as a preseason game,” he said. “We’re trying to win. We’re doing everything we can to do that, and this kid deserves a chance.




Sorry Herm, but Thigpen does NOT give us the best chance to win. There's a reason why he was a 7th rd draft pick. Huard gives us the best chance to win.........Thigpen gives you the best chance to evaluate to see if he's good enough to even play in this league.

One problem.........THESE GAMES ACTUALLY COUNT NOW!!!!!! This isn't the ****in preseason.

God I hate this team sometimes.

So, why was Tom Brady a 6th round pick?

Do you even watch football?

Behind this OL, a mobile QB gives us the best chance to win. Atlanta's front 4, on a fast track, and you want to put a statue back there?

As Tiny said:

Run for your life > Stop, drop and roll

[CoMoChief]

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

So, why was Tom Brady a 6th round pick?

Do you even watch football?

Behind this OL, a mobile QB gives us the best chance to win. Atlanta's front 4, on a fast track, and you want to put a statue back there?

As Tiny said:

Run for your life > Stop, drop and roll

Jesus Christ stop with the Tom Brady comparisons, that happends once in a very great while. Tom Brady also didn't go to East Costal Carolina school of the blind deaf and dumb. He went to ****in Michigan. Thigpen will not ever be Tom Brady.....some people on here are just ****in stupid and are hilariously decieved and blind.

Brady earned his spot on the depth chart. Thigpen orignally was listed as the #2 guy not because of what he showed, but because Herm decided he wanted to go with youth....period, even though its clear that Huard is 10x better QB than Thigpen.

[Sure-Oz]

Thigpen may be off this roster if we had 2 decent QB's

[OnTheWarpath15]

Originally Posted by CoMoChief

Jesus Christ stop with the Tom Brady comparisons, that happends once in a very great while. Tom Brady also didn't go to East Costal Carolina school of the blind deaf and dumb. Thigpen will not ever be Tom Brady.....some people on here are just ****in stupid and are hilariously decieved and blind.

Brady earned his spot on the depth chart. Thigpen orignally was listed as the #2 guy not because of what he showed, but because Herm decided he wanted to go with youth....period, even though its clear that Huard is 10x better QB than Thigpen.

Boy genius:

Not ONCE did I compare Thigpen to Brady.

Merely pointing out that draft position alone is a dumbass way to judge a QB, as well as where he went to school.

Hilariously deceived and blind is thinking that Damon Huard is the best QB to run an offense with a porous OL, than depends on being able to run nakeds, bootlegs and misdirection. Huard can do NONE of these things.

BTW, good job on completely ignoring the rest of my post. Waiting for an response:

Behind this OL, a mobile QB gives us the best chance to win. Atlanta's front 4, on a fast track, and you want to put a statue back there?

Well?