Huard Doesn’t Deserve It
Via RDM, I found out that the hopes of the Chiefs this season rest on one Damon Freaking Huard.
Look, I accept that Huard is probably the best choice for the near future of the Chiefs. Herm Edwards really wanted Brodie Croyle to win the job, but he did just the opposite – He LOST it. Huard didn’t win it, that’s for sure. I don’t know of another time in the history of pro football that a starting quarterback job was won because one of the two players competing hurt his ankle and managed to keep from playing just as bad as the other QB.
Here in KC, stuff like this happens all the time. Think back to Grbac and Gannon…
I tried to call into 610 Sports to talk about this yesterday, but got cut off. Here’s my theory. Damon Huard does not deserve to start for the Chiefs. He never has challenged ANYONE in his career for a job. People are going to say that he backed up some of the greats – Marino, Brady, Trent Green, Jay Fiedler – wait…what? Jay Fiedler? That’s right…Jay Fiedler, a guy who was just released by the Buccaneers.
So you’ll have to excuse me if I’m not doing backflips over the Chiefs settling for a 34-year-old career backup player who has never in his life competed for and won an NFL starting job.
Huard has had plenty of opportunities to be a starter. His 5-3 record was one of very few bright spots in a season where even making the playoffs left us as fans unsatisfied. However, his track record up to this point has been one of constant under-achievement. And to be honest, if it is possible to look worse than Brodie Croyle in the pre-season, Huard has done so. So Huard did what it took to win the starting job in KC – he got injured and let his competition play themself out of the job.
Forgive me for not being optimistic. There are people who believe that if Huard plays this season that we have a chance to make the playoffs. I’m assuming those people have not seen Will Svitek or the rest of our offensive line block because we couldn’t stop a butterfly from flitting into our backfield. The truth is that for this team, right now, Casey Printers might be the best QB because at least he has some mobility back there. If he could just solve that problem of fumbling every fifth snap…
Brodie Croyle is young and has a ton of upside. I would rather suffer through one year of him taking his lumps only to return better next year than to suffer another mediocre season of one-and-done in the playoffs only to have the same competition next year, have Croyle win the job, take his lumps again, only to have Tony Gonzalez and our other veterans retire because they’re tired of mediocre teams.
Look…I hope I’m wrong. But you are not going to convince me that Damon Huard is the catalyst that will lead my Chiefs to the promised land. He’s not even the second coming of Trent Green. (or even Steve DeBerg…)
5 Comments to “Huard Doesn’t Deserve It”
Kevin
In all objectivity, Huard is the lesser of all evils. Croyle is really bad. And Printers is really, really bad. By being just average, Huard stands head and shoulders above his bumbling, incompetent, pick-and-fumble-happy band of big-eyed, slack-jawed tossin’ buddies.
My prediction: 6-10 season. And next year, the Chiefs will start to do exactly what the Dolphins are doing — pick up a new old QB every off-season hoping to limp into the playoffs as a sixth seed. Remember, under Carl Peterson, we strive for mediocrity.
- 9:22 pm on 08 25, 2007
Shane
I’m tired of mediocrity.
What’s the saying? Go HARD or GO HOME. I think that applies here.
- 11:15 pm on 08 25, 2007
Ryan
I guess we know who won’t be coming to the Huard Christmas party this year!! Shane, I agree with you for the most part. I know that Huard did nothing to win this job (during camp). However, he did enough in 8 games last year to warrant Peterson and the Hunt family to give him some cashola and invite him back. They released Scrambled Eggs Green and forced us to rely on the duo of Huard/Croyle for the QB battle.
Smart? Nay. I think that the Chiefs have a long history of ineptness when it comes to player personnel and how to create what my good friend, Marty Schottenheimer, calls “competition” for every position. You have guys who are the incumbents not being pushed at all. Eddie Kennison has been so relaxed this camp. No one challenges him. That’s a shame. He’s no #1 reciever on any other team in the league. Tony G really is the 2nd or 3rd best TE on this team, behind the rookie Allan and Jason Dunn. However, he’s got the history of “what I’ve already done” on his side. That’s what secured this position for Huard…last year’s performance.
The job was Croyle’s for the taking. Kid obviously never took it seriously enough to apply himself to take the spot. I believe he felt that a “strong arm” was all that he needed to get the job. Hey, strong arm or not, it doesn’t make up for the lack of smarts betwix the ears.
Thus, if I can’t get either of my two guys the starting job (Printers/Terrell), I’ll deal with this cat for now.
Let’s sit back and wait for the playoffs, baby!!!
- 6:22 pm on 08 27, 2007
Shane
Ryan, I disagree with you somewhat. Croyle at least did SOMETHING this preseason (his one drive in the second game of the preseason was the best we’ve seen yet, save Terrell’s garbage-time 5-of-5 drive). All Huard did last year was be in the right place at the right time. You can’t tell me that you believe he actually did anything to WIN those games last year…all he did was NOT LOSE them. And he only went 5-3. It’s not like he came in and went all Tom Brady to Trent’s Drew Bledsoe.
And I have to disagree with you about Tony G. He is still the best TE on this team and is a top 3 in the league guy. He certainly doesn’t push himself in the preseason, but why should he? At least he can back it up. Huard, in my opinion, doesn’t have that luxury (nor does Kennison…I see your point there).
- 9:41 am on 08 28, 2007
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