Green Hobbled in Practice, May Be On Short Leash
Jan 4, 2007 10:48 AM CST
By DOUG TUCKER
AP Sports Writer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Trent Green's sore ankle limited him in practice Wednesday and there are signs Kansas City coach Herm Edwards may have his struggling quarterback on a short leash.
Green, who committed three turnovers and got booed in Sunday's playoff-clinching victory over Jacksonville, is still slated to start Saturday at Indianapolis. But waiting in the wings is fan favorite Damon Huard, who was an impressive 5-3 in eight starts while Green recuperated from a severe concussion sustained in the season opener.
"I anticipate (Green) starting," Edwards said Wednesday. "But we'll see how far he comes along tomorrow."
Since returning against Oakland on Nov. 19, Green hasn't looked as sharp as the quarterback who passed for more yards (16,334) from 2001-05 than anyone in the NFL but the Colts' Peyton Manning.
He has thrown seven touchdown passes with nine interceptions, and has been sacked 24 times. His poor quarterback rating of 74.1 is dwarfed by the 98.0 of Huard, who threw 11 TDs and only one interception while subbing for him.
Green came out of the Jacksonville game briefly with an ankle injury and watched Huard march the offense downfield to a quick touchdown, setting up the score with a beautifully thrown 40-yard gainer to Eddie Kennison.
Edwards said Green did not do any team work on Wednesday.
"It's sore, I know that," he said of Green's ankle. "We'll see tomorrow."
A quarterback controversy has simmered for two months, with a growing number of fans climbing on board the Huard bandwagon. Edwards seemed to encourage that faction on Tuesday when he admitted he would be more inclined to replace a struggling player in the playoffs than he would in the regular season.
"You have to win the game," Edwards said. "There's no tomorrow. And you have to do whatever is best for the football team at that point. I'll do whatever I have to do. When you're in the playoffs, you're desperate."
Green said Wednesday he's not looking over his shoulder.
"I'm more worried about the Colts' defense and trying to get as healthy as I can for this game," he said. "I've taken some shots the last few weeks and am trying to get as healthy as I can and worry about the Colts' defense. Whatever everybody else is saying or whatever decisions are being made, the Colts are my main focus."
Told that he would be giving hope to the anti-Green clamor, Edwards became defensive.
"People will think whatever they want to think," he said. "At the end of the day, I make the decisions. I made a decision to start Trent when he was ready to play. He's our starting quarterback. He's our starting quarterback going into the playoffs, and I anticipate he's going to play good."
Huard said he's not expecting to play against the Colts.
"I'm just going to prepare the same as I always prepare every week," he said. "You've always got to be ready to play on a second's notice. You never know, just like last Sunday. I had to go in there when Trent got nicked up. So you're always ready to play."
Green had started 81 straight games before taking a brutal hit from Cincinnati's Robert Geathers on Sept. 10. He was taken unconscious to a hospital and spent 10 weeks recovering from a severe concussion.
He said he was unaware of Edwards' comments.
"I'm just going to prepare the best I can, play as best I can," he said.
"Everything else is out of my hands. I just have to do as good a job as I can do and not get caught up in that. I anticipate going out and having success and the offense playing well and me playing well. That's all I can do, I can't worry about any of the other stuff."
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
