Manage Delivery
A physical Oakland Raiders defense took its toll on the Chiefs on Sunday for the second time this season.
Once again, quarterback Brady Quinn was one of the victims.
Chiefs coach Romeo Crennel revealed Monday that Quinn emerged from the 15-0 loss in Oakland with an injury to his ribs, leaving his status for Sunday’s home finale against Indianapolis in doubt — and leaving the Chiefs’ quarterback situation familiarly muddled.
“He stood in there pretty tough and took a beating basically,” Crennel said.
Crennel said Quinn’s injury would be reevaluated Tuesday, but whether he gets the call under center won’t necessarily depend exclusively on his health. Asked who would start Sunday if Quinn is healthy, Crennel was noncommittal.
He was similarly vague when presented with the hypothetical of Quinn’s absence, allowing for the possibility that Ricky Stanzi could be in line to make his NFL regular-season debut against the Colts.
“There’s a possibility,” Crennel said of Stanzi playing Sunday. “Like I said last week, there’s a possibility, and I mentioned injuries as one of the reasons. We’ll see what Brady looks like, and then we’ll make some decisions and go from there.”
The severity of Quinn’s injury is unknown, though he was able to finish Sunday’s game in Oakland, completing 18 of 32 passes for 136 yards, only 4.3 yards per attempt.
He was sacked four times and forced out of the pocket numerous others while the Raiders’ defensive line physically dominated the Chiefs’ offensive line.
“Everything,” offensive lineman Eric Winston responded Monday when asked what went wrong offensively. “You can’t point the finger at one guy. We didn’t open up (running lanes) at all. We didn’t (pass) protect at all.”
That left Quinn forced to hurry several throws. He was hit particularly hard on a fourth-down incomplete pass to Jon Baldwin with more than nine minutes left.
Quinn’s rib injury comes seven weeks after he departed a 26-16 home loss against the Raiders because of a concussion — a game in which he attempted to continue playing before players and coaches spotted his symptoms. He missed the following two games, in San Diego and Pittsburgh, and Matt Cassel started in his place.
With Quinn under center, the Chiefs have accumulated seven straight scoreless quarters since Jamaal Charles’ 80-yard touchdown run on the first play of a 30-7 loss to Cleveland a week ago.
The Raiders have presented a particularly bad matchup for the Chiefs this season. After entering Sunday allowing a league-high 31 points per game, they shut out the Chiefs, holding them to 119 total yards.
“They haven’t exactly lit the world on fire,” Winston said, “but for whatever reason, we haven’t fared too well against them.”
Whoever lines up under center Sunday against the Colts will require an improved performance from a receiving corps that left much to be desired against the Raiders. After Dexter McCluster, who caught seven passes, the remaining Chiefs wideouts — Devon Wylie, Jamar Newsome and Baldwin — combined for two catches on 10 targets.
“(Separation) seems to be the problem with all of our receivers — against the Raiders anyway,” Crennel said.
