Posted on Tue, Oct. 09, 2007 10:15 PM Chiefs waiting to see how Huard does in practiceBy RANDY COVITZThe Kansas City StarAbout noon today, all eyes on the Chiefs’ practice field will focus on quarterback Damon Huard.If he can throw the deep outs, the skinny posts and the seam routes accurately and painlessly, he will start Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals at Arrowhead Stadium.If the passes lack velocity — or if Huard’s bruised right shoulder causes him to wince in pain — second-year man Brodie Croyle is poised to make his first NFL start.Although a source said last Sunday that Huard would not play against the Bengals, an MRI taken after the 17-7 loss to Jacksonville showed that Huard had no long-term damage to his shoulder, coach Herm Edwards said Tuesday. Huard was driven to the ground after a pass was intercepted by the Jaguars.“He feels a lot better,” Edwards said. “He’s worked out the last two days, and he felt OK (Tuesday). But he hasn’t thrown.“We’ll go through our practice schedule like we always go. Brodie takes a lot of (snaps) that he’s always done. We’ll see where Damon is, and if he can go, and he feels good, then he’ll go.”Edwards said he doesn’t feel obligated to make a final determination on the starter today.“I’ll just see how practice goes,” he said. “But I think if he’s willing to practice (today), that helps make that decision a little easier. If he starts to go (today) already, it means he should get better as the week goes on, hopefully.”Huard was not available to speak to reporters Tuesday, which is the players’ day off.“He’s OK,” Edwards said. “He’s sore. I didn’t get all the details. He’s done all his lifting that he normally does on Mondays and Tuesdays, but he hasn’t thrown a pass yet. We have to see when he starts throwing how he feels.”Edwards did not want to put any percentages on Huard’s availability and said his wait-and-see approach was not a ploy to keep the Bengals guessing.“He’s coming along fine,” Edwards said, “but I don’t want to make that assumption without watching him throw.”Even if Huard is not 100 percent, that wouldn’t rule him out, Edwards said.“He has nothing to do with the running game,” Edwards said of an attack that managed just 10 yards in last week’s loss to Jacksonville. “Hopefully he doesn’t try to throw blocks. He has to pass the football and manage the football team.”During the Chiefs’ 2-3 start, Huard has completed 65 percent of his attempts, has thrown four touchdown passes and six interceptions, and has a passer rating of 77.3.Croyle, in mop-up roles in losses to Chicago and Jacksonville, has completed 10 of 17 passes with one touchdown, no interceptions and a 104.5 rating.When he was coach of the New York Jets in 2002, Edwards replaced veteran Vinny Testaverde after four games with Chad Pennington, a first-round draft pick in 2000.“You make that change if we’re turning the ball over a lot, and if we’re not putting points on the board,” Edwards said.Huard has thrown six interceptions in 149 attempts — compared with one interception in 244 attempts last season — and the Chiefs have scored but five offensive touchdowns all season.But …“It’s not just the quarterback,” Edwards said. “There are a lot of things that go into this. You’ve got to make sure when you decide to make that change, you’re doing it for the right reasons, you’re not doing it on emotion, you’re weighing all the facts. It’s difficult right now because we’re playing a little bit one-handed. We’re passing it halfway decent, but when we get (inside the 20), we’re not capitalizing.“There comes a time when you keep watching yourself play, and you say, ‘You know what, I might need a spark,’ and you decide and say, ‘I’m going to go this way.’“I’m not thinking that way at all. I’m thinking, ‘If (Huard is) available, he’s going to play.’ ”