[cheatsheets] Brian Griese Injury

I've had lots of folks ask for more details on the story I reported Monday
night as Denver QB Brian Griese made my "Downgrade" list in the "Upgrades /
Downgrade" article.

According to John Clayton of ESPN, Griese's shoulder injury is a separation
of the AC joint in his right clavicle. He took a pain killing shot and
finished the game. Unfortunately, his status for this week's game against
San Diego is in doubt. At this point, coach Mike Shanahan is saying it will
be a couple of days before they decide what they're doing.

I've copied the entire story below if you'd like more details. Sounds like
this victory could be one of those career turning point games for him.
Griese describing how he knew he was about to get slammed in the pocket
because he could hear the crowd hold it's breath is classic. I'll keep an
eye on it for you as this shakes out.

Joe

From the article: http://espn.go.com/nfl/news/2000/1114/876898.html
DENVER -- Brian Griese had a secret. Mike Shanahan knew because he was the
head coach. Griese knew because he had the pain piercing in the middle of
his right shoulder.
His teammates didn't know what went on behind closed doors in Monday's
dramatic 27-24 Broncos victory over the Raiders at Mile High Stadium. All
his teammates knew was that he had injured his right shoulder on an
ill-advised run out of bounds minutes into the first quarter.
Griese retreated to the locker room with a trainer but wasn't missed. The
Raiders had an 11-play, field-goal drive that lasted six minutes. Teammates
saw Griese trot back to the field, warm up and miss only five plays. They
didn't hear that Griese had separated his right clavicle and AC joint and
needed a pain-deadening shot to finish the final three quarters.
"This is not a game I wanted to miss, and I was going to do anything
possible to get in the game and help my team win," Griese said. "I was going
to do it. It was just the will to play and the will to win, and I wasn't
going to come out."
An hour after the game, Broncos players were surprised that the man who ran
their huddle had a busted wing. His performance was John Elway-like for
courage, but it also leaves the Broncos uncertain if they will have Griese
available as a starting quarterback for Sunday's game against the San Diego
Chargers.
"We won't know for a couple of days the exact extent of the injury, but he's
such a competitor," Shanahan said. "He's been like that since he's been
here. He wants to play, and sometimes you have to be cautious to make sure
he doesn't further hurt himself. That's the kind of guy he is."
Rod Smith is among the many Broncos who have grown to love this guy. Last
year was different. In the preseason, it was supposed to be Bubby Brister's
team, but Shanahan named Griese the starter. Veterans didn't feel totally
comfortable with him. Griese didn't feel comfortable bossing around a group
of players who didn't take to him.
"Brian's the one to lead us," Smith said. "I think it would have hurt him
more just sitting there and watching rather than being out there playing
with the shoulder the way it was. Whatever he does, he doesn't surprise me.
He's the best quarterback in the NFL. I know the Raiders think Rich Gannon
is. We think Brian is."
Griese told his offensive players that he didn't have too much zip on the
ball. They accepted it as just humility.
"I wasn't throwing the ball as well I have been," Griese said. "Some of the
balls just died. At that point, it was just your will to play, your will to
win. I wasn't coming out of the game."
Griese was 22-of-32 for 221 yards with a separated shoulder. He'd throw
passes and hear, as well as feel, his shoulder popping in and out.
"I knew there was something wrong with it, but they assured me that I
couldn't do any further damage," Griese said. "It was just whether I could
handle the pain."
Being injured didn't make Griese shy away from contact. Several times he
took shots from Raiders defenders that bounced him to the frozen Mile High
Stadium grass. Once, cornerback Eric Allen charged untouched from the
blindside. Griese ducked as Allen hit him shoulder high.
"Believe it or not, the reason I kind of ducked when he came in is that I
heard the crowd, and the crowd held their breath and I could hear that,"
Griese said. "I said to myself, 'Well, somebody must be ready to hit me.' "
Talk about homefield advantage. Griese has never had an injury like this. He
has played two seasons with a torn labrum problem in his shoulder that
requires surgery, but this was much more painful.
Griese remembered a pass to Rod Smith along the sideline that was a big
play. He had to make just an arm-through pass. It was agonizing. He threw a
skinny post to Ed McCaffrey that left McCaffrey vulnerable to a hit on the
chin.
"I apologized to him for that because the ball kind of floated on me and I
didn't have any zip on the ball," Griese said.
Griese said the feeling of his shoulder popping in and out was different.
"We knew it was something that was hurting him, we knew he was banged up,"
fullback Howard Griffith said. "That's how it is when you've got a job to
do."
Still, the story told after the game amazed them.

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