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Brian Griese

Following in Dad's Shoes Seems Right Fit for Griese

Bob Griese

Originally from the Denver Post
Mark Kiszla,
Sports Columnist

October 7, 2002

 

From the beginning, we were wrong, holding our collective breath until we all turned Broncos blue in the face, waiting for Brian Griese to replace John Elway.

All along, maybe the quarterback Griese was really meant to become was his father.

 

As the Broncos beat San Diego 26-9 on Sunday, it was easy to look into the Denver huddle, see a quarterback using his brain more than his arm to win, and swear it was the spittin' image of Bob Griese.

Bob Griese was the only quarterback of an undefeated Super Bowl champion in league history, guiding the Miami Dolphins on guile more than his great athletic gifts.

A generation later, his son is the quarterback who at his best, which Brian Griese was while completing 13 consecutive passes against the Chargers, maintains a steady hand on a conservative offense straight out of the 1970s.

 

The Thinking Man's Quarterback
"The Thinking Man's Quarterback":
With Bob Griese at quarterback,
the 1973 Dolphins won their
second consecutive Super Bowl
with only six completed passes.

Their complex relationship, born of football but forged from the death of the woman who was the wife and mother to the two Griese men, is destined to be probed again this week, as a prelude to a showcase NFL matchup between the Broncos and Dolphins.

They cannot avoid the subject. And the two Grieses certainly will not avoid each other. "I talk to my dad every week," Griese said Sunday. But will father and son discuss this upcoming game?

"No," replied Griese in the Denver locker room, as he chomped down on a granola bar, showing obvious distaste for the inquiry.

Ask the Denver quarterback if he sees any of his father in himself, and Griese bristles, as he often does, almost out of habit, when any question even hints at being personal. Why? Maybe those were the rules in the Griese household. A football player wears his number, not his heart, on his sleeve.

No matter which era of Griese you're talking about, when he is calling signals, your quarterback is very old-school.

Bob and Brian with Dan Marino
Bob and Brian Griese with Dan Marino at Brian's first game as the Broncos' starting quarterback
Like father, like son.

Both generations of Grieses love to win, although neither seems bent on showing it. They would rather quietly beat your brains out with intelligence. "Brian is so smart that he does not have to do a whole lot of thinking," Broncos tight end Shannon Sharpe said.

In the Griese family, father and son are both cool, which cuts both ways. Calmly efficient at reading defenses. Capable of being downright cold when the situation calls for a little social grace.

The Griese men are built with thick skin. Which makes them strong, although you sometimes wonder if there's a heart underneath all that armor.

From a Griese, what a team gets at quarterback is precision, not passion. "But what I like about Griese is he is leading us totally different than in the past. He's showing his excitement," Broncos wide receiver Rod Smith said. "He's showing it on his face."

In his natural working state, however, Griese reverts to robotic. At the end of a short week of preparation for the Chargers, coaches detected a detached indifference as the Denver offense went through its paces.

Offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak tore into the quarterback, trying to get a rise out of Griese, perhaps to make sure there was still a pulse behind that poker face. "Kube was real hard on Griese," Sharpe said. "The thing with this team, we don't hold back any punches. It doesn't matter who you are. If you're not carrying your end of the stick, you're going to hear about it."

Griese responded to the challenge. He completed 18-of-22 passes in the first half, as Denver rolled up 19 points on San Diego. Then, as quickly as the magic appeared, the Broncos went into a cocoon after intermission. No quarterback seems more comfortable running a prevent offense than Griese.

"When you look at (Drew) Bledsoe with Buffalo who throws for 500 yards, it's a product of them being behind and having to throw the ball every down," Griese said. "I would much rather throw the ball 25 to 30 times and win the game and have 150 yards rushing."

Whether it is old Miami great Larry Csonka or new Denver sensation Clinton Portis, a running back always likes the way a quarterback named Griese thinks.

Brian pitches the ball to RB Mike Anderson
Brian Griese:
"There is a lot to be said for the intelligent,
low-turnover, ball-control approach
to winning football games,
so I admire my dad
for the kind of football player he was."
Like father, like son.

The recent history between the Dolphins and Broncos has not been kind to the younger Griese. His first start as Elway's heir was a 38-21 loss at Mile High Stadium, as Dad watched. And one of his worst moments with Denver was a come-from-ahead loss on the road last season against Miami.

When the Grieses get together, however, they seldom talk football. "That's right," the Broncos' quarterback said. Why? It's a job. Not their whole lives.

Like father, like son.

There never will be another Elway. But could it be Denver has found the next Bob Griese?

The Broncos could do far worse.

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