DENVER -- Quarterback Brian Griese, who led the Denver
Broncos to victory Monday night despite playing with a separated throwing shoulder, will be sidelined 3-to-4 weeks and possibly
longer.
Gus Frerotte will be the starter for at least the next couple of games.
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"Optimistically, we're looking at 3-to-4 weeks," Broncos coach
Mike Shanahan said Wednesday.
Denver television stations reported Tuesday night that Griese's injury -- listed as a third-degree separation of
the AC joint, the most severe type -- likely will require surgery at some point.
"I'm looking to come back in a month or so and see if I can
throw the ball and help this team out because that's my
responsibility," Griese said.
Griese was injured in the first quarter of Monday night's game
when, on a scramble, he was tackled and landed on by Oakland
linebacker Elijah Alexander.
Informed by doctors that he could do no further damage to his
shoulder, Griese took a painkilling injection and returned to the
game, engineering a 27-24 victory.
Griese, the AFC's top-rated passer, already was playing with
torn cartilage in the same shoulder, which will require offseason
surgery. The injuries are believed to be unrelated.
With Griese out of action indefinitely, the Broncos, who vaulted
back into playoff contention with the win over Oakland, will turn
to veteran Frerotte. The Broncos (6-4) entertain winless San
Diego (0-10) on Sunday.
And rather than sign a third quarterback during Griese's absence, Shanahan said the team will go only with Frerotte and rookie Jarious Jackson.
Frerotte started once this season in Kansas City after Griese
tore the cartilage in his shoulder. Frerotte was 18-of-31 for 208
yards and an interception in a 23-22 loss.
Last season, Frerotte stepped in for Detroit during a six-week
stretch after starter Charlie Batch fractured his right thumb.
Frerotte was 2-4, completing 134 of 226 passes for 1,588 yards with
six touchdowns and six interceptions.
Dr. Richard Hawkins, an orthopedic surgeon and a Broncos' team
physician, said Griese sustained an "accordion-type injury" of
the shoulder where the ligaments are damaged and the outer end of
his collarbone "sticks up in the air a little bit."
Given the extent of the injury, Hawkins termed Griese's play
"amazing."
"That's sort of encouraging because if we took away his pain
and he performed so well with this injury, then when his pain
settles down maybe he can perform at that level again," Hawkins
said. "So we're optimistic that maybe in three or four weeks,
he'll be able to throw again effectively.
"If he cannot and we judge over four to eight weeks that he's
not recovering, then we might talk about doing something
surgically. But most of these injuries are treated non-surgically.
Most athletes do very well with this injury even without an
operation."
Griese, 25, also had torn cartilage in his shoulder in 1999, but
he missed only two games.
"I don't feel snakebit," he said. "I've had some problems but
it hasn't been something where I've missed a bunch of games. I've
been able to play through it. Unfortunately this is a little bit
worse than what I had before and I won't be able to play for a
while. I've got to maintain a positive attitude about it."
Griese insisted he hasn't given up on this season.
"I want to play this year," he said. "I want to let the
swelling go down, and see if I can throw effectively and contribute
to this team. If we get into the playoffs, and hopefully I can get
back for a couple games, I want to help us out. If I can't, then
I'll have to weigh the other options."
Griese said Frerotte "is going to be fine. He's been in the
league for a while and he knows how to play. I'm going to do
everything I can to help him out and make it an easy transition for
him."
Frerotte said he welcomed the challenge.
"It's an opportunity for me to keep our team on track to where
we want to go -- to get us to the playoffs," he said.
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VIDEO
  Brian Griese wants to play again this season. wav: 167 kRealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 Mike Shanahan has confidence in Gus Frerotte to perform. wav: 111 kRealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 Tony Kornheiser on Brian Griese's toughness and where he ranks with other young QB's. wav: 3018 kRealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 |
