captadamnj

Lost fumbles. 25 sacks ranks second in the league behind O'Sullivan in SF (29). But he's lost the ball only once (out of 3 fumbles). (O'Sullivan has lost 5 of 9 fumbles already.) I remember specifically one of the sacks in last nite's game where he was about to get pulled down from behind. I saw him start to raise his arm to try to throw but thought better of it and protected the ball.

Also, great to see only one "scary" pass last nite. There wasn't another throw in the game that worried me. Keeping the turnovers down was going to be a big key to his play, and he's done an excellent job. Even INT's gets him in the bottom half satistically.

Good job Cassel through 6 games.

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TNTitan

that is alot.

Sacks Allowed NFL Stats

Metaphors

I see this as a double-edged sword. Kinda like never being thrown out at home. Sure you never want to get thrown out, but if you don't ever take the risk you are potentially leaving runs stranded on the bases.

Same for Cassel. He is tucking the ball away WAAAAY too early in a lot of cases. He takes his eyes off the downfield defense and then the only question is about how many yards will be lost with the sack.

Getting sacked 4-6 times a game is an ungodly amount that Cassel has to manage better. Part of that is knowing when to stick in the pocket and throw anyway (risking a strip sack), when to throw the ball away, when to scramble out to ad-lib a play and when to secure the ball and take the sack.

This all comes with experience and I would give him a "C" so far. He can raise his grade to a "B" just by throwing the ball away more. He can get to a "B+" by moving in the pocket better to buy time. The "A" grade (delivering a pass with pressure around you while knowing you are going to take a hit) may be beyond his reach this year.

TheGodInAGreyHoodie

Throwing the ball away is better than a sack. BUT a sack is better than an int. And that is the risk. I think at this point the number one priority must be keep the ball in the Patriots possession. A 10 yard sack followed by a punt puts you in a better position than an int.

So particularly if the game is tied or you are in the lead. He is making the right choice. If you are down by 14 in the 4th you need to take risks. But if you are up by 14 protect the ball and just don't give the other team great field position.

Metaphors

All good points but I think you are mixing two distinct areas. Avoiding sacks is about offensive efficiency and field position. Avoiding INTs is much more important since turnovers are killer. There aren't very many times when the thought process is "taking a sack" vs. "throwing into tight coverage".

Cassel has to manage both of these aspects. He is doing a fine job at avoiding turnovers. He is very uneven when it comes to efficiency though. Taking a sack on 2nd and 5 is a huge problem. Cassel doesn't have the confidence yet to convert 3rd-and-12 very often so a punt will almost certainly result. If he throws the ball away, a 3rd-and-5 is still a workable, low risk situation.

The situation that kills me is on 3rd down near mid-field. How many times have you seen Cassel check down to a play that couldn't possibly get close to 1st down yardage and a punt results. Why not chuck the ball downfield to a double-covered Moss and see what happens? There is almost no downside except for a big return on an interception (which is less likely than a big return on a punt).

That being said, Cassel has improved immensely in the last 2 months. If he can continue to grow and get more confidence in his arm and decision-making, the Pats should be in solid shape from a playoff perspective.

ctpatsfan77

Sage Rosenfels disagrees.

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MoLewisrocks

And throwing it away can be easier said than done under the kind of pressure Cassel has been routinely facing. A sack beats the hell out of a strip sack, tipped pick or fumble in close quarters. On a Belichick coached team protecting the ball will always be priority 1.

apple strudel

Cass is growing on me. I like the way he's come back with wins and good performances after losses. He does get sacked an awful lot, though.

JSn

Sure, but doesn't he have to watch out for getting an intentional grounding call if he's still in what used to be "the pocket"?

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buile

> BUT a sack is better than an int.

My feeling is he plays conservative to avoid the int, and that one thing he's learned from Brady is: "Forcing a throw into chaos and hoping for magic leads to an int. Just eat it, and try again next play."

Some of his crappy throws in the SD game looked extra conservative to avoid an int. He'll get better with game experience.

Yes, many sacks are his fault, and many are not. A handful of times last night, I yelled "Go! Go!" when he held the ball too long. He's taking a couple extra seconds (which QBs usually dont have) to see what's going on when his #1 isn't open. Again, he will slowly improve through experience.

In other words, I'm pretty happy with his INT stat.