Did not having a veteran backup QB cross your mind when the 'Ankle' was reported?

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

I know the first thing I thought about when I heard Brady had a bad ankle was man,I wish we had a capable veteran backup we could use in an emergency which this could have been the case of emergency but of course its not now.

I had visions of Cassell being bear hugged by Umenyora and Strahan all game and Madison running some back for scores.

I hope the team puts some focus on a capable veteran backup in the offseason,Just in case - now that Brady has been diagnosed as having a human body that can get damaged and not the indestructable robot we thought he was

 

[MoLewisrocks]

In a league desperate for anything approaching functional starting QB's, no - it didn't. I would rather take my chances with Matt #2 or even Matt #3 than say Vinny from the couch or some other flavor of the season JAG everyone thought showed starter potential once upon a time because they looked good briefly in limited service somewhere else.

 

[sbcpats70]

I think Cassell doesn't get enough credit. I think the kid would be fine. But, I also think this Brady foot thing is way out of hand. I remember the same issues in 2001 when it was, "Will Bledsoe play??" because of Brady's high ankle sprain, which to me looked MUCH worse than this one.

 

[SuperStang83]

First thing I thought is that he'll play, and he'll be fine.

 

[Tunescribe]

Yes, it crossed my mind. But, Cassel adds a different dimension as a scrambler, which is something few veteran reserve QBs can feature.

 

[zoostation]

Not for a second as I knew his ankle was fine.

 

[Ring 6]

Knew he would play, but the first thought that crossed my mind under the possiblity he wouldnt was: We are so good, I bet we'd win even without him.

We'll never know, but I'd bet a lot that the other 52, would easily crank it up a notch and we would win any way.
We would probably run it 40 times and win one of those 13-7 type games, but we would win.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Knew he would play, but the first thought that crossed my mind under the possiblity he wouldnt was: We are so good, I bet we'd win even without him.

We'll never know, but I'd bet a lot that the other 52, would easily crank it up a notch and we would win any way.
We would probably run it 40 times and win one of those 13-7 type games, but we would win.

Not sure I'd go that far in this game. Brady and Belichick are the lynchpins around which this team is built. The impact of Brady's presence, even on his own defense, is immense. The 2001 team rallied around a kid QB, but the kid QB had something to do with that. More often than not since his mere presence has given them the belief that if they step up it will be enough because he will make the most of their effort.

Doesn't mean we're chopped liver without him, but we aren't a serious SB contender, just a potential contender in a league where it's not that hard to be that unless you are grossly mismanaged or incredibly unlucky. Maybe a Cassel or Gutierrez has some of that intangible that makes guys want to run through a wall for you...but I'm not counting on them having it to the level Brady does. Few ever have had it to that level. But I know that Vinny or Feeley or any of the veteran backups some here think we need don't have it at all or they wouldn't still or now be backups.

 

[mgteich]

Nope!

We trust Belichick, and Belichick has built the team such that Brady can never be injured. So, he never will be.

 

[MRBLAZE]

Didn't cross my mind. Obviously I'm aware of what the situation would probably be, but I didn't degenerate into panic mode just yet. I'm sure it would take much more than a sprained ankle to keep Brady out of the game.

 

[brdmaverick]

First thing I thought is that he'll play, and he'll be fine.

same here, I consider it a non-issue

 

[Watson's IQ]

same here, I consider it a non-issue

I chocked it up to a slow news week before the SB. These are the kind of injuries that during the year, no one would even notice except the most paranoid and obsessive of fantasy football owners. Since it's the Super Bowl, and there isn't a whole lot of other NFL news to talk about, of course it became a big deal. Anytime there's even the smallest injury question with the star player on a Super Bowl team, it's going to be beaten into the ground by the media.

 

[Boston Boxer]

I know the first thing I thought about when I heard Brady had a bad ankle was man,I wish we had a capable veteran backup we could use in an emergency which this could have been the case of emergency but of course its not now.

I had visions of Cassell being bear hugged by Umenyora and Strahan all game and Madison running some back for scores.

I hope the team puts some focus on a capable veteran backup in the offseason,Just in case - now that Brady has been diagnosed as having a human body that can get damaged and not the indestructable robot we thought he was

i truely think we could win with Cassel at QB...people underestimate our running and short passing game.

 

[FreeTedWilliams]

Cassell would be OK. Don't forget Randy Moss made Dante Culpepper a Pro-Bowl QB. It is not like Cassell hasn't taken a snap since training camp. Cassell is charged with playing the other teams QB every week. He was Peyton Manning, he was Rivers, Garrard, et al.

Just because Brady isn't behind the center deos not mean that the OL will suddenly forget how to block (granted Cassell is not going to spot the blitzes and change the protection the way Brady does), but if you bltiz him, he is going to throw the ball to Moss one on one with some not so good DBs.

Brady is going to play, that is for certain, but don't sell Cassell short he can play.

 

[Seacoast Fan]

No.


(*(%&^%*(& (ten characters.)

 

[dhamz]

I don't see any veteran back-up QB out there who would make me confident if Brady couldn't go.

 

[DarrylStingley]

I have no dobut that Brady will start and play like exceptionally well, but I do think that the fact that the Pats don't have a better or more experience back up is curious.

The drop from Rivers to Volek or Brady to Bledsoe in 2001 is a lot less steep than the drop from the best QB in football to a guy who hasn't started since high school.

I have a lot of trust in BB, as we all do, but the thought of Cassel playing in any playoff game is not a comfroting one.

 

[patchick]

I can honestly say that not once did I think "man, if only we had some 30-year-old journeyman back there instead of Cassel I would feel SO much better!"

Is Cassel any good? Who the heck knows? But here's something I like about him: he's been with the team for three years. He knows the offense and the personnel, and the coaches know him. I'm sure BB & JD could put together a good competitive gameplan with Cassel at the helm.

 

[DarrylStingley]

I can honestly say that not once did I think "man, if only we had some 30-year-old journeyman back there instead of Cassel I would feel SO much better!"

Is Cassel any good? Who the heck knows? But here's something I like about him: he's been with the team for three years. He knows the offense and the personnel, and the coaches know him. I'm sure BB & JD could put together a good competitive gameplan with Cassel at the helm.

But who would you rather at the 9 minute mark of the third quarter?

I'd rather Volek, Testaverde or some other back-up with experience.

If I had two weeks to plan to play Cassel, I might agree with you.

Let's be real, Tommy doesn't get hurt much and this is highly theoretical. I just share the view that I'd rather have an experienced hand for one game than a guy with such limited game experience past high school.

 

[patchick]

If I had two weeks to plan to play Cassel, I might agree with you.

Conveniently, with two weeks to go before the Superbowl the Pats spent the week practicing with Matt Cassel as their quarterback.